“I, I don’t have a clue, I was so scared, I saw you sinking down and I could not get to you. I have no heater suit and—” She stopped me cold.
“A what? You don’t have a what?” she asked.
“A heater suit, you know!” I said.
“What is a heater suit, dear?”
“It’s multi-colored and batteries, you know!” I said.
“I have no idea what you are talking about. We have no such thing as a heater suit.”
“But I, we, it’s in…” I stammered.
“Think hard, what name were you shouting the whole time?” she asked.
“Sylvia, of course,” I said.
“Of course, dear.” She patted my cheek and got up and went inside as I followed behind. She took off her skates, wet pants and cold gear. She made tea without a word.
We sipped it and she said, “John, dearest, you did not holler my name. If I did not know the name, I would have really been upset.”
“I did, I had too. I was scared you’d drown!” I was confused.
“Rodel, kind soul of my life, you here?” she asked.
“Yes, but I am not sure you should,” he said.
“Parties over, time to go home.”
“Yes, my Queen.”
“John, there is and was a dire reason we are here, fortune didn’t make us lucky as we popped into this lost paradise. Rather, I suspect it spit on us, again. Listen carefully and remember, please remember, my husband.” She was squeezing my hand and tearing my heart apart.
“Play it loud, Rodel,” she commanded.
I heard her laughter as she was spinning, I heard the ice crack, and I heard me screaming repeatedly, “No! Aawasa, I do not have the suit on, don’t die, please Aawasa, don’t die, don’t die! I don’t have the damn Suit! Aawasa, please come back…” Sobs and kisses.
I heard it, I know I heard it.
Her eyes never left mine. “You caught a hunk of fur, got it into a cave, this cave, a blue girl. You saved her life, twice, and married her. Jake Spoonbill. An ugly bird!”
I looked around, it all looked different but the same. “I had to take a bunch of ice baths because she was so pretty, so beautiful.” Click.
“Damn it to hell! We saved the freaking world once, we lost thousands, we won the Universe back. Can’t they let our souls rest in peace?” I just stared at her.
Destiny and History Intertwine
She patted my cheek. “No, my husband, we have souls to find, armies to train, and yet another war to fight. I think it is just a new part of an old war. We will see.”
“Damn it, what a screwed up mess! What names shall we use?” I asked, as the rest of the fog lifted.
“Too many of our blood relatives. We go with the current ones, we are not genetically linked, only soul linked,” she said.
“Queen Sylvia and Ruler John it remains, then.” I laughed.
“What?”
“Explains the bow and pistol and a few other things,” I said. “When did you realize it?”
“Partly when Kathy looked in my eyes. I went with the flow as Chief told me to, and some of it clicked home. When Rodel said, ‘As always, composed on the fly’, it all came back, and those god-awful bagpipes. I saw a little robot waving a sword, coming to our rescue too late.” She smiled and kissed me. “Sorry dear, I may not be pregnant yet, but you’ll have to wait awhile. Come, we have things to do.”
“Aww wait, I don’t have too, not again, no agreement. I don’t.” I was stammering again.
“Dear, the agreement then was a soul binding. Katawasa’s first I’m afraid; Chief is already setting it up. Go easy on her, she is still a wild one, but younger in mind. She has not been to mating calls.”
“You mean she might be a virgin?” I asked.
“Seventeen, on Camelot? You could dream, I guess.” She kissed me and laughed.
She put her head down to her chest, turned it slightly, and batted her eyes. “You like, yes?”
I broke out laughing so hard I think I popped a blood vessel.
“Okay, your call,” I said. “As always I am your slave in all things.”
She patted my cheek and said, “I know, isn’t it wonderful?” She spun into my arms and kissed me long and hard.
“Rodel, tell our Guard force we wish to go home, please,” she said.
“Yes, my Queen,” he said like an obedient slave. “Oh, welcome home, Jake.”
“It’s John, you defective tin can!”
