Date: Tue, 25 Jun 2013 13:55:31 +0200
From: Al Peres <al.peres@hotmail.com>
Subject: The Island That Never Was 6

			 THE ISLAND THAT NEVER WAS
			 =========================

				  PART 6
				----------

Chapter 29
--------------

Two weeks later, Helen, Jeremy and Jackie went to pay a visit to their
aunt. When the lady saw her niece entering into the house she thought the
worst; she couldn't imagine otherwise. Jeremy and Helen had consulted with
Bernard and he could not do anything but to hug her, applauding the idea;
"after all she is your only physical ancestor." He had said. Yes it was
true; she was part of her own family, her husband, her brother and her dad.

       "I didn't expect you here so soon." The lady said. She ordered to a
pretty and young girl to prepared tea for them. When the tea was served and
the girl closed the door Helen said:

       "I suppose you don't know this boy, don't you, aunty?" The woman
grinned slyly.

       "No, but I guess he is Jeremy."

       "Yes he is. But he is more than just a boy aunty, he is my future
husband and my lover." Jeremy blushed deeply and Jackie smirked turning his
lovely head to hide his smile.

       "I suppose you have not come only to say this." The lady said
bluntly a little bit resented.

       "No. You are right, aunty. Do you know which day is next Sunday?"
She thought for a moment; then gravely she answered.

       "Yes, it was the day that I discussed with your father because he
had brought Lazlo's mom and her baby here; he had been born just some
months before, and you two days before him. I remember it because I rode a
horse to call Doctor Northfield and it was raining and lighting. He came
into this world in this house. I never spoke to your father again since
that day."

       "You have a good memory, Aunty." Helen paused. "We are your only
physical family. You had been the cause that I stayed in that horrible ship
during three years..." The woman trembled; and near dropped her cup of
tea. Helen then continued. "But on the other hand, that permitted me to
meet Jeremy and he and his father rescuing me, so now we are recovering our
lost time." The lady was puzzled. She had been studying her niece;
externally she was the living image of her mother, but there ended the
resemblance. The rest of her was from his father, she was an evil and could
expect anything from her. All the sudden Helen placed her hand on the
lady's shoulders and continued: "Aunty, if you like, I am ready to forget
and forgive everything; the life is too short to spoil it just hating each
other." The lady doubted for a moment; she could expect anything from her
niece, except forgiveness after what she had done to the child. She now
understood that the girl also had something from her mother. Then niece and
aunt hugged and Jackie joined in a trio hug. Then she looked at Jeremy and
said:

       "We have not been introduced, Jeremy Northfield, but believe me, you
don't need it." They hugged both. Helen then said:

       "Aunty, we are going to celebrate our happy return, but only the
family and old servants. Please I want you to come home next Saturday
evening to have dinner with us and have a good time together. Will you
come?" The woman could not believe what she was hearing, the politeness
that her niece was using with her.

       "Yes, I'll go. I want to see my old friend Bernard and hug him,
too."

       "Aunty, from now on, you do whatever is the best for the Company and
for us; we may discuss important subjects whenever it needs, but I know you
will do the best for us." They hugged and kissed, and when they were
leaving, the lady said into her niece ear:

       "He's very handsome, but don't worry, I'm no interested on him."
They laughed and Helen whispered back to her:

       "Your young lady is a pretty girl; please aunty, keep her away from
my boy, he is a real stallion, but is mine." They again laughed.

The Saturday arrived and they had a good time. A herd of newspapers men
assisted; the weather allowed remaining outside and Bernard and the three
children sat behind a large table ready to answer any question, however,
before they started, Bernard said:

	"Please, gentlemen, we will answer your questions during a couple
of hours, even if necessary more; nevertheless, once you have all the
information that we are authorise to provide, you must promise to forget
this family. They are only children and have suffered what none of you can
imagine; so we want to restart again our lives and live as persons like
many of you. Do you agree?" A murmur of acceptance rose from the
men. "After the interview a cold lunch will be served." After some silence
the men started making questions. During two hours they explained what they
had done. Helen was the main objective and she answered politely their
questions; even some in German and French as the men had some difficulty
expressing in English. All were dumbfounded and amused at the same time
with the girl's resolution. None of them could realise how a twelve y/o
child could explain as she did; that was not normal, only her large
experience could give explanation of it.


Two days later, somewhere not far from Southampton, the Mullen's family was
having the afternoon tea sat round a white iron table in the garden. Mrs
Mullen was rocking her last offspring; Tim and Linda mocking in low voice
about their elder sister and her next marriage. They had been talking about
the news on the papers regarding Jeremy, the boy whom Joe spoke and loved,
and the two, brother and sister that were with him in the island. Then she
asked her father:

	"Has this boy and the girl anything to do with that lady that is
running the shipping company, dad?" The man thought for a moment, then
answered his daughter:

	"I don't know it for sure. Marten is a common surname here in the
South of England, however, I can't explain while this young girl was as a
hostage in a pirate ship." He paused and Tim then said:

	"If she was a hostage is because Captain Black expected to get good
money for her rescue; she must be coming from a rich family, otherwise it
has not a fair explanation. That lady is very rich." The man knew all the
history about that family, but he did not want to raise any prejudices in
his children, so he preferred to close the subject.

	"We cannot speculate about some other's lives, so let's drop this
subject." The boy and girl got silence, and then Tim said:

	"Linda, let's go for a walk, it is a lovely afternoon and it is a
pity to waste..." He looked at his teenager sister and grinned. The girl
would have thrown him one of the cups had not been his parents there. Their
mother stared at the 14 y/o boy sternly as he took his younger sister's
hand and started running away. They walked uphill and sat down on the old
trunk where Joe had been more than a year back. The boy felt his bladder
full and started to open his fly to get out his dick that was near hard
with pee. Linda watched her brother; they had not any prejudice on watching
each other nakedness. She then said:

	"Your dick had grown a lot lately; now is thicker and larger than
when you sucked Joe's cock." The boy grinned.

	"The same as your beautiful rounded breasts." She chuckled slyly as
her brother added: "I would like to know who will be the fortunate that
sucks them before you have children."

	"You are a naughty boy, Tim; though I'll be honest to you. You well
know I have not any secret for you." She paused as her brother replaced his
dick into his fly. "I don't know yet, but I would like they were for Joe,
however..."

	"Yes, but dad wouldn't accept you to marriage a priest. I suppose
our parents had some other plans for you." The girl sighed and near upset
said:

	"No one, including our parents, will decide to whom I'll
marriage. If I decide that Joe is my other half, he'll suck my breasts and
fuck my cunt, and I'll suck his dick..." The boy laughed loudly.

	"You are getting a very dirty speech, sister. I'll wash up your
mouth with soap if you continue speaking like that." He paused, and then
continued. "By the way, have you heard from him?" The girl sighed.

	"He has left the choir. The last news that I had was in St
Valentine's, when I received a beautiful handmade card with a lovely
message of love written with Chinese ink; I could not send him any one
back. The following Sunday our eyes met when he was helping in the mass."
She paused again. "I... I think I love him, he's so special for me...Tim. I
dream he's on top of me with his large hard dick and I suck him; then he
fucks me... I woke up the other night and I was very wet." Tim rubbed his
fly as Linda watched the tent formed on his trousers. She grinned. "You are
hard, brother."

	"Yes, I am very hot, though I fucked our cousin a few times last
night and again this morning before he returned to his home."

	"Oh yes. He looked very happy this morning! The fucking queer... I
watched you thru the hole and I was very hot, too. He enjoyed your dick
very much as never before." Brother and sister stared at each other as they
grinned. Tim then said:

	"Come on, Linda. Let's get a release under this large bush. We can
see if anyone is approaching." The girl did not need any more
invitation. She loved deeply her brother and enjoyed sucking him on 69
position; they had done it many times in their rooms. Tim quickly removed
his pants and underwear and his hot rod appeared on his full glory, now the
head shining with precum. He laid his body on the soft leave bed as Linda
went on top of him. She had removed her skirt and raised her underwear to
her chest. In seconds she had her brother's cock into his mouth and started
sucking it. Tim did the same with her pussy, trying to perforate her seal
with his tongue. After a few minutes of action they could not control their
hot young bodies; a frenzy state took them as a twitching sensation ran
thru their spines. Tim raised his hips as Linda pushed down and Tim kneaded
her beautiful globes and sucked her clit. Their bodies tensed, and seconds
later Linda received in her mouth the flavour of her brother seed and she
swallowed it with pleasure. She squirmed as her body had a spasm when she
reached her orgasm. She left her brother's softening dick and turned to her
original position, so their heads were together. The boy kissed his sister
cheeks with the all tenderness he could muster. "I love you, my half." She
rubbed her brother's blond hair and kissed him back.

	"I love you, Tim. I don't know what I'll do when you go to the
college in Cambridge... Oh, by the way! I forgot to tell you that Joe has
been chosen to continue his studies in Oxford, so I suppose he's busy
preparing his examination, as you are. I knew it thru an alter boy that
delivered me his card."

	"That's lovely. You may find your Joe and drag him into your bed
when you go to visit me; Oxford is not far from Cambridge..." The girl
sighed, as she jabbed and made some ticklish to her brother; both stood,
arranged their clothes, and hands entwined returned to their home.


Just a few days later Helen noticed some blood as she had started her
menstruation. Jeremy had a good provision of herbs to prevent any eventual
pregnancy, so they continued their lovemaking during the rest of the summer
without much caring about it. That was year 1791.

Bernard was sat in the library eyeing the press that brought terrible news
about the French Revolution; still was wearing his morning gown after
having cleaned and shaved. He folded the paper and started reading the mail
he had just received. Some minutes later, he felt two strong arms that
hugged him from behind; and a soft and tender peck on his cheeks; he knew
very well those young arms. He returned the kiss on the boy's palms and
then placed them on his own chest. That was a ceremony from the first
months they spent alone in the island.

	"Good morning, dad. How is the news from France?"

	"Unfortunately distressing, my son. Still assassinations are being
carried out everyday against innocent persons." He paused, and then changed
the subject. "I have received some letters that affect directly you." The
boy sat near his father with expectation.

	"What are they, dad?

	"First, about your friend Joe. The whole family left two months
later after we sailed off Southampton. It seems nobody know anything about
their destination. They sold cattle, livestock and tools to pay their
tickets. The best information shows they travelled to Liverpool to catch a
vessel to America. Apparently, the priest is the only person in the town
who really know where they went; however he declined to give any
information." As he paused Jeremy sighed.

	"I hope Joe likes America."

	"The second information, provided by H&H Ltd, our bankers, refers
to your old aunt. She got seriously sick after your departure. Joe's mother
took care of her, and a month later she passed away, being buried in the
village's cemetery. She also had secretly ordered the bank to pay a fair
amount to Joe's mother for her dedication. That was a good news for the
family, since it permitted them to pay their food during the voyage, though
she didn't expect to be paid for assisting your aunt; at least that was
what she said to our bankers. If you want to pay a visit we can go anytime,
my son." Jeremy laid his head on his father's shoulder and Bernard noticed
the wetness of his tears.

	"Joe's mom always was very good to us; it doesn't surprise me what
she did. I hope eventually we have the moment to pay her back." The boy
paused. "I don't want to go to my village, at least by now, dad. There is
nothing there, except a corpse. However, please, advise to those persons,
our bankers, to attend and pay any debts that she might have left due to
her sickness." Bernard grinned as he wiped his son's wet cheeks.

	"She had not left any debt, all on contrary, she had an open Will
within H&H's office appointing you as her legal heir; leaving you round
three hundred pounds for your free disposal. She advised our agents to tell
you that this money was to help you to become a midshipman, and later an
officer." They kept silence as Jeremy felt two beautiful white arms round
his waist. Helen was behind him. The boy then said:

	"She was very fond of the sea and loved that I embarked in the
"Seagull". He paused. "Dad, I think I don't need that money; perhaps it
might help somebody else rather than me..."

	"What do you suggest? It is your money." Said Bernard.

	"Well... I know that some of the sailors of the "Seagull" were very
poor and had children; I leave you to distribute the money amongst them at
your best judgment." Helen hugged her boy very tight and kissed him.

	"If I was not in love with you, my boy, this would have been more
than enough for me." Again the girl kissed the boy, but this time on the
lips.

On September of that year the boys started going to school; Jeremy went to
the College in Oxford, John and Jackie to a secondary school, near where
they lived. That would be a hard time for Jeremy and Helen being separated
during so long periods; but that would be the contribution that the young
lovers had to pay, if Jeremy wanted his dreams to come true about being a
MD like his father. However, they thought could recover the lost time
during the holidays. Tears of separation rolled along the young cheeks as
they said goodbye.

