Epilogue
by
Lilith Langtree
T. D. Aldoennetti
“As we continue down this hallway we find the four cases containing Mother's and Father’s awards in both cinematography and in Eventing.”
© 2010 by Lilith Langtree & Rénae Dáºmas. This work may not be replicated or presented in whole or in part by any means electronic or otherwise without the express consent of the work’s Owner (copyright holder), with the exception of the private and non-commercial viewing by the reader who is also the end purchaser. ALL Rights Reserved, including but not limited to ownership of Characters, final content decision, and more. This is a work of Fiction. All the characters and events portrayed in this story are fictional and any resemblance to real people or incidents past, present or future is purely coincidental. Any and all images which may be shown within this work are taken through license under Corel with the exception of the title image which is Photo Credit to Irina Sheik. No affiliations, involvement or gender assignations through the use of these or any images of the subject or subjects contained within those posted images is to be implied, intended or inferred.
An Aldoennetti & Langtree Original.
The gentleman accompanying the young lady carefully examined some of the awards through the protective glass which covered them as the young lady continued:
“Although Mother never received first place in Eventing, she did frequently end up in second or third place. Most of this she attributed to her horses.
The fourth case also contains the DVD collection of the travelogs and the coverage of whichever special event they were requested to produce as they worked together all around the globe. The still photography has also been collected and is on the two hundred CDs which are also in the same case. Essentially they were so successful as spies that the countries on which they were spying paid them to produce the programs while they also were paid by Western intelligence agencies for their work.
Mother was twenty eight when they finally decided to begin a family, having had over ten years as successful spies at that time. They continued for another fifteen years even once they had us all under their wings.”
“So that is when you and your brother came into the picture?”
“Essentially. We were in an orphanage when Mother and Father came in looking for a child they could begin to raise. At that time I was six and my brother five. I still remember the first time my Mother and I saw each other. I was sitting half in the shadows in a dirty blue dress which the staff could not pry off of me. My brother was wearing a small tan suit complete with jacket and a ridiculous tie.
The matron was taking them around and when Mother stopped to take a look at me the matron tried to get her to move on. No one ever tells Mother what to do. She asked me for my name but when I began to reply, the matron loudly told her ‘His name is Robert, but he won’t answer to it. The child just behind him is , Elizabeth but she is just as difficult.’
Mother gave the matron a glare which could have melted steel before she turned back to me once again asking gently, ‘What is your name, child?’
I drew myself up in as defiant a little pile of cloth, tears and hope as a six year old could be and answered, ‘My name is Cynthia, ma’am.’
I knew we had found our new parents when Mother turned to the matron and said, ‘If Cynthia will have us as her parents then we would like to have her as our daughter.’
Just as I was about to argue with her and say that I wouldn’t leave my brother, she moved to him and asked for his name.
He very shyly answered, ‘Richard — oh — ma’am.’ As I prompted him.
Mother again turned to the matron and said ‘we will take him also.’
She never blinked, never stuttered. To her I was the girl and Richard was the boy. Our Father and our Mother treated us that way the rest of their lives.
Five years later they brought home our younger sister and brother.
We were raised as we needed to be, Father and Mother provided us with the love we badly needed, which others had not.”
“Not exactly the story I expected, but still not what I can print without some careful editing.”
“Then I suppose you must print that which everyone else has printed.”
“I was hoping for something different.”
“Our mother and father were loving parents. Neither of them could have children and we, my brother, myself and our two younger siblings were very fortunate to have had them as our parents. You must remember that at the time when we were adopted, there still remained a great social stigma concerning children who had deformities such as ours. No one wanted, nor cared about us. We were too controversial. Mother and Father were probably amoung the first who saw it as an opportunity rather than a detriment. We could not have had a more loving home.”
“Then why did your father kill himself?”
“It is rather difficult to kill oneself by shooting yourself in the back and then twice in the back of the head to be certain you accomplished the task, isn’t it? Especially when you have been partially incapacitated by a heart attack years before. I mean, father was an exceptional spy, as was mother, but even he had certain limits being only human.”
“Are you saying the coroner’s report was wrong?”
“No. Just modified to fit certain needs. The family has photos which were taken by the coroner during the autopsy showing the wounds. We have never disputed the claims since it would have damaged both our National and our International Relations at the time.”
“And now it won’t?”
“Now it no longer matters.”
“Then the six months that everyone reported your mother had gone into seclusion...”
“She went hunting.”
“I see.”
“Do you?”
