Sawyer Fan – More father/son bonding? I think I can manage that! Glad the adoption scene worked for you. And we had the same favourite line. Thanks so much for being there and your encouragement.
q1120790 – Writing that tirade scene was great fun and my mission is to fill my stories with as much Tom goodness as possible G . Thanks very much for your comments!
Ingra – I love doing banter between those pairings. I'm glad you're still enjoying it and thanks for your reviews. Hope you're not being overworked at work!
Twitch in my eye – Thank you - It is going to keep going! It just might take a few months to write Rubicon 3.
Diamond77 – Wow, thanks! You'll see in the author's notes at the end that I'm lucky to have friends who are great beta readers and they also have handy research knowledge I can call on. So when I get a scenario in my mind for a story or fic, they do their best to help me make it as real and polished as possible.And writing for dear Tom is such a pleasure.
Jane QD – LOL. Sorry for the wait – I didn't expect or plan it to be three weeks before this final part was ready. I've been enjoying reading the books of the League characters and hope to read the rest and weave more details from them into Rubicon 3 (and also more Tom/Mina interaction). My med betas were so handy when I said to them "I want to find or invent an illness where this and this happens." Thank you!
"Rubicon 2 – Africa" Chapter 9
by Ten Mara
Rating: T
CATEGORY: Story, Drama/Angst, Supernatural aspects, hints of potential Tom/Mina
DISCLAIMER: The literary characters referred to are copyright their respective authors, and "LXG: The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen" is copyright 20th Century Fox, based on the comic books by Alan Moore and Kevin O'Neill. The characters and movie universe are used without permission. No copyright infringement is intended, no profit will be gained. Characters not recognised are mine.
xXx
Father and son were having a chat, Tom sitting up in bed and Allan comfortably settled in the wingback chair.
"By the way, I seem to have come into possession of your Winchester rifle," the hunter said.
"And I've got your elephant gun. Trade ya," the American answered with a grin. "No, actually, I've got another rifle now – you keep that one and I'll give you back Matilda too."
"As long as you're sure. We can borrow each other's guns for target practice."
Doctor Hanrahan came in and sat down on the other side of the bed. He answered Sawyer's questions about how everyone was healing and how things were going. Then he commented, "Dale has been a Godsend. He's a very quick learner when it comes to medical things. He's got enthusiasm for it too."
"I've been meaning to talk to you about that," Tom said. "I asked if he wanted to become a doctor and I could tell he would love to, but then he said it was impossible. Well, Allan and I could hunt around and find him a university, and I'd gladly pay his way. That won't be a problem."
Hanrahan sighed. "The money side is a bit complicated, and not just in what it would pay to put him through university. Dale is an indentured servant. I don't know all of the details but he is working for the Barringtons to pay back money that his father was said to owe them. Dale's father is an invalid now, with no hope of performing the work himself."
"Dale is Jacob's servant, isn't he? I'll talk to Jacob and see if I can work something out." Tom looked ready to get out of bed then and there to go look for him.
"Wait," came from Allan. "First we had better have more certainty about what Dale would want to do and where he could go if he does want an education."
Hanrahan said, "I could certainly use a helper. Dale is a good, hardworking young man. If he was interested and if Jacob will let him go –"
"Oh, I'll take care of that," was Sawyer's definite reply.
"- I could teach Dale and take him with me on rounds and consultations and see how he goes. He can board in Nairobi with me. He might be happy remaining as my assistant, or go off and get further knowledge and a doctorate. If the latter, then his time with me would give him some valuable experience. Or he could decide the medical field isn't what he wanted after all."
Tom said, "At least he'd be free to choose."
"It's just a matter of getting him to that point." Hanrahan then explained what he saw as potential problems: Although Jacob would probably never admit it, Dale was the closest he had to a friend on the plantation since he had come here. To the Barringtons, yes they may have taken Jacob in when he was orphaned, and considered him hardworking and trustworthy, but he was still not that close to the family. In a way he was another worker, albeit a senior one with more privileges.
So would Jacob do the right thing by Dale and let him leave the plantation or want to keep him around regardless of the opportunity that was being offered? And would he also consider that this potential career was beyond a native like Dale?
There was a brief silence when Doctor Ben finished giving his observations.
Allan stroked his beard. "So do we ask Jacob first? Or check with Dale and perhaps get his hopes up over something that won't pan out?"
xXx
Sawyer turned the situation over and over in his head, and what he had observed about Jacob since coming to the plantation, trying to work out how best to approach him. The outbreak of Black Darrow Fever had shown another side to Jacob's character – when he stopped keeping his distance and made the decision to come help out, despite the risks. Dale had told Tom recently that Jacob did well at helping with the stricken people until becoming sick himself.
