Chapter 29

Jake poked his flashlight into the door opening and illuminated a large room that had been hacked into the mountain's stone. The room was mostly ringed with sturdy wooden shelves filled with books, journals, and what looked like family mementos. The air in the room was surprisingly dry and fresh as it blew gently to the group at the door. On the wall opposite the door, a tunnel entrance was carved into the limestone. In the center of the room was a large rough-hewn desk with an equally large high-backed chair in front of it. On the desk, as if recently used, were a thick vellum paper book or journal and an oiled animal-skin parcel. Wordlessly, Jake went to the desk and retrieved the two prominent items, the journal and parcel -- then all four of them departed. They all seemed to instinctively know that retrieving the two items was their mission; exploring the room and tunnel could wait. Jake pulled the wall closed by an iron ring set in the mortar. It closed seamlessly to the wall and locked into place.

No one spoke until they reached Rory's truck then all three women started talking at once. Jake held up his hand and they fell silent. He pointed to Helen.

"You first."

"I can't believe we all knew exactly what to do. I did not have a clue about this place yet I knew exactly where that room was," she said.

Mary nodded in agreement. "It was like a chapter from a gothic novel; if I had not been there I would never believe this really happened."

"I've been coming here since I was a child and never knew that room existed until today," added Corinne.

Jake drove them back to Corinne's house then took the Land Rover back to Rory. When he arrived back at Corinne's house, he had to smile at the three women waiting for him at the dining room table. The journal and oil-skin packet sat on the table, unopened. As curious as they were they would not have dreamed of opening anything until he was with them. Jake nodded to Corinne and she delicately opened the journal.

"It's written in a combination of Gaelic and English and appears to be the diary of our grandfather Aidan Carrig (Hugh the Rock) Buckley," she said.

"You can translate it for us later," Jake said. "Now let's open this other thing."

Corinne carefully unwrapped the heavily oiled deer-skin packet. Inside was another equally thick skin that was folded in on itself four times. Corinne unfolded the inner skin and gently smoothed it on the table top. The thick skin was about two feet square and was covered in Latin script. A map of the Keelmira valley was exactingly drawn in the center. Corrine studied the writing, her brow furrowed in concentration. The other three waited breathlessly as she pored over the document. Finally, Corinne looked up at them, her eyes wide with wonder.

"This is the written decree of King Cormac formally recognizing the O'Buckley as Chief of Name and ceding the Keelmira Valley and Croagh Patrick to him," Corinne said in a voice filled with awe. "By the laws of the Republic, this document establishes Jacob's ownership to the land and the title; both are inheritances according to the Irish Constitution."

Corinne then explained what she meant.

"When Ireland finally threw off the yoke of English domination and formed itself into a Republic, all forms of nobility were abolished. Titles and coats of arms are recognized as property only, like the land this decree cedes you. We now have proof that the O'Buckley was granted status of Chief of Clan; there are only twenty other people in Ireland that can say that.

"If this document is proven authentic, we will file it with the Chief of Irish Heraldry and the county government in Castlebar. Then, what we residents of the valley have always known will be legally binding again; the clan and the rightfully ownership of the valley and Croagh Patrick will be reestablished. We will break the thirty year limbo we have suffered through. Jacob, you have to call a clan council immediately and make this public. The news is going to make for a happy night at the pub when word gets out."

"As soon as you do what needs to be done, I want these things back where they came from. I almost felt like a grave robber leaving with them," Jake said.

The three women agreed with him on that. Mary and Corinne sat at the table talking while Jake walked Helen back to her cottage. Helen held on to his arm as they walked. Helen was as beautiful as Jake had ever seen her. She stood out in such contrast to the other two women because of her raven black hair and height but she was clearly one of them. Jake often wondered why she missed getting red hair like the rest of them because the gene was so dominant. He knew that there was a reason for it and knew that it was somehow linked to the DeDananns' complex machinations to insure the clan survived. Helen tightened her grip on his arm and seductively pressed her breast against him.

"Will you make love to me soon, Jacob? I want you so badly, my Chieftain," she half teased.

"I insist on it, woman," Jake replied. "I will need compensation for all the tough decisions I'll have to make as Chieftain."

Helen laughed and pinched him.

"The toughest decision you have to make is which willing wench you bed next."

"Ouch, now you are in for it, my impertinent lass," Jake said mock-menacingly.

