The Lost Swords

by Dave Hicks

 

Chapter 3

 

1

 

In the morning, I was awoken by the phone. It was Paul saying he’d pick us up in an hour. I started feeding while Eleanor was still asleep. I do it now during each night when her breasts are full. Which is every four hours. It gives her a better sleep. I can go completely without sleep, if I need to, but when I live with someone, it’s more convenient if I sleep too.

"Mm," she murmured.

She stroked my head. When I had finish milking her, I massaged her breasts. I rose and cooked her breakfast.

"Good morning my lover," she smiled, as she entered the galley.

She kissed me.

"Good timing," I said, placing a plate full of food in front of her.

While she ate, I checked the boat. All was fine. I rejoined her in the galley for coffee.

"Paul’s picking us up in half an hour," I informed her.

She looked at the clock on the wall.

"Is that the time?" she asked, rising from the bench. "I’d better move. Claire and I are going shopping this morning."

Paul’s car pulled up at the wharf just as I was tying the dingy. We drove to his house. Claire took Eleanor to town. Paul and I went to his dojo. This time I had my own gee and belt on to wear. Paul and I sparred. As his assistants and students arrived, they kneeled respectfully at the edge of the mats and watched us. We stopped sparring and Paul took his position at the head of room. I stood behind him, to his left. The students arranged themselves in neat rows in front on him on the mats, with the black belt instructors at the front.

Paul greeting them in the traditional manner then turned and bowed to me. I returned the bow, ensuring that I bowed slightly lower than him, to show respect for him and his dojo.

"We are fortunate to have David with us today," he announced.

The students clapped until Paul raised his hand for silence.

"Those of you at the tournament last night would have seen the fight between David and Ko Su," he said.

"It’s on national news," a voice called from the back of the room

A black belt rose and approached Paul. He whispered something to him. Paul’s face grew grave. He instructed his instructors to begin the lessons and came to me.

"What’s happening?" I asked.

"It’s caused an international incident," he said. "Ko Su’s government has lodged a formal protest with our government."

"Shit!" I said, rubbing my forehead. "I don’t need this."

"I thought you’d say something like that," he said sympathetically.

"They’ll be looking for you," he said. "Reporters, the government, the whole bit."

"You still got that shack in the hills?" I asked.

"Sure," he smiled. "Take my car. The keys are on the desk, in the office."

"I owe you," I said, as I headed to the change room.

I moved Paul’s car away from the dojo, to a side street, then sat in a bar across from the dojo and watched through a window, waiting for Eleanor and Claire to return from their shopping trip.

 

2

 

"David," called Eleanor, in my head. "I’m at the police station. Four men tried to attack us. I got into their minds to tried to stop them. Now they’re dead."

"I’m on my way," I said to her. "Don’t worry."

"I’ll be okay," she said.

I rang my lawyers then got a cab to the police station. I told the police officer at the desk my name and was shown immediately to an interview room. Eleanor and Claire with there. Eleanor smiled at me as I entered.

"Inspector Michael Sim, the officer assigned to this case," a heavy set man announced.

"May I sit?" I asked him.

"Please do," he replied.

"My lawyers are on their way," I told him.

"That’s your choice," he said. "As yet, no one has been charged with anything."

I nodded.

"What’s your relationship with these ladies?" he asked me.

"Eleanor is my partner," I said. "Claire is a very close personal friend."

"You called me your partner," she smiled at me.

"Do you want to be?" I asked.

"Oh yes," she nodded her head. "Very much."

An officer entered the room and spoke softly to the inspector. He turned to me.

"There has been a request from the Federal Department of Investigation to hold you here, until their agents arrive," he informed me. "I suggest you cooperate."

I nodded.

Paul arrived. A lawyer from my law firm arrived almost immediately behind him. She was a middle-aged, hard looking woman, in a dark suit business suit.

"Isabel," she announced shaking my hand. "Our firm is assembling a team at this moment. Which one of you is Eleanor?"

