Date: Sat, 2 Apr 1994 01:24:02 -0500 Reply-To: Highlander TV show stories Sender: Highlander TV show stories From: Elizabeth A Scroggs Subject: Mentor (part3) Sorry it's taking so long to post. My mailer has been acting up again. Anyway... send comments to betsy@jhunix.hcf.jhu.edu ********** Mentor A Highlander Story By Betsy Scroggs ********** Part 3 ********** Duncan sat alone in the barge. It was too big for one person. He shouldn't have come back. There were too many mememories. But at this point, there were memories everywhere. He tried not to think about t Tessa, about all the women he had loved and lost. 'I need to do something, to get my mind out of the past,' he thought. Never give up hope, never give up your faith in humanity, that's what Connor had taught him. And it must have been so hard, after losing Heather. Then he had left Connor, probably too soon. Now after losing Tessa, Duncan was forced to send away Ritchie, in a way Duncan never wanted. In anger. Now Duncan knew how Connor must have felt. He sighed and picked up his katana. He had been using it too much lately. He vaguely wished he could run and hide on holy ground, but it would just put off the inevitable confrontations. He started polishing the sword, wondering how many more heads it would take before resting forever. He jumped when the phone rang. "Hello?" "Duncan! Guess who?" Connor tried to sound as cheerful as someone with a gun sticking in his back could. "Connor! I was just thinking about you! It's so good to hear from you. Where are you?" "I'm here in Paris. I thought I'd drop by but I figigured I should call first so you wouldn't lop off my head when I came in. I hear you've g gotten a lot better than you were at that inn in the highlands." Connor said the last part even more cheerfully, hoping Duncan would catch the reference. "We were dead drunk then, Connor." Duncan was frowning. Why had Connor mentioned that? "We aren't now. It could make all the difference." Connor turned and smiled at Horton, who just glared back and waved the gun impatiently for Connor to finish. Something clicked in Duncan's mind. "It's a trap, isn't it?" Duncan's heart was racing. Someone was clever enough to catch Connor. "Is it another immortal?" Connor laughed. "No, no lad. I haven't seen him in y years. Is hhe still alive?" He hoped the fake conversation would fool his captors. He was so relieved Duncan remembered. Now if only he would be able to do something. "Mortals. Do they have blue tattoos on their wrists? Never mind, they do. I'll think of something, my friend." Duncan was practically growling. He wanted to trust Joe Dawson and was intrigued by the idea that people had been watching him all this time without his knowing it. But the Hunters made him so angry. That they would so wantonly dedestroy such a good life as Darius... He took a deep breath. Anger would not help him now. He had to keep control if he wanted to help Connor. "Why don't I come over in about a half an hour and we can reminisce some more?" Connor looked back again at Horton, who nodded. He looked over at Brenda. She had started crying silently. Her shoulders were shakingg. Connor had to turn away. "I'll be ready," Duncan said firmly. He was already sarting to get an idea. The last thing in the world he wanted to do was let Connor down. "Good, good. I'll see you soon. Bye." Connor's smile left his face the instant he hung up. Duncan paced around the room for a few minutes. Then he picked up the phone again and made another call. When he was done, he walked into the bedroom to get something ouut of the closet. ********** It t was almost morning. Connor and Duncan stumbled out of the inn, their arms around each other's shoulders. They had been asked politely to leleav hours ago, but they just waved around sosome of their new treasure, and were left alone to drink until they decided it was time to go. Now was definitely time to go. They weaved up and down the street, singing a song without any words or tune. Suddenly Duncan stopped and tried to look Connor in the eye. "Connor, I want to dodo this for the rest of my life." "What, get drunk? Sounds like fun. But I think you'd get tired of doing it for all of eternity." Connor laughed a at that thought. "No, no. Help people. I want to help people. I have a chance now to try and make the world safe, and I have all the time in the world too do it. And the money doesn't matter." Then Duncan started laughing tooo. "But it sure does help!" Connor laughed some more and they tried to start walking again. They had made it almost to the edge of the village when a girl in a torn dress ran up to them. She grabbed the front of Duncan's shirt and started crying. "Oh, please, sir, you musst help me! My sister and I were walking home when a horrible man grabbed my sister and demanded our money. You have to go help her! They are right behind that building." She pointed to a nearby house. "Don'tt worry lass." Duncan tried to focus s on her face. "I am a real hero." He thumped his chest for emphasis. "It will be our pleasure to help your sister. Come on, Connor!" With that, he ran off towards the house, sword already drawn. Connor was right behind him. But he didn't run fast enough. When he turned the corner, he saw five men jump Duncan and knock him over. They all had knives and they stabbed Duncan until he stopped waving his sword uselessly around. Connor, in his shock, dropped his sword. The assassins heard it and ran for him. C Connor didn't even have a chance to fight. The last thing they heard before they died was a woman laughing and saying, "That was so easy." A few hours later, they woke up at the same time, groaning. They were still drunk, so they hardly felt any pain. Connor gave a dry chucklele. "That sweet innocent girl led us right into a trap. If we had been mortal, we would be dead now, and for gold!" Connor didn't have to look to know that the bags were gone. "We have to be more careful than that. We should recognize traps for what they are. Next time it could be an evil Immortal, or mortals who could actually kill us. We can't be this defenseless ever r again." He looked over at Duncan, who was visibbly upset. "Get a hold of yourself, lad. We should get out of here." He reached over and helped his friend to stand. "Those people," Duncan started, his voice shaking, "don't deserve the lives they were blessed with. How could they kill so easily? Maybe people aren't worth helping." Connor stopped and grabbed Duncan's shoulders. "Never give up faith in good people! Never give up hope. Sometimes it will be all you have." Completely sober now, Connor let go of his student with a shake and started walking again. "As for those thieves, they'll meet their ends soon enough. Anyone who lives with such violence will die just as violently. I bet they'll kill each other for the gold they just stole." Duncan looked over at his mentor. His head was beginning to ache. "You don't think we should something about them? What t if they kill again?" "Duncan, I'm tired. I've already died once today. I don't feel like doing it again. People are killed all the time. We can't stop every murder." As he reached the door of his house, he turned and put his hand on his pupil's shoulder. "The only ones we should be able to stop are our own." "You make it sound easy, Connor." Duncan smiled for the first time since his recent death. Connor did not join Duncan's humor. "It never will be, Duncan." *********** End part three I hope this is getting to everyone. Part two hasn't even gotten to me yet. Part four is the last part. Betsy Scroggs =========================================================================