Helen laughed again and held him even tighter. She was very aroused by what had happened today and by Jacob's nearness. For Helen, the whole clan revelation answered many questions she had had about her heritage and her feelings. Her only real question had been why her father had never told her about any of it. She would receive the answer to that question while she slept that night. At the door of the cottage Jake kissed her and said he would be coming for her soon so they could spend some time together alone. She stood in the doorway and watched him for a minute as he strode purposely back to Corinne's. He truly is a man of destiny she thought.

Jake arrived back at Corinne's to find the two women still sitting at the table discussing the morning's excitement. The sight of them as they looked up suddenly made his blood boil. It was time to test his status as the O'Buckley. Without saying a word, he took their hands and pulled them up from the table. Wide-eyed but unresisting, they followed him to Corinne's bedroom. Jake was conscious of everything he was doing; but he also felt as if he were following the script of an ancient play. In the bedroom, he stopped and began by removing his shirt; as he looked firmly at each of his companions, they immediately began to strip as well. Three naked bodies slipped into the bed; Jake's nostrils flared as the aroma of aroused women reached his nose. His hands confirmed there were indeed two very wet and willing wenches about to be well roiled.

An hour and a half latter, they lay sated in Corinne's bed. Jake had a satisfied redhead on each shoulder; the O'Buckley rod had stirred the nooks and crannies of all available openings. It had also been a marvelous awakening for both Mary and Corinne who had twice found themselves in a duet within the trio.

"What have you done to me, Jacob? Until a couple of hours ago, I had never had a thought about a woman in my life. Now I can't imagine why I never tried something so wonderful," Corinne said.

Jake smiled at her fondly and kissed her. She smelled and tasted like Mary's fragrant emissions. Then Jake explained his theory.

"Here is what I have figured out about the relationship between the Buckley men and Buckley women. I think that the DeDanann somehow programmed certain traits into our family that were designed to insure the bloodline's survival. Corinne, you said that our family originated with Brigit, the daughter of the last DeDanann king. I am certain that all we are now is exactly as she wanted us to be. There were never a lot of DeDanann in the first place, so when the Miloseans were in the mist of conquering the island, they knew they were going to be assimilated fairly quickly. I believe the DeDanann found a way to make Brigit's genes dominant in her descendents. I would bet money that you two look almost exactly the way Brigit did over three thousand years ago.

I don't know how the DeDanann accomplished any of this but the results speak for themselves. I also don't know if it's adaptation or more legacy, but it appears that the majority of Buckley women are bisexual. I think that's because their men were absent so much of the time. Rather than turn to a strange man to meet their needs, they turned to each other. It's funny that the O'Buckley is the titular head of the clan but in reality the clan survives because of its women.

"Then there is sexual attraction between us. That has to be part of the plan as well. I swear every Buckley woman I've met has set me on fire. And, to a woman, you all have a strong sex drive. That Brigit must have been something else, if you all are modeled on her as I suspect.

"The last thing about us is the most delicate to me. It deals with the relationship between us once we get together. After I make love to a Buckley, she becomes my woman and I'm the only man she is interested in. Somehow, I can release her from that and I have with everyone except you two and the younger Nina. I think you both see why you are important to me based on this morning's excitement. Nina has a vulnerability that will get her hurt if she's not with me. Mary, your relationship with Sean is so strong, releasing you won't make much of a difference in your life. But, you, Corinne, are a different story. If I keep you bonded to me, it would be selfish and unfair of me because I won't be here to take care of you. I will not do that to you."

Corinne put her fingers to his lips to silence him.

"Jacob, whether you release me or not, I'm never going to be with another man. That's just the way I am. I never wanted a man until I met you and I cannot see that changing. Like my mother before me, I have my cottage and my child. But unlike my mother I actually have your and the rest of the family's visits to look forward to. Then there is the added bonus of the relics in the manor basement; I believe that I'll find what I need to write our family's history now."

Jake saw the validity of her argument. He told her that he would like her to pursue the history angle as a priority. She said she would begin translating her grandfather's journal immediately.

Jake dropped by to visit Rory after he left Corinne's; Mary and Corinne went to retrieve Corinne's son from the elder Nina. Jake asked Rory to call for a clan meeting for two evenings later and spread the word as far as he could. Jake wanted anyone with Buckley blood at the meeting along with all the townspeople. Rory got right on it. Rory knew Jake was the O'Buckley even though he did not know about the document Jake found.

Jake told Melissa about his discovery that night. She was thrilled for him, of course, but nothing he told her made much of an impression on her. She listened to him as she lay on her side with her big belly propped up on him and her head resting on his chest.

