{"id":4098,"date":"1983-07-12T00:01:46","date_gmt":"1983-07-12T04:01:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/tellest.com\/?p=4098"},"modified":"2016-08-12T08:33:56","modified_gmt":"2016-08-12T12:33:56","slug":"stealing-seramore-first-chapter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/stealing-seramore-first-chapter\/","title":{"rendered":"Stealing Seramore, First Chapter"},"content":{"rendered":"

Stealing Seramore
\n<\/strong>A Tale by Michael DeAngelo<\/strong>
\nChapter One:\u00a0Preparations<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n

The three of them raised their cups, the amber liquid inside swishing around as they cheered to good fortune and great opportunity.<\/p>\n

\u201cTruly, Robert, I could not be happier for you,\u201d Maximus said.\u00a0 \u201cA job in the temple is worthy of much praise, no matter where you start.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m only a steward, Uncle,\u201d the lad said.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll be cleaning up books and sweeping refuse.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI happen to like my books in their places,\u201d Maximus insisted with a wide grin on his face.\u00a0 \u201cAnd you\u2019ve seen my workshop from time to time.\u00a0 Do you really want our temple\u2014the place we commune with the gods\u2014to be as run amok with debris and nonsense as the back room in my museum?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a start,\u201d the third man said.\u00a0 Both the others looked to him, noting the tears in his eyes, and the eager smile he wore.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019ll go far, my boy,\u201d Richard said.\u00a0 \u201cYour mother would have been so proud.\u201d<\/p>\n

Robert grasped his father\u2019s hand and gave a light squeeze.\u00a0 His eyebrows dipped as he offered a sympathetic gaze.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s alright, Father.\u201d<\/p>\n

The priest nodded.\u00a0 \u201cI know it is, Son.\u00a0 I know it is.\u201d\u00a0 Richard rose from his seat then, and turned toward the door of that meager cottage.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m going to go for some air.\u00a0 Between the heat and the ale, it\u2019s particularly stifling in here.\u201d<\/p>\n

While the much-respected cleric took his leave, his son and his guest bowed their heads.\u00a0 They heard that door shut, and Robert gulped down the rest of his ale.\u00a0 Maximus chortled at that sight, but nodded just a moment later.<\/p>\n

\u201cUncle, will you tend to my father?\u201d the lad said.\u00a0 \u201cIf I go out there and start talking, I\u2019ll ramble on until I say something foolish.\u201d<\/p>\n

Maximus tapped his knuckles against the table then.\u00a0 \u201cIt takes a wise man to know that about one\u2019s self.\u201d\u00a0 As he stood, he reached across and clapped the young man on his shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cIt fills me with pride to see you taking this first step on your journey.\u00a0 I don\u2019t have a son of my own, so I can only imagine how your father feels.\u00a0 But, whatever emotion he can\u2019t seem to contain, I\u2019ll help him with.\u00a0 Tomorrow\u2019s a big day, after all.\u00a0 We need him to be coherent.\u00a0 As for you, maybe you should get some rest.\u00a0 What good ever came from thinking of work well into the night?\u201d<\/p>\n

When the museum curator stepped outside, he saw his friend leaning against the crude wooden fence.\u00a0 His horse was penned, and he looked upon the street alone.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou don\u2019t approve,\u201d he said after he had drawn close to Richard.<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course I approve,\u201d the priest said.\u00a0 \u201cBut it\u2019s moments like these, knowing that Alice isn\u2019t here to see her son\u2019s accomplishments\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShe can, if you believe your God,\u201d Maximus said as he took his place along the fence.<\/p>\n

Richard grumbled.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s not the way she should see moments like these.\u00a0 She should be here with us.\u201d<\/p>\n

Maximus nodded, and swallowed away the tension he felt since his failed joke.\u00a0 \u201cI know, my friend.\u00a0 I know.\u00a0 She was taken from us too soon, and I\u2019d do anything to get her back.\u00a0 I can only imagine what you would do.\u201d<\/p>\n

The cleric blew out a weary sigh.\u00a0 \u201cYou know, there was a time when I questioned it.\u00a0 My faith, I mean.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAfter she\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt wasn\u2019t fair to Robert.\u00a0 I had this beautiful, wonderful child, and I couldn\u2019t punish him by sinking into despair.\u201d<\/p>\n

Maximus arched his eyebrow.\u00a0 \u201cHow did you come back from that?\u00a0 How did you press past the sadness and the anger?\u00a0 How could you ever bring yourself to believe again?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt took a long while,\u201d Richard said.\u00a0 \u201cA long while.\u201d<\/p>\n

Knowing better than to press further, Maximus nodded and kept quiet.\u00a0 He looked at that empty street with his companion, wondering how life could have been if his friend had not been lost to him all those years ago.<\/p>\n

\u201cI should get in there,\u201d Richard finally said.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m punishing my son again.\u00a0 He should be praised and his accomplishment should be celebrated.\u00a0 His old father should know better than to skulk in the shadows nursing a broken heart.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe all need time like this,\u201d Maximus declared.\u00a0 \u201cIf only we could plan when it comes.\u201d<\/p>\n

