Still, Dale stopped to take a peek inside. Once he confirmed it was empty, he continued on to his house. There, he took a quick bath and changed his clothes. It was no easy task as he was acutely aware of the wounds on his back. Rushed as he felt, he knew he couldn’t risk infection. After haphazardly stuffing his Republican Guard backpack with basic supplies, throwing on a pea coat and lacing up his boots, he stood breathless in the middle of the room. The whirlwind of activity had put him in a daze. The challenge to remember everything for a trip was in this case compounded. Suddenly, he remembered his copy of The Walgorende’s Last Stand. It was in the back pocket of his discarded pants. As he located the book, he also remembered to grab some important documents—the deed of ownership to his house and the breaker. At last, he took up his augmented sword and headed for the door. The family photographs on the mantle stopped him. Dale picked up the one of his mother and father together, smiling.
