Infinity Wanderers 3: Infinity Wanderers

By Grey Wolf

Issue 3 of Infinity Wanderers magazine has a lead story by Haley Receveur 'Alea Abiecerat' and additional fiction from Rusty Gladdish with 'Damage Remedy', Ralph Greco with 'Julie Haversmith Calls the Clone Inc Hotline' and 'The Wind Talker Sets Saik', Matthew Spence with 'The Hotel Detective', Alfred Shou with "Is This..." and Grey Wolf with the first part of 'A Dream of Empire'. Poetry comes from Linda M Crate and Simon Gladdish, whilst L.G. Parker's column Small Causes looks at Kokoda. He also contributes 'Life Lived Large', a historical overview of some larger than life figures. The late Brian G. Davies has his 2009 travel article 'A Yorkshire Odyssey' published, as the places and experiences remain as fresh today as they were then. Jon N Davies continues his history of the Goughs of Ynynscedwyn with his article on the Reverend James Gough Aubrey. Genealogical articles on 'A Story From a Photograph', Family History Short, and a One Place Study (Part 1 of 2 Juniper) complete the main features of the magazine.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Selornia
• Release date: Oct 8, 2022
• ISBN: 9798215339008

Grey Wolf

Grey Wolf began writing as a teenager, and has remained consistent ever since in the genres he writes in - Alternate History, Science Fiction, and Fantasy. A poet since his later teens, he now has several published collections and his work has appeared in a number of magazines.  Living now in the South Wales valleys, Grey Wolf is a keen photographer and makes use of the wonderful scenery and explosion of nature that is the Welsh countryside. 

Book preview

INFINITY WANDERERS

ISSUE 3

CONTENTS

Alea Abiecerat     Haley Receveur   

Small Causes: Kokoda    L. G. Parker

A Yorkshire Odyssey     Brian G. Davies

Damage Remedy     Rusty Gladdish    

Story From A Photograph - Stone Chair Corner

Julie Haversmith Calls The Clone Inc Hotline Ralph Greco 

A Dream of Empire – Part 1    Grey Wolf

Poetry       Linda M. Crate

The Hotel Detective     Matthew Spence    

Rev. James Gough Aubrey    Jon N. Davies

Salman      Simon R. Gladdish

Life Lived Large     L. G. Parker

Is This...      Alfred Shou

Family History Short - Moor Cottages, Castlemartin, Pembroke

The Wind Talker Sets Sail    Ralph Greco

One Place Study – 2 Juniper, Part 1: The Growing House

DEDICATED

TO HER MAJESTY

QUEEN ELIZABETH II

FOR A LIFETIME OF SERVICE

DEDICATED TO HER NATION

AND THE COMMONWEALTH

Picture respectfully drawn by Robin Stacey

Alea Abiecerat

Haley Receveur

Marcus Antonius sat upon his horse, waiting impatiently on the banks of the Rubicon River. It was a cold day, the fourth before the Ides of January, 705 Ab urbe condita. 705 years ago Romulus in his infinite wisdom had founded the glorious city of Rome. Her stature had only grown over the centuries, conquering the Italia and spreading her influence into Hispania and, most recently, Gaulia. All thanks to the might of Julius Caesar, that most capable of Rome’s great generals. Now the Senate and the consuls Gaius Claudius Marcellus Maior and Lucius Cornelius Lentulus Crus sought to destroy him, no thanks to the influence of that most nefarious Optimate Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus, Pompey to his friends and his enemies.

Antonius could have spit, thinking of recent events and the uselessness of the Republican system. He had recently been elected plebeian tribune and thus had been given veto power over the Senate. The Optimate faction, made up of the wealthiest in Roman society, threatened great Caesar’s safety. Caesar had been fighting for the glory of Rome for the past ten years in barbarian territory, defeating the likes of Vercingetorix who had threatened the future of Rome herself. Selflessly, Caesar had left the modern comforts he had come to enjoy in Rome to protect the Republic. Mars, bless that man. Now though, when Caesar sought to return to the city he so loved, his own safety was at risk. Enemies throughout Rome, including his former ally Pompey, threatening at best bogus lawsuits or, at worst, to end the general’s career at swordpoint. Caesar needed protection from his enemies. Either his enemies needed to lose their troops, or Caesar would need to keep his.

