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The Benefits of a "Momcation"
Last month, I had the opportunity to take a work-related trip out of state to one of my very favorite places on earth: Old Town Alexandria.
If you haven't been there, it's a quaint old town (ha), full of cobblestone streets and historic buildings and coffee shops filled with delicious pastries galore. It's where I first discovered the beautiful pleasure that is a hazelnut coffee and a spinach and goat cheese omelet — still two of my favorite things in life.
Anyways, so when this event presented itself, I had two options, since the event was a fairly brief affair: 1. I could book my flight to fly in and out as quickly as possible so I could get back to my precious family or 2. I could take the earliest flight out and the latest flight in, giving me plenty of time to do absolutely nothing.
You can guess, of course, that I struggled mightily with the decision. I can't do that to my husband, I argued with myself. We have four kids! Most wives would never even consider such a thing! You are a horrible, selfish person, Chaunie! Maybe you should take the kids. Hmmm, I wonder how many I could fit on my lap?!
Mom guilt is real, you guys.
In the end, I decided to take option #2 and told myself that I'd take my laptop along with me and get plenty of work done so I wouldn't feel guilty. And I did work my fingers to the bone, writing something like 20 articles while I was there. BUT you know what else I discovered?
That a momcation is a beautiful, beautiful thing.
I'm not even kidding when I tell you all that those two days away from my family were the most relaxed I have felt in the past seven years of parenting. Let's not confuse happy or joy or being content with relaxation, because they are not the same, and of course nothing will make me as happy as my family, but I also didn't realize how much I just wanted to take one, big, long, deep breath.
Which is what those two days felt like — one big, refreshing, deep breath.
I wandered the cobblestone streets of Alexandria, I drank way too much coffee (OK, so that's not that different from home, but still, I didn't have to make the coffee), ate whatever I wanted, completely lounged in my hotel room watching all the Keeping up with the Kardashians I wanted, I exercised, and I even (gasp!) blow dried my hair.
It was a crazy, wild two days, you guys.
I completely admit that I've read about other moms taking momcations — booking trips just for them, going to the spa, hiking around, reading books (we moms are an out-of-control bunch) — and I have always, always thought, Well, how nice for you. Most moms can't do that.
And I get that, I really do.
But — and this, like mine, is a big but — what if we changed our way of thinking?
What if we changed our thoughts that it would be a selfish, expensive, total waste and thought of it as a way to be a better mom?
I mean, who wouldn't want to be a better mom?
What if we took a $100 to get a cheap hotel room for the night and just ordered room service and sat in a bubble bath and just did absolutely nothing but what we wanted for a day or a day and a half and that total and complete refresher it gave us could carry us on through the next year of motherhood?
Wouldn't that be worth it?
I don't know, and I honestly don't know if I would do it completely on my own and without the benefit of it being a "work" trip, but I do know that those two days have carried me for a really long time. That break and pause and long, deep breath are still keeping me going, in a way. On those days when I am feeling grumpy and gross and out of shape, I can remember, Oh yeah, it's not me. Left to my own devices, I can work out and drink coffee and be productive. It's just hard sometimes with all these kids!
Like I said, I know it's hard, and I'm not saying it's right for everyone. But I do know that never again will I ever begrudge a mom who takes herself on a momcation, big or small as that may be, because I really do realize now that it's not always about an indulgence, but an investment in being a better you.
Have you ever taken a "momcation?"


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I have taken these photographs specifically for this week's photo challenge: object.
They're two slightly different spider toys sitting on a black-glass table top. These spiders are the ones containing a phosphur that emits light; the glow-in-the-dark type of toy.
Both images were taken in very low light and have been enhanced in Lightroom 5. Mainly to remove annoying scratches and dust from the table top.
Arggggh! Spider!

subset: commoncrawl


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It's time for a few silly sap stories. Pardon the alliteration, but I wrote this on St. Patrick's Day and that always makes me silly. The Little ancestors migrated from the Scottish Highlands to Northern Ireland in the 17th century and thence to America in 1848.
The transition into spring unlocks the cobwebs of my mind. Poignant memories bubble up and I'm blessed to retrieve some of them at this time of year.
I can't recall the first time I tasted maple syrup, but I would guess I was about 8 when we moved to Carthage from downstate. Sugar on snow came a bit later at age 12 in Massena Center. Don't know what that is? Google it.
At 13, I was working in a huge sugar bush. The owner was about 6 feet 4 and I was a foot shorter. I was tasked with following him as he shouldered an odd-looking gasoline motor with an auger used to drill tap holes. I carried the taps and drove them into each hole.
Easy, you say? Not for me, wading through deep snow with my stubby legs as I tried to keep up with him, was a challenge I never faced before or since. But, I stuck it out. His wife was an excellent cook and her stick-to-the ribs kitchen concoctions made it all worthwhile.
I have no idea how many trees he tapped, but I understand his sugar bush was one of the largest in the area at that time. By today's standards with endless miles of plastic tubing, pumps and modern equipment, it would no doubt pale by comparison.
A bit later, in Moira, we had several tall maples in the front yard. My mom allowed me to gather sap and boil it down on her ancient kerosene stove in a copper boiler. It seemed to take forever, but the end product was to die for, especially with waffles made on our cast iron stove-top waffle maker.
I often sampled the sap right out of the buckets and loved it, but never dreamed it would someday become a commercial product on its own. My mother always warned that drinking too much of it would turn my stomach and digestive system into a growling nightmare that would keep me on the throne, if you know what I mean.
My best friend in high school was Theron Rockhill who lived on a small farm outside of town. We loved to ride bareback on his work horses around an abandoned race track. We also enjoyed many hours in his sugar shack, boiling maple sap over a wood fire. Those were the days.
What's up with that new product you can find on your grocery shelves these days? From what I hear, it's pure maple sap, straight from the trees to you. Chill it and chug-a-lug. Why didn't I think of that?
Columnist Gordie Little may be reached at firstname.lastname@example.com.


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Listings for BBC 1 on Tuesday, April 7 2020
|Breakfast The latest news, sport, business and weather from the BBC's Breakfast team. Also in HD. [S]
|BBC News The latest national and international stories as they break. Also in HD. [S]
|HealthCheck UK Live 7/10. Daily advice for viewers in self-isolation due to the coronavirus outbreak. Also in HD. [S]
|Homes Under the Hammer 1/30. Featuring a semi in Claygate in Surrey, a terrace in Willenhall in the West Midlands and a bungalow in Ashton-on-Ribble in Lancashire. Also in HD. [S]
|Night Force 2/10. Mechanics from the AA work through the night to rescue stricken motorists, and a team at Care Call rush to provide emergency support to clients with various problems. Also in HD. [S]
|Bargain Hunt Today's reds and blues are joined by experts Richard Madley and Ben Cooper as they go bargain hunting in Cheshire. They have £300 and one hour to buy three items. Also in HD. [S,AD]
|BBC News at One The latest national and international news from the BBC. Also in HD. [S]
|South East Today The latest news, sport, weather and features from the South East of England. [S]
|Doctors 99/196. Al gets frustrated with Karen when she sticks her nose in while he deals with an unusual and complicated case. Also in HD. [S,AD]
|Father Brown 2/10. Drama series. Father Brown becomes embroiled with a theatrical family when he discovers that a supposed tragic drowning was actually murder. Also in HD. [S,AD]
|Escape to the Country 19/25. Jules Hudson helps a couple find a perfect retirement retreat in the Cornish countryside. Also in HD. [S]
|Money for Nothing 13/20. Junk makeover show. At Altrincham Recycling Centre, Jay Blades rescues some mattress springs, an old writing bureau and a broken granite worktop,. Also in HD. [S]
|The Repair Shop 22/40. Jay Blades and the team tackle a bus conductor's ticket machine, a Victorian automaton and a former world champion's kick boxing trophy. Also in HD. [S]
|Pointless 1/55. The quiz in which contestants try to score as few points as possible by plumbing the depths of their general knowledge to come up with the answers no-one else could think of. Also in HD. [S]
|BBC News at Six The latest national and international news from the BBC. Also in HD. [S]
|BBC London News The latest news, sport and weather from London. [S]
|The One Show Alex Jones brings you the stories that matter from across the country. Also in HD. [S]
|EastEnders Bobby develops a crush, and Vinny is determined to prove himself. Also in HD. [S,AD]
|Holby City 13/52. Max struggles to come to terms with an explosive revelation. Jac and Kian bond over pizza and wine, and Dom tries to reason with a distraught Essie. Also in HD. [S,AD]
|Our Girl 3/6. Georgie unearths vital intelligence that sends 2 Section on a dangerous mission to rescue Dr Bahil. Also in HD. [S,AD]
|BBC News at Ten The latest national and international news from the BBC. Also in HD. [S]
|BBC London News The latest news, sport and weather from London. [S]
|My Left Nut 3/3. Mick goes full throttle at Tommy's house party as he tries to forget about his testicle. Contains strong language. Also in HD. [S,AD]
|Peter Kay's Comedy Shuffle 2/5. Peter makes another erratic appearance on Jonathan Ross. Contains some strong language and adult humour. Also in HD. [S,AD]
|Catchpoint 4/6. Two teams, Amar and Krupa and Gareth and Simon, want to grab the cash prize, but first they must grab the falling balls. Also in HD. [S]
|Weather for the Week Ahead Detailed weather forecast. Also in HD. [S]
|BBC News BBC One joins the BBC's rolling news channel for a night of news. Also in HD. [S]
|Breakfast The latest news, sport, business and weather from the BBC's Breakfast team. Also in HD. [S]


text:
MY-R16-MB166 introduction
R16 SOM is an embedded core module which is designed and developed by our company based on Allwinner R16 application processor. The core board adopts the connection mode of stamp hole. MY-R16-EK166 is a low power, high performance and extensible application development board, which is competitive in flexibility, system performance and energy efficiency.
