Forever Young Birth Of A Nation (18 page)

He found the stream and found an ideal place
three miles eastward as he rocketed along its banks. The snow was
not too deep and the cattle likely could scrape a lot of it away
and get at the grass beneath. The stream was a lot wider here, but
it was shallow too. At vampire speed then, Ian gathered flat stones
to both mark the place and to use to build up the ford for the
wagons. Done in less than an hour, he stripped and bathed in the
icy water. Any time he was away from the column, he would be
barefoot. He only wore his boots when around humans, knowing that
his superhuman speed and strength would wear them out while he was
still in the wilderness if he wore them often. They mostly stayed
in his ruck sack with his socks, copper bowl, flasks, sharpening
stone, and flint. Pondering Henry’s request as he ran a half mile
circle to dry his undergarments wet from washing, he decided to go
ahead to find the next stream to look for a crossing place. He
would return to the column with more rabbits again that afternoon
to account for his time. After dressing and packing up, he squinted
southward taking a bearing on a rocky looking outcrop some four
miles distant and bounded away like a flash, clearing the fifty
feet width of the stream like it wasn’t even there.

The young captain stood nervously at
attention in the office of Colonel Harold Grundy. “Well, don’t
stand there all day now captain. What have you to tell me about
McCloud?”

“Sir, he has apparently left New York for
parts unknown.”

“Really, you imbecile? That is your news?
Who is trying to contact him? Who does he write to? Where did he
hide all of that money?”

“There is someone else trying to find him
sir.”

Changing his demeanor from one of disdain to
genuine interest, Grundy said “Who is that, pray tell.”

“Sir, it is a man who claims to be his
brother.”

“What! Why was I not told about this?”

“Sir I only learned of it last night.”

Standing then Grundy came around the desk to
stand in front of the nervous young officer, saying “Go on.”

“Well sir, there was a drunken group in
there singing some rowdy ditty and it was about Mr. McCloud.”

“In where?”

“The Red Eye Tavern sir, near the
stockyards. A young man came to them asking about him, and he said
that he was his younger brother.”

“Really? Singing about the man? How odd.
What was the nature of this….this singing?”

The young officer nervously said “Sir,
I….sir….I forget. I was off duty and was drinking myself.”

“Oh. Of course, of course. So this brother;
where is he staying?”

“I don’t know sir. He left when they
couldn’t tell him where his brother was. I ….I was in no shape to
follow, sir.”

“Make sure that the detail who is watching
the Davis and Millstone homes is told about this man. It may be
that he will go there for information. Keep me informed. That is
all.”

Saluting, the captain said “Yes sir!” He
smartly turned and left the office thinking
I will never be the
one to tell you the words to that song, Colonel Grundy.
And
then he laughed out loud as he went down the stairs and out the
door.

***

Ian’s return was a joyous occasion for Moon
Owl. She ran to him as soon as she saw him approaching their house.
Laughing she flew into his arms, smothering his face with kisses,
her joy unrestrained. Ian smiled and picking her up he whirled her
around several times, holding her high as if she was a child. She
laughed uncontrollably as he drew her close then and said “Ah,
lassie, I might have gotten here sooner had I known you were
feeling this way.”

James came then, smiling and the two shook
hands. As they turned to go to the house, Moon Owl got between the
two and linked her arms with both men, and the three went to the
door that way.

“Any news about the war, James?

“Heavy fighting down south. Lots of snow
there too; more than is normal for those parts. The colonists are
keeping the redcoats hopping down there. How are Henry and his men
faring?”

“It is slow going, but they’re making steady
progress. We forded two streams. Likely they will ask you to scout
ahead for things like that. I did that and helped supply game too.
They will ask you if you want help but just refuse it like I did.”
He handed a hand-made map to James then and pointing to an ‘X’ on
it he said “They should be about there when you go at the end of
next week.”

