Yes, it’s been awhile. Hey, there’s a reason I’m scheduled for an EEG and an MRI. Sucks to get old. I do love it when a doc who weighs 500+ pounds and cannot take time to comb his hair for an office visit has the gall to criticize my lifestyle choices.

This rather abruptly wraps with the Pataskala arc. It was only there, as is mentioned in the last few lines, to show the rebels/terrorists are operating less than 100 miles from the imperium’s official border. Given the nature of these civil wars, there are likely thousands of disaffected inside the border, as well. As we see at the end, Graf is now worried about his family and so they’re headed there, next.

Over chicory coffee the next morning, Graf decided to make trouble.

“Just before we stumbled across you guys, and thanks for the coffee, by the way, we’d come over that hill, there,” he said, lifting his tin at the hill to the east.  “Some big buildings.  What was odd was that pile of bodies inside.  We’ve seen a lot of death in our travels, so, no big deal.  Just didn’t know if y’all knew about it.”

He watched them glance at one another.  If he could notice that, his wife certainly did.

“They were imperials,” Vance rumbled, not at all the happy man he was the evening before.  “They got what they deserved.”

“Oh.” Graf flicked the last of the drink into the fire.  “So they were like those freaks, you said, down south?”

He heard a tiny, fake sigh escape his wife.

“No,” Vance said, standing.  Four others did, as well.  “Traitors to the human race.”

“But they were human,” he replied, also standing.  Pai did, too, but slower.  “Maybe you could have talked them around…?”

“Easier to just kill the traitors,” said the one to Vance’s right.

“Y’all really need to work on your PR,” Graf smiled, noting the motion of Pai’s right hand.  “I gotta piss.  Back in a sec, then we’ll be out of your way.”

“We’ve appreciated your company,” Vance said, taking a step closer to Pai.  “We’ll keep an eye on your wife until you return.”

I looked a question to Pai – no this is considered classified.  Dammit, how do I tell the kids this?

“Call it a magic trick,” she said from opposite the candle.

“Fine.”  Auntie had recently taught me some magic tricks; the ones in St. Petersburg are really good, she said, so let’s take a field trip soon.  Anyway, I tried to trick them a little with my words, just to keep Auntie safe.  They were having none of it.

Graf looked to her eyes in the clearing.

“Я убью их,” she smiled.

“What was that!” Vance demanded, swinging his rifle around.  The other three closest to them did, too.

“Stop it!” Graf shouted, knowing what he was doing.  The froze.  “We’re just passing through!  Let us go!”

“Sh…she,” Vance began, “just spoke Russian.  Y’all ain’t who you claim to be!”

It surprised me that he could suddenly move again.  It surprised me more when he shot from his hip into the body armor of my chest.  I didn’t die, but boy did that hurt.  By then, your Auntie had her revolver out and shot all four in the head.  That left her two rounds.  The other six, and the boy, stood and, though hurting, I pointed my rifle at the men.

“We’re just passing through,” I tried again.  “Back away!”

To his credit, the man next to the boy pushed the little one behind him.  And no, kids, I would not have shot a child.  Pai?  Who knows?  Anyway, we also backed up, slowly, up and over the hill to where the four buildings were.  Once we could no longer see them, Auntie lowered her revolver.

“This puts at least their group one hundred miles from the Ohio River and official border of the imperium,” Graf said with a catch from the pain in his chest.  “And I bet there are more.  Maybe lots more.”

“As soon as we are closer to Caper and in signal, I shall let the empress know,” Pai replied.  “Here.”

“Ow! What was that?”

“Mild painkiller.  You would not have been able to climb the ladder on that last bit and I fancy you don’t want me dragging you by the scruff of your neck,” she smiled.  “Now, come on.”

Five minutes later, atop the building and next to our ship, she’d set out the camp stool I’m sitting on while typing this to everyone.  I’ve already appended my report to Aurelia to hers, but wanted to let y’all know we’re fine.  Can’t come back quite yet, but love and miss everyone.

He forwarded it to Pai.

“I’m making a couple of changes about your ‘magic trick,’” she announced.  “You cannot tell your family detail like that.  Yet.  Sent.”

She came over and pulled him up.  “So, what now, Boss?”

“I know Robert said something about South America, but we’ve no orders.  With what just happened, I want to pop up to the Madison area and talk with the nominal Governor there, Beloit, to find out if he knows anything about any troublemakers.”

“Proximity to your family?  Good idea.” Pai put her arm about his waist.  “You’re a bit woozy from the shot I gave you.  I’ll get you aboard and take care of the rest.”

“You’re too good for me, Wife.”

He barely made out her, “Just the opposite,” before she buckled him down in a chair in forward observation.  “We go.”