Charlie began his night as he often did, logging onto his local access to the ARPANet, and accessing the Castles and Dames game server. He began a night of a long series of commands and responses between himself and the computer. He typed “BT HARDWICK” into the console. Deep within the microcircutry of the computer a drama unknown to Charlie unfolded:
“Onward my fellow knights,” Lord James Carpenter, the distinguished son of the late Lord Nicholas Carpenter, urged his fellow warriors onward to capture the fortress of Lord Hardwick, the sworn enemy of Lord Carpenter. Capturing Lord Hardwick's castle, besides fulfilling decades of family rivalry would give the Carpenter led clan a strategic advantage in their ongoing war with the invading Scottish rebels.
“Fire,” yelled Lord Carpenter. A series of well-coordinated actions by Carpenters subordinates resulted in the hurling into the sky of a flaming spear that launched up and over the wall of the castle, creating a flaming parabolic arch in the sky over the large watery moat that protected the castle from ground attacks.
The knights wore down as the night wore on. Lord Carpenter continued to launch flaming spears into the sky and slaughter the feeble, minuscule groups of knights sent by allies of Lord Hardwick to attempt to end the fortnight long battle.
The night ended with habitual rising of the sun over the blood strewn fields. A white flag was seen flying over the Hardwick fortress. As the sun rose, the tired, defeated Knights lowered the large heavy drawbridge and vacated their hard fought for castle and surrendered themselves to the allies of Lord Carpenter.
The victors of the long battle rejoiced in their newly acquired fortress but they were weary of the task that awaited them, dissembling the undoubtedly booby trapped castle, that was still smoldering with the smell of human and animal flesh. The odors of burnt straw and wood permeated the air around the castle.
The next morning as the Knights of Carpenter entered the castle their fears were immediately confirmed. A sack of animal bones dropped onto the head of a young adventurous Knight. This violent blow from above caught the young knight off guard. A sharp bone fell out of the bag and with an amazing force impaled the young knight through an opening in his armor by his neck. In excruciating agony the knight knelt down and fell to his knees and the weight of the bone that impaled him fell toward his back, ripping a huge hole in his chest. The warriors shut the young man's eyes and continued on their task, but a feeling of sorrow came over them.
Lord Carpenter entered the castle later that day to come attend to the reports of an old seasoned knight that Lady Green, who was thought for dead after an ambush on the way to her sister's wedding had been found. She was quite a high standing member of the distinguished class; she was the daughter of Lord Matthew Daly and wife of the late Lord Green. He made his way down the long spiraling staircase, into the depths of the castle basement. He then found his way past the storehouses of Ale, beer, wine, salted beef, salted pork, and wheat for bread making that were now bare from the months of the inhabitants being held up within the castle walls. At the end of a long hallway there was a large heavy oak door that Lord Carpenter recognized as the door to the dungeon. The Old Knight opened the door and showed Lord Carpenter to Lady Green's enclosure. He glanced at her, she appeared to be adequately fed she was skinny but not languid, like the other prisoners that were being held in the dungeon.
Lord Carpenter bowed to Lady Green and inquired “Lady Green you were assumed to be dead after your kidnapping. That is the word that reached Lord Green.”
She sullenly replied, “It was a ruse to prevent any for coming after me.”
“Lady Green,” Lord Carpenter interrupted,” I do not wish to be unkind, but I believe I should inform you of the death of your husband.”
“He died,” she retorted, “When?”
“A year ago from a wound to the chest caused in battle.”
Lady Green retreated into the corner to sit on her bench, no longer in need of the bars and stone to imprison her. The feelings that overwhelmed her performed that task.
Lord Carpenter consoled her as he left, “Perhaps we shall speak later, my Lady. My knight will attend to the lock on your cell. I bid you better days my Lady.”
Lady Green moved into a guest room of Lord Carpenter's. She had decided that in the absence of a husband to stay with she would accept the offer of her savior Lord Carpenter and reside in his house until other arrangements became necessary.
Lady Green spent most of her time within her quarters, and sometimes on leisurely walks through the foliage surrounding Lord Carpenter's residence, she spent much time alone reminiscing about her late husband. Their marriage was not one of convince as she had read in the books, it was one of pure love, they met at a festival. Knight Green, as he was called then, was participating in the jousting competition. During the competition Knight Green's and Miss Daly's eyes locked exchanging the information that can only be exchanged through the communication of the eyes. He recognized her, and called upon her father the following day to inquire about her dowry. A price was agreed upon and they were husband and wife within the month.
The relationship between these two newlyweds was polite and civil. Both were quite unaware of the other must do and they spent a great deal of time communicating as they had at first, silently with the language of the eyes. They eventually came out of the repressed stage of their relationship with simple chats about the weather and local happenings. Their subjects gradually broadened until they could be considered soul mates.
After several weeks of reminiscing Lady Green had finally accepted the death of her husband and was ready to move on. She accepted the silent callings that Lord Carpenter had been sending her through his eyes. The first non-ocular realization of this occurred when Lord Carpenter while on his daily walk ran into Lady Green. They had a short but pleasant conversation, that had more meaning to both than the actual meaning of the words.
