Acts of Todd

By William Travis

After you stop an invasion from another reality what would you do next? Go to the beach for some R&R of course! Not that it will be so easy for Todd since being a hero means attracting villains, even when all you want to do is swim, sunbathe and maybe do a little matchmaking.

After a few days of fun, sun and battling villains, coming home should mean peace and quiet, but there is always someone in need of help who is desperate enough to come to Todd. Several local teens have gone missing and the Samaritans will have to find them quickly since they are expected to start attending Dr. Vanadel’s school in a few days.

Once classes begin the super teens make some new friends and Todd’s mentor helps him realize his true potential as well as uncovering some hints as to the source of his power. Just when Todd thinks things are going well, one of the biggest superhuman threats on the planet turns his gaze toward Rollmore and the Samaritans. Even with the help of every ally they’ve made so far, the Samaritans might not survive a visit from Blacksoul.

• Language: English
• Publisher: William Travis
• Release date: Feb 23, 2021
• ISBN: 9780463549841

William Travis

I grew up reading, starting with Peanut's collections, then moving on to comic books and novels. I love certain themes, humor, action, science fiction, super heroes, alternate history stuff and anything that mixes two or more in the list.I spent a lot of my teen years playing and then running tabletop Role Playing Games, and continued this hobby into adulthood, it's actually how I met my wife (yes gamer wives exist).I still read although due to time constraints I listen to a lot of audiobooks these days while on the job.While I've written a few short stories and a LOT of character stuff for RPGs as well as building complex stories for my players, The Chronicles of Todd is my first outing as a proper writer.

Book preview

Chapter 1

"Thanks, Todd." I heard a variety of voices saying over and over as my brain clawed its way back to wakefulness. I awoke still snuggled up against Kismet on her humongous bed inside her little pocket dimension, also known as the manse.

My eyes opened as another bad dream about killer gold-nugget monsters came to a fuzzy end, and I realized that Erika must have messed with my phone’s wake up alarm. Instead of the chirping bird sounds I had set it to play, it was running a repeating track of people saying those two words over and over in various tones of sarcasm. I squirmed out from beside Kismet and reached the edge of the bed where my pants lay on the floor.

Said pants held my Smartt™ phone and with only a little fumbling I got the device out and switched it off. I had forgotten to deactivate the alarm and didn’t need the wake up since I wasn’t going to school today, or for the rest of the week thanks to the event that had damaged one of the buildings.

The event in question being a rampaging demon which had been unleashed in the gym. Now, technically I had been the one who had unleashed it but it wasn’t my fault, not really. King Animus of Utopia had done something to my magic book and the demon getting loose was the result. It was all good though, my friends and I had dealt with the situation so only a few classrooms and the gym got wrecked in the process. Speaking in terms of rooms we saved eighty-six percent of the school, maybe even eighty-eight if you don’t count the storage room that caught fire, no one used it for classes so it shouldn’t count against us in my opinion.

That hadn’t even been the worst thing I dealt with in the past couple of weeks, heck it barely made it into the top three. But at least things had calmed down enough for me to take the opportunity to enjoy a proper pseudo-honeymoon with my sort-of wife.

Despite my attempts at stealth, I saw Kismet had indeed woken up as I turned back to her.

She was beautiful, not that I’m biased or anything, with pale skin and a head of jet black hair. Her skin was perfectly smooth which seemed to be one of the side effects of her being half demon, another was that she was six feet tall without wearing heels. This resulted in her standing a good eight inches taller than me. Sure, it made things a little awkward but being at eye level to her chest wasn’t something I complained about.

Kismet had rolled over to face me and she smiled that smile I would walk through hell to see as she asked, How does this morning find you, Todd?

I smiled back at her, It finds me happy, as would any morning where I wake up beside you, my lady.

See? I could be smooth when I had the right motivation.

She kissed me and then asked, Will we emerge from the manse this day or did you wish to try new chapters from the book of sex?

I grinned at Kismet, my wife was insatiable, which I think was another thing she got from her demonic heritage, or maybe she was just a horny teen like me. Either way, I wasn’t about to gripe about her attitude towards sex. The book she was referring to was a copy of the Kama Sutra that my mother, of all people, had given her.

