Cheng and his wife Anna in Sinatown.

Li(Yi)

Eric, Brother of Solo. Down’s syndrome and heart disease.

Dori, scout and Messenger of the Dinali.

Mathilda, Dorothea, Christopher.

Richard is leader.

Quintet Lars, Abraham, Pieter, Jacob, Edwar.

Peter a dwarflike man. Gay. Minstrels in the Midlands.

Jo, very tall and thin. Minstrels in the Midlands.

Prior Pendrini, ultra Purist leader of the Church of the Tree.

Captain Llazlo, captain of second ship Jafar the Gannet

Father Sirio, head of the church and monastery in Sevenoaks and overseer of the island

Captain Atanar. Jafar’s admiral and owner of the first ship the Seagull.

Captain Finn. Ex pirate but now captain of the Harrington fleet.

Ashton Arrowsmith, soldier in Master Selby’s army.

Alex, knows Marion from home. Soldier of the Commander’s army .

Richard, steward of the Harrington household.

Trevor Bailis, inventor of clockwork radio and the electric shoe. Every time you put your foot down it loads up a small battery in your shoe.

Freya and Sarah, mothers of Wulf and Jonah

Ivan, Stewart to Jafar Astrid’s father

Leila, Jafar’s 19 year old second wife, wears veils. Jokes about covering her deformed pregnant body.

Cassandra, Ingrid’s mother ,who died of the Hot Disease in 1115 the year Ingrid and George got married

Elizabeth, Henry’s mother and Matriarch of the North (1072)

Beth, his sister, next in line t become Matriarch(1093) 7 years older than Henry

Bonnie, younger sister, next in line after Beth(1110)

Megan, Henry’s lover, married to the General of the Northern armies.

Dorah, twin sister to Jafar, Mother and grandmother .

Nuttah Hempstead       Market woman

Carshena Hug                 Midlander woman

Irma Doe                         Servant girl foundling(all called Doe)

Melana Decourcey        Lady Harrington court

Tabaarak Applin             Servant Jaafar

Dougan Wilber               Midlander

Nereus Lucks                  Monk

Creed Wymer                 Monk

Gale Massey                   Servant Harrington

1.

Astrid in Scotia.

2.

Henry Redwood in the Island Sevenoaks

 

 

 

Henry Redwood shrugged, knowing better than to try and understand why Astrid was so on edge. Women, young or old, were impossible to deal with. Whatever you do or say, they will find something to get upset about.He should’ve learnt by now not to try and reason with one.                                                                                                                 He set off in the direction of the Guilds District. His old mentor in Scotia had shown him where he could find the kind of shops to get the parts he needed for his experiments. He had told him about the stall of a certain Mama Wawa. She had shown him how to get to those stores the first time he went to see her. Henry had visited her every time he was in London to see if new items had come in.

It didn’t take long before he heard the by-now familiar loud voice: “Welcome to Mama Wawa’s business centre! Looking for a nice scarf for your woman, goggles that will keep out the brightest rays, tested in the Britton deserts, sweets for your children, fruit juices from every berry in the known world and whatever else you need? You will find it here”.There she was, mama Wawa, larger than life, showing a sparkling white grin that made her f face light up. Decked out in a tent-like dress decorated with patterns distinctive for the southern Kentish tribes, she looked like a walking fruit stall. She had topped her outfit off with a jaunty, bright orange turban wobbling on masses of steel wool-coloured hair.

“Hello, handsome fellow, can I tempt you with a glass of tea on this warm afternoon? Or maybe a cool beer?” she called out to him, winking.

“I am more in the way of looking for some information, dear madam”. Henry looked up at the large stall, following her lead, pretending not to know each other.

“Oh, I can provide that as well. But only to good customers. I can tell you about the coming weather, who will be the new City leader this year, what the Midlanders are up to, and which family had a new baby. You name it, and Mama Wawa will tell you today’s and tomorrow’s news. Alas, only for faithful clients”.

The rather plump but powerful-looking woman looked at him raising her eyebrows.

First looking around, checking that no one could overhear them, Henry moved as close as he could to the counter and said, “Have you had a message from my supplier?”

Mama Wawa looked him up and down, her brows nearly disappearing into her turban. She lowered her voice as well. “Yes, the man behind the red door has ready your orders. Be careful because the Council has upped security. The town is swarming with the law posing as ordinary people. Something brewing on the mainland makes it even more important to weed out the dissenters. Our friends keep their ears on the ground to discover what is happening. The only thing we know for sure is that it won’t be healthy for our people.”

Henry glanced over his shoulder and took his wallet out, showing her an IOU for twenty hours of labour. Most traders preferred this form of payment instead of a coin.

He said normally: “I’ll have that green scarf up there”. It was far too much, but it was the way he paid her for her information.

Mama Wawa’s eyes lit up at the considerable sum he was offering. The stall holder got the scarf down and wrapped it in tissue paper. When she handed the package to him, she whispered: “Good luck, my friend. May we meet again”. She blew him a kiss.

2. Shocker

Henry tucked the scarf in his jacket and dashed toward this destination with a quick thanks.

He arrived at a crumpled-looking building and went through the required knocking sequence. The gleaming red door slid silently open, looking out of place in this neglected area.

Henry stepped through and walked into a treasure trove of objects from earlier eras. Heaps of metal and cables rose above him. The smell of oils and hot metals overwhelmed him. The abundance of forbidden tech and manuscripts never ceased to impress him.

Not the least is that the owner could keep all this a secret. Old tech was under the strict supervision of the Church. Visiting one of these illegal shops could mean life imprisonment. Owning one would probably cost you your life.

“I’ll be right with you, sir”, a high voice piped from somewhere in the back of the large depot.

Henry made his way to where it came from and found Shocker, as the owner called himself, approaching him, peering at his customer from behind a large metal contraption with four wheels he was pushing to the front of the shop. He set it down and rubbed his hands down his apron to remove the black grease on them.

“Ah, my best customer”, the tiny ancient-looking man, who would never have passed the Gen criteria, so must be a Midlander, said. “Lovely to see you again, sir. Your order is ready. Every piece accounted for.”

Father Sirio was one of his teachers when Henry was a young man. The monk then taught him about the wonders of past ages. When Henry’s mother found out, she promptly fired his mentor. Still, she promised to keep his misconduct a secret after Henry begged her not to report him to the Monastery–more to save her son from suspicion of blasphemy than to keep Sirio out of trouble.

