A Moon Called Sun
Epilogue

Wakala, Florida, 1819.

"Right through here, general," the lieutenant said as he pushed a thick limb of mangrove aside for his commander.

"Ah, hellfire-my boots are soaked through," replied the general, annoyed by this whole damn escapade. But he was so intrigued by the fantastical reports that he had to see it for himself. "I've still got some stragglers to manage around here, so this better be worth my attention, son."

“Yes, sir, I believe so, sir. We found her floating inside this lagoon."

"Well, let me see the blasted thing," the general snapped at him.

"Yes, sir." The lieutenant stepped aside to let the general walk past.

Exhausted from his recent success relocating the savages, General Andrew Jackson took a step into the small lagoon with no expectation of discovering anything that could surprise him. Those days were long past. However, he was dead wrong to cling to such a jaded philosophy. Life was still full of surprises, even for Old Hickory. He had never seen anything like the gleaming white vessel that floated atop the shallow water of the round lagoon. The words The Joey boldly inscribed upon her streamlined hull tickled his fancy for a good mystery further still.

"Well now, what do we have here?" Jackson muttered under his breath. "The Joey, huh? Lieutenant Coffee."

"Yes, general!" Lieutenant Coffee came to attention by Jackson's side.

"Let us find out exactly what The Joey can do for the United States of America." The general smiled, realizing this was more than just a good mystery. This was a life-changing experience. "Today has gotten very interesting, very interesting, indeed."

That's when Old Hickory took another giant leap of faith.