"So the valley has a Lord of the Manor now, good for them. But listen, Hubby, you are already the King of the Universe to me, so this is small potatoes. I think that Princess Brigit looked into the future and did all this work just to get you to me. If you got out of this bed and walked across the deepest part of Clew Bay I would not bat an eye; that's how much faith I have in you. If you asked me to sign over everything we own to you tomorrow I wouldn't hesitate for a second, that is how much I trust you."

Wow, Jake thought, how do you respond to something like that? Jake kissed her forehead then turned over so she could lie against him. He let her wiggle her stomach onto the small of his back until she was comfortable and stayed awake until her breathing became shallow and regular. Nothing that happened on that eventful day brought him half the contentment that this quiet moment did. A good woman could make bad times tolerable and good times great, he reflected.

Jake drifted off to sleep and immediately joined Elliott in the basement room of the manor.

"Thanks for showing us this room, Elliott; although I have to admit it was eerie feeling your presence while I was awake."

Elliot laughed and sat on the edge of the desk.

"That wasn't me, Jacob. My purpose in all this was to guide you to this valley and help you discover your heritage. Today was the doings of your collective ancestors deciding that you deserved to be the next O'Buckley. To my knowledge, you are the first that did not have the title bestowed on him by the reigning Chieftain. Can you imagine, over a hundred generations of clan chiefs went before us, each one adding to the strength of our family.

"I have to admit that I misrepresented myself to you by letting you think I was here accidentally. Now that the clan order has been reestablished, I no longer have a purpose for being here. So, this is my final visit to you, unless I am sent back for some other reason."

"I will miss you, Elliott; knowing you were around has been a comfort to me," Jake said.

"You'll do fine, Jacob, and you will be a credit to our family, I see that in you. You are the man that can finally realize the full potential of our DeDanann heritage. In addition, you have fathered children who will insure a continuation of the clan and even the family name. I see extraordinary futures for your offspring. The O'Buckley that succeeds you will be truly gifted.

"I am most pleased with your desire to chronicle our family history. In this room is a complete listing of all the O'Buckleys and diaries that cover hundreds of years of that history. It was no accident that Corinne prepared herself for this undertaking, just as it was no accident that your cousin Sean is an extremely gifted writer. Get the two of them together and encourage Sean to write some epic tales using our history as a guide.

"Jacob, in the course that time took in your first life, the Buckley clan all but died out. In this march, the clan will push humanity towards the DeDanann ideals of true equality, brotherhood, and living as one with nature. You will find that a surprising number of people yearn for that. Look at your Hawaiian friends for example. Kane's philosophy is as close to that of the DeDanann as it is possible to be. Progress is only a good thing if it benefits everyone; sadly, in these times it does not. You can start the movement that corrects that. It is a daunting task but one you are well equipped to handle. Your children will be even better equipped to continue what you start."

Jake's mind reeled at the implications of Elliott's words. Jake's goal had always been to shift the future away from the nastiness of the late twentieth and early twenty-first century. That had been a goal ambitious beyond reason, now Elliott was suggesting a plan ambitious beyond belief. Elliott saw his stricken look and smiled.

"You do not think that all the effort to get you here was just so you could have your way with women did you?" Elliott asked rhetorically.

Then Elliott's smile faded and he became serious again.

"One last thing, Jacob. The man in Chicago, I've mentioned him before, wants exactly the opposite of what you desire. He is very capable of getting his way. He has mastered the ability to come back in time and has done it twice so far. If you simply eliminate him from this timeline, this existence will continue to move forward as you make it; but he will make whatever timeline he jumps into a pure hell for the people there. But if you let him continue to exist here unfettered, he will become increasingly stronger and try to thwart any changes to the future he knows. He will do that because his power over the timeline depends so much on his knowledge of the future. Somehow, you will have to deal with this evil in a way that results in containment. Okay, lad, I think I've given you enough to do for one lifetime. I would as lief stay with you, but it is not to be, so goodbye, and take care, son."

Jake shook hands with Elliott and then hugged him. After the rocky start to their relationship, Jake had grown to really love his grandfather. He was going to miss him.

Jake woke up the next morning a little sad about Elliott and more than a little humbled by the faith Elliott expressed in him. Jake was also confused about the apparent power that the DeDanann possessed. How did a small race of people isolated on an island develop the ability to manipulate genetics? Jake knew that the genetic map for humans would not even be completed until early in the twenty-first century. Yet, over three thousand years ago an Iron Age race launched his clan with some amazing adaptations. When gene mapping became available, he was definitely having this looked into.