Knowing he had sparked Henry’s interest, Sirio,  upon leaving, gifted him with a book of old tech and told him to read it without showing it to anyone. The priest had told him to keep an open mind when it came to the teachings of the Church. He had changed his pupil’s life.

The book was Henry’s most prized possession. He took his backpack from his back and lifted it out to show the shopkeeper one of the drawings.

“I’d like to acquire more parts to make one of these. Here is the list of the parts I need.”

“Ah, Trevor Baylis! You still don’t want to sell it to me? I would give you any part you want for free. Henry smiled and shook his head. The rascal tried it every time. It had become a ritual between them.

Shocker grinned, perusing his list. “I’ll try to find these. You can collect them in a few hours at the earliest, but it will cost you, as I’ll have to delay some other orders.”

“I don’t have that much time, I’m afraid. I will pay you a bonus if you look for the parts now. I’ve got a little bit less than an hour. In the meantime, I will look around to see if you have other books I might be interested in”. The little guy scratched his head and studied him intensely.

“You are an honest man, sir. But you know I have to be careful in my line of business, so maybe you could pay me some cash upfront? It wouldn’t be the first time I went through a lot of trouble only to find my customer cancelling the order. “Pulling his wallet out of his backpack, Henry waved a pile of notes in the man’s face. He had to speed things up. He didn’t want Astrid waiting for him.

“Thanks”, the notes swiftly disappeared down the mechanic’s apron, “Follow me, and I’ll show you where the new books are. Here, I store the best ones in this box to keep them dry”. He proudly showed Henry a beautiful chest with strange writing on the sides.

“You’ll never guess how this opens”, he beamed and triumphantly shoved a panel on top of the box aside, revealing three keys.

“Clever, ain’t it?”

Careful not to show Henry which key he took, he unlocked the box and opened the lid with a flourish.

“These are in mint condition. The box keeps its content sealed. I’ve other manuscripts in that rack, though they are just loose pages. A lot have been water damaged. My brother lives in Midland and sends me new stuff regularly, but not everything survives the journey”.

“Alright, if you find me my parts within the next hour, I will see if there is something here I might have some use for. Time is running out right now, and I will have to leave soon.”

Would this guy ever stop talking? Henry saw the sun was already halfway down the sky, so he might have about half an hour left before returning to the inn. He pushed his list into Shocker’s hands and pointed to the back of the shop, where he knew the man kept his best stuff.

“Alright, alright, I’m on it”.

Shaking his head at the impatience of youth, Shocker swiftly disappeared into the bowels of his emporium. Henry heard a lot of clattering and things banging on the floor, accompanied by swearing.

He browsed through the books in the box and was amazed at their pristine condition. The chest didn’t contain any technical books, but he saw a few novels he thought Astrid would like. Rummaging in the wall unit, he found a map with ‘Europe’ written large at the top. Wasn’t that what the ancients used to call the Continent? He unrolled the beautifully detailed map carefully. It was made of paper but had a shiny coating. Father Sirio would approve of this purchase. It would be invaluable for their trips to the Continent. Some areas might have changed due to the floods, but most would still be correct.

Occupied with the map, Henry nearly jumped out of his skin, hearing Shocker’s voice behind him. The man looked away, trying to hide his grin at his sudden appearance’s effect on his customer.

“Ah, I see you’ve found the pride of my collection! Are you interested in maps too?”

Seeing the sparkle in the man’s eyes at the prospect of making even more money out of him, Henry tried not to look too eager.

“I might be in this one. It depends on what you’re asking.”

“I’ll make a special price for you, as you are one of my best customers.”The price he mentioned made Henry wrinkle his brow.

“You are lucky I am in a hurry. I will take the map if you throw these novels in for free. I must go now as I have another meeting”.

“You are bankrupting me, but I will let you have them. You’ll be happy to know I got most of the parts on your list. Your other order has parts that will suit this new project when you are keen to start that one. Or else you’ll have to wait to see what comes in. I’ll wrap them all up and put them in a box to add to your other purchases. With the map, it about adds up to the amount you gave me as a deposit. So, shall we call it even?”

The crafty man knew he had him over a barrel as he knew Henry had no time to haggle. Henry sighed and nodded his head in agreement. He knew he was being cheated, but he worried about Astrid. Since she came back, she could get anxious about the smallest things. She had looked so nervous when he left her to do her shopping. He should have sent someone with her.

“Very well then, fine. I count on finding all the items of my order in there when I get home, or else I’ll be back and won’t be alone”.

“No need for threats. Shocker has always been as good as his word, or else I would’ve been out of business long ago. I bid you a good day, sir. Let me open the gate for you”.

Henry gave the man a quick nod and hurried on his way. He didn’t have much time left and should have been at the inn already.

3. Jonah in  Astrid

The Buddha and the temple grounds were well-known to everyone who had ever visited London. Even before the Exodus, the Buddhists had been in Albion for thousands of years. Compared to other beliefs, their philosophy had continued to attract faithful followers.

Astrid believed it must have something to do with the fact these monks welcomed everyone in their church. Their Creed was more about a particular way of life than dogma.

One could find their temple by looking up and using the enormous golden statue of Buddha as your guide. She had always wondered how it kept afloat until Father Sirio explained it was completely hollow.

Her mouth felt dry just thinking how she narrowly escaped having a servant coming with her. She looked up over the heads of the milling crowd to see if she could spot the top of the statue. There, she saw something glinting in the midday sun. That would be it.

Astrid pushed her way through the people crowding around her. It felt like swimming up a waterfall. She was dying to get to the temple grounds as quickly as possible. She was already a bit late and hoped Jonah had not given up for the day. They would only have one hour, and she had so much to tell him.

They hadn’t been in contact much during the past years. After marrying Henry, she had felt it her duty to try and leave all her memories of that eventful year on the Continent behind her and concentrate on managing the Harrington Company. She thought, in the end, it would be easier on Jonah too.

When, a few weeks after her wedding, a little boy had pulled on her sleeve while she was in the market and handed her a small piece of paper, she had first wanted to throw it away, but her heart decided otherwise. It was a short note asking her if he could keep in contact with her until he could move to London. He had added that everyone was doing well, not mentioning any names. He hadn’t signed it either. She had answered she would love to, feeling like the worst person in the world.

They had exchanged only a few letters over the past year. Finding reliable and, more importantly, trustworthy messengers had been extremely difficult. The messages didn’t tell her much, but just knowing he wrote them and having this tenuous link with him made her life that little bit brighter.

