MIDDANGARD (A Lord of the Rings Fan Fiction)

Chapter 4: The 2nd Battle Of Brooklyn Begins

9/4/2020     Saturday 10 A.M.

 BACK TO OUR STORY...

High atop the Brooklyn-side cabletower of the Verrazano Bridge, a keen eyed sentry watched as a long line of diverse Citizens made their way to Middangard’s western border, Staten Island, located in Lower New York Bay. The vanguard of the procession, all on horseback, crossed the Verrazano NarrowsBridgeleading to Staten Island around 12 noon. Very seldom, in the last few years, had so many Brooklynites ventured onto the barren island that had once been the smallest Borough of old New York City. In the lead, Randolph Bloomfield Sanders rode a striking gray-white Arabian stallion. Rabbi Sanders went by many different names; to the Italians he was known as Bloomfield: to The Irish he was known as Silversmith; The BoroPark Jews called him Rabbi Gandolfini; The Manhattan Muslims knew him as Mr. Bookman. Every ethnic group seemed to have a special name for him, but all recognized him as GrayBeard.

Fourteen additional horses, most Arabian/pony combinations, followed the Rabbi off the Verrazano Bridge - one of the few bridges still standing strong in the old Metropolitan New York area. The Wedding Party waved as they passed a small Honor Guard at Fort Wordsworth, Staten Island, and then headed for the only neutral reception/banquet hall in the old Five Boroughs. It was also one of the only buildings still standing on that burned out island. The Brooklyn sentry, perched high in his eagle’s-nest post, could clearly see the Reception Hall about a mile behind and slightly to the left of the Staten Island side expansion tower.

The marriage of the daughter of one of the most important Black Muslims on Manhattan Island to a member of an influential Italian family, in South Brooklyn, had been brokered and planned for –carefully and diplomatically- many months ago. It was the first time the non-aligned Manhattan Citizens had moved towards normalizing relations with another Borough.

The Black Muslims had cleared Manhattan of their "lower 5%" - the bandits, the heartless bankers, the thieves, the investment brokers, the corporate lawyers, and the murdering gangs, all known as Goblers. Then they sealed the island off! A small Chinese population was allowed to remain in Lower Manhattan. The Chinese Citizens there posed no threat to the usually wary Black Muslims; besides, both SnowXX and his top lieutenant JohnsonX loved spicy Chicken Lo Mein noodles.

The only other official Muslim contact with another section of old New York City was an agreement, with the North Brooklyn Puerto Ricans, to help clean out 'Goblers' from the miles of connecting subway tunnels.

The Goblers ruled the Bronx. It was from the Bronx that attacks were launched into embattled Queens County. Unfortunately, the WhiteStone Bridge, linking Queens to the Bronx, still stood strong. Goblers controlled the North Queens side of that bridge and many eastern sections of that Borough as well, all the way from Long Island Sound in the north to Jamaica Bay in the south. However, after suffering a devastating defeat during an invasion attempt of Manhattan in 2018, the Bronx Goblers steered clear of the Black Muslims and their island stronghold.

John Snow had fought alongside his buddy Fredo Abbotamarco in Iraq during the 1990's. Fredo thought his army friend’s name rather ironic. But Snow did not give it a second thought; nor did anyone else with an ounce of common sense. Both men had been elite Army Rangers. Both came home disillusioned with the war. However, they remained steadfast friends. They had endured a lifetime of change, in a few short years. These changes turned one man into a Zen Buddhist Jesuit Monk and the other into a Black Muslim. Shortly after Vanishing Day, Snow left his Bedford Stuyvesant home in Brooklyn and joined the fighting to clear Manhattan.

John Snow became SnowXX and his half Vietnamese daughter, slim with creamy milk chocolate skin... smaller and daintier than her formidable, well muscled father … was affectionately referred to as Snowflake.

She wore white for the wedding.

Fredo’s nephew Wil Abbotamarco, aged 22, the bridegroom, was in awe of Snowflake’s subtle beauty. Unfortunately, he loved someone else - as did she!

Both Snowflake and Wil unhappily went along with the political wedding. They thought that they were doing "the right thing" for the "greater good" of their families.

 Shortly after entering Staten Island, The Wedding Party rode onto the grounds where the reception would take place. SnowXX and Berto [Wil’s father and Fredo’s brother] beamed proudly, like fathers do, as they entered one of the parking lots in front of The Dragon’s Lair Banquet Hall.

In contrast, GrayBeard, also known as Randolf the Jew to his Russian admirers, wore an unsettled look as he dismounted his horse ShadowBack. The horses, of course, would be taken to CloveLake stables, situated about two miles to the west. That did not worry him. His valued equine companion, ShadowBack, would be well cared for, he surmised - First given a bracing rub, followed by oats and alfalfa hay.

The frown the Rabbi wore had more to do with the location of the gathering. He sensed tension in the air. Something didn't feel right...

Was that fear in the eyes of the Asian valet who directed him up the stairs toward the ornately carved front doors? In Chinese lore, dragons are considered good luck. Yet the impressive, newly carved wood decorations at the entrance depicted distinctly unfriendly looking dragons. The old man, known as Randolph The Fixer in the large [Black] Bedford Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn, moved cautiously into the building. Gay paper lanterns hung festively from the high bamboo ceiling. Yet the atmosphere in the building was all wrong. He thought to himself,

"This is not good. Something here is amiss."

 He knew this place well. Many years before, he had been contracted to design and build the structure. A rather jovial, surprisingly amiable Mafia captain had commissioned a pleasant, secure meeting place for his "friends" and "family". Rabbi Gandolfini had enjoyed creating this bamboo labyrinth. Using ancient Chinese methods of directing flows of energy, he produced an inscrutable maze that contained large assessable halls and well concealed meeting rooms, plus the requested spying chambers and secret passageways.

Its new management, a Chinese group from Sunset Park Brooklyn, enjoyed an excellent reputation as superb hosts and wonderful chefs; however, they knew nothing of the 'extras' the building offered.

One of their clan stood in the entrance corridor. Dressed in traditional Chinese robes, he looked altogether too fragile. He looked too humble.

In fact, he looked scared out of his mind!

“No way is this going to end well," Randolph muttered under his breath.

Hearing Graybeard grumble something, SnowXX [Double X], next in line as they entered the hall, leaned closer...

"Gather your top people, friend," whispered Bookman. "This place feels dangerous."

NOTE I: CITIZENS ... A complimentary term, used in Middangard, for those people concerned with the wellbeing of all mankind and the community of man, i.e. human beings who care for other people besides themselves...

NOTE II: GOBLERS ... A general term that covers the lower 5% of humanity, the users, the takers, the self-centered people who think only of themselves and can justify anything they do as long as it benefits their selfish desires. Their idea of 'Freedom' is the 'Right' to do anything they please...