By Ailad's Bootstraps

By Kurt F. Kammeyer

Young Ailad is visited by a Messenger, who takes him to heaven and then deposits him in a very different, unfamiliar world. There, Ailad struggles to rediscover himself and learn of his destiny on the planet Edom.
This is book six of the "Clan of the Stone" series, available on Amazon.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Kurt F. Kammeyer
• Release date: Jan 3, 2012
• ISBN: 9781465703729

Kurt F. Kammeyer

Kurt's career has been in the aerospace software industry. He is the author of twenty-one books and short stories. Kurt speaks French and has studied Hebrew, Russian, Icelandic and Hindi as background for his series of otherworld books, "The Clan of the Stone". He has always had an interest in science fiction and space travel. Kurt lives with his wife and family, a cat and a dog in beautiful Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Book preview

By Ailad’s Bootstraps

By

Kurt F. Kammeyer

Copyright 2015 Kurt F. Kammeyer

Smashwords Edition

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By Ailad’s Bootstraps

Chapter 1

Ailad loved working in his uncle’s printing shop. The process of setting the type, casting the plates, inking the press and pulling the printed sheets fascinated him endlessly. Today, Uncle Brynmor had put him to work as his ink-boy.

Now, make sure to ink the plate nice and even, Brynmor said as he watched. Don’t miss the corners, but don’t slather it on too deep, either.

Yes, Uncle, Ailad replied while he daubed his leather ink-ball across the plate.

When Brynmor saw that the plate was well inked, he gave a mighty heave on the lever-arm and quickly released it. Aliad turned the crank and slid the sheet back along the bed.

Brynmor bent over and squinted at the sheet: a broadside for the Stroma Sentinel newspaper. Not too bad… he mumbled. for an apprentice, per’aps.

Uncle Brynmor was always short on praise, so Ailwyn took this as a high compliment.

Just then the front door jingled, and a very pretty young girl entered the printing shop. She was carrying a wicker basket covered with a red checkered cloth. She approached Ailad and smiled. Hello, Ailad.

Flustered, he stammered, Uh, hello, Lleucu. What brings thee?

Why, lunch, silly, she said, blushing. Thinking I was, me and thee could eat by the river—that is, if not over-busy tha’ be?

Ailad took the basket and glanced at his uncle, who nodded his approval. Go, but mind you, be careful! The river, ‘tis in full flood now.

Thanks, Uncle Brynmor. I promise we’ll be careful, Ailad replied.

Ailad and Lleucu walked down to the Spey River on the edge of town, and sat on the riverbank next to a cottonwood tree.

Ailad noticed that the Spey River was in full flood, just as Uncle Brynmor had warned. Ailad wasn’t worried. He’d seen the river crest before, and now that he was fourteen turns old he knew how to avoid danger. Besides, orphans knew better than most people how to look out for themselves, he figured.

Lleucu opened the basket and pulled out a loaf of rye bread, some cheese, and an apple-cake that her mother had baked for them that morning. Ailad’s eyes widened, and Lleucu smiled. I know… ‘Tis tha’ favorite, aye?

Ailad and Lleucu eagerly tucked into their lunch. A minute later she looked up at him. So then, Ailad, hast thou considered that which we discussed, our last time here?

Here she goes again… Ailad thought glumly. All girls ever think about is marriage.

He wiped the crumbs from his mouth with his sleeve. Uh, sure, Lleucu… when I’m twenty-one, I promise we’ll get married, aye? He hoped this would end the conversation.

Lleucu and Ailad’s parents had betrothed the two children to each other when they were just five turns old. Then Ailad’s parents had died, and he forgot about the troth. By now Ailad had lived so long with the pledge that he seldom gave it a thought—except when