“Yes, Jake,” he snickered.
“Somehow I think I missed you,” I told him.
Six and a half hours later we were in our old home, the original wood castle, fire roaring. The dais was still there, new chairs for the new Ruler and his Queens. True indoor plumbing and electrics and many things that were not here before. Sylvia took me to the third floor room, looked around and cried as she hugged me. “It is all remembered, my husband.”
The Chief set up meetings to bring us up to speed on years of changes since I hit a tree that jumped out in front of me. She explained that she saw the coming of our return, and after Rodel agreed with what she thought, plans were made. “We don’t know enough about the soul awakening yet. I wanted to ensure you figured it out on your own. Yes, it was all planned to try and make you both aware as gradually as possible. Welcome home, for good or ill.”
Couple days went by and we were talking to the king and his wives. I told them, “Since we have no genetic link I see no reason to confuse things. Our souls are linked, but we are different human bodies. Keep it as it is. We are from Earth.”
“I will still always think of you as my great, great, grandpa,” he said, smiling.
“No offense, Sire, but you are old enough to be mine. Think it, don’t say it. I am proud of most of our offspring, they have all stood us well, but we must move on.”
As we talked, The Chief brought a beautiful young Kathy in. She stood with her hands on her hips for a second, walked up to me, and said, “Well? They said you know. You gonna make an honest woman out of me or do I need to sneak in your bedroom at night? Harrumph.”
I took Sylvia’s hand. “Our Katawasa has arrived, my dear,” I moaned.
She laughed.
“Kathy! I was just talking about you!” I said. I patted Sylvia’s hand.
“I bet you were,” and she snickered.
I went down on one knee before her. “Would you consent to be my second wife, oh beautiful lady?” I asked.
“Well, I don’t know, when you got into your 80’s you started failing on your husbandry duties. Umm, well, if you promise to work more diligently, I guess so.” She kept her pout.
I kissed her hand. “I promise,” and stood up.
She jumped into my arms. “Oh, I missed you so much!” She planted a big one on me.
“Tomorrow, JP wedding,” Chief said. “Linda, if she agrees, three days later. Official ones when we next have an official function.”
Kathy said something to Sylvia, who shook her head.
“Chief. You doing anything for the next twenty minutes?” Kathy asked.
“Um, performing a marriage I presume?” Chief said.
I heard Rodel say something.
“Sire, you mind a quick ceremony here?” Kathy asked the king.
“Maybe the Legends are true,” he said, and shook his head. “Go ahead.”
“Sylvia, okay with you?” she asked.
“Why not?”
Kathy said, “It’s good to be home.”
I barely got in front of Chief. “Do you, John, take Kathy and all that crap?” she asked with a smirk. “We’ll get it right at the official one.”
“I do,” I said.
“Who stands for Kathy that may give her away?” Chief asked.
“My parents both died in a boating accident years ago,” she said.
“I, her adoptive father, stand her to be wed,” he said.
I did not have to look as she giggled.
“Do you, Kathy, take–�
� She didn’t get a chance to finish.
“I do, I do!” and she turned into my arms and kissed me, I remembered that passion from long ago.
Sylvia took her hand and mine. “I do as well,” she said.
I jumped when he came forward and whispered, “Remember, my blade is sharp.” He slapped me on the back and walked away.
The king and his wives came forward and congratulated us again.
“Eleven minutes, got to be a record!” Chief said, and kissed us all and left.
Sylvia said, “Bet we could do it in less than two! We have to corner Linda soon.”
“Not too soon, I just got married,” Kathy said, and she giggled.
The TV had a field day with a new Earth legend, just back off his honeymoon and off again on a new one.
“This guy is giving ol’ King Jake a run for the rubies! Ladies, three wives and three Courtesans is it, better get your dibs in! I figure two months he’ll be booked full!” She laughed, no picture of who she was.
We went home. I fixed tea and all three of us sat down.
