DM01

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.“Let’s keep moving,” Jiron told his daughter.Patting his leg once more, Jira skipped ahead and left Uncle James’ stone guardian behind.Aleya had never been comfortable around James’ constructs.Even though she knew they were safe, being in their presence was anything but relaxing.Grabbing Jiron’s arm, she hurried her husband past.Once they put a couple yard’s worth of space between them and Rocky, Rocky’s immobility vanished and it began moving again, continuing its way down the path toward the beach.If it made it that far before altering course, Jiron grinned at the thought of what the sailors would make of it.The manor house sat in the middle of a clearing another hundred yards farther ahead.A two storied structure, it also had a wooden tower that rose from its center to just above the treetops.Made to blend in with its surroundings, one could see most of the southern part of the island from the observation platform at the top.James always asserted that he had it built for the panoramic view it afforded, but Jiron knew better.From its height, James could wreak some serious hurt on anyone so foolish as to test his resolve.Set away from the house on the north side of the clearing was a smaller, single storied building in which lived the couple who took care of things, Sty and Lorri Grell.Behind the house stood a storage shed and a small stable housing three horses, a yearling, and a pony.Somewhere in the forest just east of the house were several fenced acres containing a herd of six cows and one bull.The old man, Sty, was busy pruning back a stand of berry vines that had grown wild over the summer.Picking shriveled berries from the pruned vines and throwing them toward a nearby bird was a young boy of four.“Kenny!” shouted Jira when she saw him.Running forward, she tackled him and the pair began wrestling and giggling.Sty turned to them and nodded a greeting.“You’ll find the Lady in the house,” he said, then returned to his pruning.By Lady he meant Meliana.She was the Lady, while James was always referred to as the Master of the house in one form or another, at least by Sty and his wife.Though treated as equals, their sense of propriety forbade them to become overly personal with those they served.“Thank you, Sty,” Aleya said.About that time, the front door to the manor opened and Meliana rushed out.“You’re here!” she said with great joy.Being cooped up on an island was great for James, but Meliana preferred more social contact than what was available in so remote a locale.Aleya met her halfway and the two women embraced.“So good to see you again,” she said.About to reply, Meliana was forestalled when her son let out a wail.“She hit me!” he cried in little kid fashion.The adults turned to find Kenny crying on the ground and Jira standing over him.“Jira!” admonished Aleya.Turning eyes wary of retribution to her mother, the young girl said, “We were just playing.” She then turned the most innocent look upon her father, one that he knew well.He had seen it often enough at home.“You will be more careful with your cousin,” her mother told her.“Yes, mother,” Jira replied.Kenny leapt from the ground and raced to his mother, burying his face in the folds of her dress.Patting him on the back, his mother said, “It’s alright Kenny.I’m sure she didn’t mean it.”“She does like to play hard,” Jiron said.Still meeting his daughter’s gaze, he gave her that look all fathers give their children, warning of dire consequences should inappropriate behavior be repeated.“You will take it easier from now on?”Lowering her eyes, she said in a subdued voice, “Yes, father.”“Sorry about that,” he said, turning his attention to the aggrieved boy’s mother.Giving him a grin, Meliana said, “I understand.” And before he could ask, she said, “James is up at his workshop.”“Go ahead, dear,” Aleya told him.“Meliana and I have a lot of catching up to do.”Knowing when he was being dismissed, most likely so they could talk about him and James, he gave her a grin.“As you wish.”“Can I come?” asked Jira.“You know your uncle’s workshop is off limits to squirts,” he said.“Stay here and play with your cousin.” Then giving his wife a peck on the cheek, he headed to the trail leading to the workshop.Pausing after two steps, he turned back to his daughter and said, “Keep your knives sheathed.”“Yes, father,” she replied, looking slightly disappointed.There was nothing she liked better than to exhibit her fighting prowess.Giving her one more warning look to do as she was told, he turned back and headed for the workshop.The workshop was over a mile from the house.Originally it had been located much closer but an experiment gone wrong took out much of the surrounding forest.Had it been any worse, the blast zone may have extended as far as the house.After that, James’ workshop had been relocated to a place farther east where a ridge of hilly terrain provided the manor with a buffer zone.And for those experiments that held the greatest risk of turning destructive, there was a second area on the other end of the island to the north.Jiron always enjoyed James’ island.Most times the weather was pretty good, though the winter could be bad, with fierce storms blowing in across the water.The air was clear and clean; the whole place was clean as a matter of fact.He never knew anyone so fastidious about cleanliness.Garbage had a specific spot, and James even had water running through his house.That had been one of the first things James had working once his house was finished.Built near a stream as it was, it had been a simple matter to construct ceramic conveyances that reminded Jiron of a mini representation of the numerous sewers he and James had encountered.One large pipe brought in fresh water from the stream, which was then divided into two smaller ones upon entering the house.One went to a large holding tank from which water was drawn for cooking and bathing.The other flowed continuously through the two indoor outhouses carrying bodily waste back to the stream and out to sea.That part bothered James, and on one of Jiron’s previous visits, he had tried to fix it only to come to the conclusion that what little he and his family put out was not worth the time and trouble to worry about, especially seeing as how their drinking water was in no way connected with the outflow from the house.Thoughts of the innovative ideas James had come up with occupied his mind during the walk out to the workshop area.When the path began its upward slope toward cresting a hill, he knew he was getting close.Almost to the summit of the small hill, a cloud of mist seemed to materialize in the air before him.Wondering what new thing James had added, he came to a stop.The cloud quickly formed into a short, stubby creature.It was shaped like a man but with a slightly greenish aspect and had pointy ears.Round oval eyes stared out at Jiron, and if he had met such a thing anywhere but there, he would have been nervous.“The Master is busy and cannot be disturbed,” the creature said.Seeming to float six inches above the ground, the creature fixed Jiron with its oval eyes and waited.“Tell the Master that Jiron is here to see him.”The creature reacted not at all to his words.Unfazed and unmoving, it continued to bar his way.Jiron moved to walk around the creature only to have it match his movements and remain in his way [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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