The Nexus

The Nexus is alternate-history Irish-flavoured Christian science fiction and is the sequel to The Peace, The Friends, The Exile and The General (Volumes One to Four of The Interregnum).

The Nexus continues Mara's story from the conclusion of the trial over which Tad O'Kelly presided as Senchus in The General, through new foreign assignments, then back to Tara to await the coming nexus and the crisis it will bring to Hibernia's capital. There she battles pirates, gun runners, kidnappers, and a host of plots against the realm.

Elbon the Builder of Meta (John Dominic on Tirdia) returns from a meeting of the Metan elders to Tirdia and the orphanage at Berea, unaware that his daughter Eider has followed him. She encounters Lucas and the two have a narrow brush with two of gangster Al Marcotti's thugs. In the aftermath, Lucas eavedrops on Eider's conversation with her father and hears of their relationship and of the other earths. His loyalties now torn, Lucas leaves that afternoon's creation debate to strike out on his own. But Eider follows, and the two are caught up in both the nexus and Marcotti's ongoing violence.

Maeve Derry sends one of her Centralia cadets out on a training mission, only to have to pull his body from the bottom of a river several hours later. What she learns next necessitates the reappointment of Tad as Senchus, and another sensational hearing at Tara, one punctuated by a shocking and cowardly attack. After Maeve's return to Centralia, she is lured to the St. Charles islands, and there disappears.

We experience the nexus with Lucas, Eider, Catherine, Mara, Margaret, and Maeve, then hear the account of the aftermath at Tara's court the next day, when MacCarthy forces mount an all-out attack, but find themselves under pressure from the Friends at other locations.

But The Nexus leaves many loose ends. Who and where is the King? What is next for Thomas Monde and his schemes? What will the MacCarthys' next move be? What has become of Lucas and Eider? Of the new earth? Some of these will be resolved in volume six, The Builder. Others await the concluding volume The Throne.

Events of The Nexus play out on Hibernia at Tara, Dublin, Afghanistan, India, Berlin, Moscow, Mergui, the St. Charles Islands ,and Centralia well as in Chilliwack and Vancouver on the West Coast of British Columbia, Canada (Tirdia) and in the Builder's City and home on Meta.