CH 17
By now, the carcasses around the green tinted lake were either buried or rotted away. The air didn't smell as bad, so John, Cameron, Delilah, and Louise began fixing their house. On the roof fixing shingles and tucking in some plastic until they could get new shingles, he noticed a small cargo plane plane come down to land on the runway. They had patrol flights coming and going, but this was the first cargo plane he'd seen.
Curious, John got down and headed for the base to see why it was here. He jogged up the driveway and was most of the way to the 'airport' road when a tank came down the road towing a trailer. He stepped to the side, the tank stopped by him. Mrs. Weaver got out of the upper hatch.
"Hi Catherine, bring us something good?" he asked.
"I did. Something to help your power problem, and test them out to ensure they work as they should," she said and hopped down.
Catherine motioned him back to the trailer. She got up and tore the top of one box off. John got up with her. Inside the box was an electric motor, but it looked tall.
"These are 24 KW electric generator sets. One will supply a normal sized house with 200 amps of 120 and 240 volts, single phase, 60 cycle so they are compatible with household machinery that's made. The connections are marked, power terminals and control terminals. Hooked two together in parallel, you can increase the amperage to 400 amps. Hooked a pair in series you double the voltage output. They are powered by my nuclear power cells, they should last 50 or 70 years, then things like bearings and connectors will need to be replaced. The nuclear units should be good for around 130 years."
John counted 16 boxes. "Yes, this will be a huge help," he agreed. "How much do you want for them?"
"Just information. How well they work, any problems you encounter. These are test units John. Lab testing had gone well, I want to test them in real operating situations," she explained. "If they perform as they should, then I will be working on putting them in vehicles. I discovered they work in planes, but ground vehicles besides tanks are more prone to damage."
"Especially with young drivers," John said with a grin. "Thank you for letting us use these, this is tremendous help."
"Friends help friends," she said and sported a tiny smile.
That was the first time John had ever seen Catherine Weaver sport a smile of any kind. He returned it. "Yes, we do our best for each other. Could you tale them down to Sonya's furniture factory? Cameron is down there, she will know best where they are needed."
"We will, I wanted to see Cameron anyway while I'm here."
.
Sonya thought it was a bit suspicious that the San Francisco City council was having a beach party to celebrate getting the city back in order. All officials were invited to attend, including her. The area of beach was a 'private' beach near some cliffs that was owned by the Mayor and couple other city council members.
She had already heard a few whispers from men they were aching to see her in a bikini. She was sure she was invited to add to the eye candy for ogling at the beach, she decided to bring her tail along. To make sure she had her identification, she pinned her Police Commissioner badge on the left breast of her bikini top and her NSA badge on the right breast. There, now if something 'official' came up, she was set. That would give the oglers a reason to stare. Besides her mermaid tail, Sonya brought a wrap and her beach blanket.
Driving to the parking lot, she pointed to her badge, the guard let her in. Once she parked, she put her beach blanket and wrap over one shoulder, her tail over the other. Walking down to the beach, she already saw a few men she had the attention of. Not far onto the beach two men, one with a camera were talking to a woman. She recognized the woman, a professor of anthropology at the University. Coming closer to them, she heard what the man was saying as the cameraman watched.
"Mrs. Baxter I have read all the legends, and heard people's stories," the man with graying hair and short beard said. "What I need is solid proof that mermaids, giants or Sasquatch are real. Something like bones, hair clippings or a body, to prove beyond a shadow of a doubt any of these things are real."
The woman looked up and Sonya and replied, "Then turn around."
"I'm not giving you a sample of hair OR bone, and you can't have my body," Sonya said firmly. As they turned and recoiled at seeing her, she added, "Excuse me." She walked past them.
"Whoa! Miss, Miss?" the graying man said as he followed her.
Sonya stopped and asked, "Yes?"
"This is incredible! You're what, close to seven feet tall?" he asked, staring up at her.
"Seven four. Before you ask, no I don't know who my parents were. I was abandoned. John and Cameron Connor took me in and raised me."
"Do you have one row or teeth, or two?" he asked eagerly.
Sonya opened her mouth wide and let him look.
"Only one row," he said in a musing tone. "The giants who lived in the west of America are said to have had two rows of teeth. But you are about the right height, and you do have the red hair. If you were suffering from Giantism, you wouldn't be looking so good. Those people end up very tall and thin, and usually need help to walk."