All she knew was that he and the child had been living with Plaxedes and hadn’t had any more problems with the monks. Her leaving Upavon and taking up her role again at Harrington House seemed to have put the minds of their persecutors at rest.

Father Sirio had told everyone who asked that she was fine and had gotten lost in Midland. Her marriage to Henry was his final proof that things were back to normal on the Island. For reasons she didn’t even want to admit to herself, Astrid had never mentioned in her letters that she was married to Henry or why.

She felt a sharp pain remembering her wedding day and what happened on it. She shook her head. She didn’t want to think about Lily now. Jonah was waiting, and she didn’t want anything to spoil the moment when she would see his dear face again. She had missed him so much. Those last months with him in Upavon after the child was born had made her realise she loved him dearly. Although their families had suffered a dreadful fate, causing them both terrible grief, they had recognised they were the ones who had set off that whole sorry train of events, making them both guilty.

Slowly their relationship had blossomed. The attraction that had been there from the start had been allowed to grow into deep affection. Astrid would never forget that first night he had come to her and made her feel new again. He had been so tender, so loving. It had sealed their commitment to each other more than any ceremony could have done.

After that visit, she found she did not only enjoy making love to him but yearned for it with a passion. It had made her previous decision to leave him behind so much harder.

She was at the point of telling Jonah she would stay in Midland when the news came that Henry was planning to marry Lily. Her sister would hate to be married. Ever since she was small, Lily wanted to join the Sisters. The monks would leave her no choice, though. She could never stop it from happening living here so far from home.

Then rumours of a renowned tracker asking about them in a village not far from Upavon reached them and made her decision to leave final. She had to depart as soon as possible. And so she did for all the good that had done.

Astrid reached the large pontoon, decorated with flowering plants from all over the known world. A gigantic Buddha looked kindly down on its visitors. A red-tiled monastery and its adjacent academy formed the base of the statue.

Red lacquered benches were dotted around the park in front of the Academy, and there, she would have recognised him everywhere, she caught sight of Jonah. He must have spotted her too as he got up and started to walk in her direction.

Astrid began to cry, flying as fast as her feet would let her to her beloved. When she reached him, all she could do was stare at those sparkling blue eyes, looking at her as if seeing her for the first time and awed by what he saw.

Looking at those dear features, lit up by a broad smile, hearing him whispering her name with such wonder, she didn’t know how she could have left it so long to be near him, to be held by him. He was sporting a short beard, and his usually unruly hair had been cut very short.

They clung together, trying to talk simultaneously, laughing and crying at the same time. Jonah took her face in both his hands and kissed her, making the whole world around her disappear. She could have stood there forever.

But then she heard a little voice,” Papa, Papa.”

Astrid looked down to see a tiny version of Lily, looking up at her with eyes dark as the night. The girl was hanging onto Jonah’s coat, looking determined not to be ignored. Before Astrid could stop herself, she let out a strangled cry, bent down to swoop up the child, and hugged her against her chest.

Feeling the child struggling and hearing her yell,” No, Nessie down, papa”, Astrid, shocked by her impulse, handed her to Jonah. He held Nessa in his arms, stroking her hair and spoke gently to the little girl calming her down.

“I’m so sorry, Jonah, she slipped away from me before I could stop her”, a powerful looking older woman, reaching them, panted.

Jonah put Nessa down, telling her auntie Freya would take her for a treat because papa had to talk some more with the lady. He introduced the woman to Astrid as a good friend, the mother of his best friend Wulf, who helped him look after Nessa since he had arrived in London.

‘You must be Astrid. I’ve heard so much about you from everyone. My name is Freya. I will let you two continue your meeting while I take this little rascal off your hands. Ness, you want to come with auntie? I saw a Puppet show right next to the juice stand. We will get a nice drink, and then we can watch the puppets.”

Nessa’s eyes shone when she heard about the treat. Astrid wondered how the tiny child seemed to understand all of that. The other two didn’t seem to find it strange to see a child that age walk and talk like a three-year-old. Freya went off with a happy chattering Nessa skipping beside her, watched by a smiling Jonah.

“She’s a great little lass, my Nessa, not at all like him. She reminds me so much of you. After you left, she was the only thing keeping me going. You should get to know her better. Then you would see for yourself. You would come to love her as much as I do, no matter what.”

Jonah flushed and looked away.

Astrid understood he had misinterpreted her reaction to seeing the child. It was not out of a new-found mother love she had wanted to hold Nessa. He couldn’t know her longing to cuddle her little sister again had made her pick up Nessa. The child was the spitting image of Lily at that age. It had been a mistake.

Her mind still shrank at the memory of how the child came to be, while her body was aching at the memory of her little girl, her baby, in her arms. For a moment, she thought Plaxedes had been right about blood ties being strong and had felt a connection so strong. It had scared her. But the last time she had seen that pair of coal-black eyes looking at her, they were in the face of her abuser. It would never work.

Not wanting to ruin their reunion, she decided to be kind. “You raised her, my love. I would have expected nothing less. She looks lovely and makes me think so much of,” and here her voice broke, “my younger sister Lily. Another victim of our actions.” Her voice sounded bitter while tears had started to well up in her eyes.

Jonah looking worried, took her to the nearest bench and sat next to her taking her hands into his.

“Can you tell me about her, Astrid?”

She looked at him, his face carrying three deep scars from the battle at the Oasis but crinkled with laughter lines too, and gave a deep sigh. She wiped her eyes with her sleeve and started to tell him the story that had nearly brought her to her knees after it happened.

#

 “When I came home, I was looking forward to seeing my younger sister Lily again. She was so happy to see me. When she burst into my room, she threw herself in my arms, laughing and crying and trying to tell me all that had happened while I was away, asking me about what happened and why I hadn’t come home until now.

She then told me that a few months after I disappeared, she’d been on her way to get a book from the library when she heard Henry talking with my grandfather and Father Sirio, our priest. She was about to knock to ask if she could come in when she heard her name and decided first to listen to what they were saying about her. She was always a bit of a little eavesdropper,” here, Astrid gave a wavering smile.

 “They were discussing Lily marrying Henry to make sure they stayed in charge of the Island and the Harrington Company. Father Sirio had heard the Church was thinking of letting another Family take over the government.”

Lily had cried out, but before they could call her in, she had fled to the Convent, vowing she would never go home again. The nuns convinced Henry and Father Sirio to let her stay with them. After a while, they made her understand that it would be her duty to comply and promised her they would make sure the wedding would not take place until she had reached her fifteenth birthday. Until then, she would be Henry’s fiancée on paper only so he could take up the reigns of Harrington Company without anyone objecting.”