So those were promising signs. The agent decided that he would put forward the proposal to Jacob in a straightforward and practical manner, and see how it was taken. Then if it failed, there were other ways he could try to get the desired result.
When Tom got to talk to Barrington's nephew, the young man stared at him. "You'd pay your own money?"
"I have the funds and I know they would be well spent."
"I'd have to ask my uncle," Jacob hedged.
"Dale is your servant, isn't he? And you're in charge of the plantation at the moment. It's your decision. Besides, this way you'll get all the money and quickly."
"I'll have a think about it." With that, Jacob quickly got up and left, but not before Tom saw a brief forlorn look on his face.
xXx
News reached the plantation that Mr Barrington and his family had been found out in the bushland next to a river, but they were in no condition to explain what had happened. It seemed they had been stranded there by Barrington's own men when they argued about how to distribute the medicine they had stolen. The family was in a bad way: Mrs Barrington had died, and their daughter was very sick. Barrington's son and brother who had been among the first to be stricken at the plantation were weak but alive: it looked like he had been able to give them full doses before the men rebelled. The men had probably been showing symptoms themselves by that stage and been worried they would not get any or enough of the medicine since they were not relatives.
As for the riders who had been originally supposed to go to the Sydneys' home to get the medicine, it seemed that they had given into their fears and abandoned their mission, getting as far away from the area as possible.
xXx
The witch doctor from the village near Nairobi turned up at the Barrington plantation. Allan thanked him for bringing him back to life.
"It helped that the mind and heart were willing to be alive again," was the reply.
The witch doctor wanted to see Tom. Jekyll and Skinner watched him and the hunter go into the American's room. "I wonder if that bloke's going to bless Tom like he did Allan," Rodney mused.
"Like father, like son," Henry said with a chuckle.
But later when they mentioned it to Quatermain, he said that was unlikely. "As much as I'm sure he would have liked to, the witch doctor was only able to bestow that blessing on me because of a certain set of circumstances at the time. Magical ones, you might say, that are extremely rare. And it seems like it is only a one time thing, unfortunately."
xXx
Tom was reading in bed when Jacob came to the doorway and said without preamble: "I've told Dale he can go with the doctor. The way I figure it, we have a duty to civilize the natives, and becoming a doctor or helping one out is a very civilized thing."
"That's great. Thank you," Tom said with delight.
Before the spy could invite him into the room or comment further, Jacob started to leave, looking a bit melancholy.
"Jacob, wait. Come in and sit down." Barrington's nephew hesitated. "Come in," Tom insisted. "That's Dale sorted out, but what about you?"
Jacob looked startled. "Me?"
"Yes. Dale wants to do medicine. What do you want to do? Especially after everything that has just happened. If your uncle pulls through, he might sell this place. Even if he doesn't, that doesn't mean that you have to stay if you don't want to."
"I – I hadn't really thought. I don't really know . . . ."
"Then maybe it's time to find out."
xXx
Mina, Rodney, Nemo and Allan were sitting out on the screened in verandah of the plantation house in the relative cool of early evening. Finally they had the time to catch their breaths, relax and enjoy the scenery, and contemplate issues like how much longer they needed to stay here for Tom to convalesce enough, and where to from here. They were waiting for Henry to join them before they really got into the latter subjects, needing his expert opinion.
Mina sat, creating a little breeze for herself with a hand fan, and she was just putting her glass back down when Henry came out onto the verandah. But he did not close the door behind him, instead standing and holding it wide open. Mina realized from the look on his face as to what was happening, and sure enough, a few seconds later Tom appeared through the doorway, walking, being carefully supported on either side by Dale and Jacob, his arms around their shoulders.
Everyone was happy at the surprise, because this was the first time that the agent had been allowed out of his sick room. "Just for a little while," Henry said, even though he did not want to be a killjoy.
The rest of the team sprang up, making a great fuss, overjoyed to see the spy up. Tom blushed fever-red as the others hurried to make sure he had a comfortable chair, cushions, water within easy reach, and so forth. This was not the sort of attention that he was comfortable with anymore. But he could see how much he meant to the rest of the League, how glad they were to see him, and felt the same in return. So he allowed them to make a fuss and settle him into a wingback chair.
Besides, he was ecstatic to finally be out of that sickroom.
Then Dale and Jacob made to exit, halting when Sawyer invited them to stay.
Jacob smiled. "Thanks, but no. We'll give you folks some catch up time together. And besides, with Dale leaving soon, there are preparations to make."