"I have no diseases," Sonya replied.
"I would love to do a DNA sample on you, to compare with a normal human sample," he begged.
"Sonya!" a man called from the group of people lounging on the beach. He waved her over.
Sonya waved back to them. She then told the man, "It won't match up, trust me." Looking at all three, she asked, "Are you coming to the party?"
"We just came to do research," he told her. "You are well known here?"
Sonya chuckled. "You could say that. I'm going over then going for a swim. Come if you want."
The three followed her. The man said to the camera, "Sonya here is very tall, over seven feet. She also looks like that height fits her. Her legs look strong, as does her back and arms. With the red hair and strong build, I do believe she is a descendant of the race of giants who used to live in North America. Sonya, can you tell me where you were found?"
"In a smooth sided pit in a basement in LA," she explained. "John Connor was also taken as a prisoner by those people to have him tell them about me. Lucky for me, and unfortunately for them, John is very smart. He figured out how to get us out of that sub basement, even after they blew up the house over us to keep us contained. We dug our way out from the side, into the ground and dug our way to the surface."
"You were being held against your will."
"We were. All my healing and education was done by the Connors. Now, I get to proudly were their name as mine," Sonya aid happily. "THEY are my family."
A man came running over to them. He was on a cell phone. He pulled it away from his face to say, "Commissioner! We're hearing moans of pain from those rock at the shore, but we don't see anyone!"
"Show me!" Sonya stated. The man ran, she followed.
At the shore under a cliff, it wasn't beach but a jumble of rock that had fallen. Some were pretty big, Like car and truck sized rocks. A few men were trying to get up on one. Sonya stopped to pile her stuff on the sand and told the man, Watch my stuff!" She then charged and yelled, "Everybody, MOVE!"
With a running start she jumped up in the 12 foot tall rock and began looking around. Listening, beside the sound of the surf crashing into rocks, she heard a moan. Listening closely, she got the direction and jumped onto a closer rock. The moan came again. It was weak and didn't sound quite human. She belted out a call she'd heard from the lake mermaids.
The cry that came back was stronger, but not by much. Searching, she jumped onto a wet rock and managed to hold her balance. Towards the sea side, stuck in between the rocks was a smaller mermaid. when a wave crashed in, only spray covered her. She was sideways and jammed in place. The rock surfaces here were smooth and nearly vertical. She wasn't going to get that kid out of here from land. The little mermaid looked up at her and cried out again.
Sonya let out a soothing coo, then jumped rock to rock back to the beach. She pointed to a wide eyed woman. "There's a kid stuck in the rocks right at the water's edge, we're not getting her out from the land side. Call an ambulance, we're going to need it." She then ran to her things, grabbed her tail and ran for the surf to sit and put her tail on.
"We need a rescue helicopter!" the San Francisco Mayor announced.
"Won't work!" Sonya yelled back. "The space she's in it too narrow. The only way to get her is by water."
She got into her mermaid tail and zipped it up. She turned over and hand walked quickly into the water. Once she was in deep enough, she dove under the incoming wave and disappeared.
"She's crazy!" the Police chief of San Jose said. "She gets into those rocks, the surf will beat her to death!"
"Call for rescue, NOW!" the Mayor bellowed.
.
Out from the shore and under water, Sonya noted how the rocks were positioned, and then surfaced and raised herself up to her belly to look at them again. There was just enough space on the other side of one of the rocks where the girl was trapped to get in and around the rock. She dove under and timed a wave to swim in between the rocks. The wave helped push her in. She had to stop herself from going too far, then push back to keep from getting washed back out. Sonya managed to get behind the rock.
The turbulence here was terrible. Constantly pushing and pulling on her. She timed the pushes to get closer to the girl. She got to the girl and held herself in place by pushing hard on the rocks that held the girl in place. The girl raised a webbed hand to her and gazed at her with pleading in her eyes. She was wedged in place.
Sonya moved ahead a bit when she could so she was over the girl. On the next draining water, she bent close and grabbed the girl's arm to put it around her neck. She quickly got her firm grip on the rocks again. Another wave would be coming in soon. "Ang on," Sonya told the girl, hoping she understood. The girl tightened her arm around Sonya's neck.
