Short fiction with a hint of fact. A school harking back to the Crusades; Roman Alexandria, 9AD just when Germanic tribes slaughtered 3 legions; a giant reservoir near Manchester, England.
An Empty Bucket and other stories
An Empty Bucket
Romance
A relationship gets a little help from a gardening implement.
Music from a Bottle
Tragedy
An Empty Bucket is re-examined through the haze of liquor.
Message for Oeipa
Historical
Oeipa lives in Roman Alexandria. Her father seeks a suitable suitor for her. Latin is used in the description of the Roman Villa where Oeipa lives (a translation is provided ).
Winter in Alexandria
Historical
The Emperor Augustus is reputed to have said 'Quintilius Varus, give me back my legions!' following the slaughter at Teutoburg Forest. The life of a Roman legionary was challenging. Presumed death would throw matrimonial plans into disarray, such as Oeipa's.
Then as now, sport was enthusiastically followed. The sport was chariot racing but the same preoccupations applied: who would win? how to celebrate? Principal factions were based on colours; Blues, Greens, Whites etc. The legionaries here don’t discuss their sporting rivalry outside the event – to do that away from its proper place was ill-mannered as well as dangerous. So they discuss the disaster of the Teutoburg Forest.
The Flitter
Fiction - Web-Tech
Frank Baragon, a small town, real estate manager sees something and wants it. No wonder he's behind on his alimony. Much of the action takes place online. It features a tradeable MMORPG gameworld hero, a casino clear down of unused gambler credit and the Shame Game: a show to embarrass the contestants.
Gadgets in Science Fiction. Nice to have, but what happens if you can't maintain or fix the gadget in question?
Wending Hall
Fiction - Historical
The founding of a public school in the fictional village of Wicester, is a story within a story. In this vignette, a mercenary and a trader reflect on their changed circumstance as Norman and Anglo-Saxon. Normans did not divide their lands among their children and the mercenary is a third child. He has no inheritance and the Crusades are a promise of adventure and loot. The trader has married into Soghdian blood – in the ancient world, the Soghdians were synonymous with trade on the Silk Road – and he anticipates the rise of the Genghiz Khan. The trader strikes a bargain. As a result, resonances of that past live to shine through to the present.
In the Distance
Tragedy
A young man from China has enjoyed the benefits of the Pacific Co-Prosperity Academic Program… American University Accreditation scheme. He reflects on his life and the consequences of his decisions.
Little Jimmy
Fiction - Realistic
A plan to build a giant reservoir in Lancashire, UK, comes to life. But where do the displaced go? Little Jimmy provides one answer.
Excerpt
from 'Winter in Alexandria'
Since the disaster at Teutoburg Forest, Augustus had paid less attention to matters so mundane as feeding the citizens of Rome. As if He let matters drift. Or perhaps the heavens worked against Him.
The soldiers continued to browse. The Cyrenaician, a supporter of the Blues, wanted a drinking cup in anticipation of a victory. The last had been smashed. How? Who could say? The Cyrenaician didn't remember. Doubtless celebrating. Chariot racing, the sights and sounds of haggling, drinking, whoring, gambling on the outcome and the augurers - these and other activities merged to a blur.
When the races were on, excitement surged and money flowed like water. Even Chaldaean astrologers, who professed to look down on gambling, they moved and shook for the opportunity to foretell.
Beneath Ameiko's counter, nestled in straw and wool was a recently completed piece. Normally Ameiko produced pieces to a commission. If business was slow he produced drinking cups embellished according to designs popular with the Blues. The Blues were the dominant charioteering faction in Alexandria so such cups would generally sell.
Ameiko reached under his counter and into the ruck of straw to produce that new piece for inspection. No matter how delicately the drinking cups were filigreed, the drinking games drove a steady demand for replacements. Knowing this, he'd produced another, identical, which would be offered if matters went well.
The Cyrenaician ignored what was proffered, instead asking his co-soldier, "Would you go? Hypothetically speaking of course."
"That depends on who's commanding. Hypothetically speaking, naturally."
"I've heard that Varus wants to make amends."
"Will he get chance?"
"September's been and gone, along with three legions."
They were silent a moment. Ameiko held out the drinking cup, waiting patiently until the swarthy Cyrenaician decided to look it over.
The Blue supporter studied the drinking vessel for some minutes, examining the detail. Ameiko knew better than to break that attention with honeyed words.
Handing the cup back to Ameiko, the legionary said,
"This could be suitable. Naturally I will need to consider the nature and extent of my future requirements, and so forth."
So, the Cyrenaician wanted to check his competitors? Well, business was business. He returned the piece to its resting place.
The soft slurred tones of Aquitanian could be heard as they left,
"It's bad enough the Germanic mercenaries swaggering about all over the place. You'd expect that; but even their traders walk too tall."
Sarah Thompson has ten days on Maui to find her lifetime after lifetime soulmate. She is certain he is waiting for her there on one of the last remaining land masses of Mu still above water.
The bulk of the collection is eight short stories that are set in yesteryear. The compilation is filled out with four entertaining fantasy pieces and three poems.
