by C M Dancha
Grandmother LeeLee drifted over to Sophia and touched her on the cheek. "My dear, enough questions for now. Remember what I've said and think about whether you will help the Man-From-The-East and the forces of Good. You don't have to decide this minute. It will be a while before you must decide. Go in grace, my child."
Grandmother LeeLee and the other spirits faded from Sophia's dream. Four hours later, Sophia awoke feeling better than she had for many years. The world seemed in harmony. It was the same feeling Sophia remembered as a child in Moldova before her family and life were destroyed. It was the feeling of love.
31
THE SAMURAI FINDS A JOB
The trip to Southeast Asia was long and arduous. With war spreading into North and South America the transport flew low through difficult terrain to avoid detection by the World Council intercept system. The rogue pilot kept to as many mountainous areas as possible. This created transport ‘bounce waves’ which the intercept system had difficulty tracking. Once he’d crossed into Asia, by way of the Aleutian Islands, the trip became smoother when they flew low over the sea. Midway down the Asian coast, the pilot detoured into the Mongolian plains. From there, it was just a matter of zigzagging to the central highlands of Vietnam. With all the fancy maneuvering, the flight took twice as long as normal.
On the landing pad, the group left the plane and stretched. "Everyone turn on your language decipher function if you want to understand what's being said. There are a dozen or more different nationalities represented in this camp." Raul said.
"Mr. Raul, so good to see you again!"
Raul chuckled to himself at Date Hattori's misuse of his first and last names. He bowed to his host and said, "Mr. Hattori, the honor is all mine."
"Mr. Raul, may I present Mr. Trang Mau and his more than capable staff."
For the next five minutes, bowing and handshakes went back and forth between the reception committee and Raul's group of refugees. Following Asian custom, the women were introduced last which didn't sit well with either Klever or Gretchen.
"Mr. Raul, we have made arrangements for you and your party to stay here for as long as you wish. I'm sure you'll want to get some rest after your long journey. If you will follow the hostesses, each of you will be shown to your quarters. In three hours, dinner will be served in the building next to the transport landing pad. I will be very interested to hear your impressions of what is going on in the war zones and what we should do to prepare for it."
Each member of Raul's group was led to their own housing unit. All were contained within large, mobile, land transport units. There were two quarters per transport. Each quarter was air conditioned and consisted of a bedroom, small kitchen, full bathroom, and meeting or dining area. The exterior of the transports had an automatic camouflage system which adjusted to the jungle conditions. As the foliage and brightness of the jungle changed throughout the day and night, the transports did the same. They behaved like giant chameleons, changing their skin coloring for safety from human predators. If the camouflage systems failed to hide the transports from danger, however, they could escape at top speeds in less than two minutes.
As Raul was checking out his accommodations, his micromic vibrated with an incoming contact.
"Yes." Years of evading danger had taught Raul never to answer with his name.
"Raul, this is Sophia, Rollie's friend from Phoenvartis. Do you remember me?"
Raul's mind immediately shifted into high gear trying to figure out why she would be reaching out to him.
"Of course, Sophia." Normally, Raul would add some small talk to a contact introduction, but in this case, it was best to say as little as possible. Sophia was a deceitful and dangerous person and he didn't want to give her any information which could be used against him or anyone else in his group.
"I hope you and Helmer are doing well. Is Rollie okay?"
Sophia's question was met with dead silence. At first, she thought the contact had been broken but one look at her micromic indicated Raul was still listening. "Raul, I understand why you aren't responding so let me tell you why I'm calling. I spoke with Helga yesterday. I'm sure you remember her, she's the CEO's assistant. She did some research for me about a guy named Mr. Todd. It seems that you had some dealings with this character while you were at Phoenvartis." Sophia paused for a second thinking about how to phrase her next statement about Todd. "Raul, I'd like to know what you know about this guy. He keeps popping up in my life and it's creeping me out."
Raul intentionally ignored her question about Todd. "Sophia, where are you?"
Sophia could see that she wasn't going to get any information about Todd. There was no sense trying a different approach. For whatever reason, Mr. Todd was an off-limit topic for Raul. "I'm in Europe. I'm right in the middle of the raging war. Unfortunately, I didn't get out before all hell broke loose."
"Are you calling to see if I can get you out?"
"No. I'll handle my own problems. I'm calling to tell you something which is going to sound very strange, Raul. I'm not sure why I'm going to tell you this, but it's the truth and I hope you’ll believe me."
"Go ahead, Sophia. I don't have much time."
"Raul, I've been in contact with Rollie's Grandmother LeeLee. This will sound strange, but she came to me in a dream. At least, I think it was a dream. It was so vivid that I'm not sure what the hell it was."
"You know that Rollie's grandmother is dead?"
"I know, Raul. I was already gone from Zurich when she died but a friend told me about it. Listen for a minute and let me finish. She told me that there is a Man-From-the-East who will need my help to crush the forces of evil."
"Why are you telling me this?"
"Raul, I'm guessing that you and Rollie either know, or are with this Man-From-the-East. You're the only people I can think of with a possible connection to what Grandma LeeLee told me."
"What do you think Grandma LeeLee's message means?"
