Forever Young Birth Of A Nation (38 page)

Ian was busy carrying dispatches between
Albany and the site at Bemis Heights near Saratoga, and also
between different American positions on the battlefield. He was
most effective at night of course and was the preferred man for any
such communications if needed.

Benedict Arnold had received word of the
siege of Fort Stanwix via the militia group that Ian had contacted
north of New York City. After a forced march his force arrived and
helped rescue Fort Stanwix, driving the British back into the
wilderness to the west. He was now in the Albany area but due to
bitterness between him and Horatio Gates he was sidelined after the
battle had begun in early October. Within just a day, the British
had lost one thousand men to the Continental Army’s five hundred.
But militiamen had flooded in from every northern colony and the
American forces then numbered around twelve thousand to Britain’s
four thousand. Arnold defied orders and took the field helping the
American forces to have a great victory that day. Having a horse
shot out from under him, he broke his leg. The British were driven
back north to their positions of September, and a week later being
totally surrounded they surrendered.

Saratoga was a resounding victory for
American forces. General Howe had taken Philadelphia, largely
evacuated. But he had not captured one member of Congress and had
traded that for the loss of the British Northern Army.

Ian spoke to Darren Roberts and took his
leave, thinking to spend some time with Moon Owl before winter set
in. Since he had never joined the army or taken any pay, he could
come and go at will. He had resolved to go to Pennsylvania and try
to help feed Washington’s army for the winter, but would not go
until nearly year’s end for wanting to see Moon Owl again.

As he traveled that night, rocketing through
the dark primitive forest of the American wilderness, he realized
that he had come to love her very dearly. He had begun to ponder
how he could marry her after the war was over and wondered if she
could stand to live in New York with him a good deal of the time.
He would be the head of the New York branch of the bank and James
would head the Boston branch. Turning it over in his mind he tried
to envision how he could take her home every year to see her people
if they lived in New York City. It seemed possible if only she
would be happy in the city. These thoughts pleased him and he
longed for the war to be over so the two of them could start a life
together as husband and wife.

Recalling his grief at Alandra’s death, Moon
Owl being mortal did bother him. He was certain that Marie, Henri,
and all of the others would love her and welcome her. How would she
feel about going to France with him? Would she be willing to cross
over and become a vampire? Did he have the right to ask her to do
that? As he sped through the night he thought
I wish I could ask
Marie what she would think about all of this.

***

Cosette sat in the carriage, parked around
the corner from a blacksmith shop on the lower west side. “This one
is the perfect weight, Stuart” she said as she hefted the beaten
piece of iron that would become her short sword. The blacksmith
that had finally given Stuart this piece said it was a bit too
heavy for a short sword, but the other one that Cosette had tried
was too light for a vampire. She had wanted to take care of this
herself, but had not wanted to attract any undue attention. A woman
selecting a sword would be talked about and Cosette, being an Adept
schooled by Henri and Marie Lafayette, always went out of her way
to do things in such a way that would never arouse suspicion.

“He said he would have it ready to be picked
up in eight days. It will take two just to temper it the way you
want it done and to put an edge on it.”

“And my sheath?”

“The tanner will do it with a sharpening
stone pocket on its surface as you asked. I have one ready to take
to him when we get the sword.”

“Good. Take it back to him now. We have
other stops to make.”

Shortly the two were at a sail maker’s loft
where they picked up her twin shoulder holsters.

“When did he say he would have my waist
holsters ready?

“Three days.”

“And the saber sheath attachment?”

“It will be just as you ordered it.”

“Well, go on and order what you want. We
have other stops to make.”

At a tailor’s shop Stuart brought out a
package with a one-piece black fighting suit. It was made of sturdy
cloth, and heavy button thread was used, doubled throughout. There
were tie-straps on the ankles and wrists for making it fit snug,
and to lessen the chance of a cuff catching on anything. Pleats at
the shoulders, doubled cloth at the knees and a generally loose fit
made it a garment suitable for violent combat. A woman could easily
wear it and not be readily distinguishable from a man.

“What are the four buttons for beneath the
collar?”

“They will secure the hood that I will be
making.”

“Hood?”

“Yes. You don’t want another vampire to see
your face if you are fighting with him. If he or she escapes, they
know what you look like and that can be a disadvantage. This way,
none of them will have seen my face should we meet at some time
after a fight.”

“But Cosette, your eyes…they are
so…unusual.”

“Our last stop will solve that problem. We
are there already so why don’t you just come in with me?”

Inside she walked through aisles of cloth
and finally she found what she was looking for and bought a yard of
it. A small slender woman with black curly hair in a tattered dress
came in seconds later and proceeded to browse nearby. She was
wearing a scarf in such a way that it overhung her forehead so that
her features were difficult to make out. The two barely noticed her
as they went up and down the aisles looking at other bolts of
fabric.

Priscilla thought
what are you two doing?
Why are you stopping at all of these places? Which of you are all
of those things for?
Having noticed how clean and fastidious
Cosette was about her appearance, Priscilla had taken to bathing
nightly in the Harlem River and had also taken to washing her
clothes every second day. One good thing about being a vampire was
that bathing in even really cold water did not bother her at all.
She had resolved to always be clean and to have clean clothing even
if it was tattered.

Back in the carriage Stuart looked at the
cloth and suddenly his face lit up in a smile. “Widow’s Gauze; oho!
I see now. You will cut a hole in the hood you make and sew that
in. It will hide your features and allow you to see at the same
time. This is a great idea, Cosette! Whatever made you think of
it?”

“I didn’t. Ian did. He invented the first
one in Paris when he had to raid a coven by himself.”

“I haven’t heard that story! Did he invent
those shoulder mounted holsters too?”

“No. Marie Lafayette did that.”

