The Second Coming

This book was first conceived several decades ago when I lived in the South Carolina low country not far from an original Seewee Indian village. Although it hadn’t seen any inhabitants for many centuries and was little more than some random mounds of oyster shells, its poetry still appealed to me, and I found myself drawn to the stories buried in those shells. One of them served to inspire me to write this book, that being the fatal expedition of a group of natives who decided to brave the Atlantic Ocean in an attempt to strike up a better trade deal with the King of England than the one offered by the settlers. The outcome of this bold and fool-hearty move was not favorable. And that’s where it all began. For one cannot consider the plight of the indigenous people of North America without falling into melancholy regarding their fate. Of course, being somewhat of a warrior spirit, I could not help but speculate about how it all could have been different had the natives possessed superior fire power. So, I picked up my pen, long thought of as mightier than the sword, and began to explore this possibility. Then, a move to the red clay hills of the Piedmont disrupted my train of thought and the book sat on a shelf for almost thirty years before I decided to finish it. Of course, in the interim I had undergone more than a few changes, and I surprised myself with the way the original plot began to evolve. Let it be said that this book reflects three decades of contemplation, and I am grateful to have lived long enough to have completed the thought, despite having done so with a twist. Part romantic adventure, part political dissertation, and part spiritual walk-about, it should provide a little something for everyone. I hope you enjoy this journey as much as I have.