Model: MY-IMX6ULL-EK140(MINI)
NXP I.MX6ULL is a high-performance, low-power, cost-effective processor family based on the ARM Cortex-A7 kernal, up to 800MHz. The i.MX 6ULL application processor includes an integrated power management module that eliminates the need for external PMUs, reduces the complexity of external power supplies, and simplifies power-up sequencing.


text:
The Sustainable Textile School would like to thank their supporters.
Part IV: The OEKO-TEX® Association
A competent partner for the textile chain regarding sustainability and human-ecologically safe products
With 25 years of experience, OEKO-TEX® leads the world in empowering and enabling consumers and companies to protect our planet by making responsible decisions. We are happy to support initiatives like the Sustainable Textile School because we welcome the implementation of a global network with the aim to create sustainable textile supply chains. This allows to engage in dialogue and to form partnerships, because the platform covers the entire supply chain.
The "International Association for Research and Testing in the Field of Textile and Leather Ecology (OEKO-TEX®)" is a grouping of 18 independent textile research and test institutes and their representative offices in worldwide more than 60 countries. OEKO-TEX® provides standardised solutions which optimise customers' manufacturing processes and help deliver high quality, more sustainable products. All of the products within the OEKO-TEX® portfolio are used to strengthen our customers' systems, processes or products and, ultimately, they help to create sustainability along the textile value chain.
The OEKO-TEX® member institutes are responsible for the joint development of test methods and limit values which form the basis of the OEKO-TEX® product labels and certifications. They are entitled to carry out the corresponding laboratory tests and site audits. On the basis of their wide-ranging activities and core competencies the OEKO-TEX® institutes provide important impulses for innovations within the textile and clothing industry. Through close cooperation with brands, manufacturers and retailers their accredited test system also makes a substantial contribution to the development of high-quality textile products.
To date, 10,000 manufacturers, brands, and retailers in almost 100 countries are working with OEKOTEX® to ensure that their products are tested for potentially harmful substances and millions of consumers around the world look for OEKO-TEX® labels before making buying decisions. OEKO-TEX® certified products and suppliers can be located in the OEKO-TEX® Online Buying Guide at www.oekotex.com/products
More details are available at: www.oeko-tex.com and www.madeingreen.com


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Candidates from Harvard, Montague and Plymouth were named last night as finalists for the town coordinator position.
Selectmen voted to invite John Ritter of Harvard, Deborah Radway of Montague and John Sanguinet of Plymouth back for second interviews on Monday. The position was left vacant when Town Coordinator Carol Skelton was fired. The three candidates were chosen from a list of seven selected earlier from 29 applications the town received.
Mr. Ritter is town administrator in Hatfield. Ms. Radway is the manager of the state Career Center in Greenfield. Mr. Sanguinet has held administrator and assistant administrator positions in several communities, most recently as a budget development consultant for the Wareham Water Pollution Control Facility.
Mrs. Skelton was fired in October. Since then, as a result of the firing, a petition drive has collected enough signatures to hold an election seeking the recall of board Chairwoman Julie Farrell and Selectman Robert Mitchell.
Selectmen have been notified that enough signatures have been gathered for the recall election. Under law, the Board of Selectmen is required to �forthwith� notify the town officers subject to the recall election. Once they are notified, Mrs. Farrell and Mr. Mitchell have five days to choose to resign. If they do not resign, an election must be held in not less than 60 and not more than 90 days.


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As the Sauternes tradition, the grapes are harvested by hand. The selection is present at every stage from the vineyard to the cellar. So, harvesting took place from October due to a rainy July and ended on 10 November. It has been the biggest harvest, with four selections, since 1893 qualitatively close to 1929, vintage of the century. The fermentation is in barrels during twenty days approximately. They have been fast, less than fifteen days, in barrels with a third of new ones.
Blending :
85% Sémillon
15% Sauvignon
Ageing :
18 months in French
oak barrel
Œnologist :
Georges Pauli
Sigalas rabaud 2001 offers a lovely amber colour which unveils intense and complex aromas on the nose. The warm and fluid palate is smooth, with a good acidity backing which maintains a fresh sensation on the palate. An exceptional vintage !
Wine and food pairings
Click on the image to see the recipe
Press Reviews
" 99-100/100, Sigalas is a jewel of purity and elegance. "
Gault et Millau
" 19/20, Richness of anthology, lenght of legend. "
La RVF
" 18/20, Archetype of the wine with rot really noble ! "
Bettane et Desseauve


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Some of the items were added after I took pictures so you might not see them in the photo but if its listed that means its included. All with case artwork and most have manual. 2 NBA live 09 PS3. 3 NCAA football 12 PS3. 1 NCAA football 11 PS3.
2 NCAA football 10 PS3. 2 NCAA football 09 PS3. 1 NCAA football 08 PS3. 3 MLB the show 08 PS3. 7 MLB the show 10 PS3.
4 MLB the show 11 PS3. 6 MLB the show 12 PS3.
1 Fifa soccer 09 PS3. 1 Fifa soccer 11 PS3. 1 tiger woods pga tour 08 PS3. 1 Tony hawk ride PS3. 1 def jam rapstar PS3.
1 Skylanders spyro's adventure PS3. 2 AC DC live rockbank track pack PS3.
1 bulls vs Blazers sega. 2 NFL quarterback club sega.1 battle of the bands wii. 1 miniclip sushi go-round wii. 1 Bermuda triangle saving the coral wii. 1 tony hawk ride wii. 1 Guinness world records wii.
1 monster 4x4 world circuit wii. 2 Petz dogz 2 Nintendo DS. 1 personal trainer cooking Nintendo DS. 1 the sorcerers apprentice Nintendo DS.1 Arctic tale Nintendo DS. 1 heathcliff frantic foto Nintendo DS. 1 Kurupoto cool cool stars Nintendo DS. 2 Arctic tale Nintendo DS (no artwork).
1 the suite life circle of spies Nintendo DS. 1 my fashion studio Nintendo DS.1 club penguin Herbert's revenge DS. 1 pgr 4 Xbox 360. 1 guitar hero 3 legends of Rock Xbox 360. 1 kung fu panda Xbox 360. 1 madden 10 Xbox 360. 1 MLB the show 11 PS3. 1 Crysis 2 limited edition PS3. 1 eye toy play ps2. 1 tiger woods pga tour 2003 ps2. 1 avatar the last air bender ps2. 1 MLB the show 06. 1 Tom and Jerry gameboy. 2 a bugs life GBC. 1 007 the world is not enough GBC. 1 NBA 3 on 3 Kobe Bryant GBC. 1 Disney's Tarzan GBC. 1 college footballs national championship 2 sega. 1 in the zone 99 N64. 1 madden football 64 N64. 1 Stanley cup Super Nintendo. 1 pit fighter Super Nintendo.
1 NCAA football 2004 GameCube. 1 2006 Fifa world cub GameCube.1 attack of the movies 3-d wii. 1 I spy fun house DS. 1 Rayman Raving rabbids tv party DS. 1 imagine fashion designer New York DS. 1 style lab fashion design DS.
2 guitar hero on tour DS. 1 A Christmas Carol DS. 1 phineas and ferb DS.1 gogo's crazy bones DS. 1 hotel for dogs DS. 1 smiley world island challenge zoo DS.
1 brain age 2 DS. 1 balls of fury DS.
2 transformers revenge of the fallen autobots. 1 battles of prince of Persia DS.1 club penguin elite penguin force DS. 1 high school musical makin the cut DS. 1 camp rock the final jam DS. 1 Guinness world record the video game DS. 1 Nintendo dogz Dalmatian and friends DS. 1 wizards of waverly place DS. 1 personal trainer cooking DS. 1 M&m's break'em DS. 1 paws & claws pet resort DS. 1 pirates of the Caribbean dead man's chest DS. 1 fester's quest nes.
1 bandai golf challenge Pebble Beach nes. 1 superstrike v ball nes. 1 play action football nes.
1 xexious the avenger nes. PC with case may or may not have code. 1 blood bowl dark elves edition. 1 pirates of the Caribbean at worlds end. 1 The legend of the crystal valley.
2 Beowulf the game one sealed. 3 Battle slots role-playing game.1 mystery case files dire grove. 1 midnight mysteries Salem witch trials. 1 seek and find adventures two 5 pack. 1 Hidden expedition Devils triangle. 1 CSI crime scene investigation hard evidence.
1 Frontlines fuel of war. 1 The Sims superstar expansion pack. PC in jewel case may or may not have code. 1 Star Wars x wing.
1 oddworld Abe's oddysee. 1 command & conquer red alert counterstrike.
1 explorers of the New World. 1 the sims house party. 1 where in the USA is Carmen Sandiego. 1 hitman two silent assassin. 1 The Sam's vacation.
1 golf all American sports series (sealed). 1 ghost recon desert siege. PC in paper sleeve unknown if codes are required.
1 dungeon siege two broken world. 1 SpongeBob SquarePants operation krabby patty.
1 tomb raider unfinished business. 1 commandos behind enemy line. 1 madden football Limited addition.1 commandos beyond the call of duty. 1 sins of the father. 1 Percision racing monster truck madness two. 1 201 solid gold games. 1 SpongeBob SquarePants lights camera pants. 1 game gear game sonic the hedgehog 2. 1 Atari manual for flag capture. 1 gameboy color green (sound doesn't work). 1 nes zapper missing a piece but works.
