Read Online Out of the Ashes by Lori Dillon - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Lori Dillon
Tags: Romance
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I suppose it wouldn’t have hurt… if they had been sent back so they could have been reasonably close in age.”
Marsha glared at her husband. “That was his fault.”
Hershel grew pale, small beads of sweat popping out on his shiny bald head.
“Tell him, Hershel.”
Hershel cleared his throat and tugged at the edges of his cardigan sweater, trying to regain some composure.
“Well, you see, they were showing a replay of the Thirty Years War at the Cineplex, and I didn’t want to miss it.”
“Apparently, that was why you were thirty years late getting Male 2028 to the drop off station?”
Marsha jumped to Hershel’s defense.
“At least we got them to meet that time.”
Smithers rubbed his temples in circles, pressing so hard that Marsha thought he might pop his eyes out of their sockets.
“Having her nearly run over him with her carriage is hardly what I would call ‘meeting.’ And besides, he was only thirteen, and she was what? Nearly fifty?”
“Forty-three,” Marsha corrected him. “And age wouldn’t have mattered once he’d grown to manhood.”
Smithers stopped rubbing and looked at Marsha.
“Yes, unfortunately she died before that could happen, didn’t she?”
“How was I supposed to know that the lead in her cosmetics was lethal?”
“Well, we know that now, don’t we?”
Smithers clasped his hands together and laid them on top of the papers on his desk.
“If it were up to me, I’d have you both reassigned to something with less responsibility, such as snowflake design or sand grain inventory. As it is, He wants you both to see this thing through to the end.”
“ He does?” Marsha and Hershel said in unison.
“Yes, but there is a condition.”
Marsha was afraid to ask. “What’s that?”
“You’re both to go on location.”
“On location?”
“Yes, you will return to Earth and personally supervise Male 2028 and Female 5923 to make sure their contract is fulfilled this time.”
“Go down there?” They looked at each other. Why, the very idea was unheard of. “For how long?”
“For as long as it takes.” Smithers pointed his finger at them. “Remember, this is your last chance to get this right. For heaven’s sake, these people aren’t cats. They’re not supposed to have nine lives.”
Posterity, posterity, this is your concern…
Be attentive.
Twenty times, since the creation of the sun
has Vesuvius blazed, never without a horrid
destruction of those that hesitate to fly.
This is a warning, that it may never
seize you unapprised.
The womb of this mountain is pregnant with
bitumen, alum, iron, gold, silver, nitre ,
and fountains of water.
Sooner or later it kindles, and when the sea
rushes in, will give birth vent…
If you are wise, hear this speaking stone.
Neglect your domestic concerns, neglect your
goods, and chattels, there is no delaying.
Fly.
— Anno Domini
in the reign of Philip IV, Emmanuele Fonseca, Viceroy, 1632
From a plaque inscribed in Latin and erected in the village of Portici,
warning its citizens of the evil of Vesuvius
Chapter 6
June, 1943
Pompeii, Italy
Serafina blew softly on the dirt, effectively puffing away nearly two thousand years of dust and ash from the object hidden beneath. A speck of shiny silver glinted at her in the bright afternoon sun. She held her breath, fighting the urge to dig her hands deep in the dirt and rip the priceless artifact from its earthen tomb.
Years of study and practice had taught her restraint at times like this, even while the excitement of discovery pounded through her veins.
She lay prostrate in the dirt with a small pick in one hand and a soft brush in the other and began the arduous task of unearthing her prize one grain of dirt at a time.
After an hour of backbreaking work, the relic was partially exposed. Serafina inspected what appeared to be a large silver cup still half-buried in the ground. Raised skeletons depicting scenes of celebration covered
Marsha glared at her husband. “That was his fault.”
Hershel grew pale, small beads of sweat popping out on his shiny bald head.
“Tell him, Hershel.”
Hershel cleared his throat and tugged at the edges of his cardigan sweater, trying to regain some composure.
“Well, you see, they were showing a replay of the Thirty Years War at the Cineplex, and I didn’t want to miss it.”
“Apparently, that was why you were thirty years late getting Male 2028 to the drop off station?”
Marsha jumped to Hershel’s defense.
“At least we got them to meet that time.”
Smithers rubbed his temples in circles, pressing so hard that Marsha thought he might pop his eyes out of their sockets.
“Having her nearly run over him with her carriage is hardly what I would call ‘meeting.’ And besides, he was only thirteen, and she was what? Nearly fifty?”
“Forty-three,” Marsha corrected him. “And age wouldn’t have mattered once he’d grown to manhood.”
Smithers stopped rubbing and looked at Marsha.
“Yes, unfortunately she died before that could happen, didn’t she?”
“How was I supposed to know that the lead in her cosmetics was lethal?”
“Well, we know that now, don’t we?”
Smithers clasped his hands together and laid them on top of the papers on his desk.
“If it were up to me, I’d have you both reassigned to something with less responsibility, such as snowflake design or sand grain inventory. As it is, He wants you both to see this thing through to the end.”
“ He does?” Marsha and Hershel said in unison.
“Yes, but there is a condition.”
Marsha was afraid to ask. “What’s that?”
“You’re both to go on location.”
“On location?”
“Yes, you will return to Earth and personally supervise Male 2028 and Female 5923 to make sure their contract is fulfilled this time.”
“Go down there?” They looked at each other. Why, the very idea was unheard of. “For how long?”
“For as long as it takes.” Smithers pointed his finger at them. “Remember, this is your last chance to get this right. For heaven’s sake, these people aren’t cats. They’re not supposed to have nine lives.”
Posterity, posterity, this is your concern…
Be attentive.
Twenty times, since the creation of the sun
has Vesuvius blazed, never without a horrid
destruction of those that hesitate to fly.
This is a warning, that it may never
seize you unapprised.
The womb of this mountain is pregnant with
bitumen, alum, iron, gold, silver, nitre ,
and fountains of water.
Sooner or later it kindles, and when the sea
rushes in, will give birth vent…
If you are wise, hear this speaking stone.
Neglect your domestic concerns, neglect your
goods, and chattels, there is no delaying.
Fly.
— Anno Domini
in the reign of Philip IV, Emmanuele Fonseca, Viceroy, 1632
From a plaque inscribed in Latin and erected in the village of Portici,
warning its citizens of the evil of Vesuvius
Chapter 6
June, 1943
Pompeii, Italy
Serafina blew softly on the dirt, effectively puffing away nearly two thousand years of dust and ash from the object hidden beneath. A speck of shiny silver glinted at her in the bright afternoon sun. She held her breath, fighting the urge to dig her hands deep in the dirt and rip the priceless artifact from its earthen tomb.
Years of study and practice had taught her restraint at times like this, even while the excitement of discovery pounded through her veins.
She lay prostrate in the dirt with a small pick in one hand and a soft brush in the other and began the arduous task of unearthing her prize one grain of dirt at a time.
After an hour of backbreaking work, the relic was partially exposed. Serafina inspected what appeared to be a large silver cup still half-buried in the ground. Raised skeletons depicting scenes of celebration covered
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