Date: Tue, 4 Jun 2019 16:54:33 +0000
From: Al Peres <al.peres@hotmail.com>
Subject: The Island That Never Was Chapter 6

			THE ISLAND THAT NEVER WAS
			========================
				by Al Peres


				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 together with her husband, her brother
and her dad.

       "I didn't expect you here so soon," The lady said. She ordered 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, do 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 nearly dropped her cup
of tea. Helen then continued. "But on the other hand, that permitted me
meeting 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 her father; she was 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." When they were leaving, the lady said into her
niece's ear:

       "He's very handsome, but don't worry, I'm not interested in 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.

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 pointed out:

	"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 authorised 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 at 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 an explanation of it.

********************

Two days later, somewhere not far from Southampton, the Mullen's family was
having the afternoon tea sat around 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 brothers and sister that were with him on the
island. Then she asked her father:

	"Has this boy and the girl anything to do with that lady that runs
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 of that family, but he did not want to raise any prejudices in his
children, so he preferred to close the subject.

	"We shouldn't 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 wonderful 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 almost hard
with pee. Linda watched her brother; they had not any prejudice on watching
each other nakedness.

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

	"The same as your beautiful rounded tits." She chuckled slyly as
her brother added: "I would like to know who will be the fortunate person
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 marry a priest. I suppose our
parents had some other plans for you." The girl sighed and almost upset
said:

	"No one, including our parents, will decide to whom I'll marry. If
I decide that Joe is my other half, he'll suck my nipples 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 marvellous
message of love written with Chinese ink; I could not send him anyone
back. The following Sunday our eyes met when he was helping in the mass."
She paused again. "I... I think I'm mad about 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.

	"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 deeply loved 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 frenzied 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 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 college
at 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 altar boy that delivered me
his card."

	"That's marvellous. 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 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 the 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 on the island.

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

	"Unfortunately distressing, my son. Still, assassinations are being
carried out every day 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, it refers to your friend Joe. The whole family left two
months later after we sailed off Southampton. It seems nobody knows
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 knows 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 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 to the village 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 the contrary, she had an open
Will within H&H's office appointing you as her legal heir; leaving you
around 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 around 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," Bernard asked.

	"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."

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 close to 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 an
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, 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 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 ignorant and was bragging, 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 seem 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 aren't that
kind of girl. Why didn't you correct that peacock? She is..." Linda grinned
slyly.

	"First of all, she isn't 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. They never talked about their
respective families until some time later; still, they had not spoken about
their boys and the related relationships. However, without them 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 about 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
haven't been very lucky having a boyfriend, though I'm not so naïf as
the peacock." Both gladly laughed. "In fact, I'm mad 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 in you." The girl smirked as
she looked intensely thru the window; then turned to watch her new friend.

       "No. I must recognize he isn't 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 sleep over in my
house. Since then, only stares, a few words, a quick encounter in one
church closet with a lovely kiss included and some letters. But in spite
he's as 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 they needed to separate.

       "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 one 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; nevertheless, 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.

       "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 answered:

       "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 Rose 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'm sure you won't be
mistaken."

       "Please, please Helen, tell me all that 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 asked:

       "You... you found them naked! Amazed! And what did you feel at that
instant? 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 beautifully painted..."
Helen paused.

       "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 funniest was that
Jeremy always had his sight glued on me and his penis was hard all the
time." Linda instinctively touched her crotch.

       "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," Linda said. "You are
also making great sacrifices for that goal."

       "Yes, you are right. I look forward when I reach my sixteen
birthday, then we'll get married and have children, if Mother Nature allows
it, of course. I hope you will see me." Helen paused and then asked her
friend. "Linda, apart of peeking thru the hole, haven't you had 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 at 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 would share the 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 liked 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 as 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 enquiries regarding my old
aunt and your family; she was reported dead and apparently all MacLean's
family had immigrated to New York, our former colonies..."

	"It is a long and sad story, Jeri, and not as lucky and with the
end as yours. I sang at 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 written; I guess still there are many things hidden."

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

	"That... that was a childish 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 very much; 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's crew where I expected to be sexually abused; at least that
was what some people had 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 tried but 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 at 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 by 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. Sometimes, 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, 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 in the new uniform and entered
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
warm afternoon and they had nothing to do. Joe wanted to open his heart to
his best friend, so he suggested walking around 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, at least you know
something about me thru the press; we'll have time to talk." Sadly they
were walking slowly as Joe started relating his life from the moment they
separated.

