SUMMARY of CIRCLE OF STARS

SUMMARY of CIRCLE OF STARS

As the new religionists, Christians, battle the old religionists, druids, for control of Wales, the prophesied savior of the Druids, Madoc is on a dangerous voyage to unproved land that will later be known as America. In this new land Madoc and his men did not expect to find people. They were surprised, not only of finding people who raised dogs for consumption, but finding people that also had trouble getting along, similar to the problems they had left in Wales. They find a warm stream in the sea that can be found by its less salt content and slight change of color. We know it as the Gulf Stream.

The men survive one rough storm and lose a ship in another. They find a suitable place to build a village, a couple storehouses and a woodhenge to use to align the stars, study the new plants and animals. The men plant grain seeds they had brought with them, celebrate the druid holy days and began to wish for women in their camp.

Madoc meets a Calusa girl, called Cougar, who recently was rebuffed by her true parents, because they thought she had drowned while the family was fishing during a storm. The child that was believed to have drowned was not more than three years old. The girl was found under a pile of debris that had washed ashore and was raised by a woman who told the child she was Grandmother. Ten or twelve years later the parents still think of their downed daughter as a three-year-old, so they cannot believe that the bright and beautiful young woman, Cougar, is their true child.

Madoc is attracted to Cougar who is as stubborn, independent and intelligent as he. She quickly observes that he is insensitive to some things that are important to women and she solicits his help in the birth of Calusa twins. She believes that after this episode he will be more sympathetic and understand what women go through to deliver children.

Madoc realizes that the small village his men have built must have women if it is to survive. The men have made a pact that they will not fraternize with the barbarian women. He and one of his good friends use the Gulf Stream to come back to Wales in two ships in less time than it took to get to their New Land.

ENDNOTES

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