"I haven't got any idea, Raul. Maybe the forces of evil are the World Council and the Black Cross. I really don't know. Besides, I don't know how I could help defeat either."
"Okay. Is there anything else, Sophia?"
"No. Thanks for hearing me out and give my regards to everyone."
Sophia was feeling homesick when she hung up. Even though her time in Zurich was troubled and dangerous at times, it had also been stable enough to create some fond memories. She’d made some friends in Claudette and Helga and found a man who was sweet and didn't try to manipulate her. Would she have another chance at happiness, or was she destined to be a vagabond living among the despicable of society for the rest of her life?
Raul worked through everything Sophia had said, trying to figure out the real motive for the contact. He didn't know what to think of her description of the Grandma LeeLee dream. Had it been anyone other than Rollie's grandmother speaking from the hereafter, he would have labeled Sophia a crackpot. But he knew that Rollie believed wholeheartedly in his grandmother's ability to communicate through dreams. If she could speak to Rollie from halfway around the world, why couldn't she do the same thing from the hereafter?
The one thing he did conclude from the conversation was that Mr. Todd had yet to find and eliminate Sophia. However, there was a good chance he was making her life miserable. He could hear the anxiety in her voice when she’d spoken about Todd.
Raul couldn't remember how long it had been since he’d asked Todd for a temporary cancellation of the Sophia hit. He had ignored the two-year limitation because he thought Sophia would fade away, one way or another. Now, she might be of some use to him or the Man-From-the-East, whoever that might be. At least she could be a valuable resource being stuck in the middle of a war zone. There was a good chance that he’d made a mistake by not calling off the contract hit on Sophia.
Raul laid down for a short nap. Before falling asleep, he wondered if he should contact Todd or let the Sophia issue run its own course? He decided to let Sophia fend for herself – he
had enough problems to worry about. Besides, one or both of them might end up as a casualty of war.
When Raul, Rollie, and Gretchen walked into the mess hall, the first thing they saw was Easton playing some type of drinking game. His competitors were Trang Mau and six members of his upper military echelon. Klever and at least twenty other people were observing the game and taking part in the festivities. The drinking was heavy, and the game participants were well on their way to a drunken evening and splitting headache in the morning.
"Rollie, Raul, Gretchen, come over here and let me buy you a drink."
"Hi, Easton. When did you get here?"
"About two hours ago. Here, take a bowl and let me pour you some rice wine. It's called sake."
Easton poured the wine into each bowl from a traditional pottery wine decanter. He raved about his new-found alcoholic beverage. "This stuff has been made in Asia for thousands of years. It has a light aroma, nothing like the distinctive bouquet of grape wines. And trust me, the more you drink the easier it goes down. I almost get sick when I think of all the rice from the Louisiana Territory that went to waste as food. I wish I’d known about sake when I purchased that tract of land. The United States was sitting on a gold mine of alcoholic beverage and didn't know it."
Rollie found Easton's comment funny but he could tell from the look on Klever's face that she was beyond the puzzled stage. She was trying to figure out what her boyfriend meant by buying the Louisiana Territory.
For the next six hours, Easton drank, ate and entertained his hosts with drinking games and countless stories of life, love, and war in the eighteenth century. A few of his audience retired for the evening or passed out, but the majority stayed mesmerized until the wee hours of the morning. Even with the over-consumption of wine, there were very few distractions and interruptions. Klever sat wide-eyed, listening to every word coming out of Easton's mouth. Rollie knew that he would have to tell her soon that Easton was his Great-Grandfather, Thomas Jefferson.
With each adventure and love story, Easton snuck in a few thoughts about freedom. They included topics like individual rights and determination, property rights, and other basic building blocks of democracy. When he wasn't talking about the benefits of democracy and capitalism, he described the pitfalls of dictatorships and socialism. This perspective on human rights was fascinating to the dominantly Asian crowd who had never been exposed to such theories. Without knowing it, the crowd was being indoctrinated by a patriot of freedom.
Rollie and Gretchen decided to leave the mess hall well before Easton finished his presentation. They walked across the compound, enjoying the cool jungle air. Out of the darkness, the outline of a person approached them. "Your friend is quite the orator."
After introductory bowing, Rollie responded. "Yes, he certainly is, Mr. Hattori. I don't know how he does it. He can drink wine all night and still sound like a statesman."
"He is a very impressive man. Mr. Rollie, do you have a few moments? I'd like to talk with you."
"Sure, let me walk Gretchen to her quarters and then I'll come over."
Five minutes later, Date welcomed Rollie into his residence. From one end of the dwelling to the other the walls and floor were covered in samurai weaponry and equipment. Rollie recognized immediately the full body armor which Date had brought on the transport. Date rearranged a few of the samurai pieces so that he and Rollie could sit comfortably at the dining room table.
"Mr. Hattori, your collection of samurai weapons is incredible. One day, perhaps you could explain to me what these pieces are and what they were used for?"
"I would be honored to do so. What you see here is only ten percent of my collection. The remainder is in a secret storage facility in Japan. If we both survive the coming world war, I would like to take you there to view my entire collection."
