Fairfax Fights Fair in America-Fact

By John Thompson

The further adventures of Thomas Fairfax and his companions as they undertake a secret mission for King Charles I to investigate the disappearance of colonists from Jamestown in Virginia. The friends fight for the future of humanity against overwhelming odds. Many thrills and spills await along the way. An all-action tale of heroism and co-operation.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Oct 28, 2021
• ISBN: 9781794880986

Book preview

FAIRFAX FIGHTS FAIR IN AMERICA – FACT

by

John Thompson

Author of

Fairfax Fights Fair Fact

The Last Unsolved Case of Maurice Stoneley

The Dashing Test Pilot

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1. DENTON HALL 1626

[AUTHOR’S NOTE The action in this novel takes place one year after Fairfax Fights Fair Fact so I would recommend that you read that excellent work first].

The dining table was groaning with food as it had been a perfect harvest that year. After everyone had eaten their fill, Ferdinando, Lord Fairfax stood up to say a few words.

  He looked at each person in turn. Lady Mary his loyal and demure wife, yet with the courage of a leopard, looked back at him with adoring eyes. His son was Thomas a swarthy, dark haired, powerful boy of fourteen. Wilfred Marsden had been Ferdinando’s groom but was now manager of the farm and holdings, he had fought alongside Ferdinando in Ireland. John Marsden was Wilfred’s son, an affable boy of fourteen who had developed into a tall and muscular individual. William Lee was an orphan who had been adopted by Marsden after his father had died, he was small with Oriental features. There were also three old people at the table named Maguire, Mrs Higgins and Old Blakey, they looked like ordinary elderly people but they were far from that as we will see.

  My friends and family, we have had a wonderful year as far as the estate is concerned. Even with our prices kept low we have made a tidy profit mainly due to good weather. It has also been a year since Victor Van Schloots, Johann Kronk, Wilhelm Henk and the evil Ben Jenks were transported to America. On reflection, I am sure we enjoyed our adventures despite our three dear friends here having to bring people back to life. The king is running the country without parliament which is a little worrying as at any time he could become a despot as he believes God has given him the right to rule so he is infallible in his own eyes. I only need to see him every quarter to sign off the tax receipts but I do think he may be skimming off the top as he wears the finest clothes and has been buying expensive furniture and artwork. I know you all wish to relax and so I will just ask one question. Did you three, Maguire, Mrs Higgins and Old Blakey, give us this good weather to gain such bumper crops?

  No, your grace. Maguire said this firmly. The task the Others gave us is to protect Thomas Fairfax, which we are doing and doing well. Only Old Blakey can control weather.

  Old Blakey said, Aye your grace I can control ‘t area round us but not ‘th ‘ole frabblin’ country no wizard can do that.

  Although this may sound a strange conversation we need to know the alter egos of the three old people. Maguire an upright gray bearded man was actually Emrys, aka Myrddin, aka Merlin, the greatest wizard ever, the builder of Stonehenge and protector of King Arthur. Mrs Higgins, a gnarled rough old lady was Nimue, sister of Merlin, who had a wonderful rapport with all the woodland folk including elves, fairies, ravens and the more exotic creatures such as the Woodwose, Black Dogs and even other witches and spirits. Old Blakey looked like he was on his last legs and was a curmudgeonly,

elderly man but was actually Caradoek, a reluctant wizard but with power over the elements. These three were ageless although not immortal. They obtained their tasks from The Others who were a powerful body of invisible beings who observed and used wizards and witches to protect selected ones. When the wizards were not working they remained in their human disguises and led ordinary lives but would then hibernate in caves until needed again. The people they lived with tended to have the wizards’ backstory fed to them hypnotically. For instance Lady Mary thought that Mrs Higgins had been the cook at Denton Hall since Ferdinando had been a small boy but this was untrue, she only joined them a couple of years before as the first of Thomas Fairfax’s protectors. Lady Mary now knew this but she had suspected that Mrs Higgins was not all she seemed.