Helen was not allowed to go to the University with Jeremy, as females were
banned from that institution. Helen felt she needed to do something
practical and not to remain the whole time at home; she even thought to
offer herself as a teacher for young children in their parish
school. Bernard searched for a good school for girls, and found a good one,
ran by women who believed in the female emancipation, therefore, teaching
matters that in those times normally were reserved only for men. It was a
boarding school, except for the weekends for those who did not live far
away. She met new friends there, mostly girls from 12 to 16 y/o coming from
rich families that, as Bernard, believed in the women's rights. Nobody knew
about her history, except, of course, the two women that ran the school
that became Bernard's friends.

During the first month, she noticed how a lovely blonde was trying to be
her friend since they coincided in the same classrooms and matters. The
girl had a different room, but during breaks she liked to approach Helen,
asking her questions that were not connected with her private
lives. However, among girls, as it normally happens with boys, one day that
they were walking, the subject of sex was raised by another girl named
Brenda. She bragged of knowing everything about the subject, but soon Helen
noticed that the girl was an ignorant, but she said nothing. She watched
how the blonde grinned. Brenda then said:

	"Am I right, Linda? The blond boys have larger and thicker penises
than the brown ones; so I'll try to marry a blond one." Linda chuckled and
said:

	"I don't know much about cocks or penises; you seems to have more
experience than I have because you are fifteen; so it must be true." Brenda
was stuffed with pride as Helen stared at Linda suspiciously. Later on,
Helen and Linda coincided in the library, and after finishing what they
were doing Helen said:

	"The other day you supported your friend when she was talking about
penises; you seemed to act silly, and I know positively you are not that
kind of girl. Why didn't you correct that peacock? She is..." Linda smiled
slyly.

	"First of all, she is not my friend, but my roommate. And second, I
would have gained nothing telling her she was a silly ass. She'll discover
her mistake in due time; I know that the only dick she has seen is her
seven-years-old little brother's." They laughed loudly. From that day the
two girls became good friends, but not best friends. Never talked about
their families until some time later; still they had not spoken about their
boys and the related relationships. However, without noticing, the two
girls became inseparable pals, though never talked openly about personal
matters. Near the end of October they were laying on the beds in Linda's
room, staring at the rain in silence; her roommate was out for the weekend
and Helen had stayed with her. Suddenly Helen asked:

	"Linda, don't you ever think on boys?" Linda's smiled gladly.

	"I thought you would never mention this important subject." Helen
grinned as the blond girl continued. "Yes, I like them a lot, however, I
have not been very lucky having a boyfriend, though I'm not so naïf as
the peacock." Both gladly laughed. "In fact I'm in love with a boy of near
fourteen; a poor red haired boy who is studying to be a priest. I know my
parents would never consent a formal relationship with him, but..."

	"Is he a beautiful boy, Linda? Because you are very pretty and I'm
sure you have had more than one boy interested on you." The girl smirked as
she looked intensely thru the window; then turned to watch her new friend.

       "No. I must recognize he is not a pretty boy, but believe me, he is
very handsome, at least he seems to me. He has a beautiful voice and two
dimples that show when he smiles that make me mad. He is an orphan and used
to perform solos in the Cathedral..." Helen interrupted her friend.

       "And you went to the services most likely to hear and see him. Am I
right?" The girl nodded.

       "I guess you have some experience. Yes. You are right. I have been
near him only once when my brother Tim invited him to sleepover in my
house. Since then, only stares, a few words, and some letters. But in spite
he's poor as a rat, he is very intelligent and proud." The conversation
continued and Linda told Helen how she watched the boys thru the peek
hole. It was getting late and Helen then said.

       "You are a very naughty and interesting girl, Linda; I promise next
time I'll tell you something from me, but now is too late and the
inspection time is just in a minute. I must leave." Helen returned to her
room and that night she thought about Linda. She recalled what Jeremy had
mentioned her about his best friend Joe, however she did not associate any
connexion with Linda's boy since she knew Joe was in America, and besides,
he was not an orphan. She could have asked the boy's name, but they had
agreed "to say the sin but never the sinner". Two weeks later they repeated
the conversation and Linda then said:

       "You promised to speak about your experiences with boys..." Helen
giggled as she said.

       "I like you Linda. I promised not to tell anyone what we talked
about this subject. Now I want you to pay me back." Then the blond girl
honestly said:

       "Firstly, I must say that I liked you right from the first time we
met, and eagerly wanted to be your friend. You have intrigued me;
well... in fact it was your surname." Helen thought Linda had connected her
with the news in the papers. "We'll talk later about this, if you like, of
course. I don't need to promise, but you have my word for it. Remember, I
am four months older than you are..."

       "Alright." Helen paused. "Do you remember what the papers said about
the killing of Capitan Black?" Immediately Linda recalled what Tim and she
had talked and the speculations that they did on the subject. She then
raised her hand to her mouth in disbelief.

       "You are the real Helen Marten of the story! I can't believe! My
brother Tim and I speculated a lot about what we would have done in the
same circumstances. A boy and a girl living within a paradise very far from
any civilization..." Helen grinned. "But what I said referring to your
surname was a different subject. Please continue."

       "Yes, you can imagine many things, and I am sure you will not be
mistaken."

       "Please, please Helen, tell me all what you can; but..." Helen
smiled, took her hands in hers and started telling her new best friend all
about their history; completing what the girl knew thru the
papers. Astonished, Linda said:

       "You... you found them naked! Amazed! And what did you feel in that
moment? Helen sighed and grinned.

       "When my boy gagged my mouth and placed his other hand on my budding
breasts, I felt a jolt thru my spine in spite I was scared. In the pirate
ship I watched many times naked men and boys, however, the view of my boy
nude... that was the best that I had. He was so beautiful..." Helen paused
and Linda asked:

       "Didn't you feel embarrassed?"

       "No. I didn't. I felt ashamed that I couldn't do the same; but it
lasted only a few hours until the following day. But the most funny was
that Jeremy always had his sight glue on me and his penis was hard all the
time." Linda instinctively touched her crotch as she said:

       "If I had found myself in those circumstances I'm sure I would have
taken him to my bed." Helen laughed at her friend's honesty.

       "Well... I didn't do it right away because I had not any experience:
nevertheless I can say you that 24 hours later, I had my first orgasm at
his hands. After a month our birthday came... and my present to him was my
virginity." These words were pronounced as a pray and Helen sighed deeply."

       "I guess you continued being like wife and husband and now it must
be very hard for both to be separated."

       "Yes, you can bet it. But there lies the greatness of my boy's
soul. Above all, he thinks in our future together and must reach what he
has promised to me and to his father: to be a great physician. I'm sure he
won't stop until he gets his goal."

       "It seems you underestimated yourself, Helen." Said Linda. "You are
also making great sacrifices for that goal."

       "Yes, you are right. I look forward when I reach my sixteen
birthdays, then we'll get married and have children, if Mother Nature
allows it, of course. I hope you see me." Helen paused and then asked to
her friend. "Linda, apart of peeking thru the hole, haven't you have any
sex... with anybody?" Linda flushed because she felt must be honest to her
friend, but that was difficult and very private. Then she answered her
friend.

       "As you told me before, these are our mutual secrets and nobody must
know them." Helen pressed Linda's white hands encouraging her to
continue. "Not with my boy. He only stole me a few kisses in the back of
the cathedral's altar; risking his career and being seriously physical
punished." Helen seemed very upset and said.

       "Those stupid priests. Linda, you don't need to answer my
question..."

       "I know, but I want to pay you back with sincerity. Tim and I grew
together, more as twins than as normal brothers. When I was four y/o I
started climbing into my brother's bed and he welcomed me. My mother warned
me several times, even threatened us to spank us together if we continued
our behaviour. She did her best even smacking our butts, to prevent it;
after some times, my father intervened saying that there was not any malice
in our conducts." She paused and Helen said:

       "I would never do what your mom intended." Linda grinned.

       "Well... partially she was right. When I was six I started playing
with my brother's lollypop as we called it. I noticed how he liked it and
he encouraged me to suck it. One day he found that I liked my pussy to be
sucked, too; and instinctively we found ourselves in a sixty-nine sucking
each other. We did it especially on the weekends or when we were sure our
mother or elder sister wouldn't catch us. Since then, we have not stopped,
though those were the limitations that we impulsively imposed ourselves."
Helen grinned and said:

       "That's Mother Nature's business." They laughed.

Chapter 30
--------------

Jeremy arrived to Oxford very sad, missing his family, especially
Helen. But he was greatly surprised by the welcome he received from the
Dean and many students, as the news about the hero who allowed Captain
Black's elimination had spread; they felt very proud that such a boy was
part of their College. However, the best news for Jeremy was the person he
found in the College and with whom he shared room. He could have obtained a
single room, but the boy never forgot the sense of honesty. He did not want
to humiliate anyone and loved being as everybody else, gaining recognition
by his own efforts and not by the circumstances that led to the events that
had been in the press. As he entered into his room preceded by the porter
who carried his trunk, he saw the back of another boy engaged in sorting
out his clothes; he was red-haired and that brought to his memory his
adored girl. He paid the porter with a good tip and turned to his roommate
boy.

	"Good morning, I'm your roommate, my name's..." He was interrupted
by the red-haired well-modulated boy voice.

	"The well known and hero Jeremy Northfield, formerly called Jeremy
Mall." Jeremy's mouth dropped in disbelief as the other boy turned around
facing him. He was Joe MacLean. They stood facing each other petrified and
suddenly the two old best friends went into a hard and tight embrace. Their
childhood and friendship came into their memory and the emotions overtook
their young souls and bodies, so their eyes were blurred when they
separated.

	"You aren't a ghost, are you? How happen that you are here? As soon
as we arrived and thru my father, I made some enquires regarding my old
aunt and your family; she was reported dead and apparently all MacLean's
family had emigrated to New York, our former colonies..."

	"It is a long and sad story, Jeri, and not so lucky as yours. I
sang in your aunt's funeral. Let's settle down and we can talk. I know near
everything about you... well at least what the papers have said; I guess
still there are many things hidden."

	"Yes, many wonderful things that I will never forget; one of them,
your kiss in the last seconds..." Joe blushed surprised.

	"That... that was a child thing and..." Jeremy's sight met Joe's
intense blue eyes.

	"Possibly it was, Joe; but I have it engraved in my heart since
them. We did many things together before we separated, but in those moments
I felt I would miss you a lot; though your kiss raised my dead spirit. I
was very depressed that morning when we met for the last time. I had lost
all my family and probably I would not see you again. I was bound to join a
ship crew where I expected to be sexually abused; at least that was what
some people have told me. Nevertheless, I preferred it instead of going
into an orphanage."

	"Didn't the priest try to convince you? You were his favourite; the
prettiest of all of us. Because of that, the rest of the boys in the school
hated you, except me."

	"He couldn't. His wife knew what he was doing with the other boys,
and she threatened him to tell the bishop. He was wrong looking only to the
boys' physical beauty, instead of in their souls. I think you were the best
of all of us, though I guess he thought sexually more than intelligently."
Jeremy paused. "I told it to Helen during our stay in that paradise and she
said that it would be great to know you..." Joe looked surprised what his
friend was telling him.

	"Is she the brave red-haired girl that you rescued from the
pirates?" It seems you are attracted to red hair." They laughed.

	"Yes, you are right." We'll have time to talk about everything in
detail; by now I can tell you she means a lot to me... You, my new father,
and Helen had been the most important beings in my life. Some times, when I
was alone in that paradise, I thought how wonderful would have been if you
were there with me." Joe could not stand with his ever-best friend's words
and hugged Jeremy, repeating the kiss on the lips. They both blushed as
Jeremy kissed Joe's back.

	"Thanks you, Jeri; it meant and now means genuine, true and
unconditional love; real boy love, nothing dirty. Now let's hurry up
because they'll call for lunch within a few minutes. Tomorrow will be held
the general assembly and the start of classes. Today we have the whole
afternoon and night to talk." They dressed with the new uniform and entered
into the large dining room. A murmur spread over the large room, and some
boys were pointing out to Jeremy; however, he did as did not notice. It was
a lovely afternoon and they had nothing to do. Joe wanted to open his heart
to his best friend, so he suggested walking round the park that surrounded
the college. Then Joe said:

	"I suppose you are asking yourself why I'm here, coming from a
family poor as rats, when all of these boys here most likely are very rich,
including you... I guess."

	"You guess right Joe, but it is not what you think. I can't tell
you by now, because I'm anxious to know about you; we'll have time to
talk." Sadly they were walking slowly as Joe started.

