A Biker Fantasy

Jules attended of course, as did his consort Larilea. His son Prince Jalan was there also, but he was not entirely thrilled about the wedding. I suspected that he had entertained plans for Jessie himself. Too bad. He should have moved faster.

Jessie was radiant in a cream colored silk dress that I was willing to bet had cost more than my first two houses combined. Dancing was slow and easy to follow, although the music was a little odd to my ears. But then, I figured that they would think much the same about Ozzy.

When all the fuss was done and over with, I spirited Jessie upstairs to our rooms and locked the door, wedging a chair inter the latch to make double sure.

It took longer than I liked to get than damned dress off my bride, but we managed finally to get rid of our encumbrances and tumble onto the bed. Jessie responded to my love making with a passion that was astonishing, and she had never been exactly quiet or passive during sex before Once, someone pounded on the door and shouted at us to come join the party, but we ignored them, being quite happy where we were.

The next morning, Jessie and I went out walking to the marketplace. I watched and listened and learned. Jessie was a big help as I had expected. But it was the conversations that I over heard proved to be the most enlightening. I drew some stares, but as with any big city, the unusual was the rule rather than the exception, so I was not overly conspicuous.

After all, seeing a man in a black cloak walking with a lovely girl is hardly interesting when your last customer resembled a tarantula the size of a Clydesdale horse!

All told, an interesting and educational day. Jessie and I ate at an outdoor cafe that served an excellent stew and fresh hot bread. Jessie was excited and proudly displayed the bracelets and necklace that proclaimed her to be a married woman. I kept my eyes and ears open as we did our shopping.

I made a deal with a distillery to deliver several barrels of pure grain alcohol to the house. Then I stopped by an alchemist's shop and bought a few useful items. Carrying our purchases, Jessie and I started home.

I noticed that someone was following us. "Jessie, when I give the word, turn into the next alley, take 5 steps and press yourself against the wall.”

Jessie reached behind her and drew a needle sharp dagger, holding it in the folds of her cloak.

I gave her a nudge, and we wheeled sharply into the alley, Jessie pressed her back into a doorway, and I flattened my back against the wall. A few seconds later, A man came running around the corner. I grabbed his arm and slammed him against the wall. I snatched his sword and dagger from their sheathes and tossed them to the ground at Jessie's feet. I drew the .44 and pressed it up under the man's chin. "You'd better have a really good reason for following us." I said.

I heard a sound behind me, a blade coming out of the sheath. I pressed the trigger of the .44 and spun to the side and away to face the newcomer.

I saw an unfamiliar face, and a bare blade. That was enough for me. I shot him.

A third man turned to run, but Jessie’s dagger flashed past me to bury its blade in the man's thigh. I strode forward as he staggered and sledged him across the back of the head with the butt of the .44 before he could regain his feet. "Good thinking," I told Jessie as she yanked her blade from the man's leg and wiped it on his cloak. "We can question this one."

Jessie looked sheepish. "I was aiming at his heart and missed." she admitted as she sheathed her dagger.

We waited where we were, sure enough, City guards were drawn to the sound of the fight. The recognized Jessie, and they had heard tales of the assassination attempt at the palace. Now they got to see first hand the results of close range .44 magnum rounds. The first man's head was mostly gone from the eyes up, and the other had a nice hole punched through the steel breastplate he was wearing under his tunic.

The guards picked up the bodies and the unconscious man and carried them all to Jessie’s house.

Jessie was still running on an adrenaline high, but she told her story clearly, and omitted no major details. I didn't have much to add at that point. Ranal dismissed the guards with a nice bonus for each.

Ranal sent a maid to fetch Marcus. "We need to get this man to a healer, and then we need to question him." He told his son. Marcus just slung the man over his shoulder and carried him out to the family carriage.

Ranal followed him out. I took Jessie up to our rooms and sent a maid for Cassandra.

Cassandra and Jessie started talking and I went down to the stables to get to work on the Harley. I adjusted the carburetors to allow for a gasoline, alcohol mix. I hoped I could find some way to get more oil, or that would end the engine as surely as lack of gas.

When I had the tank full of the fuel mixture, I started the bike and rode it around the courtyard once. Then parked it.

