Free TKG08 WE WILL BUILD Rel 01 by Michael Anderle

blast.”

    “Lucky that.”   Samuel mentioned

    “You know better, that was Michael’s doing.”   Richard said pointedly.

    “Fine.   So get on me because I’ve enjoyed an extra seven decades without upper level politics.   It isn’t like...”   Samuel’s cell phone rang.   “Sorry.”   He looked down and his eyes opened a little larger.

    “Who is it?” Richard could see Samuel’s surprise.

    “Gabrielle.”   Replied Samuel.

    “Gabrielle who?”   Richard asked.

    Samuel looked at his friend, “Not Gabrielle ‘who’, but Gabrielle.   Stephen’s daughter.”

    It was Richard’s turn to open his eyes, “How did she get your number?” The cell phone stopped ringing.   “You missed the phone call.”

    “Yes, so I did.   I have to admit that her calling caught me off guard.”   He looked up to his friend again, “When was the last time you had anything to do with her?”

    “Wasn’t it the night the three of us got drunk and all woke up together in bed?”

    Samuel smiled, “Yes.   Imagine her surprise when that happened.   I think she still believes something happened with the three of us.”

    “Didn’t it?”  

    Samuel looked at his friend, “You weren’t able to stand up, much less anything else on your body.   It was all I could do to get everyone undressed and in bed.   It was the best practical joke I’ve ever played on her.”

    “It’s why she hasn’t spoken to us since, you arsehole!”  

    Samuel shrugged, “Yes, but god you should have been awake to see her face turn beet red!   Oh, if only I had a camera in that century.”

    “How the hell did we get so drunk?   Did you figure that out?”   Richard was looking up to the ceiling, trying to remember that far back.

    “Poison.” Samuel replied emphatically.

    Richard dropped his eyes to look at his friend, “Poison?”

    Samuel nodded, “Yes, it seems that the girl I had used for help had spiked our barrel of wine with poison.   It did something to our bodies that took a while to recover so the alcohol effects took a lot longer to flush out of our bodies.”

    Richard’s eyes grew huge and his mouth opened before he pointed a finger at the friend across the table, “You poisoned the three of us!”

    “No, you dolt!”   Samuel said, then relented, “Well, not on purpose.”  

    “Then what was the plan?”

    “I had heard rumors that a certain grape in that area would cause alcohol to become stronger, so I had a young woman go and pick me some berries and I gave her a description.”

    “What did she do?”

    This time, it was Samuel who made the disgusted face, “I believe she was the original blond that all jokes have been based on ever since.   The girl picked moonseed instead of the berry I asked for.”

    “The grapes looking stuff?”

    “The very same.”   Samuel replied.

    “Good thing we didn’t all die that night.”   Richard said and glanced at the door as three new people come into the coffee house.   The small group consisted of a black man, a white man and then a white woman.   The white woman stepped around the two men and started coming right at them and she didn’t seem happy to see them.

    “Samuel?”

    “Hmmm?”

    “Do you remember what Gabrielle looks like?”

    “Sure, darker hair, pretty long.   Wonderful figure with a great pair of…”  

    Richard cut him off, “I’d leave off any other description unless you want eat your foot.”

    Samuel rolled his eyes, “Why? Is she right behind me?”

    Richard nodded slowly.

    Samuel smiled at his friend’s joke and turned in his chair. Richard watched as his shoulders slumped.   “Awww, Crikey I’m cactus.”

    Gabrielle came up to the table and looked down at Samuel, “Well, hello there Samuel,” She nodded to Richard, “and Richard.   It’s been a long time.”

    Richard smiled, “Gabrielle, imagine you showing up right now, we were just talking about you.”

    “Yes, I’ll just bet