2
Gisborne reached for the wine bottle and attempted to pour. Most of it missed the glass, but Guy didn't notice. Six months and the memory of Marian remained burned into his heart. He could still smell the scent of sand in her hair as she fell to the ground. Six months and his drinking had steadily increased each time needing just a little more to have a temporary peace from the haunting her last words inflicted on him. Six months and he had become more and more ineffective for the Sheriff. The sheriff had tried everything to get Gisborne out of this ever-worsening depression: money, land, girls. But nothing worked, and the Sheriff was starting to lose his patience as Guy drowned in an agonizing cycle of anger and regret. Word had reached him that Marian's last act was to marry Robin Hood! Even in her last act on Earth, Marian had mocked him.
Today was the Sheriff's birthday and an elaborate celebration was planned in the Great Hall. Many of the black knights would be there along with entertainers of all kinds. However, ever since the Lardener debacle, Gisborne had been forced to hear all of the comedy routines in advance. Everyone in the castle could tell when he had spent a day listening to the jesters and steered clear of him as one wrong word or look would get you a spell in the dungeon.
However, now that the party was actually in full swing, Gisborne was enjoying himself as much as possible trying to pour his fifth glass of wine. But before he could even bring the goblet up to his mouth, a guard entered the Hall and moved toward him. The guard motioned for Guy to speak to him in private. Guy rose on unsteady legs and staggered to where the guard stood.
"Well, what is it? This had better be good."
"Sir Guy, we have a stranger wanting to give the Sheriff a birthday present."
Guy arched an eyebrow, "Really? You were right to call me." Guy walked over to the entrance and looked at the figure in the hallway. His vision was blurred; but when it cleared, a woman stood there, clothed in a button down black tunic with a collar that folded down and unusual blue trousers both made of a material he had never seen before and which seemed oddly out of place. The clothes were somehow wrong but he couldn't put his finger on the reason why. In fact, it was difficult to tell that she was a woman in those loose fitting clothes. Her hair was auburn curling around her face and coming down to her shoulders in waves. Alert, brown eyes kept watch on the room for movements and sounds. A worn leather bag was across her shoulder, and she laid her arms down to her side as if to guard it.
"I am Sir Guy of Gisborne. I've been told you want to give the Sheriff a birthday present. I'm afraid you cannot proceed until you show me the present. I do, after all, have to keep the Sheriff safe."
The girl curtsied awkwardly. Guy wondered at that. A servant would know how to show respect and a Lady would have been taught how to do it gracefully. So, who was she? "Sir Guy, it is an honor to meet you. I have heard so many things about you. I am Lady Genevieve of New Market with a present for the Sheriff. I'm afraid that I can only show it to him. The nature of the gift is such that I have promised not to release it to anyone else's hand except the Sheriff's."
Guy laughed under his breath. "Lady Genevieve", he hardly thought she could be a Lady, "can I assume that this gift is one that cannot be given in public?" Guy smirked. Maybe she, herself, was the birthday present. Anyway, he wanted to see the girl squirm with the implication he had just put before her.
"I don't quite understand what you mean." Then the slow realization came to her. "Oh, you cannot be serious. I promise, Sir Guy, that there is no sexual element to this." Genevieve replied with a laugh and a grin.
Guy was taken aback by the fact that Lady Genevieve had spoken so openly about a topic that would make most women blush. He looked at her in more detailed and saw a diamond ring on her left hand. She might be married, but then she would have mentioned her lord when she introduced herself. "I'm sorry, Lady Genevieve. But, I must see what you have for the Sheriff."
"Ok, then, you asked for it," Genevieve pulled a revolver from her bag and pointed at Sir Guy who smiled curiously at it until she raised it over her head and pulled the trigger. The resounding bang made everyone freeze where they were. "Go into the Hall slowly, or the next one will go into you."
Guy led the way into the Hall where chaos ensued due to the noise. "I do apologize for my abrupt entrance, but Sir Guy gave me no choice. My lord, Sheriff, I bring you this gift - a weapon so advanced that no one in the world today has another copy of it. It can pierce your state of the art armor as easily as a knife through cheese." Genevieve fired a second shot this time into the suit of armor that was standing behind the Sheriff.
As a soldier attempted to sneak up behind her, Genevieve turned and fired a third shot straight into his stomach. He dropped with a groan to the ground. "The gun can kill slowly as your guard will be dead by nightfall and be in agonizing pain for the rest of the day." Genevieve fired a fourth shot, this time into the head of a soldier at point blank range. "Or, it can kill quickly as this man is already dead. It can also wound causing extraordinary pain." As she said this, Genevieve fired a fifth bullet into the knee of third soldier. By this time she was standing right in front of Vasey with Guy backed up to the table.
"Now, my lord Sheriff, the gun is yours," Genevieve said as she laid the gun on the table. "You have one last bullet to use as a revolver holds six. Now, you can try it out for yourself and feel the pleasure of pulling the trigger. I suggest you squeeze slowly your first time." The Sheriff grabbed it pointing it at her without saying a word.
"Yes, you could kill me, but then you wouldn't know where the rest of the bullets are and without them, the gun is useless. So, the gun is your present, and the rest of the bullets will be my payment to you."
"Payment?"
"Yes, I will live in the castle having the freedom to get what I want and to go wherever I please. In return, I will give you one bullet a month as well as telling your scientists everything I know about the process and how to duplicate it."