Eleanor raised her hand.

"Say nothing Eleanor," instructed Isabel. "From now on, I do all the talking. Watson and Johnson is the biggest and best legal firm in the country. I eat country coppers like most people eat corn chips."

The inspector shook his head in disbelief.

"She hasn’t said a bloody word since she’s got here," commented the inspector.

"Good," replied Isabel. "And we’ll keep it that way."

The Federal agents arrived.

"I’m moving this fiasco to the conference room," the inspector announced firmly. "There’s not enough room in this room anymore."

We settled ourselves around a large table in a larger room.

"Right," the inspector announced. "This is going to be conducted in an orderly manner."

"We’re taking over the case," the FDI agent announced. "The four stiffs were Chinese nationals. That’s our area of responsibility."

"You can’t hold my clients without charging them," stated Isabel.

"What’s my wife supposed to have done?" demanded Paul.

The door burst open and there was a camera flash. Two uniformed police officers struggled to eventually remove a reporter. An officer returned and placed the camera on the table before inspector.

"We want that film," demanded the FDI agent.

"Why am I being held?" asked Claire.

"Answer the question," added Isabel.

"Yes," Paul said.

"Who are these people?" asked the agent indignantly, pointing to Paul and Isabel.

"Stop!" called Michael, holding up his hands. "I’ll say it again. We do this in an orderly manner or I will throw you all in the cells. And that includes agents and lawyers."

"But that’s..." the agent started to say.

The inspector pointed his finger at the agent.

"Shut up!" he shouted. "Not a word."

The agent folded his arms over his chest and slumped in his chair

"Good," the inspector announced.

He waited for anyone to say anything. An officer entered the room and placed some sheets of paper in front of the inspector.

"I will now read this," he growled, "without interruption. Woe betide anyone who so much as twitches."

He read the reports.

 

3

 

"Right," said the inspector, replacing his reading glasses in his shirt pocket. "I’ll tell you all what’s happening."

He paused for dramatic effect.

"Last night there was a karate tournament at the Ryu Kyu Kempo Karate Club. A Chinese national hero was defeated in a bout by David and has returned home with two associates. In disgrace, I might add. However, four more of his companions are at this moment in our hospital, in a stable but uncomfortable condition. The medical report I have just read, reads like a set of instructions on how to break every major bone in the human body. Except the skull. I doesn’t mention any damage to the skull - thankfully."

"My client was defending himself," stated Isabel.

"Shut up," he said to her firmly.

"I’ve watched the video of the bout between David and Ko Su - more than once," he continued, turning to me. "You are an extremely dangerous man."

He returned to the rest of the group.

"They were obviously totally outclassed," he continued. "Our police chief karate instructor on the mainland has studied the video. I asked him what he thought of the fight. His exact words were; ‘I don’t know what style he practices - but I wouldn’t go within a kilometer of him, unless I was armed with an assault rifle and full body armor. And only then, if I had a skin full of booze and a very firm death wish.’"

He paused and held up a sheet of paper.

"This is a preliminary medical report regarding the deaths of four more of Ko Su’s companions, who are in the morgue. I says that they all died from a massive cerebral hemorrhage. That’s burst blood vessels in the brain - for those who don’t understand the medical jargon. Cause unknown."

"I was the one who killed them!" cried Eleanor. "Oh my."

Suddenly, without knowing how, I entered her mind. I gently pushed my way to the source of her anguish and calmed her. Then I withdrew.

"Thank you, my love," she smiled. "I’m okay now."

"Hang in there sweetheart," I smiled encouragingly.

The inspector noticed my smile to Eleanor.

"Do you find something amusing, for some reason?" he asked me sternly. "Hasn’t there been enough damage to satisfy you for a while?"

I shook my head.

"There is no for me to arrest," the inspector continued, holding another sheet of paper. "And now to this so called request from the FDI - I emphasize the word request - to hold David until they arrive. As far as I can see, the agents have now arrived. so I no longer need to hold David any longer. Therefore, you are all free to leave, for the time being. However, I require you all give me phone numbers, where you may be contacted if necessary."