Back inside, I had the maid's fill a large tub with warm water and I took a much-needed bath. When I was done, I had the butler take me to the library room and bring me a pen, paper and ink. I made a list of the things I wanted to bring back with me. A handbook on basic chemistry, more ammo for the derringer and the .44. Medicines, spices and seasonings, a tool kit. A book on petroleum distillation. And books on tactics and strategy. I thought about it, then added a CD player and some CD's, and a solar power battery charger and rechargeable batteries. I sat back and thought for a while. I knew where I could get a bunch of AK47's and SKS rifles and more than enough ammo. Pistols, probably the Chinese copies of the Tokarev in 9mm, and the copy of the Colt 1911A1 .45 auto. I could probably scare up some shotguns and ammo. Reloading presses and powder, primers and bullets. Empty brass wouldn't be a problem. Hell, if I shopped around, I could probably get some hand grenades, LAWS rockets and RPG7's. Radios and binoculars, scopes and deer rifles that would make excellent sniper weapons.

I remembered the thought about giving the enemy nightmares and added a few thousand doses of LSD and other hallucinogens to the list. A couple of military surplus trucks to haul all this shit back with me. And while I was at it, How about a couple of m-60's and M2 machine guns.

When I was done with the list hours later, I blew on the ink to dry it, then capped the inkwell and went up to my rooms.

Jessie was asleep in bed already. So I undressed as quietly as I could and snuggled up to her back. She murmured in her sleep and pushed her butt back against me. I slid my arm around her and cupped her breast with my palm.

I was asleep in seconds. My sleep was haunted by nightmares and strange dreams. I woke up the next morning still tired, and in a cranky mood. Jessie cured me of the mood right away though. She pulled me over atop her for a good morning quickie.

Feeling much better, we ate breakfast with the others. I showed Ranal the list, and explained that I was going to need 2 people and about a hundred pounds of gold to get it all and get it back home. "Jessie goes with me." I said. "That's a given, and I can teach her to drive well enough, but I'll need someone else I can trust. Someone who won't panic at strange things and stranger ideas."

Ranal looked at his son. "Marcus, you will go with them. Consider yourself under Bill's orders until you return with whatever this ‘stuff’ is."

Marcus grinned like a shit eating dog. "This sounds like fun."

"There will be fun." I told him. "But we will have to travel unarmed for most of the time, and a wrong word or gesture can get us all killed."

Marcus sobered abruptly. "Of course." he said contritely.

"Now how are we supposed to travel back to my world?" I asked.

Cassandra spoke up. "At the stone circle where you made the offering, you will spend the night. In the morning, when you emerge from the mist, you will be back home. When you are ready to return, your wife will use her icon to summon the Goddess' aid."

I took a deep breath. "I'll need at least 2 of your most skilled smiths." I told Ranal. “And a master cabinetmaker. Once they have finished with what I need, we can leave."

"They will be here this morning." Ranal promised.

Most of the rest of the day was spent in designing a sidecar for the Harley to hold Marcus and the gold.

By the third day, the sidecar was finished and tested. I put on my old biker clothes and had Jessie and Marcus dress similarly.

We said our goodbyes and loaded the Harley into an enclosed wagon to be taken well outside of the city and the canyon gates.

Out of sight of prying eyes, we unloaded the bike and sent the wagon on its way to pick up supplies from a nearby town.

Marcus rode in the sidecar with the gold, Jessie rode behind me, holding me tightly around the waist and pressing her cheek into my back.

After we left the vicinity of the towns, the only things we saw were a flock of sheep and something very large flying off in the distance. If it wasn't a dragon, it was the first cousin to one, and I was glad of the distance between us.

We reached the stone circle without incident. I drove right between the upright stones and parked next to the altar. I placed gold, meat and salt, and each of us offered a few drops of blood. A mist had gathered as soon as we had entered the circle, and now it enclosed the shrine entirely. In the morning, we mounted up and I drove carefully through the mist. Half seen shapes loomed in the mist and were gone, then abruptly, the mist was gone. I braked to a stop and looked around to get my bearings.

Marcus was pale, but calm. Jessie was trembling against my back like she was in an earthquake. I had huge butterflies in the pit of my stomach, but they were easing fast.

I spotted familiar landmarks. We were in Arizona, about 10 miles from the border. I stowed the .44 in the sidecar and we jounced along until we reached a road. That road took us to a paved highway. Marcus was shaking now at the sight of all those cars and trucks etc. whizzing by. Jessie just clung tighter to me and kept her face buried against my back.

