A Most Unusual Account of the Death and Life of Romeo and Juliet

By Rick Harlowe

William Shakespeare didn't quite complete the tale of Romeo and Juliet who come back from the almost-dead and find themselves in a most serene setting.

An official of the Church frantically travels to a place where the sleeping Romeo and Juliet repose. He must get there before they wake up from their
sleeping potient-induced coma. But along the way he runs into a woman who has a spectacular story to tell about Romeo and Juliet.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Rick Harlowe
• Release date: May 16, 2012
• ISBN: 9781476319131

Book preview

A MOST UNUSUAL ACCOUNT OF THE DEATH AND LIFE OF ROMEO AND JULIET

Rick Harlowe

A MOST UNUSUAL ACCOUNT OF THE DEATH AND LIFE OF ROMEO AND JULIET

Smashwords Edition

Copyright © 2012 by Rick Harlowe

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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

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Contents

A MOST UNUSUAL ACCOUNT OF THE DEATH AND LIFE OF ROMEO AND JULIET

THE PHIPPS CONSPIRACY

Prologue

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

IT HAPPENED IN PARIS

Paris 1

Paris 2

To la belle Michelle:

These words, I hope,

Go together well,

La belle Michelle

The cleric huffed and puffed until his fingers no longer had the strength to hold up the tattered hem of his garment. The cloth dropped from his hands and tripped him up. His stumbling legs found no sense of balance or ground as he twirled for a moment in mid-air.

The elderly man fell hard on the road, kicking-up a cloud of rust-colored clay.

At least the old fellow had the sense to put his hands out as he hit the ground to lessen the impact of his tumble.

Dust from the path rose up like fine smoke from where he collapsed and drifted into his open mouth, lining the walls of his parched throat with every desperate breath that he took.

The cleric quickly rolled onto his back, gasping for fresh air lest he should suffocate from the rising dust of clay if he had stayed on his belly.

Finally opening his eyes to the ceiling of blue sky, the sight of a white cloud in the shape of a billowy cross was surely a divine message.

He allowed himself a comforting smile from the satisfaction of having at least achieved a small victory.

Bishop Rinaldi closed his eyes and blessed himself.

Romeo and Juliet live! Thank you, Father!

After several minutes, the Bishop put sweaty palms onto the clay of the road. He rocked back and forth and let out an Unnn-n-n-n-nnngh! and pushed himself up to sit.

The afternoon sun beat down, its ferocious heat pounding on his head.

His eyebrows were unable to hold back the beads of sweat cascading into his eyes then down his cheeks. His thirst was so great that he stuck out his tongue to catch droplets of the watery waste.

With his left hand he pushed down hard, twisted to his side and awkwardly rose to his feet.

The cleric’s fatigued body could not betray its flesh-induced weariness from events over the past forty-eight hours. Still, he cursed himself for having slept so late into the morning.

He turned in circles to get his bearings, to look for any landmarks.

Then he brought out his arms and let out an Ah! at the clump of trees as if greeting a familiar face.

Clay from the path caked onto the moisture at the bottom of his feet and clung to his sandals as the Bishop headed to the shade of the trees a stone’s throw away.

As his pace quickened, Rinaldi bent to scoop up a few pebbles to put into his mouth to allow a flow of saliva.

Under the trees, he came to a flat rock and sat.

He pulled up his garment to allow the rock’s cool surface to bring comfort to the back of his burning legs.

Bishop Rinaldi brought a hand into the cloth sack tied at his sash and pulled out the piece of parchment. His finger jabbed the marking on the map where he was now located.

He