He rose and left the room. Isabel looked at the agents.

"Breath on my client," she warned the FDI agents, "and I will rip each of your hearts out through the eye of your tiny penises."

"But we need to speak to him," one agent pleaded. "It’s important."

"My client has nothing to say to you," she glared. "Get lost."

She turned to me.

"We all need a drink," she said, with a smile. "I have my car parked out the back of here. That way we’ll avoid the reporters at the main entrance."

 

4

 

I followed Isabel to her car and she drove us to Paul and Claire’s home. We seated ourselves in the lounge and Claire poured drinks.

"The first problem," announced Isabel. "Legally, they can’t touch Eleanor or Claire. I don’t understand the four deaths anymore than the police do. I’ll get our people to go over the medical reports. But they can’t attribute blame to either of you. They have two witnesses who claim; when you were about to be attacked, you did nothing that could be interpreted as offensive behavior towards your attackers. A security camera supports the witness’s statements. There will almost certainly be an inquiry however - due to the political and diplomatic implications of the deaths."

She looked at Eleanor.

"Do you know how the four men died?" she asked.

Eleanor shook her head.

"Now I’m telling lies to people," she thought.

"They wouldn’t believe the truth," I told her.

"True. I suppose."

"Claire?" Isabel asked.

"No idea," Claire replied. "They stood around us with knives and I screamed. Then they just fell to the ground. I called the police on my personal phone. They took us to the police station. That’s it."

"That’s it?" Isabel repeated.

"Yes," Claire replied. "That’s it."

Isabel emptied her glass in one swallow, grabbed the bottle from on top the cupboard and returned to her chair with it. She refilled her glass.

"And the second problem," she said, turning to me. "You’ve triggered an international incident. They’re demanding an formal apology from our government. You have really pissed them off by humiliating their hero."

"What do we do?" I asked.

"Get very lost for a few days," Isabel said. "Both you and Eleanor. I mean very lost. But not so lost I can’t contact you."

"We have the yacht in the harbor," I said. "I can get to sea without anyone knowing about it."

"Perfect," she smiled.

"And us?" asked Paul.

"Do you have somewhere you can go?" she asked him. "Friends you can stay with?"

"We have a shack in the mountains," he replied. "Not many people know about it."

"Again, perfect," she smiled, putting a business card from her bag onto the table. "But stay connected by phone. Don’t talk to reporters. It’s important you remember that."

She finished her drink, rose from her chair and shook my hand.

"Interesting case," she smiled. "It’s been a pleasure meeting you all."

She took a phone from her bag and placed it on the table.

"Use this phone in future," she instructed me. "It belongs to the law firm and the suits won’t know about it."

She strode from the house to her car. Two of Paul’s karate instructors arrived. Paul sent them to collect his and Claire’s cars, as unobtrusively as possible. We waited for them to return.

"Sorry for getting you into this," I said to Paul and Claire.

"It’s you I feel sorry for," said Paul. "We’re going to do well out of all this. No amount of money could buy publicity like that for the club."

"Paul!" cried Claire. "How can you just think about the club, at a time like this?"

"Because," he said gently to her, "I know enough about David to know he and Eleanor will be perfectly fine."

"What about those dead men?" she asked.

"They would’ve probably killed you both," he replied. "Ko Su lost face and as national champion, it means he’s brought disrespect on the whole of his country. That’s the way his government will see it. They take this sort of thing pretty seriously. I don’t know what happened, but if there is a God, he’s just won me over. I’m a convert. I’m just happy you’re safe, that’s all."

"Would they have killed us?" Eleanor asked me.

"It’s pretty likely," I said. "I didn’t think it would get out of hand like this. I’ve been very stupid. I broke all my own rules about not getting noticed. I was showing off. I am very sorry, sweetheart."