Let me step outside into my room and check my messages and then we’ll see. I told her as I untangled myself from the manglified sheets of the bed.

Not that I wanted to leave, I was rested and ready for more fun, but I had responsibilities to my team. My lizard brain pointed out that the team could handle themselves just fine and lamented that I was a fool for wasting time checking on them. My rational brain swatted him with a rolled-up magazine and told me it would only take a minute to check on things.

Once I was free of the bed sheets, I stepped through the door of the manse and closed it behind me. When I opened the door again; it revealed my bedroom closet where I kept my shirts and pants. Grabbing one of each I padded over to my dresser where I pulled out fresh underwear and socks and set them on my unused bed as my phone re-established its connection with the local cell network and bleeped at me as it loaded messages.

Downstairs, I could hear my mother making breakfast for the family, and it occurred to me that Kismet and I should join them, just to be polite. We had been holed up in the manse for the past day or so and hadn’t joined in the family meals. That was something that my mother would be peeved about, she hated when people missed family dinners and being a superhero was no excuse in her book.

Still naked, I went back to the closet and waved the access pendant that Kismet had given me over the door and when I opened it; the manse lay beyond. I read the messages that my phone had downloaded as I headed over to the lavatory section of Kismet’s home. Most of the messages were just updates on the current activities of the police and military after the recent bio-drone invasion, which we stopped, but one at the end was from Erika, asking if I was up for a road trip.

Okay, that was interesting, and I wondered what she had in mind.

I hung my fresh clothes on the screen that divided the lavatory from the rest of the manse and placed the phone in a pants pocket before I cleaned myself up for breakfast with the family. My parents knew what Kismet and I were up to in the manse but wandering down smelling of sex would be both impolite and awkward.

Once I had washed up, Kismet took her own shower while I got dressed for the day.

When she was ready, we exited the manse just as the large raven named Viceroy entered my bedroom via the window and headed for the manse entry, glaring at me as he came.

I hoped his attitude would improve as he became accustomed to my presence, Kismet and I had only been together for a few weeks, after all. Like everything else that had happened to me recently, it seemed like much longer.

Kismet waved to Viceroy and thanked him for his discretion as he did his fast bird-walk past us into the manse where he alighted onto one of the many perches scattered around for him. Once he was settled, he tucked his head under his wing to sleep.

Kismet and I made our appearance downstairs, sitting down at the table and chatting with my sisters Karina and Lucille before they went off to school. We made small talk with my father, Coyote, before he headed out to work at the small used car lot he had inherited from my maternal grandfather after Grandpa and Grandma Hoti had moved down to the sunshine state a few years ago. My dad operated the business now while they enjoyed their twilight years relaxing and working as greeters at a theme park three days a week.

Once it was just down to Kismet, my mother Andromeda and myself at the kitchen table, I said, Just so you know, mom, we might leave town for a couple of days. Erika messaged me about a road trip, it’s probably got something to do with Dr. Vanadel and the Protectors.

My mother looked at me and used her most sarcastic mom-voice, Are you sure you have the energy? You two have barely come up for air the past few days.

My mother had never been shy about discussing sex with her kids because she felt that treating the subject as something dirty was what created hang-ups. Still, her tone was surprising, but I figured my sleeping with Kismet wasn’t the source of her ire, she was just annoyed at my recent absences from the house.

Before I could come up with a good response, Kismet beat me to it saying, I assure you lady Andromeda, that your son’s endurance is more than sufficient to satisfy his duties, both as a hero and as my bed-mate. The exertions of the former have increased his stamina to where he no longer needs to use the potions I make to sustain himself for the latter.

I wanted to smack my head on the table when she said that, but it wasn’t her fault, not really. Kismet saw nothing odd about discussing our sex life with my parents, and my mother found her statement a funny, whereas I found it embarrassing, which only amused my mother more.

While my mother talked with my wife, I fired off a quick phone message to Sora asking for her to rescue me from this situation. Within a minute she responded and I said, Ohhhh look at that, we need to go, the team needs us at the factory.

