Gus Kotka and Johnny Reb Nowhere Roam Winter series part 9 of 13
The apples turn to brown and black, the tyrant’s face is red.
“- Johnny?”
“Yeah Gus.”
“The Story of Virginia,” Gus thought, “must be an old story.”
“It is.”
“Virginia is a woman’s name.”
“Correct,” noted Reb, “and Virginius is the masculine.”
“Like Augusta and Augustus.”
“True.”
“So it’s Roman?”
“Foundational.”
“Where’d you learn this story?”
“Lots of places.”
“Name one.”
“West Point.”
Gus Kotka and Johnny Reb Nowhere Roaming “That’s right,” paused Gus, “Johnny Reb the West Pointer would have had quite an education.”
“Grant was a West Pointer.”
“So were Lee, Longstreet and Jackson.”
“Add Jeb Stuart, Braxton Bragg and Jefferson Davis.”
“The Confederate President?”
“Yes.”
“Oh geez.”
“I know.”
“So what’s the story?”
“With Virginia?”
“Yeah.”
“It’s one of sacrifice.”
Gus Kotka and Johnny Reb Nowhere Roamed “Oh-oh.”
“Right.”
“What gets sacrificed?"
“Virginia.”
“Reb!?”
“That’s the story Yank.”
“I did ask didn’t I.”
“You did.”
“So there must be a bad man?”
“Appius Claudius.”
“Never heard of him.”
“Appius was a tyrant during the early days of the Roman Republic.”
“Appius sacrificed Virginia?”
“No, Virginius did that.”
“Who’s he?”
“Her father ...”
*Next Up: The Union 2016 winter series continues tomorrow, Saturday 5 March, with part 10, the Virginia of Rome.
Posted by Bryan W. Brickner
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