I headed for Nogales. A smooth and easy trip by then, and Marcus and Jessie settled down a lot.

But that iron-shod wooden wheel for the sidecar was in sorry shape by the time we hit Nogales proper, and the noise it made on the pavement was maddening after a while.

We were waved through the border without comment, although I saw the US Customs people making notes of my license number.

I stopped at a little bodega and bought a few switchblade knives just in case. Then we rode out to old Don Tomas de la Torres place.

The old reprobate was thrilled to see me, and he made much of Jessie and Marcus. I explained to him that Jessie spoke only English, and Marcus did not even speak English or Spanish.

I showed Don Tomas the list I had made up. "Don Tomas, I know that a man of your wisdom and power can help me to find these things that I desperately need."

Don Tomas studied the list. "I can do this thing, but my friend, the cost. I am afraid it will be very high."

I handed Don Tomas one of the gold bars that Marcus had carried from the sidecar. "A hundred pounds of this should more than pay for what we need."

Don Tomas' eyes lit up as he saw the buttery gleam of the gold. "If this is oro, as it appears, then yes, that should be enough and more."

He had his niece Maria take us to a suite of rooms in one wing of the mansion.

"Don Tomas came to us a few hours later. "All is being gathered and will be ready in two days." he said.

I sent Marcus down to the motorcycle to bring up the remaining gold bars. When he came back with the boxes of gold, Don Tomas was astounded. "You brought it all with you?" He asked.

"Don Tomas,” I replied. "We are both men of honor. I knew that you would never cheat me, as I would never cheat you."

Don Tomas called for one of his bodyguards to carry the gold away. When we were alone, he sat down and picked up the phone. He spoke rapid fire Spanish far to quickly for me to follow. Then he hung up. "I had the supplier add a little bonus to your order." he said. The old man stood up and embraced me, pounding my back with his hands. "Honor is so rare these days." he said. "If more young men were like you, I would need no bodyguards."

I had long been out of pipe tobacco, and when I mentioned this, Don Tomas gave me a dozen pounds of his private blend, and a case of fine Cuban cigars.

Jessie he gave a beautiful dress and a set of pearl earrings.

Marcus, he gave a dagger that had been in his family for generations.

Jessie kissed the old man on the cheek. "Our first born son will carry your name." she said to him.

Marcus found plenty of company among Don Tomas' maids. They found his looks irresistible.

By the time we left, Marcus had acquired a working vocabulary in both Spanish and English. He was careful to conceal this knowledge however. As he put it one evening, "No sense in giving away an advantage."

Don Tomas had his people teach Marcus and Jessie to handle the big 2 1/2 ton trucks that would carry all of our gear. Finally, the trucks were loaded, and we were ready to leave. Don Tomas accompanied us to the gates of his hacienda. "Farewell my friends."

"Good bye Papa Tomas!" Called out Jessie as we pulled out. The old man stood there waving until we were out of sight.

We stopped for the night about 40 miles from Nogales on a dry lakebed. Jessie clutched her Icon and began chanting. The now familiar mist gathered. More slowly this time. When our watches said it was near dawn, we started up the trucks and moved out. I led the way, with Jessie about a foot off my rear bumper, and Marcus bringing up the rear.

When we broke out of the mist, we found ourselves in the middle of a sprawling military camp. There were lots of different banners. Too many for it to be anything but a mercenary camp. I floored the accelerator. The roar of the diesel motors behind me told me that Jessie and Marcus had the same idea. I aimed for the biggest tents around, figuring that if I could at least scare hell out of the leaders, they would be longer in arranging pursuit.

I tore through the tents at almost 50 miles per hour, rumbling over something I sincerely hoped were the mercenary leaders. We raced out of the camp and off across the plains as fast as we could push the trucks. Marcus actually passed me, grinning like a maniac and screaming something I couldn't hear over the noise of the engines.

We were a good 40 or 50 miles from the mercenary camp when Marcus slowed to a stop. I pulled up next to him and shut down the engine. Jessie pulled up on the other side of him and shut down her truck.

Marcus climbed down and trotted over to me. Jessie was already hugging me and laughing. Marcus hugged both of us. "Did you see them scatter?" Marcus shouted. "They must think all the demons of hell are after them!"