I’m sure my mother knew it was a blatant ruse to get us out of the house but she didn’t call me out on it. She was still coming to grips with the reality of having a superhuman in the family and knowing her son was in a relationship with a half-human woman from another world didn’t help. She might also be worried that Lucy and Karina could end up with powers too. Since I was a hybrid, it was a valid concern, but not a pressing one. Karina had a few years to go before she’d be old enough for any hybrid powers to express themselves and Lucille was a good four years further down the road.

We stood and walked into the living room to find a glowing red doorway of light waiting for us; I waved goodbye to my mother as Kismet and I stepped through it.

We emerged in the old metalworking factory that served as the current not-so-secret headquarters for the Samaritans, Rollmore’s premiere super team. Not that there were any other teams to compete with locally, mind you. The only other hero we were aware of operating in the city was the Ebon Hawk, and she didn’t like us all that much.

Besides Sora, who was known as the Gatekeeper, I saw Erika Dawson AKA Promethea tinkering away on a new robot, while nearby, Emily Ryder who the world knew as Paragon, was practicing with her kami weapons.

Our thin ginger friend Wesley Hogan was there too, Wes had the power of telekinesis, a power which he was now using to make a practice dummy dance around while Paragon took swings at it with her weapons.

Wes, or Kinetic as he was called when acting as a hero, waved, Hello you disgustingly happy lovebirds, welcome back to the land of the vertical, or in Todd’s case I welcome ninety-eight percent of you back, since I’m betting that other two percent is still horizontal. Kinetic was a bit of a snark, but I knew he was just annoyed that I had lost my virginity before he had and now had a hot girlfriend/wife while he was still scoreless.

Nearby, a hairy wolfman was removing the steel plates that made up the surface of what we commonly referred to as ‘the big table’ and setting them to one side.

Murton ‘Mutt’ Thomas was the fuzzy member of the team, his hybrid power was shifting into his Warwolf form that was fast, strong and tough. He grunted a Hello as Promethea’s other robot, a red three foot tall machine she called Rusty, moved to install components within the exposed frame of the big table.

A chirpy voice came from behind us as Clarissa ‘Cricket’ Moran announced, Woo-woo the gang’s almost all here! before she ran up to ask me, How’s the foot?

I wiggled my left foot at her, Good as new, which it is, thanks Biohazard.

One of the rules of our team was that we used our hero names anytime we were in costume or in the headquarters. Kismet was an exception since she had no alter ego.

Biohazard nodded and then told me, Promethea says she’ll discuss the plan as soon as Gryphon gets here. Hopefully Warwolf will finish the modifications to the table by then.

She turned and skipped over to where the shifter and the robot were installing the new table top which looked like it comprised a couple of large screens with a series of odd bumps on the corners and along the sides.

I took Kismet’s arm and we wandered over to where the work was being done to watch as we waited for our missing associate. About ten minutes later while Warwolf was putting the final screws in place, we heard the large skylight above us open and a gleaming golden suit of armor descended on boot jets. The armor looked much better than it had the last time I had seen it, and I guessed that Steven Bernard Epstein the Third had been busy repairing it over the past two days. Bernard was one of the personalities that inhabited the body, the other being the original person who went by Stevie. Technically, there was a third personality in there too but so far that one hadn’t bubbled to the surface.

Stevie was a grade-A dork and his very presence could make things uncool. It wasn’t an actual power, he was just that much of a dweeb, while Bernard was a smooth operator and a tech genius who built his prototype Gryphon armor out of household appliances. He had made a lot of upgrades since then although he was no Arsenal, but then who was?

Gryphon took off his beak themed helmet, Hey Aeon. Nice to see you and Kismet again.

He set the helmet on the table as he called over to Promethea, Everything looks good on this end, the upgrades and replacements seem to all be working and correct and the onboard software you installed is fantastic.

Promethea didn’t respond but a ‘thumbs up’ emoji appeared on the wall screen beside her.

She did stuff like that these days using any nearby tech as some kind of extended brain network.

So, I inquired, What did we miss while we were preoccupied?

Kinetic snorted, Charlatan escaped custody about ten minutes before Alloy and Dr. Icelus were supposed to collect him. Slideways, Bladezzz and Sandman pulled the jailbreak with Sandy knocking everyone out while Bladezzz cut open the case with Charlatan’s shard in it.

