Chapter 37

Lunch was another wonderful experience in old France. Harriette had done good things again and I stuffed myself with French dishes that I didn't even recognize. I didn't care either, since the taste was great and there was plenty. Coffee and desert were waiting for us in my study.

As I was packing in the last pastry I could hold, Fawne came to the desk and trimmed a cigar for me, perfectly, and she held a match while I lit it. Things were getting too good to be real.

My young harem seemed more lively this afternoon and they ganged up on me for minor teasing. I was at least smart enough to keep my mouth shut every chance I got and I enjoyed getting to know them a little better.

After my stogie was done we all went back in for a matinee of the naked body draggers. They were just getting up from what must have been a short rest and probably a water break, or at least that what I guessed since they were near a small stream.

Suddenly the view switched to an empty landscape. The road was in a little bit better shape here but strangely it looked even more deserted.

"What's this, Jaycee?" I asked.

"It's the view from the last one I launched. I sent it ahead of our weary travelers. My guess is they'll be stopping somewhere near here for the night. They should reach it in three hours or so. I'm going to get a good look around for a couple of miles in each direction though, in case they throw me a curve," she said.

"We need to have Percy bring the man that's going to lead tonight's food run up here so he can take a look."

"I think Percy is going to go himself," Jaycee said.

"Fine, I don't care who goes as long as it isn't me."

Francine popped her head in the door then to ask if anyone wanted refreshments. Of course I did, since by now I was a quart low on coffee. The others decided they could handle a few more pastries and more coffee too.

"Fawne, would you ask Francine to see if she can have someone send Percy up here again?" Jaycee asked, and the translation was done in seconds.

Going back to translating this way was annoying, but I wasn't sure I didn't like it better. Most of the help that couldn't speak English was trying to catch on, a little bit at least. It was a little odd for me now that Big Boy was gone but it was comforting to know no one was watching what was going on inside my head.

Percy showed just after more coffee and cake arrived. He decided to try a cup when I invited him too.

Jaycee explained what he was seeing while we drank our coffee. He seemed to know the area, and after giving Jaycee a few hints she maneuvered the drone to view a place where Percy thought they would probably stop for the night.

It was apparent that the area was often used by travelers for overnight stays. Percy was probably right about the group heading for it. The area was fairly open and had a stream close by. I guess that was all the accommodation you could expect in these times. They damned sure weren't going to come across a Motel 6.

Percy was off again shortly, heading back down to get his group organized and ready to move out. They were going to wait until the sun was down before leaving. With the night vision goggles, traveling after dark wouldn't be a problem, and it would drastically reduce the chances for being noticed.

There probably wasn't much chance they'd be noticed anyway. They intended to use normal sized horses and not fighting mounts and they were going to dress in shabby peasant type clothes. I'm sure they would look strange though, since a group of mounted peasants wasn't normal. Hell, even if they drew a crowd, we could deal with it.

With nothing better to do we spent the rest of the afternoon just watching. I was surprised that it didn't seem to get terminally boring, but we weren't really watching closely, mostly we talked and teased the day away.

Our supper was another event that Harriette could be proud of. I still didn't recognize most of what I was eating. I didn't know what it was called or even what it was. It tasted good though and I ate it, in fact I kept eating until I couldn't stuff anything else in. After the meal we had coffee in my study and Fawne provided more cigar trimming service for me.

Leaning back in my chair, all fat and happy, left me unprepared for the novel experience that came next. I thought. Since I wasn't really qualified for such I was a little fearful at first, but once started I couldn't seem to stop.

It stretched all the way back to when I'd been depressed. Of course, by now I realized that I'd had help getting depressed. But why did they pick me? There'd been other occupants of the small house before me but why did it get to be my turn?

That line of thought led me to wonder about the changes for our alien friends. We'd rocked along fine until I made my discovery of the little virtual doorway into my thoughts, and then things had changed big time.

Suddenly Santa Claus Big Boy was running the show and my word seemed to be the last word. I didn't even have to ask for things. If I even thought I wanted something it seemed to appear.

That hadn't been the end of the changes though. Now we seemed to be under new management, again. I didn't hear shit from them and they'd done the same thing that I'd once done, shut the virtual door, but that time they'd begged me to undo it. They'd shut it themselves this time.

That was one of the really odd things about it. When I'd shut the door the wailing, pissing, moaning, and gnashing of teeth had been impressive. Now, out of the blue, they'd broken contact themselves.