Later
Andrew and Peter were out in the backyard standing on the porch. Peter was leaning against the rail his face sober looking at the stars and yet at the same time seeming lost in memory.
"You seem pensive," said Andrew after a moment wondering if he shouldn't say anything at all after all he didn't know Peter all that well.
Peter didn't say anything for so long Andrew figured he either hadn't heard or he wasn't going to answer and when he finally did reply his voice was so soft that Andrew had to strain to hear his words.
"I was just thinking if I had only asked her to marry me that night it all might not have happened. If she had been my wife the White Lodge would have had to protect her or risk alienating at least a quarter of the members. But I was so afraid that she would have said no, that I stopped myself. The very next morning she was attacked and very nearly died. I keep thinking that if I hadn't hesitated—" Peter paused and stared at the stars seeming lost in thought.
"It still might have happened," said Andrew gently. "The members of the White Lodge still might not have been able to prevent it."
"In my head I know what you say is true, but my heart is a different matter," said Peter. "The thought of losing her scares me. Scares me more than anything ever has in my entire life. I have faced down evil elemental spirits and an evil sorceress and won both times nearly losing my life in the process and that didn't scare me half as much as losing the woman I love."
"I feel the same way if I lost Marina—" Andrew stopped for a moment. "Enough melancholy thoughts, both Marina and your wife are fine so why worry about things that are already past?"
"I know you are right, but sometimes I can't help but slip into these melancholy thoughts usually late at night when Maya is in bed. I will probably carry the regret for the rest of my life."
~~~Beyond Revenge~~~
Inside Marina and Maya were having a somewhat similar conversation. The two women after having spent just a few hours in each other's company felt as if they had been friends forever.
"We have a lot in common," Marina said somewhat wonderingly.
"It is somewhat surprising, considering we come from two so totally different cultures," said Maya.
"So what do you think the men are discussing?" asked Marina. Peter and Andrew had disappeared onto the back porch a few minutes ago.
"What do you think men discuss when their alone?" asked Maya amusement tingeing her voice.
"Us?" asked Marina with a wary twist of her mouth.
"Probably," Maya agreed. "You know Alderscroft isn't perfect," said Maya after a moment of silence. "But you know he did agree to let the masters they knew about to join the lodge, both men and woman after I nearly died. Peter says he has changed.
"Why are you telling me this?" asked Marina, already knowing the answer and beginning to feel defensive.
"Because maybe; it is time to forgive and forget past transgressions?" The statement was almost a question. "I know we haven't known each other long, but Alderscroft is a changed man and well don't you think you can give him another chance?"
Marina considered her new friends words then sighed knowing Maya was right. Her stubborn refusal to at least give it a chance was very immature. "All right," Marina agreed, somewhat reluctantly. "But only in an emergency. Andrew and I don't have time to be going into London every week. And you tell Alderscroft that only you and your husband can contact us, because unlike some people you won't panic unless it's a real emergency. And sometimes I think you and Peter have more sense than the other people on that council, because you have seen danger and you know how to tell if it really is an emergency."
"Alderscroft might be upset with that, but I can understand it," said Maya.
"He'll either have to accept it or risk offending you to where you won't even do that."
Just then both Andrew and Peter came back inside so Marina didn't have a chance to respond.
"So what were you ladies discussing?" asked Andrew, before Peter could say anything
"Oh nothing much," Marina said, giving Andrew a look saying "we'll discuss it later."
~~~Beyond Revenge~~~
A few days later
Marina and Andrew both said goodbye to the couple that had come to mean so much to them in just a few short days.
"If you ever visit London—" said Peter "Look us up."
"We will," Andrew and Marina promised
A few minutes later alone; in the train compartment Peter asked his wife's opinion of the couple.
"I like them. I think we could become friends. A sort of tenuous bond has already formed between Marina and me already."
"Andrew and me to," said Peter. "And I can also understand why they don't want to join the Lodge. Elizabeth Hasting asked for help once and was turned down, being told they had more important things to worry about than one girl. I can certainly understand their point of view."
"So can I," Maya agreed.
"So have you thought about moving to a new place?" asked Peter.
"I've thought about it," said Maya "And decided you're right. We are crowded and if we ever have any more children we'll have to have a bigger place. It might be cheaper to simply build onto the surgery though.
"It isn't I've checked. By the time you buy lumber and everything that goes with it. Plus the hire of the men to build it . . . it can be downright expensive. It is cheaper by far just to buy one already built and fix it up."
"What about some of your former sailors? Would they be willing to help build onto the back of the surgery?"
"They might and it would probably be far cheaper then to hire construction workers. But if we can find a house . . ."
"But; what about the surgery?" asked Maya.
"We could keep it as your workplace we just won't be living there."
"And the animals?" asked Maya, concerned that Peter hadn't thought it all out.
"We'll just have to find a place that has something like a greenhouse on the grounds and if we can't we'll have one built onto the house."
"All right we'll give it a shot," Maya finally agreed. "Maybe we can make this work."
~~~Beyond Revenge~~~
A few months later Peter was just thinking of going home to his wife and son. They had moved into a new place all within the last month or so. "This one was four storey's tall and had a lot more room for they had decided to keep the other house as her surgery and office. It had required some fixing up, but thanks to Almsley cousin Reuben's son Bertie he could afford it for his business was doing extremely well. He had just called a cab when he heard a sound. It sounded like the terrified whimpering of a child. Peter ran towards the sound without a second thought or even a first thought about his safety.