"It’s going to be fine," she smiled, placing a hand on my arm. "Paul said so."

"Coffee?" asked Claire.

Eleanor pointed to her bosom.

"Use our bedroom," Claire smiled, pointing to a doorway.

"What’s happening?" asked Paul.

"Her breasts are full," Claire replied quietly. "Didn’t you know she’s lactating?"

"I pretty well guessed that," he whispered back to her. "You only have to look at the incredible size of them. But why is David going with her?"

"Don’t be so stupid," she said out loud, with a pained look on her face. "Think for a second."

He thought for a few seconds.

"Oh," he said, as the realization dawned on him. "The lucky stiff. Shit. He always gets the breaks."

She looked intently at him for a moment.

"Don’t tell me you like women with milky boobs?" she said.

"And what if I do?" he said. "Lots of men do. There’s nothing wrong with that."

She looked at him curiously.

"Then why the hell didn’t you tell me?" she said.

"You might not like it," he said cautiously. "Or you might think I’m stupid or something."

"But you never thought to actually ask me, did you? After all the time we’ve been together?"

"No," he replied defensively.

"But I’d love to," she said, moving to sit close to him. "I’ve dreamt about it, sometimes but you never said anything."

"Would you?"

"Of course," she smiled, holding his arm. "I always thought you didn’t want me to have milk. That’s why I never did it"

"Oh," he smiled, hugging her.

"Men are so dumb sometimes," she said, kissing him.

"Hang on," he said. "We’ll be out of here soon. How will you buy the pills or stuff you need?"

"I’ve already got them," she smiled. "I was keeping it for a friend - when she finally talked her husband into it. I’m sure she won’t mind if I use it instead. And since we’re going away for a few days, it’s the ideal time."

They hugged again.

 

5

 

Paul drove us to the wharf in Claire’s car. His students followed in another car, in case of trouble. There wasn’t anyone waiting for us. We said good-bye and I rowed Eleanor to the yacht. Shortly afterwards, we were streaking away from the harbor, with a stiff breeze behinds us.

There was a message on Eleanor’s phone to call Loretta. She’d seen my fight on the news.

"How is she?" I asked, when she’d finished talking to her mother.

"She thinks you’re some kind of hero," Eleanor replied casually. "The whole country does - according to her. She doesn’t like oriental people. No one seems to care if you’ve just started the next world war."

"I guess it’s okay to be on good terms with the mother-in-law," I smiled.

"I told her we were hiding out for a while, to get away from reporters. I gave her Isabel’s number like you told me."

"Fine," I said.

"It’s kind of exciting, isn’t it," she said. "Like in the movies. Only a lot more real of course."

"I’m glad you’re enjoying it," I said.

She seemed to have resolved killing the four men in her mind. I was very proud of her. I didn’t know if that was the result of my going into her mind or her own strong personality. We’d need to talk about it sometime.

I received a call from John on my phone. I called him back on the phone Isabel had given me. They’d seen the news on television and Ingrid had recognized me in the fight and Eleanor in the audience. I told him not to worry. I’d contact them through Isabel’s law firm and gave him Isabel’s number. They were welcome to stay at my apartment for as long as they wanted.

As soon as the land was out of view and the radar screen was clear of other shipping, we changed direction and headed south. I gave Eleanor the wheel and went below for my harness. I brought it up to the wheel-house and put it on.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"I’m changing the numbers on the boat," I smiled.

I lowered myself over the side and started peeling off the numbers from the hull. I’d put different numbers beneath them. I did the same on the other side and the stern. I reprogrammed the radar transponder to our new identity.

"We may have to change our appearance a little," I told her.

"I want to be a blond," she said. "They’re supposed to have a lot more fun."

I pointed to her magnificent bosom.

"I have no idea how to disguise them," I laughed. "Luckily, passports only show the head, should you ever need one."