	"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
around 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 very large portion of flat and hilled land plus forests. He had
spent all his savings for her; therefore, she had to find a way to pay the
fares to transport the family to America."

He paused and Jeremy continued in silence. "As you well know, here the
farms are properties of the landowner, never ours, not mattering how hard
you had worked, so we are always scarce of everything, almost as
slaves. There the land would be ours forever. I was happy to hear that;
then came the stroke: We had no money for the travel expenses, in spite, we
had put up for sale all that we had, therefore, one of us must be sold as a
slave, and as usual, the youngest. I couldn't believe what I was hearing."
He paused as some tears dribbled along his freckled smooth cheeks. Jeremy
pressed his arm around 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. Then 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 all was 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 do 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 abundant
tears because I guessed what was coming for me and I didn't 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 in 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 their room. They sat on the large
sofa as Joe continued relating his meeting with his parents.

	"It isn't 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 nearly
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 around 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 friend's intense
blue eyes that shone as two blue diamonds.

	"Joe, you know very well that I love you like the best brother I
could have. I didn't try to justify what your parents negotiated with the
Church; they are the only responsible ones 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 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 added,

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

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

	"You 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 on 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 meet the contract
clauses. I believe you have three alternatives.  First: We can prepare
something so 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 say that
the Church would try to get their money back, not only spent on your
education but also what they gave your parents. You are a boy, therefore
you will never be held responsible, but surely your parents will be
prosecuted. With the time, you'll grow and within a few years marry a
peasant girl and have a nice family that will continue your steps. All this
taking into consideration that your family welcomes you and receive you
with open arms, in spite you had disappointed them..."

	"Jeri, you express it with some cruelty...as a lawyer. Where did
you learn so many things, I suppose the monkeys did not speak on that
island teaching you." The boy grinned appreciating the good temper was
returning to his ever best friend.

	"There were no monkeys on that island, but 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'll never try to leave,
even when you reach eighteen; however, we can deceive them. As far as I
know, you are very smart learning foreign languages and at eighteen, almost
certainly, you'll speak four or five languages besides English. Then you'll
become of great value to any government and well paid; that without taking
into consideration your abilities on trading. 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, and 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
Colt-berry; from now on you will never spend holidays 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 ever become a priest, that would be the kind that I would
like to be." Jeremy grinned. "Why do you grin? Am I wrong?"

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

	"As far as I know, only another one and me. 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 it 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 archbishops. 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; they would compel you 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, or like in the army, you probably will reach the grade of high
officer, but never a General, 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 in dealing with this kind of
persons."

	"Jeri, my mind is a whirl with what you are telling me, it shocks
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, one year later, when we heard that the "Seagull" had
disappeared and you with her, that destroyed my beliefs and faith. 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 the tenderness that he could muster.

	"Joe, that wasn't any miracle. My father foresaw that this type of
accidents could happen; he then built something like a life-jacket with
corks and placed it around 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
believe 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'm 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 in 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
liked 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 build 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 vessels." Jeremy grinned.

	"I still have many things 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 to 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
being seriously punished, I kissed a girl in the back of the cathedral's
altar..." Joe then told his friend all about his relationship with the
Mullen's family. Jeremy grinned, and then said:

	"What's 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 the friendship that would take them to high
enterprises together thru their lives.

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

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 annexe
for it. As soon as the boys entered the room, locked the door with the
large padlock and drew 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 sexual 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 deadly
sin, had gone deep 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 friend gently
encouraging him.

	"Joe, it isn't a sin. Don't you remember when our priest fucked the
altar 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?"
Joe 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 around 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, nearly 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 to 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 around 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 spat out it with a slight grimace. "I
don't like the flavour of your milk." He said grinning near recovered.

	"You haven't forgotten how to do it, Joe; you did lovely, but now
the nice feeling is a 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 isn't
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
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 enjoyed doing it. Joe returned the gesture
caressing Jeremy silky long hair. Almost whispering Jeremy said: "I must
say I'm 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 no 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 this, because that is how the
girl would feel. If she were not satisfied most likely she would go to look
for someone else who did 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 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.

	"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 pecks, and always expecting they could be
caught. Jeremy turned over dragging Joe that now was on top of him. They
ground their crotches that were slippery with precum, and some 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
sighed; a few minutes afterwards they were asleep as rocks.

