A Novelization of the Past and a Framework for Future-Efforts

The Exchange - A Novelization of the Past and a Framework for Future-Efforts


For some time now, years actually, my family and friends have been trying to get me to write fictional stories for publication. For a long time I resisted that notion because I write non-fiction and to tell you the truth I haven’t really considered fiction to be nearly as important an effort as non-fiction since I was a kid. But they’ve kept at me, and to tell you the truth I ain’t as opposed as I used to be to the idea, and in some sense I’ve even warmed to the proposal. The idea doesn’t automatically revolt me like it used to. So I’ve started working on some fiction. And to that end I’ve had a series of ideas about some stories for some time now about which I’d like to get some opinion and feedback.

No. 1 - Basically this idea involves a series of fictional stories that take place mainly in the Byzantine Empire, in and around Constantinople, circa the eras between 790 up to about 1254 Anno Domini.

These stories mostly concern events within and around the Byzantine Empire but occasionally involve people, places, and events in Europe, the Middle East, Northern and Eastern Africa and parts of Asia. The point of the stories will involve both historical and religious/mystical/mythical events that take place during that time frame. The stories will involve an ancient Byzantine Force or Special Team (what today might be considered a Special Forces Unit), which consists of military men, ambassadors, intelligence agents and spies, and clergymen. This team will be composed of a wide variety of individuals with unique backgrounds from many parts of the Empire, including Latins, Greeks, Africans, a man from the British Isles, a Frank, an Italian, a Russian, and a former Viking who has become a convert and a monk.

This team travels throughout the Empire on a wide variety of missions including, but not limited to, military and security assignments, law enforcement, investigation of bizarre events, investigation of miracles, espionage, scouting and reconnaissance, and diplomatic and religious delegations.

The stories will also involve another world, which is geographically exactly like our world during this era, but is inhabited by different types of creatures and beings, and is the home of the Realm of Prester John. This other world, home of Prester John and his people, occasionally overlaps our world and therefore the Special Team of Byzantine Agents will encounter Prester John and his world from time to time.

The purpose of these encounters will allow the stories to explore a host of mystical, mythological, spiritual, and religious subject matter as the Christians of Byzantium encounter this other world, which the Christians at first mistake for a heavenly or paradisiacal Kingdom of God overlapping our world.

The stories will also all involve real events, characters, and places and will be as historically accurate as possible all other elements considered. The stories will explore the possibility that lying underneath apparent historical events in our world is an invisible “underworld” or “otherworld” of spiritual forces at play which men do not fully grasp, comprehend, or understand. This otherworld effects historical progress, the development of science, the course of religion and spiritual affairs, and even the products of art and technology. God technology, of various kinds and at various stages of development will be important components of these stories. I intend to develop these stories into a novel of the same basic set of materials. This will not however be alternative historical fiction. The outcome of real world historical events will not be altered, but the understanding of these events will perhaps be modified for the reader depending on what invisible or otherworldly elements are exposed in the development of the stories.

So I ask you a question. Do you as a reader think you might find such stories interesting (as a general premise) and what do you think the market might be for such a novel based upon this set of ideas?


No. 2 - As a follow-up to this idea I have for some number of years now been developing a Role playing game which is similar in some ways to Dungeons and Dragons but is set in the Byzantine Empire along the same general milieu as the idea for the novel which I sketched out above. This RPG is both an historical and Christian version of a Medieval Role Playing Game, but rather than proving just a background for personal character adventure it also explores historical events, and most especially religious and spiritual matters as related to the Christian religion, Christian morals, and the historical development of Christianity as a religion over time. In other words the idea behind it is not just the development of a “character” but through game and mission scenarios to promote "character-development" through the solving of, conquering of, or overcoming of various spiritual, moral, religious, political, cultural, and personal dilemmas.

Would you as a player or potential player of such a game find such a setting interesting and do you think a market exists for such a game to be profitable?


No. 3 - This last idea is a sort of corollary of sorts to the previous two ideas. It also involves a role-playing game that I have been developing for some time now. It involves a multi-branch, multi-service, multi-agency team of operatives drawn from US and Allied military forces (US, British, and NATO forces), various Intelligence Services, and some civilian governmental agencies such as the DEA and FBI, as well as detectives and undercover operatives from US big city police forces and international law enforcement organizations such as Interpol. This Team, which is a modern version of the Byzantine Team spoken of above travels the world engaged in anti-terrorism, counter-intelligence, intelligence, anti-criminal/anti-smuggling, law-enforcement, scouting, undercover, reconnaissance, and espionage missions.

The Team itself is actually a set of smaller three man sub-component teams that can be assembled into a larger team depending upon need, circumstance, and particular mission parameters. The Team is a fictional unit but many of the members and many of the missions are based upon my own personal experiences or based upon the experiences of friends and associates of mine. Many of the stories involving this team will explore the religious, spiritual, and moral dilemmas faced by US and allied personnel and agents when engaged in modern combat, espionage, clandestine, undercover, and law enforcement activities.

Would you as a player or potential player find such a game of interest and do you think a profitable market might exist for such a game?


Well, that’s it. Thanks for your help and Happy Easter.
Be seeing ya.


© JWG, Jr. 2007



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Speaker Pelosi and The Proud American Tradition of Retreat and Surrender

The Exchange - Speaker Pelosi and The Proud American Tradition of Retreat and Surrender

By Justin Wade Galahad
For The Missive
November 16, 2006
4:45 EST





The United States of America has a very long and proud tradition of retreat and surrender when faced with difficult and challenging situations. From our very earliest experiences the idea of retreat and surrender has been deeply engrained in American custom and culture. It is a part of our character, the nature of our people.