Sylvia said, “Talk about whirlwinds!”
Kathy said, “I put on a good show, I think, but do you feel the danger coming?”
Sylvia nodded. “You need a honeymoon?”
“Na, a good night of sex will be fine,” she said. “Linda will tear him up though.”
“Jeez, last time it was I who was getting chewed out for talking about someone like they were a slab of meat,” I pouted. They both cracked up.
Sylvia said, “I will see you two tomorrow, I got the room next to you. I still can feel it, remember.”
Damned if she wasn’t a virgin. “Times change, thanks to King Jake,” and she kissed me. “Four lifetimes I have waited for your return, welcome home, my husband.”
Now that I had two of my beauties the old powers came creeping back--I rode the slow low waves along the shore. We went to deep water, I started riding the storm waves, wave after wave after wave. I caught the perfect one and rode it home.
“Better,” she said. “Five hours, much better. I will fix tea while you recover, my husband.”
We had tea and ate some. Back to bed, a quick nap and we went surfing again. A few waves, I rode a big one and felt her arch deeply and collapse. We relaxed and caught our breath. She got up and went and talked to Sylvia, then came back. “That woman, she is as sweaty as we are! Talk about soul links.” She kissed me.
“Think you can handle Linda? I’m a pussy cat compared to her, you know.” She yelled, “Hey Sylvia, remember ‘and ah 1 ah, and ah 2 ah?’ and she cracked up. Sylvia cracked up as well and came to the door, moving her hands like a conductor as they repeated it.
I felt left out. It was some joke they had heard from Queastra about the Army.
We went back to bed one last time. A few waves and I was done. Kathy admitted she was done. Sylvia came out and said, “Good! I don’t know if I could have survived any more super waves, jeez.” She plopped in a chair.
I kissed them both. “And then they were one,” I said.
“And then we were one,” Sylvia said.
That night we were in the big bed. One in each arm, they were finger wrestling over a few hairs on my chest. Laughing, talking old times, I remember we all just enjoyed each other’s presence.
Early the next morning Rodel said, “Chief requests your presence.”
“Me?” I asked.
“All of you,” Rodel said.
“On the way. What now?” I wondered.
We went to The Chief. I knocked and went in.
“They said two minutes tops. We will see. Everyone ready?”
“We are,” Sylvia said with a smirk.
“I do,” after I got poked in the ribs.
“I do,” said Linda’s dad.
“I do,” said Linda
“I do,” said Sylvia,
“I do,” said Kathy
“You are one. Kiss.
“Time?” Chief asked.
“Two minutes and eight seconds,” Rodel said, and Kathy and Sylvia punched me. “You took too long!”
“Sorry!” I said, and everybody laughed.
“Add Linda to the official waiting list too,” I said.
“Already did,” Chief said.
“TV is gonna have a real field day with this one,” Sylvia said.
Chief looked at us with one of her smirks, “They already are. I am criticized for not saying the words.”
“Any reporters around?” I asked.
“Couple radio, one TV, why?” Chief asked.
“Same saving agreement as last time? Yes or no.”
After a long hesitation, Rodel said, “She’s checking with those who need to give up power.”
“Understood,” I said.
Linda said, “Hurry, I have waited many years and I am damned horny!”
“Ahh, you’re always horny!” Kathy laughed.
“Look who is talking. I think it is broken again,” she said.
Chief finally said, “It will be agreed.”
“Damn, I need to get it rolling,” I said. “You know me, I am forgoing two weddings and two honeymoons for this. Keep me posted please.
“Linda, no chance on our swords?”
“Sorry love, none, I have to be more than I am, and I am not,” she said. “Are things that desperate?”
“Rodel, as a former First who has picked up a few extra shreds of what he was. You sense what I think?” I asked.
“More I think what you sense. Unless the Father did it himself, either the Creator or his bitch threw in a last gasp we didn’t know about,” he said.