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 usual, 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 to 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, very far; 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
about 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 an 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 purchase Joe some
winter clothes, because the Church isn't 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 has clocks; what about to buy
one each?"

	"It is an excellent idea!" Bernard said. I'll do it next Thursday
when I go to London."  Happily, Helen thought about the calendar and could
see 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 of 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 murmured:

	"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 don't wait for 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
in silence 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 you forever." Linda seemed to be watching
in his mind those moments; then she came to 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 and that's why even I don't want to write him; the
priests would intercept my letter, and his letters 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 mailbox, don't you?" Linda flushed and
thought she had gone too far with her friend, however, suddenly she felt
Helen's arms around her. "I'll be very pleased doing it; the problem is on
the other way around; 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 it 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 the 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. The blond girl was anxious to receive
letters from her boy, and Joe was more than the girl; their young souls
needed each other. Linda hid the boy's letters, she read them and kissed as
the most precious object of her life. Joe did the same but pleaded Jeremy
to keep them with his own just in case.

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

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 paid 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 on the island after his wife and son passed away.

	"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 on
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 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 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 haven't asked about them; most of the
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?"

	"They are more than 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 and maths. Jeremy will make history in medicine,
I'm sure of this. He has strong principles that some times shock against
the old doctors' opinions; I suppose he learnt them from you." The man
smiled. "However, 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
bleeding; he explained that his mother got white and a few hours later
passed away. I wonder what the teacher answered." 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 a genuine physician."

	"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's servants.

	"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 answered:

	"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 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 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 he is. My
father!"

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

	"Never mind, he's like that, always surprising and caring for the
persons who live around 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's shoulders.

	"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, waving his hand to
them. Jeremy went to the man and hugged him tenderly; the man felt a little
bit embarrassed because that was not the 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 disclosing 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, the 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 the best and smartest 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 embraced Joe very tight as he had done with Jeremy.

	"Joe, my son's best friend is as part of our 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 will 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's 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 silk near transparent nightdress that clearly showed her
hard nude marvellous breasts 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 around 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 spun 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 our father for this present." For an
answer, Helen went stride on top of her boy. She got surprised when feeling
the boy's hard pectorals and strong legs. She caressed reverently the boy's
curly brown hair that now had lost the near blond colour that had on the
island. He had grown a lot in these last months; nobody would say he is
only fourteen years old, 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 red-queen. Joe and I help each other, as I mentioned to 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 to 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.

       "In respect to 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
here. 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 to
continue.

       "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 slyly.

       "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 cock;" he thought with a sigh. When he was near them, he
said:

	"Dad, wouldn't you introduce me to this young gentleman?" Joe spun
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 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 comes 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 smiled, 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 because they like
having 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. You 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
determined. 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 like an old man, and as far as I know,
you are scarcely thirteen y/o."

	"You are right, but unfortunately I had large and hard
experience. I lived for 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 experience." 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 adore them."  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 almost 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 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 hasn't 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; nevertheless, 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 were talking 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 a girl someday. 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 you..."

	"The same as I do him, Joe. 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.

	"There will be a long time ahead, Helen. He has very clear ideas 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 of
my future as he has..." Helen pressed the boy's hand encouraging him. In
other circumstances, someone could think she was flirting, but the
red-haired boy knew 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 of 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 was necessary. I know him better than to
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 him, 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 with their lives, and for Joe, a special one in the hands
of the expert Jackie. They entered 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 are watching?"

	"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 close to 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 with 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 reverently; 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 exquisite contact, Jackie dragged his
nightclothes out and in seconds they were nude. 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 white chest and abdomen and felt like 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 heaven; Jeremy was good at it, but Jackie
was a real master sucking his hard rod. He felt the need 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's seed. 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 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.

	"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
flavours. In the beginning, Joe made a nasty grimace, but he did not break
the kiss. After short moments the boys separated and Joe grinned.

	"It is rare and I don't like the flavour, but it isn't 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 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 and 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 around 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 on 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 warmth 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
considered a deadly sin, still made him being a 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; I wish you were a
girl or that I was 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 like rocks.

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

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.

