chuckle that could be
heard throughout the sloop. “If you were destined to be drowned and floating
among the waves, you would have died months ago, that day we dragged you out of
the Vallarta Bay !” Mac laughed again and
shook his head. “You see Zeff, God has spared you. I think you must have a
destiny that includes surviving supernatural battles with foes the size of
giants.”
Zeff didn’t like the sound of that prophecy. He
muttered in Spanish and then he questioned in English, “How do you know so much
about these giants? Did you major in mythology or something?”
Mac sobered. The smile faded and he answered as
he got up to go to his berth to pray, “The giants? I know them and they know
me. The infamous ‘Twelve Gods of Renown’ are worshipped by my people on
D’Almata.”
Chapter 18 Above the Ruins
Satisfied that Anna and her companions were not
those traveling with the blond American male who cunningly made off with a
small fortune, Karlo and his right hand man mounted their bikes. He realized
that the unreliable boy, Guppo was not worth chastising… Not at this time,
anyway. The men headed back to the city, leaving a dusty cloud in their wake. Anna
and the others were not surprised when Jellybean’s ear piercing whistle brought
Guppo out from the shrubbery.
Afterward, when she and the boy had returned to
the car and Anna finished speaking with Dale, she asked Guppo what he thought
of the group called, New Dawn. There had been lots of talk about the faction
before she left the states. Mostly from the common people of Greece , the chatter glowingly
cast them in a positive light. As the national infrastructure began failing
members of the New Dawn stepped in providing food, medicine and protection.
There had been rumors of violence and the abuse of power too.
Nine year old Guppo gave his viewpoint. “When I
was a little boy, everyone liked these men. They were nice. Lately, my family
tells me they are mean and I am to stay out of their way.” He didn’t appear fearful
as he spoke. He said, “I didn’t see it with my own eyes but my sister told me
they came to the store and took all the cigarettes and some other things
without paying… That was before I went to visit. Also, the boys told me that
they beat up people just for fun.” The child hadn’t made the link between the
men on the café bikes being one and the same as the New Dawn agents.
Bernie had called Guppo their tour guide but the
boy knew very little of island geography that was not within a half mile of his
own threshold. They stopped in the late afternoon. Anna was tired of driving on
bumpy roads with the added necessity of dodging goats, bikes and fowl acting as
obstacle course. Their average speed was 7 miles an hour according to Dale’s
grandfather.
A wind worn sign, posted at a crossroads
indicated a restaurant-motel was less than 250 meters up the hill. Anna looked
at her gas gauge and was content that they indeed had enough to get them to the
coast in the morning. Tonight she needed rest. Guppo, Dale and the others, the
motorcycles and the tortuous driving had worn her out. The sun had not made its
bow yet. Still by the time they made provision for the night, it would be dark.
The motel and restaurant were part of a smallish
town. At one time it may have been a tourist stop because there were stone
ruins on the hillside facing the western sea. Anna didn’t ask. The owners, a
family, scrambled as the rental car came to a stop in front of place. Bernie
reached past Guppo to throw the car door open. He had to get out. The old man
stretched and grunted to the mortification of Guppo.
Anna went inside with Guppo at her heels and a
grey terrier at Guppo’s heels. A middle aged woman with copper red hair and a
younger woman – a brunette, greeted Anna while ignoring Guppo.
They had two rooms that would be ready for
guests momentarily. Would Anna like to order dinner first? She would?
Wonderful!
The brunette
heard throughout the sloop. “If you were destined to be drowned and floating
among the waves, you would have died months ago, that day we dragged you out of
the Vallarta Bay !” Mac laughed again and
shook his head. “You see Zeff, God has spared you. I think you must have a
destiny that includes surviving supernatural battles with foes the size of
giants.”
Zeff didn’t like the sound of that prophecy. He
muttered in Spanish and then he questioned in English, “How do you know so much
about these giants? Did you major in mythology or something?”
Mac sobered. The smile faded and he answered as
he got up to go to his berth to pray, “The giants? I know them and they know
me. The infamous ‘Twelve Gods of Renown’ are worshipped by my people on
D’Almata.”
Chapter 18 Above the Ruins
Satisfied that Anna and her companions were not
those traveling with the blond American male who cunningly made off with a
small fortune, Karlo and his right hand man mounted their bikes. He realized
that the unreliable boy, Guppo was not worth chastising… Not at this time,
anyway. The men headed back to the city, leaving a dusty cloud in their wake. Anna
and the others were not surprised when Jellybean’s ear piercing whistle brought
Guppo out from the shrubbery.
Afterward, when she and the boy had returned to
the car and Anna finished speaking with Dale, she asked Guppo what he thought
of the group called, New Dawn. There had been lots of talk about the faction
before she left the states. Mostly from the common people of Greece , the chatter glowingly
cast them in a positive light. As the national infrastructure began failing
members of the New Dawn stepped in providing food, medicine and protection.
There had been rumors of violence and the abuse of power too.
Nine year old Guppo gave his viewpoint. “When I
was a little boy, everyone liked these men. They were nice. Lately, my family
tells me they are mean and I am to stay out of their way.” He didn’t appear fearful
as he spoke. He said, “I didn’t see it with my own eyes but my sister told me
they came to the store and took all the cigarettes and some other things
without paying… That was before I went to visit. Also, the boys told me that
they beat up people just for fun.” The child hadn’t made the link between the
men on the café bikes being one and the same as the New Dawn agents.
Bernie had called Guppo their tour guide but the
boy knew very little of island geography that was not within a half mile of his
own threshold. They stopped in the late afternoon. Anna was tired of driving on
bumpy roads with the added necessity of dodging goats, bikes and fowl acting as
obstacle course. Their average speed was 7 miles an hour according to Dale’s
grandfather.
A wind worn sign, posted at a crossroads
indicated a restaurant-motel was less than 250 meters up the hill. Anna looked
at her gas gauge and was content that they indeed had enough to get them to the
coast in the morning. Tonight she needed rest. Guppo, Dale and the others, the
motorcycles and the tortuous driving had worn her out. The sun had not made its
bow yet. Still by the time they made provision for the night, it would be dark.
The motel and restaurant were part of a smallish
town. At one time it may have been a tourist stop because there were stone
ruins on the hillside facing the western sea. Anna didn’t ask. The owners, a
family, scrambled as the rental car came to a stop in front of place. Bernie
reached past Guppo to throw the car door open. He had to get out. The old man
stretched and grunted to the mortification of Guppo.
Anna went inside with Guppo at her heels and a
grey terrier at Guppo’s heels. A middle aged woman with copper red hair and a
younger woman – a brunette, greeted Anna while ignoring Guppo.
They had two rooms that would be ready for
guests momentarily. Would Anna like to order dinner first? She would?
Wonderful!
The brunette
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