Title: Noel
Author: Romanse
Published: April, 2007
Page Count: 264
Format: Digest Size
Cover/Art: Color cover by and 6 color interiors by Romanse
Available From:
Requiem
Contents/Description:
Two years in the making, this labor of love is a beautiful, heart-warming tale of Sentinel and Guide.
Summary: Blair's got a promise to keep to Jim and his vow takes him
through an extraordinary journey of life and death - all the way from modern
times to a life in ancient Palestine and back.
Small excerpt:
Sandburg turned and found that Jim was no longer sitting on the couch. The
Sentinel had silently gotten up and was now standing right in front of him.
Blair jumped in surprise and an awkward silence descended, as for the first time
in so many hours, Blair's seemingly endless flow of words dried up. Suddenly, it
occurred to the young man that he'd had enough experience saying good-bye to
raise it to an art form. "Detach with love" had always been Naomi's well-lived
philosophy, and one that Blair himself had been forced to adopt out of
necessity.
It made no difference to Blair now that he was only leaving for two weeks, not
forever. However, this "goodbye for now" seemed harder to say than any "goodbye
forever" he'd ever said. There was a fleeting look in Jim's eyes that Blair
caught a glimpse of before it disappeared, that stopped him dead in his tracks.
It was the look of some dark and unexpressed emotion, and the young man was
baffled, unable to decipher its meaning. Suddenly, the clue bus came to a halt
in front of Blair. He's afraid I'm leaving and not coming
back. Why?
The young anthropology grad student leaned up against the door with his hands in
his jean pockets and casually inquired, "So, Jim, ah - you know I'm coming back,
right, man?"
"Of course I know that, Darwin, why wouldn't you?" Jim clapped Blair on the
shoulder and looked him straight in his eyes. There was no remaining trace of
whatever Blair had glimpsed in Jim's eyes a moment ago. Only warmth and caring
emanated from his Sentinel's eyes now. It warmed Blair's soul in a way that he
had scarcely ever felt while growing up in a nomadic lifestyle that had left
little room for forming long-term attachments.
Now it was his turn to play, "Hide the emotions." Blair shrugged noncommittally,
grabbed his duffel bag and slung it up and over his shoulder. Then he picked up
his trusty backpack and waited expectantly, like
a child awaiting instructions from a parent.
"Drive carefully, Chief," was all the sage advice the detective imparted. He
smiled, but his ice-blue eyes were serious.
"I will. Take care of yourself, Jim. I'll be back on Christmas Eve." The softly
made promise was apparently received by the Sentinel , if the warmth in his eyes
was anything to go by.
Then Blair turned and walked out the door and was gone.
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Miscellany: 11 pt. type
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