2 quick shot controllers Atari. 1 Ultimate super stick Atari. 1 black quick shot joystick Atari. The item "Lot of 316 video games PS3 Playstation wii Nintendo Xbox 360 Gameboy DS NES PC" is in sale since Sunday, September 11, 2016.This item is in the category "Video Games & Consoles\Wholesale Lots\Games". The seller is "blazeenterprise" and is located in Elmont, New York. This item can be shipped to United States.


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Lovely Library: Muliebral The Bald… oops, I mean Bold, sorry!
Good evening and welcome to my awe inspiring athenaeum of praiseworthy pamphlets – or as that ridiculous octopus calls it, my 'lovely library.'
I am the ghost of Perilous Wight and here in the bowels of the city of Lancaster, in the disused tunnels of an underground train system that never was, I have made it my mission to collect, catalogue and review every book that our self-proclaimed 'supreme ruler of the universe' and his mincing minions have banned from the bookshelves of the new world.
But I have not always been a bad tempered ghost in charge of an underground library. Once upon a time I was a bad tempered gentleman who had devoted his life to the collection of evidence which might perhaps one day bring about the downfall of our oppressive overlord, Wiz.
Not to be put off by death, I have struggled to find a way to continue my work and I have indeed found a method by which I can sporadically leave this library, to which I am otherwise bound, and travel abroad.
This method is known as The Opprobrious Pith Helmet.
By securing the services of a less than reputable Wizard I have had my soul partially bound to an ancient piece of explorational headwear and am therefore able to possess the wearer for short periods of time, with their consent…hm? Did I have to drug them first? Well how very rude of you of course I did not have to drug them…I mean the very idea!
So this evening, I most honoured to be occupying the form of authour Jaq D Hawkins and I… yes her hair is supposed to look like that. I think. Well, alright there may have been a very minor altercation with a disgruntled Bar Keep who mistook my innocent enquiries about leather bound tomes for something else entirely, but I managed to set him straight in the end… no, no those are not bruises on her knuckles, I didn't hit him that hard.
Anyway I do not have time for an interrogation on the moral use of other people's bodies, can you not see that I have just returned from a most important business trip? I have new books everywhere and I must review and catalogue them and… what's that? What are you wittering about? Help? You'd like to help me transcribe? You've brought along some cherry brandy to keep out the chills as we work?
Well, I suppose that puts a very different slant on things doesn't it? Very well then, I will dictate a short extract of each story and a review, and you can pour…I mean type… a-hem…
Nav Logan has an undeniable talent for comedy. I first came across this author when we were both invited to submit stories for the Dreamtime Dragons Anthology. I was well impressed that he was able to make getting eaten by a dragon funny!
Muliebral the Bald (or Bold) has compounded my opinion that Logan could give Terry Pratchett some serious competition in the area of human observation comedy, while setting the story within a believable historical fiction context. He can even do the accents while keeping them understandable, no small feat!
The story is about a king who has two daughters whom he feels he must marry off to generate heirs in the old Medieval patriarchal system. However, the girls are good fighters, being descendants of Boudicca and all, and Muliebral, more than her sister Chastity, sees no reason why they need a man to protect them or fill the role of heir to the kingdom.
Her basic attitude is summed up in a quote from her maternal grandmother, who clearly never approved of her daughter's choice of husband, king or not:
Todhmhii's (Tommy) one regret was that he had no sons to pass his kingdom on to. His wife, Hayleigh, had given him two daughters: Chastity and Muliebral, and they were as different as chalk and cheese. His mother-in-law, Lannau, regularly and publicly scorned him for his inability to produce any male heirs.
"If I told our Hayleigh once, I must have told her a hundred times," the old hag would mutter to anyone who was daft enough to heed her, "You need to marry a strong virile Iceni man and you'll be blessed with godlike children, not go gallivanting off with a worthless bog-trotting Briganti brigand who can't tell the difference between a ewe in heat and a tavern wench! My grandmother, Queen Boudicca, would turn in her grave at the shame of it. Her last surviving kinswoman marrying a foul-mouthed, crotch-dribbling, goat fondler!"
How Mulibral goes about getting around her father's insistence on following tradition not too subtly reflects a trope popular in Classical stories about strong women, but it is delivered with Logan's characteristic ribald humour and is entertaining from start to finish. The quality of writing is superb and the characters come to life from the page with seemingly no effort.
This is definitely one of my own favourite stories from the collection!
And I think we had better leave it there for this evening don't you? The bottle is dry and I must be getting this body back to its rightful owner… hm? What's that you say? You don't think I should give it back in this state? Well we've only had a few haven't we? It is hardly my fault if Jaq is a light weight… hic…
library image courtesy of http://www.freeimages.com by Johnathan Adrianzen
#RainbowSnippets: Jack and Marjory
Happy Saturday! Here's my #RainbowSnippets post for this week – if you're new to this, Rainbow Snippets is a chance to read and share 6 sentences of LGBTQIA+ fiction every Saturday. There's a huge variety from Steampunk, like mine, to Romance, Fantasy, Paranormal, Comedy and everything in between. You can join the fun and read all the other fabulous snippets at the wonderfully friendly and supportive official facebook group here 🙂
So, here is the next snippet from Jack and Marjory – my novella-in-progress which gives two of my Bi-Gendered characters a chance to tell something of their own little side-adventure, which actually had a massive impact on the history of Ire in a 'behind-the-scenes' kind of way.
If you missed last week's snippet you can catch up here: #RainbowSnippets: Jack and Marjory
If you want to start from the beginning you can do so here: https://blakeandwight.com/2018/09/29/rainbowsnippets-jack-and-marjory/
I hope you can forgive me but I'm afraid this snippet is a bit longer than 6 sentences because this scene really needs to be read in one go (and for those of you who've spotted Jack and Marjory's penchant for acting before thinking and plunging headlong into trouble, there's plenty more of that just around the corner)
Jack and Marjory are learning to appreciate the Lancashire countryside on their way to pick up the smuggled teaset for the leader of the revolution…
We don't mind telling you, we were made for better things than the hill that climbs out of Settle.
Settle Village – the Matriarch Of All Curs, the Innocuous Heffa, doe-eyed and peaceful with her hewn-stone paps leaking quaint floral window dressings and lace.
We'd not in a million years of puff have guessed what she kept in her petticoats – that Great Unholy Lovechild of a hill.
We'd have served ourselves better if we'd brought a rack and pinion instead of snap ; or at least those steel teeth, fitted onto the boot toes of adventurous hil' walkers "who like to fancy that their own local Marilyn is comparable to the nation's Munroe", as our friend Peril likes to say. (We say friend, but really the body is dead and all he does is hang about his old underground library moaning at us to be quiet, or put that book down, or get our feet off the chesterfield… he taught us to read though, so he has got some patience, when it comes down to it.)
If the hill were just so steep that we had to go almost crawling up it, that would be bad enough. What added to the jest of it all was the fact – and nobody warned us of this – that every man, woman and dogspawn in the county used it as some kind of go-for-broke-death-run on their mad-cap Penny Farthing Bicycles.
There was a constant stream of the critters and when one came up a little faster than his neighbour in front, he just goes wide of him and sails on past! Not a notion to queue and wait his turn, like a decent Mor-Ire-ish citizen, enters his pill-box!
Three times we had to leap into the ditch, and once we was fair nearly mullered between a high stone house wall on the left and a low stone erection on the right but ( praise The Powers That Tea) the merry party of two bakers girls, on one bicycle, and three records clerks, each with their own steed, granted us right of passage by careering into eachother and forming such a tangle of spokes, blokes 'n' petticoats that we was long gone before they'd sorted out who was what again.
being an entertaining and informative piece of travel writing by a couple of rogues on the run as they attempt to avoid the machinations of wizards, monarchs and a ruthless band of beatnik poets, deflect a civil war and deliver a priceless, historical tea set before the owner finds himself at the gallows.
Wishing you all a most splendiferous week and don't forget to check in at the #rainbowsnippets facebook group for more fabulous snippets of LGBTQIA+ fiction 🙂
rainbow flower image courtesy of mariah22 at http://www.freeimages.com
book cover image by Renphoto
Pipe and Slippers: Tales From Steampunk'd Lancaster
Good evening and welcome to my awe-inspiring aethenaeum of praiseworthy pamphlets…or as some ridiculous personages have dubbed it – my lovely library.
I am the ghost known as Perilous Wight and here in the bowels of the city of Lancaster, in the disused tunnels of an underground train system that never was, I have made it my mission to collect every book that our self-proclaimed 'supreme ruler f the universe' and his mincing minions have banned from the bookshelves of the new world.
But this is not a public thoroughfare! If you have wandered in here on the ill-advice of that incorrigible octopus and its unnerving Gentleman Friend, let me advise you not to be so easily lured into a parlour by strange creatures promising cake. Well, you will find nothing sweet and alluring down here; here there is only the dark and the damp, the flickering of candlelight and the ceaseless toil of a man who did not re-animate from the dead to be pestered by people wanting bedtime stories!