Astrid sighed, and Jonah offered to get them a drink from one of the juice vendors on the square. She nodded. When he returned, Astrid realised all the talking had made her very thirsty and emptied her beaker in one go.

On Jonah’s prompting, she continued her story and, in a few words, destroyed all Jonah’s joy in seeing her again.

“When I came down again, I spoke with Father Sirio and Henry, and we decided to annul the betrothal of Lily. She could continue her studies with the nuns, and I would take her place. Three months after my return, I married Henry.”

Jonah’s shoulders slumped, and all the light went out of his eyes. He slid away from her on the bench. Astrid tried to pull him back and put her arm around him, but he shook her off. She saw he was trying to hold back his tears.

“Please, let me finish. There is so much happening at the moment. You will understand when I explain why I had to do it. You will see, I had no choice. Things changed while we were out there in Midland. I can’t talk about it here in the open, but I can explain everything if we can meet somewhere more private. Marrying Henry doesn’t mean I don’t love you anymore. After it is all over, we can be together forever, my love, I promise. Like many others, I had to make a sacrifice for the good of everyone in Albion.”

Jonah shook his head wildly as if to ward off her words.

“What can be more important than us? Even if you had a perfect reason to go and marry another man, why not let me know? I feel such an idiot. I’ve been looking forward to seeing you again for such a long time. Why did you come here today anyway? It can’t have been for Nessa or me. You never wanted her, and now evidently me neither. How did you think it would make me feel when I heard the love of my life got married to another man without having the courtesy to at least inform me? And not any man but the man her priest told her to marry all along. You always said you didn’t care about your religion or its ridiculous matchmaking. How many brats for your precious Tree have you two produced by now? You’ve had plenty of time for at least two. Fuck, what am I doing here? I should leave and forget you ever existed. I hope you had your fun with this stupid Midlander.”

Jonah jumped up, making as if to depart. After a few steps, he stopped and looked at her with such intense hurt in his eyes that Astrid felt it like a sharp pain in her chest. She squeezed her arms around her body and tried hard to think of something she could say to make him stay.

He had to understand why she had to do what she did before he left and she would never see him again. She had to assure him she still loved him with all her being, and she had married Henry for a good reason.

“I know I should have told you, but it would have been too dangerous to explain what I did in a message. It could had fallen into the wrong hands, and all we have achieved and sacrificed would’ve been for nothing. Many innocent people in Albion would have died. But, you are right. I shouldn’t have sprung it on you like this. Telling you about my sister made me forget how hurtful it would be for you to hear how her story affected my life and ultimately yours too. I’ve had time to get used to the idea. If I had just told you I got married without explaining why, you would’ve hated me. You would have thought I didn’t want you anymore. Jonah,  I beg you, I still do with all my heart. I’ve never forgotten what we had in Upavon, and I will do everything in my power to have it back. When you know what has been going on, you’ll understand. Please, let’s meet again soon. I’ll think of an excuse to stay longer, so we’ll have more time. I didn’t finish telling you what happened to Lily, but there’s not enough time now. I have to go back. Henry is waiting for me at the inn and will start to get worried. He won’t like it when he finds out we have met out in the open like this. He is a good man and I don’t want to hurt him”

Astrid saw that last remark make him flinch. She pulled at his hands to make him sit down again.

He gave in with such a deep sigh it nearly broke her heart.

“Alright, I will come when you arrange another visit. I want to understand how all this has happened. You can contact me by sending a message to my friend, Wulf. He and his mum are staying with Nessa and me in the Neptune Quarter. Everyone knows him there. He’ll pass it on to me when it is safe to do so. My sister and Solo are often away on a mission, but they stay with us when they’re home. The last thing I want is for them to find out about you and the child. They think Nessa is mine and that my wife died in childbirth. I want to keep it that way, and so do you, I would think.”

Astrid shivered. She had been so happy to see Jonah again she’d never given the pair a thought. London was vast, but the idea of meeting her nemesis on the streets made her blood go cold. All her thoughts went blank.

“Are they here now? she whispered, looking around her.

Jonah quickly assured her they were on a mission for the man they were working for.

“They won’t be back for at least a month. Those trips usually take long.”

Astrid let go of a deep sigh.

“Thank the Lady. Still, I’m going now. I’ll send you the message when I know what day I’ll return to London. As you know the town better than me, where can we meet safely?”

“Go to the temple behind me and ask for a girl called Tish. She’s a friend of mine and studying with the Buddhist monks. She’ll know where to take you. I have to leave too and go back to work”. Jonah got up again and made as if to walk off without adding anything.

But then he turned back, pulled her into his arms and held her so tight, she couldn’t breathe. “I will love you always”, he murmured in her hair. Then he let her go abruptly and walked away not looking back.

Astrid had to use all her strength not to run after him and tell him she wanted to stay with him and never return to her old life. Realising it would only make things harder for the both of them, she left the square and slowly made her way back to Henry. He would be wondering what was keeping her, but she needed some time to pull herself together before being able to look him into the eyes without breaking down and confessing everything. He didn’t deserve to be deceived like this. He always treated her with respect and had given up a great deal to marry her. She realised she had to think of an excuse for not buying anything on her shopping trip.

Her reunion with Jonah hadn’t turned out to be the happy occasion she thought it would be. She never got to tell him what happened to her sister.

Hopefully, next time, she would do a better job convincing him she still loved him with all her heart. She wished she would have had more time to explain all the facts about her marriage and why there would never be any Tree of Light ‘brats’ as Jonah had called them.

#

Henry smiled to himself when he didn’t find Astrid impatiently waiting for him in the Dolphin. She must have lost track of time visiting all the shops that London had to offer. It had been a long time since she visited them. This morning he was relieved to hear she had decided to break her self-imposed isolation. Since her sister was gone, she had sunk into a deep depression. He winced just thinking about that whole sad story.

Her absence gave him an excellent opportunity to bring his box with contraband aboard his ship. Henry hoisted the package on his shoulder and strolled aboard, where the captain stored his purchases securely away in a specially designed compartment under the deck.

It would’ve be far too dangerous to keep illegal tech longer than necessary with him in the busy inn. Astrid might have asked him what he had bought. He had disclosed that he worked for the Cause but never that he liked to tinker on old machines and was very knowledgeable about them. “Three may keep a secret if two of them are dead.”, they used to say at home.

