No Hand Can Destroy
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Hamilton gazed down at him with a puzzled expression. He didn't understand what was eating the young man but the signals were very clear. He sighed and turned to leave. "All right then." He climbed back down the ladder and started back for the cottage, confused by Hartford's withdrawal. At times there seemed to be a genuine bridge between them, at others, an impenetrable wall. The bond between them was a tenuous one at the best of times. But lately, Hartford had been deliberately hacking away at it, steadily withdrawing back into himself. Hamilton sensed that like a rubber band stretched beyond its point of elasticity, the bond would soon break. And there wasn't anything he could do about it. He had tried to reach out to him. But he knew then, at that moment, that he had truly failed. Hamilton reached the back porch and paused there. He had a sudden, inexplicable sense of foreboding. He turned quickly and made his way back to the barn. John Hartford sat in the dimness of the loft-waiting. When he was sure that Hamilton had had enough time to return to the house, he picked up the knife which lay hidden in the loose hay there. It was a farrier's paring knife and as sharp as a razor. He stared down at it as he held it in his shaking hand. It was a way out of the maze-surely a better way out than that which lay in store for him. He had tried to explain it to Dr. Avery but there was no way she could understand. All his life he had been fighting the odds. He had always had to do things the hard way. For once, he was going to take the easy road out. No more agonizing headaches, no more side-effects from the chemotherapy. No more fear of turning into a vegetable, of not being able to speak or walk or ride. No more worry about the proton bolt and his enemies. In his hand was the simple solution. It would be almost painless if he did it right. A quick slice just under his left ear to sever the carotid artery and it would be over in less time than it took to think about it. Better to end it here in the dark where he wouldn't be able to see the pity in their eyes. Better than dying by inches, a day at a time. Hartford took a deep breath and raised the knife with a trembling hand.
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About the Book
This is the story of the rehabilitation of an embittered young man through compassion and understanding. The story background involves murder, intrigue, and many of the elements of a modern mystery, but it is primarily a story of redemption and the power of love. The story, set in the West Highlands of Scotland, is devoted to the relationship that develops between two men: Lee Edward Harris (alias John Hartford) and Captain Richard Hamilton of Her Majesty's Royal Navy. Harris is a brilliant American prodigy who's life has been exclusively manipulated by those seeking to capitalize on his unique talents. His extraordinary ability to solve complex mathematical problems has made him a victim of modern power politics. His flight from broken promises and his search for his own identity takes him from America, to Soviet Russia and finally to Great Britain (Scotland) where he meets Hamilton. When Hartford first arrives at Blackthorn, Hamilton's farmstead located in a wild, remote and starkly beautiful part of the west Highlands, he is physically and emotionally stretched to the breaking point. He totters on the brink of mental collapse, is plagued by violent nightmares and periods of intense depression and melancholy. At times, he is suicidal. Hamilton, with the assistance of a caring few, succeeds in helping Hartford to evolve as a person. He is transformed into a caring human being who rises above his haunting past and desolate future to build something special--something that NO HAND CAN DESTROY. Hartford's evolution and his moment of visionary contentment is almost too late –he sees clearly just as a bullet from the ever-pursuing Soviet assassin kills him. The Russian bullet climaxes an arduous struggle for a young man who never held his destiny in his own hands. But the legacy that the young scientist leaves behind him is awesome indeed, so that in the end, there is only triumph.
About the Author
Marion Earl Mackenzie is a pseudonym for Elaine Bazarian. Miss Bazarian has a Master’s Degree in Biology from Boston University and worked as an environmental consultant for a large architect-engineering company in Boston from 1972 to 1996. She has been writing fiction stories since she was sixteen. An avid equestrian and naturalist, she enjoys spending time on Crane Beach in Ipswich, Massachusetts, with her equine partner of 25 years, Smiley. Now self-employed, she is putting the finishing touches on the sequel to No Hand Can Destroy, entitled The Legacy. She lives in Watertown, Massachusetts with her three cats.