But wait…what's that you have tucked away under your arm there? A bottle of vintage port eh? Oh…. well, yes perhaps it is about time I put my feet up for a while, pipe and slippers and a little drop of something, the day has, after all been a long one. And I suppose I could read a very little something,
like this perhaps… I have been tirelessly working over the summer, interviewing, stalking … I mean studying… the Hex Slingers of Lancaster, compiling an anthropological study of the lives of those who use magic illegally in the curated back-alley fight clubs – why and how have they come to their present situation? What are their stories? Well, here at least, is one of them…
TALE THE FOURTH: by ALLISON SHEPHERD
"My brooch!" I yelled as Mariah's twinklepuff slam hit me full force in the chest
and sent me hurtling backwards into the wooden crates at the makeshift
gayelle's edge. I hadn't anticipated Mariah's last pattern and was now
scrambling to catch my breath and get back on my feet. My brooch had ripped
off my bolero as the twinklepuff spell had infused the fibres of the old velvet.
My grandmother had made that brooch for me from the cogs of a broken toy
train and an old yuletide ornament. She'd fashioned the cogs into an owl tying
them together with copper wire, and using tiny emerald crystals pulled off the
bauble for the eyes. Every afternoon after school I'd go to her rag-and-bone
shop tucked away down a narrow cobblestone alley to wait for my parents.
She'd make a pot of Earl Grey with leaves from her "secret supplier" and tell
me stories of when her mother baked double-layered sponge cakes with
strawberry jam filling, and lighter-than-air profiteroles filled with sweet gooey
cream. "Earl Grey." "Strawberry jam." "Profiteroles." I hadn't heard those
words in almost a decade. My owl brooch had become my talisman, my
connection to my past.
I tried to stand but sat down quickly as my vision blurred. Mariah? This
powerful? I couldn't understand; she was a third-rate slinger at best, over
estimating both her charms and her spells. Something was different. The
sophistication of the twinklepuff weavings and glitter were not her. Someone
was helping raise the level of her usually amorphous, sloppily put together
concoctions. Who? And why?
It was odd when Mariah had drawn the wildcard for our slingoff but I had
missed a few of the preliminary fights when I had gone out of town. Maybe
she'd improved and been bumped up a couple garnets, I thought. This was my
livelihood, and sometimes it's better to shut up and sling. Now, as I sat
befuddled trying to clear my head and weave my threads, I saw a glint of silver-
black emanating from Mariah's perfectly poised hands. Mariah who could
barely make a pattern for a pink-and-gold unicorn spell slinging an
onyxmirrorpearl? With advanced finger positions? I sat spellbound and the
omp smacked me flat. Blood gushed out of my nose, ruby red against my white
pin-tucked shirtwaist. Before I lost consciousness, I saw Emily, the bookie,
collecting from the disgruntled gamblers.
Gill found my brooch, the emerald crystals winking in the twilight-find spell he
cast. The healers had tried to revive me right away but the omp had proved
beautifully formed and knocked me out for hours. I lost my deposit and got
nothing for the night. According to Gill, Emily had been apologetic but could do
nothing as an unexpected large bet against me had her scrambling for gilt. Gill
had taken me home and tucked me up in bed with a hot water bottle, three
pillows and my favourite fluffy wrap. I was still in bed when he came back with
my brooch. I tried to sit up but the wave of nausea had me lying back gingerly
on the pillows. I closed my eyes clutching my owl, my fingers tracing the
notches along the cogs, and started to cry.
My parents were wizards, of course, fighting for Queen and country. They truly
believed that magic should be controlled and out of the hands of 'ordinary'
people. My parents were strong weavers but by the time they disappeared (of
course) my abilities were rudimentary at best. I'd become a trope: orphan,
living with my grandmother, no magic. But as with my favourite fairy tales, this
was simply the beginning of the story.
My parents had taken an assignment to escort our Queen to Boss Town for a
diplomatic sojourn, or that was what the official correspondence claimed. We
knew better: an excuse for the elite to sample new-fangled sweet marvels and
magiscience tea twists. Mum and dad couldn't say too much but they were
more tight-lipped than usual as they hugged me goodbye and dropped me off
at Gran's. We never saw them again. I was fourteen.
Gran moved in with me. I finished school at sixteen and tried out for the
apprentice wizard programme. I didn't qualify even though my parents had
been senior civil servants. Apparently, according to the report, I didn't have the
"right attitude, and my spells were nonexistent." Gran and I eked out a living
from the shop. I met Quelin her "tea supplier," a jovial smuggler who was able
to find the choicest leaves for us, and sometimes, just sometimes, the tiniest
silver-sprinkled cupcakes. He'd never tell where he got them but always
tapped the side of his nose with his forefinger, "It's best you don't know, my
darling," he'd say, "because if anything happened to me, you might be running
for your life from some nasty bits." He'd glance across at Gran, who would
pretend to be engrossed with a length of glitterwool handicraft, or checking
her numbers in the accounts book. They thought I never noticed but I always
I had turned seventeen the year of the Youshallnevereatcake Spring, a short-
lived, half-hearted coup d'etat by a handful of boisterous youngsters. It was
quashed by the wizards within hours, the rebels marched through the streets
to the palace courts. I rushed home to tell Gran only to find her in the garden,
sitting in her favourite chair under the willow tree, a cold cup of Earl Grey in
her lap. She looked as though she were taking an afternoon nap, the breeze
ruffling her mop of curls. I clasped her inert hands, and wept.
I started hex slinging in the underground circuit soon after.
Of course my latent abilities eventually showed up, stronger than either of my
parents but without proper training and guidance, it was a mess. My early
slingoffs were either a triumph of a knockout, or me vomiting an endless
stream of bile in a dank corner, a side-effect of using pure, raw magic. Through
practice, and more practice, and much much more vomiting, I learnt to control
and weave almost beautiful hexes. I found a circle of friends who helped me in
the nine years since Gran died: Gill, Emily, Jendra. And I still ran the shop. It
didn't make much but had become a safe place for us to meet to try out new
patterns and concoctions, catch up on gossip and, yes, of course, find a way to
bring back tea, cakes and magic: we'd been denied our right to a free life for
too long.
As I clutched my brooch in my hand, tears streaming down my face confusing
Gill to no end, I realised that Mariah's win tonight had shifted our timetable. It
hadn't been subtle, literally a punch to my gut. Someone had wanted our
attention. No longer was our light-hearted, drinking-after-a-slingoff chant of
"Tea, Cake, Magic For All!" a someday cake-in-the-sky dream; someone, or
someones, wanted us ready now. And I was terrified.
Allison Shepherd enjoys reading and writing speculative fiction, especially paranormal romance. She teaches at the medical school at the University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, and has had her work published in bmj Medical Humanities, Tales From the Fluffy Bunny, and is upcoming in Lycan Valley Press Publications "Darkling's Beasts and Brews". https://mh.bmj.com/content/43/3/e33 https://www.amazon.com/Tales-Fluffy-Bunny-Various-Authors/dp/1942450699
Pipe and Slippers: With Karen J Carlisle
Good evening and welcome to my awe-inspiring aethenaeum of praiseworthy pamphlets…or as some ridiculous personages have dubbed it – my lovely library.
I am the ghost known as Perilous Wight and here in the bowels of the city of Lancaster, in the disused tunnels of an underground train system that never was, I have made it my mission to collect every book that our self-proclaimed 'supreme ruler f the universe' and his mincing minions have banned from the bookshelves of the new world.
But this is not a public thoroughfare! If you have wandered in here on the ill-advice of a drooling octopus and its dis-quietening gentleman friend, let me advise you not to be so easily lured into a parlour by the promise of strange fruit. Well, you will find nothing sweet and alluring down here; here there is only the dark and the damp, the flickering of candlelight and the ceaseless toil of a man who did not re-animate from the dead to be pestered by people wanting bedtime stories!
But wait…what's that you have tucked away under your arm there? A bottle of vintage port eh? Oh…. well, yes perhaps it is about time I put my feet up for a while, pipe and slippers and a little drop of something, the day has, after all been a long one. And I suppose I could read a very little something,
something seasonally macabre, like this perhaps…
© 2013/2017 By Karen J Carlisle
The first thing Irena noticed was the silence. She could sense it even before she opened her eyes. Her house had always been a flurry of movement and sound before she had fallen ill – a riot of voices all vying for mother's attention. There had never been much time to appreciate the little things. Now it was still. Quiet.
She opened her eyes – just a crack – and allowed her eyes to adjust to the light before she scanned the ceiling, then the walls. Not her room. The mattress was hard and cold. Glorious perfumes emanated from flowers surrounding her, covering almost every horizontal surface in the room. She drew a deep breath, enjoying the heady fragrances. Still nothing but silence.
Irena's muscles cramped; it felt like she had slept for days. She tried to move but her body refused, weak from being bed-ridden. It was to be expected; the fever had taken her without warning and she had lain near death for much of her illness. She remembered the sound of crying. A lot of crying. She closed her eyes – drained, depleted but also refreshed and…
Finally, her body obeyed. She swung her legs awkwardly off the bed; her feet touched the tiled floor. It was unexpectedly warm. Irena regarded her pale feet. She must look dreadful.
Her gaze searched the room for a mirror, to confirm her suspicions. No mirror, just wall-to-wall flowers. She loved roses.
As she moved across the room, the lightness of her silk gown distracted her: the sensual feel as it softly caressed her body. She ran her fingers along the smooth material, enjoying the experience.
When she moved slowly, the pleasure was renewed. Irena wiggled her body under her clothing, enjoying the feeling it produced.
Something tugged in the pit of her stomach. A slow gnawing grew until it almost consumed her. She had not eaten since she had become ill. She glanced around the room. Nothing to eat here.
Her hunger tugged at her thoughts, reminding her of the rich aroma of her favourite chocolate. She could almost taste it, almost feel its smooth texture as it melted on her tongue. She remembered the calm that followed such an indulgence. She embraced the feeling as it washed over her.
