Arkadelphia Plantation

BOOK TWO

Prologue

Here, at long last, is the beginning of Arkadelphia Plantation Book Two. My intent was that it be posted a couple or three months after Book One was finished, but health problems, to wit a bad back, got in the way. After four back surgeries, physical therapy, and an implanted spinal simulator, I was still in severe chronic pain. Pain is not conducive to creativity.

Referral to a pain clinic started what was to be a three-plus-year—and ongoing—journey which has not ended the pain. However, the judicious use of narcotic pain relievers has made the pain tolerable most of the time, enough so that I have been able to work on the story.

Peter is my sole editor at this time and has my deepest thanks. He has made what you now have much, much better than it was before he did his editing magic. The remaining goofs are mine.

The legal drill which follows applies to the whole of Arkadelphia Plantation Book Two:

• The copyright belongs to me. Arkadelphia Plantation Book Two may not be distributed anywhere by any means without my express permission.
• You are responsible for observing any and all laws and regulations governing the reading of such material. Should you choose to ignore any laws or regulations any consequences resulting from such actions are yours solely.

Foreword

You will, I am sure, soon realize that while Arkadelphia Plantation Book Two continues Ethan’s story, he shares the narrative with Jamie and Andy to a much larger degree than in Book One—just another example of how characters often take charge of their own narrative.

Now let’s all return to South Georgia and those lovely, though imaginary, plantations where our friends live, work, and love.

CHAPTER ONE