A College Church Trip: Part 1

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Cáel and the Manhattan Amazons: Part 25

Promises To Keep.

In 25 parts, edited from the works of FinalStand.

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Note to readers: There is a bit of mangling of the Iliad going on. My apologies to Homer and the countless singers before him who carried the Iliad down through the dark centuries until the Greeks figured out how writing works.

‘‘Never judge a friend by what they give, but of how much of themselves they give.’‘

(From the floor of Katrina's office)

First thoughts,  I was on the floor where I had fallen, surrounded and being manhandled in the tenderest way. That was a romantic means of relating to my mummification. Those little Band-Aids that had been applied when I woke up from my coma had failed the 'Cáel is a Smeckle-head' test.

Cáel and the Manhattan Amazons: Part 24

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Cáel and the Manhattan Amazons: Part 23

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Cáel and the Manhattan Amazons: Part 22

Living the nightmare; hungering for a normal life.

In 25 parts, edited from the works of FinalStand.

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‘‘If your heart starts the fight, you can lose without regret.’‘

 (Thursday Night)

It was well past the descent of Night's veil when the Havenstone jet landed outside of New York City. Naomi and team gathered us up and led us to the main building downtown. An unlooked for conflict developed. Naomi's team was there to present me to Hayden. Rachel's team was still focused on securing my wellbeing and they didn't like the attitude Naomi's squad was giving off.

Cáel and the Manhattan Amazons: Part 21

Of Funerals and Families; Part Two.

In 25 parts, edited from the works of FinalStand.

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‘‘Birthed by stars, in immortal light, so why do we assume we pass into Darkness.’‘

A maniac conducted the orchestra, while every section fought for dominance without a thought to the opera unfolding under its twittering cacophony. That is how it felt as I steeled myself for the service, but my musings were a fantasy. I had a swirling company of my twenty inductees, two Amazons, plus Rachel's detail and Esmeralda coordinating all the traffic.

Pamela was absent. Buffy was the one in charge, deciding who got how close and under what level of scrutiny. The presence of law enforcement was made obvious by our vigilance, with mutual hostility being declared.

Cáel and the Manhattan Amazons: Part 20

Of Funerals and Families; Part One

In 25 parts, edited from the works of FinalStand.

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‘‘Victory is neither pointless, fleeting, nor soon forgotten. It is yours.’‘

I have been warned that my Uncle wants me dead. My Aunts want me for; other things.’‘

‘‘What do they want?’‘ E asked. It was the whole 'men as a true asset' problem for her.

‘‘The whole repository of nefariousness;’‘ Pamela started to explain, but then, ‘‘Double Word Score!’‘ Pamela and I exclaimed excitedly then 'high-fived'.

Yes, you spiteful Cosmos, I had found my soul-mate and she was a near-octogenarian with a macabre sense of humor; who also had a telepathic ability to know my mind. E looked totally lost in the exchange.

Cáel and the Manhattan Amazons: Part 19

Being known by the company you keep.

In 25 parts, edited from the works of FinalStand.

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‘‘Life exists in both seconds and years. Don't ignore one for the other.’‘

I would like to thank the phone operator and Chief of the Burnham, Illinois Police Department for answering my questions, despite their bizarre nature.

(Monday Night)

I should have known to not have too good a time. My karma was wacky enough as it was. It was about to get worse in a way I should have foreseen. Ain't hindsight grand?

Cáel and the Manhattan Amazons: Part 18

If you cannot compromise; Challenge!

In 25 parts, edited from the works of FinalStand.

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‘‘Every person is alone. That is the definition of Free-will.’‘

The gift from Grandpa that keeps on giving. I almost miss not killing him myself.’‘

‘‘That man was an eternal foe of the Amazons, Cáel. His death was necessary for peace with the Illuminati, thus peace with all the other factions,’‘ Pamela related. I began laughing.

‘‘So my misogynistic family heritage comes from my Mother and my misandristic lineage comes from my Father,’‘ I clued Pamela in. She found it to be hilariously ironic too.

‘‘We still have to be careful,’‘ Pamela nudged me. ‘‘After all, your Grandfather had plans for your body. Whether we choose to believe it was to be a vessel for your Grandfather's essence; or, if you prefer, he put something in your Mother's DNA that, when combined with the machinery he used to store his memories, would bring him back to life; Cáel O'Shea always was thinking three steps ahead.’‘

Cáel and the Manhattan Amazons: Part 17

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Cáel and the Manhattan Amazons: Part 16

Ash Men, Sins, and the Will of the Ancestors.