One of Antonius’ first acts as plebeian tribune was to propose that both Caesar and Pompey give up their armies, returning to their former lives as private citizens, both immune to prosecution for former actions. Pompey, then serving as governor of Hispania and commanding several legions himself, was aghast at the suggestion, as were the inept consuls and several regrettably-important senators. Once this suggestion was shot down, Antoinius instead proposed that Caesar would retain a mere two legions, the governorship of Illyrium, and would gain the ability to run for the consulship while away from Rome. Shockingly Pompey had assented to this proposal, but his supporters in the Senate had refused such a reasonable compromise. Fearing for his life, Antonius fled Rome to find safety in Caesar’s camp on the banks of the Rubicon. Mere days later, the Senate stripped Caesar of his command, ordered him to return to Rome, and stand trial for war crimes. Caesar had been declared a traitor and a public enemy. What nerve the government had, punishing the people’s general for standing up for Rome’s security in Gaulia. Jupiter, strike them down.

Caesar had pondered for days his next actions. Antonius tried to offer the general council, but he remained conflicted. The general stared across the river, knowing what marching across would mean: civil war. He was in command in Gaulia, not in Italia and certainly not in Rome. Marching across that small bridge spanning the river would almost certainly mean the end of the Republic, and quite possibly his doom.

Antonius stared watching the general, who gripped the reins of his horse as he planned. Suddenly, as if receiving some divine vision, Caesar mounted his horse and turned to face his loyal troops. These veteran soldiers, who had fought bravely alongside their commander in the forests of Gaulia, now waited on bated breath for the words of their beloved general. They would follow him beyond the Pillars of Hercules, out into the unknown. They would trudge through Tartarus itself, such was their loyalty, if their general commanded it. Antonius suspected that Caesar had decided to risk war to protect himself and punish the Republic. He began rubbing a bruise on his right shoulder, gained when he was unceremoniously tossed out of the Senate. Caesar was just now in the middle of a speech, using the example of Antonius’ bruises to show his soldiers that the Senate was out of control and needed to be stopped. Finally, the general concluded his speech, having made up his mind about the next course of action..

Shouting loudly for all to hear, Caesar said, We will cross this river! We take the course which the signs of the gods and the false dealings of our foes point out! The die is cast! At this the soldiers roared, shaking their spears and flags in preemptive triumph. Antonius could not help but feel a mixture of apprehension and excitement. On the one hand, this would surely mean the destruction of the Republic. But on the other, there was none better to pick up the pieces than Caesar, who at that point had turned back around to face the river.

Brilliant speech sir, Antonius said, sidling alongside the general. The die is certainly cast now.

` Yes Marcus, but where shall it land? Spurring his horse onward, Caesar bade it walk across the makeshift bridge across which Caesar would meet his destiny. As Caesar’s horse stepped foot on the bridge, Antonius and all nearby could hear a loud creak. The general kept moving forward, undeterred. By the time he approached the middle of the bridge, Antonius heard a sharp crack. Before his eyes, the wood began to splinter under the weight of the general and his steed.

Rearing up on its hind legs in panic, the horse whinnied and desperately tried to make its way back across the bridge to safety. Undaunted, Caesar gripped the reins tight and tried to gain control, spinnin the horse back around to go forward to Rome. However, with one final step of the horse’s terrified hooves, the bridge gave way. Splinters flew through the air and the bridge collapsed into the waters below. The horse panicked, kicking wildly as it flailed in the waters for purchase. Caesar, now beginning to panic himself, tried to calm the beast and navigate back across the water. His horse though had other plans, swinging its back hoof into Caesar’s helmet, knocking the general unconscious.

Springing into action to save one of Rome’s greatest men, Antonius dismounted his horse. He was a bit too quick about it though, misjudging his distance to the ground amidst the chaos. Screaming out in pain, Antonius looked down to see his left foot offset from his leg at a sharp angle. There was no way he could swim to the general in his condition.

Help him! he shouted to a soldier that rushed to his side, pointing vigorously at Caesar. For gods’ sake, help him! Antonius had not yet noticed the small cadre of men rushing into the water themselves to save their general. By the time he had, he could see the backs of the soldiers but not the bleeding head of Caesar. One of the soldiers quickly submerged himself in the water and came back up with the general. Gripping him around the chest tightly, the soldier valiantly swam to shore. Antonius hoped that he had reached Caesar in time.

As soon as the soldier reached the riverbank, he carefully placed Caesar’s unconscious body on the mud, not wanting to cause further injury to the general’s head and neck. Antonius prayed fervently that Mercury would provide healing and that Minerva would provide the wisdom necessary to resuscitate Caesar, but all his prayer and devotion were for naught. Caesar had breathed his last when the horse had kicked, snapping his neck. That was plain to see once two soldiers had helped Antonius stand and see the general firsthand. The great Caesar lay wet, muddy, and dead. The general they had united behind had not been slain in battle, but rather through shoddy engineering.

Caesar’s former army stood, shocked and horrified by what they had just witnessed. Unsure what to do next, they thought back to their previous escapades with the now-deceased general, back to all the impossible situations he had so skillfully navigated. They