Jake was also curious about what Elliott said about the collective of past chieftains making him the O'Buckley. Was that another artifice of the DeDanann? Jake was definitely going to insure that Corinne gleaned every bit of information possible from the material in the manor's basement. There were a million questions that needed to be answered.

Jake lay in bed a couple of minutes longer playing with Melissa's hair and thinking. His wife woke up and smiled at him as he was petting her hair.

"Good morning, Baby. I love waking up like this," she said.

"So do I, Muffy. The only thing better would be if we could make love," he said.

"You should have thought of that before you knocked me up. You are the one keeping me barefoot and pregnant," she teased.

"Well, I can't help it if I think you look cute with a bun in the oven and a baby on your hip."

"You would, you chauvinist pig. Lucky for you, my mouth still works," Melissa said as she reached for his morning woody.

Melissa sent him out that morning wearing a big smile. He headed towards Sean and Nina's cottage to talk to Sean Patrick. He was going to talk to each of his relatives before the clan meeting Rory had scheduled for the next evening. Jake had been thinking about what Elliott had said about Sean. His felt that his almost reclusive cousin might like the idea of staying in Ireland for a while. Nina, Jake knew, would not care if they were on the dark side of the moon, as long as she and Sean were there together.

Jake laid the whole story out for Sean and Nina; he included a little about the attraction between Buckley men and women but did not dwell on it. As he had guessed, Sean was excited and intrigued about the cache of family history at the Manor. Jake suggested that he take a sabbatical and move to Keelmira to research and write a novel or two based on their ancestors. Sean liked the idea but said he and Nina would need to discuss it. For her part, Nina liked the idea as well. Jake told them that he wanted to start some sort of cooperative bank, basically a savings and loan for the clan in the valley. Nina could run it for them part time and still be with her children. Sean and Nina could move into the manor as soon as it was inhabitable. Jake left their cottage almost certain that they would accept his proposal.

Jake went to the inn next to brief Claudia and his sisters. He found them in the pub dressed up to go on a shopping excursion. It was market day in Castlebar. Rory had hired a small motor coach to take everyone who wanted to go shopping. Almost all the female guests had signed up. Jake's dad and the elder Sean Murphy were already out on the bay fishing. For once, the weather was sunny and warm so they would be out until dark.

Jake took the ladies up to Angie's room and laid out the whole story. He held nothing back from them. They all insisted that Jake show them the manor. They were amazed at the family's history and wanted to explore it themselves. They were also fascinated about the relationship among themselves, Jake, and other women. Jake saw the look that passed between Debbie and Claudia and knew right away that they had already been exploring their Buckleyness with each other. Jake decided they were another tandem that he would not mind trying. As they got up to leave, Angie asked him to stay for a minute with her, she had a private matter to discuss. He turned to her after the others had left and she moved into his arms.

"Jake, do the women have any say in who gets bonded to the O'Buckley?"

"They do with me. I don't yet know how strong the attachment is so I usually let the women decide."

"Nina told me that even though it was all she wanted, you did not ask her."

"Nina is a special case, Princess. She is very submissive and that could get her hurt. I figured she was better off with me. When she a little more self-confident, I'll let her make her choice."

"What if I wanted to be your woman but only part-time? What if I wanted to be on my own but have you as the only man in my life? Could we make that work?"

"I think so, if Melissa agrees; after all you'll be a lover to both of us. What brought this on? I thought you liked dating and playing the field."

"I'm fine with you and Melissa, Jake, I've told you that already. As for the other thing, I want an MBA and a career more than I want an attachment. Can I ask Melissa about this when we get back?"

Jake agreed then kissed her and walked her back down stairs. The bus to the Castlebar market was just starting to load up when they got to the pub. Most everyone got on the bus, including all the young children. Jake waved goodbye to everyone and watched the bus pull away before he headed towards his cottage. He had noticed that Trish and Leslie were on the bus with his son in tow so he figured he would have some alone time with wifey.

Melissa was working on some business thing when he arrived at the cottage; her briefcase was open and papers covered the kitchen table. Jake fixed himself a cup of coffee and sat at the table with her. They yakked about this and that as she went through the documents. From what he could see, she was reviewing the performance of each of TnT Holding's subsidiaries. TnT's fiscal year ended September thirtieth so these must be end of year reports.

"How'd we do, Muffy?" he asked.

