The boy, perhaps fifteen years old, rode up to King Caleb’s camp. Sentries stopped him at the edge. “My Father is Lord Montjoie,” he said, “I have been sent by my Father to see the King.”
The sentries were not inclined to let him in, but while they were discussing it Caleb himself came up. “I will see the lad,” he said. They went together into the King’s tent, and the King dismissed his servants. “I assume you want to speak with me privately.”
“Yes, my Lord King. My Father sent me to you. His hope is that anyone who saw me ride out will assume that I am going to join the raiders.” The King waited quietly, and the boy went on. “He was approached by a group of men who wish to overthrow your rule. But he, apparently unlike some others, believes in holding to his oath. So while he does oppose some aspects of your policies, he would not violate his sworn word.”
“However,” the boy paused. What he was going to say next was awkward. “However, he did not believe that the best way to honour his oath was to send the men packing. As oath breakers, they have no call to the truth from others, so he… said he agreed with them. He was able to hear what they were planning.”
This was the vital part of the conversation. If the King asked what they planned, then he had, in effect, authorised what Lord Montjoie had done, authorised a ‘double agent’, as it were. After a long pause, he said, “What did they say?”
“They said they are going to gather an army at the Oak Valley Plain. The supposed bandits will come down through there, enticing you to follow them. They hope to trap you and your men there and wipe you all out. They will then blame the ‘bandits’ for your death.
Island People
Island People is a young adult fantasy book centring on a young prince. The book starts with his kidnapping and follows his adventures as he not only escapes from his kidnapper but gains critical allies and friends.
The entire book is scheduled on Substack, and there are several sequels. This is a book I wrote years ago, so it is in a bit of a rough form. Critiques and comments are more than welcome, they are requested.
Chapter 3: Transforming Culture
Chapter 7: The Better Part of Wisdom
Chapter 8: To Sleep, Perchance to Dream
Chapter 9: He who has Ears to Hear, Let Him Hear
Chapter 11: Unto the Third Generation
Chapter 12: Payment for Services Rendered
Chapter 13: Down the River (again)
Chapter 21: And Why can’t I Speak to the King?
Contract Marriage
Contract marriage is an adult dystopia examining the issues of marriage. Like 1984 and Brave New World, Contract Marriage treats the relations between the sexes as a fundamental aspect of how a society is formed and, thus, how a society can go wrong.
Unlike those dystopias, Contract Marriage isn’t all horrible all of the time. The characters for the most part have a good time and get along in their society. But the issues of sexuality, of marriage or not, monogamy or not, faithfulness or not, and gender roles… keep coming up and causing tension and conflict and joy and pain.
My desire is that my readers would be thinking along with my characters about these issues and perhaps even arrive at the same place (minus the flying cars).
Introduction
In which I lay out the themes that I intend to explore in this light Dystopia, and ask others to participate.
Trade Master: First Chapter
In which Fenestra, our heroine’s mother, puts in her application for the job of 'Trade Master’ on the planet Libertas, and finds out that it isn’t that easy.
En-Drek Contract
In which Fenestra finds out that, on Libertas, everyone must be in an ‘En-drek’ contract… a long-term, live-in, heavy date between a man and a woman for the purpose of producing one child after the other with one date after the other.
Disappointment and Meditation
In which Jellia, the daughter and our heroine, finds out about her mother’s job opportunity, including its difficulties, and commits herself to meditating on the situation. (And internally commits herself to encouraging her mother to take the job.)
Decision Reached
Jellia tells her mother that she thinks she should take the job, and so her mother puts in her application… and gets the job!
First School
Jellia goes to school and gets to tell everyone about her new adventure.
First Work
Fenestra goes to work, and tells her coworker about her new opportunity.
Writing Class
Jellia writes a poem (a limerick) and tells her classmates more about her new adventure.
Trader Galloway
In which a man comes over for a ‘date’ (Ie to sleep over with her mother) and to tell them all about his time as Trade Master for their company on Libertas. And as how he was almost executed for asking a woman out on a date.
Shopping
In which Jellia and her mother go shopping for the last time, and we explore some of the nature of the planet she is leaving.
Language
In which Jellia starts using some new words at school, and everyone gathers round to find out what they mean.