That tore it! She needed to find food; she couldn't concentrate with her stomach distracting her. The drive for hunger compelled her. She felt as if she had forgotten how it felt to be satisfied; it was as if she had always been hungry. Irena opened the door, looked back at her sickbed and smiled. A light breeze brushed over her skin. She turned to feel the breeze on her face, temporarily forgetting her hunger.
"I'm alive!" She laughed.
Her life had been but a dream until now. Finally, she had woken. New experiences lay before her and , with them, lay the delight of each discovery. The small details fascinated her, details she had never had time to notice. Fresh air heralded a new autumn day. The world was alive. She was alive. Everything was new.
Peace. Heaven. Excitement. Beauty. Pleasure. Bliss. She was now free to explore all of these. Even the hunger. Her bare feet padded along the bitumen road, and gained momentum, until she ran so fast that the wind blew the hair from her face. She squealed with delight as she reached a tree-lined park and succumbed to the urge to spin around in circles as her toes sank into the fresh grass. She fell onto the soft ground. Never before had she felt such freedom.
Above, the sky was littered with shining jewels, each one twinkling as they stared back at her. How could she not have enjoyed all of this before? Slowly, the stars' brilliance faded. Their canvas blurred through a range of colours: from purples to oranges to pinks. The clouds showed themselves, edged with shining copper. The sun was rising.
Irena's stomach reminded her she had missed several breakfasts. She longed to feed the hunger, but there would be time for that soon. First, she wanted to enjoy her first new sunrise. She chided herself for too many sleep-ins and now wondered why she had never woken early to see a sunrise before. From now on, her life would be filled with new experiences. Whatever the cost.
Irena rolled over to face the east and the oncoming sunrise. The grass was cool, and the smell of the fresh earth was comforting. She felt the warmth on her skin growing. She shivered with excitement. The sky lightened; a myriad of colours coalesced into a pale golden sky as the sun crested over the horizon. Irena's skin tingled, alive with pinpoints of itching heat. The warmth became a raging fire. Was her fever returning?
She sat up in panic. Her hands glowed; wisps of smoke drifted upwards, followed by flames. She trembled. There was no time for breakfast, no time for fear. She decided to embrace the dawn, as she had intended to embrace her new life.
Small eddies of dust played in the air before her eyes. Each followed the other, circling as they drifted away on the breeze.
Ah what a splendid offering from one of our favourite steampunk authors, Karen J Carlisle. Karen is of course responsible for the fantastic Adventures Of Viola Stewart mystery series, the latest instalment of which is to be released later this month…
Now then I really must insist you go, I have important work to be getting on with, not least, putting pay to these dreadful rumours that I am a woman… or at least the ghost of a woman…. I may from time to time possess the bodies of young women, wear dresses and call myself Pearl, but that is purely for professional reasons , as anyone who has read my memoirs will tell you…. oh you have read them have you? …. well how very dare you! Good Night! Oh, er…leave the bottle though…
Pipe and Slippers: With E. A. Hennessey
Good evening and welcome to my awe-inspiring aethenaeum of praiseworthy pamphlets…or as some ridiculous personages have dubbed it – my lovely library.
I am the ghost known as Perilous Wight and here in the bowels of the city of Lancaster, in the disused tunnels of an underground train system that never was, I have made it my mission to collect every book that our self-proclaimed 'supreme ruler f the universe' and his mincing minions have banned from the bookshelves of the new world.
But this is not a public thoroughfare! If you have wandered in here on the ill-advice of a drag-dressed octopus and its dribbling Tea Fiend, let me advise you not to be so easily lured into a parlour by the promise of strange fruit. Well, you will find nothing sweet and alluring down here; here there is only the dark and the damp, the flickering of candlelight and the ceaseless toil of a man who did not re-animate from the dead to be pestered by people wanting bedtime stories!
But wait…what's that you have tucked away under your arm there? A bottle of The Green Fairy eh? Oh…. well, yes perhaps it is about time I put my feet up for a while, pipe and slippers and a little drop of something, the day has, after all been a long one. And I suppose I could read a very little something,
like this perhaps…
Excerpt from Grigory's Gadget – Book 1 of the Gaslight Frontier Series by E. A. Hennessy:
Nikolai stared at the ceiling of the cabin, listening to Demyan and the elderly man snore. This is my luck, he thought unhappily. He rolled onto his side and picked at the golden wallpaper. Above, he heard the sound of rushed footsteps. At least I'm not the only one awake.
A few seconds later, a loud boom echoed through the ship. Nikolai felt the bed and walls shake.
"Nikolai, what are you doing?" Demyan asked sleepily. Nikolai heard a second boom, and Demyan jerked awake. "What was that?"
"I have no idea," Nikolai said, jumping down to the floor. The girls appeared in the doorway.
"Is the ship being attacked?" Anya asked.
"Are you all alright?" Zoya added.
The elderly man stirred from his sleep.
"Sir, the ship is being attacked," Nikolai told him, offering a hand to help him out of bed.
"Go back to sleep," the man said grumpily. "The guards will take care of it. Silly kids." He pulled his blanket back over his head and rolled over. Another boom sounded, and the ship shook especially hard.
"What do we do?" Lilia asked her friends. "Should we just stay in our cabins?"
"I'd say that's a good idea," a strange voice said behind her. The girls jumped and turned around. A lean young man with dirty blond hair and blue eyes grinned at them while drawing his pistol. A multitude of necklaces hung about his neck, and his ears were dotted with golden earrings. "I suggest you go back to your cabins and hand over any valuables."
"We don't have any valuables," Zoya lied. The young man seemed surprised by her and stepped back eying her quizzically. It took less than a few seconds for him to compose himself. He stepped toward Zoya with his pistol aimed at her head.
"You look pretty valuable to me." A second man with black hair and almond eyes appeared next to the first, similarly covered in gold jewelry with pistol drawn. "We're in need of more crew, right Alexi?"
"That's right, Fyodr," Alexi, replied. "You and your friends have two minutes to grab anything you can carry. Then you're coming with us."
"We're not going anywhere with you!" Nikolai said defiantly. Alexi stepped toward Nikolai, now pointing his pistol at Nikolai's head. Anya stepped forward, placing herself between Alexi and Nikolai.
"Two minutes," she said, staring the pirate in the eye. He smirked, nodded, and lowered his pistol.
"Anya!" Nikolai said, glaring. Anya returned his look then turned and walked into her cabin.
"What did I tell you kids?" the elderly man growled from within Nikolai and Demyan's cabin. Nikolai glanced back at him and stepped to block the doorway. When the man saw Alexi and Fyodr, he furrowed his brow in annoyance.
"What are you, now? Pirates?" He spat in Alexi's direction. "Bunch of lazy crooks. The guards will put you down in a second."
"We've disposed of the guards already," Alexi said. "We can dispose of you, too, old man, unless you give us whatever valuables you have."
"Do I look like the sort who owns any valuables?" He gestured to his raggedy clothes. He wore a dingy, ill-fitting vest and a button-down shirt that may have once been white. His trousers were covered in salt stains and worn through in one knee.
"Well, if you have nothing of value, maybe we should just put you down," Alexi said, raising his pistol and aiming at the old man.
"Don't you dare!" Nikolai shouted, rushing toward Alexi. Fyodr turned his pistol on Nikolai and drew a sword. Alexi drew his sword as well. Zoya and Demyan moved to Nikolai's side, guarding his body with their own.
"Your two minutes are almost up," Alexi told the group. "I'd get moving if I were you."
"You can't just kill an innocent man!" Lilia protested. "He hasn't done anything wrong!" Fyodr sheathed his sword and grabbed Lilia by the arm, shoving her toward the girls' cabin.
"Get packing, miss!" he ordered. "This doesn't concern you!"
Zoya took the opportunity to grab for Fyodr's gun. He twisted around and slammed her into the wall, his forearm pressed against her neck. Zoya gasped and clawed at his arm. Demyan yelled and charged toward him, knocking his arm away from Zoya's throat. Alexi shot his pistol into the air.
"Enough!" he shouted.
"That's right, enough!" A third pirate appeared. This pirate was older, with scarred tan skin and black hair that was turning gray. The pinky and ring finger of his left hand were missing, as was half of the middle finger on his right. His eyes were large, and Nikolai thought he saw a kindness in them.
"Pavel," Alexi said. His face flushed red and he lowered his pistol.
"Stop acting tough, Alexi," Pavel said. "This old man hasn't done anything wrong, let him be. The captain is almost ready to leave." Pavel then regarded the group of friends. "Recruiting, are we?"
"Pavel, this bunch says they have no valuables," Fyodr said. "They look pretty valuable to me."
"So, try not to damage them." Pavel smirked. "Let's go. The captain is waiting."
Pavel's presence seemed to pacify Alexi and Fyodr, who watched silently as the friends gathered their things. Nikolai and Demyan packed quickly then joined the girls in their cabin to help them. Anya, having already packed her bags, stood in the doorway and glowered at the pirates.
"Zoya, what do we do?" Lilia whispered as she fastened her suitcase.
"I don't know," Zoya admitted. "They have guns and swords. I've got wrenches and screwdrivers. I don't think we stand a chance."
Nikolai watched as Zoya dug out her gloves. Her shaking hands knocked her gadget out of the bag. It rolled halfway to the door before she caught it. Fyodr and Pavel weren't looking, but Alexi saw it and looked at Zoya coolly.
"It's nothing," Zoya muttered quickly, fumbling to hide the object.
"Put that away and hurry up," Alexi replied. "We don't have all night." Zoya exchanged a concerned look with Nikolai as they finished packing and stood.
"Alright!" Pavel announced with a smile. "Let's go introduce you to your captain!"