Gryphon added, The military is still investigating Elgin Bio Labs, and the whole place is cordoned off with a no-fly zone around it. I still don’t know if the Porsche being destroyed in the invasion will be covered under the insurance or not...

Gatekeeper announced, Yeah, my mom has been home all weekend because of the lab being shut down, it’s been cool having her around again although a couple of army guys came by to interview her and take statements about the project she was on before the incident. Naturally my grandma tried to set the younger one up with me but he was still like, thirty, so that was kind of gross.

Gryphon shrugged and continued, The utilities are all back up and running but reporters are everywhere around town, except here.

Why is that? I asked him.

Promethea answered me, Anyone who comes within one hundred feet of the factory who isn’t one of us ends up with a dead phone and scrambled equipment, that’s why. Word leaked about this being Samaritan HQ and they started banging on the door until I gave them an ultimatum via Barbie. Five minutes later the area around the factory became no-man’s land.

Fair enough. I said, then asked, Is that why the windows are tinted now?

Kinetic said, Yeah, me and the Barbie ‘bot coated them with a spray-on tint Gryphon whipped up to keep out nosy people with surveillance gear. The stuff blocks sight and messes with laser microphones as well as baffling sound, not that anyone gets close enough to use a regular mic.

Barbie bobbed in agreement. It was a small yellow quad-copter drone that usually hung around near Promethea recording things for later review.

Promethea piped up For the record, I found the formula in a military R&D archive and gave it to Gryphon. It was considered too good to use for fear that it would end up in the public sector so the CIA and the FBI demanded it be buried. Now that we know it works, I’ve applied for a patent on the formula. If the government wants to fight me over it, they would have to reveal they were hiding it for years so they likely won’t bother.

Gryphon told me, We’ve also made half a dozen statements to the military and government officials and held a press conference. He paused to give me a look, Well some of us did anyway, we explained what went down at the lab, more or less. We decided that since you like the limelight more than most of us you’d be the one we painted as the golden boy. Plus, you weren’t here to stop us. Paragon made you into a hero with the press and when they asked about you we told them you were recuperating from a severe injury you suffered dispatching the Rollmore Ripper.

I looked over his shiny metal armor, I’m the golden boy? That description fits your look better if you ask me.

Gryphon looked down at his suit, Yeah well I’ve been fixing the damage it suffered during the invasion and the fighting that went on during Stevie’s stint as the Gryphon. I’ve just finished the upgrades I had been in the middle of when the blackout hit so my armor now has the tech Alex Smartt gave us when he visited plus a few modifications Promethea designed as well. The new and improved Gryphon armor is pretty sweet if I say so myself.

Kinetic had joined us now, with Paragon close behind. Biohazard practically bounced as she said, Tell him about you and Stevie!

I gave Gryphon a questioning look, and he explained, Stevie and I have been… talking. Trey’s departure from our collective psyche has had an unexpected consequence. We’re fully aware of each other now, regardless of who’s in the driver’s seat. No more blackouts or missing memories, well unless one of us is asleep.

Kinetic added, It was super creepy finding out, I wandered into the locker room an hour or so after you two left Saturday afternoon and found him arguing with the mirror.

Gryphon looked a little embarrassed and clarified, It’s been the easiest way for us to communicate so far. When I look in the mirror, I see Stevie and can talk to him. He’s been grumpy about me using his body so we’ve worked out a time-share kind of thing, but he’s still not happy about the arrangement. I think he’s mad that you guys were helping me stay in control too. Plus, he’s upset that I haven’t informed our dad we’re still alive.

That one took me by surprise, Why not? I asked.

He told me, Stevie doesn’t like to admit it but he knows our father has no love for us, and lots of people died during the Elgin incident with a dozen or more still missing, so I’m thinking it might be for the best to play dead for a while. Promethea offered to let us crash here until we start going to the Protectors’ school next week, it will have dorm rooms so we’d have a place to stay until we work things out. She thinks the Samaritan lawyers can put together a strong case for emancipation and Promethea offered us the same employment deal she’s giving you guys–minus company shares part since I want to keep ownership of my designs.

Kismet spoke up, Bernard, you know I understand the pain of a cold parent, but allowing your father to believe you to be dead seems cruel.

