confessions of Patroclus --continued

"Saracen" army outside paris 732


Charles Martel leads the Franks to victory over the Moors / "Saracens"-- battle of Tours/Poitiers 732AD


The vehicle slows and even the turmoil within, dwindles to a halt as they arrive at the airfield. Another dark walk-in van is already there at the mission’s staging area ,engine idling. A large, stocky man with reddish brown crew cut, also dressed in black SWAT fatigues, casually jumps out and ambles towards the van holding the Patroclus team. He appears partly absorbed in checking what is on the clipboard he is holding.

Hermes , with clear relief at the sight of the recognizable figure, pulls opens the driver’s side door . His eyes look anxiously to Ajax as if hoping for a priest dispensing guarantees of ‘salvation’ from the upheavals of “hell” the boy has just witnessed.

“ Hey Herm, What’s shaking kid.” Ajax offers , ignoring the others and especially distaining Patroclus-- now propped with one knee in the van’s passenger seat.

“Jeeze , Hermes, how the fuck did you draw this sorry lot of screw-ups and misfits ? ” Ajax casts a brief sneer of disapproval around the inhabitants of the vehicle. His eyes stop with feigned incredulity upon Necrophilius in battle gear, cradling an M-4 assault rifle.

“Hey ‘Nec ‘, How come you’re not driving today ? “ Ajax does not bother to wait for an answer. “ I didn’t recognize you at first . All dressed up… You almost resemble a soldier. Too bad you never worked for one. What’s the matter , You finally get tired of playing chauffeur to a loser? “

“Fuck you Jax ! How’s the missus? “ Patroclus growls derisively.

“Bite lead, ass-wipe. “ Ajax not too subtly threatens .

“Uh… By the way, Patsy“, Ajax holds up the clipboard so that the official seal can be seen on the orders he is reading.

“You’ll never guess who’s been put in charge of this mission. Seems the Oligarchs decided at the last minute that you’re just too loose a canon to trust with ‘birds’.” he answers .

“ I wonder who and what convinced them of that ? “ He superficially pauses for his rival’s answer, still holding up the clipboard.

“Why are you sitting there wearing that, ‘What the fuck?’ look on your dumb, hillbilly face, Patsy? “ Ajax laughs, turning away and walking towards the helicopter area .


With a clearly identifiable, and fuming intent, Patroclus instantly climbs over top of a startled Hermes and scrambles out of the driver’s side door. Ajax , expecting the approach, calmly turns, hand open and ready, poised close to the Desert Eagle pistol strapped to his leg. The other knights for the mission, Adonis and Idas, understanding what is about to ensue , race towards the two men as Ajax’s four French mercenaries also curiously jump from their vehicle to watch.

“Hey Patsy --bugger any more blind five-year-old retards lately ?” Jax taunts his rival.

“Only your daughter, Jax , and she tells me, ‘Mr. Pat, your dick’s waaaay bigger than my Daddy’s.’ “ the knight’s voice imitates that of a child‘s amazement.

As quickly as he has lost control again, Patroclus appears to regain --some of it.

The Vikings, smell of blood in their nostrils, are quickly out of the truck now and watching.
Hermes is plastered to the seat, hands stuck to the wheel , eyes wide as tires. Surprising himself, Necrophilius has leapt from the truck and scrambles dangerously near the two men.

“Then your little girl says to me, ‘Your dick is bigger and you fuck better than Daddy does too’ “ Patroclus continues jeering at his now victim.

“--And then she says to me, ‘Mr. Pat, my Mommy tells me that she thinks that you fuck better than Daddy does too’. Patroclus ridicules what he knows from his own personal contribution, to be is his foe’s greatest sensitivity , but is never foolish enough to stop eyeing Ajax’s gun hand.


“I think I’ll fucking kill you, right now, Patsy .” Ajax, pistol suddenly appearing, voices a low rumble, taking a step forward . Patroclus has, just as quickly, drawn his own weapon . The two face each other inimitable hatred glowering in plain view.


The Vikings leer with anticipation, but are finally disappointed as Idas rushes like a bulldog between the two larger knights, his presence forcing them apart before violence can erupt .

“Just wait , pretty boy. Soon it’s gonna be you and me. “ Ajax growls, patting his holstered pistol .

“Jax , still pretty quick with that ‘Eagle’,huh? You goddamm Neanderthal. I’m almost halfway impressed,. Everybody’s been saying to me for years that you were all washed up.” Patroclus remarks , patting his own weapon and grinning at his adversary with all 32 teeth.

“Well, if they say that, then they lie ‘Pretty Boy‘… they lie. “ Ajax hisses through his own clenched teeth.

That’s ‘Golden boy‘,” smugly corrects Patroclus, “But , I can’t deny either one is true. “ he grins.


“You two fucking ‘gentlemen’ can play ‘OK Corral’ some other time. We’ve got work to do on behalf of the Order. “ Idas interrupts.

--‘The Order’ Necrophilus proclaims dutifully , trying to prevent infighting and
rouse the patriotism of the knights by giving the handbook’s prescribed response to the mention of their “fellowship” in the presence of three or more knights.

“Can it , kid. “ Jax replies, with undisguised scorn for people he deems as ‘ass kissers’.

“There are no Oligarchs present . No need for demonstrations of loyalty when they’re not around. Don’t worry, they’ll get their share of the take from this raid. Other than that, fuck ‘em.”

Resuming his role as lead on this mission, Ajax issues instructions to his soldiers.

“Listen up, Ladies. Check and see you’ve got the right badges and identifying markings on your vests and helmets . We go in as BATF today ,” Jax announces. “ Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms,“ he explains to the four Vikings, as well as to the four French mercenaries that he has hired for this mission.

The Order of the Noble Scion , with its chronic shortage of manpower, must like the old Roman Empire before it, rely upon mercenaries. The Order not only depends on Viking mercenaries, but must also hire swords like, Giscard, Pepin, Aquitaine, and Odo from La Société de Charles Martel .


“ We got the clear from Lycanthropus , Pericles and Mentor for this operation.” Jax continues. “ Of course, they put me in command. He turns and smiles with a smug bitterness, pleased at witnessing the rancor in Patroclus ‘s face .


Necrophilius could not help but remember reading from the ‘Sleepwalkers playbook’ he captured in the previous day’s raid the observation:

“Without an all consuming jealously for the wealth of the outer world to consistently unify them, the Europeans would have remained as they had been for thousands of years -- hordes of blood-fevered savages perpetually at war with each other. “

The young, future knight begins to wondered to himself how much else of the ideas that he has read on the captured disc were true.