	"When you left that morning, my heart was broken into pieces. I ran
to the stables and I remained there crying for near two hours; probably my
soul guessed what was coming next." Joe paused and Jeremy kept silence as
he presumed something terrible was in his friend's heart. The red-haired
boy felt Jeremy's left arm on his shoulders and he placed his right one
round Jeremy's waist as they used to do when they were just brat little
boys; then he continued. "Two weeks later, after your ship set sail, my
mother received a letter from her brother who was living in New York; in
summary he told her that the family would have as much good land as they
wanted or could handle. However, since we were a large family, he had
reserved a large portion of flat and hilled land plus forests. He had spent
all his savings for her, therefore she had to find the way to pay the fares
to transport the family to America." He paused and Jeremy continued in
silence. "As you well know, here our farms belong to the landowner, never
to us, not mattering how hard you work, so we are always scarce of
everything, near as slaves. There the land would be ours forever. I was
happy to hear that; then came the stroke: We had not money for the travel
expenses, in spite we had put up for sale all what we had, therefore, one
of us must be sold as a slave, and as usually, the youngest. I couldn't
believe what I was hearing." He paused as some tears dribbled along his
freckled cheeks. Jeremy pressed his arm round his friend's shoulders
encouraging him to continue. "After one of the Latin lessons with the
priest, I went to the chapel to pray, asking God to protect you since I
expected the worst for me. In that moment I felt the priest's presence
behind me. I knew he liked my intelligence but I was not pretty to attract
him; he then told me:

	"Joe, please, tell your mom that our problem is solved. I'll come
to see your parents tonight. Then he left. I did not know what was all
about, but as soon as I told the message to my mom she cried but looked
relieved; then she called my dad and took me to the kitchen; we were alone,
she then told me:

	"Joe, darling, we love you but we also love your brothers and
sisters, and we have realised that going to that new land, with the help of
God, we will be happy and free there..." I started sobbing with tears,
because in that moment I guessed what was coming for me and I did not
believe in anything. What kind of God was this that allowed a family to be
separated? She then continued: "Joe, you will belong to the Church and they
will take care of you. They'll send you to study to the best schools of
this country like a rich boy, until you are eighteen, then you'll go into a
High Seminary to graduate as a priest. It'll be a great honour for the
family..." I interrupted her for the first time in my life."

	"But... but I don't like to be a priest; I would like to travel
like Jeremy; I can be a cabin boy or an apprentice. I protested. She then
wiped my tears and kissed me." I ran to the small room that I shared with
my brother Benjamin; I couldn't understand that."

The boys continued talking and entered into their room. They sat on the
large sofa as Joe continued relating his meeting with his parents.

	"It is not the same, Joe, -my mother said- Yet there is a clause by
which you have forcedly to serve the Church until you are eighteen; then
you might leave the Church if you don't feel the need to be a priest, but
you have to pay back all the money that we will receive to pay the
transport fares plus the related interests." Joe paused as Jeremy started
to say:

	"It is fair..." Joe interrupted him almost shouting and bursting in
tears.

	"Fair? Fair? They abandoned me like a sick dog and sold to the
Church! I am their son! Neither a dog would do a thing like that!" The boy
cried resentfully expelling from his soul all the bitterness, humiliations
and resentments accumulated during the past three years. He sobbed on
Jeremy's right shoulder wetting his silky shirt. Jeremy's eyes blurred as
he felt his best friend's spasms on his chest. Jeremy with soothing words
was telling him:

	"It is not that, Joe; I didn't mean that..." But nothing could
console the red haired boy. He continued with muffled cries during near
fifteen minutes while Jeremy rubbed his back and softly kissed his
hair. After that, he calmed down and Jeremy tenderly separated his head
from his chest. Then Jeremy placed his palms round the freckled face, and
with all the tenderness he could muster, kissed his best friend on the
lips. That surprised the boy and again started to sob quietly. Better than
anybody, he understood the meaning of that kiss. He considered him more
than a brother. They separated and Jeremy looked into his friends blue
little eyes that shone as two blue diamonds.

	"Joe, you know I love you as the best brother I could have. I
didn't try to justify what your parents negotiated with the Church; they
are the only ones responsible and can explain what they did. I meant that
it was a fair contract; they were the subjects, you only the object without
any right to argue whatsoever; unfortunately this society is like this." He
paused, and after a while, Joe seemed to accept his fate. Jeremy after a
good thinking continued. "Joe, please, now you must listen to me very
carefully." He paused again and Joe looked intensely into his best friend's
eyes. Then he jokingly said:

	"You better be carefully next time when you kiss me, they might
think that we are queers..." Jeremy then dragged his friend to him and
hugged him very tight. He smiled for the first time. "I like your kiss
Jeri; please don't forget to do it from time to time." They grinned and Joe
added: "Now please continue."

	"Joe, first I must thank for what your mother and you did to my
aunt..." Joe interrupted his fried.

	"You well know my mother loved your aunt, they were close friends
and shared many secrets, amongst them about their trip to America." The boy
paused. "My family had not any money to pay their food in the ship, I
wonder how they had planned it. I suppose, once they were at the sea, they
would request it as for charity. Fortunately, after we buried your aunt,
the bankers called my parents and delivered a fair amount of money that
your aunt had left for them in her Will; that solved that problem, but not
mine. I wish you had seen my mom..." Joe bent his red head to hide some
tears.

       "That's over now, Joe. Now I'm going to tell you what I think your
situation is and what we can do to solve your problem. My aunt couldn't,
but I can. However, I'll do whatever you decide, and believe me, I'm not
bragging when I say that I can help you more than you may think." He paused
again as Joe looked surprised. "I told you it was a fair contract because
the Church is spending a lot of money in your education and, eventually,
they want their money back if your parents do not comply the contract. I
believe you have three alternatives. First: We can prepare something in
order you can fly away to New York; then you would join your family and
start scrapping the land to obtain your daily feeding. Needn't to say that
the Church would try to get their money back, not only spent for your
education, but also what they gave to your parents. You are a boy,
therefore you will never be held responsible, but surely your parents will
be prosecuted. With the time, you will grow and within a few years you will
marry a peasant girl and have a nice family that will continue your
steps. All this taking into consideration that your family welcomes you
with open arms in spite you have disappointed them..."

	"Jeri, you express it with some cruelty...as a lawyer."

	"Do you think am I wrong?" The red-haired boy negated with his
head. Jeremy then continued. "Second: The Church always plays with marked
cards, trying never to lose. They are too old and have a long experience;
basically they play assuming that your debts will be so large that you will
never try to leave, even when you reach eighteen, but we can deceive
them. As far as I know, you are very smart learning foreign languages; at
eighteen, almost certainly, you'll speak four or five languages besides
English. Then you'll become of a great value to any government and well
paid; that without taking into consideration your abilities on trading
things. Do you remember when we exchanged marbles with other boys? You
always gained them." The boy grinned assuming what his friend was
saying. "My father knows many persons in the high spheres of influence
where decisions are taken." Joe was to argue, but Jeremy stopped
him. "Don't worry, we'll pay for your manumission and you would be able to
go to New York as an Oxford educated gentleman. I'm sure that the new
authorities will be more than happy welcoming you. Probably you'll marry a
girl from the high society and start a new kinship." Joe was thinking, then
said:

	"Jeri, I have in my mind the girl, but... how would you manage to
get the money to pay all my debts?" Jeremy chuckled slyly."

	"I can't say you it by now, but believe me, my friend, that would
represent nothing for me. Next Christmas you might travel with me to
Coltberry; from now on, you will never spend a holydays out of a family,
like up to the present." He paused.

	"You are surprising me, Jeri." Jeremy grinned.


       "Now the Third: At eighteen you would continue, and three years
later you would become a priest; but not a normal priest in a parish
looking after your congregation. They had spent a lot of money on you and
that task can be carried out enthusiastically by other priests less
intelligent than you are..." Joe then interrupted his friend.

	"If I am ever a priest, that is the kind that I ought to be."
Jeremy grinned. "Why do you grin? Am I wrong?"

	"No, my friend, you are not, and that honoured you; but please,
tell me, how many boys like you are studying in Oxford to become a priest?"
Joe seemed to reflex about that important question.

	"As far as I know, only another one. Most of them go directly to
the High Seminary."

	Exactly, that's what I presumed. They have chosen you with a
determined objective. You are not a common boy, Joe, and you must
understand and assume this; the same as I know, they knew too when I
left. Once you are ordered as a priest, doubtless you'll be appointed as an
assistant to one of the most important archbishop. Winchester,
Canterbury... You'll travel to most of the European countries, intervening
as a translator, or translating texts of letters addressed to these high
ranked people. That's high politic, Joe. You might be in the knowledge of
important matters and/or secrets that you would be compelled to keep
undisclosed. With the time, you'll be very well paid and reach a high
position in the society; but you will never be considered for a post as a
bishop, because they reserve these for their mates, the aristocratic
people. Besides you are too honest to become a new Wolselys. One thing is
clear: you'll lose your current family and might start a new one under the
watch of the Church." Jeremy had more arguments but preferred that his
friend digested what he had exposed. After a while Joe said:

	"It seems obvious what you are explaining me; but how do you know
it?" Jeremy tenderly hugged his friend again, smiling.

	"Because from the moment I was adopted, I form part of that
selected group. During the near three years that we remained isolated in
that beautiful paradise, my father taught Helen and me all these
mesenteries of the so-called High Society, and how to deal with
them. Believe me, he had a large experience on dealing with this kind of
persons."

	"Jeri, my mind is a whirl with what you are telling me, it is
shocking against what they have been teaching me for a long time." He
paused as Jeremy kept silence. "When you left, I went to the chapel and
asked God to look after you, to keep you safe and I believed strongly He
would hear me. However, a year later, when we heard that the "Seagull" had
disappeared and you with her, that destroyed my beliefs. Only a few months
ago we received the news that you and your father were alive in Cape
Town. Sincerely I asked God to forgive me for the miracle that He had made
saving you..." Jeremy placed his hand on his friend's shoulder and with all
tenderness he could muster said:

	"Joe, that was not a miracle. My father foresaw that this type of
accidents could happen; he then built something like a life-jacket with
corks and placed it round my chest; that saved me, and I saved him by
pushing on his chest with my palms when he was practically dead. I don't
want to change your beliefs, but I'm pretty sure that Jesus, if he ever
existed, would not approve what Christian churches admit and do today. He
surely was better than they are." Joe kept silence for a few minutes and
then hugged very tight his friend.

	"Jeri, let's pay them back with the same money. I'll make them
belief what they want. Yes, you are right. A few years more are nothing;
the worst is already over, and now much better with you near me; I am not
alone anymore. Furthermore, I'll convince them that at the same time I
should study trading, that would give me the base when I arrive to the New
World. I'll instruct my brother Benjamin to learn how to read and write and
maths; he is a good boy and never liked to be a peasant. I think he loved
you as much as I did. When I came back from saying you goodbye, I was
crying hard, he then hugged me softly to console my soul. I noticed his
eyes were blurred. He already knew what my parents had decided about me."

	"Brave boy!" Jeremy said enthusiastically. "I strongly believe
you'll built a great rich family. I'm devoted to medicine, but Helen is a
great and intelligent girl and she would be very happy helping you with her
ships." Joe opened wide his bright blue eyes.

	"You didn't tell me she had ships." Jeremy grinned.

	"I still have many thing to tell you, but let's go step by
step. Yes, she has a sailing company inherited from her father and I must
tell you she is more than able to handle a shipping company. I'm looking
forward for the moment you know her and her half brother."

	"Jeri, apart of what we did before you left, I'm absolutely naïf
about sex and girls, so I'll be more than glad if you teach me; because
sooner or later I have to face... you know." Jeremy chuckled and ruffled
the red hair of his friend. Then Joe remembered the hide kisses that he had
exchanged with Linda and added. "Well... not entirely naïf. Risking to
be seriously punished I kissed a girl in the back of the cathedral
altar..." Joe then told his friend all about his relationship with the
Mullen's family. Jeremy grinned, and then said:

	"What about if we start tonight our lessons?"

	"Yes, we'll do; but we must be very careful they don't catch us."
They openly smiled and happily ran to the large gardens that surrounded the
building. Again they had found their friendship that would take them to
high enterprises together thru their lives.

Chapter 31
--------------

That was a crucial night for Joe. After dinner everybody retired to the
respective rooms; still the weather was not cold and they did not need to
light the fire, though they had a large provision of cut wood in the annex
for it. As soon as the boys entered in the room, locked the door with the
large padlock and draw the green heavy curtains, so nobody could notice
from outside if they were not sleeping. To Joe's surprise, Jeremy started
getting naked and he could see he had a dick as large as his own; Jeremy
was sexually as developed as he was. He still was something shy; the
sermons from the priests, always advising that all sex out of marriage was
a dead sin, had dawned deeply in his mind. He seemed reluctant to get naked
in front of his friend in spite Jeremy was already nude. Jeremy knew his
friend's objections and instead of forcing him, he hugged his him gently
encouraging him.

	"Joe, it is not a sin. Don't you remember when our priest fucked
the alter boys? He rubbed my dick a few times, too; though he knew very
well I was not ready to allow him to fuck me, even to kiss me; I hated him
though I had to keep my behaviour until I obtained the letter for the
captain of the "Seagull". Joe then murmured.