What's that? More? No no I'm sorry I haven't got time for that, I'm a busy man, albeit a dead one, if you want to know what happens to Zoya and her friends I suggest you pick up a copy of Grigory's Gadget yourself…
Or connect with the author online….
Website: www.eahennessy.com
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01AXD0UI0/
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/grigorys-gadget-e-a-hennessy/1123314615?ean=2940152591446
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/610196
Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/grigory-s-gadget-1
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/grigorys-gadget/id1078386807
Now then I really must insist you go, I have important work to be getting on with, not least, putting pay to these dreadful rumours that I am a woman… or at least the ghost of a woman…. I may from time to time possess the bodies of young women, wear dresses and call myself Pearl, but that is purely for professional reasons …. well how very dare you! Good Night! Oh, er…leave the bottle though…
Pipe and Slippers: With Ichabod Temperance
I am Perilous Wight and here in the bowels of the city of Lancaster, in the disused tunnels of an underground train system that never was, I have made it my mission to collect every book that our self-proclaimed 'supreme ruler f the universe' and his mincing minions have banned from the bookshelves of the new world.
But this is not a public thoroughfare! If you have wandered in here on the ill-advice of a drag-dressed octopus and its dribbling Tea Fiend, let me advise you not to be so easily lured into a parlour by the promise of strange fruit. Well, you will find nothing sweet and alluring down here; here there is only the dark and the damp, the flickering of candlelight and the ceaseless toil of a man who did not re-animate from the dead to be pestered by people wanting bedtime stories!
But wait…what's that you have tucked away under your arm there? Finest Stout? And some of Mrs Baker's left over steak and ale pies? Oh…. well, yes perhaps it is about time I put my feet up for a while, pipe and slippers and a little drop of something, the day has, after all been a long one. And I suppose I could read a very little something,
like this perhaps… it is an excerpt from the tenth book in the Ichabod Temperance series, 'The Two Faces of Temperance'. Hm, there is a note here tucked inside in the cover…
A fiendish monster is on the loose in London but as the machinations of intreague threaten to crush poor Miss Plumtart and Ichabod in their merciless gears, could this adventure become known as 'the strange case of Dr. Icky and Mr. Temperance … ?
A Request by the Author:
Dear Reader, if, perchance, you should come across some drunken rogues in song whilst reading this book, you are strongly encouraged to sing these passages aloud.
Your cooperation in this matter is sincerely appreciated.
By Ichabod Temperance
"Take a deep whiff, Mr. Temperance."
"I'd rather not, Ma'am."
"Fleet Street has an aroma all her own."
"I'll give you that, Ma'am."
"I smell meat pies. Wait here, Mr. Temperance, I shall go and fetch us a pair myself."
"Yes, Ma'am. Gee, there goes Miss Plumtartt. I don't like being by myself around all these people. Oh golly, there is so much bustling traffic around here, I hope I don't get caught up and washed away."
"Hello, young man."
"Hien! Oops, I mean, howdy, mister. Gee, I guess you kind of startled me. I did not notice you looming up behind me."
"Forgive me, my boy. I could see by your clothes that you were a visitor to our shores. Now that I hear your boorish American tongue I am justified in my assumption. The moment I clapped eyes on you, my befuddled little friend, I said to myself, Todd Squweeny, you need to take that lost little lamb under your protective wing, lest some unscrupulous villain sweep in to do this innocent guest an injustice. No, I decided on the spot to make it my mission to prevent you, my sweet naïve doe, from coming to injury."
"Golly, that sure is swell, Mr. Squweeny, sir."
"You have the advantage, of me, Mr.? …"
"Temperance, sir."
"You have family here in our fair city, Mr. Temperance?"
"Tee, hee! No family in the city, says you! Well, tell me, do you have family here in England, Mr. Temperance?"
"Nossir, Mr. Squweeny."
"Ho, ho! You have friends here, then?"
"Not so much…"
"There is a Mrs. Temperance?"
"I see, I see, I see. Then you are here on business?"
"You look newly arrived. Have you checked into a hotel?"
"Blast! Oh well, this may still work. Have you made contact with your employer, yet?"
"Good! Oops! I mean, eh, pardon me for saying so, but you look a terrible sight, my lad."
"Hunh? I do?"
"Yes, dear boy, but you are in luck!"
"I am?"
"Yes, for you see, I am a barber! I am a most skilled barber, I assure you, my bosom mate. I am the most famous barber Fleet Street has ever known."
"Gee, my whiskers ain't no more than a little peach fuzz. A kitten's tongue would do the trick to their removal. Why, I just shaved this morning…"
"You SHAVED, yourSELF!?!? No sir! This is not done, sir. No sir, a gentleman does not shave himself if he wishes to make a good impression on his new employers and that's a fact, sir! Come with me this instant. I will brook no protest. Come along to my shop and I shall see if I can remedy the damage done."
"Gee, this is a nice little barber shop you got here, sir."
"Thank you, my boy."
"Did you just lock the door? Don't you want no more customers?"
"I wish to devote all my attention to you, my boy, without any interruptions."
"Then why do you have two chairs?"
"One chair is for commoners, but you dear child, are no commoner. I want you to sit in my special chair."
"Your special chair? Gee, I'm about as common as common can get. Maybe I oughtter sit in this other chair…"
"I said to sit in this one, you little fool! Oops, I mean, my especially, special friend."
"Ah, that's better. Now then, just lie back and be comfortable as I apply a few last strops to this razor."
~strip / strop / strip / strop~
"Hmm, hmm, hm, hmm/hmm. Strumm, strumm, strumm, dee-strumm:"
Razor, razor, lovely sight.
Piercing reflector of any light.
Scraping necks with pressures slight,
Trajectory's change reveals your might.
"That's a cute little ditty, Mr. Squweeny, sir, is there any more to it?"
"There would be if you would quit interrupting me you stupid little… er, I mean, let's have a listen, eh?"
Crimson geyser to ceiling gush,
Death's cheeks do quickly blush,
Just as quickly the face will flush,
And from the body life will rush.
"I don't think I got the reference that time, sir."
"Just a bit of the colloquial dialect, changing a meaning here or there. This final stanza will reveal our song's true face."
Scarlet rivers, they do flood.
Maroon is the colour of the sewer mud.
No-one will miss this faceless dud,
As I release this torrent of steaming bl..
"Hey, does this chair have a draft? Why looky there, there is a faint line, indicating a seam in the floor, all the way around this chair. It reminds me of a theatrical stage's trap-door."
"Get back in that chair!"
"Hang on a second, and lemme borrow that razor."
"How dare you, you filthy Colonial! Return me my razor at once!"
"I just want to poke it down in this crack. There looks like there might be a latch… woah, watch out! It is a trap-door! This here barber chair is all set to tilt its unlucky inhabitant to a dreadful fall!"
"Get away from my chair! Give me back my razor!"
"Gee, it sure is a good thing I found that. I wouldn't want anyone to get hurt. I bet that little hidden cellar connects with the old Fleet Street canal, whatcha bet, hunh?"
"I wonder if there ain't an underground connecting cellar between this place and the meat-pie bake-shop, next door?"
"Enough! Get out of my barber shop!"
"Okay, okay, I'm going."
"Wait, come back. Give me back my razor."
"Oops, oh yeah, right. Here you go, mister."
"Mr. Temperance, I have been looking for you."
"Oh, howdy Miss Plumtartt, Ma'am."
"I instructed you to not move, sir."
"Well, you see, what happened was…"
"Never mind. As it happens, I find you exiting this Fleet Street barber shop at the same time that I am exiting Langela Annebury's Meat Pie Bakery directly next door."
~nom, nom, nom.~ "This sure is a good meat pie, Ma'am! What kind of pie is it?"
"I am given to understand that the best policy is not to inquire too deeply into a meat pie's mysterious origins."
"Yes, Ma'am."
"Take a care, Mr. Temperance, for you are dribbling your juices. I am assured that Miss Annebury is 'slitting her own throat', by selling her 'pastries of mystery' so inexpensively."
Hm? You want to know what happens next? Well you'll just have to visit Icky yourself won't you and ask him for a copy …
No, no I really don't have time to… wait a minute… are you sure these pies are steak and ale? They taste rather suspicious to me…
Soup of the day: With Jennings and Jennings Paranormal Investigators
Hello! Mrs Albert Baker here, otherwise known as The Last Witch Of Pendle. Obviously there is no Pendle any more, since The Chronic Agronauts utterly destroyed it with treacle and sprats, but I've set myself up quite nicely here in Lancaster, running this little soup kitchen for the street urchins. There certainly are a lot of them and I'm always looking for helping hands to cook up and serve something delicious!
I am extremely happy this morning to welcome my dear friends, the paranormal investigators Sir John and Marie Jennings… Good morning to you both, thank you so much for coming to help me in my soup kitc… Sir John? Over here… Marie, my dear, are you sure he can see with those goggles on? Whatever are they for?
Sir John: These are my ectoscopic goggles that allow me to see any spectral energy so as I look around the room…GOOD GOD WHAT IS THAT!
Marie: I think you are looking at the cat, mon cher…if you take the googles off…
Sir John: Ah yes, ahem, yes I've seen this before where feline energy can be mistaken for, er, ghostly energy. Perfectly normal.
Mrs Baker: Oh dear yes, I'm so sorry about the cats, they are after my illicit cream stores, you know. Well, why don't you both have a seat here by the window. How was your journey here from your own dimension? I hope you were not delayed by any spectral presences en route?