The priest chortled.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re a good listener, my friend\u2014much better than a talker.\u201d<\/p>\n

His friend squeezed his shoulder then.\u00a0 \u201cTomorrow is a bright new day.\u00a0 I have no doubts your mirth will be overflowing when you see your son take those first steps up to that temple.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOf that, I have no doubt,\u201d Richard said.\u00a0 \u201cEnjoy whatever odd project you\u2019re working on tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n

The tinker flashed a wry grin.\u00a0 \u201cI assure you, I have no idea what you\u2019re talking about.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, whatever you\u2019re not<\/em> working on has been making a lot of noise these past few nights.\u00a0 Someone is bound to notice eventually.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd what a grand unveiling it would be,\u201d Maximus said as he past his friend on the shoulder, \u201cIf I was working on something.\u201d\u00a0 At that, he climbed over the short wooden fence, landing on the other side and bracing his leg.<\/p>\n

Richard was already on his way back to the cottage, and didn\u2019t notice his friend favoring that leg.\u00a0 After a few moments and a few more deep breaths, Maximus labored forward, but not toward his museum or the workshop tucked within.\u00a0 His path aimed east, and after several hundred steps his limp subsided as anticipation mounted.<\/p>\n

Concerned with the planned event of that evening, he almost missed the second set of footsteps behind him.\u00a0 His brow furrowed, and he halted in his tracks, spinning about.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot very deceptive of you,\u201d he challenged.\u00a0 \u201cI would have thought you\u2019d been taught better than that.\u201d<\/p>\n

The lad smiled.\u00a0 \u201cI do well enough.\u201d<\/p>\n

Maximus folded his arms over his chest.\u00a0 \u201cThen you\u2019ve got it?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course.\u00a0 Though I don\u2019t understand why, just yet.\u00a0 Especially considering that when we first met, you said\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know what I said, Samuel,\u201d the tinker acknowledged.\u00a0 \u201cBut what you did tonight wasn\u2019t\u2026 it isn\u2019t what I would call stealing.\u00a0 It\u2019s more like liberating.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you say so.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSuch decisions must often be made in the pursuit of science, you see.\u201d\u00a0 Maximus spun on his heel once more, and led the lad along that road, toward the eastern exit of the city.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve heard the pitch before,\u201d Samuel said.\u00a0 \u201cWhat I don\u2019t understand is\u2026 why this one?\u00a0 He\u2019s your friend?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSometimes even friends wouldn\u2019t understand,\u201d the tinker declared.\u00a0 \u201cBut you\u2019ll see.\u00a0 Everything has a reason, and I did not ask for your help without one of my own.\u201d<\/p>\n

Samuel rummaged through his pack, looking for the item he pilfered.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt can wait,\u201d Maximus said.\u00a0 \u201cToday is a special day.\u00a0 You get to see the fruits of our labors.\u00a0 Would you care to follow me a bit further?\u201d<\/p>\n

The lad arched an eyebrow.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019ve never asked me to tag along before.\u00a0 I\u2019ve been pestering you for years, and you\u2019ve never so much as given me a hint as to what my trials have been for.\u00a0 What\u2019s the difference tonight?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAll in good time,\u201d the older man promised.\u00a0 \u201cBut you\u2019re right.\u00a0 When we first met, I promised you a continuation of the story, didn\u2019t I?\u00a0 I\u2019ve been lax in holding up my end of that bargain.\u00a0 Perhaps we\u2019ll remedy that today.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat?\u201d Samuel exclaimed.\u00a0 \u201cYou mean, you\u2019re going to tell me what happened to Alice and Salvatore?\u201d<\/p>\n

Maximus flashed a grin.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m going to tell you what happened next.\u00a0 Where did we last leave off?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou think I remember that well?\u201d the lad pressed.<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSamuel narrowed his eyes and clicked his tongue.\u00a0 \u201cIt was after Charcoal had\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAh yes.\u00a0 A bittersweet time to be sure.\u00a0 My horse\u2026 my truest friend was gone, but Alice could live.\u00a0 But not all was well.\u00a0 While we had rid Alice of the carbuncle, people in Seramore and Greenwood and several other towns in Raleigh were suffering.\u00a0 And since the only place to find medicine was in Seramore, we had a problem.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThey wouldn\u2019t give any to Alice or Richard,\u201d Samuel said.\u00a0 \u201cAnd they knew your face by then.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s right.\u00a0 We were running out of allies.\u00a0 We needed a plan.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Stealing Seramore A Tale by Michael DeAngelo Chapter One:\u00a0Preparations The three of them raised their cups, the amber liquid inside swishing around as they cheered to good fortune and great opportunity. \u201cTruly, Robert, I could not be happier for you,\u201d Maximus said.\u00a0 \u201cA job in the temple is worthy of much praise, no matter where […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"spay_email":"","footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p1UVey-146","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4098"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4098"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4098\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4099,"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4098\/revisions\/4099"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4098"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4098"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4098"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}