	"You sucked me many times as I did to you, and I must recognize
that I enjoyed it, but now..." Jeremy approached his friend and started
rubbing his white back; at the same time he unbuckled his trousers and
could notice Joe's dick was very hard. Jeremy rubbed it thru the cotton
underwear and Joe moaned delightfully. Jeremy smiled and yanked down his
clothes to his heels; then quickly Joe took off all his garments and shyly
went under the covers. "Jeri, this doesn't mean we are queers, does it?"
Joes was red as a beetroot when he asked his friend. They were under the
quilt and Jeremy was slowly masturbating his friend while he felt Joe's
hand round his engorged dick.

	"Joe, I'm going to tell you something very important that only a
few persons are in the known of it and you must keep for yourself, at least
for a few years."

	"You know you can trust me, I'll never disappoint you, my friend."
Jeremy smiled as he continued slowly rubbing up and down his friend's cock.

	"Helen and I are like a married couple. I miss her and I miss our
nights; only thinking about it makes me very hot. We spent almost two years
naked, having intercourse, or fucking, near daily. There she became a woman
and I became a man. My father always guided us about what we should do and
how to do it." Jeremy sighed deeply. "I love her with all my heart and I'm
looking forward the day we return." He paused. "Does this answer your
question?" Besides, true queers, as Helen's brother, are born with those
desires, they aren't learnt or taught."

	"Yes, and I am now very hot, too. Let's do what we did the last
time we were in the barn." Jeremy smiled remembering the many moments that
they spent in his barn; he then went on a 69 position. He took his best
friend's dick into his mouth as he felt Joe mouth round his cock, sucking
it with determination. Soon their bodies tensed and pushed against each
other as they reached the ecstasy of their climaxes, spurting their clear
semen into each other mouth; Joe spitted out it with a light grimace. "I
don't like the flavour of your milk." He said grinning near recovered.

	"You have not forgotten how to do it, Joe; you did lovely, but now
the nice feeling is hundred times better."

	"Yes Jeri; it felt fantastic."

	"When we go home, I'll introduce you to Jackie..."

	"He is Helen's half brother, doesn't he?"

	"Yes. He's really a queer and doesn't deny it. He was born like
this and he's proud about it; however, he doesn't go with a bell ringing
and announcing it. He likes boys and enjoys fucking and being fucked."

	"Have you ever fucked him, Jeri?" The boy blushed when he made the
question.

	"Yes, a few times; especially in Cape Town when I had not Helen
available."

	"How did you feel? Is it nice, I mean like we have done now?"
Jeremy grinned recalling those moments.

	"I must admit than better. Not as fucking a girl... but nice and
exciting." He paused and grinned. "I'm sure you would like it; he is very
fond of red-haired boys." Both started laughing as Jeremy commenced making
ticklish to his friend. After some minutes laughing and playing on the bed,
Jeremy said: "Tomorrow I'll teach you how to do it to a girl. You must
always remember that a girl is a human being, like you are, and she enjoys
as much as you do, if you do it correctly, of course."

	"Who taught you all these techniques, Jeri?"

	"My father did." Joe opened his mouth in disbelief.

	"Your father? He must be an exceptional man and father. It is not
normal that a father teaches sex things to his son." Jeremy sighed as he
said:

	"Yes, he is. You will verify it by yourself next Christmas. Besides
of an excellent MD, he is a great man and a better father. Helen and Jackie
love him to the point they call him father, too." He paused and ruffled
Joe's short red hair; he liked doing it. Joe returned the gesture caressing
Jeremy silky long hair. Almost whispering Jeremy said: "I must say am very
lucky having him as a father." Joe thought about his own family, what a
difference! He thought for himself.

	"What did you mean with correctly?"

	"You have just experienced the nice feeling. Let's imagine that I
stopped sucking your cock, just when you were close to your orgasm and you
had not any hand to continue. What would you do? How would you feel?"

	"Since I had not hand, I must say that I would feel very bad and
very disappointed." Jeremy openly smiled.

	"You are very honest Joe. That is partially why I always liked you
so much. Most boys or men would not recognize that, because that is how the
girl would feel. If she were not satisfied most likely she would go to look
for someone else who do it correctly to her. My father says that this is
the cause and origin of many divorces in England."

	"That's a very good point. But why they don't do it correctly?"

	"Well... most of men, once they are satisfied, don't mind about the
girl or woman; and some others don't know how to do it to the girl. They
might feel humiliated recognizing it." Joe felt his dick was hard and still
a little bit shy, he said:

	"Jeri, tomorrow we'll continue the class, but now I feel very hot
again. Please, let's..." He could not end the sentence because Jeremy glued
his lips on his and tried to open his teeth, Joe reluctantly opened his
mouth and Jeremy introduced his tongue; the red-haired boy even felt rare,
but a few seconds later, he was sucking Jeremy's tongue eagerly. He could
not understand why that action felt so good and his cock was harder than
ever before. He had never done this or heard about it. His kisses to Linda
in the cathedral were quick, and always expecting they could be
caught. Jeremy turned over dragging Joe that now was on top of him. They
grinded their crotches that were slippery with precum, and a few minutes
later their young bodies tensed as they reached their climaxes. It was the
best for Joe, so far. Embraced as they were, Joe slid to his side and
minutes later they were hard asleep.


That year the 20th November was Saturday, birthdays of Helen, Jeremy and
Joe. They would be 14, and Helen and Jackie 13. Two weeks before, as many
afternoons, Helen was having the afternoon tea with Bernard's family; and
as usually their conversation turned on the boys that were in Oxford. They
wrote each other passionate letters explaining what they were experimenting
in their respective schools and how much they missed their nights.

In one of those first letters, Jeremy told Helen about the great surprise
he had had finding Joe sharing his room. It was a great revelation for
Helen, too. She did not tell anything to Linda and advised Jeremy to do the
same in respect of Joe. Immediately her wicked mind started building up an
encounter for their friends during next Christmas. She missed her husband
and it seemed very hard to wait almost two months to see him. She knew by
his letters he felt the same, though his old friend Joe helped a lot to
make the time bearable.

Bernard as he was sipping his tea, looked at his adored daughter; then his
old mother said:

	"It seems your thoughts are far away from here, Helen."

	"Yes grandma; I miss Jeremy, especially now that our birthdays are
approaching. He cannot leave the college and..." The old woman interrupted
her; she knew very well how the girl was feeling in those moments.

	"Why don't you go to see him? You don't have any problem with your
school, do you?" The girl flushed and the old woman stared at her
son. "Bernard, you can arrange it with the Principal, telling about the
children's birthdays; they should allow them to spend the weekend with
you. You better don't mention it to Jeremy just in case." Helen sighed and
gazed at her father.

	"Please dad; can you do it?" She pleaded.

	"Of course I can. I like the idea; that will bring me fond memories
when I stayed there. The Principal is an old friend of mine. It will be a
great opportunity to ask him directly about the boy's performance. There is
a nice inn not very far from there; I'll send a letter requesting
accommodation for five persons. Would Jackie come?"

	"I don't know, I'll ask him." She paused. Then Bernard's father
asked.

	"What about the presents? I would suggest you buy for Joe some
winter clothes, because the Church is not very splendid with his people and
the poor boy is not able to buy them. Jeremy said they are very much alike,
though Joe is only a little bit shorter, but not much." Helen was
enthusiastically thinking about it.

	"Please dad, don't say him anything. I want to give him a great
surprise. About the presents, none of them have clocks; what about to buy
one each?"

	"Good idea." Bernard said. I'll do it next Thursday when I go to
London." Happily, Helen thought about the calendar and could check those
days coincided with the end of her menstruation, so she did not need to
take any herbs. Bernard thought about the present for the girl; she always
had in her mind her boy, but did not think about herself. Bernard's bought
a medallion the same as she had from her mother, but with Jeremy image in
it, and two pocket golden clocks. He purchased them from a Jews, friend of
him with whom he had traded some pearls. Also the tailor who made his
dresses did some for Joe with the measures he had for Jeremy; especially a
large woollen overcoat and a pair or thick leather gloves and good boots to
prevent from humidity.

Now that she knew Joe was Linda's boy they intensify their friendship, and
whenever they had free time they spoke about them. In a moment that they
were alone in Helen's room, Linda said:

	"How I envy you, Helen; you are enjoying more than most of the
girls, even women. My sister is so silly that she gets red when I say she
should admit her man in her bed and not wait more. She is wasting a time
that will never come back. I wish I had my boy with me, I wouldn't doubt
for a moment..." Helen chuckled, that was what she wanted to hear from her
friend.

	"Linda, are you sure you want to lose your cherry with your boy as
soon as you meet him?" Linda did not hesitate for a single second as she
asked her friend back.

	"Did you doubt with your Jeremy?" Helen grinned.

	"No, I didn't. Only I postponed it for a month and to choose a
special moment." Helen sighed. "It was the most wonderful and tender night
of my life. I'll never forget those moments." She paused as Linda remained
quiet and she continued. "I would recommend you to choose a moment and a
place where you are absolutely sure that, under any circumstance, nobody
will disturb you. This is very important; after all, it happens only once
during our lives, but it'll mark your lives forever." Linda seemed to be
watching in his mind those moments; then she came to the reality and asked
her best friend:

	"Helen, would you help me to reach my goal? I don't have any friend
to whom ask this, except my brother Tim; but he's in the College in
Cambridge." Helen hugged her friend tenderly.

	"If the moment arises you can count on my cooperation, but you must
be extremely careful; your boy could go into a serious problem if his
bosses in the Church know it."

	"Yes, I know it, that's why even I don't want to write him; the
priests would intercept my letter, and his could be intercepted by my
mother or sister..." Linda paused. "Helen, I suppose you keep some
correspondence with Jeremy and..."

	"You want me to act as a mail box, don't you?" Linda flushed and
thought she had gone to far with her friend, however, suddenly she felt
Helen's arms round her. "I'll be very pleased doing it; the problem is on
the other way round; Jeremy probably doesn't know your boy; The College is
a large place and..."

	"Yes, perhaps it is not a good idea, anyway... but I miss him and
I'm sure that I must do something if I want to keep his hopes about me. I
don't want him to believe that I have forgotten our encounters." Then Helen
said:

	"Next Saturday I'll write Jeremy. Bring your letter and I'll
enclose with mine. Surely Jeremy will find him, perhaps even can become
friends..." Linda hugged Helen softly with a blur on her lovely blue eyes.

	"Will you do that for me, Helen?"

	"I'll do. Don't even think on contrary. We are best friends, aren't
we?"

	"Yes, we are.

And that is how they started. Helen explained Jeremy her plans with their
correspondence. The first letter from Linda took Joe off guard, but he
could not be happier, especially after what they had planned for their
lives. He delayed his answer for a week just to comply with Jeremy's
suggestion to make Linda believes they were in different places. Helen
thought she would instruct her boy during her visit to Oxford, a surprise
that he did not expect to occur.

Chapter 32
--------------

The days passed and three days in advance, Bernard, Helen and Jackie
boarded their private carriage; they had planned to arrive on Thursday
evening without forcing the horses. The children were excited; especially
Helen, when they arrived; after settling down in the inn, had dinner and
went to bed; they were tired of the long trip. In the morning while, Helen
and Jackie planned the encounter, Bernard pay a visit to his old friend the
Vice-Rector of the college. The two old Oxford colleagues met with a hug,
telling themselves about their lives. Bernard told him about his
experiences in the island after his wife and son dead.

	"Can you spare a couple of hours, Richard? I would like we have
lunch together and introduce my family to you."

	"Do you mean the girl and boy that you rescued from the pirates in
the Island?"

	"Yes. I'm anxious to see my son and his friend; but I don't want to
interfere in their daily chores."

	"You will not interfere and he won't see you. Come here Bernard."
The man approached to the window as he added: "Both form part of the
juniors boat crew to compete in the future against Cambridge's boys." Both
friends watched the row of blue-shirted boys that were carrying a large
boat to store it. "I would like to have many boys like them; certainly you
can't nickname them as whim boys. Unfortunately the red-haired most likely
will change college when he is eighteen, to go to the High Seminary." He
paused as Bernard watched his son and his best friend near the
boat. Richard then continued.  "It is strange that you have not asked about
them; for the most of parents that is their first question." Bernard
grinned.

	"I know my son, and thru the letters that we receive periodically,
we know about his room-mate Joe MacLean. Nevertheless, how are they,
anyway?"

	"Excellent Bernard. It is a pity that the Church had laid the eyes
on Joe MacLean; he is a very bright boy, especially in languages. Jeremy
will make history in medicine, I'm sure of that. He has strong principles
that some times shock against the old doctors' opinion, I suppose learnt
from you." The man smiled. "However, the younger and progressive professors
adore him."

	"Like what, Richard?"