Sir John: It was relatively uneventful. We made use of my brother Saul's cabinet to travel here through time from 1901. He was, I'm afraid to say, a bit of a crank, believing in some pseudo scientific hogwash he called Quantum Physick. Most bizarre, with strange parallel worlds and waves behaving like particles. He built this device to travel to these parallel worlds, and it seems to work as it's brought us here. Hopefully we can return, it's the first time we've used it.
The only real trouble we had was when we were stuck in some hellish box, travelling in random directions with strange, dishevelled muttering creatures. What was that thing called Marie.
Marie: I think it was Southern Rail.
Mrs Baker: Oh dear me yes, I have heard your trains are as bad as our Skyway Rails, for future visits might I recommend the number nine bus, some have found the driver both adventurous and persuadable if bribed with sufficient tiffin. Now then, I shall put the kettle on, have you brought some soup with you today to share with the orphans?
Marie: I brought a recipe that our maid Miss Henderson suggested for Courgette and Milk Soup. She said it is from the "Mysterious and Exotic East".
Sir John: I think she means Walthamstow.
Mrs Baker: Oh!
Marie: Here is her note…
Mrs Baker: Thankyou my dear, let me see now, she writes… "Dear Mrs Baker, please find below my recipe for Corset and Milk Soup. Take a pound of corsets…" CORSETS?!
Sir John: we think she means courgettes
Mrs Baker: Oh! I see!…...and cook in a bit of water until soft but not too long or the taste will cook out. Mix them up – I use a device Sir John has made for me called a Vegetofruit Blending Device. It's quite quick and only moderately dangerous. Put aside and then heat a tablespoon of butter and when that's melted take off the heat and add tablespoon of flour. When that is like a paste, add half a pint of milk and stir until it thickens a little. Then add the corsets and some ground Kew men…
Marie: "cumin"
Mrs Baker: Oh yes of course! …and season with salt and pepper. Finally serve in bowls with some Sumac powder sprinkled on top. The soup is mild in flavour and the dark purple colour of the Sumac is a lovely complement to the pale green of the corsets."
Sir John: Funnily enough she got the name for Sumac powder right. It's a fascinating spice, rumoured to give anyone that prepares it correctly a five octave singing voice. I'm not sure that's true but our previous maid, Mrs Flitwick, did once mistake it for cocoa and she made a very high pitched noise.
Mrs Baker: Well it certainly sounds delicious, I wouldn't worry about the Sumac, the orphans are quite hardy round here you know. So, I will just pop the cauldron onto the fire, there. Now while that is simmering away why don't you tell us all a little more about the work you do, paranormal investigation sounds most fascinating!
Sir John: Well it all started in Paris, where we met. I was working away at various theories of how to detect paranormal activity. Marie was my willing companion, assisting where she could. Eventually we married and moved to London and set ourselves up as Paranormal Investigators. It was a little easier as my French isn't terribly good and I was concerned it may be difficult to communicate with francophone fiends.
Mrs Baker: What a wonderful story, I do like a good romantic tale! And I have heard that you employ some very specialist inventions to help with this work, have you brought some along to show the orphans?
Sir John: This is my Thanatograph. It's allows us to hear the spectral voices of any phantasm. It's quite subtle, if there are any such entities present we may hear a faint human-like voice when the machine starts. Now I've set it up, let's all be very quiet and see what happens.
Mrs Baker: Is it supposed to do that?
Sir John: Actually no. It's quite unusual for it to fly around the room like that.
Mrs Baker: Oh, silly me! I'm afraid we are directly above the underground library and so our resident ghost, Perilous Wight, may be setting it off?
Sir John: Ah I see! Let me see if I can catch it. Oooof!
Marie: Mon cher, are you alright!
Sir John: Yes I think so. I don't chew much on that side of my face anyway. Let me put it away before it causes any real damage.
Mrs Baker: I'm so sorry about that, I hope it will be alright. Well, these machines are all very technical and exciting, but Marie, my dear, (and while Sir John is occupied putting that device away) I cannot help but sense something of the mystical about your aura, I have a feeling that perhaps you do not need such devices to see these ghostly goings on?
Marie: Well, why I sometimes 'ave some, shall we say, intuition into what may be going on… I'm not sure what you mean or where you have 'eard this…
Mrs Baker: Oh my dear, I'm so sorry, I did not mean to alarm you or to be rude! Magic is forbidden in this dimension of course, but there are those of us who still practise it in secret where we can and I cannot help but sense that you have, shall we say, the 'gift of intuition' when it comes to the paranormal?
Marie: Ah, I see. Well, yes, it is true that I can sometimes offer … more help than is obvious. I like to keep that to myself. Oh look, Sir John is back.
Mrs Baker: Oh marvellous, and that is the kettle singing, can I offer you both some tea? How do you like it?
Sir John: Plenty of milk, three sugars, not too strong.
Mrs Baker: Oh dear, I'm afraid that is almost the last of the sugar, I shall have to visit the smugglers again.
Marie: Black, please. No sugar.
Mrs Baker: There you are. Now I know you have had many adventures but would you like to tell the orphans a little about your most recent or exciting one?
Sir John: Yes we have recently been relating our vacation in Sunnyport in our journal. It started out as a holiday and quickly became a terrifying nightmare. And that was before anything supernatural happened.
Mrs Baker: It all sounds so very exciting! And I hear that Paul Michael and Josephine Pichette have compiled some of your adventures into a book?
Sir John: Yes, indeed. It's a collection of our first four investigations: a haunting, a strange case of a mesmerised young heiress, a fiendish killer in London, and a theft of some magical artefacts. It's called, rather appropriately Jennings and Jennings Paranormal Investigators Casebook One. It's apparently available in South America?
Marie: Amazon, mon cher.
Sir John: Ah, yes.
Mrs Baker: Splendid! And where else can we read about your adventures?
Sir John: Well our journal regularly publishes details of our adventures and other interesting tidbits. Mr Michael and Mme Pichette are kind enough to update it twice weekly. They are also on, is it Twitbook, Marie?
Marie: That's Twitter and Facebook.
Mrs Baker: Splendid! And will there be more books in the future?
Sir John: Yes indeed, Mr Michael and Mme Pichette are, I believe, chronicling our recent trip to Paris in a book they are calling The Paris Awakening. You may have read about the aftermath of that trip in the papers. It made the front page.
Marie: I don't think Mrs Baker gets Le Monde here, and not from 1900, especially.
Mrs Baker: No indeed, the year here is 1840… and besides which, the only paper I get the is Tiffindependent…
Sir John: Well I believe it was in The Times as well…page 27. Underneath an advert for a mechanical carpet cleaner.
Mrs Baker Well perhaps I can use my soup-scrying techniques to locate a copy. Ah but that soup certainly smells the ticket doesn't it? Thank you so much for coming to help out in the kitchen today, my dears, it's been wonderful to chat with you but now those little urchins must be ravenous so shall we start dishing it up?
Sir John: Yes, let's! Thank you so much for having us to visit. I'm terribly sorry about the scorch marks from the Cryptozoetropometer. I can pay to have that cleaned.
Marie: Yes thank you Mrs Baker, it's been nice to meet a fellow…cook.
Mrs Baker: Indeed! Thankyou all of you for joining us in the soup kitchen today, I hope you will come back again next week and until then
Blessings on your brew my dears!
Pipe and Slippers:Perilous Journeys#2
Good evening and welcome to my awe-inspiring aethenaeum of praiseworthy pamphlets…or as some ridiculous personages have dubbed it – my lovely library.
I am Perilous Wight and here in the bowels of the city of Lancaster, in the disused tunnels of an underground train system that never was, I have made it my mission to collect every book that our self-proclaimed 'supreme ruler f the universe' and his mincing minions have banned from the bookshelves of the new world.
But I do not have time for entertaining tonight, can you not see that I have just returned from a most important business trip? I have papers everywhere and notes to set in print and… what's that? What are you wittering about? Help? You'd like to help me transcribe the notes from my journals into volumes so that they can be preserved for generations to come? You've brought along some late bottled vintage port to keep out the chills as we work?
Well, I suppose that puts a very different slant on things doesn't it? Very well then, I will dictate and you can pour…I mean type… a-hem…
Here, then, is the next instalment of the account of my first expedition…..(if you missed the first instalment you can find it here)
"Pearl White is it?"
I gave the boatman my most imperious glare. The effect was not the desired one and I instantly feared that my mastery of these new, delicate feminine features was going to take some time to achieve. What I needed was a mirror, and time to spend in perfecting the manipulation of this woman's eyes, nose and mouth into the expressions I required. But neither luxury was afford me and so I was forced to try again.
"You quite alright Miss?" the boatman looked deeply concerned as he watched me wipe the canvass clean and start over with an new attempt at 'menacing frown'.
"The name is PERIL" I corrected, ignoring the soft and almost squeaky intonation of my new inferior vocal chords.
The boatman wiped his nose with an oily rag. "Right. You sure you gonna be alright with this skiff Miss? The Thames might be fine for a couple of chaps on a hay day but a birdie on her own, that seems asking for trouble to me…"
I tell you I very nearly popped the fellow with my dainty lace gloved fist for his sheer impertinence.
He must have sensed the menace in my aura because at length he shrugged, muttered something about Abney Park and handed me the oars.
There was some little difficulty in boarding the craft and arranging my belongings but after a little negotiation and a quick dip in the river to gain perspective I managed to get going and soon fell into a steady rowing rhythm, putting the raucous laughter of the dock workers behind me as I headed up stream towards Bermondsey.
It is there that the Toshers have a legend which I was certain must be evidence of some magical presence – The Rat Queen.
Toshers, in case you are unaware, Gentleman Scavengers who frequent the city sewers at nught in search of all the coins, pocket watches, rings, swans…you know how easy it is to drop these things when one is preoccupied.