I called Paul and told him to buy new phones for himself and Claire. I gave him my new phone number, in a code only he and I knew. Then I threw the old phones overboard and gave Eleanor a new one from the ones I had stored away. Eleanor rang Isabel and told her our new phone numbers from a code book I had stored in their safe on the mainland. I told her to destroy that page of the code book after she had translated the code. I told her to make out a lease for John and Ingrid on my apartment. Finally, I activated some very healthy bank accounts for Eleanor and I.

After a meal, I put the yacht on auto-pilot and we started painting parts of the deck. The yacht was a fairly common design and that alone would make it harder to identify. I rang the marina at our destination and reserved a berth. I bought a new car and arranged to have it delivered to the marina’s compound.

 

6

 

By nightfall, we’d traveled a good distance. If we were lucky, a satellite hadn’t recorded our yacht leaving harbor. Even they couldn’t see everywhere at once and they were probably all focused on a nasty foreign country in the orient at the moment, anyway.

Eleanor looked at the route I had drawn on the chart. We would be sailing for a few days.

"Do we stand alternate watch at night?" she asked.

"No need, my sweet one," I replied. "I don’t really need much sleep. I can stay awake for weeks at a time, without any ill effects."

She lay on the bunk in the wheel-house, with a blanket over her, reluctant to go to bed by herself.

"I’d like to talk about me going into you mind," I said. "When you realized you’d killed those bags of shit."

"Yes my love," she smiled.

"It just happened," I tried to explain. "I didn’t know I could do it. I still don’t know how I did it. I’m concerned about it."

She waited for me to continue.

"I guess I’m concerned that I might have damaged you in some way," I explained.

"You haven’t damaged me in any way," she said. "You just calmed me when I needed it. I felt you enter my mind. It was so gentle and loving. I just let you in. You were a great help. Your skills are growing all the time."

I went to kiss her. She pulled down the blanket to reveal her naked breasts and large, erect nipples.

"Feed time, darling," she smiled.

 

7

 

Next morning, I changed our heading to the southwest as planned. The weather was still perfect. With luck, our arrival at the second island would be in the morning, at the start of the weekend. There would be plenty of other boats around to mask our arrival.

Eleanor joined me in the wheel-house.

"I don’t like it much," she said, looking at my face. "But you do look different. Maybe if I trim it a little, it might look a little more presentable."

During the night, I’d accelerated the hair growth on my face and scalp. I now had a respectable beard, with a bit of gray through it. About mid-morning, a coast guard plane circled us once and flew on. No doubt taking a few photographs. Eleanor stayed below deck while I gave them a wave. An hour later, I got a call on the radio saying I hadn’t registered my destination with them. I told them I wasn’t going anywhere and gave them my berth number at the marina I'd reserved. I said I was checking some new running gear I’d installed recently. They seemed at bit bored with my explanation, which probably meant they’d already checked up on me and hadn’t found anything of interest. So far so good.

The rest of the trip was uneventful. Eleanor and I got to know each other better. I found myself falling more in love with her, in spite of my reluctance in the past to form strong romantic ties with people.

 

8

 

Mid-morning, on the next day, we arrived at the second island. We slipped into our berth without any fuss. No one was on the wharf waiting for us. I went to the marina office and paid for the berth for the next two years and got the keys to my new car. I arranged to have a load of non-perishable food delivered. While Eleanor packed our gear, I refilled the water tanks and topped up the fuel. I wanted the boat to ready if we needed it in a hurry.

We drove inland for an hour.

"Where are we going?" she asked.

"It’s a surprise," I smiled. "You’re going to have to wait to find out."

"Tell me," she insisted. "You’re deliberately blocking that information in your head. That’s not fair. You shouldn’t be able to do that to me. You’re learning too fast."

"A man has to have some secrets," I laughed.

"Then so should a woman," she replied. "I’m just not going to tell you about when I was in the astronaut training program."

I opened my mind and let her see the lodge I owned.

"Oh, it’s beautiful," she said in delight. "Plenty of room. It’s by a lake and there’s a village not far away. I’m going to love it there."