	"For instance. About performing bleeding to a patient. He argued
that during the time he was in the ship, a man almost got one of his hands
cut, and that you used all your science to stop the bleeding. Also before
his mother died, she was very weak and the physician ordered to perform a
bleeding; he explained that his mother got white and a few hours later
passed away. I wonder what was the teacher's answer." Bernard almost in a
murmur said:

	"Yes, he's like that... always trying to go further and further."
He paused. "Richard, you must agree with me that my son was right;
performing bleeding as a general rule is a great mistake, in spite what old
texts say. He helped me in the Caesarea to Carla Grovetown; I wish you had
watched him; he acted as genuine physician." Then Bernard's friend added:

	"Referring to his questions to his teacher, he did in such a way
that the professor was pleased with the boy's queries." Richard
paused. "Well let's go Bernard." They had lunch in the inn with Helen and
Jackie.

After finishing classes, they were getting ready for dinner; then someone
knocked on the door. It was one of the Principal servants. He said:

	"Excuse me sirs, but you are required at the Principal's office
immediately." They stared at each other as the man added: "I don't know
anything, please don't ask me. Please come with me." As they were dressed,
accompanied the man to the Principal building; they went upstairs to the
first floor, and the man knocked on the door as a voice said:

	"Please, come in." The boys were worried thinking perhaps they had
done something wrong; but with an open smile the Vice-Principal added:
"Congratulations boys for your birthday." Before they could say anything,
the man handed them a paper to each of them. "This is a permit to stay
outside the College until Sunday before dinner time, so you have 48
hours. You must hurry up; a coach will pick you up in ten minutes at the
main gate."

	"Thank you sir, we don't know..."

	"Come on! You are losing a precious time." The College's discipline
did not allow the boys to argue, but to accept the man's order, so they ran
to their room. Then Jeremy guessed something and he smiled.

	"What's all this about Jeri?" Joe asked a little bit confused.

	"We had even forgotten that we were born fourteen years ago;
today's November 19th, but someone has not, and I guess who is he. My
father!"

	"Your father? You live very far away from here..."

	"Never mind, he's like that, always surprising and caring the
persons who lives round him. I bet the coachman is August, a nice and good
man. Come on, let's go!" Joe then argued.

	"But Jeri... I have not appropriate clothes for..." Jeremy placed
his arms on Joe shoulders and hugged him.

	"Don't worry, anything will fit on you as long as you feel
comfortable. We are not going to a royal dinner-dance." They smiled and
happily ran to the main gate. Yes, August was there, waiving his hand to
them. Jeremy went to the man and hugged him tenderly; the man felt a little
bit embarrassed, because that was not a normal conduct of a rich boy in
respect of a servant as he was; but he knew the boy was like this. He
hugged back the boy that inquisitively looked at him, but he had special
orders of not to disclose who had come.

	"Sorry my boy, but I can't, your father would..."

	"Great! That was what I wanted to know. Let's go, I want to hug
him." The boys boarded the coach and fifteen minutes later they were in the
entrance to the inn. Joe could not believe what he was living; Linda had
not mentioned anything to him. As soon as the carriage stopped, they boys
descended quickly and Jeremy ran as a storm inside the building; he found
his father with open arms. He launched in them and both went into a hard
hug. "I knew you were here right from the moment that the Principal gave us
the permits. By the way, let me introduce you to the best and most
intelligent boy of the College: father this Joe MacLean; Joe this is the
greatest father and man in the world." Joe extended his hand politely
saying:

	"How do you do, Mr. Northfield?" Bernard grinned, ignored the boy's
hand and hugged Joe very tight as he had done with Jeremy.

	"Joe, my son's best friend is as part of my family; from now on,
please call me whatever you like, except sir or mister." Joe was greatly
surprised; deep into his heart he knew he would like that man for the rest
of his life.

       Thank you sir..." The boy blushed and rectified: "I mean thanks
uncle Bernard."

       "That's better. Now let's go upstairs." Then slowly he whispered
into Jeremy's ear. "Your real birthday present is in room number three."
Jeremy left them and flew upstairs, climbing two steps each time. He did
not expect to find Helen standing in the centre of the carpeted warm room,
dressed only with a silk near transparent nightdress that clearly showed
her hard nude lovely breast and the little patch of red hair on her
crotch. Jeremy closed the door, he near fainted at the view. They hugged
tenderly as tears dribbled along their young cheeks. He covered the girl's
freckled face with kisses. She placed her palms round her beautiful husband
and kissed him.

       "I love you my handsome boy. You better lock the room." She smiled
as she watched the tent formed on her loved boy trousers. Jeremy locked the
door and turned around watching the beautiful figure in front of
him. Suddenly took her in his strong arms and placed her on the bed. In
seconds he was naked and kneeled between her legs. He dragged slowly her
nightdress over her head and started licking and sucking her breasts."

       "Please Jeremy, do it quickly, I can't wait." The boy smiled; his
dick had never been so hard before. She was right; they needed a quick
release. Soon Jeremy's near six inches hard cock went into action, and in a
couple of minutes he spurted his semen into his adored girl as she almost
screamed in pleasure. A little bit calmed, he slid to his side watching his
beautiful girl and kissing her gently.

       "I'll never thank enough my father for this present." For an answer
Helen went stride on top of her boy. She got surprised when felt the boy's
hard pectorals and strong legs. Reverently she caressed the boy's curly
brown hair that now had lost the near blond colour that had in the
Island. `He had grown a lot in these last months; nobody would say he is
only fourteen' she thought. She sighed as she rubbed the silky ringlets of
the boy hair that covered partially his forehead. She started slowly
grinding her crotch while Jeremy was massaging her back softly. The boy
dragged her to him and their mouths glued in an eternal kiss. Some minutes
later, they reached the exquisite culmination of their love. They remained
quiet for a few minutes in the bliss of the moment. Then Helen said:

       "We better get dressed; tonight we'll enjoy until we are
exhausted. Now we have to attend our obligations, we are not alone like in
our paradise." She sighed. "Jackie is with us, probably flirting with Joe."
How have you lived during these months: with wet dreams?" She chuckled as
cleaned herself in a washbasin.

       "No, my love. Joe and I help each other, as I mentioned you in my
letters. He's as straight as I am, but we recalled what we did before we
separated. I had to teach him step by step, and now he's more
comfortable. We don't need anything from outside; in any case, we are not
allowed to go out without a permit like this." Jeremy showed her the
paper. "On the other hand, I think most of the boys do the same as we do,
even some teachers with boys, too." She grinned as she said:

       "In respect of Joe, he had a good sight for the girls. Linda is a
beautiful blonde and has a crutch on Joe; she doesn't know we are
together. We'll talk later about a plan that I'm preparing for the next
Christmas for them to meet. She's clearly determined to lose her virginity
with her boy..." Jeremy caressed his girl red hair interrupting her
explanations.

       "You are acting as..." Helen kissed her husband not allowing
continuing.

       "I'm acting as a good friend; however, we must be extremely careful
since her parents don't know anything about their relationship. We plan
they continue ignoring what is actually going on, at least until she is
sure they would accept him." Jeremy grinned as he said:

       "What a great Christmas gift for Joe!" He paused. "Helen, now I know
how great he really is. I couldn't have a better friend; we must make all
we can do to take him out from the Church's paws." Helen laughed.

       "We'll do, my husband. We'll reach our target." They smiled.

Just a couple of minutes from the moment Jeremy flew upstairs, Jackie
walked downstairs while Joe was chatting with Bernard with his back to the
stairs. Jackie watched carefully the boy's wide shoulders and his red short
hair; "he seems very tall, probably Jeremy is the same. He must have a
thick and large dick;" he thought with a sigh. When he was near them, he
said:

	"Dad, wouldn't you introduce me this young gentleman?" Joe turned
around and in seconds, and as per the description made by Jeremy, he
assumed the lovely figure in front of him was Helen's half brother. He made
a quick appraisal of the beautiful and strange boy that was bluntly looking
into his eyes. He seemed younger than Helen, though he positively knew they
were of the same age. Bernard made the introduction, but Jackie ignored
Joe's hand and hugged him. He felt the strong pectoral and he thought: "He
must fuck me. What a strong muscles!" Joe hugged the younger boy and he
could notice his skin was as smooth as velvety; "How is it possible that
this boy can be thirteen? He looks as eleven's but a little bit taller." He
thought. Bernard then said:

	"Please Jackie, take Joe to room number one; he's sharing it with
you. As soon as your sister come down, we'll go for a walk; we must take
the chance it is not as cold as I thought it could be." Jackie politely
took Joe's small pack and led him upstairs.

	"Joe, your whole body looks older than you are, however your face
is still that of a boy of fourteen." They smiled.

	"I'm not responsible either for my face or my body. I guess this
happens with you, too; but on the other way around." Jackie felt the boy's
words as a compliment and sighed.

	"Thanks Joe." Then Jackie bluntly said: "It is a pity that you are
destined to be a priest." Joe grinned thinking in his plans, but obviously
those were for Jeremy and himself.

	"Why, Jackie?" He asked grinning.

	"Do you really want me to tell you, why?" Jacky smiled showing his
white teeth.

	"Sure I do. We are here together and we are boys. Aren't we?"

	"Because priests are always scolding people due they have sex out
of marriage. When you get to be a priest your wonderful body will be
spoiled with only one woman, whereas otherwise you could have anyone that
you wanted. Your are a very handsome boy; those freckles of your face will
make mad more than one." Joe had lost his shyness and guessed what this
beautiful and angelical boy was looking for.

	"Does this "anyone" include you, Jackie?" Jackie, in spite of his
large experience, blushed deeply, certainly Joe was not a common boy;
Jeremy had warned his sister about this. He was intelligent and
decided. The Aztecan brown skinned boy bravely answered.

	"Why not? I'm homosexual and like other boys. I love John, my
present lover; but I'm not for an only lover and I'll never be. As dad
says: life is too short and we must enjoy it as much as we can, whenever we
don't hurt others." Joe laughed while he was hanging his clothes in the
closet.

	"Good philosophy. You speak as an old man, and as far as I know you
are scarcely thirteen y/o."

	"You are right; but unfortunately I had a large and hard
experience. I lived during three years as a slave, always surrounded by
cruel pirates or unscrupulous men. I watched things that I'm sure and hope
you will never watch." Joe was a very sensitive boy and knew what Jackie
was talking about. Yes he was right: life it is too short. He thought
better to change the subject.

	"Let's go downstairs, I'm anxious to know your sister; Jeremy never
stops talking about her." Jackie grinned.

	"Yes; they are made for each other. I never saw two persons so
different and love each other so much. There is something in common: both
are intelligent and beautiful. I love them very much." They walked
downstairs, Jeremy and Helen were with their back to the stairs, talking
with his father; he seemed a different person as his hand clasped the
red-haired girl's. Jackie near shouted when he saw Jeremy.

	"Brother, I had not seen you!" They hugged, you have grown a lot
lately." Then whispering into Jeremy's ear, he added: "I guess your dick is
going on parallel of your pectorals." Jeremy grinned as he paid attention
to Helen and Joe's introduction. Bernard was saying:

	"Well Joe, this is Helen, our Helen. I can't add anything that
Jeremy had not told you." Joe focused on her his eyes and thought: "she is
as I imagined her." Joe went to take her hand to kiss it; but Helen, as his
brother and Bernard had done, kissed the boy on the cheeks, and the boy did
the same to her; however he was as red as a beetroot.

	"You... you are as I imagined, Helen." Bernard interrupted their
conversation.

	"Let's go for a walk." Helen continued talking to Joe while Jeremy
was chatting with his father and Jackie; that was what they had agreed in
their room. She wanted to analyse closely the boy whom her boy-husband
admired. Bernard and Jeremy talked about the incidents with one of his
teachers and how the studies were getting on. Of course Bernard did not
tell his son he knew already part of it. Helen was telling Joe:

	"Jeremy is very special to me. We have had adventures together that
are impossible to describe..."

	"He loves you Helen as I would like to love some day a
girl. Another boy in his situation would have never accepted to be
separated from his girl; however, he's disciplined and accepts facts as
they are. He always is saying that he's building a future for you and your
future kinship. He trusts blindly on you..."

	"The same as I do on him. It seemed we had come from another world
to meet here and that we'll end our lives together. I'm mad about him,
Joe. I'll die if something happened to him." She said these words as a pray
as her eyes blurred. Joe noticed that, he did not know what to say in front
of that girl that fascinated him.

	"It still a long time ahead, Helen. He has a very clear idea of
what he's going to do, how and with whom he wants his dreams to come
true. Partially he has got his objective... I wish I had a clear picture
about my future like he has..." Helen pressed the boy's hand encouraging
him. In another circumstances someone could think she was flirting, but the
red-haired boy knew that to think like this would be a terrible mistake.

	"Joe, please, you must rely on us. We have the power and the tools
to help you, no matter what your plans are; you deserve it. We do things
with our hearts and never thinking on offending or humiliating
anyone. During this weekend we'll be able to talk about this and other
subjects referring to you."