Gryphon shook his head, It won’t be for long, a month at most. Once the emancipation papers are ready, we’ll pay him a visit.

I asked, You don’t think he’d refuse to sign and fight the emancipation?

Nope. Gryphon said, I think he’ll be eager to sign so he can start his new life with his girlfriend and her kids. He might balk at my demands for fifteen percent of his stock shares and half a million in cash, but once I show him the file Promethea and I have put together which implicates him in covering up Trey’s murders over the years, I think he’ll agree.

That shocked me. You plan to blackmail your father?

You could call it that, I just think of it as arranging an early inheritance. Gryphon agreed, Plus, I don’t want him trying anything later when my identity eventually leaks. With him knowing that we know about his involvement with Trey’s murders I think he’ll keep quiet when reporters come around. Besides, the stock loss will only hurt him in the short term and the cash will just be an inconvenience, he keeps several times that amount in offshore accounts. The money will ensure that I have what I need financially while I do my hero thing. I can’t patent a lot my power armor stuff since there are all those other guys out there already like Mech, Arsenal, Tinman, and even that Dragoon guy from Vanguard. He uses some kind of strength enhancing suit. Heck, a bunch of my stuff is Smartt tech now so I can’t patent anything based on that, anyway. What I can do is develop and market my own designs later, but I’ll need funds to get me started, hence the demands.

Kismet said, Perhaps that Smartt gentleman would employ you? His mind seemed to wander a great deal when we met but I am told he is what your people call a ‘technology wizard’ which explains much, since I have heard that powerful wizards often have trouble focusing on the here and now.

Gryphon smiled, Maybe. If he offers, I’d give it a go. Who knows, one day I might even be the guy in the Arsenal armor.

Kinetic asked, You’d give up being the Gryphon?

I’d consider it. He replied, Besides, I could always lend or sell the identity along with the armor to someone else if I became one of the Arsenal pilots. It’s not unheard of for heroes to pass on identities to new people and it happens all the time with villains. After all Quaker didn’t build his suit, he bought it from the previous Quaker and the Steel Squid stole his battle suit from the military R&D lab where he worked.

Biohazard interjected, What does Stevie think of your emancipation and blackmail plans?

Gryphon said, He’s surprisingly okay with that part of the plan. I think he might still be sore about Dad wanting to ship him off to military school and he’s not a guy who wants to wait tables to pay for his rent and groceries.

At this point Promethea closed up the robot she had been fiddling with and clapped her hands once as she wandered over to the big table followed by the new dull green colored machine. The robot had two large wheels on either side of its squat body and I swear that they looked like the kind I had on my scooter. It also looked like it had a saddle seat on its back. She must have scrounged up the parts for this one from a junkyard.

Her other robot, Rusty, rolled out from under the table as the screens came to life. The team gathered around the modified big table as Promethea wiped her hands on a cloth before she handed it to Rusty who rolled away to the women’s locker room.

She said, Well, now that we’re all here, let’s talk about what we’ll be doing this week. We’ve got no class, she paused and pointed at Kinetic as he opened his mouth, warning him, Don’t say it, then she continued, ... and with the military in town it might be a good time for a vacation, so I thought we might head down to Myrtle Beach and chill out there for a few days.

Warwolf, who was back in his human form now, raised a hand, How are we going to get down there? Kinetic’s family van can only carry about half of us, and frankly Aeon’s family micro-bus would get us pulled over every half hour with its psychedelic paint scheme. We gonna do a car convoy?

Promethea shook her head, Nah, I discovered that one of those party bus companies down in Charlotte neglected to put any kind of mileage limitations on the eight-hour party packages they offer. They probably just assumed that no one would go farther than a few bars or strip clubs in a city. Their oversight is my loophole, and I’ve booked one to take us down there tomorrow morning and another to bring us back on Friday afternoon. We’ll cruise down and back in style and comfort for the cost of about one plane ticket without worrying about baggage handlers running off with our gear. Plus, we can pull over if we see something cool along the way and we won’t be eating airline food.

Paragon looked thrilled by the plan but the rest of us were wearing expressions of shock.

Kinetic recovered first and asked, What about... but he got no further before Promethea cut him off.