	"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 with any decision that you may take whatsoever it is. I understand
that you and Jeremy had discussed all the pros and cons of 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, that was a
terrible blow for me, since with him had gone all my hopes; however, some
months later my life changed drastically; first with the news, and later
meeting my ever best friend here; he knows we are more than a friends, but
real brothers."  He paused, and after some moments, he continued. "During
many nights and days I have thought about what Jeremy and I had 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
interference 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 choice until
you are eighteen, our lawyers will carry out all negotiations with the
Church; meanwhile, you must behave like 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'll
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, he thought in his brother that always rejected to work on 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 at your wedding; of course, if you invite me..."
Both boys flushed thinking about 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 taken aback 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 to 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 the rich boys wore. Bernard then added: "From
now on, we'll supply you the same clothes, books, 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 grinned. 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 had 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 adore you." They
spent the rest of the evening dancing and enjoying their birthdays. Joe and
Jeremy sang together as Helen was on the piano. It doesn't need 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; I'll be a grave." 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 me; please ask Helen, she's well aware of it; sorry I didn't 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.

Time elapsed very quickly for everybody. Christmas arrived and all students
left for their homes to enjoy the familiar holidays. Joe accompanied
Jeremy, with 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 the Scientists did. 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 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 hands.  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 say or explain what happened in those fantastic and memorable
Christmas days; secretly they became 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 the 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,
grandfather and great grandfather's steps, he was one of the best
investigators and physician during the 19th Century. None of them was
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.

Joe and Linda were on the promenade deck of the ship that was sailing to
New York, Linda could not be happier after her marriage with the boy that
her heart had chosen many years ago.  They were chatting about their future
in America. While they were in silence she watched a big lady carrying a
small dog on her arms; suddenly she laughed quietly as her husband
questioned her with his glance.

	"It seems the big barrel has reminded you of some funny
moments. May I know them if it isn't a secret, little blonde?" She grinned
and pressed her husband's arm.

Let's explain the origin and cause of Linda's laugh. Her sister Sheila had
been a normal child until she had her first menstruation, perhaps a little
bit shy and never as rascal as Tim and Linda were; however, from that
moment she hated that monthly event, her mother tried to explain it to her.

	"Sheila, this is normal in the woman's life and is connected with
our sex..." She interrupted her mother.

	"If that is as you said, I hate it and I don't like life." The
mother was worried and did not insist, thinking that Mother Nature would
provide the solution in due time. The girl never wanted to talk about sex,
that seemed for her something from another planet, nothing to do with her.
Nevertheless, as her body changed blossoming into a pretty being, she liked
the image that reflected her body on the large mirror. Tim and Linda took
any opportunity to mention her how good sex was. That was really fun for
the younger children. Let's hear how she described one of their adventures
to Joe.

	"We had a little fatty bitch that we liked very much because the
animal was very clean; when needed to pee or crap the dog went outside thru
a little porthole the carpenter had made on the kitchen's door; her name
was "Beefy"; however, Tim and I like even more our neighbour's dog, called
"Pecker". He was an arrogant, young medium size dog of a mixed breed that
was ready to play with us as soon as we whistled him; he used to jump his
owner's and our fences like a sportsman and we always had something for him
to eat. Our little dog grew and without us noticing, the girls, "Beefy"
came where we were; she had smelt the trace of a male friend. Tim noticed
the bitch's situation and got ready to have fun teaching Sheila about sex,
though she was already engaged with George, but continued rejecting talking
about sex..." Joe grinned and said.

	"I guess what your prank was..."

	"You may guess part of it clever boy, but not all. Let me
continue. Tim was close to his 14th birthday, and he told me what he was
preparing for Sheila. She was sat at the garden reading something, and then
Tim whistled the handsome "Pecker" that came barking happily.  "Beefy"
heard her future husband and without any consideration to her owner, she
ran to meet her boyfriend. It took the lovers only a couple of minutes,
"Pecker" mounted "Beefy", and in seconds they were hooked. Tim and I
laughed loudly and this alerted Sheila. She started shouting to the dogs;
"Pecker" probably thought that some punishment was preparing for him;
therefore, he started running but did not realise he was hooked to "Beefy",
so the dog dragged the bitch around the house looking for an escape whole,
since could not jump the fence with his friend on tow. Fortunately, after
two roundtrips they disentangled, and "Pecker" jumped elegantly over our
two yards high fence, disappearing in the next forest. "Beefy" started
licking her private parts and then returned to where Sheila was red as
poppies. This was the first part of the story that you guessed."

	"And what's about the second part?" Linda grinned slyly.

