Tri-ethereal Ch. 06

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Lord Kennington is set to have the vote tomorrow afternoon. Johanna and I are ecstatic over it. I can't even study chess moves; I can't concentrate. I'm too excited. In fact, both of us have been too excited to do anything these past couple of days, ever since Lord Kennington got the 31 votes.

After about an hour, William Jr. knocked on the door and asked if I wanted to play some chess. We played chess for a couple of hours, all the while Johanna watched us. She has gotten quite good at the game since I taught her some strategy. But she's not as good as William; he's going to make a great chess player some day.

After a couple of hours Charles came to our room and asked William to help him. He left and I asked Johanna if she wanted to go through union. She said yes.

I took off my clothes and lay down on the bed. I closed my eyes. I pictured Johanna's naked body in my mind's eye. Within seconds I could feel her enveloping me . . .

Our metamorphosis is finished. John is in transition; I posses our body. After we went through union John asked me how I was going to spend the evening. I told him that I would probably spend it repairing books and watching the stars. Then he went into deep transition. Everyone was awakened this morning with bad news. William Jr. is missing!

He was supposed to go home with Helen, his mother. But he asked to stay and play chess with John. After a couple of games he was preparing to leave when Charles asked him to collect some dishes from the private dining room of the king and queen. The king and queen had asked for cakes and tea to be sent to their private dining room upstairs about seven o'clock.

William went down the hall from our bedroom, collected the dishes and brought them to the kitchen. Then according to Charles he headed for home. But he never arrived there!

When Helen arrived here this morning she expected to find him sleeping in the servant's quarters. That's where he sleeps when he and John play chess at night. But he wasn't there. The other servants told her that he left here a little before eight o'clock.

When King Andrew and Queen Marina found out about it they sent two of the palace guards to follow the route William would normally have taken to get home. Two blocks from here they found his cap lying in the gutter.

We are all worried for him.

King Andrew told us he would have Lord Kartier post a reward for William's safe return. Then he and the queen went to the royal palace.

No sooner had they left when a prison guard arrived with a note signed by Lord Kartier. He wanted me or John, whoever had possession of our body, to come to the prison right away. The note didn't say why, only that it was important. It was on torn, dirty paper but it had Lord Kartier's signature on it. The guard said that the note got crumpled up on his way over here. I informed Charles that I was taking a horse and going with the guard to the prison.

About half way there Mr. Strydamu along another Tri-etherealian attacked me. The prison guard grabbed my horse's reigns while Mr. Strydamu and the other Tri-etherealian pulled me off the horse. They tied me up and blindfolded me.

"I told you that if I wasn't chosen to become a Lord I'd kill you Trimorph. Prepare to meet your maker," Mr. Strydamu said.

"You can't get away with this Mr. Strydamu," I said. "The queen's servant knows that I left with a prison guard.

Then he punched me in my stomach. I almost threw up.

I was thrown into a wagon and covered up by something, probably a blanket. Then I could feel the wagon bounce along the street at a rapid pace. I had no idea where they were taking me.

Suddenly John came out of deep transition.

"Don't answer me Johanna. I can see that you're in the back of a wagon covered with a blanket. Just nod your head to answer me. Do you understand?"

I nodded my head yes.

"Did Mr. Strydamu say what he was going to do with us?"

I nodded again. Then I said to him, "I'm scared John. Mr. Strydamu said that he's going to kill us."

"He won't do that. Let's go through union. I'm stronger than you. Maybe I can break the ropes binding our body's hands."

After several hours of bouncing in the back of the wagon we came to a stop. Mr. Strydamu pulled me out of the wagon and tore off the blindfold. We were at Stonebridge. I could tell by the look on his face that he was surprised to see me. He was expecting to see Johanna.

Mr. Strydamu looked at me in disgust and said to me, "Well John, I understand Lord Kennington found several thousand Trimorph bodies all unconscious and paralyzed, all in misery and agony for centuries?"

I didn't answer him. I was just glad that Johanna was not in possession of our body for this. I didn't want her to suffer.

Then he said to his companions, "Tie him spread-eagle to the altar."

They ripped off all my clothes and tied our body's hands and feet to the legs of the X cross. Then they beat our body with whips.

After several minutes of beating, "You're going to join your freak relatives Trimorph. You can open your mouth or I'll break your jaw and force it open whichever you like," he said to me.

I opened my mouth. The Tri-etherealian grabbed my hair and jaw; the prison guard wedged a stick across our body's mouth. Mr. Strydamu poured the potion of vinegar and crushed hemlock leaves down our body's throat. I choked and coughed but he kept pouring.

After what seemed like an eternity he stopped. I looked at the jar. There was still a little left in the bottom. He poured it on our body's face; it got in my eyes and burned. Then with a wicked smile on his face he hit our body across the chest with the whip in his hand.

I grimaced. I could feel our body's feet and fingers going numb. I closed my eyes and began to pray. I could hear Johanna crying.

The numbness was spreading. Soon I could not feel our body's legs and arms. I heard Johanna cry that everything was getting black and that she was loosing all her senses.

I heard some horses approaching and looked to my right. I couldn't see to well as my vision was blurred. I could vaguely make out King Andrew's crest on the shield of the one leading the riders. I didn't know whether it was real or a hallucination of some kind.

I could feel the numbness in my chest; my head began to swim. I could no longer hear Johanna. I was very tired. I closed my eyes.

Riding into the altar area, Lord Kennington immediately dismounted from his horse. He ran up to the X cross. "John, John," he yelled. "Can you hear me? Wake up! Please God wake up."

The Trimorph did not respond. He was gone.

Lord Kennington turned around and said, "Sir Glauco you and your palace guards arrest these . . . these monsters, all three of them."

"It will be my pleasure, Lord Kennington," he answered the Keeper of the Records.

"You can't arrest us," Mr. Strydamu said. "We were just carrying out this Trimorph's sentence. We broke no laws."

"That's where you're wrong Strydamu. It's against the law to forge Lord Kartier's signature and to steal one of the king's horses."

Mr. Strydamu gave Lord Kennington a look of surprise.

"You were not able to elude our surveillance for long. William Jr. was found. He was beaten pretty bad but still alive. He told Lord Kartier that you and some other Tri-etherealians beat him and forced him to tell you where John and Johanna were located."

"So I'll pay a fine for beating a commoner."

"Wrong again fool. We figured out what you were up to. I got the royal council to vote to repeal all the anti-Trimorph laws. Then King Andrew immediately pardoned Johanna and John. You're going to prison for a long, long time for stealing the king's horse, forgery, kidnapping and poisoning a citizen of Tri-ethereal."

Lord Kennington then looked over at the naked, limp figure of John lying spread-eagle on the X altar.

"My only regret is that I didn't get here sooner."

To be continued . . .