The League watched the two young men go. Everyone on the plantation knew by now that Dale was leaving and where he was going, and the Nautilus group was glad that Tom had been able to help both Dale and Jacob. With the American's encouragement, Jacob was now considering his own future. There was the chance that he might strike out on his own soon, instead of remaining at the plantation.
Everyone settled back in their chairs, then sat contented.
"I think this is the first time that the League is all back together again properly," Henry remarked. Well, there have been other times, but at least now Tom isn't in bed. Then Hyde boomed in his head: What about Dorian Gray, you idiot? Realising his possible inadvertent blunder, Henry shot a nervous look at Mina.
She caught his glance and understood, but smiled. "You're right, Henry. This is the real League. The true one."
Tom had been glad to note in these recent days that the last traces of formality had gone and that everyone was calling each other by their first names most of the time, or if a surname was used (mainly Skinner's) the tone clearly showed the difference. Once or twice Mina had called Allan 'Mr Q' again and he professed he didn't mind it "this time around. I guess dying does that to a person".
It had been Skinner who pointed out with some amusement that although Tom had taken easily to calling the hunter "Dad" and "Allan", the two lapsed unconsciously back into 'Quatermain' and 'Sawyer' during a disagreement.
For a start we were a League, but not a team, Sawyer thought. Then we were all friends or becoming friends after Mongolia, but now we're a family. Despite ourselves, somehow that's what we've become. One of the oddest but most dedicated families I've ever come across.
"I have had word from the telegraph office in Nairobi that the League has been declared official, if we are interested. All in favour?" Allan asked. He raised his right hand and looked around.
Every right hand went up simultaneously.
Allan smiled in satisfaction. "Good. We're back in business, or will be once you're well enough again, son."
Tom grinned in anticipation. "Getting there, Dad."
"Well, I notice that you are finally wearing your suspenders where they belong, over your shoulders instead of around your rear end."
"He did not have a choice," Henry remarked. "With the weight he's lost, it's the only way to keep those pants up now!"
Tom was tempted to poke his tongue out in reply, but restrained himself. They were right. In fact, the suspenders were only even just clinging on to his shoulders.
Talk flowed on to other subjects, then during the conversation, Skinner mentioned the bullet scar on the American's leg. Tom looked embarrassed. "Oh yes. Back from when I was younger and more foolish."
"If you were even more foolish then than you are now - how the heck did you survive your teenage years?" Skinner couldn't help commenting. "Or only get out of it with one bullet wound?"
"Hey, I'll have you know that my misspent youth stood me in good stead for my eventual career. Being able to lie convincingly, which also leads into strategic planning, then there's the ability to withstand pain from all the beatings I got in school, quick reflexes from snagging flies in church . . . . It all ends up counting. Though I used to have trouble memorizing bits from the Bible."
"How did you turn that around? Because an excellent memory would be essential, and you obviously have that," came from Henry.
"It was a matter of incentive and interest. The stories in the Bible were interesting, but having to learn them off by heart was a chore. If there was a reward in sight, I could quickly apply myself. I had large tracts of adventure stories, like Robin Hood, in my memory, so I could act them out in the forest with my friends. That was for fun. I gradually realized that I had the memory to retain things if they were of interest or use to me. So when the American Government approached me when I was fifteen, there was ample reason to really apply myself to my studies so that they would recruit me."
"Fifteen?" Nemo asked. "When you solved the murder?"
"Yes."
"That'd be you!" Skinner said with a laugh. "And that would have gotten their attention."
"Well, my teacher was certainly surprised by my change in attitude and academic progress. But actually, I was in contact with the Government a little earlier than that too," Tom revealed. "Some friends and I ended up in a special hot air balloon that a mad professor had invented. That was the first time I ever saw the ocean. I nearly ended up in it too, permanently! But then the Professor ended up in the sea, fortunately after teaching us how to pilot the balloon, and we traveled to Africa. Then when we returned to my hometown the law appropriated the balloon. A few agents came then, and I showed them how it worked. They took it away. Not sure if they ever worked out the strange power source that thing had though, otherwise they would have made a heap of them by now," he mused. "It gave the pilot incredible control over the balloon."
"We must discuss that craft in detail sometime," Nemo said with great interest. Tom nodded.
"So the Government wanting to recruit you didn't put a crimp in any other career plans you had?" Rodney asked.
"I wanted to be a pirate for a long time. My other plans varied. All had glory in common though. Judge Thatcher had me lined up to be a lawyer or a soldier," Sawyer said.
"A lawyer?" Rodney spluttered.