"Not too boring?’ I asked.

"How could life be boring with you, my one love." she replied. "You start a war, we’re on the run from everyone, I’ve killed four people and you’re immortal and great in bed and you love my milk. Up to now, I suppose it’s had its interesting moments."

We drove up a gravel road to the lodge and stopped in front of a barn beside it. I unlocked the doors and started up the all-terrain vehicle inside and moved it outside.

She looked at the off-road vehicle.

"It looks a bit knocked around," she said.

"Looks can be deceptive," I smiled. "It runs like a train, can climb a vertical wall and it’s all amour plate."

We removed our gear from the car. I opened the front door of the lodge and we stepped inside. A quick check of the security system showed me nothing had been disturbed since the last time I had been here. Eleanor found our bedroom easily and started unpacking the bags. While she examined the kitchen, I called a number where Isabel could leave messages for me. There were none. I dialed another number and used the keypad to code a message for her - to inform her we were settled and safe.

The lodge was set amongst tall timber, by the lake and was originally built as a guest-house. It could easily accommodate thirty people comfortably. It was pretty dilapidated when I’d bought it and I’d fully restored it, over the last few years.

"I love it," she said, giving me a hug. "It looks even bigger on the inside. We’ve got so much room here."

She made coffee.

"I love it," she said again, as she sat next me. "And I love you."

"I glad," I smiled, kissing her.

I placed a hand on her breast. She unzipped the front of her dress and started to unclip the front of her bra. I lay on my back, with my head in her lap.

After I had finished milking Eleanor, she turned on the television. As luck would have it, it was about me.

"...and the whereabouts of the brave sportsman and patriot at the center of the dispute, still remains a mystery," said the commentator. "Some believe he has gone into hiding. Some of our reliable sources are certain he’s been murdered in revenge for humiliating Ko Su and his thugs. His lawyers have refused to be interviewed."

"I’m a brave sportsman," I said. "An a patriot."

"Shush," she said, waving a hand a me. "I want to listen to this."

The scene changed to head of a reporter, holding a microphone.

"This is the peaceful university where David had been studying art until a few fateful days ago. His lecturer says he was a brilliant student."

A pan shot of the university main building, switching to a picture of a crying Megan.

"His newly engaged fiancé fears the worse may have happened to him," said the reporter.

"He was a kind, gentle person," said a tearful Megan. "I know he would have called me by now - if he could. I just hope they haven’t killed him."

"She should have done drama instead of art," said Eleanor. "Fiancé indeed."

The news story return to the studio.

"In other developments. Further revelations regarding the mysterious death of the four competitors has further inflamed the Chinese government, with the discovery that a preliminary postmortem, was conducted on the thugs without the permission of their government. The police inspector in charge of the investigation into their deaths, has been suspended pending an investigation by the State Department."

"Poor Michael," Eleanor said, "I liked him."

A shot of the inspector leaving the police station, being harassed by reporters.

Back to the studio again.

"The Chinese ambassador was not available for an interview, but it is believed he claimed privately they could have been killed by federal agents. A claim our government denies."

Flashback to the fight at the karate tournament.

"The other four thugs that tried to kill David at the karate tournament, where all this started, have been flown back to their own country, against the advice of doctors caring for them."

A picture of a aircraft preparing for takeoff.

"An angry crowd at the airport..."

A scene of angry an angry crowd, carrying signs such as ‘Murders go home’.

"...made their feelings known, the freedom loving people of this county, towards the foreign thugs, very clear, in no uncertain words."

"That’s not even good English," Eleanor commented, shaking her head.

Back to the commentator.

"Good friends of David, only recently arrived from overseas, who are minding his apartment until his return, said they had no idea where he was and had received no word from him, since the incident. They refused to speculate on what might have happened to him."

"He’s being held captive, against his will," laughed Eleanor, "by a beautiful, big breasted, and dangerous woman, at a secret mountain location,"

A picture of the Presidential residence.