"In that case, I suggest we both stay alive, Mr. Hattori."
Both men laughed even though they knew that too many good people would end up casualties of the global war.
"Mr. Rollie, I asked you here to learn about your friend, Mr. Easton."
"I'd be happy to tell you all I know about him, but can I ask why you are so interested in Easton?"
There was no reason to be coy and try to evade Rollie's question. It was the honorable thing to do when asking a favor of another. "Mr. Rollie, I come from a family of samurai warriors. All my ancestors, long before the FISS plague and the World Council conquest, served great lords. In my country, great lords are called daimyos. Unfortunately, there are no daimyos any longer. Even though I have been a farmer most of my life, the blood of my samurai ancestors still runs through my veins. I dream of the day when I find a great lord to serve. I am getting old but still have hope that a great one will appear and allow me to become his servant."
"Now I understand why you have so many samurai antiquities."
"Yes, it has been my passion. The proceeds I have accumulated from the sale of my cloaking device have allowed me to buy these rare antiques which represent my true station in life."
"Mr. Hattori, if you don't mind me asking, what does this have to do with Easton?"
Date looked Rollie in the eyes and said, "I believe that Mr. Easton is the great lord I'm destined to serve."
Rollie was stunned by Date's comment. He could tell by the expression on his face that he was serious, and wasn’t trying to be comical or manipulative. Date truly believed that the drunken clone sitting in the mess hall, telling story after story, was a leader of men. Rollie didn't doubt that Easton, as the former President of the United States, was a capable and brilliant leader of a fledgling country, but what leadership attributes had he shown as a clone? Rollie couldn't think of one. Rollie didn't know what to say. Should he dissuade Date from pursuing a servant's position with Easton or not say a thing other than wishing him luck? He tried to stall for time by getting up from the table and walking around. When that ran its course, he asked Date for a glass of water.
"Mr. Rollie, have I said something wrong? Are you trying to avoid this subject?"
Rollie looked across the table at Date and said, "You're right. I am trying to avoid discussing this subject. Not because I don't want to, but rather, I'm afraid that you won't believe what I have to say, or you’ll think I'm crazy or lying."
"Mr. Rollie, we don't know each other very well, but Mr. Raul has the utmost respect for you. If Mr. Raul thinks highly of you, then I do also."
Rollie sighed deeply and collected his thoughts. "Okay, here's my response. Easton is my great-great-great grandfather from four hundred years ago." Rollie paused to see how his opening revelation affected Date. To his surprise, the man gave no reaction whatsoever. He sat perfectly upright in his chair with a stoic expression and waited for Rollie to continue.
"Mr. Hattori, Easton is a clone of Thomas Jefferson, the former President of the United States of America. He was brought back to life by putting body parts from the former President into a cloning machine. Raul and I worked for the company in Zurich, Switzerland, which developed the machine. Four hours after starting the machine, Easton was born into this world.
Rollie went on to describe the highlights of Easton's life for the past two years. Occasionally, Date asked a question to clarify what Rollie said. None of his inquiries questioned the validity of Rollie's description of Easton's history.
When there was nothing more to be said about Easton and Thomas Jefferson, Date asked, "Does Mr. Raul know that Mr. Easton is a clone?"
"Yes, Raul was there when Easton was made in the cloning lab."
Date thought for a moment and then gave Rollie his opinion. "Mr. Rollie, I plan to serve Mr. Easton if he will have me. If he was a great leader hundreds of years ago, I am sure he will become one in the future. The world will need a leader soon, someone who can lead for the betterment of people rather than the State. Did you see the way he controlled the crowd tonight in the mess hall? He picked the discussion topics. He dominated most of the conversations but also listened closely wheneve
r someone else made a comment. He's a good listener and thinks through an issue before offering an opinion or solution. I don't know if you noticed, but he started educating the crowd tonight in political theories which are foreign to most Asian people. Although it was done in a very low-key, almost subliminal way, it grabbed the attention of everyone around the table. This is the type of man which the world will need, and I plan to be at his side every step of the way."
There wasn't much Rollie could say in response to Date's commitment to serve and protect Easton. The two of them saw Easton very differently. Rollie saw him as a very intelligent, witty man who drank too much and looked eerily like himself. Date saw him as a man who would lead others to freedom. In Date's mind, Easton was his last chance to fulfill the dream of becoming an employed samurai. He was convinced that Easton would become a great lord and overwhelm the evil forces of the world.
From that night forward, wherever Easton went, Date was close by. He followed behind Easton with his samurai swords strapped to his waist, watching and listening to everything Easton did and said. There were very few times when Rollie saw Date talking with Easton. He was there to not only protect Easton but also learn what the man believed. When Easton drank sake, Date didn't touch a drop.
Rollie noticed that when Easton drank heavily, he was more apt to teach whoever was close by about the principles of democracy. One night he got very drunk on sake and ended up reciting, word for word, the Declaration of Independence. Even though he had penned the Declaration, it was still quite an accomplishment considering it had been written four hundred years before.
Everyone listening to Easton was mesmerized with his recitation. He emphasized three specific sections of the Declaration with, "Now, listen carefully to this passage."
"… that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness…."
