B. Alexander Howerton by The Wyrding Stone Page B

know each
other, sitting close together on the bed.  Alan now got more than cursory
answers to his requests, and offered plenty of his own information.  After
about an hour, a very tired, somewhat inebriated Jeff started making noises
like he was ready for bed.
    “Shall we take a little walk?” Alan suggested, looking deep
into Julia’s eyes.
    “Yes, I’d like that,” she responded.
    They strolled out of the room and down the hall, holding
hands.
    “Which room are you staying in?” asked Alan.
    “Right down here. Do you want to see it?”
    “Sure.”
    They entered her room, and the door swung shut behind them. 
Before it was shut they were hugging each other, kissing.  A full minute had
not passed before the door opened again.  Startled, Alan and Julia pulled
apart.
    “It’s me, Carol.”  A head peeked around the door.
    “Come on in,” Julia said.  “I bet you’re ready for bed.”
    “Well, yeah, pretty much.  Jeff shut down his party.”
    “Come on. Let me show you my room.”  Alan tugged gently on
Julia’s arm.
    “OK.”
    They walked back down the hall in the direction they had
recently come.  Alan used his card key on a door on the other side of the hall
from Julia’s room.  They entered.  There stood Steve, removing his shirt. 
    “Sorry,” Alan apologized.  “I guess you’re crashing too,
huh?”
    “Yep, that’s right.”
    “OK, whatever.”  He shut the door, and Alan and Julia stood
in the hallway, staring at each other.
    “Come on,” Alan said, and took Julia’s hand.  They walked
down the hall, away from where the party had been.  They rounded a corner at
the end of the hall, which led to doors of two more rooms.
    “This looks like about as much privacy as we’re going to get
tonight,” Alan whispered, and leaned forward.
    “I guess so,” responded Julia, and opened her lips to meet
his.
    They kissed passionately for about two minutes.  Finally,
Alan pulled his head back, gazing at Julia.  Here eyes were glowing, seeming to
say, “I wish we could find a way to spend some more time together.”  But her
mouth uttered, “Well, I guess I’d better get to bed too.”
    Alan sighed, not able to see a way out of their present
impasse.  “Yeah, I guess that’s a good idea.  I’m pretty tired.”  He took her
hand and led her back to her room.  They kissed briefly one last time.  “Well,
goodnight.”  Alan said quietly.
    “Goodnight,” Julia responded, opening her door, slipping in,
and letting it gently shut behind her.
    Alan sighed deeply.  Well, so much for that, he thought, as
he turned toward his room.
    The first thing Alan saw in the morning, once he could
focus, was the bedside digital clock reading 10:58.  He got up, splashed water
on his face, and pulled on his pants and shirt.  He crossed the hall and
knocked on Julia’s door.  No answer.  They were obviously gone.  Oh well, he
thought, and returned to his room to pack up his things.

7.   333 B.C.E. — Alexander’s Siege of Tyre
    Princess Carialla of Tyre leaned against the parapet and
stared, wide-eyed, at the gathering horde of Alexander of Macedon, half a
league away on the shore.  Nelka, her nursemaid since birth, rushed up and
tugged on her ornately embroidered sleeve.  “Come, child,” she hissed
urgently.  “We must go now, or we lose our chance.”
    Carialla tore herself away from the terrifying scene and
hurried after Nelka, who led her through the labyrinthine passages and
stairways of the sprawling, ancient palace.  They made their way, along with a
few other loyal servants, toward the southern-facing Egyptian port of the
island city.  As they egressed onto the quays of the harbor and rushed toward
the waiting royal trireme, Carialla risked another glance over her shoulder at
the mainland.  The armies of Alexander had begun arriving there the previous
evening, and by now a formidable host had arrayed itself along the coast.
    Carialla halted suddenly, her long,