The story, The Lord of Vengeance, gradually expands from a tale of love to one of ambition and revenge.

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Excerpt

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Prologue

Many of the lords of today enjoy privileges and wealth beyond the dreams of most people. Their good fortune, if you can call it such, was built up over many generations before it was handed down to them. Some of our forebears were granted titles, not for their goodness but out of raw fear or expediency. Villains and local leaders with a strong powerbase were bought off by the Crown. People were suppressed, bribed, murdered, tortured and threatened as the ancestors of today’s peers clawed their way into royal favours. Marriages of convenience took place, lands were given in return for loyalty and whole communities were exploited.

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So what’s new? Nothing much, just a variation of the past. It’s human nature. What happened with the lords of yesteryear is happening in today’s world. The means vary but the end product is the same. Rich opportunists, multinational companies and the PLCs of today have replaced the old threat of torture with the daily grind of work and suppression with fear of redundancy. Threats have been modified but constantly abound; competition, quality levels, pricing levels and fear all help to keep us in line. There is the fear of losing our jobs and quality of life. Whole companies can easily be moved around the globe. Bribery is rife throughout the world and it is still an accepted practice at many high levels of business and government. The lords of today are not all lilywhite.

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The new, younger generations will always learn from the history of those who have succeeded in business. Success in business is not easy, in fact, but succeeding honestly is bloody difficult, but nothing can beat it for job satisfaction.

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This then is the fictional story of one such called new lord of today. From leading a normal honest life it was suddenly turned upside down by a string of incidents which led to making him into the Lord of Vengeance.

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Chapter One

The three magistrates huddled together in conference for a minute before looking round and saying, “Now is that all? We will adjourn for a few minutes to consider our verdict; everyone please remain in court.”

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They filed out, leaving the courtroom in an uneasy silence, which gradually changed to whispered exchanges and shuffling feet. After a few minutes, the clerk of the court said, “Please stand,” as the magistrates returned to the bench. The magistrates settled into their seats followed by the order, “Please be seated, all except the defendant.”

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The Lady Magistrate began the final speech from the bench as everyone on tenterhooks awaited the verdict which would change the course of their lives.

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“As Chairperson of the bench it is my duty to advise you of our unanimous decision. It is our judgement that the defendant has been found guilty of assault and battery against both Mr Broad and Ms Chambers. Before passing sentence we must express dismay of the nature of the lies you have told this court in order to obtain a more lenient sentence. You realise that you could not get away with your crime so you concocted this totally false story about Ms Chambers and Mr Broad’s moral integrity. The police could find no evidence of your allegations of their adultery or your assault in the bedroom. Medical and police opinion supports the fact that both persons were not fit enough to carry any cleaning and changes to the bedroom in the time period you described. You returned to your flat in a drunken state late that night and we are of the opinion you were drunk when you first arrived home.

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“You lied about the times of the assault and, by your own admission, you telephoned home to say that you were coming back that evening. We can find no mitigation for your brutal physical attack nor your verbal attack on their good names. Have you anything to say before we pass sentence?”

“Yes, madam, I was telling the truth. I wish to add, if I go back to prison, my company will almost certainly fail. Five people will lose their jobs if the company goes under. Please take this into consideration.”

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“We have every sympathy for your employees but the law must take its course. You should have considered your responsibilities before taking such violent action. We sentence you to 18 months in prison for these violent acts. Case closed.”

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In a sudden fit of temper the defendant shouted at the magistrates. “You have been fooled! They are brilliant liars. This is an injustice!”

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The Chairperson replied, “Quiet! If you say any more I will increase your sentence for contempt of court.”

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The sullen defendant was quickly ushered out of court by a very young policeman before he could say anything else.

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Click here to contact us to obtain a review copy of The Lord of Vengeance

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About the Author

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Ivan was born in a 400-year old coaching inn, The Boars Head, in Ipswich England.

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One of seven children, he received a grammar school education to progress his career as an engineer, to eventually become a Fellow of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers and a successful business entrepreneur in both manufacturing and advertising.

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Now retired, he is happily married to Jackie and they enjoy each other’s families together.

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Interests include playing golf (badly), bridge, theatre, writing and travelling.