Overhead, Sonya heard a helicopter. She didn't dare look to see what it was. On the next incoming wave, Sonya pushed as hard as she could on the rocks wedging the girl in place. When the wave hit, Sonya pulled back hard. She was washed back some with the girl. She was also impacted back against the rock behind her.
Now having the water deep enough to stand in and the room to move, Sonya had the girl get on her back, both arms around her neck. Her own hands against the rocks for support. It took 3 wave actions to get her back to the way she'd come in. Another wave washed in, Sonya audibly sucked in a deep breath. She heard the girl do so also. When the wave was fully in, Sonya got out from between those rocks quickly and dove as deep as possible to swim out, back to open ocean. The undertow helped her this time. Another wave was coming in, but close to the bottom, Sonya rocketed out from between the rocks in the retreating water. Sony swam hard right off the bottom until she got out of the wave action, then headed for the beach.
Once she was sure she was away from the rocks, she went up and swam on the surface and back to the beach. The helicopter was overhead, a camera looking down on them. Someone shouted they saw her. A mass ran to the edge of the surf to watch her come in. The girl was sobbing and holding tight to her. Sonya made the surf and called, "Everyone, STAY BACK!" She hand walked up onto the beach.
Out of the water in the wet sand, Sonya had the girl let go and roll off. Sonya sat up and faced her. The girl hugged her, peeking out at all the people.
"It's OK, you're safe," Sonya said and petted the back of her head and back. She also looked and felt for injuries. To the side the cameraman was getting all the action. The girl whined, looked at her, the out at the water.
"Soon, chau," Sonya said soothingly, and checked the girl for injuries. Besides scrapes, and a bruise on her hip, Sonya didn't detect any broken bones, and she wasn't bleeding anywhere.
The documentary guy came close. "That's a real..."
"GET BACK!" Sonya snapped at him. He backed up.
Sonya let the girl go and motioned to the water. They both went back in and under the instant they could. Sonya watched the girl swim. She had a good motion. A little slow, but she was doing it. Sonya held a hand out to her. The girl grabbed it. Sonya swam them out to deeper water. Seeing a pair of Mers below them, Sonya pointed to them. When the girl saw them, she let go of Sonya's hand and dove down to them. The pair below looked up and swam towards the girl. Sonya waved to them then turned around to go back to shore.
.
The Mayor looked at his watch. "Anyone see her? She's been down eight minutes!"
Sonya jumped up clear of the water 50 yards from shore in a smooth arc to dive back in. People cheered and applauded.
.
Sonya surfaced just beyond the shore in breaking wave. She hand walked up just past the surf and turned over to flop on her back. Raising a hand in the air, she said, "Give me a minute."
One helicopter with a news station on the side was watching her. Another came, the rescue helicopter to make the news copter back away. Wonderful, she knew John wasn't going to be happy about this. She rested a minute then sat up to take her tail off.
"Where's the girl?" a woman asked from behind her.
Sonya pointed out at the water. "Back with her folks. I imagine they are headed out now." Seeing the Documentary guy watching her, she asked, "Now, can you verify mermaids are real as well?"
"That was amazing," he said. "I was watching those boulders, I saw a couple move."
"She was stuck," Sonya replied. "I had to get her out or she would have died right there." She then cast him a crooked grin. "Now, all you have to do is go find Bigfoot."
He chuckled and asked, "How did you do that? You were under water a long time, and was it you that moved those boulders?"
"There was a little girl, I'm thinking eight, nine years old, in danger of dying," Sonya said firmly. "Call it instant super strength, or what ever you want. I was going to do whatever it took to save her life."
He stuck his hand out, "I know that. Thank you for your out standing effort."
Sonya shook his hand then wiggled out of her tail as he talked to his cameraman, gesturing out to the ocean and told how this was positive proof that oceanic people existed.
A man from the rescue helicopter came over and asked, "We understand there was a girl stuck in these rocks?"
"I go her out. She was frightened, but she's OK. Sorry you made the trip for nothing," Sonya told him.
"That girl was a real mermaid," a man said, looking at Sonya.
"She is. I've seen them before and swam with them. Just keep in mind, people, except for where they live, they are another form of human, and have the same intelligence. Dana Mc Gregor proved that through DNA analysis and her experiences with them. That's why I have a mermaid tail to begin with."
"You came to swim with them?" the Chief of police here asked.
"If they were around. Right now, I'm going to find something to drink," Sonya told him.
