Author’s Proof

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Copyright 2024 James LaFond

A Crackpot Book

Lynn Lockhart Publisher

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Dust Cover

It was a cool yet languid morning at Perry Hall High School, on Wednesday, June 7th of 1995, when Scott Grumman’s really rancid, teenage life changed for ever into an incredibly rancid adult life. Nothing really cool, like Columbine, had happened yet to peak the mass teenage American mind. It was all adult bullshit, like Ojay. Scott, despite owning the name of his ancestor’s bombs away aircraft company, was an anti-American punk rocker, looking down the barrel of Graduation, forlornly wondering what the great and evil nation that had exterminated most of his forefathers, had in store for him. Then, IT, MURKHA, reached its all erasing hand out for him.

Extended Dust Cover

His acquaintances at school—for he had no friends—called him Nat Star: Nat for Natsy for his WWII obsession, and Star for the stars and bars Confederate battle flag he had tattooed on his forearm in home economics class with red and blue ink, using an icing nozzle! “Nat,” thoug he had no friends, was somebody Perry Hall High students did not mess with. But to that sick world waiting to feast upon his hopes and dreams, he was nothing. Now, two weeks before being released from the school he despised into the world he hated—something BADASS and undreamed of reached out and dragged him into something much worse!

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Dedication

For Megan, my granddaughter, who seems to have an inkling that her “Pap,” is a thought criminal, and appropriately hides behind her big brother, who grins.

Inspirational Quote

“Fuck this place! Fuck your mask—Fuck you!”

-Nat Star, 2022, entering a supermarket, boldly unmasked, during the only plague to smite humanity

Frame

Nat Star—Timejacker!, is the sequel to Timejacker, and is being written out of order, before Banjo Time Jack, which is the concluding novel of the trilogy.

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Apologies

To Mister Scott Broening, who I coached briefly, and drank with more deeply, who was unfortunate enough to unburden his once teenage soul and family history to this manic pulp novelist. Other then granting you the not very opaque alias of Scott Grumman, I have done but little to protect your identity. What is more egregious, is I have not asked your permission! What audacity! In my half-hearted defense, I have not asked Banjo permission either. And, although you might be able to kick my ass—Banjo can really wreck my day. So the recourse you have is to sue me for my vast fortune.

Now, in my true-hearted defense. You are a really cool dude, are likable, unlike character patterned on myself, know a fair bit about history as you are an avid reader, and one of the few people, besides Banjo and Mescaline Franklin, who hate this modern world more than I do. Also, I have been having night mares about these novels that acme to my mind, about ten of them. Okay, lets count: Siren [Nike is the protagonist], Yusef of the Dark, Time Jack [inspired by Banjo, using him], Gaslight Knight [written about and for Richard Barrett], Good Morning [used a character patterned on me], Gladiator of Scorpio [using a character patterned on Sean], King Klan [another nerd character based on me], Nat Star—Timejacker [that’s you], Oh King [Xenophon is the protagonist], Seven Men [A Novel of the Agrianes], The Warriors [another nerd based on me], and Vunak of Ares [a planetary novel romance based on Jeet Kune Do instructor Paul Vunak, whose permission I have not sought] and Peculiar Things [inspired by and starring Paul Bing-Ham].

That is 13 novels vying for my attention, and the ones that are most inspiring are those which I immediately experience a flash placement of one of the men I know through training and conversation, such as you, Banjo, Sean and Paul. In Sean’s case he fit the Dray Prescott archetype I was looking for and, is really capable of beating the piss out of most humans. Paul Vunak and Richard Barrett I want to write a novel about because they are great characters. I’m just going to give these two novels to them. But You, Paul Bing-Ham and Banjo, you all popped into my mind’s eye as the focus of the story, but more importantly, a vehicle for the concept of Timejacker and of a true modern, rural horror story in Paul’s case.

Some, or even most of these novels, along with Porch, Slave, Sons of Arete and of Ichor and War, may never be completed. History and journalism keep getting in the way. We are going on 20 novels here. Good luck, crackpot. Sir, thank you for your help. I have one promise: your character will not die at my literary hands.

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Contents

Part One: Murkhan Pricks

-1. Badass

-2. Badass!

-3. Prospect Badass

-4. Agent Badass

-5. Captain Badass

Part Two: Caliphate Ritz

-6. Time Bender

-7. Time Screw

-8. Timejacker

-9. Time Whacker

-10. Time Wrecker