“Odds the Father or his mate pulled these souls here from all over the Universe? I know it comes off like some, ‘We are the greatest, the Universe can’t do without us’ bullshit, but odds verses random chance?” Chief asked.
“Random chance of the same twelve souls all known in a crisis reappearing for another crisis is zero, as in not going to happen.”
“Twelve?” I asked.
“Didn’t stutter, your Christians had twelve apostles, we have twelve proud bitches,” Chief said. “Don’t ask, I won’t answer.”
I dropped it.
“Odds it is one of the Firsts causing the trouble, 99%. Odds it might be the Father himself or his mate, 1%,” Rodel said. “Sorry, the possibility they are in his image, since we know humans are not, exists.”
“Damn deep, too deep for me,” Chief said.
“Okay, I have some husbandry duties to perform in a few hours, and a few things we need to work out before then,” I told them.
“Rodel, max and minimum crew size based on current weapons and ship development?” I asked.
Five to eight I would think.”
“Awkward. A full unit with courtesan’s, or two sets of four.”
“Sorry, you asked,” Rodel said.
“We will need long term point guard ships, no singles,” I said. “Linda, you ever pray?”
“Me? Never. Cursed, swore and damned everything in the universe yes, prayed no,” she said.
“We are all going to go pray. I want The General, Big Guy, Chief, and My Captain there. Mostly for moral support; I haven’t prayed much either. Believed, but not prayed,” I said.
“Rodel, I know you can, I don’t know if you can’t and I hate to ask. If I get this group together, think you could play a few minutes, not years, to ensure attention in case he’s busy or something, a sort of doorbell?” I asked.
“You know what you ask? Last time a few minutes took over two years,” he said. “I will if it will help, but I really, really would not like too. I have an adopted people and all my functions would cease for a while, totally.”
“Okay, I leave that call up to you.”
“Round up the people we need and ask them to report to the vent cave. I know it was for the Creator and his bitch, but it was also a conception point for another, I think. Worth a try,” I said.
“Big Guy begs off, Linda is his bl
ood daughter. Says he’s far too close to be objective,” Rodel said.
“We need more love than objectivity, please have him be there?”
We arrived at our castle.
Someone had assigned us an attendant. “Tea is served, my Ruler,” she said, bowing low.
She was young, eighteen maybe, quite stunning. I nodded.
“A question please?” I asked her. “Who sent you?”
“Um, you are our ruler now, we are the original builder tribe. Our Chief said the UNF rep ordered him to send me. I displease again?” She searched my eyes.
“If you bow to me again I’ll spank your butt. If you dance for me naked I will do the same. I may yet have to shoot your father!” I told her.
She smiled. “The thought of my version of spanking, which would be extremely pleasurable, I suspect is a bit different than what you intend.”
“Some souls never change!” I said.
Kathy asked, “Same soul? Same tribe, same purpose?”
“NO! I don’t dance and I am here to serve as needed. Before I was to be ridden or punished. He changed all that and I thank and honor him.” She was pointing at me. “Besides, my father this time is a kind man.
“Now, you coming in for tea, or want me to dump it out?” She was crying.
I hugged her on the way in. “I’m sorry, as before, I would love to spank your butt the way you wish, so pretty, but I cannot now, any more than I could then.” I gave her a kiss on her wet cheeks and we went inside.
“It’s the thought that counts,” she said.
The two rooms to the right of the throne room had been turned into one. The original round table was now a large dining/conference table, ornate and majestic with comfortable chairs to match, all new.
“A gift from our tribe, we still work wood. Do you like them?”
“Beautiful work, as always,” Kathy said. “We all thank you.”
The girl beamed. Four cups of steaming hot tea waited. A bit of black bread too.
Sylvia took charge. “First, we are who we are now, not who we were. This is going to be confusing enough. Agreed?” We all nodded. “Second, John isn’t the uptight male he was as Jake, much more, um, free now. Agree?”
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