"The President has yet to comment on the situation," continued the commentator. "He is in consultation, at this very moment, with his advisors, giving his full attention to the situation."

"They’re still trying to sober him up," she snorted.

A shot of a government spokeswomen, in a red ‘power suit’ with overlarge shoulder pads.

"We are looking at a diplomatic rather than a military solution, at the present time," she said. "China’s insistence for an apology for the actions of one of our citizens who single-handedly defended himself against almost overwhelming odds, is not something this government is prepared to consider..."

Eleanor turned the television off.

"I think they’ve all gone mad," she said.

"I agree," I said. "I bet John and Ingrid must be wondering what they got themselves into."

"Will they be okay?" she asked.

"I’m sure they will," I replied. "If they say nothing, the reporters will soon get bored with them."

"That’s good," she smiled. "What happens now?"

"Let’s go back to town and do some shopping," I suggested.

"I thought we were supposed to stay in hiding?" she said.

"That’s the mistake all the amateurs make," I laughed. "It only attracts attention. We’re different people now, living out our drab little lives, like everyone else. Just act normally."

"In that case," she smiled, "I might get my hair done. And I need clothes. I only brought enough for a few days. I don’t suppose you have a supply of extra super large, industrial strength bras hidden away here, do you?"

"Oh," I said, thoughtfully. "I’d have to check - but I don’t like your chances, somehow."

"I didn’t think you would have," she laughed, giving me a hug.

 

9

 

We took the all terrain vehicle back into town, passing through the village nearby. While Eleanor was at the beauty salon, I walked to the marina and stored the food I’d ordered from the marina office to the boat.

"I’ve got the boat for sale," I told the marina manager. "I was wondering if anyone’s been asking to look at it?"

"No," he replied. "They’d have to clear it with me before they go near it, anyway. Put a notice in the window, if you like. I’ll let you know if anyone’s interested."

"Thanks," I said. "I’ll get my wife to print a sign up. She’s good at that sort of thing. It’s a good boat but now she’s got pregnant, it’ll be too big for me to sail by myself. I hate the thought of selling it - I didn’t buy it all that long ago."

He nodded in sympathy, as only one married sailor can have for another

"They’re good boats," he agreed, with a smile. "I like them because they’re so wide and take up two normal births. I can charge more."

"Then book me another wide one," I laughed. "I may have friends of mine coming from the mainland, in a few weeks."

With no one poking around, it looked as thought we might’ve got away from the first island without being traced. I returned to the boat and opened up my hidden cache of weapons and serviced the ones I might need, then returned them to their hiding place. As I was walking back into town, Eleanor spoke to me.

"I’m ready," she announced. "And I'm so beautiful now."

She was sitting at a table, outside a cafe, a few doors from the beauty salon. Her hair was shorter and a lighter shade of brown. She looked very nice.

"Excuse me madam?" I spoke to her, sitting down across the table. "My wife’s having her hair done at the moment but I couldn’t help coming over and telling you - what a gorgeous looking woman you are. It’s not something I normally do, but in your case I simply had to tell you."

"Why thank you, kind man," she smiled sweetly, placing a hand lightly on her bosom. "My husband is out playing with his sailing boat at the moment and won’t be back for ages. Perhaps we could run away together. I’ve always had this fantasy about meeting a dark, handsome, mysterious man, with a scruffy looking beard and robbing a few banks or something romantic like that. You know - being on the run but terribly in love. That sort of thin. I think I’ll get myself all excited."

We laughed and kissed.

"Where to now?" I asked.

"There’s a nice park across the street," she said. "It’s time for you to be hungry, I think."

 

 

 

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© 2002 by Dave Hicks. All Rights Reserved. These documents (including, without limitation, all articles, text, images, logos, compilation design) may printed for personal use only. No portion of these documents may be stored electronically, distributed electronically, or otherwise made available without express written consent of the copyright holder.