"Better than I expected considering how bad the economy is. Looks like our profits increased about ten percent overall. Everyone turned a profit, including DOT COM. Even our cash reserves paid a good return because of inflation. The auto dealerships are really doing well and we have two years left on our sweetheart deal with the Japanese. We will have sixty dealerships by the end of next year; my instincts tell me that's about our limit. I figure our net worth is about five hundred and fifty million, with about half of that in cash and Treasury bonds. Oh yeah, and we have over a million ounces of silver stashed in a vault at Chase-Manhattan."

"You did not mention the twenty-seven thousand dollars I made playing ball or my National Guard pay; that had to have helped," Jake deadpanned.

She leaned over and kissed him.

"You know your ideas helped make most of this money. With the slump in construction and the weak real estate market, Thornton Development is almost stagnant. The TnT businesses are making all the money now. What I wonder about is that you give money away but don't spend anything on yourself."

"I have the best wife who ever lived, a wonderful family, and good friends; what else could I possibly want?"

Melissa leaned over and kissed him again.

"You're a good man, Hubby; I think I'll keep you."

They were still kissing when Nina and her younger sister Donna came in the door.

"Geez, you two, get a room. No wonder Melissa's always pregnant," Nina teased.

When Nina was close enough, Jake grabbed her and put her across his knees. She squealed, laughing and kicking as he held her with one hand and smacked her on her denim covered butt with the other. Donna stood aside watching them, her expression haughty and disdainful. That look was exactly why Jake did not care much for Miss Donna. She was conceited, spoiled, and petulant; plus she acted for all the world as if her do-do smelled of lavender. Granted, she was stone cold beautiful, with stylishly short auburn hair and a spectacular body, but her attitude was so bad Jake avoided her like the plague.

"Lose the superior expression, Donna Mary Ellen Murphy, or yours will be for real," Jake warned.

Donna's face went slack for a few seconds as she struggled to put on a smile. Her smile was as fake as a lawyer's but at least she no longer looked as if she were constipated. Jake pulled Nina upright in his lap and kissed her soundly. Nina cooed and returned his kiss with passion. Donna took it all in, wondering what he saw in Nina when she herself was available. Every guy she knew wanted her, often desperately, except Jake, who for some dumb reason preferred her mousy sister.

"What can I do for you, my little angel?" Jake asked Nina.

"Donna and I need to talk to you for a minute."

"Take him into the bedroom to talk so I can get this done, will you, Nina? He is a much worse distraction than Jakey," Melissa said.

Nina got off his lap and kissed Melissa on the cheek before leading Jake and Donna to the bedroom.

"What's up?" Jake asked.

"Actually, Donna wants to talk to you," Nina replied.

Jake looked at Donna expectantly; he pretty much knew what she wanted.

"Jake, I'm fifteen now, the age of consent. Nina said I had the right to ask you to be my first. So that's what I want."

Jesus, Jake thought, she sounded like a six year old! Jake asked Nina to leave him and Donna alone. Jake waited until Nina was out of the room before answering. Donna smiled smugly; he could not wait, she thought, he wants me now.

"Okay, Donna, I will respect your request; when we get back to Palmdale, I'll send Nina to get you when I'm ready. I want you to know that I'm doing it as a family duty, though, not because I want you. I also want you to consider this: you are pretty and smart, too bad the way you act keeps you from being as beautiful as you could be."

"Fuck that," she replied hotly. "I am not going to ever be like my sisters: Claudia with her lesbo friends, Jennie sitting around mooning over some goofy Lurch look-alike, or Nina so sickeningly sweet, scared of her own shadow. You'll see when you are with me that I'm better than them or those other half-breed women you hang out with."

Donna spun on her heels and stalked out of the room. Jake stared after her with his jaw almost touching the floor. She was only fifteen and already the second biggest bitch he had ever met. Second only to Susan Jean Jones, aka, Susie Jean the love machine. He was siccing Trish on her spoiled brat ass for an attitude adjustment as soon as Trish returned from the market.

After the episode with Donna, the rest of their stay in Ireland was terrific. The clan meeting went well with over a hundred people attending. Jake was heartened that even some younger people showed up from Sligo, Galway, and Castlebar. Corinne talked first telling everyone about finding the land grant and verifying Jake as Chief of Name. Her assertions were quickly accepted; it was verification of what most knew to be true anyway. Jake stood up next and announced that he was rebuilding Buckley Manor and that Sean Patrick, Nina, and their children would be staying there for at least a year.