After supper, Ian got his violin and played
a lively Gaelic tune. Stopping then, he and James taught Moon Owl
how to dance to that type of music, and she took to it like a duck
to water. James played the same tune as she and Ian danced to the
music. The longer they danced the more Moon Owl laughed. She was
flushed and her eyes sparkled as they danced. When they had stopped
to let her rest a bit she said “Oh Ian, this is such fun! I like
this better than any of the minuet dances you taught me!”

“I like it better too.”

James spoke up then saying “I was at Faneuil
Hall last week with Melissa and there was a celebration of some
sort going on. They played a lively number and did a dance called
the Scottish Reel. Anybody that wanted to could dance as long as
they had a partner.” He went on to describe what he had seen and
showed both of them how it went. Then he took the violin and played
the song. Like the one Ian had played, it was lively and had an
Irish lilt. Ian and Moon Owl danced to it and both were delighted.
Ian said “James, this is really a lot of fun. Let me play a while
and you dance.” So the evening passed for the three up until around
ten o’clock when James left to go see Melissa, saying that he would
not be home until the next day.

Ian heated up a kettle full of water over
the fire until it was boiling and poured it into their tub. Then he
heated a second kettle full and topped off the water. It was piping
hot and Moon Owl could just barely stand to get in after he added
the second kettle full. They settled into the tub and she lay back
on him, her eyes closed. They talked for the better part of half of
an hour just catching up on what each had been doing all of the
time they were apart.

Ian just cupped water and brought it up and
let it pour out on her shoulders, rubbing her back somewhat with a
sponge from time to time as they talked. Finally he simply clasped
his arms about her waist and held her as she reclined on his chest.
“Mmmm Ian, I love this. We must do this every night when you are
here.”

“Be careful now, Monique; I may just hold
you to that. This sure beats being rolled up in a blanket in a tent
somewhere in the mountains.” He nuzzled her neck and nibbled one of
her ears, kissing it softly as she squirmed, laughing softly. She
said “I think our bathing is done and our bed is calling.”

Laughing softly he stood, picking her up as
he did and she snagged two towels as he carried her to their room.
Standing her next to their bed he dried her first and she slid into
the bed saying “Oh it is cold, love! Get in here quickly and warm
me!”

Wide-eyed he said “Why Moon Owl! Are you
sure now? I thought that you might be tired from all of that
dancing tonight. You nearly went to sleep in the tub.”

Laughing she pulled his hand insistently
saying “You will see how sleepy I am in another moment.” They made
love then languorously, exploring each and every little sensation.
She cried out softly near the end, and then cuddled close to him
afterward, kissing and holding one of his hands to her lips as she
always did before sleeping.

Twice that night she awoke and they made
love yet again, afterwards listening to the wind howling outside as
she drifted to sleep. Ian was at peace, loving the quiet time with
her.

***

Henri handed the letter marked ‘urgent’ to
Marie with a serious look on his face. Her brow furrowed as she
read it, and then she got up and called to everyone.

Now assembled in the parlor of the chateau,
everyone listened as Henri read the contents of the letter from
Robert Milliken. Concluding he looked up and met the eyes of each,
one by one, even including little Aimee.

“We are now on a war time footing as a
family, and we will make every preparation for an attack beginning
today.”

Celeste spoke then “Mightn’t it be best to
relocate for a while? The longer they pay a man to locate us the
longer we have to investigate these two in London.”

“We can consider it. We have an estate in
Italy and another in Luxembourg. Or we could just go to Zurich to
our new home there. This is likely to be only a human investigating
us, gathering intelligence to take back to London.”

Louis said “We could all secretly go to
London and stay out of site at some location there. We would all be
together that way, and could move against all of them in force when
we locate them.”

Jennifer spoke then saying “I like that
option because we all stay together. We are stronger that way too.”
She turned to Andre sitting beside her and he nodded assent, taking
her hand in his and kissing it while smiling briefly at her.
Turning to little Aimee sitting next to her she put an arm around
her, drawing her closer.

Henri then spoke “Don’t forget that we are
in the middle of our generational move here. That is our top
priority until it is completed and our new identities established.
We have done too much to let that fail now. One good thing about
being in France is the resources we have in government, not to
mention properties that no one can ever link to any of us.”

