The Mall The Maul

They were crossing through the next milehouse when something pulled Buffys attention to her right to see the entrance way guarded by two soldiers very much of the gladiator persuasion, all whats his face that actor, you know looking like that all ...Roman--Russell Crowe! Thats it...thats his name. and between them she could see a small family unit approach the gate, she saw a Father figure, the head of the family all Kirk Douglas and I am Spartacus slave like clothes and the woman too, combo skins and dark brown home weave, they had three children in the wagon, and it seems they had to pay something, some toll but it wasnt enough or the guards said it wasnt and the Kirk said it was.

Dont like this Kitty, got a hee bee buzz... Buffy spoke on the side to her spirit guide.

One of the kids started to cry which only brought the guards attention to it--it was a small girl crying and the Guard must have said something lewd cuz then Kirk saw red, but the Mother, she grabs him, and whispers prays into his back holding him begging him...slow...slow down...

Buffy stepped into the fray but Guard number One walked right through her--she wasnt there, this was then, this was long gone and she was only watching from her place in the 21^st century.....

Dont wanna see this, Kitty...

Kitty looked at her nonplussed as if she hadnt a clue what human words were all about.

Buffy knew this kind of stuff happened--everyone knew just didnt need to see one more bloody pointless battle...

Guard number Two had the woman on her hands and knees and looked like he was preparing to rape her--when he was distracted for a moment by the sight...of the family cat walking past with...with three little ducklings following the feline.

The sight was so, so completely incongruous; he halted and remained there on his knees staring.

Natural enemies brought together from mutual need and didnt one hear stories about that all the time? A mother cat, a mother dog with litter lost but the need to succor so strong it adopted the odd orphans.

And in that moment of hesitation, the small girl with a heart of steel, daughter number two stole from the wagon, jumped the soldiers back and slid a knife into the back of his neck, severing his spine and collapsing him into the mud.

Kirk took the distraction to turn the tables on the man who had been guarding him--who had stepped forward at the manly gargle of pain and not the womanly scream of outrage--and Kirk had kicked him at the backs of his knees, breaking him to the ground, where with the assistance of his wife, subdued and then bashed him, pushed his head into a puddle and of all the ignominious ways for a Roman soldier to die thousands of miles from his home in the sun, to end here, in a muddy puddle in Northumberland.

Buffy stood helpless one hand clutching the other and was not happy. Not good. She had come here for vacation for healing, to see her sister, for help and possibilities not...never...this...

The little mother cat walked by, her tail held high, proud so proud of her brood and bringing them leading them away from the smell of bloodshed.

Cougar started to walk west along the top of the wall and Buffy followed puzzled and pissed.

What? So what? What was the point here? The destruction the complete and total misuse of authority and power and a family that would have been destroyed, blotted out completely by, by some...guys who thought they were better than everybody and so hey why not rule the world with it and would have, and would have...if not for the happenstance of a cat and her ducklings? All gone, an innocent family wiped out if not for the freakazoid of natural enemies in love--

--Buffy stopped.

Oh.

Oh.

Well, you could have just said it--no need for the Technicolor and wouldnt it have been a better lesson if the sight of the cat and her duckling inspired everybody into a big group hug, melee sans blood shed?

Thats not how it happens Buffy...

That voice came from over on the other side of the wall. Buffy looked and could see, just see the very top of a blonde head moving. Golden blonde hair so like her own.

Mommy? Mom?

The worlds weather gets warmer or colder by degrees, it may heat up fast or cool down slow but it can only do it one degree at a time--

She really wasnt listening she wanted her Mom; she wanted the comfort of home...

The wall dipped many stones missing, stolen for the local peasant lodge and cougar moved further on ahead so Buffy could see more of the blonde head and--

Her heart leapt, really, really just jumped up--

SPIKE!

He turned to look at her, his eyes glowing that Achilles melded with puppy look of a man completely in love and smiling bright. So happy to see her.

He didnt say anything but gestured ahead as if there was in a break in the wall they could speak through, Buffy raced ahead, but couldnt find it, couldnt find it, and the wall just got higher, she stopped and thought: No. No, The Hadrian Wall isnt really thirty feet tall, thats only in my mind. Im making it that high in my mind.

