`` Liar and a Dreamer''

  1967-2023 Chandler Bing Recovering Addict, Actor, 

  Jaap Simonson closed his Bible with a touch of the dramatic. The Psalms had been sung. The Lesson read. Their duty to Heaven completed the Men could return to their Earthly tasks. The all seeing eye of the Lord of Hosts upon them all the first mate to the meanest cabin boy. The Jasper slinked out of sight of land she would be returning north soon. The summer had been profitable. It was a goodly harvest that the summers labour had reaped The Jasper and a few other ships had made their way south to prey on the Spanish dominions in the New World. Now their Ships chests full of silver and plate. The Roman Hersey had been smote. The crew had dined on fine beef, and wheat. The Don’s had been there Quartermasters. Now the Jasper’s and her companions would be returning to their homes. To mimic the Hellenes after they had burned the topless towers of Ilium. The words of Marlowe echoed in his head. It was a small role, Jaap the Master of the Jasper, played in the great theatre of the world...

 I t would soon be midday. The church bells, would ring and betray the hour as had the cockerel the guilt of Peter.   Juan made his way to the coffee house by the strawberry market. Juan was wearing a leather cloak which made him sweat, and he was wearing the hood high on his head despite the sunshine so he may move with more discretion amongst the ports folk.  The Galician also changed his gait, he set himself the strides of a nervous man, a servant or a day labourer, one with little position in society, one whose bread was earned at others pleasure. To this end, he had borrowed a servents tunic too. The gold he carried, however, would win the affection of the King and the Pope. The Gold would open doors, and hold or loosen tongues The errand boy had reached the stables, Just as the bells pealed for midday, people would be taking their lunch now, the Portugese and others would be sleeping The place was at least respectable, at least at this hour. No wenches or cut throat...

  Chapter 11 The sisters were proud of their library. As a mother would take pride in her children. They rejoiced in inviting visitors to inspect their collection. The sisters showed their books to everyone. They as close to shameless as nuns could be. There would be nothing lewd naturally. The sisters would die for their vows. A fate alas shared by too many of their cousins in Europe It was rather the brass neck of a wife who had married new money, and was trying to introduce her husband to society, did the wits of the town compare the sisters in their pride over their library Like all good jokes. The target saw the truth in them. If the sisters had an excess of pride in their library they were humble in the eyes of their God. So they amused themselves with the thought that the armies of his most Catholic majesty did not dragoon with the skill of the Sisters, in bringing their collection to the attention of the learned and the good. The Governor had pretended p...

  Chapter 10 She would have to mention it to her confessor. It was pride. Wicked pride Pride the oldest sin. The first sin and the hardest penance Adam and Eve were driven out of Eden. Lucifer was cast from Heaven as punishment for his pride. Would God forgive her, her vanity? Lucifer had been an Angel. Adam and Eve had been formed by the hand of God themselves. They had been subject to wrath She was comparing herself to the Mother of God simply due to the species of her mount. Her Mule was clearly more Donkey then horse. As her own form remembered her mother It still was a mule. So the analogy was not even that accurate. The good Mule would have surely reared up and released itself of its burden. If it had the wit. If for a moment dumb beast had realised what sinner bestrode it. If she had been born a man she could sit astride..... Not Mary but Eve. Her pride would be her undoing. Eloise chastened herself. The shame was harder than a flagrante lash. Was she ung...

  A rogue drew his sword and lunged wild at the master. Juan did not feel himself think he breathed out and quietly put a bolt in the man’s shin. The man yelped, and fell. Another of the Portuguesa clients ran towards them. The blacksmith struck him a terrible blow. One that would have felled an ox There was the flash of daggers being unsheathed in the light. The pikes were pointed and raised. ``Tomorrow you can kill each other. The realm would lose nothing but a score of fools’’ ``In the name of his most Catholic majesty I command you. Cease your feuding at least until the morning. If you are here to help then I thank you. If you want to fight, do it elsewhere The governor’s pleas were punctuated by the report of a pistol! A man fell never to rise till judgement The braggart had crept up close to Juan. The Galician had not seen him. A swift touch of iron, and Juan would have been dead, and then perhaps the Master. It was a woman who had killed the rogue a blond...

  Chapter 8 If that man coughed again then he would hit him! The day had started well. Towards the evening it had taken to its bed. Complaining loudly of a chill in its chest It should have been a good day. It had been a poor turn of fate that the fact that hunting trip had ended with a skirmish. That said the Master and his men had returned to the town. Along with the Don Neil they brought to the Governor the dreadful news from the country. They had spent the morning dealing with the highest affairs. Juan himself had ridden to see the Governor, with his Master. Juan knew in a better world he should have been relating the facts to Gabriella. Standing tall, with his chest out, and his hat cocked Oh she was beautiful. Her hair was like drying corn. The strands of gold shone out. Her eyes were green. Those eyes promised paradise. They were lush but they held dangers. Like the great humid forests to the north. Juan knew Gabriella had got her letters from someone. Oftenti...