“She went after his killers.”
“Oh, she did that all right. He was her first and only love. Killing him was like taking a stick and prodding a mother bear after beating her cub.”
“She found the one responsible.”
“All of them.”
“All?”
“There were six. The actual killer, the two traitors in our own government and the two from the other governments.”
“You said six. That’s only five.”
“Did I? I suppose I could have misspoken.”
“You could have, but I doubt you did. The last one wasn’t in government was he?”
“Let’s just say there was one individual who never could let go of something he wanted even when he could never have it.”
A light dawns and the reporter adds quietly, “So that yacht explosion was not a fueling accident.”
“Do you know how difficult it is for a diesel powered yacht to blow up due to a fueling accident? And to do so quite so completely that the largest piece remaining is smaller than the size of a baseball? Out at sea no less.”
“So cover ups are still happening.”
“It would seem so.”
“But your mother came back.”
“She had to. She had two teenage children to finish raising and two very young adults to guide through University.”
The reporter nods, “And it would seem she did an excellent job of it.”
“She did her best.”
“How long did she live after...”
“After father died? She died almost immediately. Her body lived for another ten years so she could care for us and make us into the successes we are.”
“So she finally gave up?”
“Yes and no. Mother still lives with us. Part of the year she spends here with me and part of the year with my brother in Paris. She always liked Paris.”
“But I thought you said her body gave up?”
“I did.”
“So how could she still live?”
“Her mind has never given up. She is one of the first human- computer transplants. She should be calling me soon. It’s almost four and she always calls at four. Ever since father died she has been quite punctual. They tried to kill her last year you know.”
“Really? That would seem to be so easy to accomplish. Just unplug her computer.”
Cynthia’s laughter chimes through the sitting room, “If she were in just one computer, I suppose. Mother has ever been quite practical. She is in the computers of the three governments which were involved in killing her husband. She is also in a number of secluded backups so she will go on. It’s a bit ironic isn’t it?”
“How’s that?”
“They attempted to eliminate her, so she eliminated them.”
“She killed those who would have killed her.”
“Oh, nothing so mundane. She eliminated the governments themselves and thus the jobs of those who tried. Now she controls those countries and she sees to it that those who plotted against her and who killed her husband receive just enough assistance to live, but not comfortably, and not in any capacity to accomplish anything except brood over their fate. She has not yet completed her vengeance. Besides, she has too many children out there now to just give up. A little thing like physical death isn’t going to stop her from helping those she cares about.
After all... She was born ‘male’, so to speak, at a time when intersexed and transgendered children like many others were considered to be either a plague or an affront to God. She went through years of hell right here on Earth as she became a woman, and a very good one I might add. Once she embraced being a woman, she married her love and raised a family as she set out to right the wrongs others had placed upon her. She did so in a way that not only righted those wrongs that she had encountered but which others were also encountering...”
“She became an outspoken advocate for all the transgendered.”
“Oh yes. And much more. She forced changes. By the time she and father had finished their years as spies, they knew where all the skeletons were buried in most of the countries of the world and had proof. Killing father was the biggest mistake those in power ever made.”
“So her vengeance is complete?”
“Almost.”
“Almost? Who else is left?”
“Not who... What. The one biggest affront to God the world has ever known...”
Poster’s Note:
In reading this story and noting the number of chapters as well as the rapid movement in time during the final chapters; it would be my guess that Teddi had intended to ‘flesh out’ the last four or five chapters a bit more which would have slowed the pace a little as well as bringing the number of chapters up to what appears to be her usual count of between thirty four and thirty eight. Judging from the date on the final chapter prior to the epilog I would guess that her continuation of the work was interrupted.
Rénae Dáºmas
Comments
An Interesting Story
The story took some turns that I did not expect, and I would certainly have to agree with the comments at the end. The last few chapters did seem to be sketchy, just ideas waiting to be fleshed out. Who knows. The situations of Teddi's life and death beg many questions. There are probably many who know the truth as to what the reality may be.
About the pictures: Tom Clancy's recent novel spends a lot of time discussing imbedded images and messages in digital images. It will certainly be interesting to know what's there if anything; however, possessing those files, and the knowledge they are out there may not be a good thing.
Portia
Portia
Knowing Yourself - Chap-32
The last line is so cryptic that I am wondering if that was a set up for a new story.
May Your Light Forever Shine
May Your Light Forever Shine
You are so right!
What else could it be? Endless speculation unless something is found, otherwise we'll never know.