The wall between us is only that high...in my mind...

And with that she calmed herself and imagined herself knocking the bricks down, all the way down and it was fun too...crazy Roman empire try to keep the Barbarians out will you? Just try. And she knocked it all the way down until was knee high and easy to step over and when she did.

Spike? She called...couldnt see him...whered he go?

She heard cougar purring and turned to watch the big cat run ahead to a small group gathered by the Wall. They were dressed al la late eighties it, looked like, by the hair, the hair, she followed cougar who ran fairly panting into the arms of Princess Di.

Her stiff almost sad expression lit became light when Cougar threw herself into the arms of the princess.

Well...thats something you dont see every day. Buffy said it aloud and Princess Di smiled at her.

Hello Buffy... she said in her small sweet voice. Buffy looked over her shoulder as if expecting to see another Buffy--unlikely to find another with a name, with that same touch of elegant class even though this was England and all about the class conscience.

Princess Di was feeding Cougar small chunks of cheese she had hidden in her little sky blue pill box hat. Cougar munched happily and purred her pleasure.

Piece of cheese?

Buffy shrugged and nodded and Diana tossed a piece in the air Buffy caught it in her mouth with ease.

Diana laughed, Dont try that trick at home, kids--I mean that literally. Just dont dare to try anything like that at Buckingham Palace.

But youre the princess--you can watch anything you want to on television...err... Buffy translated to Englander On the telly...you can do anything you want--

I cant marry the man I love. He didnt love me before we were married and as I found out later...he wouldnt even allow himself to...try... Was Dianas sad reply.

No wait--you busted that myth--you got divorced--uh oh...has that happened yet? Did I tell you something that hasnt happened yet?

I can divorce him? No I cant...can...I?

Yeah...but why would you want to--youre the royal couple, all destined and look at us!

Diana took Buffys hands

Marrying a prince didnt make me a princess...

But youre royal...a Lady or something...royals marry each other...

And him being royal didnt make him a...prince...

Buffy watched as Diana thought about it...used her life experience of this plus that to sum:

Love makes the frog a prince doesnt it? That much of the fairy tale is true...

Buffy nodded slowly as Di continued slowly:

--And love is last on the list for royals and thats why the upper crust children grow up so cold--never touched, no one wants to touch the child that doesnt come from love. But not me, Ill have my own little revolution and love my children and Ill tell them they can be anything they want to be...Ill tell them youre not a slave, you belong to yourself...you make your own destiny...and...and...me too...Ill get divorced...I will...thank you Buffy---why cant I? Why cant I be free to be with someone who loves me and I will too Ill find someone and I wont care if hes a toad from a bar stool or...or... a lorry driver...

Buffy laughed at the thought...Youre funny...

Buffy roared back to the surface like breaking the top of water for a breath.

It was gone.

Princess Di, cheese, kitty friend, maybe Mom, maybe Spike, all...gone.

She was standing on top of the Hadrian Wall facing the West; the sun was low in the sky turning everything gold. The Midas touch of the golden hour.

Gradually her breath evened out and her body unclenched. She sat down on the edge of the wall, letting her legs dangle over the side while she thought. She inclined her body toward the failing light, skin damp with sweat grasping at the slim heat that was offered before the end of the day. Of Di

Princess Di

And suddenly she saw it. The moniker so often repeated in the news double meanings and puns not relevant until after the event.

Like some Quadrant of Nostradamous it didnt make sense till after.

Princess Di. Well there it was...Di for die, for death of course meaning hers, but also for it, for IT. For the institution--for incarcerated royalty, for destiny, for being chosen, for being a princess

She broke the chain the yoke of brood mare to Royals. Of chosen girl used and free will gone--she said...no

She said: Princess die.

And she did it for love--she did it because she didnt want her children to grow up like their Father. To accept the contracts of those who hold themselves separate, elite, destined, and...better by birthright. The government gives them a fortune just for propagating--what was up with that and thank you George Washington et all for busting us loose from THAT.

She could almost hear Di tell them, her children; you do what you want to do...to imprint on them this: marry for love, for love builds the home, the home builds the country and your best gift, the best service you can be to your country, to your world is to act from love...

Princess Di

Buffy found a heroine.

And was also a little hungry for some cheese.

*