James Pyles's Blog, page 198
July 12, 2017
Her Loveliness
The Sun would be setting soon. The stage was set. The candle and amulet were in place, herbs were mixed and sealed in the urn. Most importantly the painting was there. It was unusual and very rare, the only one not cataloged as part of great-grandfather’s works. Maria had been great-grandfather’s lover for five decades. […]
The Cache
The Sixth Story in the Adventures of Ross Murdock The modern city of Dover had been inhabited since the Stone Age, so by the advent of the Bronze Age, it was a thriving community, one which the three agents from the future were determined to avoid. Ashe, Murdock, and McNeil, or rather Assa, Rossa, and […]
July 11, 2017
The Curse of Lurgha
The Fifth Story in the Adventures of Ross Murdock Assa and Rossa stood on a rise and gazed at smoke ascending from a burnt ruin at the far side of the valley. At that distance, there was no obvious sign of what had caused their trading post to burn to the ground. Lightning maybe? No […]
The New Knight
Terry stood overlooking the skate park. He spent too much time here and not enough in school, at least that’s what his Dad used to tell him. Should he take the old man’s offer? Sure, the old man needed Terry but did Terry need him? He needed something. Dad was murdered. Terry had the evidence. […]
July 10, 2017
The Traders
Ross Murdock, or rather “Rossa,” stood in front of half a dozen historians and cultural experts for inspection. “I think you are lying. Who are you really?” Aiyana Zheutlin shouted at him in a language few would understand in the 21st century, a language understood by Bronze Age Beaker traders 4,000 years ago on an […]
July 9, 2017
Escape
“I’ve got a headache, Ashe.” “Small wonder, Murdock. The virtual interface takes some getting used to. Plugs right into your brain, like that old movie ‘The Matrix,’ but without the spike in your skull.” Gordon Ashe was just a few inches shorter than Ross Murdock, but his skin was much darker and looked almost like […]
The Recruit
Ross Murdock sat in his cell, which for him had become pretty much the norm. There was only one bed, a toilet, a sink, a locked door, and no windows. A single bare bulb hanging from the ceiling out of his reach was the only illumination. Was it only two days ago when he was scheduled to come before Judge […]
The Artifact
Ross Murdock sat in Dover’s White Horse Pub sipping ale, silently cursing Gordon Ashe for staying behind. Ashe was the archaeologist. Murdock, a former thief, was Ashe’s student and did what he was told to avoid prison. “Is this seat taken?” The tall man, dark hair, full beard, spoke heavily accented English. “Pull up a […]
July 8, 2017
A Great Place to Retire
Larry and Jan sat at a table at La Puerta Falsa sampling Bogotá’s signature dish, steaming bowls of ajiaco. They had just come from the Museo Botero, home to an impressive collection of paintings by Colombia’s most famous visual artist, Fernando Botero. “I never thought of retiring here, Larry, but this isn’t the Bogotá I’d […]
The Girl from Svay Pak
This story comes with a disclaimer and a warning. The content in this tale, though fictional, is highly disturbing. I read a number of articles recently about the creation of child sexbots as well as a report on how impoverished Cambodian mothers are selling their young daughters into the sex trade. The combination of these subjects became the inspiration […]
