Jason had been presented with a nasty offer... ----- Chapter 28: A Nice Evening Drive, With Gunfire "Why the hell not?" I gestured at the ornate gold ring. "Why not, Verne? If he's going to be satisfied with the ring, just give it to him! Then we hit him later." Verne rubbed the ring gently, turning it about his finger and making the ruby send out sparks of crimson. "The reason he would be satisfied with the ring, Jason, is because he knows that I will never remove this ring. Never. I gave my word many, [ Continue reading... ]
Polychrome: Chapter 10
August 22, 2014 By Leave a Comment
Well, Our Hero needed a bit of training (or maybe more than a bit...) ----- Chapter 10. "So, Captain Thunderstroke –" "Hah!" His laugh was as abrupt as his last name. "Nimbus, please. Or 'sir' when I'm training you. But if the Rainbow Lord has decreed that I, personally, train you, we are equals. Say on, then." I grinned back at him. I was probably going to hate this guy at times during our training, but I kinda liked him already. "How much do you know about the Prophecy? Is [ Continue reading... ]
Paradigms Lost: Chapter 27
August 20, 2014 By Leave a Comment
Something bad had happened to Syl... ------ Chapter 27: Empathy and Electronics "Jason, you need your rest. It's been twenty-seven hours. Go to bed." I was too tired to jump at the sudden voice from a formerly empty space. "Verne, I've got work to do. I'm going to find that bastard and silver him like a goddam mirror. I don't have time to sleep. You heard what Winthrope told me." "About her assistant being found dead? Yes." "Then don't talk to me about sleep. Every hour I sleep could get someone else [ Continue reading... ]
Paradigms Lost: Chapter 26
August 18, 2014 By Leave a Comment
Jason had revealed some secrets... ----- Chapter 26: Special Guest Appearance By… "What was her reaction?" "About what you'd expect." Verne raised an eyebrow. "Well, she didn't believe me, that's for sure. But she also wasn't comfortable not believing, either; the stuff Gorthaur's been up to has already got them spooked." "And she let you go rather than have you examined by a specialist? Isn't that a bit odd?" "Not really. She'd already admitted she knew I hadn't killed Jerome, and [ Continue reading... ]
Polychrome: Chapter 9
August 16, 2014 By Leave a Comment
We were in the middle of a discussion... ----- Chapter 9. For a minute I thought he wasn't going to answer me directly. His storm-violet eyes started to turn away; then they closed, reopened, looked back down at me. "Erik Medon, this is one of the great uncertainties. Your precise fate… lies beyond any prophecy. The prophecy, in fact, ends at the moment you confront our true enemies. And as I have already told you, even the path to that confrontation is fraught with uncertainty. Die you may, and [ Continue reading... ]
Paradigms Lost: Chapter 25
August 13, 2014 By Leave a Comment
Jason had gotten himself into a spot of trouble... ----- Chapter 25: Ways to Make You Talk I looked up as the cell door opened. Renee entered. She walked over and took my hand without a word. After a moment, she said, "You okay?" "I guess," I said finally. "Am I getting out of here?" "Hell if I know," Renee said. "Jason, what were you doing over at Jerome Sumner's?" "Bending over and getting screwed by the bastard who killed him." The fury overwhelmed me for a moment; I slammed my fist into the [ Continue reading... ]
Paradigms Lost: Chapter 24
August 11, 2014 By Leave a Comment
Investigations require you to check back with your sources once in a while... ----- Chapter 24: Gone and Dead I logged on and checked; I had a secured e-mail waiting. I pulled it up onscreen. The message decoded just as though Manuel had sent it… but it wasn't from Mannie at all. That was so close to impossible that for a moment I couldn't do anything except gape. Then I reread the signature at the bottom, and understood. * * * Mentor (or should I say, Jason?): I'm sorry to tell you [ Continue reading... ]
Polychrome: Chapter 8
August 8, 2014 By Leave a Comment
And now we return to see what happened to our hero... Chapter 8. He gazed tensely at the smoke and dust before him. The detonation had been even greater than he had expected, a blast that had cracked the nearest columns and left a choking cloud obscuring the area of impact entirely. Have I ended it even as it began? Or… A figure was becoming visible. The smoke suddenly cleared, and his gaze was caught and held by ice-blue eyes, filled with anger and shock, staring furiously from a salt-white face. The [ Continue reading... ]
Paradigms Lost: Chapter 23
August 6, 2014 By Leave a Comment
I'm pretty sure this is the shortest chapter in the book. ---- Chapter 23: Remembering Old Times "Okay, Jason, what've you got?" That was Renee, straight to the point. "A whole lot. But first, come here; there's someone I want you to meet." She followed me to the living room. Verne rose from the red chair, bowed as I introduced them. "Renee Reisman, Verne Domingo." She didn't shake hands. "Jason, we've had our eye on this man for some time. I'd like to know just what his [ Continue reading... ]
Paradigms Lost: Chapter 22
August 4, 2014 By Leave a Comment
Jason's got some information gathering to do... Chapter 22: Three Conversations, One Problem I got back to my house, opened the door, and went to the kitchen. A few minutes later, sandwich and soda next to me, I booted up my terminal program. I needed to contact "Manuel Garcia O'Kelly Davis." Manuel was actually a fairly high-placed military intelligence analyst. I thought he was Air Force, but there was no way to be sure. I sent him a secured e-mail, asking for a conference. He agreed, and we [ Continue reading... ]
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