The London wardens were always looking to catch tech smugglers. Not that it would be likely they would bother an Islander. They all knew about the Island’s strict adherence to the Creed, but why take the risk? Out of sight, out of danger.

When he got back to The Dolphin, he ordered a meal and got himself a large pint of beer before sitting down at one of the tables close to the entrance. The place was packed, and he didn’t want to miss Astrid when she arrived.

While waiting, his thoughts went back to that first mission to the Continent. It had been right after he came back with the others after their fruitless search for Astrid.

At the time, he hadn’t been too pleased when Sirio told him to take Nicholas with him on his journey. The young man had still been in shock from the events in Midland. Finding out that Gregory was his father, hadn’t been easy on the boy either. Henry always thought his friend far too straight-laced ever to have sired a bastard. When he looked at Nicholas now, he wondered how he could never have spotted the resemblance and why Ingrid had never seen it?

When Henry had told Father Sirio about his misgivings, the priest had calmly told him the boy needed training as soon as possible, and it had to be done away from prying eyes.

“He’ll need to be put up to speed with our plans. It will take him away from Astrid and give him valuable insight into our organisation. The Order needs to start recruiting the next generation because we are not getting any younger. The Church has started to become suspicious. They must have found out something is brewing. Nicholas can still to work under their radar. He’s a fine young man. I have known him from birth. The Harrington gene is strong and delivers good men”.

“Have you been waiting long?”

There she was, Astrid, panting as if she had been running a race. Her face looked pale, but her cheeks were flaming red as if she was running a fever. The poor dear must have overdone the shopping with all this heat.

Seeing her hands empty, he asked, after making her sit,” Did you leave your shopping with one of the servants?”

Astrid flushed an even brighter red as if caught stealing. She fumbled with the knot of her scarf, looking around as if searching for an explanation. She finally looked at him.

“I got so caught up looking around the Market and revisiting my favourite shops I never got round to buy much. I did get some beautiful material at the Sinese Quay. I dropped it off at the shop of the woman, who always made my clothes in the past. She will make me a couple of new dresses. I have been wearing the same dresses since I returned. It took quite a while with all the fitting and such. That is why I’m a bit late. Sorry. I plan to pick them up next week if you don’t mind. I can do the rest of my shopping then,” she rattled out.

“That sounds like a good plan, but I don’t think I’ll have time to come with you, my dear. Maybe you can ask Trudy.”

She looked down and told me she couldn’t bother Trudy with something as frivolous as shopping when her nurse was far too busy at the moment organising her grandfather’s visit. Jafar, Sultan of Kent, always travelled with a large retinue, and Trudy was planning his arrival like a military campaign.

Astrid said this wouldn’t be a great time to drag her to London for a whole day. She would go on her own, taking the Ferry. If Henry wouldn’t mind, she might even stay the night in the Dolphin and come back the next day.

“You don’t mind, do you?” Astrid looked at him as if daring him to object.

Henry knew better than that though he found her sudden change of heart about visiting the big city slightly puzzling. It would be better anyway than her sitting at home moping. And he would have a day to himself to start on that radio.

“No, no, that is totally fine by me. Isn’t it a good thing I got that service going again? We were becoming far too closed off from the rest of society. I will keep myself busy checking the accounts to be ready for your grandfather’s inspection while you go gallivanting around the big city,” he teased, “some of us will have to do the boring work. I’m glad to see you going out again.”

Henry smiled fondly at his young wife and stroked a few stray hairs back from her face. She had surprised him last week to agree to come with him. She had been on short trips to Kent to visit Jafar but always refused to go to London, claiming it was far too crowded.

He hoped Astrid would change her mind one day too about taking their relationship further than just being good friends. It hadn’t been easy to keep up the appearance of being happily married nor having to share his life with someone who still froze when he tried to touch her intimately. She had only agreed to marry him on the condition that it would be and stay a business arrangement. She had yet to come back on that decision. Every night her bedroom door remained closed.

People had been starting to look at him with pity on their faces. Being barren was a source of grief within their community and a valid reason to unbind your vows. They were probably wondering why he hadn’t done so already. How would they react if they found out his marriage to the heiress of the Harrington Company was one big sham? No matter how long they would stay married, there would never be children unless Astrid changed her mind.

He didn’t have to pretend to love her. His feelings for her had grown the more he got to know her. She was an intelligent young lady who could be very caring. The Islanders adored her.

Her figure had filled out, and she had become a beautiful woman with gold speckled eyes shining like green gems under that fiery mass of hair. Not being her husband in the real sense was becoming harder as the days went by. Maybe one day.

He shook off his troublesome thoughts and asked:” Would you like me to order something to eat or drink? I ordered some food but can just as easily cancel it if you’d rather not eat here. We could go home instead. You look tired.”

Astrid blinked as if she had been a world away, “Sorry, what? Ah, food, I don’t think so. You’re right, I do feel exhausted and would rather go. We can catch the tide out, and I can rest. The shopping and all the people have been more draining than I thought. Let’s go home if you don’t mind, I mean. If you’re famished I can keep you company while you eat, or I could leave you to finish your meal while I go back to the ship and have a lie-down.”

Henry didn’t know what to make of it. This morning she had been so excited and happy about her visit, now she looked wrung out and a bit sad. Even after being married to her for more than a year, he still couldn’t figure out what was going on in that lovely head. 

“It’s fine with me. I can eat something in the galley. The captain will be happy to get home early for a change, as will I. I have a lot to do. You’ll be back here next week, anyway.”

He was surprised to see Astrid blushing again. She buttoned up her coat, tucking her scarf around her face. Before Henry could ask anything, she hurried outside with her usual long strides. He shook his head and followed. It had been an arduous day with his visit to Shocker and Astrid behaving unlike her usual composed self.

Until today, the impulsive young girl he had met that spring day in the courtyard of Harrington House, the day before everything went terribly wrong, had been quiet and down-to-earth. Seeing her so itchy and irrational made him somewhat uncomfortable. He decided to put her behaviour down to all the many impressions she had today. He, who was used leaving the Island’s peace and solitude regularly, still found London often a bit much. He was glad to get home a bit earlier too. He was getting old.

When Henry reached the ship, Astrid seemed to have disappeared into one of the cabins. He decided to show her the novels he’d bought in Shocker’s shop after she was rested and able to appreciate the gesture. She adored acquiring new books and might even love him a bit better for getting them for her.