	"Helen, Jeri and I are best friends as far as I can remember. I
would give my life for him if it were necessary. I know him better than
myself and he has always been sincere and honest to me..." They heard
Bernard's voice telling them.

	"Let's come back to the inn; it is getting dark and we are not
appropriated dressed for this humidity."

They had dinner together and the conversations turned about school. Without
the blonde's parents' knowledge, but with the school's assessment, Helen,
Linda and some other girls had started extra studies on trade. An old and
experienced teacher came twice a week to the school to teach them. The man
admired that institution, since he was a strong supporter of the woman's
emancipation. That night Helen talked with Joe in German and the boy was
surprised how fluently she spoke. She did better than himself, he thought.

	"Where did you learn so good German?" The boy asked astounded.

	"In the school in Switzerland; we were not far from Munich, so our
common language was German, not English."

Time for bed arrived and the whole troupe went upstairs to spend another
memorable night of love. For Helen and Jeremy one more of the many they
would enjoy along their lives, and for Joe, a special one in the hands of
the expert Jackie. They entered in the shared room and Jackie
surreptitiously locked the room with the large bolt. Joe noted that but he
did as if he had not; he grinned as involuntarily his dick started to get
hard. When he finished changing for bed he turned around and watched the
young Aztecan hand's moving up and down under the covers; he did not know
what to do, but finally his needs overpowered his prejudices. He approached
Jackie's bed and touched the velvety skin, and then abruptly, he dragged
down the covers and watched the naked boy in all his glory. Jackie then
said:

	"Do you like what you see?"

	"Yes. But how could you be thirteen y/o? You have not a single hair
on your flawless skin. I guess many girls would like to have your body,
Jackie." The brown skinned boy took Joe's hand and placed it on his
chest. Joe rubbed his pectorals and belly near his cock enjoying that new
sensation. He had done the same many times to Jeremy, especially when they
were little boys, and in return he had done to him: but now their skins
were different, not so smooth. Jackie then in a correct French said:

	Joe, don't hesitate if you like it; touch as much as you want; it
is a pleasure for me. This skin is a prerogative of my race. I don't think
I'll get any hair on my chest over the years; almost certainly, within a
couple of years, I'll get a little bush on the base of my dick and armpits,
that's all." Joe watched Jackie's beautiful eyes and red thick lips and
touched them; he was enthralled. "What a beautiful girl he could have
been!" He thought. Jackie moaned as he retained Joe's hand on his chest and
he started exploring the sweetness of his new friend's face. While Joe was
enjoying that lovely contact, Jackie dragged his nightclothes out and in
seconds they were naked. He knew Joe was in need, even much more than he
was; so quickly he broke the contact and pushed Joe, now laying on his back
on the bed. He scooted between the teenagers muscled legs, and could
observe that some hairs had grown on his shins, the same as in Jeremy's;
however, he was surprised that could not see any freckles on the boy's body
that had been covered by his clothes. He rubbed his chest and abdomen and
felt as a jolt of electricity thru his body; then in a quick move took his
near six inches dick into his mouth and started sucking it. Joe felt in the
haven; Jeremy was good at it, but Jackie was a real master sucking his hard
rod. He felt the needed to pay the younger boy back. With harsh voice he
said:

	"Turn around so I can do it to you." Jackie grinned without leaving
Joe's cock out from his wet mouth. While he was masturbating himself, he
motioned to his lover that they would do later; he wanted to taste the
flavour of the red-haired boy. In a couple of minutes Joe could not resist
anymore; his body tensed as a board and in seconds exploded in ecstasy into
the Aztecan boy's mouth that eagerly swallowed Joe's sweet cream. When they
were done, Jackie recovered his place near Joe's body and started caressing
his hard muscles.

	"Thanks Joe for your lovely milk; it tastes delicious." Joe wide
opened his eyes in disbelief.

	"Do you really like it? To be honest, I have never tasted it, but
Jeremy told me it is different from anything I can imagine." Jackie smiled,
kissed a peck on one of the boy nipples and said:

	"Do you want to try your own semen? Still I keep some in my mouth."
Joe did not know what to do, but before he could react, Jackie glued his
lips to his and introducing his tongue conveying some of his own
flavour. At the beginning Joe made a nasty grimace, but he did not break
the kiss. After a minute the boys separated and Joe grinned.

	"It is rare and I don't like the flavour, but it is not bad." They
laughed. Jackie pushed softly Joe on the bed again and started licking his
nipples; the new sensation soon raised his cock again hard. Jackie scooted
down a little and started drilling Joe's navel with the tip of his tongue;
this made Joe to put his hands on the younger boy head; he was erratically
breathing with moans. Jackie knowing his new friend's state engulfed his
fat dickhead that was spilling precum as Joe groaned. "Oh Jackie, you are
so, so good...!" In a sudden move, the Aztecan boy left Joe's cock and
straddled him. To Joe's surprise, Jackie guided his wet tool to his
love-hole and pushed down; in a couple of up/down moves he impaled himself
on Joe's dick. Joe had never experienced a fucking, so he was in the
seventh cloud. Jackie started slowly moving up and down while Joe had his
eyes closed and were breathing hard. Jackie knew that his friend was close
to his orgasm, as he was, too; therefore he stopped fucking himself, bent
his body and glued his lips with Joe's. The elder boy hugged him and both
kissed, but the Irish descendant continued with his eyes closed. His mind
went to the image of a blond girl; instinctively and as a pray said.

	"Please Linda... I'm very hot." Jackie smiled and increased the
pace of his moves. Joe opened his eyes and observed that the brown boy's
dick was hard and pointing out to his face; he then placed his strong
fingers round the younger boy's dickhead and started masturbating him, but
in such a way, that when he pushed down the foreskin, the head topped with
his palm. Jackie was receiving pleasure in both sides at the same
time. After a few minutes he watched how his lover raised his hips in an
attempt to go further into his bowels; and then he felt the warm of his
seed in him. All of a sudden, he groaned for the first time as he spurted
his tiny load; only a few drops that raised his spirit to the highest
cloud. Joe watched that and recalled the first time he expelled semen in a
wet dream; later confirmed by his masturbation. Sadly he thought he would
have liked it happened with Jeremy. Both boys hugged tenderly in the bliss
of their pleasure. Then Jackie turned around giving his back to Joe; in
this position he slid to his right side dragging Joe with him, now spooned
and still his hard cock in his guts.

	"Stay there, please, it feels very good." Joe thought he liked that
boy, but the near daily insisting of the priests about homosexuality to be
considered a dead sin, still made him to be reluctance to accept it in
spite of Jeremy telling him "homosexuality is born with each individual
person, never acquired." He really liked and enjoyed the velvety brown
skin. Instinctively he kissed Jackie's neck and as he touched his face; Joe
felt that the younger boy had been weeping in silence.

	"Jackie, please, turn over so I can see you." The boy did as
ordered and looked intensely at the bright blue eyes. "Congratulations
Jackie, you are now a man." Jackie thought that this had not any
significance for a homosexual boy, except that he would enjoy sex even
more. He forced a sweet smile and gave Joe a peck on the lips. Breaking his
prejudices, the Irish descendant boy said: "You are a very pretty boy
Jackie; in this moment I wish you were a girl or that I were homosexual as
you are. I'll fight for your love even..." Jackie interrupted his sentence
by placing his palm on the other boy's lips.

	"Thanks Joe, I know you are honest and sincere, at least we can be
good friends..."

	"Better brothers, as Jeri and I are." Joe asserted.

	"Yes you are right. I love you brother. They drifted to sleep and
soon they were as rocks.

Chapter 33
--------------

The following day, Saturday, was the girl and boys' birthday. After
breakfast the youths went for a walk, it was chilly outside, but they liked
that weather. Bernard remained in the Inn solving some problems. Close to
midday the boys and girl returned; they had lunch and then sat down in a
comfy private lounge. Bernard then said while he was moving the teaspoon in
his black coffee cup.

	"Now boys and girl, we need to take some decisions that will affect
mostly to Joe." Bernard then addressing to the red-haired boy added: "Joe,
just to begin with, and in advance, I must say that we'll support you in
any circumstance. You are now a member of this family; therefore we'll help
you on any decision that you may take whatsoever it is. I understand that
you and Jeremy had discussed all pros and cons about your future life, did
you reach any conclusion about it?" All kept a respectful silence while the
boy thought. Then Joe answered:

	"I never thought I would be so lucky when my family left me here,
and especially, when I heard about the wreckage of your ship; however, some
months later my life changed drastically; first with the news, and later
meeting my ever best friend here." He paused, and after a couple of minutes
he continued. "During many nights and days I have thought about what Jeremy
and I have discussed long, and I... I think I will take the second option."
He sighed. "I want to be an educated and free man and rule my own life
without any interferences from the Church or whoever wants it. I think
that, after three years of separation from my family, the worst is over,
and better since I have known you. I know that life will be difficult at
the beginning, but I'll do my best to never disappoint you..." The boys and
girl rose from their seats and hugged Joe. Then Bernard intervened.

	"I think you have taken the right decision. Nevertheless, we must
act as if nothing had changed; you have to keep secretly your decision
until you are eighteen; at that moment, our lawyers will carry out all
negotiations with the Church; meanwhile you must behave as a future
clergyman. Privately and thru Jeremy, we'll provide you with anything that
you might need, such as clothes, books, money, etc.; they must believe that
Jeremy is acting as for charity, but you will never believe that. It is an
investment from our side..." Joe was going to speak, but Helen said:

	"Joe, it is true what our father is saying. Your first job will be
as our shipping Company's representative in New York, therefore you must
continue learning about trade as much as you can, as I am doing. You will
need it. We are sure you will soon be a prominent man in those lands; so it
is not a bad idea that your brother Benjamin starts learning how to write
and read, and especially maths; we can provide the funds if necessary." Joe
sighed thinking in his brother that always rejected to work in the farm,
though he was forced to it.

	"Don't worry, I'll be the best "future priest" that ever existed."
All laughed, and then Jackie pointed out.

	"You also need to find a beautiful girl, either here or there to
marry. I promise I'll be in your wedding; of course, if you invite me..."
Both boys flushed thinking in what they had done the previous night, but
Joe gave the first news regarding Linda.

       "I'll do, brother; well... in fact... I think there is something
somewhere, but nothing fixed." Jackie was surprised and gladly said:

       "Congratulations! Please keep us informed..." Bernard then rose and
hugged the boys and girl.

	"Now, boys and girl..." They were interrupted by some knocks on the
door made by the owner of the inn. He entered pushing a trolley carrying
two tarts, one with 13 candles and another one with 14. Together Helen and
Jackie blew the first, and then Joe and Jeremy blew the second. Helen sat
on the piano's stool and all sang "Happy birthday to you..." Bernard
motioned the man and he entered with a few parcels and left. "Now children
the presents: first for the young lady." Helen looked surprised since
nobody had told her about any present; the trip had been more than enough
for her. Bernard extracted a beautiful gold necklace and hanged from her
young white neck. It was similar as the one she had from her mother, but as
she opened it, found Jeremy's image in it. She went to her boy and kissed
him tenderly. She murmured:

	"I'll pay you back tonight." Both blushed." Then Bernard
continued. From his pockets he pulled out to similar little parcels, they
contained two golden pocket watches, one for Joe and another one for
Jeremy. The red-haired boy could not keep his tears and emotions while he
hugged Bernard.

	"Thank you Uncle Bernard; I never thought..." Bernard hugged back
the boy saying:

	"In that case please, don't offend yourself if I add these..."
Bernard pointed out to a few parcels that contained new leather boots, a
large thick woollen overcoat, a jacket and few more clothes similar to
those that Jeremy and most of rich boys wore. Bernard then added: "From now
on, we'll supply you the same clothes, book, etc than to Jeremy."

	"How shall I explain this to my colleagues..." Helen then said:

	"You don't need to explain anything. Just tell them that you earned
the money doing extra jobs of translations for my Company during your free
time. I'll confirm this point if necessary."

	"What about me? The Aztecan boy asked." Bernard smiled. He pointed
out to two remaining parcels.

	"They contain what you asked me many times, but I have added
something else." Jackie opened one of the parcels that contained the last
edition of Shakespeare's complete works, plus the best English dictionary
available. Jackie hugged Bernard and tenderly kissed the man.

	"Thanks, dad. You always guess my thoughts. I love you." They spent
the rest of the evening dancing and enjoying their birthdays. Joe and
Jeremy sang together as Helen was on the piano. Needn't to say that night
was full of love in both rooms. The following day it was hard to say
goodbye, especially for Jeremy and Helen. Joe hugged Bernard softly as he
said:

	"Thanks Uncle Bernard; I'll never forget these two days. I'll be in
debt with this family for the rest of my life." Bernard stared at the
intelligent boy's bright blue eyes:

	"Joe, from now on, you must assume we are your own family;
therefore, there is nothing to thank about. Remember what we have talked
about; be careful and don't allow anyone to know our plans."