"Sonya, what do you want?" a man by the refreshments asked.
"Got a cold beer?" she asked.
He quickly dug a bottle out of the cooler, popped the cap and ran over to hand it to her.
"Thank you," she said and downed a long swallow.
A crowd gathered around her. People wanting to know how she could swim like that, telling how brave she'd been going into the churning water between those rocks, and asking how she knew the trapped girl was a mermaid. Sonya told them what she could, about boat parties where mermaids would come. She told them as much about her family as she could, and yes, Joan Connor the football star was her 'little' sister. Others who remembered her doing that movie. She told them yes, Cameron and Delilah who were also in that movie, and the TV series she considered her mothers. They all shared her grief when she told them her husband and her little boy died when that bomb hit them.
Talking about her family, Sonya became homesick.
.
It didn't take long for Sonya's rescue of that mermaid to make national news. The news helicopter had caught all the footage of her getting that girl out from in between the rocks and back out to sea. It was played many times on many stations. Newsmen stopped the video to call out the tail the girl had, and the Amazon Sonya pushing on the rocks to move them enough to get the girl unstuck. One news station even dragged up the video of her in the containment with the gorilla, playing with him and him riding on her back.
Seeing a media storm developing around Sonya, both Mayors suggested she take a 'vacation' for a week or two. Sonya agreed. She left her fancy squatter house and headed home to Driftwood.
.
It was a Saturday. Duncan was doing some kitchen cleaning while Jackie was out shopping. Feeling the presence of another immortal growing he stopped and went over the watch the elevator by the coat rack where his long coat and his sword was. Sure enough, the elevator came up. It was Amanda, this time with short blonde hair. She smiled and waved, then opened the grating.
Duncan left out a huff. "Hello Amanda."
"Duncan!" she beamed. "I was in the area and I just had to see you." She ran over and hugged him.
Duncan flatly asked, "Why'd you come see me?"
"We haven't seen each other in a while, have we?" she asked with a smile. "I tried to see you down in Driftwood but Connor ran me out of town. That was very rude of him!"
"It's his town," Duncan said with a shrug. "Are you still dodging Methos?"
Amanda pursed her lips and shrugged. "I haven't sensed him around."
Duncan cast her a tight smile and asked, "Who's after you then?"
Taking on a shocked look, she said, "No one. I just heard you were around so I came to see you."
Duncan asked, "That's it? No one's looking for you at all?" he asked.
Amanda shook her head. "No. I was wondering if you have seen Methos around at all. It seems like he disappeared."
Duncan headed for the liquor "He does that. Can I get you a drink?"
"Yes, please."
Duncan poured them brandy and noticed the elevator went back down. "What prompted your visit?" he asked.
"I've stopped by a couple times, but you weren't here." Amanda told him. "When I heard about that town you were in getting nuked, I was concerned. I was hoping you'd come back here after that town was destroyed."
"I was helping someone get rid of the PSR, we came back here after we were done. I was close by anyway. I figured I'd check on the place," he explained.
The elevator came back up. When the grating opened, Amanda turned to see Jackie come in with a bag of groceries.
Jackie eyed Amanda. "Well, it's the thief. Hide your valuables and credit cards, Duncan," Jackie said.
Duncan smirked. "She just visiting."
"Yeah, OK." Jackie said with a snort. "That's why her hair now looks like she's an Atlantian. Should I frisk her before she leaves?"
"Yes, the overconfident wanna be sword girl," Amanda replied. "You deliver groceries now?"
"Amanda," Duncan said, "She's living with me."
Amanda eyed him with a smirk. "You're training her? How thoughtful. Perhaps she needs a few more manners."
Jackie came over by her chair and asked, "Why don't you teach me? The Dojo isn't being used."
Seeing the way they were looking at each other, Duncan firmly asked. "How about if you both stop before someone gets hurt?"
"I won't hurt your little toy," Amanda assured him.
Grocery bag in one arm, Jackie slammed her other hand into Amanda's throat and lifted her out of her chair. Amanda grabbed at her wrist gasping as Jackie pulled her out of the chair and dragged Amanda struggling and kicking as she walked to the kitchen.
"Jackie, stop it!" Duncan yelled.
Jackie frowned and pushed Amanda to the floor as she let go. Amanda's head bounced off the floor. "Sorry, not here, right?"