Mina raised an eyebrow at Tom's revelation. Her husband had been a lawyer. "Well, great observational skills, shrewd judgement of people's personalities and characters, an excellent memory and a strategic mind would lend themselves to law. But – you also loved action, adventure and the outdoors. Law enforcement suited you much better!"
"That's what I thought. Just too bad that after all that hankering for fame I now can't tell people what I really do. The paperwork is pretty bad too, but nowhere near what it would be if I were in law."
Talk moved on to other things, then a noise came from out in the section of garden that ran along the porch. They looked over and in the moonlight saw the cheery faces of two eleven year old native girls who were spying on them, or rather on Tom. He smiled and waved at the pair, who shrieked with joy, then ran off, giggling.
Sawyer watched them go with some bemusement.
Skinner laughed again. "More admirers of yours. Tom, you amaze me. Even though you're still not one hundred percent, you've got charm to burn, and the girls just fall at your feet!"
"You taught me everything I know on the subject," the spy fired back wryly.
"Can't have – I haven't seen you once try to pinch Mina's bottom."
Much laughter ensued at that, though then Allan suggested with a very straight face that it might be time for a change of subject.
"Yes," Mina said primly, though amusement was clear in her eyes. "Just as my hips are no one's business, neither is that!"
Another five or so minutes passed in banter and conversation. Then Henry asked Mina a question about Venice, knowing she had been there on another occasion apart from their brief 'save the city' stop. The others started asking about it too. Mina was answering one such question, when she stopped in mid sentence, a soft, affectionate smile on her face.
The others realized what had happened even before they turned to trace her gaze. Tom had fallen asleep, his head resting against the left wing of his chair. He looked peaceful and a lot healthier than before.
Smiles broke out all around, tinged with a degree of relief, as they again thought how close they had come to losing the American member of their family.
"He lasted longer than I thought he would," Jekyll said, then chuckled. "Though I should know better than to underestimate Tom of all people."
Mina knew that unlike in the library on the way to Africa, they could make plenty of noise and not make a dent in his sleep. He would probably be completely unaware when they carried him back to his room. But by and by he would regain his skills and endurance.
It was so good to have his heart and spirit healed – his body would catch up.
She also remembered how in the library she had considered – or shied away from – her feelings for him. And now? The main things to concentrate on at the moment were Tom's convalescence and Allan's return. Both things would keep the American occupied enough for now.
Allan said he would not, could not, lose another son. Could I stand losing another I let myself love? For I would surely outlive Tom, no matter if he lives to one hundred after surviving this.
Henry would really be more of a match for me, but I just do not feel for him in that way. He has realised that too. We suit well as friends, or like brother and sister.
For now it was enough that Tom was alive and on the mend. She tried to let the matter drop from her mind, and not dwell on the feelings that had gone through her when the young agent was hovering so close to death.
xXx
The time came when Tom was well enough to travel back to Nairobi, even if that travel was done a lot more slowly than usual.
Dale and Doctor Hanrahan were already in Nairobi. When they had left the plantation, Jacob shook Dale's hand and said he would come visit soon to see how he was doing. Jacob was going to run the plantation for now and consider his options. Once he knew for sure when his uncle was going to sell the place, he would decide where his future lay.
In Nairobi Allan chose what possessions from his home to take to the Nautilus and what to leave behind. He went to the graveyard and stood at Harry's grave. He looked at the disturbed earth beside his son's last resting place, finding it hard to believe that he himself had actually been in that ground too, dead.
I remember there being a peace though, something beyond death, and I'm sure that we were together again, Harry. The knowledge helped him a lot. That time will come once more. But not just yet.
He remembered the books he had written of his adventures, how he had altered Harry's fate in them. Not willing to relive the mission that had cost so dear a price, the hunter had instead written that his son caught smallpox while doing work at a hospital. He had also put down the location of Harry's grave as being in England, not wanting it or himself to be disturbed by anyone.
It didn't work. Just like how he had killed himself off at the end of his last book in an effort to be left alone. The story-seekers still came.
Allan rested his hand on the top of the cross that marked his elder son's grave, and bowed his head in prayer. A few minutes later, eyes wet, he was approaching the verandah of his home. Tom stood there waiting, and Allan could see that he was hesitant and worried about him. The American had known where he was going and was now clearly not sure if he wanted to be left alone.
The hunter ended that uncertainty by embracing Tom and saying huskily, "Thank God I didn't lose you too."
xXx
Goodbyes had been made to Hanrahan and Dale. Dale was thoroughly enjoying and excelling at his new role.
The League headed back slowly and in sections to the port town where they had left the Nautilus in August. There were no plans to go traveling elsewhere yet, either by the submarine or land. Henry thought it enough that they stay at that port, to give Tom time to recover from the trip, and let the sea air and Nautilus comforts aid the process along as well.