In 25 parts, edited from the works of FinalStand.

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‘‘Do you think you know who you are? Step outside your comfort zone.’‘

 (11:00 p.m. Thursday Night)

Rhada stood by the Lily Pond. She'd looked at her phone once. A couple had walked past, causing me to delay my approach and heightened Rhada's unease; an unexpected bonus. It wasn't too difficult of a shot with my air pistol. The only light functioning in the area went out in a crash of light.

She jumped slightly then crouched and scanned the surrounding overgrowth. The light had robbed her of her night vision which allowed me to get close. I snapped the air pistol off into its three parts. Running around with any kind of gun in NYC wasn't wise. In the same vein, the 'stun gun' I now brandished was all light and no shock. It was all theater for Rhada's imagination.

Cáel and the Manhattan Amazons: Part 15

Back with Libra; but first some nonsensical news.

In 25 parts, edited from the works of FinalStand.

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 ’‘Just as echoes pollute sound, the echoes of our histories pollute our view of the World.’‘

Katrina Explains the ‘Ash Men’

‘‘Amazons keep rather accurate histories, basing everything on lunar cycles. Our records, with minor gaps, date back to the Great Betrayal,’‘ Katrina began. ‘‘By modern parlance, around 1000 BCE, our ancestors stopped a millennia of a nomadic existence to settle in the land between the Váh, Hron rivers and Danube rivers.’‘

‘‘You bitches know who the Magyar are,’‘ I interrupted abruptly. Sure, that region was in current day Slovakia, but it bordered Hungary, my ancestral homeland, even though our residency was separated by over 1500 years.

‘‘Of course I know who the Magyar are,’‘ Katrina shook her head mirthfully. ‘‘I simply can't resist busting your balls.’‘

Cáel and the Manhattan Amazons: Part 14

Insults, Felix and Ash Men.

In 25 parts, edited from the works of FinalStand.

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‘‘Caring is a curse you dare not go without.’‘

Saint Marie opened the door and went in with me following along. The meeting was in process. We were flashed concerned looks for multiple reasons; Pony-Goddess Saint Marie in her sports bra and boy shorts, me in biker pants, biking shoes and nothing else, and me being late. Katrina gave the two of us a momentary notice then proceeded with her meeting.

‘‘Katrina,’‘ Saint Marie interrupted. Katrina responded with an icy stare.

‘‘You are interrupting; make it quick,’‘ Katrina stated calmly.

Cáel and the Manhattan Amazons: Part 13

Women making bad decisions. Cáel to the rescue? What?

In 25 parts, edited from the works of FinalStand.

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‘‘There is nothing wrong being a Lucky Bastard. It is wrong to rely on it.’‘

They were all psychopaths and murderers after all, so death was becoming a vocational hazard. Me refraining from having as many sexual liaisons as possible wasn't realistic. I wasn't going to be willingly castrated and that was the only way out. The one benefit I could see was me working in a target-rich environment.

‘‘Now that I have had my turn stymieing Cáel's chaotic yet well-meaning attempts to educate us in the dangers and rewards of free-ranging masculinity,’‘ Tessa regarded the assembly, ‘‘I am getting out with my victory intact. Good luck, Sisters. You'll need it.’‘ Tessa exited.

Cáel and the Manhattan Amazons: Part 12

Becoming something of value has its downside.

In 25 parts, edited from the works of FinalStand.

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‘‘Live fast, die young and leave a; No. Enjoy life and die when it is your time. Your corpse will the least of your concerns if there really is an Afterlife.’‘

 (Monday)

For some God-unknown reason I was showing up to work at 6 a.m. Monday. I swear, one of these days I'm going to show up to work naked. If asked why, I'll claim that it wasn't in my brilliantly scripted orders. I would then beg forgiveness for 'assuming' I was allowed to breath, or even be conscious. We'd all laugh. Nothing would change.

They were never going to give me advance warning of what my latest errand entailed. I don't think it was in them.

‘‘You've made to Week Three,’‘ Buffy sneered as we entered the garage beneath Havenstone's skyscraper. ‘‘I'm flabbergasted.’‘