I heard something in the back of Marcus' truck. We went around to the back of the truck. Marcus untied the canvas flap and flipped it open. A tousled head popped up over the tailgate. "Who the hell taught you to drive, a damn monkey?" It was Don Tomas maid Consuela.

Marcus rolled his eyes. "Well isn't anyone going to help me down?" Consuela demanded.

Marcus stepped up and helped her to the ground. Consuela dusted herself off, cussing up a storm in Spanish and English. Then she looked up. Consuela let out a strangled scream and fainted dead away.

I spun and dropped my hand to my pistol. Jessie saw my movement and put a hand on my forearm to stop me. Marcus turned a lot more calmly, holding Consuela's limp form.

I was face to nose with a big winged beastie that looked an awful lot like a dragon. The dragon pulled its head back and sat up on its haunches. "Dear me," the dragon said. "I didn't mean to frighten anyone, I was just curious to see what was raising such a commotion way out here on our borders."

I looked at Jessie for advice. For once I was completely at a loss for words.

Jessie stepped forward. "I am Jesselle, wife of Bill, and daughter of Ranal, Councilor to King Jules." She placed her hand on my shoulder. "This is my husband, the Warrior-Wizard." She moved over to her brother. "This is Marcus, my brother. And Consuela our servant."

The dragon nodded to each of us. "I am called Skyfire in your tongue. I am on duty patrolling our borders. There has been much unrest of late, and there is a large army of mercenaries not far from here."

I stepped forward. "We are pleased to meet you Skyfire." I said. "We do not mean to trespass on your domain. Simply give us directions and we will be on our way."

The dragon chuckled and leaned down to rest it's chin on crossed forelegs. "We are not so unfriendly as that." said Skyfire. "You are most welcome to visit our realm any time you come in peace."

Consuela woke up and saw the dragon again. She promptly fainted again, this time without all the theatrics. "Does she always do that when she sees a dragon?" Skyfire asked curiously. "She has never seen a dragon." I said. "Dragons are known only as myth and legend in her world."

Skyfire reared back in surprise. "World-walkers!" "Remain here." Said the dragon. Giving a tremendous leap upwards, the dragon took flight and vanished into the distance.

I started setting up camp. "Come on folks. Looks like we stay here for the moment."

Marcus laid Consuela down and helped set up the tarp between two of the trucks. Jessie built a small fire and started cooking supper. While we were eating, Consuela woke up. She stared wildly around. "Diablos!" she screamed at us and ran off into the dark.

We searched but could not find her. Marcus stopped us from going far into the darkness. "There are too many beasts that hunt the night around here. They will not approach the fire or the trucks, but out there alone..." He shook his head.

The morning found entire squadrons of dragons spiraling down out of the sky to land around us. It was a beautiful and scary sight.

Skyfire landed next to us, followed by a dragon that could easily take one of the trucks in one bite.

"We saw the remains of your servant Consuela about 2 miles from here. It looks like a pack of wolves found her." Skyfire informed us.

"She panicked and ran off into the dark." I said.

Skyfire shook his head. "I hope she passed quickly. There was not much left."

The big dragon spoke then, "I am the seer for the dragon folk. Why do you walk between worlds?"

Jessie told the dragon of the first night at the shrine, and the Goddess transporting us between worlds to bring back what could save the world.

"Or destroy it." rumbled the big dragon. "Yes, I know the prophecy, and I too have been visited by the Goddess, even tough she is not one we worship ourselves."

I stood there in front of the big dragon, probably the bravest thing I had ever done considering that I wanted to find someplace nice and safe and hide for the next few millennia.

The old dragon regarded me silently for a long moment, then nodded. We shall help you." Some quick noises in what I took to be dragonese and the dragons all lifted off, circling once and flying off in the direction we had come from.

"Let's get packed and get out of here." I said. "Marcus, you know the land better than I do, you lead the way."

Marcus gestured at Jessie, "She knows the land around here far better than I do." He said. "I will lead if you want, but she is the better choice."

I looked at Jessie. "OK then sweetheart, you lead off, Marcus follows, and I will bring up the rear."

Jessie gave me a quick kiss, then we broke camp and headed out. Around dusk, we approached the first gate. It opened before we had a chance to stop. We continued on. The second gate was open when we got there. And the gates to the city were open and well it. It was a tight squeeze getting the trucks through the main street to the palace. We managed to get the trucks around into the inner courtyard without any major mishaps.