He chuckled. Hope sure costs nothing, as they said in Scotia.

#

“Daddy,daddy”.

A little whirlwind smacked into Jonah’s legs and he bent down to lift Nessa up hiding his face in her golden mop of hair. Seeing her reminded him how much he had looked forward to seeing Astrid again. In Upavon the child had been a comfort, but could never fill the gaping hole he felt after Astrid went home.

That dreadful day, he did not stay to see her onto the ship because he knew he would have gone down on his knees to beg her to stay with him. All the way home, tears streaming down his face, he had to hold his hand in front of his mouth not to scream out his pain.

When he arrived at Plaxedes’ cottage, she took one look at him and set him down in front of the fire putting a cup of strong red wine in his hands. And then he did howl.

Once he felt he had no more tears left, he went to his bedroom, where he fell into an exhausted sleep. The next weeks he spent long hours at sea only coming home when it was too dark to see the fish.

Plaxedes had always encouraged him to take part in Nessa’s care. It was a bittersweet distraction as she reminded him so much of his time with Astrid. As the child got older, her happy chatter and unconditional lover for her daddy, as she called, him, gave him his own determination back to one day be with his love again.

A bit over a year from then, the letters of Wulf and Yaya, begging him to join them in London, became more and more urgent but knowing that Solo was a part of their household made him hesitate to go. Though Yaya had written that his old nemesis had changed, he found it hard to believe. If Solo got any inkling the child was his, Jonah had no doubt he would try to claim it. Even if only to score a point with him.

But one day he had come home to the sound of Nessa wailing and screaming. He found her holding on to Plaxedes, clutching her hand. The woman who had done so much for them lay still and cold on the floor of the kitchen and he didn’t have to feel for a pulse to see she was gone.

Jonah swallowed. He still couldn’t think about it without feeling lost.

It was the last push he needed to finally leave Upavon and seek passage to London. It had taken a few more weeks to sort out all Plaxedes’ affairs. Even after her death, she was looking after them, as she had bequeathed her cottage and all her worldly possessions to Nessa and himself. The money he made from selling the house and everything in it made it possible to travel with the first London bound ship to join his sister and friends. Once there, he had enough left to buy an adequately sized apartment in the Neptune Quarter.

To save them money and have some help with looking after Nessa while he was at sea, he offered Wulf and his mother to come and live with him. They gratefully accepted as life was expensive in London. They brought Eric with them. The latter immediately was completely taken with Nessa and the feeling was mutual. He was a treasure with the little girl and the only one able to cope with her stormy tantrums.

When Yaya and Solo returned from their mission, it would have seemed odd not to offer them to come and stay with them too. They didn’t spend much time in London and when they did, they spend most of their time in the alehouses or meeting with their mysterious employers.

Jonah had tried to found out more about their work from Yaya, but she just shook her head and told him it was better they didn’t know. He couldn’t blame her not to trust him with her secrets, as he had let her down before when he left her to the rage of that maniac in Midland.

The little girl was squirming to be put down. She was not fond of cuddles. Jonah secretly was convinced he knew who she had inherited that from.

 “Jonah, back already?’, Freya entered the hallway wiping her hands on her apron.

” I thought you two would take a bit longer after not seeing each other for such a long time.”

The knowing smile on her face disappeared quickly when Jonah looked up and she saw the hurt etched in his face.

“Do you want to talk about it?”

“Not now. The only thing I will tell you is that she will return soon and we’ll see what happens. When Wulf is back tonight, I will tell you both how things are standing with Astrid. I need to go to work. There are a few hours left to catch something. It will give me  time to think.”

He could see Freya struggle not to ask more questions and then patting his shoulder and giving him a quick hug.

“Alright then, I will see you at dinner. We can talk after we’ve put this little madam to bed. Nessa and I are going to do some baking, aren’t we puppet?”

Nessa nodded her head so enthusiastically, Jonah wondered why it didn’t come off. Waving him goodbye, she followed Freya to the kitchen, chattering like a little monkey. Her cheerful voice made him feel better as it always did. He sincerely hoped her mother would be able to explain to him why she had married and convince him that nothing had changed between them.

He went to his room to change for an afternoon at sea. He was looking forward to sail away from it all and just concentrate on the fishing. The coolness of the sea wind would do a lot to extinguish the fierce hate he felt for the man Astrid had chosen to marry. He wished he could just let her go and go on with his life.

He shook his head. He had to stop thinking about it and get to his boat.

On returning home later that day, Jonah made a stop in the Yellow Square, where he had been reunited with Astrid. He sat down on the same bench they had sat that morning to replay their conversation. He wanted to see if he could make more sense of it. To no avail. His mind got stuck at “married Henry”.  With a deep sigh he got up and hastened home where the sound of laughing voices and the smell of Freya’s cooking, drew him to the kitchen.

He found Eric loudly instructing Nessa on how to lay the table and the little girl solemnly following him around the table clutching knives and forks. Freya whilst keeping one eye on the various pots on the stove, stood by, laughing, her face wet from the heat.

“Look who’s here, Nessa. Maybe you can go and tell your daddy all about what we did today whilst he changes for dinner. As soon as Uncle Wulf will be here we can eat.”

Over the head of the girl rushing to him , Freya winked at Jonah and pointed to the table, where Eric was doing his best to reorder the jumble of cutlery and plates Nessa had left behind.

Jonah took Nessa to the pump outside where she watched him wash the smell of fish of him. Her help consisting of getting herself drenched in the process. He felt his spirits lift listening to her cheerful voice.

 For one and a half years old, it was remarkable how well she could express herself already. Physically she looked more like a four year old too. Freya had pointed it out to him and he assumed it must be her Islander heritage. He would ask her the next time they met.

The thought took his breath away. He wished with all his being, she would come up with a good excuse, because letting her go, he knew, would be impossible. He looked at Nessa and saw she looked like a drowned kitten and swept her up holding her away from his dry clothes.

“Right, young lady, let’s get you changed before auntie Freya sees you and puts you through her wringer.”

When they went back to the kitchen, they met Wulf in the hallway. The latter had found himself a good job in the City harbour, loading and unloading the big ships, who sailed to every city on the coast of the Continent. Every morning a water taxi picked him and his other colleagues up from the harbour to transfer them to the quays on the other side of London. It stopped them having to cross London City proper.

His friend knew he had met with Astrid this morning but didn’t mention it. He just gave Nessa a big kiss and told her he would come and eat with her in a minute. He nodded at Jonah and gave his arm a little squeeze. Huge and powerful as he was, he had a surprising sensitive mind and nearly always felt when people were troubled. He knew too that Jonah would tell him what was bothering him in his own time.