  Thomas Fairfax was no ordinary son of an aristocrat. He was possibly the finest swordsman for his age in the whole of England and could also fight bare-knuckled with the rest. He had a keen agile mind  adept at solving problems and was a born leader of men as indeed was his father. He would grow up to

be one of Cromwell’s finest generals. He would retain his dignity and good manners throughout his life being a fine example to all men and being one of England’s greatest heroes. However, to reach that

heroic status he had to survive for years through illness, accident and rough stuff. He had been told by Emrys, Nimue and Caradoek of their job but inwardly he felt he needed no protection.

  Thomas’s two loyal companions, John and William, were also dedicated to protecting and serving Thomas but not in a subservient way. They were both wonderful fighters; John used the old fashioned quarterstaff to great effect plus his sheer muscularity helped him in fights; William was a master of Oriental fighting having learned it from Shaolin monks in China where he was born.

  Wilfred Marsden, John’s father was an expert with the cutlass as had been seen last year.

  As well as the three wizards, the woodland folk had been prominent last year in protecting Thomas. The elves, fairies and ravens had been the recce forces, the big guns were the Woodwose, the Barghest, Black Shuck, the Sea Witch and Black Annis.

  Lady Mary said to Mrs Higgins, Do you think you will be leaving us shortly as all is peaceful?

  No, your grace we have not been asked to stand down by the Others and so I think that there will be more adventures ahead for us.

  Just then Frank the butler came into the dining room.

  Excuse me your grace, there is a Lord Stableford at the door to seek your advises.

  Please show him in...I wonder what he wants, he should be in America.…

2.  STABLEFORD’S REQUEST

  Lord Stableford, I bid you welcome, said Ferdinando, have some food and ale. I thought you were in Jamestown as governor of Virginia.

  Call me Jack everyone. I will have some food please. I am here to seek your help. While I eat will you please look at this letter from His Majesty.

  The letter read as follows:

My dear Lord Fairfax,

  Please assist Lord Stableford with his problem and undertake a voyage to Jamestown with your boon companions from last year. The American colony is very important to the economy of this country. While you are away I will look after taxation.

Carolus Rex

    The king’s official seal was affixed to the letter.

  Ferdinando said, The king will have his fingers in the money box while we are gone, Jack.

  I know but my problem is much more important than a criminal king. The population of Jamestown when I arrived was 1200, it is now 1100 as over 100 people have disappeared without trace. I need you and your party to find out why and to prevent any more disappearances.

  Tom said, You say without trace. That is impossible they should leave some sort of tracks, broken twigs, footprints, bits of cloth snagged on thorns and so forth.

  I agree but we have used our own hunters, Native American trackers and bloodhounds but there is no trace of even a single one of them. Our economy needs people, we grow rice, potatoes and tobacco as our cash crops which helps us to be a self sustaining colony and any surplus goes in tax to the king.

    Ferdinando initiated the conversation, Well then, as a first step let us go around the table with our suggestions. Mine is that some may have got lost in the forest and simply died of thirst or even hunger.

  Mary said, They may have all contracted a nasty illness in the forest and died alone, far away from their homes.

  Marsden said, They could have been killed and buried by Native Americans.

  It was Tom’s turn, I think they were of the opinion that life was too difficult and they took their own lives.

  John said, They were eaten by wolves, bears, mountain lions or other fearsome beasts.

  William said, I think, like Tom, the work was too hard and so they voluntarily joined up with a Native American tribe and lived with them.

  Mrs Higgins looked at everyone, her face bearing a rueful expression and said, It is something in the woods but it is not natural.

  Do you know what it is, Mrs Higgins? asked Jack with a hopeful cadence in his voice. He knew how powerful a wizard or witch she was as he remembered her turning his arms into tree branches last year. It seemed amusing now, but at the time it was very frightening for him.

  No, Jack. I do think though that it is summat well evil from ‘t dark side but we will find ‘t plagflotter and rid you of it, don’t worry thissen lad, we can do it.

  Tom said, You told us they disappeared without trace. Do you have any examples?