He invited her to a private dinner of just his close friends and their wives, and they danced the whole evening. Initially they kept the actions at the dinner formal, but they communicated in an invisible way through the touches of their hands, the glances of their eyes, and the way they moved together. Lady Green realized that she had only felt this way with one other man: Lord Green. She decided at that moment that if Lord Carpenter sought her hand in marriage. At then end of the evening Lord Carpenter called for silence, “Excuse me, Excuse me! My good friends, This is a bit out of the ordinary, but the subject is a bit out of the ordinary. Elizabeth Green, being without a male relative, may I ask for you hand in marriage?”
Lady Green was shocked, but innately she had been expecting Lord Carpenter to ask to further the closeness of their relationship but not in such a formal way. In her startled state, her mouth took over for her brain, and eloquently she spoke, “I will marry you,” her brain quickly settled down and added, “Lord Carpenter.”
The marriage was performed in front of the dinner group of friends, both the bride and the groom had lost much of their family, and they were closest to this small closely knit group. The priest in a ceremonial tone called out to the group in Latin, “Is there anyone gathered here, that objects to the union of this Man and Woman?” No one spoke up. All of the dinner party friends, plus a few uninvited guests that just happened to be in the Church, could see in their eyes that and the way they treated each other that this was a marriage of love, a unique thing to people of their social standing and class.
Lord Carpenter had one hidden reason for the marriage. He had yet to have a child, and he longed for a boy to carry on the family name. That same time next year his wishes were fulfilled. Lady Carpenter had become pregnant, and produced a healthy, handsome baby boy. Unfortunately Lord Carpenter was involved in a long drawn out battle against the Scottish rebels. This battle was of a nature that it would be prolonged for years and years on end as each side brought on reinforcements. Lord Carpenter knew of his child by messenger but could not desert his duties to his King to attend to personal matters. Lord Carpenter never lived long enough to meet his young son. He died in a sword to sword combat at the hands of a young Scottish knight. Lord Carpenter's men were very disheartened by the news, but they decided that they must pay him one final respect. Each silently, with a hereditary knowledge, gathered up stones and covered Lord Carpenter's corpse with them, creating a makeshift tomb. The men topped this makeshift grave with his sword and helmet. Knight Donald, Lord Carpenter's successor, led the men into a futile battle. None of his men lived to see their families again, but they carried on the code of honor and tradition that Lord Carpenter believed in and stood by.
One sole Knight survived from the annihilation of Lord Carpenter's clan. Knight Hensley had just the day before received a massive sword wound to his leg. The doctor using the only methods available to him, removed the leg and cut off the circulation with a leather strap. Knight Hensley being a brave man survived this test of endurance. A young messenger boy spotted him at the encampment of an ally and came up to him and asked, “You served under Lord Carpenter, did you not?”
“I served him until I lost my leg. What do you know of him?”, inquired Knight Hensley.
“I bring dreary news from the battles, Lord Carpenter and his men died on the battle field bravely. No one is left from his clan except you.”
“I am the only one left?”, he inquired rhetorically. He then mumbled to himself,” What a burden of honor and accomplishment I must carry on. I must praise the lord and repay him in some way.”
“I must go, I have other messages to deliver,” pronounced the messenger boy as he left the Knight's side.
The responsibility that Knight Hensley was required to bear by the code was enormous. He had trouble fulfilling it, because he was unable to walk, let alone fight in a battle. Many years later Knight Hensley and Charles Carpenter, the son of Lord Carpenter, ran into each other. Knight Hensley instantly recognized the family resemblance, and realized that he must repay his debt to Lord Carpenter by training Charles in the ways of becoming a Knight. Charles and Knight Hensley formed a close friendship, and with the permission of Lady Carpenter he began to become schooled in the ways of the Knighthood.
Page Carpenter and Knight Hensley worked together and trained and studied the ways of Knighthood in an unusual fashion. Sword fighting was taught while Knight Hensley's leg was lashed to a post to allow him to stand and limp around to teach the important points of sword fighting. Horse riding skills were taught with the assistance of leather lashing that allowed Knight Hensely to be tied to the horse so he would not fall. Jousting was Page Carpenter's least favorite activity due to the fact, that he could not hit Knight Hensely for fear of injuring his prized stallion in the internal organs.
Page Carpenter not only learned the ways of physically becoming a knight but he learned the importance of respect of others from the anecdotal tales told by Knight Hensely and the reasons behind acting in an honorable manner on the battle field.
After the years of training Page Carpenter, having learned physical, mental, and emotional skills of Knighthood was put to the test by the King and Knighted and sent off into battle. His first battle he came back from enthused and ready to take on his duties. But as the duties of being a Knight wore on, he decided that he must father a child, to carry on the name for which his father died. A different Lord led Knight Carpenter into battle this time and he made a fatal mistake, and underestimated the strength of the enemy. Many of the Lord's men, including Knight Carpenter were killed.
He did succeed in passing on the family name. Earlier that month the priest had performed the marriage of Knight Carpenter and Dame Blessing, and they had had created a child together, unknown to Knight Carpenter. In honor of the family line Dame Carpenter named the young child after her deceased father-in-law.
Charlie waited for the response from the computer to come back. After an extended period of time, the computer retorted:
You capture the Castle, two generations pass, Lord Carpenter Awaits your instructions.
Charlie continued totally unaware of the struggles that took place in the short instant.