Mustafa spoke then, his eyes glowing deep
amber as he said “I would like to take Li and Louis to London and
just kill these two.” He looked directly at Henri and then he moved
his somber gaze to each of the others as he said “A short and
simple solution to our problem.” Louis’ eyes glowed blue as did
those of Andre and Jennifer and even little Aimee who all nodded
agreement.

Marie spoke then “Li and Sophia have been in
Reims signing new leases and banking rental receipts for the year.
They are due back though, maybe Celeste can tell us when.”

Celeste smiled, taking their daughter from
Louis’ arms and settling back on the sofa with the toddler in her
lap saying “What do you think, Celine? Are Li and Sophia coming
home soon?”

Little Celine gurgled happily, saying
“ma-ma, ma-ma” while waving her tiny hands about as Celeste kissed
her and turned to Henri, saying “They left Reims five days ago and
will be here tomorrow.”

She turned then looked about at everyone and
said “Ian and James are still living near Boston and they are still
helping a man named Henry Knox move artillery across the wilds to
take it there.”

Aimee said “What is artillery.” Several
chuckles were heard as Jennifer quietly explained to her.

Henri went on then “We will table this then
until Li and Sophia arrive. At this point, we need only to know
that at some point, we will be watched and later attacked. I am
going to contact a friend of ours in government to watch this man.
He will be shadowed the entire time he is here. Remember now that
from all we have so far, it is Ian and I who are the focus of this
thing.”

Louis spoke then saying “True, but if one of
us is threatened, we all are threatened. We are a family.” As he
looked about the room he saw all heads nodding in agreement, eyes
glowing.

Thelma Millhouse offered a prayer from her
seat at the head of the massive table in her cavernous dining room.
All at the table echoed her ‘Amen’ and she gestured to the servers
who came forth with wine to fill all of the glasses. Cosette and
Stuart both stood with their wine glasses then and Cosette said “I
propose a toast to Mrs. Thelma Millhouse for her generous
hospitality in opening her home for Stuart and me. We thank you,
Mrs. Millhouse for your loving kindness.”

Rebecca Davis stood then saying “Hear-hear!
To Aunt Thelma” as she drank the toast with all present. Thelma
said “How nice of you, but that is not necessary. I am only
practicing Christian love and care. Am I not only doing what our
Lord Jesus has commanded all of us to do?”

Cosette said “Stuart and I are complete
strangers here with no family and you have taken us in as if we
were family. We are grateful beyond our ability to say it, Mrs.
Millhouse.” Turning to Rebecca she said “And both you and Laura and
her mother have been most helpful and sympathetic. We are most
grateful to the two of you as well. I propose a toast to good
friends wherever we find them. To Rebecca, to Laura, and to her
mother, Merriam.”

Stuart said “Hear-hear” as he raised his
glass and they all drank. Thelma signaled to her staff then and
they came to the table, uncovering the main dishes and serving
each, beginning with the guests. In fact, Cosette had taken Thelma
aside earlier that week and had insisted on paying her the entire
time that she and Stuart were going to be living there. Thelma
wouldn’t take the money, even though Cosette confided to her that
she and Ian were wealthy. So it was that the two were invited to be
guests for as long as they desired to stay at the Millhouse home.
From that day forth Cosette insisted on paying for all groceries
for the entire household.

Thelma spoke then saying “Cosette dear,
would you please explain again to an old lady about how you came to
be lost for so many years.”

“Mrs. Millhouse, you hardly qualify as an
old lady where I come from.” She thought briefly
my surrogate
mother is over three hundred sixty years old. What would you think
if I told you that?
Then she said “As I told Rebecca, I was at
Arles when a fire destroyed a building. I tried to rescue a child
who I heard crying out. The building fell in and I barely escaped
out the back through an adjacent building. I suffered a blow to my
head when I was buried under rubble and I suffered a loss of
memory. I awoke two days later and uncovered myself, not even
knowing who I was. I wandered in the darkness to where I finally
saw a lamp in a window. A kind elderly couple took me in because I
reminded them of their daughter who had died of pneumonia.”