  "Yes Tom, the Jackson family, husband Joseph, wife Pamela and sons Charlie and Zeke went off with two mules into the forest to kill a couple of deer so they could salt the meat to tide them over winter.

  They left directions with Nicholas Roote, a local hunter and trapper, and after two days we decided to go look for them. Nicholas Roote and a Native American tracker Paweetha traced them deep into the forest. They knew it was them from the fact that there were four of them including two small sets of prints and two mules. We followed them for miles, as the ground was soft they were easy to follow, even I could have done it. Suddenly, still in soft ground the tracks abruptly disappeared. We walked

further on but there were no further tracks and the area was still soft, not rocky. Paweetha, who is a good man as well as an expert tracker, looked up into the trees but saw nothing, not even any broken branches so that eliminated a net trap on springs that the Native Americans use to trap deer. There were

no animal tracks to be seen. We were baffled and that is when, as governor, I decided to come here to ask for your help as I knew your party had, shall we call them special talents for the task ahead. It took me eight weeks to sail from Jamestown to Portsmouth and a further three weeks to get here via the king and so it will be almost six months that I have been away by the time I get back. Who knows how many more have vanished."

  Maguire said, We can be back in Jamestown in two days. I will produce two wagons laden with provisions protected by the blue and red covers we used last year. We will travel to the Cumberland coast instantly. Mrs Higgins will contact the Sea Witch who will transport us, our horses and wagons across the Atlantic to Virginia and we will ride into Jamestown. We will not be going alone, we will need some help. Old Blakey will bring the Barghest, Mrs Higgins will summon Black Annis and I will bring Black Shuck. Those three can deal with most things.

  Jack looked amazed. You can do all that and even summon mythical legends to do your bidding.

  ‘I am Merlin, said Maguire,  I can do anything and everything as can Mrs Higgins who is Nimue my sister and Old Blakey who is Caradoek. Finish your meal Jack and the three of us will make preparations and summon our special forces. …

3.  THE GATHERING OF SPECIAL FORCES

  The Chevin looked beautiful in the morning sun, the heather was so green and smelled delightful. However, Old Blakey was not there for the view or to admire the natural beauty of the hill that overlooked the small town of Otley in Yorkshire. Otley last year had seen its first bank robbery and its first shooting when young Ben Jenks had shot Thomas Cave, a benefactor of Otley School and a thoroughly nice man. He had since died, but of consumption rather than his wounds.

  Old Blakey was on the Chevin to locate and recruit the Barghest to the party to travel to America. The Barghest usually had to be sought out but today Old Blakey did not have time to waste. He concentrated very hard and in an ultrasonic voice that he knew only the Barghest would hear he said,

  Eyup Barghest shift thissen I need you ‘ere now.

  Within a matter of seconds the Barghest appeared fully visible. It was a huge black dog with chains around its neck. It smelled terrible but that was part of its threat. It was a much feared beast but at its heart it was really a big playful puppy. It knew the three wizards as friends and would do anything to help them.

  It looked at Old Blakey and said in a broad Yorkshire accent, Eyup Caradoek how’s tha diddlin’. This in’t a social call so ‘ow can I helps yer?

      We need you to come with us to America to sort out a bit o’ bother in ‘t forests. A lot of people have vanished and we need to find them and if they are alive rescue them.

  Where’s America is it near Horsforth?

    Nay lad it’s owwer t’ ocean many a league to the West.

  How will we get there?

It’s a kind of magic. The Sea Witch will carry us there. There’ll be the same humans as last year plus Lord Stableford, the Governor of Virginia. Also, we are taking Black Annis and your buddy Black Shuck.

  Sounds ace, let’s get gone then.