Those scenes were engraved in Sheila mind and she thought about what would
happen to her when she gets married; she started to recognize should have
attended her mother and Linda's advice. A few years later the wedding date
arrived and she thought about what the dogs did that day. The consequences
were evident, a few months later "Beefy" gave birth four beautiful tiny
pups "Peckers", in spite the bitch was dragged for minutes around the
house. Joe grinned but could not guess what was next.

	"Please, continue little evil, I'm on tenterhooks." Linda chuckled.

	"That night wife and husband entered their room; as soon as they
were inside her husband got naked quickly showing his almost eight inches
long hard rod. She was scared, she locked the room's door and facing her
man threw the key to the garden saying:"

	"Now you can do me what you want, except for dragging me around the
house."

Her husband focused his sight on the beautiful figure in front of him; he
did not care about what his girl had said; he was in a different realm. He
took her in his arms and tacked on the large bed, and then extended the
girl's legs; he eagerly wanted to fuck his wife, nothing else. In seconds
he placed his dick on his wife cunt and pushed hard. She screamed in pain
as her husband penetrated her. She then murmured:

	"Please, don't drag me, please..." After some seconds he got his
goal and entered her to the hilt; he then screamed:

	"It is marvellous!"

Sheila never had assumed sex was good, but on this occasion, Mother Nature
made the miracle that her mother had predicted. She placed her hands on top
of the boy's butt cheeks and screamed among moans:

	"You bastard, drag or kill me, but don't even dare to stop now!!!"
She had forgotten all about her neat education with the nuns.

The next day morning Tim and Linda were anxiously waiting for her coming
down for breakfast, she never missed it. When they heard she was coming,
stood and went to meet her; they were expecting strong words from their
sister scolding their curiosity but were surprised as she hugged them
tenderly and then added:

	"I'm sorry I have been nasty to you in the past..." With some quick
words, she narrated her last night adventures. Tim then asked.

	"How have you come out without the key?" She smiled.

	"I'm not so silly. The key I threw to the garden was a spear
copy. Now let's have breakfast, my man is hard asleep but I want to be
there close to him just in case he still wants to drag me as "Pecker" did
to "Beefy." They laughed loudly and her younger brothers thought they had
recovered their sister forever.

In spite of his Oxford education, Joe could not stop his loud laughs;
fortunately, nobody was there near them but an old sailor that murmured
something like "These youngsters of today..."  After some time and more
calmed the red-haired boy said:

	"Linda, let's go to our cabin, I need to drag you!"

Mr Elliot had given 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 with the time, she gave
up. Within a few years, they were well known in business and
rich. Converted as American citizens; Joe joined the Secretary of State's
office, while Linda carried out commerce helped by Ben. In the next
national elections, Joe was elected Senator for the Democratic Party, so
Linda and Joe occupied a high position in New York's society. They had
three girls and a boy; one of the girls married Jeremy's son, Bernard. The
Company increased its activities with the new businesses: banking, mostly
in the US; export/import; shipbuilding and jewellery; everything lead by
Benjamin.

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
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 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 passed away two years later after Helen and Jeremy had
their second child; he then moved to live with Helen and Jeremy to enjoy
and educate his grandchildren. The big house was converted into a
high-class hospital for high ranked officers wounded in the different wars
that Britain maintained around the world, being Bernard its director and
John his first assistant. Bernard died peacefully fifty 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 has reputed an authority.

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

Jeremy was an old strong and healthy 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 the mix of vapour and sail; the
captain was his 55 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 into his chest as his grandchild announced
the presence of land, the land that had made so happy his family during so
many years. They had many grandchildren and great-grandsons and daughters,
spread over the country, even some of them abroad in America. His Red Queen
and he promised to love their children for equal, no matter how they
were. They reached the objective they had sought with his sons and
daughters, but it was impossible to comply with their grandchildren. 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 probably was the only real blond of
the family. His lank light-golden hair, almost 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, and 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 told 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 mention it, but David was his
favourite. Jeremy could remember the conversation held between Carla and
his brother Jeremy, being present the grandparents 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. Moreover, besides your studies with
the officers, you must carry out your tasks 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 hesitate for a second.

