The Chai Makhani Trio survived a night and a day in the jungle of a thousand easy deaths. They even evaded capture at the hands of Koltn Ward and the rest of the enforcers. But night falls again. And the best Commonwealth medicines that Alextra keeps pulling from her seemingly bottomless belt pouches only slows the spread of venom up her leg. But not as fast as the venom slows her steps. And somewhere out there they know Koltn Ward is regrouping. Their only hope lies in the last place Keani ever wanted to see again: home. "Prisoners and Rebels" is the fourth episode in the ongoing monthly science fiction adventure serial TALES OF THE CHAI MAKHANI TRIO.

With the tavern where he works as well as life as he knows it literally on fire, Elyot takes the only possible way out. Down into the sewers that lead deeper into the catacombs. No one knows for sure what lurks in the depths. But every child knows the stories. He just wants to lead his new companions Keani and Alextra to safety. But with the enforcers dogging their steps and the caverns themselves conspiring to drive the three ever deeper, any hope for safety vanishes. The three know what the enforcers intend. But what lurks in the deep? Just might be worse. "The Maze and the Maw" is the second episode in the ongoing monthly science fiction adventure serial TALES OF THE CHAI MAKHANI TRIO.

The Chai Makhani Trio know the secret to save Adghal. But without the help of the rebellion, it means nothing. They have found the rebellion's last stronghold. To their dismay, having seen the might of the Commonwealth military, they know all too well that the rebellion stands no chance. Not in a fight. But Alextra knows another way. If only she can convince the heads of the rebellion to trust her. And if Koltn Ward stays away long enough for her to try. "The Final Showdown” is the eleventh episode in the ongoing monthly science fiction adventure serial TALES OF THE CHAI MAKHANI TRIO.

The Chai Makhani Trio leaves the surface of Adghal behind, finally bound for space. Their destination? The massive Commonwealth Flagship which lurks out of sight behind Adghal's only moon. But getting there poses challenges. The rebellion pilots run blockades all the time. But sneaking onto the most secure ship in the Commonwealth fleet? No easy task. Elyot needs to get inside to find his mother. Alextra knows more than anyone about the Commonwealth. Keani and her knives just want to stay in it until the end. But dangers lurk in space, and trying to sneak on board a battle cruiser just might spell the end of the Chai Makhani Trio. "Running the Blockade” is the seventh episode in the ongoing monthly science fiction adventure serial TALES OF THE CHAI MAKHANI TRIO.

The Chai Makhani Trio escaped the clutches of Koltn Ward and the Commonwealth admiral. But they still find themselves trapped, hiding in the secret places of the flagship. Elyot knows now his mother never betrayed the rebellion. But why did she leave him all those years ago? Koltn Ward knows Alextra's secret. No longer a captive, Alextra still fears the wrath he has the power to bring down on her. They must get back to Adghal and to the rebellion. But without their pilots, they have no hope of managing that. But Keani just might hold the key to save them all. "Players in the Long Game” is the ninth episode in the ongoing monthly science fiction adventure serial TALES OF THE CHAI MAKHANI TRIO.

The Chai Makhani Trio no longer need to run. The Commonwealth Enforcers, with all of their specialized equipment and brutal drive for domination, stand no chance of every finding where the Adghal rebellion lurks. But freedom from Captain Koltn Ward’s relentless pursuit comes with a price. Someone needs to get a message to Elyot’s mother. And the most uniquely qualified for that mission? Elyot himself. Not that Keani and Alextra entertain any plans of abandoning him now. But they all keep secrets that pose a risk to that mission. But the airing of secrets and the exposure of lies contains its own hidden dangers. "Secrets and Lies” is the sixth episode in the ongoing monthly science fiction adventure serial TALES OF THE CHAI MAKHANI TRIO.