Rooms? She asked, Got ‘em lined up, one for me and Paragon, one for Aeon and Kismet, one for you and Warwolf and one for Biohazard and Gatekeeper, plus one for ummm Gryphon and Stevie. They get a double occupancy though because officially Aeon and Gryphon will be roomies. Having a fifteen-year-old boy rooming with the supposedly eighteen-year-old chaperone would require some explaining. As a bonus, it turns out that I can call this a corporate retreat and write it off on my company’s taxes, true fact. Double-E Enterprises is a company that cares about its employees you know, besides, booking rooms on weekdays during the school months means I can have them for about half the normal prices.

I blinked a few time then said, It sounds cool to me, I’ll just need to let my parents know, ummm is it okay if we bring Viceroy? He might not want to come but if he does, is that kosher?

Kismet put her hand on mine and gave it a squeeze that I took to mean I had done well while Promethea smirked and told me, If you want the bird to come along then you can bring him, but if he poops in the bus, you’re cleaning it up. Anyone else who wants some R&R should inform your folks and be here around eight tomorrow morning with your suitcases, the bus will be here by nine and we’ll be at the beach in the early afternoon.

Gatekeeper clapped and squealed, Oh! I need to go shopping for some beachwear and a new bathing suit, you guys should get some new trunks too!

Kismet’s eyes were wide, and she turned to me, asking, Men and women bathe together in public on your world?

I frowned a little and replied, Well, sure, don’t they do that on Myroc Lune?

She gave her head a quick shake, Only those in relationships or married couples bathe together since it is often a precursor to sexual activities.

I laughed, Oh, I get it, but your people probably swim in the nude. Right? We have swimsuits for that, so no nudity required. Here, I’ll show you... I used my phone to pull up some images of swimwear on the Barter Barn website and showed her a few of the men’s trunks and then pulled up some bikinis. Her face turned pink when she saw the abbreviated garments.

She shook her head, That will not do, Todd. I cannot dress thusly in public, even among your friends, it would be scandalous.

I was a little puzzled, In what way? Many of the outfits you wear are just as clingy and you’ve worn far less when you were seducing me. You said yourself that women on Myroc Lune aren’t afraid to show off their bodies. What’s the difference?

She took a deep breath and responded, On Myroc Lune, men and women dress provocatively to show that they are seeking a bed mate. Men will forgo shirts to display their musculature and will often take part in contests of strength or endurance to show their fitness. Women will wear revealing clothing and flirt to announce they are willing to assess offers of a romantic nature. For unattached persons or those who offer themselves as paid companions that bikini might be acceptable, but I am a married woman and a such I am expected to show more decorum. A wedded lady wearing such a garment in public would be announcing to all that her husband was incapable of fulfilling her needs in the marriage bed and she was seeking satisfaction elsewhere.

Kismet gave me a look that declared ‘do you really want that?’ and then she said aloud, My body is a temple and you, Todd, are it’s high priest. While others might look upon me clothed, you are the only one allowed to view me in a state of undress, and that, she pointed at the model wearing a bikini, is a state of undress.

Hmm, I pondered. Do you have anything in your manse suitable for swimming in?

Kismet shook her head, Given time I could craft such a garment, but it has never been something I needed.

I mulled over what she had said and then went online where I pulled up one-piece swimsuits to show her. After some searching she found one designed for Muslim women that she deemed to be acceptable, to me it looked like a cut down leotard that someone might wear to gymnastics class or scuba diving. It started a few inches above the model’s knees and covered everything up to and including her shoulders before the material went down her arms and ended just above the elbows. Well, if it was what she wanted, I’d find one for her. While the rest of the gang was discussing a shopping trip, I was on the phone calling local stores and asking if they sold that style of swimwear. After the seventh call I gave up and asked Promethea where we would stay at the beach. Then I went back to the Barter Barn website and ordered her a black and red version of that swimsuit in her size and paid far too much for overnight delivery. Hopefully, it would be at the front desk under the Double-E corporate name when we arrived.

That done I suggested that Kismet pack a few items for the trip when we got back home, the weather site informed us it would be warm but breezy and very sunny as well for the next few days down in Myrtle. By this point the group discussion had turned from swimsuit shopping to what attractions would be worth visiting during our trip, it seemed there would be an amusement park near the hotel where we were staying so it went on the list along with some other attractions that we had heard about.

