The Speculative King

Edmund Mortimer, crowned King Edmund III, is considered amongst certain scholars of the apocrypha to be the greatest monarch of England. His rule not only saw Great Britain and Ireland peacefully united, but also the annexation of Normandy and Brittany, who voluntarily joined the commonwealth out of regard for his magnanimity. His reign lasted 70 years, starting at age 9, and even as a boy he was renowned for his kind heart and wise decisions. His abdication ushered in the golden age of English democracy, which endured until wicked King Henry restored the monarchy in 1485.

Thus fate always wins.

Hard To Swallow

We take the caddy everywhere; it is a modern Grand Tour.

During our European escapades my brother was the fourth cavalier, so we are retracing our trip of a lifetime: Oslo, Paris and Tuscany; Ljubljana and Granada.

Back in England, my wife welcomes us before we leave for the final destination: Bibury, the most beautiful village in England.

She makes steaming mugs of tea and we toast my friend, my brother, tears welling in our eyes. Then it is time to move, and I pick up the caddy.

It’s empty. He’s gone.

My wife is ashen-faced.

And we turn green.

From Guest Contributor Hugh Cartwright

Personal History

Adulthood in Texas means being old enough to get the electric chair if you kill someone. In 17th century England offenders sent to the pillory were pelted by the crowd with dung, dead cats and dogs, rotten vegetables, and, in extreme cases, stones and even saucepans. Some, though, flung flowers in Defoe’s face. It’s the difference between weather and climate. The least you can do is pretend to care. In Jewish tradition a righteous man is buried with 144 prayer books atop his coffin. When my Uncle Lou was buried, they put the books in cardboard boxes labeled Kitchen Utensils.

From Guest Contributor Howie Good

Howie is the author most recently of What It Is and How to Use It from Grey Book Press. He co-edits the journals Unbroken and UnLost.

The Taxi Driver

Ed was too frightened to open the boot. The banging from inside could indicate the end of his job, but there were also plenty of scenarios that would lead to deportation back to England, jail, or worse.

He shifted through his options as he searched up and down the empty street. Finally, with his maglite in hand, he pushed the button on his keychain and jumped back.

As the jackal darted out and ran into the ditch, Ed cursed. He'd been ordered to stay silent. This was his last warning. No amount of money would be worth what came next.

This story is meant to demonstrate suspense, the topic of today's post over at The Chaos Factory.

The Responsible Monarch

"The queen bee thinks nothing of sacrificing a hundred soldiers to protect the hive. The queen ant goes even further, commanding thousands of her drones to forfeit their lives, all in the name of the greater good. But what you'll never see is the Queen putting herself in danger. The Queen knows that without her, there can be no society."

"I know. As Queen of England, I'm an important symbol. But I don't understand what that has to do with me having one more piece of sponge cake."

"We don't want Charles inheriting one day sooner than necessary, your Majesty."