  Instantly they were back in Denton Hall being greeted by Ferdinando, Lady Mary, Marsden, Tom, William and John. The rest of the staff were unafraid and prepared a huge piece of meat for the Barghest’s lunch

                                                            *      *      *

  Meanwhile in rural Essex, near Manningtree, the scene of last year’s witch trials including the death and restoration of Mrs Higgins; Maguire was having a similar conversation with the Black Shuck. It was a huge hell hound with blazing red eyes and teeth like a T Rex. It was known as a killer as it had taken human life on a few occasions but only when it was necessary. It lived in the crypts of various local churches and during the persecutions of Bloody Mary it had defended Protestant and Puritan clergymen against arrest by Mary’s goons. Usually it scared them off but early in the campaign it had taken out a squad of ten heavily armed soldiers just using its teeth and claws. However, it was normally placid but its reputation for supernatural ferocity came from the times it was called into action including of course last year when it, the Barghest and Black Annis had made an angry mob stand

down by uttering threats of unbelievable menace. [AUTHORS NOTE: See Fairfax Fights Fair Fact for details of these threats which I’m sure people will be uttering decades from now.]

    Black Shuck had a cockney accent which is difficult to write in an understandable way so please accept it in Received Pronunciation but in your mind, dear reader, imagine it in the voice of some of the cast of Eastenders.

Yes, I’ll come with you I’m sure there will be some scrotes to fight whether human or supernatural. Maybe Barghest and me can take on some wolves, ain’t done that in centuries.

  With a flourish of his hands Maguire transported Black Shuck and himself to Denton Hall to receive effusive greetings, especially from Barghest who was delighted to adventure again with Black Shuck.

                                                                *      *      *

  The final assembly of special forces was taking place simultaneously at a cave just outside Leicester. Mrs Higgins was in earnest conversation with Black Annis, who was of the most extraordinary impression. She was the spirit of a dead nun but was able to be solid when called for. If that is not scary enough, she had a bright blue face and her finger nails were made of iron or possibly an unidentifiable metal akin to iron. She also had a wayward personality in that she would do evil deeds yet regret them later and try to make amends. Like Mrs Higgins she also could control the woodland folk particularly the ravens and fairies who were used by both her and Mrs Higgins as spies in the sky.

  Mrs Higgins had explained the task ahead, which was not dangerous for Black Annis who was of course already dead and could not be killed even in her solid form.\

  In her best BBC announcer voice, Black Annis said Let us go forth and rescue these poor unfortunate settlers and make America a nice place to live.

  Aye lass, let’s get ussen’s back to Denton Hall then on to America.

  With that they disappeared from Leicester and reappeared in Denton Hall to be greeted warmly by everyone despite the blue face and sharp claws.

      Lord Stableford explained to the two hounds and Black Annis what had happened, to which they listened attentively, nodding vigorously at his points made like a row of deranged Thunderbirds puppets.

  Ferdinando said, "We should all get a good nights sleep. We will be whisked off to the coast of Cumberland in the morning to meet the Sea Witch and somehow be whisked across the Atlantic Ocean to America. Maguire has produced two fully provisioned wagons with the legendary blue and red cloths

to prevent our stuff being stolen, together with horses sufficient for those who need them. I know the hell hounds can walk forever but will you need a horse Black Annis?"

  No your grace, I can fly or teleport or even walk forever.

  With that those who needed sleep went to bed and those who did not spoke in soft tones about what might be causing settlers to vanish in Virginia….

4. CUMBERLAND SAY HELLO TO SEA WITCH

The following morning the whole ensemble were gathered round the breakfast table enjoying small beer ans a plate of collops of bacon and fried eggs prepared by Delia, Mrs Higgins assistant of the past few months. She had been taken on by Lady Mary to continue the pretense that Mrs Higgins was old and feeble. She was the fourth of five children to Mr and Mrs Smith and had proven to be an excellent innovator of new dishes from humble ingredients. Mrs Higgins took her on the usual foraging expeditions for herbs but of course did not communicate with the ravens, elves or fairies when Delia was with her.

  When Delia came in to clear away Lord Fairfax said, Well done, Delia, that was delicious, what do you call it?

Your grace, it makes you feel full, it is made from English produce and you have it for breakfast, and so I call it breakfast English full.

  "A catchy name