The Sheriff considered and pointed the gun straight at Genevieve who neither blinked nor tried to run away. Then, without warning, the Sheriff pulled the gun sharply to the right and fired the gun into the chest of the guard with the wounded knee. As the guard shuddered and took his last breath, a smile crept up on the Sheriff's face. "Guards! Have the servants prepare a room for our new guest. Your name, young lady, and how did you come by such wonderful toys?"
"Lady Genevieve, or Gene, if you prefer. And, as for the toys, well, it helps that I've come from the future – the year 2008 to be exact. In fact, my lord Sheriff, I'm sure that I could come up with other bits of information that could be profitable to you as well."
"Well then, Lady Genevieve, you are welcome to Nottingham Castle. I will have Sir Guy attend you and you will of course join me for dinner tonight."
"Only if I can be suitably dressed. I feel out of place in these clothes. I know not many women wear trousers in the 12th century."
"I will of course send my best dress maker to you."
Genevieve pulled out a bullet from her pocket and laid it upon the table. "Pleasure doing business with you, Sheriff."
The Sheriff walked over to where Sir Guy stood, still in a daze after what all had happened, and sniffed his breath. "Gisborne, you smell like a bunch of old grapes. The next time I find you drunk, I will put you in the dungeon and squash you till every last drop of wine is out of your system!" Then the Sheriff hauled back and slammed Sir Guy's face into the pillar. "If your are still a sniveling drunk in one month's time, I'll have no choice but to test my new toy out on you! But, for now, show Lady Genevieve to her new room and attend her."
"Yes, my lord." Guy stood there stunned and embarrassed. As the Sheriff became enraptured with his new toy, Guy's spinning brain fully processed Sheriff's words and went over to Gene. "Follow me, m'lady. I'll show you to your room."
Gene followed without comment. She felt bad about getting Guy into trouble, and she could tell that he was furious as he shoved the door to her room open. "This is where you'll be staying." Guy opened the door and motioned for Gene to walk into the room. She complied with Guy following right behind her and shutting the door. Servants had already lit the fire and were putting the fresh linens on the bed. The room was chilly even with the fire. Gene silently cursed the fact that it would be over a thousand years before central heating would be invented.
"If you need anything, call for the servants. They will attend to you." Guy's comment jarred her back into reality.
"Thank you very much. I'm sorry that I've gotten you in trouble with the Sheriff. I know he blamed you for my actions. Is there anything I can do to help smooth things over with him? Maybe I can help you."
Guy's gaze followed the servants as they finished readying the room and closed the door.
"Help? How?"
"Well, I do know a few ways to help someone stop drinking. Would you let me try?"
Guy responded with a terse laugh and cocking his head. "You, help me?" His voice started off as soft as a whisper but gradually got louder till he was yelling. "When you are the one who got me in this trouble in the first place? Women are all alike! You talk one way and act another. You are nothing but two faced, betraying sluts who. . ."
With a resounding smack, Gene backhanded Guy across the face and responded in a cool voice. "Snap out of it, Gisborne. I am not Marian. And not every woman who tries to help you is going to betray you. You understandably have some serious trust issues, but pull yourself together or the Sheriff is going to pull you apart bit by bit."
Guy looked very quietly at her while she said her peace. When she had finished, Guy grabbed her throat and slammed her against the wall. He expected to see fear in her face, like he had seen with so many other women, like he had even seen with Marian when he had discovered she was the Night Watchman. Instead, Gene's eyes and mouth grinned up at him. She was either fearless or crazy, but Guy couldn't decide which.
In a flash Gene's arms came up between her and Gisborne breaking his grip and shoving him backwards. As he was forced back to the left, Gene shot her arm out and connected with his back sending him to the ground. She grabbed his arms folding them behind his back as she landed with all her might with her knee in his back. Gisborne let out a gasp of surprise and a groan of pain.
"I am NOT Marian! I am going to tell you the truth – even if it hurts:
Truth number 1 – forget about all of your domineering bullshit, it won't work
with me.
Truth number 2 – you might as well ditch the self-pity, too; because it doesn't
become you.
Truth number 3 – all you did was kill someone who betrayed you and played you
for a sucker time after time. Something you've done a number of times to nameless men.
Truth number 4 – until you come to terms with killing Marian, you're going to be
nothing more than a drunken has-been when you had the potential to have
it all."
As Gene talked, Guy slowly stopped struggling. When he had calmed down, Gene leaned over and whispered in Guy's ear, "I have the capability of helping you get the power you want, power you never even dreamed possible. But, I'm not going to waste my time on a drunkard. Now, get up, get out, and get sober. You are too smart to let Marian be the death of you." As she said these last words, Gene released Guy and rose to her feet.
Gisborne got up and looked at Gene. His eyes were subdued now, and he motioned to the red mark already visible on her neck from the force of his grip. "That will leave a bruise."
"Yeah, well, you'll have a beauty of a bruise on your back, too."
"No, you misunderstand me. The Sheriff will wonder what happened to you."
"Ah, yes, I'm sure the dress maker that will be here shortly can come up with some inventive options to cover up this little mishap." Gene walked Guy to the door, opened it and led him out. "In short, I'm not going to tell on you. The hardest thing for you to come to grips with in the next few hours is answering this question: did I beat you because you are drunk or because I'm better than you? See you at dinner."