Amanda coughed and got to her feet, red faced, "You little bitch!" she growled.
"No fighting here!" Duncan said loudly and ran over to get between them.
Amanda glared at him. "She need to be taught a painful lesson!"
Jackie chuckled. "Soon as I get the cold stuff put away, you're welcome to try."
Staring at Amanda, Duncan told her, "Amanda, Jackie will kill you."
"I plan on giving her enough bruises where she won't walk right for a week!" Amanda hissed.
"Duncan, let her try to do her feeble best," Jackie called over as she put things away.
Amanda tried to get around Duncan. He stepped back on front of her. "Don't!" he warned.
"She has it coming!" Amanda stated in a hard tone.
Duncan let out a heavy breath. "Fine then, leave your sword up here." Glancing between them, he said, "NO weapons, is that understood!"
"Like I'd need one," Jackie said with a smirk.
Amanda pulled her sword and gave it to Duncan. "Soon as you're ready, little miss bragger."
Jackie closed the refrigerator and said, "I was born ready, miss thief."
Amanda stomped to the elevator. Duncan got on to stay between them, then Jackie got on. Duncan guided her to the other side of him. "You both know this is juvenile," he said.
"Naw, just fun," Jackie said with a grin.
They went down. Duncan opened the grating. Jackie walked out. Amanda ran around behind Duncan to hit Jackie in the back with a flying kick.
.
Jayson has come into the office to do some paperwork. He'd seen Jackie come in and waved to her. She waved back and went up. He heard the elevator come back down. Jackie appeared flying in a dive. She planted her hands down to flip and turn. Another woman charged her with a flying kick. Jackie caught her ankle and spun to throw the woman over her head to slam down on the mat.
"Is that all you got, Miss cheap-shot thief?" Jackie asked.
Amanda got up and with murder in her eyes, sent a roundhouse kick at Jackie's head. Jackie moved into it, taking the kick on her forehead.
TINK
Amanda dropped and screamed, holding her ankle.
"My turn yet?" Jackie asked, and walked closer.
Jayson stood up, eyes wide. This was a real fight!
Amanda tried to scrabble up. Jackie grabbed her by the shirt and punched her rapidly several times in her solar Plexus. Amanda tried to fold over, Jackie held her up, until she punched Amanda hard in the face, making Amanda's head snap back. Amanda fell to the mat and curled up, gasping in moans.
Duncan came out to sit on the bench outside the office and watch.
"Done already?" Jackie asked in surprise. "I thought you were going to teach me a lesson?"
Amanda just laid in place and moaned.
"I think she's learned her lesson, Jackie," Duncan said.
Jackie cast him a surprised look. "But miss cheap-shot thief was going to teach me a lesson! Did she lie to me?"
Amanda, gasping in weak breaths, got up on her hands and knees to head for the door.
"Oh no, sunshine, we're not done yet," Jackie stated. She got in front of Amanda and lifted her up by her shirt again.
"No..." Amanda croaked out.
Jackie gave Amanda a rib shot so hard it lifted her up off her feet, followed quickly by another shot to the face. Amanda flew back again, this time, laying limp.
Duncan got up. "OK that's it, she's out. Jackie, it's over."
Jayson cried, "Please stop, you're going to kill her!"
Jackie squatted by Amanda and felt her neck for a pulse. "She'd not dead ... yet."
"Enough, Jackie," Duncan said firmly. He held his hand out to her.
"Hokay," Jackie said in a breath and got up with him. "But she kicked me in the back coming out of the elevator."
"I saw," Duncan agreed. "You also beat the hell out of her. Go back up, I'll be there shortly."
"I have to finish putting things away, anyway," Jackie said and went back into the elevator.
Jayson came out of the office to check on Amanda. On her face, her left eye was gowning a big purple ring over it and it was swelling up. Her eyebrow had a cut in it. Her nose leaked blood. She coughed and a light spray of blood shot out. Amanda woke up enough to moan weakly.
"She's hurt bad," Jayson said.
"She'll be all right," Duncan told him. "She made the mistake of insulting Jackie, then kicked her from behind. Trust me, She asked for it."
Amanda opened her good eye and weakly croaked out, "What is she?"
Duncan squatted down by her head. "Someone not to piss off. I highly suggest you don't insult her any more. Next time, she just might rip your head right off," he said firmly.