All too soon he came to an alley to see four men surrounding a boy of no more than six.
The boy was scrawny and dirty with a shock of dark hair and eyes as gray as the stormy sky. The four men surrounded the boy to where there was no way to escape for it was dead ended alley and the boy's back was to the wall.
"You've caused us enough trouble; boy. And now you're going to pay with your life," said one of the men. He seemed to be the leader.
"No," the boy whimpered; "I didn't do nothin'"
The four men advanced on the boy until he was practically trying to make himself a part of the wall.
Peter had seen enough. He stepped out of the shadows and without making a sound he took one of the men out before he even knew what had happened. He put his finger to his lips when he saw the boy was about to speak. The boy clamped his mouth shut and gave an almost unnoticeable nod.
Peter knocked the second one on the back of the head and laid him on the ground without making a sound.
The other two finally noticed that their two comrades were down for the count. They turned to see who had taken out two thugs without making a sound and found nothing for Peter had stepped back into the shadows and used a little magic too make himself unnoticeable.
The two remaining men shook their heads in confusion and turned back to the boy. A second later the third one went down without a sound and the last man turned when he found himself alone. Peter stepped out of the shadows and the thug saw him and lumbered towards him a knife in hand.
"You shouldn't have interfered buddy. Now you pay with your life."
Peter snorted. "I've handled better men then you in my time 'buddy'," said Peter putting an emphasis on the last word. "Picking on someone who isn't even half your size you should be ashamed."
The man tried to throw a punch which Peter avoided with relative ease. The fight didn't last more than a couple of minutes because Peter knocked the knife out of the thugs hand after the first couple of swings and after that the thug didn't seem as brave without his knife. Finally, Peter coldcocked him and the man fell to the ground with a thud and didn't move again.
"You okay boy?" asked Peter kindly.
"Yes, sir," said the boy timidly.
"What's your name lad?"
"Timothy," said the boy, shyly. "Bu' ever'body calls me Timmy."
"Well Timmy why don't I buy you some dinner and you can tell me why those men were after you," Peter suggested.
"This 's why," said Timmy and with his words a younger child just as dirty as Timmy stepped out from behind him. "This is my sister Lorena."
Beneath the dirt and grime was a very pretty face with high cheekbones and slightly slanted eyes. The pupils themselves were a pretty gray like her brothers except with flecks of gold. Her hair was probably somewhere between blond and brown, but he couldn't tell for sure under all the dirt.
"Let me guess they were going to take her to one of those brothels that specialize in child whores."
"How'd you guess?"
"Common sense and experience," said Peter. "They're always looking for pretty little girls or boys for brothels and why pay when you can just snatch them off the street?" The little girl shivered at the mention of the brothel and Peter changed the subject. "Why don't you come home with me for the night? My wife will check you over and then feed you a home cooked meal and you'll have real beds to sleep in."
"I don't know," said the boy trying to think. What if this guy was also a slaver? What if he had some evil intention in mind? But also what if what he said was true? Did he dare turn down the offer? Most kids on the street hoped for a better life and were lucky if they survived to their teens. Only about a quarter lived to full adulthood and only half of those lived to be old. Besides he somehow sensed that this man wasn't like that, he didn't know how he knew he just did. He also sensed that he could trust that this man's intention were what he said they were so finally he replied, "All righ'."
~~~Beyond Revenge~~~
"Why are you doin' this?" Timmy asked as they were headed towards Peter's home. Peter had introduced himself back in the alley and they had shaken hands almost solemnly.
"Let's just say I know what most people would do and I try to do the opposite. Besides, once I heard you I couldn't turn my back."
"Ost people would have," Timothy pointed out.
"I'm not most people."
Timmy didn't have a chance to reply as they pulled up in front of a four story house. That was certainly true for most people would have ignored the cry for help and just walked right on by.
Peter paid the driver and helped the two children out of the cab.
Gupta opened the door before they were they were within a foot of it and said, "Memsahib has been worried about you sahib, when you didn't send a message to tell her you'd be late."
"I didn't expect to be late, Gupta. Something came up that couldn't be helped. I was rescuing these two from some thugs." Peter gently pushed Timmy and Lorena forward, but both shrank back Lorena behind her brother's back.
"Gupta won't hurt you," said Peter seeing the children's fear. "He's as gentle as a pussy cat."
Gupta looked a little less stern as he saw the children's fear. "I won't hurt you come into the kitchen and we'll get you some dinner," said Gupta his face softening even farther.
"Go on," Peter urged the two. "I'll join you in a minute."
Gupta led them towards the kitchen then returned after he had gotten them settled and Peter explained how he had found them. "It was really strange. I was just going to head home when I heard Timmy scream. When I got there he had his back to a dead end and four thugs were surrounding him."
"Four just for one little boy," Gupta said disgusted.
"I thought they could stay here for the night and in the morning we'll see if we can find out anything."
"Peter you're home," said Maya, coming into the hallway where Peter and Gupta were talking.
"Sorry I'm late Maya. Something came up." Peter kissed his wife and then led her towards the kitchen and showed her where the two children were eating.
"Where'd you find them?" Maya whispered.
"Being attacked by four thugs in a dead ended alley," Peter whispered back. "I'll tell you the whole story after we get them settled for the night."
~~~Beyond Revenge~~~