An Etruscan Spring

AN ETRUSCAN SPRING is the sequel to A Kenyan Winterlude. After their adventures in Kenya and Uganda, Margaret and Douglas Parker arrive in Rome to begin a belated Italian honey moon. Margaret becomes weary after touring the city’s attractions. And with a respiratory infection, she agrees to her husband’s suggest ion that they drive north to Tuscany to rest at their small hotel on the beaches of the Tyrrhenian Sea. Margaret basks in the sunshine while reclining on the balcony of their room. Doug takes advantage of the time to prowl through the dusty museum at Tarquinia wheer he meets and befriends the curator, a British archaeologist,Philip Longfellow, who takes him around to various newly discovered 'digs’ . Margaret recovers to accompany them to an ancient Etruscan village on the steep hillside near Volterra. They wander about examining inscriptions on rocks. An earthquake occurs triggering a massive earthslide. The terrified Parkers escape by jumping into an excavation but Philip is badly injured with a complex fracture of his leg. Doug administers first-aid and lights a bonfire as twilight is near. Margaret volunteers to remain with the victim while Doug leaves to get the car to summon help. The earthslide has scraped away the soil covering a royal tomb nearby compromising the strength of the ceiling. Doug’s weight collapses the ceiling and he falls into the depths of the tomb encountering demonic forces, where he calls out to Jesus to save him. A neighbouring farmer arrives attracted by the fire. His dog discovers the hole in the tomb ceiling. Theproper authorities arrive to aid Philip and to extract the unconscious Doug from the tomb with a dislocated shoulder and a broken collar bone. He is immediately transported to the hospital in Siena. Margaret joins him and learns Philip Longfellow is now at the same facility. She goes to see Philip and discovers he is a homosexual. When Doug is well enough to use a wheelchair, they go to see Philip and meet his partner a suave, wealthy tycoon in the Italian film industry, Fredrico Scalise who is very helpful to the Parkers, It is determined that Philip is exhibiting symptoms of an advanced case of AIDS. Both Parkers are tested positive for HIV. Philip is sent to a famous clinic in Paris for treatment of his condition. Fredrico also suffers the same symptoms and insists that the Parkers be treated at the clinic at his expense because of their care for his beloved Philip.April in Paris is the sequel where the Parkers become more involved with these characters and others of their acquaintance.