An in-depth history of the inhumane Union Civil War prison camp that became known as “the Andersonville of the North.” Long called by some the “Andersonville of the North,” the prisoner of war camp in Elmira, New York, is remembered as the most notorious of all Union-run POW camps. It existed only from the summer of 1864 to July 1865, but in that time, and for long after, it became darkly emblematic of man’s inhumanity to man. Confederate prisoners called it “Hellmira.” Hastily constructed, poorly planned, and overcrowded, prisoner of war camps North and South were dumping grounds for the refuse of war. An unfortunate necessity, both sides regarded the camps as temporary inconveniences—and distractions from the important task of winning the war. There was no need, they believed, to construct expensive shelters or provide better rations. They needed only to sustain life long enough for the war to be won. Victory would deliver prisoners from their conditions. As a result, conditions in the prisoner of war camps amounted to a great humanitarian crisis, the extent of which could hardly be understood even after the blood stopped flowing on the battlefields. In the years after the war, as Reconstruction became increasingly bitter, the North pointed to Camp Sumter—better known as the Andersonville POW camp in Americus, Georgia—as evidence of the cruelty and barbarity of the Confederacy. The South, in turn, cited the camp in Elmira as a place where Union authorities withheld adequate food and shelter and purposefully caused thousands to suffer in the bitter cold. This finger-pointing by both sides would go on for over a century. And as it did, the legend of Hellmira grew. In this book, Derek Maxfield contextualizes the rise of prison camps during the Civil War, explores the failed exchange of prisoners, and tells the tale of the creation and evolution of the prison camp in Elmira. In the end, Maxfield suggests that it is time to move on from the blame game and see prisoner of war camps—North and South—as a great humanitarian failure. Praise for Hellmira “A unique and informative contribution to the growing library of Civil War histories...Important and unreservedly recommended.” —Midwest Book Review “A good book, and the author should be congratulated.” —Civil War News

Elyot loathes the massive Commonwealth ships that hover menacingly over his home world of Adghal. He hates the Commonwealth enforcers who harass the populace even more. But with his mother missing so long she surely must be dead, Elyot keeps his head down and strives to avoid notice. And he succeeds until the day two strangers appear in the tavern where he waits tables. One dressed in rags with her hands bloodied and bruised, the other in finery beyond the means of the average citizen of Adghal, but both sharing an anxious jumpiness and a fondness for deep hoods to hide their faces. Then a squad of enforcers troop in. Just looking for an after-shift drink? Or something more sinister? Elyot knows with enforcers, one shifts to the other in the blink of an eye. And that squad sits between everyone in the subterranean tavern and the only way out. "A Tanjo, Two Knives and Three Cups of Chai Makhani" is the first episode in the ongoing monthly science fiction adventure serial TALES OF THE CHAI MAKHANI TRIO.

The Chai Makhani Trio have fought Koltn Ward and his Commonwealth Enforcers all over the surface of Adghal and in orbit above it. But their battle has reached its end. Elyot, Alextra and Keani stand before the governor of Adghal and the leaders of the rebellion with everything needed to repel the Commonwealth for good. But politics muddies everything, even the most basic of survival impulses. Time grows short, while the danger just grows. Their world balances on a pinpoint. Which way will it fall? Freedom or bondage? The Chai Makhani Trio face their final challenge. But win or lose, their trio is doomed to be broken. "The Last Departure” is the twelfth and final episode in the ongoing monthly science fiction adventure serial TALES OF THE CHAI MAKHANI TRIO.

A Pulitzer Prize winner’s “fascinating” account of the political battles that led to the end of the Papal States (Entertainment Weekly). From a National Book Award–nominated author, this absorbing history chronicles the birth of modern Italy and the clandestine politics behind the Vatican’s last stand in the battle between the church and the newly created Italian state. When Italy’s armies seized the Holy City and claimed it for the Italian capital, Pope Pius IX, outraged, retreated to the Vatican and declared himself a prisoner, calling on foreign powers to force the Italians out of Rome. The action set in motion decades of political intrigue that hinged on such fascinating characters as Garibaldi, King Viktor Emmanuel, Napoleon III, and Chancellor Bismarck. Drawing on a wealth of secret documents long buried in the Vatican archives, David I. Kertzer reveals a fascinating story of outrageous accusations, mutual denunciations, and secret dealings that will leave readers hard-pressed to ever think of Italy, or the Vatican, in the same way again. “A rousing tale of clerical skullduggery and topsy-turvy politics, laced with plenty of cross-border intrigue.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review