In the 22nd century, left adrift at sea, Navy Lieutenant Jefferson Turck makes his way to a savage empire where he is taken as slave. Will he survive and go back home?
A Story in the Spider and Fly Universe
The second story of the pair, although really the first (go figure?). Both these tales developed out of one basic idea, that's been kicking around in my head for some considerable time now. I had almost completed writing this one when the idea for "that scene" jumped into my head and that dictated the second scenario. There was just no-way that I couldn't write it!
The city of Haarlem in The Netherlands has set a prize of 100,000 florins to the person who can grow a black tulip. This begins a competition between the country's best gardeners to win the money, the honour and fame. The young and bourgeois Cornelius van Baerle has almost succeeded, when he suddenly is thrown into the Loevestein prison. There he meets the prison guard's beautiful daughter Rosa, who shall be his comfort and help, and at last his rescuer.