When Freya put his favourite meal on the table, a Kentish rice and fish meal she had learned to make from a woman in their Quarter, and followed it with her famous apple-pie, Jonah recognised she had picked up on his unhappy mood too. They had both seen this morning how excited he had been to meet his beloved again and had shared in his excitement. He would have to tell them later.

Their quiet meal only enlivened by Nessa and Eric’s bantering came soon to an end and Freya told the little girl she could go outside and play with the other children, but only if Eric went with her. They would have to return as soon as it got dark. Eric, glad to get out of his usual clearing the table duty, didn’t have to be told twice and took Nessa out.

Jonah looked at his friends who were waiting patiently at the table for him to tell them what happened. He sat down and poured himself another glass of Berry, the bottle one of the many Cheng or his daughter Li, their old friends from Sinatown, brought them whenever they visited London.

Taking a shivering breath, he  told them the shocking news Astrid had brought him. He added he had agreed to meet her again in the hope there would be an explanation for her behaviour. He didn’t look up not wanting to see the pitying looks Wulf and his mother were probably giving him.

“Mate, Astrid must have had a very good reason to do what she did. And didn’t she tell you she still loves you more than anyone else? I would wait, if I were you, before giving up.”

“There is the child too. What did she say about her? Was she surprised how much she had grown? I saw the likeness this morning. To both of them. That must have been hard “

Freya knew about Solo, but as she doted on Nessa and would die for Wulf, had never understood how a mother could have leave her baby behind, no matter what. When Jonah described how Astrid had reacted, she nodded her head.

“She will come around when she gets to know Nessa properly. It will always be her child, her blood. It will all turn out fine, my dear. And if not, you’ll always have us. I for one could not love her better if she was one of my own.”

Wulf stood up and clapped Jonah on his back.

“Time to go to the arena. It’s about time we do some training. When I’ve finished with you, you’ll have forgotten your sorrows as your body will be hurting too much.”

Jonah had to laugh. His friend was right. It was no use to mope around about something he could do nothing about. Working it out of his system by sparring with Wulf, was what he needed right now.

He rose as well and looked at Freya who shooed her boys, as she still called them, out of the door, telling them she was happy to have a few quiet hours.

#

As soon as their ship docked in Sevenoaks, Henry went down to wake Astrid. When he looked into the cabin, he found her still fast asleep. The trip must have exhausted her. He bent over her to give her a kiss to wake her but was surprised to see her cheeks wet and her eyes red rimmed. He hoped she hadn’t been dreaming about her sister again. It happened less often now and she seemed to have come to terms with her loss. She never talked about Lily much. Henry sighed and softly asked Astrid to wake up.

She opened her eyes and quickly wiped her cheeks with the back of her hand. She pushed herself up and swung her legs of the bunk. Not looking at him she accepted his help getting down from the bed. 

“Thank you, I’m sorry, I was only planning to have a short rest. You should have woken me, Henry. I hope it wasn’t too boring for you.”

“After London, it was a nice change to be somewhere cool and not smelling like a gutter. I don’t know how people can live in that place. I guess most of them come from places far worse. At least in London the city guards  keep the peace and lets them sell their goods without having to worry that they will be robbed. For a hefty contribution to the city coffers, I admit. At least the crowds haven’t put you off visiting London again. You are going back for more next week, aren’t you? I am not sure if that is wise. Maybe you should give it a few more weeks. You looked pretty shattered when you came back to the Blue Dolphin.”

Astrid’s face went deep red and she stepped round him to the stairs to the deck mumbling she would think about it and she felt fine now.

Henry shook his head. He really had to find out what was going on. Something must have happened on her shopping trip that had upset her greatly. He would ask Sirio. The priest had known Astrid all her life and might know what it could have been. Maybe memories of previous visits to London with her family had brought her sorrow back to her.

Back on deck he had a quick word with the captain to arrange his box to be delivered to the Cathedral. That way there would not be any awkward questions from Astrid or anyone else in Harrington House. He wrote a quick note for the monk who would be receiving it saying that he would appreciate it if the novels,  could be delivered to his study at the house.

They would be a welcome surprise for Astrid, he thought. When she was reading, she usually would forget everything and everyone around her. He often teased her that if she was deep in an interesting book, the world could come to an end without her noticing.

On their ride back he informed Astrid he had to some work to do for her grandfather’s visit and would see her that evening at dinner.

“I’ve invited Father Sirio if you don’t mind. I need to hear if he had word back from our agents. It has been a while since they left.”

Astrid’s face froze and he saw she had gone back behind the thick wall she had put up after she heard what happened with Lily and Nicholas. He shouldn’t have mentioned his field agents. Astrid knew Nicholas was one of them and his name and anything about him was taboo in Harrington House.

Henry had always wondered why Astrid still allowed Trudy around. Her friend’s mother was a constant reminder of the close bond she used to have with Trudy’s son Nicholas. The latter’s betrayal had been the last drop in all the inner turmoil Astrid had experienced hearing about what had happened to John, her brother, and the resulting disappearance of not only him but her friend Marion too. It had taken Astrid a very long time to be able to even go out of the castle.

“Sirio or I might have to go across soon. We need the latest information about what’s brewing over there. Would you rather not dine with us? You can have something sent to your rooms and I can come to you later and fill you in. Let me know this evening. Let me help you down”.

Henry pretended not to see the ice-cold look on Astrid’s face and reached out his hand to help her down from her horse. After some hesitation she let him do so, only to then abruptly leave him and disappear into Harrington house.

Henry swore. Why did he put his foot in it again? She had been so excited this morning to join him on this trip. After her strange behaviour in the Inn, he thought she had shaken her mood off and he had been looking forward discussing their plans with her and Sirio this evening. She often had a much better understanding of the politics of the Island, than he did. The priest knew everything the people were doing on this island but Astrid knew what the people were feeling and how to address their hopes and fears.

People here would follow her anywhere, whilst he still was an incomer even though they were married. When the time came, they needed her to convince the Islanders what they had to do was the right thing.

The Church had been the foundation of their whole life, from cradle to grave. It had told them what to do and how to do it. Opening their eyes to what really had been happening in the world would be a shock. Many would refuse to believe it and then is when they were going to need her, the last scion of the Harrington Family.