	"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 around 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 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 medications 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 isn't much to see; meanwhile, we'll 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 once 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; the island looks like a grave where our happiness was
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 near
a black granite stone. He sighed remembering those moments when they
arrived after wreckage of the "Seagull"

       "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 as an
automat walked along the beach and up the hill where the volcano had
spurted its lava many times. After around 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 their 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 at 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... Most likely 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-five 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 from some bones and an old tool like an axe. He found his father with
his eyes closed and did not want to wake him up, but Jeremy was not
asleep. His son tenderly touched the scientist's 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 squared 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 he experienced to do it on granite. "Follow the direction marked by the
arrow and dig on the floor." His son grinned 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 lost the battle. He
returned with a small coconut wrapped in an old oiled cloth that was
destroyed when he extracted it. He showed it at 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 content, 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. Astonished he said:

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

       "I extracted all of them from the bottom of the sea; that was my
contribution to our family. Your mother decided to leave this 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 grinned
slyly 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 know very well, your
mother is a real and exceptional woman; right from the first moment that I
saw her on 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
almost two years. They were the happiest years of our lives!" His son
grinned openly.

       "Do you think we are silly, dad? We, all your children knew that;
only to see how you and mom kissed in front of us would have been enough;
but Jack, who was and still is the cleverest and greater evil of all of us,
found out how you had been. You were not as 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's the consequence
of your love and confidence in 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 exceptional 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 downhill 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
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 water. They watched how a large
flock of seagulls and other birds 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 understood he was scared,
but that glance was enough to comfort the boy. Everybody returned to their
duties and David to his post on top of the foremast, but could not take his
sight off the island. The cone had broken into parts; now large cracks
forming a gigantic cross was spurting thousands of tons of lava. It was
close to the sunset when the ship started moving up to a safer
distance. Then they heard the boy's still pitchy voice:

       "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 in a special manner 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 the entire engine's force ahead to face the
large wave as they felt as if a gigantic whale was hauling up the
ship. Sometime 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; nevertheless, the vessel could not
avoid her bow and the jibs buried into the deep water like a wounded
whale. Some seconds later the bow emerged as a furious whale spraying tons
of water that returned to the sea thru the speedways. They watched the
great barrier of water hiding the island from their sight; then 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 riggings; 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 safety 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 on 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... After some moments, the boy coughed and started to breathe,
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 calmer
waters. Robert Collins was holding the helm under the supervision of his
teacher officer and watched his adored boy in his colleague's arms, he
sighed. The boy was placed on the bed almost 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 eyes
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.

       "You will never see this again, we have been very fortunate watching
this phenomenon, one of the greatest expressions of Mother Nature. There's
nothing we can do, my son; fortunately, we were on board and there was
nobody living on 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'll write a long report
about this phenomenon hearing everyone who has watched it. The Geographic
Society will welcome it."  The Captain pressed his father against him and
asked:

       "How's 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." Then the bell sounded announcing the change of
guard. Jeremy returned to his cabin where he could see 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, I hope
this event never repeated; he had been in 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 sit. 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's nothing dirty, bad or erroneous
on loving him, Bob. You are a wonderful boy as my friend, your grandfather,
used to be. I'm sure David likes you, too." The boy bent his head and
stammering said:

       "I... I wish he loved me, but I know he only does his grandfather,
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 at the bed to watch
his adored 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.

       "David doesn't like the sea and to be an officer like his uncle
Jeremy; 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 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 around 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, and then the boy continued
without separating from his grandpa's chest. "I know Bob loves me he told
it to me, but right from the beginning I told him that we could be friends,
even best friends, but I couldn't do 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 his wife 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's the real signal for us too; we are the only survivors from our
generation. Joe, John, Linda, Clara... all are gone; besides, those
headaches now are very strong and I have to increase the dose of your
medicine to keep them away." Jeremy's eyes blurred because he knew the
symptoms; he had discussed it with his son and both agreed on 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 child
girl 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 adore you Marta, but soon you won't miss my kisses, as a handsome
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 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 passed away three years back, as the
last member of their generation. 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 on 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 night
long dresses; he then offered her a glass as he took another one. They
contained what they had used many times; however, on this occasion with an
increased dose. They drank them and kissed a peck; some 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 watched a bright light very far away that attracted them as
if they were moths 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 spotted 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 deep in their hearts
they knew and understood Helen and Jeremy's will. They 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 at the base of the stone
as his grandparents liked. Abundant tears were dribbling down his tanned
smooth cheeks. Suddenly he felt how someone was sitting close to him; he
did not turn his blond head because he guessed who she was. Little Marta
sat down near the boy and placed her left child arm around 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.