One need only look back in time to formative events like the American Revolution, when the Colonial Forces buckled under the tremendous strain of war against what was then the mightiest Empire on earth. The lack of supplies and proper housing, the constant frostbite, the tattered clothes, shortages of ammunition, the inexperienced and under-trained units, the hardships of starvation, and the rationing of basic goods, all were far too much for both her military and her citizens to endure. How could anyone expect Americans to rise under those conditions, to continue forward and persevere, to triumph against such overwhelming odds? The logical thing to do of course was capitulate. And so we did, at the first available opportunity.

The War of 1812 is another sterling example of American Victory by Abandonment. Because we were wise enough and had enough foresight to realize that expansion Westward was a grave mistake we abandoned any further attempt to move West and were furthermore quite satisfied to allow the British to burn our Capital. A great nation always admits any mistake it might have made in the past and bows out gracefully before the situation comes too close to any actual triumph. One can never be sure that if one continues forward that victory will result, but one can always be assured that victory can be grasped by surrender. Leadership is after all the art of knowing when to know that you don’t really want to try anymore.

The Civil War was another catastrophic and vicious war fought for no good reason. Fighting to preserve the Union and to eventually extend the blessings of liberty to all Americans were simply not sufficient reasons to excuse the losses and cost in blood and treasure. No same or rational person could possibly say that it was. That war, which relieved so many Americans of their lives was a senseless, brutal, pointless and by today’s standards a totally unreasonable and unnecessary war. So America did the right thing, the only thing that made any sense, we simply stopped fighting. Pulled our troops out. Negotiated the end of the conflict before anything could be permanently, and perhaps even disastrously, resolved. Why would any sensible nation do otherwise?

The First and Second World Wars were horrible tragedies. Not worth our time. Once casualties began to mount it quickly became obvious to all that the only way to win was to lose. Admit your mistakes. Sure, some argued changing tactics, but why bother? It really wasn’t our set of wars and it doesn’t matter what happens in the rest of the world. The rest of the world is for the rest of the world to lose, we have enough problems losing well right here at home.

Korea was a joke. The Chinese? Who wants to fight a billion Chinese? It is literally impossible to imagine any scenario in which the Korean War could have turned out to the benefit of anyone. Little slant-eyed yellow people, who cares about them? If they really wanted to be free then they would have done all of the fighting themselves and would have done it like we did, by retreat and submission. You almost always gain more by giving up than going on. Any shrink will tell you that.

Vietnam. We all know of what a tremendously successful war we had there, when we finally learned to let go and love the Tet. Vietnam stands as a shining example throughout all of human history of how to lose a war the right way, so that everyone prospers as a result. And we all know everyone did.

The Cold War. Thank God no one took that seriously. Over forty years of protracted conflict, competition, and war by proxy? Who wants that? We gave up early and we gave up often. You can’t win the freedom of a world by constantly exciting tensions and demanding that people everywhere be free. Be realistic, won’t you? The only Good War is a Lost War.

And now we find ourselves yet again embroiled in War, the War on Terrorism, in Afghanistan, and Iraq. Let’s start from the beginning. All Muslims are constitutionally incapable of desiring liberty. Now that we have that rough truth out in the public for open examination, let’s follow it up with an even more logical axiom. You win immediately, or you don’t win at all. If you can’t solve everything within the first forty-eight hours, like they do on television, then you’re in the wrong business. Best get out.

Three and a half years. Coming up on four. Three years and counting and what do the Iraqis have to show for themselves? They haven’t won a thing yet. Which means of course that they have lost more than they have won. Three years is an awfully long time in the modern world to have gone without fixing your most pressing problems, and defeating your most dreadful and persistent enemies. Suppose America had fought the Nazis that long, the British that long, the Soviets that long? Suppose it had taken three and a half (or even more years) to fix Social Security or to provide Universal Healthcare?

No, this situation is obviously ridiculous. Men are dying, women are dying, and children are dying. And it is the fault of the Americans. It is our fault. And the fault of the vast majority of Iraqis. The one group who cannot be blamed however is the enemy. The enemy is Muslim; they don’t understand these things, don’t perceive the wisdom and enlightened benefits of surrender and retreat like more hardy and civilized peoples. If the Iraqis were more like us, like real Americans, then this would have been over long ago in an early capitulation. As it is, alas, I’m afraid the Iraqis won’t really come to understand the full benefits of surrender, abandonment, and retreat as we do, until it is far, far too late. Thank God we do have that kind of foresight, that kind of wisdom, that kind of a Can’t-Do American Spirit. It’s the way we were made, from our very inception. Our Grandfathers were quitters, their grandfathers were quitters, and their grandfathers were quitters as well. Changing now would only be like changing jackasses in the middle of the Rodeo. And our jackasses are doing just fine, thank you very much. The Iraqis could learn a thing or two from the fine example of our American leadership. You don’t need freedom when you can have higher taxes, more unemployment, and Nationalized Healthcare.

So I say, “Thank you Speaker-to-Be Pelosi.” Sometimes it takes a special kind of female to remind men everywhere of just how much of a woman they can really be too, if they just try hard enough. And thank you liberal Democrats and American liberals everywhere. You have reminded us all of the very finest traditions of American Sacrifice Sealed with Honorable Retreat, and of how to achieve Victory through Abandonment without even trying. You make me want to leap to my feet and sing the French National Anthem even as I write these words. Deep, deep, down in your little hearts, you must want to as well.

Congratulations. You’ve finally made Europeans of Americans.
Now we can all sleep much easier at night, safe in the knowledge that you helm the Ship.

© JWG, Jr. 2006