"I feel like someone beat me with a hammer," Amanda said and let out another moan.
"We need to call an ambulance," Jayson stated.
"No need, I'll take her," Duncan replied. He helped Amanda sit up then got her arm around her neck and stood her up.
"I hurt," Amanda said in a pained squeak.
"I bet you do," Duncan agreed. Amanda was favoring her right foot. The one she'd kicked Jackie in the head with. Duncan scooped her up in a bride's carry. "Just tell me you parked close by."
.
Duncan got Amanda down to his car and gently set her into the passenger side. He got in the driver's side and said, "You'll heal." Already, her puffed up eye was looking better. The gurgle when she breathed was going away. She even sat up instead of curling up or flopping limp.
"I kicked her hard enough to disable her," Amanda said softly. "It was like she didn't even feel it. When I kicked her in the head, I broke my ankle. Duncan, what is she?"
Speaking evenly, Duncan said, "Jackie, like her parents, is a cyborg. They don't have normal bones, their skeletons are a very strong metal alloy. They also have actuators on the joints besides enhanced muscles to power their limbs. Jackie also has a plasma canon in her arm. I watched her shoot a machine gun nest. One shot and she obliterated it. The stone blasted apart, the gun melted and the men just turned to cinders." Seeing her wincing, he added, "I would have told you before Jackie pounded you to the floor, but I doubt you would have believed me."
Amanda let out a snort and winced again. "You're right. I would never believe such a wild story without any proof."
"You got your proof," Duncan said. "So now do you think you can be nice to her?"
Amanda stared at him. "How can you be around her? She can be so mean! She didn't have to beat me that bad to prove her point, did she?"
"She's a Connor," Duncan said if this explained everything. "None of them are completely human and they all are cyborgs that can take and dish out incredible punishment. What I know is Jackie one of the youngest, and the smallest. If you want impressive, Sonya Connor is seven feet four inches tall. She's impressive just standing there." He watched Amanda staring out the windshield, then asked, "Do you want to come up and apologize. You know, shake hands and get along?"
Amanda offered him a weak grin. "No, I think I need to go get cleaned up, then head for southern California. I'm way behind on my beach time. I think I'm OK to walk now. I think I'll stay far away from Jackie."
Duncan nodded and got out. He opened the passenger door for Amanda and helped her up on her feet. He helped her take a few limping steps, then Amanda waved him off. "I got it," she assured him. He waited until she was in her own car and drove away. He then went back up to the loft.
.
Amanda got back to her apartment to find Methos sitting in her living room, sword across his lap. She stopped when she noticed him.
"You still owe me a sword," Methos said evenly. "Lucky for you, I got my diary back."
Amanda sagged in place. In a defeated tone, she said, "I don't have a sword, Duncan took it. Then his newest girlfriend beat the living hell out of me. Whatever you're going to do, just do it."
Methos eyed her up and down. "How many were there?"
"If you're not going to attack me, I'm sitting down," Amanda said and went over to flop down in a chair.
"So you were beaten and killed by how many?" Methos asked, looking amused.
"Jackie Connor is living with Duncan," Amanda explained. "She is so full of herself, I was going to show her she wasn't the top dog she thought she was."
Methos grew a grin. "So her and her friends pounded you senseless?" he asked.
Amanda scowled at him. "It was just her, OK? I tried to soften her up with a surprise kick from behind. She beat me within an inch of my life! Whatever I hit her with hurt me worse than it hurt her. It felt like big hammer blows every time she hit me!" She then frowned and asked, "Are you enjoying this?"
"I am indeed," Methos agreed. "It's not like you to seriously underestimate an opponent. What did you do to earn such a bloody face?"
Amanda threw her arms up. "I thought she was just a teenager really full of herself because she could fence! I had no idea she could punch like Mike Tyson!"
Methos chuckled. "You teased her, and she didn't like that, did she?" he asked. "You thought maybe you could bring her down a peg?"
"I was wrong, OK?" Amanda cried.
Methos got up. "I doubt that I could hurt you worse than she did and not kill you, so there is no point in beating you again for taking my sword. I think I'll go visit Duncan. I want to see which of the Connor kids it is and shake her hand." Methos stopped at the door and added, "Just so you know, I'll collect your sword from Duncan. Maybe, I'll return it to you at some time in the future."
.