The Shakespeare Incident

by Jonathan Miller

  “We’re ready for them,” the two said to Denise in unison, “Mother.”

  If Denise had a spark, the twins, her twins had it a thousand-fold. She had thought that she and Denny were the chosen ones, but suppose the real Gemini twins were Hikaru’s and her children? These two were there to save humanity from whatever was coming down from above, coming from beyond.

  Well, at least she hoped that they would save humanity.

  There was another explosion up above, more streaks of lights heading toward earth.

  “You better go back,” Rita said. “We’ll be waiting.”

  And then Denise slowly regained consciousness. She could already smell the fresh cat shit in Dew’s apartment assaulting her nose. She took one last look at the twins, her twins as their image faded from her mind’s eye. She hoped that they could answer one question, the most important question facing herself right now.

  “What are your names?”

  Author’s Note

  I didn’t choose to write this book with these characters; these characters chose me. Denise has been a bit player in other people’s stories ever since her birth in my third novel, Volcano Verdict. She’s grown up on my pages since then and she deserved a story of her own. As I’ve said in previous Author Notes, time flows differently in the Rattlesnake Lawyer universe—Denise’s age doesn’t always match up with the ages of the other characters.

  It can be assumed that all events depicted in this book took place before the Covid-19 pandemic.

  There’s some revisionist Rattlesnake history here. Nastia was never mentioned in Volcano Verdict in the scene in El Paso where Denise and Denny were born. Still, Denise’s mother, Jen Song, knew Nastia in Conflict Contract, a later book. It’s a small leap of faith to suggest that Jen and Nastia knew each other in the Volcano era. We do know that Jen took a bus down to El Paso in Volcano while pregnant with Denise and Denny. It is certainly conceivable that Nastia rode the same bus and was present for the birth of the twins that night.

  I wanted a few scenes in Roswell, where I began my job as a public defender and started writing the Rattlesnake Lawyer saga. The town has always had a special place in my heart. Denise’s opinions of Roswell and Lordsburg are not necessarily my opinions. The Roswell museum portrayed in the book is not based on a real museum. I don’t know if there’s a women’s prison art collective, but I sure hope there is one.

  Denise could indeed practice as a clinical law student under Rule 5-110.1 of the Rules of Criminal Procedure for the District Courts but would probably not qualify under the strict guidelines of the program.

  I’ve also attempted to have continuity with this novel and my science fiction novel, A Million Dead Lawyers, which is set in the year 2112. Jane Dark’s daughter Jean, Rita Herring and Dew have already appeared (will appear?) in that story. I hope for a sequel to that book, tentatively titled Two Million Dead Lawyers. Events in this book will certainly figure into that book if and when it is finally written. And like in the movies, this book’s epilogue will most likely tie into that one.

  Lordsburg, New Mexico is a very real town, but some dramatic liberties have been taken. The opinions of the characters toward the town are not necessarily those of the author. The hotels depicted in the story are not based on any real hotels. There is no Chinese restaurant called Shiprock Wok, either in Lordsburg or Shiprock. The recipes are fictional but hopefully a chef can take my ideas and run with them.

  There is indeed a “ghost town” called Shakespeare in Hidalgo County, but New Shakespeare Ranch doesn’t exist. There was no Lordsburg Incident on July 7, 1947 that is somehow connected to the events in Roswell. There have been numerous reports of UFO sightings all over New Mexico, so it is certainly possible that something happened out there. I don’t know if there’s a spaceship buried in Antarctica.

  The practice of Hidalgo County residents taking Shakespearean names is purely the author’s dramatic invention. White Sands Missile Range is a real place, but needless to say, I don’t know what activities take place in any classified facility. There is no such thing as “grail” technology as far as I know.

  In New Mexico magistrate courts, court reporters have indeed become judges without law degrees. While there is a requirement that newly admitted attorneys practice for a few years before becoming district court judges, there are always vacancies in the remote areas, so it is possible that an inexperienced lawyer could become a pro-tem district court judge.

  Denise’s opinions on psychic energy and Denny’s opinions of UFOs are not necessarily those of the author.

  As for the mysterious phone call that Dan receives, I’m sure it will figure into a later novel, Rattlesnake Funeral. That novel will not involve the paranormal or UFOs but will feature the law practice in the Corona age.

  All events in this novel are fictional and not based on real events with the exception of the leaking waffle batter dispenser incident in the hotel buffet line.

  About the Author

  Jonathan Miller is an attorney who has practiced in every judicial district of New Mexico. He began his New Mexico legal career in Roswell. His first book, Rattlesnake Lawyer was published in 2000 and his novel, Luna Law was a 2017 co-winner of the Hillerman award for fiction.