Jake told them about starting the Keelmira Cooperative Bank. The residents elected three board members who would vote on granting loans. Jake would provide the initial funds; Nina would run the bank, hiring help if she needed it. Jake left it to the residents whether they wanted to open the valley to any more tourism. They did not, nor did they want to improve the road that led into the valley. They did agree to upgrading electric and phone service after Jake suggested the utilities be run underground, starting at the valley's rim.

In the days after the clan gathering, Jake took each of his female relatives up to the manor, one or two at a time, to see the room in the basement. Angie was the first he took. Together they explored the tunnel at the back of the room. Jake carried a backpack with some food, water, and a blanket; they both carried flashlights. The tunnel appeared to have been a cave that had been laboriously enlarged to its present three feet wide, five feet high size. It ran slightly uphill for about fifty feet then widened into a natural chamber about thirty feet in diameter. Two other tunnels exited from the chamber besides the one they entered by.

In addition, a small spring bubbled out of the base of the wall to their right, filling a trough chiseled into the floor that was about six feet long, three feet wide and two feet deep. Water ran out the other end on the through in a shallow channel and disappeared into a fissure in the wall. Fine pristine sand ringed the trough out to a distance of about ten feet, probably the bed of the original pool. Wooden torches were stacked at the exit to each tunnel. Jake could still smell the pine pitch the ends of the torches had long ago been soaked in.

Jake felt a slight draft from the left most of the two unexplored tunnels and led off in that direction. Angie, both excited and frightened, clutched his hand tightly. This tunnel did not seem to change elevation much, it ran for maybe two hundred feet before it abruptly ended in a stacked stone wall with a two foot opening at the top. The view out the hole was obstructed by vegetation. This branch of the tunnel was clearly a look-out position as well as an air source for the big chamber. Jake and Angie retraced their steps and entered the final tunnel.

This tunnel angled upwards more sharply than the first. It too showed occasional signs of being enlarged. In places, steps had been chiseled into the floor to aid passage up some of the steeper sections. Jake counted almost five hundred paces before the reached the end of the tunnel. The tunnel ended at an open stone door much like the one in the basement of the manor. Beyond the door was a scene straight out of a gothic novel.

Angie gasped and clutched his hand tighter as they swept their lights around the large room. It was a dungeon with iron and stone cells lining both walls. In the center of the room was a flogging post and a couple of strange 'T' shaped wooden devices with iron manacles on short chains at the ends of the T. The opposite end of the room held stairs leading upward but they were blocked by large stones and charred timbers. In the center of the room were also dozens of large wooden barrels. Most had the tops removed and the contents had disappeared long ago. A few, however, lay on their sides, still sealed tight.

The two siblings explored for a while then returned to the grotto with the pool. Jake took off his backpack, retrieved a Zippo lighter out of it, and lit a couple of the torches. He stuck them into crevices in the wall then fished out the blanket and food he had packed. Angie took the blanket and spread it on the sand next to the pool. They sat on the blanket and munched on their sandwiches excitedly talking about the dungeon.

"Jake this is all so amazing. It's like something in a Boris Karloff movie. Secret passages, tunnels, caves, and even a dungeon. All we need is for some bats to fly through here."

"The dungeon must be under the ruins of the castle. I figure that the tunnels were an escape route out of the castle. I'll check with Corinne and see if she knows anything about it. I'll bet that some of the journals in the basement room tell all about what happened there," Jake said.

They finished their sandwiches and Jake pressed Angie backwards on the blanket. They kissed for a few minutes, then Angie pushed him away and got to her feet. Panting with desire, she kicked off her hiking boots and squirmed out of her jeans. Jake stood up and followed suit. Angie looked very sexy wearing only a baggy sweater and a lusty smile. She dropped to her knees and engulfed his hard shaft into her mouth. Jake could not believe how hard his dick was nor how strong and in control he felt as she knelt before him worshipping his phallus.

Jake grabbed Angie's long curly red hair and guided her motions for a few seconds then pulled her gently but firmly off his staff. Angie made a protesting noise until Jake pushed her back onto the blanket. She eagerly spread her legs to make room for him and pulled her sweater up to bare her breasts.

"Oh God, Jake, take me now. I am on fire like I have never been," she begged.