He knew Astrid would be willing to help when the time came. She had an ingrained loyalty to the Island. She had lost so much the last two years. Her parents, her sister were gone for good, her brother and her best freind Marion were missing and her childhood love had been forever ruined. She had told them, she felt it was what she had to do to make up for all the bad things that had happened.

When he tried to convince her, it had not been her fault, she just looked at him with a terrible guilt in her eyes. Her year in Midland must have left some scars too. He often wondered how she had survived. But other than telling him some people had helped him, she had been tight-lipped about her experiences in Midland.

Sirio had told him about her imprisonment in the White Fort and that an old acquaintance of him had helped her escape and had probably been the reason she had returned home unscathed. There had been a lot of rumours, but Astrid was not willing to explain if they true or not.

Once in his study, he threw his jacket on a chair and set himself to complete the accounts for Jaffar’s perusal. Henry had been appointed regent when Astrid was still missing and became her husband later, but the old man still wanted to keep his eyes on the running of the estate of his deceased son-in-law Gregory.

He had known Henry for a long time, but  he wasn’t blood and Astrid, who was, was still a woman. The Kentish did not believe in female succession. Every quarter Jaffar either came to Sevenoaks or bade Henry to come to his court in Kent, to oversee the Island’s accounts.

It was annoying, but Henry understood Jaffar was mourning his daughter, Astrid’s mother, and trying to keep her memory alive by his involvement in her beloved Island.

He was so immersed in the books., he didn’t hear the door of his study opening.

“Henry, I am sorry about before. I shouldn’t have shut you out like that. Is it alright if I do join you and Father Sirio tonight? I am curious too how things are going on the Continent. I am going to the kitchens first to let Trudy know about our trip. I will see you later.”

Astrid had changed out of her travel clothes and was wearing a long Kentisch sari embroidered with roses. She had told him she felt close to her mother when she wore her mother’s national dress. The shimmering material defined her beautiful figure.

As always Henry felt his heart speeding up and he had to use all his will power not to jump up and fold Astrid in his arms. It almost hurt to be so close to the woman who was his wife, but more untouchable than any other woman on this Island.

He swallowed and forced himself to smile.

“We will be delighted to have you join us. In the mean time, why don’t you look on that table in the corner. I brought you something from my business outing this morning.”

When she discovered the books her face lit up and her whole countenance changed. For a moment she was that excited, young girl again, he met all that time ago. She carefully picked one of them up and leaved through it. She checked the titles of the other two and exclaimed her pleasure.

“I don’t know if it is what you like, but there are three, so hopefully at least one of them will be good.”

“I love them all. I never read any of these. And they are nice and thick. Lots to read for me. Thank you, Henry. I wish I got you something too. But there was no time”.

Here she blushed again.

“Don’t be silly. I like to make you happy. Especially after I upset you. Good to see a smile on your lovely face. That’s my best reward. I will be finished here in one hour and will see you then. Go and tell Trudy what you’ve been up to in London.”

Astrid hesitated at the door before with quick steps coming up to him behind his desk and giving him one of her sporadic hugs. Before he could do or say anything more, she rushed out of the study.

Calling himself a fool for attaching so much to one hug from his wife, Henry pulled the ledger to him and tried unsuccessfully to concentrate on his work. After a few moments he got up, poured himself a whiskey and sat down before the fire dreaming of the time when Astrid would be his wife in every way. 

Sirio was lighting some candles before the huge sculpture of the Tree of Life when quick footsteps rang through the 

———–

Solo and Eric have been waiting in London village while Solo is saving enough money to go buy Eric a better heart. Still does not know about Nessa being his daughter and still not liking the islanders.

Yaya and Solo have a son. She did not tell Solo it is from Wulf. The latter does not know either. She has it 3 months too early staying in the Buddhist monastery while Solo was away. She told everyone she is ill and needs to be in quarantine. People comment how big the child is for its age, but Solo thinks it is because he is big. Wulf is a large man too.
Jonah and his daughter go because Jonah does not want the rough Midlander life nor the eugenic one for his daughter. He plans to go from the Ship straight to the Continent to the Colonies.

Astrid to be with Jonah and her daughter. The only child she will ever have but she never makes it. Henry has her picked up but lets the rest go because he want Jonah as far away from Astrid as possible

Their small boat nearly sinks on the route across but they get picked up by a large pirate ship where they meet Nicholas ! Jonah knows about him but not his role in the devastation in his village. Nicholas gets a shock when he hears where these 3 captives are from. Out of guilt he helps them escape to the Hospital ship.

—————————————————-

Astrid and Jonah plan to go to the hospital ship and then the continent. But Henry finds out and takes her North .

—————————————————–

In Scotia A finds out about the seed bank kept a secret.

She escapes North to find out about it and nearly freezes to death. A Norsemen race finds her and takes her to their caves in the mountains.

Cold Gates only to be entered with a code sent to them. Invention of Henry to safeguard his country. The mountains are unsurpassable in the North.

Church can still fly over, but their weapons won’t work as it is too cold.

They cannot land at Monk’s port and the harbour is only reachable in the height of summer but heavily guarded by the Naturalists.

————————————————–

Marion is on the hospital ship. Stayed behind looking after other Islanders and Midlanders guinea pigs. They won’t let her go home because she knows too much.

She joins Yaya,Solo,Eric,Jonah and Nessa when they escape, after a lot of violence, rowing for the continent and the Colonies. Solo hopes to find a cure for Eric there.

Their boat reaches the Colonies.

———————————————————————-

Large convention of all the main players in the plan to destroy the people in Albion. End of the trial.

People of the Continent around Perris need arable land. The drought is getting worse.

Father Sirio is there as well.

He gets a letter from Henry who has returned to Sevenoaks about Astrid and her child. He desperately want to check her to see if she is not only immune but does not infect others. She will be the key to prevent the wholesale destruction of Albion’s people.

On his way back, he stops at the Hospital ship and hears about the 5 escaping. He hears too that because of sabotage by them all the test subjects have died. John too.

He knows there is only one place where they can safely have gone and that is the Colonies, who were always free from the Church.

He bribes his ship captain to drop him off there before continuing to Sevenoaks. The captain will let Henry know everything.

——————————————————–

Meeting with the anti war faction of Perris. They decide to do a city wide broadcast from the Cathedral, also sent out to Cathedrals, monasteries and convents anywhere else.

Speech by Astrid? Sirio?

Astrid meets Nicholas with Julie.He tells her about meeting the others on the pirate ship and says how sorry he is about Lily.