One night along the way they camped in the wagons instead of at a village, town or house. Allan woke up just before dawn and quietly moved out onto the wagon box to await the sunrise. He always enjoyed taking in the sight.
At the moment there was just a vast field of white mist suffused towards the east by a tremulous golden glow. Occasionally noises would come through the mist; animals astir somewhere out there.
Allan was tempted to go wake Tom and bring him out to experience the sunrise, but this time of the morning was cold and he was loath to wake his son. There would be other times, and by then the American would be stronger. The hunter settled himself with a blanket wrapped around his shoulders and patiently waited for the mist to thin.
Within thirty seconds there were sounds inside the wagon and a tousled blonde head appeared next to him.
Allan went to give a 'you shouldn't be up' look and comment, but the young man was wearing a blanket like a cape and his gaze was fixed on the increasing golden glow. The tiredness on his face was quickly being overtaken by fascination. So Allan dropped any planned rebukes and settled for being glad that they were going to share this sunrise after all.
Silently and companionably they sat together as the mist thinned and thinned until finally it melted away and all around was miles on miles of wide rolling country interspersed with bush. Some gazelle were gamboling around.
"Hey, those are Tommies. 'My' gazelle," Tom said with a grin, drinking it all in.
"That's right. But thirty years ago this area was swarming with game. So many hooves that it would sound like constant thunder, all the noises of the different animals, and then when you could see, everywhere would be black with game. Two thousand wildebeest, springbok leaping . . . ."
"I wish I'd seen that. I wish that Huck could have seen this. At least he got to see some of Africa."
"I've seen this sight many a hundred times, but I'm always glad to see it again, even without so many animals. And speaking of game, you and I must go hunting sometime – and for something other than Hyde!"
"Sometime. But for now I think I've had enough of death. And these are such strange, wonderful creatures that I'd feel a lot different about killing them to bagging a jack rabbit."
Allan nodded in understanding. Besides, it was hunting which had already thinned the game down so much. Together father and son went back to enjoying the beautiful scene before them.
xXx
Finally the port town came into view and Tom saw the Nautilus. It was towering above the dock. "Home," he said happily. Then he realized exactly what he had said and how much he really meant it. The Mississippi would always flow through his veins, but he had truly missed the Nautilus. There was the Chef's wide range of amazing food, and especially his special fixings of Southern food just to please Tom. Not to mention cricket and martial arts practise and chatting with the crew.
Sawyer was so much looking forward to seeing his cabin again and sleeping in his own bed at last.
The American had always had a wanderlust and this submarine represented the perfect way for him to get around and see exotic places, even more so than most other agents would get the chance to.
Tom looked around and saw that Nemo was pleased with his comment. And from the looks on everyone else's face (or in Rodney's case, the way his hat was nodding up and down), the rest of the League felt the same way. When Tom looked at Mina the gaze between half-vampire and spy lingered before reluctantly breaking.
Even Allan felt like he was coming home. The hunter was a little startled when he realised, considering how deeply Africa permeated his own being.
"Yes," Allan said, smiling and clasping Tom's shoulder. "We're home. All of us."
The League set off as one towards the gleaming Nautilus.
The End.
Written January to July 2005. Some of the descriptions in the sunrise scene in this chapter came from the book "Allan's Wife" by H Rider Haggard. Thanks for reading!
"Rubicon 3 – Amulet" is currently in the planning stages. In it, the League have very little recovery time from their African adventure before their help is required to save the world again and another dimension too.
Thanks to:
Sawyer Fan always – Thank you for your stories, and for your enthusiasm about Tom and your help with 'Ruby 2' (even if you kept reaching for the bat repellent every time Tom and Mina so much as looked at each other!).
Suzi – for the brainstorming sessions and betaing all the reworkings (there must be some form of medal for that), for the medical advice and ensuring that Tom got quite a memorable African stay G . I hope Xander didn't get jealous.
Suzanne – for invaluable medical and beta help, for cheerfully going over some scenes countless times during rewrites, and for suggesting a much better way to order the scenes. (Not to mention trying to eliminate my tendency towards huge sentences and catching the typo that gazelles do not gamble, they gambol. LOL. Well, it certainly would have been an interesting sight.)
Ngaire - for suggesting cricket when I wanted something that Rodney, Henry and Tom could do (on "Red Dwarf" Lister, Kryten and the Cat described themselves once as the "boys from the Dwarf" – I see those LXG three as the "boys from the Naut").
To my brother for helping out with the cricket scenes.
Gerry and Mac for their dedicated betaing.