Chris
We were made poorer
Teddi's passing made all of us in this community poorer, I would have rather been able to thank her for a fine and interesting tale, then to tell fellow writers of what I may think of the strengths, and weaknesses of the story. Yes it seemed rushed at the end, but the wrap up was better then leaving the story un-ended, and what a neat job of it too.
It's a shame that Teddi has passed.
It's a shame that teddi has passed an we shall never know how much more she would have added to the fleshing outs. I did enjoy this story very much an yes the end parts did seem rushed but maybe Teddi was trying to finish before she passed. I didn't know her but I did enjoy her airforce sweetheart story also.
A great story
It is too bad Teddi had to pass she was good at writing this story was captivating up till now I'm sorry Kat died no menchion of how old she was but I figure she was only in her 40's when she died but she got her revenge & more too for Emerson & other countries involved with him for killing Tanner.
I look foward to part 2 of Air force sweetheart.
Love Samantha Renee Heart
Love Samantha Renee Heart
I think early/mid fiftes.
The kids said the first were adopted when she was 28 and they had a good family life for aprox 15 years then dad was poisoned - the induced heart attack -- crippled and eventually execution-style murdered over a period of a few years. Then Kat took half a year to hunt and kill the killers. Then she lived on ten more years until her body gave out.
That would make her mid fifties or so.
I notice many, though not all of Teddi's stories are a mix of great joys and the bittersweet, of tragedies and regret. But then from what she has said about her life, hers was one much like her heroines. Great injures, unforgivable harms were done to her but she also had great joys and accomplishments no one can take from her.
So sad we can no longer tell her how we admire her skill /talent and her spirit. And from her comments here she had a fine wit.
Classy lady.
John in Wauwatosa
John in Wauwatosa
Very good story
Alas, poor Teddi, I never knew ye.
I'll have to look to see what else T D Aldoennetti has done, 'cause this was awfully good.
Teddi
If any of you would like to know a little more about Teddi, read her Diary at Crystals Story Site: http://storysite.org/a_teddidianneseibertaldoennetti01.html I met Teddi a long time ago prior to what she says in this Diary Story! Richard
Richard
I've started reading them
OMG! I would cheerfully bushwhack "jock" for what he did. It is so screwed up that women who are abused seem to think it's their fault and so they don't tell anyone. I sure hope that is changing. I also hope the women who have been abused realize that almost everyone is NOT like that. It's been heart wrenching so far and I'm only up to about age 13 (?). If you can handle the pain, please read it so you'll know her better.
Chris
Complete
The last few chapters are sketchy but the story is still complete. It has a beginning, a middle and an ending, and I really enjoyed it all.
While the story might be better with some fleshing out, it's good enough for me. It's another view into Teddi's soul.
Rest in peace, Teddi!
- Terry
PS I'm so slow but I'm still stubbornly trying to sketch the cover for her Sorcerer/Sorceress story!
So it ends.
Thank you for letting us read this story of Teddi's, Rénae. I have thoroughly enjoyed it, and I did notice that the last few chapters were a bit fast in pace.
Cynthia's telling of Kat's eventual fate, and the previous chapter, put it all rather succinctly, and to the point. You do not merely 'cut off' someone resourseful, and slight them. Half measures are going to backfire all the way in this case, so it's best either all or nothing. Kat has been the type of person to go all out in times of need, and too smart for her enemies' good.
Faraway
Big Closet Top Shelf
Where you can fool around like you want to and most you get is some bemused good ribbing!
Faraway
Big Closet Top Shelf
Where you can fool around like you want to and most you get is some bemused good ribbing!
A bit of a weird progression
... in this story. I mean, after Kat's self-acceptance, her role as a model, which seemed to have so much potential was not mentioned. She becomes a full-time spy of course. For some reason her sister never marries. And she opts to become a bodiless cyborg at the end? The story is uneven and definitely needed reworking and I think she knew it was a work in progress.
Kim
I love all your stories,
I love all your stories, this one was great [lease continue with your writting you are wonderfull. Thank you.
Thanks
Thank you ever so much Renae, for all the work you have done to bring Teddies stories to us in such a great way. I can hope that she lives on somewhere, telling these and other stories to listeners who are also in awe of her talents. She was a beautiful woman and a pinnacle of story tellling.
Thanks again
Chris in CA
Chris
This was a great story but
But what is this "greatest affront to God..."?
Much Love,
Valerie R
Who knows? Don't ask me...
There is nothing to indicate what Teddi had in mind.
A.