From: Jason Self <j@jxself.org>
Date: Sun, 7 Aug 2022 18:44:36 +0000 (-0700)
Subject: Publish new installment
X-Git-Url: https://jxself.org/git/?a=commitdiff_plain;h=314b9e1bad4ff5953af4f0562fbc3bb8c7ce58b3;p=universe.git

Publish new installment
---

diff --git a/agalder.txt b/agalder.txt
index 95d5213..ef9d0ee 100644
--- a/agalder.txt
+++ b/agalder.txt
@@ -3575,4 +3575,134 @@ Harlan kept talking and Lavender's head slowly turned to look at the
 young man. Once she even smiled. Then she began to weep, silently,
 covering her face with her hands. The daughters gathered, pushing
 Harlan out of the way. When they finally thought to look for him, he
-had left.
\ No newline at end of file
+had left.
+
+==== Harlan: Leader of the Resistance ====
+
+After leaving the Santorini suite, Harlan returned to the auditorium,
+now dubbed the "War Room". He called for attention and stood by his
+desk, looking up at the rows of desks and those crowded into the
+viewing area.
+
+"The time is now." he said. "Now we go out and fight." He swept his
+arm around the huge room. "We all have assignments. We know what to
+do. Some of us will succeed. Some of us will fail. Some of us will die
+tonight. But the Resistance will win through. We will have freedom.
+Now go - go for Agalder! And may all the gods there are bless you and
+watch over you."
+
+He raised his fist. "Agalder!"
+
+The word came back at him with a thousand voices "AGALDER!!!!"
+
+He stood for a minute, watching his forces file out, then turned to
+leave. He ran into the Santorini sisters. Jade, Emerald, Silver, and
+Garnet stood between him and the door.
+
+Silver said "We're coming with you.". It was a quiet statement of fact
+that boded no argument.
+
+Harlan opened his mouth to protest but remembered when he had
+patronized Mellie and her reaction to his chauvinistic attitude. He
+shuddered.
+
+Looking into their eyes, he saw the fiery rage. But it was a cold,
+calculating fire and he nodded.
+
+"Thank you." he said.
+
+They climbed into two AirSedans. Three more sedans followed them.
+Harlan led the way to the Big House. He had to bring the thieves and
+assassins under the control of the Resistance. He had to find Cassidy.
+
+The neighborhood around the Big House was deserted. Houses stood
+empty, doors hanging open. Some windows were open. Some broken. A dog
+came running up to them, whining, lost. Jade grabbed her and put her
+in one of the sedans where she'd be safe and warm.
+
+The Big House was lit up like a small city. Lights were on everywhere.
+The Resistance group could hear shots and explosions. Windows were
+missing in places. Doors were on the ground or hanging askew.
+
+The group surged forward, but Harlan called out "Stop!"
+
+People stopped and looked at him.
+
+"We have to find Cassidy and his forces. If we go in there now, we
+won't be able to tell friend from foe." He looked at the house. "I
+know that place. I can find my way around."
+
+Looking back at the group, he said "You wait here. I'll find Cassidy
+and come back."
+
+Jade, Emerald, and Silver moved to stand with him. "You don't know
+that house as well as we do." Said Emerald. "We'll come with you and
+act as your runners."
+
+Harlan had to swallow his reaction. He nodded and they moved off into
+the night. They were all wearing black and they faded into the shadows
+within a few meters.
+
+Emerald led them to a door that was hanging ajar. The lock had been
+blown off. The door opened into a kitchen the size of a warehouse. The
+ceilings were at least five to six meters high. Moving quickly, but
+silently, they ran, crouching between huge machines and long tables.
+There was some fighting going on at one end of the room. Emerald led
+them in that direction.
+
+Huddling in the shelter of a freezer, they tried to make sense of what
+they were seeing. The brilliant flashes from phasers lit up the scene
+at intervals, but they could not identify the combatants.
+
+Jade suggested that they withdraw and try another exit from the
+kitchen. They turned to go to the other end and heard the sound of
+running footsteps coming closer. A young man ran up to them,
+completely ignoring the phasers that were pointed at him.
+
+He glanced at them and said "Come on. Cassidy wants you in the
+ballroom - now."
+Then he turned and ran back the way he had come. Harlan and the
+Santorini sisters stared after his departing form.
+
+The man turned and saw them standing still and ran back. "Are you
+coming? Hurry up." And off he went again.
+
+The four of them looked at each other, gave simultaneous shrugs, and
+ran after him.
+
+Their guide led them thru a maze of hallways and up and down
+stairwells. The sounds of gunfire and distant explosions grew louder
+and faded and grew louder again. Finally they ran up to a huge, ornate
+door that stood open with guards on either side. They burst into a
+room even larger than the kitchen. The ceiling was three stories up
+with mezzanines running around at the second and third floors. Floor
+to ceiling windows looked out on the lawn.
+
+Groups of people were scattered around the room, most leaning over
+tables, looking at holograms, some talking. Emerald spotted Cassidy
+across the room and they headed for him.
+
+Harlan reached the new Chief's side, but Cassidy ignored him and took
+Emerald into his arms. He spoke in her ear for a moment and then
+reached out and brought Jade and Silver into his embrace. The four of
+them stood, heads together, for what seemed like an hour to Harlan but
+was probably only a minute or two.
+
+An explosion sounded as if the battle was getting up-close and
+personal, but no one in the room even looked up.
+
+Cassidy finally turned his attention to Harlan. He nodded toward the
+door. "Yes. They are getting closer." He grinned. "Would you believe
+me if I said it was all part of my plan?"
+
+Harlan didn't smile. "No."
+
+"Then you'd be wrong. They are moving into this section." He pointed
+to a wing of the building that extended out into a wooded area. "Here,
+here, and here." He pointed to three sections of outside wall. "These
+are hidden doors. Our forces are just outside and when these thugs
+enter through here" he pointed again "we will attack from three
+sides."
+
+Then he smiled and added "If everything goes according to plan."
+Shaking his head, Cassidy said "And we all know how likely that is."
\ No newline at end of file