A few days ago we were fighting to save the world and now we were going to the beach and debating which rides and games to try at a carnival.

It was a strange life I had now.

Chapter 2

Viceroy accepted the invitation to accompany us to the beach and my parents didn’t put up too much of a fuss when I told them about our trip. They couldn’t argue since it wouldn’t cost them anything and my schooling didn’t begin again for a week. On the other hand, my sisters were insanely jealous that I would be at the beach while they had to go to classes. Karina griped about how unfair it was that I got to be a superhero and skip school, while Lucille begged our parents to let her go along, despite the fact that she hadn’t been invited and still had classes to attend.

I promised to bring them each a gift when I came back but left it at that.

When I suggested that Kismet accompany the other girls on their beach shopping trip, she declined, saying she had sufficient clothing that would be appropriate for the location. She informed me that she was mystified at our excitement over a visit to the beach so I explained to her how it was a treat for us since we lived so far from the ocean.

But, she stated, You have rivers and lakes nearby where one could fish, boat or swim, although I confess I do not see the point of boating or any other activity where one simply goes from place to place with no goal awaiting you at the end.

It’s a cultural thing I guess. I explained, Part of the fun of the beach is that we won’t be at home. When you are on a vacation away from home and family, you can do things without worrying about being judged for it. You can be silly or sexy or stupid and when you come home, the only people who know what happened are the people you were with unless you upload the photos to Facetube or something.

She looked even more perplexed, This beach is a location without the rule of law?

I shook my head, No, no, no. There are still laws and probably more than the normal number of police, but it’s… um… I don’t know how to explain this. Don’t you have vacations on Myroc Lune?

She furrowed her brow slightly, We have holidays, when a special event occurs or when a member of the highest nobility dies or gives birth to a child, shops will close and work on projects will be suspended for a day of celebration or mourning. The capital holds a three-day celebration each year to commemorate the birth of Emperor Dane. Some people travel to buy or sell rare goods, or to learn from great teachers. But other than the capital cities of the nations, most places are much like the others, each town has the same kinds of shops and only the names and faces change. The wealthy who can afford the services of a weaver like my mother might hire her services to travel via spell craft to foreign places but even then it is often only to attend an event or meet with a powerful or important person. Traveling overland incurs the risk of robbery or death, and they would consider the concept of traveling a long distance to lie on the sand by an ocean to be a sign of madness.

I contemplated her answer then said, Okay, but in my world, traveling is safe, at least in this case. Sure you could get into an accident or get mugged, but those things aren’t common. I think you’ll understand better once you’ve experienced a beach trip.

I decided it would be a good idea to spend the evening with my parents, since I had been absent so often over the past weeks, and we spent a few hours with my mom and dad, just talking with the elder Sutherlands. It was nice in a semi-uncomfortable kind of way and I tried to steer the conversations away from things like how often I was at risk of death and my sex life.

Thankfully, I survived the evening with only a little parental embarrassment and Kismet and I retired to the manse where I spent time offering up prayers at the temple, so to speak.

On Tuesday morning we exited the manse with our bags packed and ready, or more truthfully with my parents’ bags packed and ready since I didn’t have any luggage of my own. We had borrowed two suitcases which had required me to make a foray into the dusty attic to retrieve them. While I was up there, I found an old birdcage for Viceroy to use during the trip down and back.

The cage was one of the classic tall, domed ones that always showed up in those cartoons where the black and white cat tries to eat the big-headed canary. I showed it to Viceroy once I had cleaned it up and he said some things in Luneri. My grasp of the language still needed work, so I only caught part of what he said, but the gist of it was that he was telling me where I could stick the cage.

Kismet spoke with him at length and to the best of my limited ability to speak the language I deduced that she had told him it would only be for a short time while we were boarding the bus and again when we arrived at our destination. They went back and forth and I had to suppress a smirk when she won the argument by telling him that if he wouldn’t travel in the cage, then he could stay here. It sounded to me like a classic ‘mom’ move on her part but darned if it didn’t work. Viceroy reluctantly agreed to travel in the cage when necessary.

Once that discussion was over, I had a thought, "Couldn’t he wait inside the manse