| STORY 2 Page 23 |
| "Play boy!" Again kit began to play and Jonathan added the lyrics. "Speed bonnie boat, like a bird on the wing, Onward, the sailors cry Carry the lad who was born to be king Over the sea to skye Loud the winds howl, loud the waves roar, Thunder clouds rend the air; Baffled our foe's stand on shore Follow they will not dare Speed bonnie boat... Through the waves leap, soft shall ye sleep Ocean's a royal bed Rocked in the deep, Flora will keep Watch by your weary head Speed bonnie boat... Many's the lad fought on that day Well the claymore could wield When the night came, silently lay Dead on Culloden's field Speed bonnie boat... Burned are our homes, exile and death Scatter the loyal men Yet, e'er the sword cool in the sheath, Charlie will come again. Speed bonnie boat... Yeah, speed bonnie boat, Kit thought. I'm coming Skarzinski. I'm comin' for you, you chicken shit sonuvabitch! Marion ([email protected]) January 19, 2003 Gabrielle ran as fast as she could back to her brother's hut, the wind whipping her dark hair across her face, her breaths coming in short, ragged gasps, burning her lungs. The sand was being kicked up behind her in little jets, and the sound that her leather thongs were making when they impacted the miniscule grains was abrasive. When she reached the hut she flung open the wooden door and bolted into the quiet interior, sweat trickling down her face. "Gabs, what's wrong, my pet?" came Senbi's drawling question. She held up a finger to silence him as she tried desperately to catch her breath. "Senbi, oh it's all my fault! We've been discovered... the portal, everything's going wrong!" She started to sob uncontrollably, throwing herself into her brother's arms. "Shh Gabrielle, you aren't making any sense, calm down, try to breathe first and then talk to me." Senbi said gently stroking her damp hair. Gradually her breathing slowed, and she was able to regain her composure. "Senbi, I was discovered. A horrible man tried to kill me up in the cave, and I just barely escaped before the portal closed. We have to do something so that we won't be discovered... Please..." she paused "help me think of something!" "Well, what did he look like?" "I don't know... I didn't get a good look at him, most of the time he had a knife pressed to my throat. He was strong, but also very drunk, his breath smelled horribly like hard liquor. But I lost Jonathan's ring." Senbi started to laugh. "Gabs..." he said teasingly. "Why are you worried about a drunk man? He probably just went a little off of his rocker and is now lying in a pool of blood at the bottom of the cliff. There's no need to be concerned." "But, he was intent on killing Senbi. Not necessarily me... I just happened to be there, unarmed and vulnerable, the man was crazy-- I could see it in his eyes when I turned on him and punched him. It was very frightening. I just think we need to be cautious, that's all. Because, even though I highly doubt that this man can find his way back to our time, there is always the slight possibility that he could, and then we would be in for a heavy ordeal." Senbi nodded his affirmation. "Well, what do you suppose we do about it?" "There are two feasible solutions, however, the second one I do not like at all." "Ok... spit 'em out why don't you?" "First, we could set up someone to guard the portal, only when it's open. They would sleep when it was closed, and guard when open. This I think, would work rather well; assuming whoever is in charge of it does not let their guard down. Nefret's out of the question, so that leaves you and me, dear brother." She watched as Senbi swallowed hard, a small smile dancing across her lips. "Yeah, yeah, yeah... so what's the second idea genius?" Gabrielle looked down. "We could find a way to close the portal, destroy it if we had to. If this man passes into our world he could destroy it by just snapping his fingers. History could be changed forever. He could kill someone in his thirst for blood. Evie, John, Rick, and Ardeth could just vanish, because maybe that man would have saved the princess Nefertiri or Osiris. Then they would not be reincarnated if they were to die. Senbi, do you understand the magnitude of what I am explaining to you!? We can not fail in this. If we chose to simply guard the portal we can not make a single mistake. Do you hear me? NONE." "Yes." Senbi replied, a weary sigh escaping his lips. "I know how much closing the portal would do to you, what you have sacrificed by even suggesting such an idea. But, in our case I do not suggest we go to that much of an extreme. I will guard the portal. Your job is to protect Nefret at all costs, she is the one who is pregnant, and she needs your company, she does not wish for mine." Gabrielle's eyes lit up and a single tear slipped down her cheek. "Oh thank you Senbi! You are good for something at last!" She embraced him, hugging his slighter frame towards her. "Ha... very funny!" he replied sarcastically into her shoulder. ~*~*~*~*~ Ardeth was just about to snuff the candle next to his bed when he heard a soft knock on the door. "Come in." He replied, the regret showing in his voice. An extremely tired looking Jonathan plodded into Ardeth's room and plunked himself down onto his bed wearily. "What is wrong my friend? You do not look yourself." "Well aside from drinking too much Glen Livet..." Jonathan sighed as he saw Ardeth's smile. "Hey Ardeth, can I ask you a question?" "Sure. Anytime." Jonathan raked his fingers through his hair, pausing to rub his eyes as he did so. "Are you truly in love with Nefret? Do you think about her every waking moment that you exist? Does everything you do bring up an image of her in your mind, one which you can not blow away because it is so permanent that even the gods could not wipe it from you?" "Yes. At least, that's one way to put it. I miss her terribly. She is pregnant and I have no idea how she is doing, whether she is safe, lonely, or in pain. Everything's a mystery to me. I just pray to Allah that when this is all over and I return to her I will not be too late, that I will be in time to witness our child's birth." |