Jake knee-walked between her legs holding his shaft at the base. He paused above her then flicked his cock with his hand against her large, engorged clit. Angie saw stars at the unexpected contact. She reached down for his dick, pulling him towards her steaming slit. She rubbed his cockhead against her drooling lips and coated him with her lubricating juices. When she was satisfied that he was wet enough, she lodged his shaft at her entrance and humped up against him. Jake pushed forward also, impatient to once again sample her charms. Jake sank into her an inch or so on his first thrust. Both their eyes widened in surprise at the tightness of the fit. Jake pulled back slightly and thrust again gaining another inch or two at the most.

"You've grown, Jake; it feels as if you're trying to shove a baseball bat into me," she moaned.

To Jake, Angie seemed tighter even than their first time together. When he finally was all the way seated, Angie wrapped her long slender legs around his waist as she shivered through the first of what was to become many orgasms. Jake was a love machine, a satyr bent on ravishment, as he rhythmically pounded into her through crest after crest. Angie swooned after twenty minutes. Jake revived her with some of the cool water from the spring, never breaking their joined loins. When he finally came in her, Angie pulled him down on top of her and held him. She held him close until their breathing returned to normal.

"That was amazing, Jake, truly amazing. I have never come so hard or so much in my life," Angie sighed.

"You were the one that was amazing," Jake said. "I just wanted to be in you forever. I don't know how any man could let someone as wonderful as you get away. I don't plan to make that mistake."

Angie gave him a smile that would have lit up all of Keelmira. They cuddled and kissed for awhile then packed up and left. Angie held his hand, almost walking on air, as they exited the caverns. She was going to visit Melissa as soon as possible to ask to become a full member of the family. It might be only part-time but she was as committed as Leslie, Nina, Faith, or Trish.

Jake organized a series of explorations with different companions. The results of his visits with the other women proved that his experience with Angie was no fluke. Each of them reacted as strongly as Angie although each had a different way of expressing their ardor. He spent a fantastic morning in the pool cavern with Debbie and Claudia. As he had suspected, Debbie had been taking charge of their cousin. Jake took each of them from behind as they went down on each other. He was surprised that Debbie was so hot for Claudia's muff because she normally did not reciprocate in the oral activities with her partners. Debbie said she loved making Claudia cum all over her face then having Claudia lick it off.

Jake and Corinne spent three afternoons in the basement room sorting thru the journals and other relics. They put the journals into chronological order and discovered they dated back to the sixteenth century. Corinne finally found the volume that contained the story of the sacking of the Buckley castle. It was verification of another famous legend about the incredible Patrick O'Buckley.

In the spring of the 1600, Queen Elizabeth of England dispatched an army of over sixteen-thousand soldiers to end the so called Nine Year War in Ireland, or the Rebellion of the Earl of Tyrone, as the English Overlords in Ireland called it. Hugh O'Neill, titled Lord of Tyrone by Queen Elizabeth in 1585, was the driving force behind the rebellion. The leader of the British army was Charles Blount, the Eighth Lord of Mountjoy. Mountjoy was a season soldier, a veteran of the war against the Spanish. His plan for Ireland's subjugation was to try to isolate and defeat the separate clan chiefs while blocking O'Neill from coming to their aid. By midsummer, he had gained some success in the south of Ireland and turned his sights on the O'Buckley as he worked his way north.

On July fifteenth, two British Men of War sailed into Clew Bay and anchored offshore. Three hundred Royal Marines came into the Keelmira Valley from seaward. At the same time, a force of four hundred dragoons, and ten pieces of heavy artillery entered the Valley from the road to Castebar. The residents of Keelmira took refuge in the O'Buckley's castle. The British forces linked up and laid siege to the castle, bombarding it for ten days with the horse-drawn artillery and heavy cannons brought ashore from the warships in the bay. They managed to breach one of the walls on the tenth day. The British soldiers were preparing to storm the castle when a huge explosion leveled the main castle proper.

A scouting party entered the breached North wall to find everything inside the walls destroyed and ablaze. The cautious British general picked through the ruins for two days before sending a messenger to Mountjoy announcing his victory. In the middle of the night on that second day, Patrick and one hundred and fifty of his warriors came out of caves that honeycombed the mountain and fell upon the three hundred soldiers that remained encamped around the castle. Patrick had set the explosion to cover the escape of his people. When the fuses set off the thirty casks of gunpowder stacked against the weakened walls, everyone had departed through the dungeon into the caverns. They killed and captured most of the sleeping British within a few hours. More importantly, they captured the artillery pieces, and could drag them to the escarpments overlooking Clew Bay.