	"Don't worry; I'll see to it." Joe again hugged the man; he thought
was unfair with Bernard in respect of Linda, and before he left he added:
"Uncle Bernard, there is something between Linda Mullen and I; please ask
Helen, she's well aware of it; sorry I did not tell you before." The man
understood the boy's moment and hugged him again back, saying:

       "You did well; I'm glad to know it, Joe. As far as I know, she's a
great and stubborn girl. I like her and know her family." Jeremy thought
that Joe was to break, so he hurried him up to enter into the College where
they would stay for another four years.

Christmas arrived and all students left for their homes to enjoy the
familiar holidays. Joe accompanied Jeremy, with a special authorization
from his superiors; though they were not very fond of Bernard, due to the
fact he was not a believer and never contributed to the Church, as most of
Scientifics. The bishop commented with the Dean of the Seminary: "This man
has become a prominent and relevant person, even within the Royal House;
therefore we cannot negate..."

Helen and Jeremy had arranged everything in order that Linda and Joe would
meet, but without previously knowing it. Joe entered into the room that had
been assigned to him in Helen's home. He was astounded of the room
magnificence. He had started ordering his clothes when he heard Helen
outside saying to someone:

	"Please, go in; you'll find your Christmas' present near the
bed. We'll see you later." Without knocking on the door, Linda entered
decidedly into the room with a bag on her hand. The blond girl almost
fainted as Joe spun and faced her. They stood watching each other for a few
seconds and then Mother Nature did her job. Boy and girl launched into each
other arms and started kissing. Helen sighed and closed the door behind
her. Needn't to say or explain what happened during those fantastic and
memorable Christmas days; secretly they converted in what their souls were
seeking: husband and wife or wife and husband for the rest of their lives.


Helen and Jeremy married four years later. Special guests were: Sir Elliot,
at the moment British Minister for Overseas. Carla and Jack; their lovely
twins acted as pages that, to their surprise, were named Jeremy John and
Helen Carla, respectively. Before Helen was twenty-three she had five
children, three boys and two girls, named: Jeremy, Helen, Bernard, Carla
and Jack.

Fortunately their children grew healthy in all senses. Jeremy joined the
Fleet. Helen married Carla and Jack's son; they lived in London. Bernard
and Carla joined their aunty in the shipping Company; spending most of
their time in Southampton. And finally, Jack followed his father and
grandfather's steps, being one of the best investigators and physicians
during the 19th Century. None of them were red-haired. Young Jack's first
child was a red-haired girl and they named her Marta.

Joe could not come to Jeremy and Helen's wedding; though Linda and her
family assisted. The Church had taken him as an interpreter to accompany
the archbishop of Winchester to Germany and Italy. This fact even increased
his revulsion to this institution, because they seemed had guessed his
intentions of leaving them. One year later, he left the Church happily and
stayed for a few months with Jeremy and Helen, until she had her second
baby, taking the chance to study carefully everything related to his new
task in New York. Before he departed for America he married Linda; as she
had said many times, she wanted to be a free woman in a free country; she
was right.

Mr. Elliot gave them letters of introduction for the British Ambassador and
for his US colleague. They did a good job in America helped by his
intelligent brother Benjamin. However his mother never forgave him for not
being a high member of the Church, though wit the time, she partially gave
up. Within a few years he was well known and rich. Converted in an American
citizen, he was elected as Senator for the Democratic Party. Linda and Joe
occupied a high position within New York's society. They had three girls
and a boy; one of the girl married Jeremy's son, Bernard. The Company
increased its activities with new business: banking, mostly in US;
export/import; ship building and jewellery.

With the time John became a good physician and Jackie a successful writer
that put in writing his adventures about his many journeys to South America
and Africa.

The war against France continued and the Company made excellent business
transporting troops and supplies for the armies. They built a large house
and docks in Southampton where they moved the offices. Jackie and John thus
occupied the princess' house. Jackie died forty years later in Mexico; and
John continued living in the house until he died at the age of
seventy. Every few years, he picked up a boy from the orphanage believed to
be homosexual, he looked after him and educated him like a father; and if
the boy liked, as a lover, too. When the boy was sixteen he would normally
join the war fleet or merchant fleet as a midshipman. Some died in the
wars, others returned married, and others never were seen again. But that
was not a handicap for him to continue rescuing as much "gay boys" (as you
would call them today) as he could from the orphanage.

Bernard's parents died two years later after Helen and Jeremy had their
second child; he then moved with Helen and Jeremy to enjoy his grand
children. The big house was converted into a high-class hospital for high
rank officers wounded in the different wars that Britain maintained round
the world, being Bernard its director and John his first assistant. He died
forty years later surrounded by a large family as he always dreamed about.

As the youngest director of the British Medical Society, Jeremy and Helen
travelled thru Europe giving conferences and assisting to meetings to
discuss new technologies and discoveries on the field of medicine. He wrote
several books, especially about medicine and tropical plants, in which
matter he was reputed as the first authority in Britain.

Chapter 34
--------------

Jeremy now was an old and strong man of 74 y/o. He was leaning on his desk
in his cabin near the infirmary of the modern new frigate, "The Fearless";
a medium size warship moved by mix of vapour and sail; the captain was his
56 y/o oldest son: Jeremy. Suddenly he heard the pitchy voice of the now 13
y/o midshipman David Nielsen from the foremast:

	"Land at larboard!!!"

The old man heart beat strongly because his grand child announced the
presence of land, the land that had made so happy his family during so many
years. They had many grand children and great grandsons and daughters,
spread over the country, even some of them abroad in America. His Red Queen
and himself promised to love their children for equal, no matter how they
were. They got the objective with his sons and daughters, but it was
impossible to comply with their grand children. David, the twelve-year-old
son of their daughter Carla was very special for them; besides, Carla and
her three children lived in with them since her husband, Gustav Nielsen,
was one of the souls of the Group of Companies and had to travel from one
side to other to supervise the large Company's interests.

David was a normal boy, healthy and intelligent, that loved music and
played the violin and piano fairly well. He was probably the only real
blond of the family. His lank light-golden hair, near white, and intense
blue large eyes, clearly showed his Viking blood. Since he was near a baby,
he used to jump on his Papa's lap, leaned his golden head against Jeremy's
chest and the little boy introduced his right hand thru the old man's
shirt, starting to rub the man's hairy skin. When the boy grew, Jeremy
could observe that his little dick got hard, then the boy mischievously
used to stare at his Papa and grinned. Most of the times he drifted to
sleep in that position as his grandfather kissed his head and tacked him on
his bed. This behaviour some times raised the jealousy of his cousins when
visiting the grand house, but he seemed not to mind at all; on contrary, he
did it on purpose in spite his mother scolded him for his behaviour.

When Jeremy advised his family about that trip onboard of the "Fearless",
David convinced his parents to allow him to be a midshipman in the same
ship. Jeremy junior, the Captain of this frigate, had a special feeling for
this blond nephew, he did not mentioned it, but David was his favourite
one. Jeremy could remember the conversation held between Carla and his
brother Jeremy, being present the grand parents and the boy. The Captain
was warning him:

	"David, onboard you must forget I'm your uncle; I can't treat you
differently as any other midshipman. Besides your studies with the
officers, you must carry out your task as a cabin boy, climbing to the
rigging and making guards on top of the masts. Nobody will know that you
are part of our family. Are you sure you want to go ahead joining HM Navy?"
The boy did not hesitated for a moment.

	"Yes Uncle Jeremy. You won't have any complaint about me." He
glanced at his Papa and grinned. He complied with his word. Most of the
crew admired the boy how he climbed or moved thru the rigging, and
especially how he enjoyed when the sea was rough and jumped over the rough
waves. His 13th birthday arrived navigating thru the Indian Ocean; only his
Papa was present in this special moment, but did not need anyone else when
they hugged as the old man said:

	"Congratulations, David!" As a present Jeremy gave to his grandson
his old knife, warning him to keep it hidden. The boy tenderly kissed his
Papa and returned happily to his duties.

Next day the Captain placed his strong muscular right arm round his
father's shoulders and tenderly pressed the old retired scientific man
against him. They heard the second officer commands and the boatswain
ruling the encourage operations. The sea was quiet, and clearly they could
see in front of them the shape of the devastated island. The war against
Napoleon had finished many years back and England was now the master of the
seas. They could spend money on an investigation voyages like this,
partially sponsored by the King, in order to determine the origin and the
cause of some new and old illnesses, such as the bubonic pest plague. His
father and his brother Jack had done great advances in many other medicine
and surgery fields, having had the recognition of their society and the
Crown. The Captain then said:

       "Here you are your island, father. Tomorrow morning a boat will take
us in there, though there is not much to see; meantime we will take the
chance to refill our water tanks. Two tsunamis have destroyed this and
others paradise islands with a few inhabitants living in them, apparently
cannibals, even the coral reef that surrounded the island. It will take
thousands of years to recover, if it does, to its primitive state; it was
destroyed during a few hours. Waters are very deep here."

       "Yes, son, it looks like a grave where our happiness were
buried. Mother Nature plays with its sons, sometimes to reward them and
some other times to punish them." The following morning six sailors and a
young midshipman rowed and left them ashore of the little white island.

       "Mr. Collins, come to fetch us in three hours and before the guard
changes."

       "Yes sir. Row!" The boat returned to the ship. The old man sighed,
and as an automat he walked along the beach and up the hill where the
volcano had spurted its lava many times. After round an hour walking up,
they stopped in front of a little cave and he entered, followed by his son
that was decided to explore it. Jeremy remained under the canopy watching
the sea and what was left of the island, as he had done many times with
Helen and his father. His son left him alone guessing his thoughts as he
continued exploring the cave. The old man then sat down on a square black
rock looking to the sea and the white beach beneath them. Not very far
away, he could watch the beautiful, powerful and modern vessel smoothly
swinging on the quiet sea. He would have liked to bring his grandson with
him, even to spend a night and sleep into the cave; but discipline was
above all.

The terrible earthquakes and the gigantic waves had destroyed two thirds of
the island, the bay, palm-trees and any sign of life... Probably it came
from the East, he thought, since he still could see "his rock"; though
smaller, partially covered with white sand that was being washed by the
small waves. He sighed as two tears dribbled along his old cheeks. He laid
his back against the cave's wall and closed his eyes. His mind returned to
sixty-four years back in time when he was ten, close to eleven. His son
returned from exploring the cavern and could not find anything interesting,
apart of some bones and an old tool like an axe. He found his father with
his eyes closed and did not want to awake him up; but Jeremy was not
asleep. His son tenderly touched the Scientifics' shoulder:

       "Dad, we must return; Collins probably is waiting for us at the
beach." He looked at his oldest son and grinned.

       "Did you explore the cave, son?

       "Yes, I did and found this old tool." He grinned again.

       "Please take the torch and go again to the bottom. On the left side
you will see a near square rock." He sighed as he continued. "It is not a
rock from the cave, but granite; it has engraved two hearts crossed by an
arrow and the year 1790." He smiled remembering the difficulty that Helen
and himself experienced to do it on granite. "Follow the direction marked
by the arrow and dig on the floor." His son smiled and for the first time
he thought his father's memory was failing. But his experience reminded him
that, when he was dealing with his parents, he always was wrong. He
returned with a small coconut wrapped in an old oiled cloth that was
destroyed when he extracted it. He showed to his father and the old man
grinned. "Please bring the rock, too." When he returned, he took the cork
off. "Please place your hands up and make a pouch, as if you were going to
drink water." He then dropped some of the coconut's contain, a few
beautiful pearls. The man couldn't believe it. He knew that a substantial
part of the family's large fortune came from the trade with pearls; it was
a family well-kept secret. He astonished said:

       "Dad, this is a fortune!" Jeremy grinned.

       "I extracted all of them from the sea bottom; that was my
contribution to our family. Your mom decided to leave it here just in case
some of our sons might need them."

       "Your sons?" The seaman smiled. "But dad, you were 13 y/o and she
was 12! How could two children think like that at this age?" He smiled at
his son.

       "You are my oldest son and I always was very fond and proud of you;
I would have liked that you had followed my steps, but you preferred the
sea. Son, I can answer your previous question. As you well know, your
mother is a real and exceptional woman; right from the first moment that I
saw her in this island I fell in love with her, and she loved me back. When
we buried this coconut into the cave, we had been husband and wife for near
two years. The happiest years of our lives!" His son grinned openly.

       "Do you think we are silly, dad? We, all your children know that;
only to see how you and mom kissed in front of us would have been enough;
but Jack, who is the cleverest and greater evil of all of us, found out how
you had been. You were not so discreet as you may think." They laughed.

       "Do you think it would have been better being discreet in front of
my children?" We always tried to transmit you all our happiness."