“Marie! She is so…refined and…I don’t
know…genteel?”

“She is all of that and a tigress too, Stu.
You should see how she fights!”

“When he was teaching swordsmanship to me in
Edinburg, Ian told me that you all fight together.”

“We do.”

“Well, are you going to tell me about when
Ian raided that coven?”

“There will be plenty of time to tell you
all of that when we get to where we are going next.”

“We have another stop to make then?”

“We are going back to the Millhouse’s and
then we are getting two saddle horses and going out to the
countryside.”

“Why?”

“I need to do some target shooting.” She
turned to him then, her eyes glowing as she said “Good marksmanship
could soon come in handy.”

Henri, wearing his Laforge disguise appeared
to be in the same inn as Benjamin Franklin that day just by
coincidence. Seeing him, Franklin stood up and called his name,
beckoning him to come to his table.

Henri approached his table seemingly
surprised to run into the man there. “I hear that the King has
agreed to formally enter the war on our side! I am to appear before
his majesty tomorrow to formalize it.”

Already knowing this and sitting down at the
table Henri smiled and extended his hand while answering in a low
voice he said “Congratulations, Benjamin. Your patience and wisdom
has paid dividends.”

“So has having the right friends in France,
Henri. I am not sure that it would have happened in time without
you and your friends. Is there something that I can do for
you?”

“Not really, Ben. I do have some friends who
could use some help though.

“Tell me about it.”

“A friend has two agents in America now for
the purpose of starting two banks there.”

“Who are they?”

“I doubt you have met them; Ian McCloud and
James Barrows. Ian sent a copy of
‘Poor Richard’s Almanac’
to a friend who gave it to me.”

“I see. You know a Frenchman who is
investing in two banks in America? Isn’t that a risk?”

“No. He is a silent partner with an
Englishman who is going to have the bank in his name.”

Franklin sat back then and raised both
eyebrows in surprise, saying “You do have the most interesting
contacts, Henri. Who is it?”

“Robert Milliken of ‘Edwards and Milliken’
of London. He and my friend go way back.”
We go back three
hundred and thirty years but you needn’t know that, or that Henri
Lafayette and I am the same person
he thought.

“And your friend?”

“Henri Lafayette. He was the one who got the
draft-honoring system going in Europe. It is most lucrative, and is
becoming quite popular.”

“I know of it. How is it that a Frenchman
and an Englishman go way back?”

“You would have to get Henri or Robert to
tell you that, Ben.” He thought
meanwhile that will give me time
to make up some plausible story.

“What will these new banks be called
then?”

“Milliken something…uhmm… ‘Milliken
Merchants’ Bank’; that’s it. Henri says they will have one in New
York, and one in Boston, or maybe Philadelphia.”

“Oh you definitely want one in Philadelphia.
That will be the seat of our new government for the foreseeable
future. And I will be sure that several good men in our Congress
know about ‘Milliken Merchants’ Bank’, you can be sure of
that.”

“I will pass that along to Henri the next
time I see him. In fact I used a lot of his contacts to help you.
He feels the same way about your struggle for independence as I
do.”

“I should like to meet this Henri Lafayette.
Is he related to General Marquis de Lafayette?”

“No. The Marquis is of a noble line, and
Henri is a self-made man. I will tell my assistant to make an
appointment with Henri, and we will see if we can get the two of
you together.”
Just what I need right now; a complication
he
thought.

“That would be Miss Anjolie then?”

“Yes.”

“She is an exotic beauty, Henri.”

“She is that. You are known to have an eye
for appreciating those traits, Ben. I understand that you have been
successful in pursuits related to that venue as well.”

Tipping back his head Franklin laughed
heartily and said “Guilty! Is there nothing that you do not know
about in France, Henri?”

Smiling Henri shrugged as he thought
there is little that we don’t know about in all of Europe,
Doctor Franklin, but I will never admit that to you.

***

Ian’s reunion with Moon Owl was a joyous
one. He had slipped into the village in the dark and had gone
softly to the cabin, tapping softly at the door before dawn. Moon
Owl had wrapped her blanket around her shoulders and come sleepily
to the door, only to throw it wide open with a smile and jump into
his arms, twining her arms around his neck while kissing him. Her
mother was asleep on the other bed so Ian scooped her up and
bounded away, carrying her about a mile to a secluded place where
they made love passionately.

“Ah, lass. I have missed you so! I had to
come see you before I go to Pennsylvania.”

“I thought of nothing else but you the whole
time. When will this war ever end?”

“I think we have made a big breakthrough…
France might join us in our fight and that could shorten the war.
But I don’t see an end soon. The British have seized our capital in
Philadelphia.” He sighed deeply then as he absent-mindedly stroked
her hair, kissing her head now and then as she held his other hand
to her lips.

“You are in deep thought. What troubles you
besides this war?”

Chuckling he said “You are getting only too
good at reading me. I was wondering how you would like to live part
of the time in New York City after the war and part of the time
here, like maybe every summer.”

She was silent and then she raised his hand
to her lips and kissed it tenderly several times, saying “My life
will be where yours is, but I do want to see my people too. I think
what you say would be wonderful, and I would do anything to make it
work.”

Would you come to France with me to meet the
others of my kind?”

“Yes.”

Would you come to Scotland and meet my human
family?”

“Yes.”

He gathered her in closer then, saying “My
happiness will be complete then when this damnable war is over,
Moon Owl. When that day comes, you will be Monique McCloud; that is
if you will marry me then.”

She squirmed out of his arms then and rolled
over astride him laughing, her hair spilling around his face. “I
will marry you then or any time. My heart sings tonight.”

***

“Paul. What brings you out here?”

“Hello James. I would like to introduce you
to a friend of mine. John, this is James Barrows. James, this is
John Hancock.”