At first light Patrick's newly captured artillery started firing salvos at the anchored warships. The ships were easy targets with no room to maneuver. By ten in the morning, both ships lay on the bottom of the sea. Patrick and his men pushed the cannons over the edge of the escarpment into the churning water, then Patrick and his men fled the valley and moved north to join the O'Neill in Ulster.

Two years later, Patrick was killed during a pitched battle with Mountjoy's forces near Sligo. Patrick's youngest son, Shamus, brought the body of his father home. Patrick was buried amid the ruins of his castle and Shamus built the first manor house over the entrance to one of the caves. Over the next two centuries, British agents burned down the house twice. The present manor had been built by Jake's great-great grandfather in the eighteen fifties. The basement room had been the haven and refuge for the O'Buckley for almost four-hundred years, surviving unscathed and undetected through the centuries.

Corinne reckoned that Jake was the fourteenth O'Buckley to sit at the big desk. While Corinne was busy taking notes and figuring out the O'Buckley lineage, Jake sat at the desk and started his own volume of the O'Buckley written history.

The Turners and Murphys all flew back to Daytona on October twenty-fourth. To a person, they vowed to revisit Keelmira at least once a year, although most decided that a spring or summer visit was most likely for them. Jake thought it a good idea because it would spread the family's presence throughout more of the year.

Jake had no sooner settled into his off-season routine than he received a call from Cindy Sorenson. Cindy said she was in town and asked if she could come out to talk to him and Trish. Cindy sounded strange on the telephone, timid almost, and not at all like her normal self. Jake told her to come on over, he and Melissa would love to see her. Jake told Melissa that Cindy was on her way to visit them. Melissa grabbed Trish and went to make herself beautiful. With Cindy coming over, she was damn well going to look her best.

Cindy arrived at the ranch about an hour later. Jake opened the door for her and ushered her into the house. Cindy was a beautiful as ever. She had her shoulder-length blonde hair pulled back in a pony tail and wore a knee-length plaid skirt with a white blouse tucked into the waist band. This was not the Cindy Jake was use to seeing; hell, he did not even know she had clothes that conservative. Cindy acted different also. Gone were the self-confidence and overt sexiness she usually displayed around him. In its place was a shy meekness that reminded him of little Nina.

Trish and Melissa were waiting at the nook table in the kitchen. Melissa looked stunning with her hair pinned back and makeup perfect. Trish, by contrast had on jeans and a tee-shirt, her hair loose and casually disarrayed. Jake sat Cindy down across from him and asked her what was up. Cindy drew a breath and started talking with downcast eyes.

"Three weeks ago I was in Chicago for the opening night premier of my latest movie. I met a woman at the after-party and ended up going home with her. She and her husband live in the most beautiful mansion I have ever seen. My modeling and acting life had gradually taken on the unreal aspects of the lifestyles of the rich and beautiful - doors were always opening for me, and there were usually interesting and exciting things to explore."

Cindy stopped talking as she struggled to find the courage to finish her story. Her eyes were watering and she was on the edge of breaking down. Trish took her hand and gently told her to continue. Cindy took a deep ragged breath and nodded.

"This is so humiliating. Anyway, while I was staying with them, and actually staying much longer than I had planned, I ended up having sex with her husband as well as her. For some reason I did everything they wanted me to do; actually, I have only some vague memories of the whole sequence of events. I somehow thought that I was in love with them and that they, like everyone else, were in love with me. I was so stupid and so slutty I even let them share me with their friends. I arrived there as a virgin and left as a whore. I do not for the life of me know why I did all those things. The worst thing is that I cannot put it behind me; the Tremonts secretly filmed it all and said they would ruin me if I ever said anything about what had happened. Moreover, they said that they would sell the films if I did not return and perform however and whenever they wanted me to. They said my obedient body and still-tight holes would make an excellent reward to help them close a few business deals."

The Turners sat in stunned silence until she had completed her tearful admission. Trish enfolded the sobbing Cindy in her arms and soothed her. Hot flames of anger shot through Jake at the mention of the name Tremont and the things done to Cindy.

"Was the man Alfred Tremont?" Jake asked harshly; Jake's mind flashed to the emergence of date-rape drugs.

Cindy nodded and cried harder. Her shame was doubled because Jake knew her debaucher. Jake took her hand and soothed her.

"It's okay, Cindy, none of this is your fault. You might not have been a free and willing participant in what happened -- Alfred Tremont probably manipulated you somehow into going along with it. I promise that you will not have to be their sex-slave - and he'll pay for what happened. It may take a while but he will answer directly to me for what he did to you, I swear it."

Joe J

Chapter 30