       "Oh no, dad! You know how your sons, daughters and grandchildren
love you, especially that blond boy that is onboard. That is the
consequence of your love and confidence on us. For your satisfaction dad,
we have always felt the happiest children and adults of the world. We'll
never thank enough Mother Nature for giving us such an exceptional and good
parents. I don't think we'll ever reach you in that, but at least, my wife
and myself are trying to emulate you, the same as the rest of my brothers
and daughters. Fortunately they chose good partners and you can watch the
results on your grandchildren." Father and son hugged for a few moments.

       "We better leave, my son." They walked down hill with the tool, the
rock and the coconut. Robert Collins, the youngest grandson of our previous
named Collins, was waiting for them; they boarded the boat, and as the
sailors commenced rowing, the island soil started to tremble. It was a very
hard earthquake. A strange sound came to them as rocks were running down
from the volcano's sides. Collins shouted immediately to row harder and
quicker. They had just passed the line where the reef ring used to be, when
they watched how the volcano had started in a great eruption with a large
black smoke and vapour column raising into the blue sky; fortunately the
breeze was blowing from the east, so it went to the other side of the
island. Some minutes later they climbed onto the frigate and Jeremy's son
ordered to haul all sails as the propeller started gyrating, since the air
was scarce. The frigate moved on Southeast course, however, when the ship
was about a couple of miles away from the island, the wind dropped
suddenly, as a dead calm came. He ordered to stop the powerful machine
since the ship was separated enough from land. He guessed something
extraordinary was taking place.

They could observe how the volcano was spurting yellow-red rivers of lava
to the sea. The cone now was as an open grenade; forming great large white
vapour clouds when the lava reached the sea. They watched how a large flock
of seagulls abandoned the island flying up near the vapour and smoke
column. All crewmembers were astonished as a second earthquake hit the
island; they noticed it in the sea surface because little waves chocked
against the ship in spite of the dead calm. Jeremy with a sigh said:

       "I think this is the end; it seems as if we had retrieved the
island's heart." He felt a small hand pressing his and Jeremy returned the
touch to his grandson. He stared at the boy and saw he was scared, but that
glance was enough to comfort the boy. Everybody returned to their duties,
and David to his post on top pf the foremast, but could not take their eyes
from the island. The cone had broken into parts; now large cracks forming a
cross were spurting thousands of tons of lava. It was near the sunset when
the ship started moving up to a safer distance. Then the pitchy voice of
the boy was heard:

       "Great wave to the larboard!!!"

Everybody turned their heads and could watch the enormous mass of water
that was approaching quickly. The first officer went to the bell and rang
it furiously ordering all crewmembers to abandon the bow's area, no matter
what they were doing. Jeremy that was observing the island from the stern,
shouted:

       "It is a tsunami!!!" The ship was the best place to be in this
instance. The Captain ordered all the engine's force ahead to face the
large wave as they felt as if a gigantic whale was hauling up the
ship. Some time later, the ship went down on the other side of the large
wave, as if the sea wanted to swallow her. The Captain ordered all engine
force arrear to minimise the impact, however the ship could not avoid her
bow and the rigs buried into the deep water as a wounded whale. One minute
later, the bow emerged spraying tons of water that returned to the sea thru
the speedways. They watched the great barrier of water hiding the island
from their view; then it was heard a great explosion and an enormous white
cloud of smoke and vapour that covered all the sea.

Jeremy had watched how everybody retreated from the bow's area as the bell
sounded. He had seen David climbing down the rigging, however he did not
see his grandchild at the stern. He felt his old heart bumping into his
chest, as he feared the worst; so, as soon as the vessel emerged, he ran to
the bow followed by his assistant, a future young MD midshipman. As he had
feared, he found his grandchild at the base of the foremast, still tied up
to the safe cord. His old eyes blurred, but it wasn't time to cry, but to
act and quickly. He placed his finger on the young boy's jugular vein and
sensed that his heart had stopped beating. As many years back in the island
with his father, he turned the boy head to his right side and started
pushing the boy's chest with his two hands together: one, two, three, four,
five... At this moment, the boy coughed and started to breath, expelling
some water and yellowish saliva. Jeremy caressed his blond head and dragged
it to his chest. He tried to raise him, but he was too old and had not
enough strength to lift him. His assistant took the boy in his strong arms
as Jeremy said:

	"Please, take him to my cabin." The group went thru the deck to the
stern and into Jeremy's quarters as the ship steadied on the calmed
waters. Robert Collins was holding the helm under the supervision of his
teacher officer and watched his adored boy in his colleague's arms and
sighed. The boy was placed on the bed near unconscious and Jeremy proceeded
to undress him from his soaked clothes; once this was done, he covered the
child with a blanket and caressed tenderly his face that had recovered his
pink colour. The boy opened his eyes as two tears emerged from his blue
eyes; then extracted his white arm and touched his Papa's. Jeremy pressed
it and returned under the covers as David closed the yes and drifted to
sleep.

A soft breeze came from the East and thirty minutes later the cloud
disappeared and the island too. Nothing was left, except a few pieces of
old and dry bushes floating. His son was near him as he said:

       "You will never see this again, we have been very fortunate
contemplating this phenomenon, one of the greatest expressions of Mother
Nature. There is nothing we can do, my son; fortunately we were on board
and there was nobody living in the island. Your granddad was right, the
paradise could be a real danger." He then said near in a whisper that only
his son could hear:

       "Let's return home. During the navigation we will write a long
report about this phenomenon hearing everyone who has seen it. The
Geographic Society will more than welcome it." The Captain pressed his
father against him, and asked:

       "How's is David?" I couldn't do anything..." His father interrupted
him.

       "He's asleep. You did what is expected from a Captain, to save your
ship and your crew. Fortunately the boy is alright, but there were moments
that I feared the worst." In that moment the bell sounded announcing the
change of guard. Jeremy returned to his cabin where he could se that David
was hard asleep. Some minutes later he heard some knocks on his door and
thought maybe someone had been hurt. In the door was the fourteen-years-old
midshipman Robert Collins. He knew they were good friends.

       "Sorry Sir if... I disturb you... I... I just came to ask about
David and..."

       "Come in Bob; please forget any protocol. David is asleep, hope this
event never is repeated; he had been in a real danger to die." The boy
could not prevent his eyes blurred; Jeremy understood that their
relationship was something more than just a friendship. The experienced man
invited the boy to seat. He closed the door, and then looking into the
boy's eyes he said: "You love him, don't you, Bob?" The boy flushed deeply
as his most bottomless secret had been unveiled. He started crying in
silence as Jeremy patted his back and added: "There is nothing dirty, bad
or erroneous on loving him, Bob. You are a wonderful boy as my friend, your
grand father, used to be. I'm sure David loves you, too." The boy bent his
head and stammering said:

       "I... I wish he loved me, but I know his only love is his grand
father, you. I'll miss him..." Jeremy interrupted the boy a little bit
surprised.

       "Miss him, why? You are very young and have many years ahead to be
together, until you become an officer." The boy stared to the bed to watch
his loved boy that apparently was asleep.

       "Sorry sir, perhaps I'm disclosing something, but he didn't tell me
to keep it secret."

       "I wonder what you are trying to say, Bob." The boy thought for a
moment and then said:

       "David doesn't like the sea and to be an officer like his uncle; he
wants to be a physician, like you are." The boy paused for a moment and
then continued. "In spite of being so good performing his tasks onboard, he
joined the Navy because he wanted to be near you, so once you leave he will
do the same. I know you are his grandfather, though I never told to
anyone." He paused again. "Thank you for saving him. I... I must go, I have
a class with my tutor."

       "You are right, Bob. Please keep it secret..." The boy stood and
left closing the door behind. After a few minutes Jeremy turned his head
and found his grandson standing near the bed stark naked and partially
covered by the blanket. He flushed facing his grandfather because his near
five inches dick was very hard. Jeremy opened his arms and the boy launched
himself into them, sitting on the man lap with his arms round the old man's
neck.

       "Thank you Papa for saving me. I have heard what Bob has said
and... it is absolutely true. Within a couple of months I'll finish my
compromise with the Fleet, so when we return home I'll say goodbye to all
of this. I'm sorry because I'm unfair with you and Uncle Jeremy..." The old
man hugged his grandson to his chest, then the boy continued without
separating from his grandpa's chest. "I know Bob loves me he told me, but
right from the beginning I told him that we could be friends, even best
friends, but I couldn't love him as he did to me." The boy paused as Jeremy
rubbed his back encouraging his grandchild to continue. "We have done boy's
stuff when we had the opportunity, but I didn't like to go further..."
Jeremy interrupted his child.

       "You don't need to apologise; you are neither the first nor the last
one to abandon the Fleet. Besides, you have been honest with Bob; he
deserved your friendship. I had more or less the same situation with Uncle
John and he accepted that as natural. We continued being good friends
forever."


After a few months on the sea, they arrived at home just a few days before
Jeremy and Helen's birthday; he was then 75 y/o. As usual he hugged his
faithful wife and they kissed tenderly. He explained her the end of their
paradise and the boy's accident. Helen hugged her husband saying:

       "It was our island and Mother Nature wanted it only for us; so that
is the real signal for us too; we are the only survivors from our
generation. Joe, John, Linda... all are gone; besides, those headaches now
are very strong and I have to increase the dose to keep them away."
Jeremy's eyes blurred because he knew the symptoms; he had discussed it
with his son and both agreed the terrible origin and
diagnosis. Unfortunately they could not do anything to heal her.

       "You look even prettier every time I see you again." She looked at
him and they hugged and kissed gently again. One of their
great-grandchildren, a lovely red-haired girl of 11 y/o touched them.

       "Papa, we also need to kiss you." He looked to his favourite girl
child and hugged her very tight; he had preferred to lift her as he used to
do a few years back, but she was too heavy for his old bones. He looked
into her blue eyes and kissed her on her freckled nose.

       "I love you Marta, but soon you will not miss my kisses, as a
beautiful boy will replace me in your heart." She blushed and a little
upset hugged her Papa as all the children called him. Then the little girl
said:

       "No one will replace you in my heart, ever! She near shouted and ran
upstairs because, for the first time, she had lied to his Papa and felt
ashamed; her fourteen-year-old cousin David had an important place in her
young heart, though he did not know anything yet.

They celebrated their birthday surrounded by his entire large family: 5
sons/daughters, 24 grandsons/daughters and 10
great-grandsons/daughters. John had died three years back. After dinner,
they kissed all one by one; that was a tradition; then left them enjoying
the evening. Hand in hand slowly they went up into their bedroom in the
first floor. They entered, close the door and hugged softly. As they had
done many times before, she undressed him and he undressed her.

       "You look beautiful, my Red Queen." They hugged and made love with
some emotion and tenderness. When they recovered, wore the sleeping
nightlong dresses; he then offered her a glass as he took another one. They
contained what they had used many times, however, in this occasion with an
increased dose. They drank them and kissed a peck; a couple minutes later
they could watch how they flew out of their bodies that lay on the bed
quiet, with hands entwined and a smile on their lips. They looked at each
other floating, their bodies had changed; they were naked and now 12
y/o. Hand in hand, they went thru the wall, flew over the buildings, up
into the high blue sky. They saw a bright light very far away that
attracted them as a light to a moth in summer. They flew faster and in
seconds their island appeared before them with all its beauty and
splendour. On the flat black rock they saw Bernard and Jackie waving them,
and a little far John, Joe, Linda, the Captain and many others that they
had known during their carnal lives. They sat on the black rock and looking
into each other eyes Jeremy said:

       "I love you, my beautiful red-queen."

       "I love you too, my handsome boy." They kissed tenderly while the
bright and beautiful sun was disappearing behind the palm trees of the
"Island that never was."

					EPILOGUE
					========

The following morning, one of their daughters knocked on the door, and as
she did not obtain any answer, opened it and found the corpses. Of course,
all members of the large family got sad and cried, but deeply in their
hearts they knew and understood their will. All members of the large family
felt the impact, but respected what they had decided, much more when Jack
told his brothers and sisters that their mother was gravely ill from a
brain tumour. They were buried together in the land surrounding the house,
in a corner of the large garden, not far from their house. A heavy marble
stone crowned the grave, in which the artist had clustered the rock from
their island; below, the following legend: "Jeremy and Helen, the greatest
love."

Two weeks later, just some hours before departing for an Oxford College,
David Nielsen was sat down on a little marble bench built at the foot of
the grave. He had placed a bouquet of white roses on it as his grandparents
liked. Abundant tears were dribbling down his tanned cheeks. Suddenly he
felt someone sitting near him; he did not turn his blond head because he
guessed whom she was. Little Marta sat down near the boy and placed her
left child arm round the boy's waist; David did the same with his right arm
on her shoulders attracting the girl to him that leaned her red haired head
on the boy right shoulder. Then he wiped his tears with the back of his
left hand and extended it to the girl's lap; Marta grasped it with her
right as David said:

	"I love you, my red queen!"

	"I love you, too, my blond Viking."

The end.