The Tosher makes his living from trading in the treasures he finds in the subterranean darkness in much the same way as a Treacle Miner and so it is no surprising to find that the two professions share a belief in protective spirits who have the power to grant good fortune and personal safety, as long as they remain appeased.
For the miner, this sprite is a type of brownie known as A Knocker, for the Tosher, it is The Rat Queen.
The Rat Queen is a supernatural being said to be able to shift form between that of an enormous sewer rat and that of a beautiful woman. In her human form she will approach a Tosher when he is alone in the tunnels and offer him a deal – if he can satisfy her passions and pay her a worthy tribute of treasure from his haul, he will be blessed beyond his wildest dreams -his business will prosper and his family will grow large and healthy. But if he fails or refuses to part with his loot he will find nothing more i the sewers but a watery grave.
I moored the skiff beneath an overhanging elder tree and, after a minor war with the potable stove, made myself a depressing supper of cold tinned 'standard issue' soup and hunkered down to wait for midnight.
Under the cloak of darkness, I lit my dark lantern and made my way into the sewers in search of The Rat Queen …
"Pardon me, ladies, but would one of you happen to be The Rat Queen?"
The little coven of brightly painted damsels whom I had stumbled headlong into in the dark regarded me with unrestrained disgust; hands on hips, red lips twisted into smirks and sneers. "Oh, we're all rat queens down here, deary.." the eldest bird squawked, flicking her head plumes, "question is, who the Hull are you, eh? You can't just wander in here trying to join the game, thinking you can get in on a good earner…" her eyes narrowed, "anyway, who was it who ratted out on us?" She held up her own lantern and shone it into the faces of the assembled women, "who's not here? Sharon! That little chatter box tart…"
Teeth began to gnash, painted talons flexed, I felt the time had come to set the record straight…
"Fear not, Madame," I said, attempting to inject an air of authority into my voice which was ricocheting off the brick dome in sopranino staccato most vexing. Cursing my new feminine vocal chords, I floundered on.. "I have no intention of encroaching upon your little entrepreneurial endeavour I…"
my confident smile fled the scene
my manly resolve snatched up his hat and followed suit
my legs finally cottoned on and joined the exodus, propelling me back through the watery tunnels with the rabble of raucous rat queens in rabid pursuit. Rocks and lemonade bottles exploded off the pith helmet as I made good my escape and at last, breathing hard, I made it back to the skiff and applied myself to the oars as if my life depended on it.
Of course this was quite ridiculous as my life expired many years ago but I did feel a certain obligation to return this body in proper working order….
Aaaand I think that is quite enough for one evening don't you? The bottle is dry and…what's that you say? Stay the night? Certainly not, what sort of a wraith do you think I am? Now go on, out with you, not another word, GOOD NIGHT!
all images used with kind permission from http://www.freeimages.com
Pipe and slippers: The gospel of Agnes Day
Good evening my dears and welcome to Perilous Wight's Lovely Library (which we are keeping safe for him until he returns from his 'business trip.') I am Mrs Baker (otherwise known as The Last Witch Of Pendle) and Peril has kindly allowed me and my little street urchins to shelter down here from the flesh eating Liver Birds until he returns.
Tonight I will be reading to the orphans, once again, from The Child Gospels, (this time from the gospel of Agnes Day) which we discovered on our expedition to Siberia. The chronicles were chiselled onto ice tablets and had been preserved inside a lead lined soupophagus for centuries before we smashed it apart and salvaged them for all humanity to enjoy.
Sadly, our return journey took us through the heat of the Jentacular Jungle and so, as the ice tablets began to melt (and even though it was three o' clock in the morning and nobody had any tea) our quick thinking octopus, Collin, speedily copied their contents down onto banana leaves with his own ink, using only his tentacles for a pen.
This desperate act of heroism, he claims, should excuse the rampant spelling mistakes, technical inaccuracies and absence of all artistic merit which glare out from the manuscript like the foul raisins in that cookie you thought was chocolate chip.
Peril has of course preserved the banana leaves as only a pedantic book-fetishy ghost can, but Collin asks that we all bear in mind the manner of their construction and the great suffering he endured and risks to his life and mental well being and so forth and send him extra packs of medicinal biscuits whenever he indulges in…I mean suffers from, a bout of psd over the whole affair. Poor Collin…
So, are you sitting comfortably? Good, then I shall begin…
Pipe and Slippers:Never bet the devil your cheese
Good evening and welcome to my rambunctious repository of valuable volumes…or as some ridiculous personages have dubbed it – my lovely library.
I am Perilous Wight and here in the bowels of the city of Lancaster, in the disused tunnels of an underground train system that never was, I have made it my mission to collect every book that our self-proclaimed 'supreme ruler f the universe' and his mincing minions have banned from the bookshelves of the new world.
But this is not a public convenience! If you have wandered in here on the ill-advice of a cheesy octopus and its tasteless Gentleman Friend, you had best turn yourself around and wander out again! You will find no dreary double entendres, no pathetic punning or ridiculous riddle-rendering down here; here there is only the dark and the damp, the flickering of candlelight and the ceaseless toil of a man who did not re-animate from the dead to be pestered by people wanting bedtime stories!
But wait…what's that you have tucked away under your arm there? Amontilado? A whole cask you say? And vintage cheese selection? Oh….well, yes perhaps it is about time I put my feet up for a while, pipe and slippers and a little drop of something, the day has, after all been a long one. And I suppose I could read a very little something,
like this perhaps…
Never Bet The Devil Your Cheese
I was sick – sick unto death with the stench of that dreadful chamber; the foul odour of my captors' fetid breath and the rank, stale fume of their wrinkled skins. I swooned and felt at once as if my senses were leaving me, the sound of their voices seeming to be curdled together into one indistinct whisper – as the whisper of cream within the revolutions of a churning vat. And as their dreadful voices churned together to determine my fate, my mind was involuntarily drawn to ponder those unhappy events that had thrown me into the power of this unholy Society…
For the last two decades my life has happily revolved around the preservation of all that it is natural, healthy and wholesome for people to consume within the city of Cagliari and its surrounding provinces. In the course of this work I have had the pleasure to dine at some of the most exquisite restaurants and luxurious hotels that our beautiful island has to offer and, although there is always the occasional exception – the unscrubbed floor, the out of date salmon, the chef whose certificates have obviously been forged – on the whole I have found the consistency of cleanliness and order to be exemplary in all establishments under my jurisdiction.
The Monday that has most recently passed was the third of the month. I remember it distinctly. Upon entering the office as usual, I noticed a file upon my desk and, curious to see what it could contain, I immediately flicked it open.
I instantly recoiled, as though stung by some venomous insect, I struggled to breath in the oppressive heat which suddenly seemed to fill the room and yet a cold sweat burst freely from my pores and stood in fat glass gems upon my forehead.
I had heard the rumours. I had thought them fables – myths spun by our elders to scare the young novice or to pass time on the long journeys between one inspection site and another. But as, with trembling hand, I turned the pages of that file, the vile truth of the matter began to dawn upon me; That hidden deep within the mountainous regions of our fair Sardinia there exists to this day a group of souls so depraved, so foul, that their deepest desire is to feast upon what is known as, Casu Marzu – The Devil's Cheese. This, I assure you, is no ordinary curd. The Camembert you may have tried and thought a little daring, the Blue-vein perhaps you may have been persuaded to attempt in your wild and impetuous youth but I assure you that nothing, nothing but the very rotting of a man's mind and moral fibre could induce a human being into suffering a mouthful of Casu Marzu.
This unnatural cheese is nothing but the rotted corpse of a once noble Pecorino which has been purposefully infested by the larvae of the cheese fly, Piophila casei. The digestive juices of these lavae break down the fats within the curd until the poor cheese actually weeps lagrima as it liquifies beneath the rind. Once the Pecorino has rotted to the point that most sane human beings cannot bare to be within a few feet of the ammonia scented atrocity it is considered by the devotees of this strange cheese-cult to be ready for consumption; maggots and all. The ammonia is so strong that it burns the skin around and within the mouth and throat, the risk of food poisoning, and even death, has been estimated as equal to that of consuming the rotting corpse of a sewer rat.
Naturally, the consumption of such rancid fruits was deemed, by both the church and the crown, to be hazardous to a man's body and to his soul and so the making, handling, buying, selling and ingesting of this demonic cheese were outlawed many centuries ago – the punishment being then, and remaining to this day, death. Yet there have always been rumours that in one particular village, a remote sheep farming settlement known as Bercei, devotion to this unholy curd was so strong that it bordered upon idolatry and a secret order of cheesemongers was convened there that they might continue to ferment and consume their beloved Casu Marzu.
Time and again these rumours had been investigated as every decade or so fresh evidence would appear to raise suspicion that the myth may actually be true, but, time and again, no genuine proof could be found and the investigator would take early retirement or put in for transfer to another region and so the story would lapse back into legend once more.
And now it seemed it was my turn to try my luck at the Bercei Mystery, well I tried, they cannot say I did not try; I bet the very devil himself that I would not rest until I had uncovered this foul mystery and exposed these wicked fiends in their disgraceful maggot munching. I poked my nose into every pantry and cellar, I left no churn unturned, I searched and I questioned and in general made such a spectacle of myself that I did not fail to catch the attention of the devil cheesemongers themselves.
And now I had fallen so completely into their power.
As I lay there, watching the gleaming of the candle flames upon the neat rows of variously shaped cheese knives, the girolles, the graters, the wires all aligned like instruments of torture awaiting my tender rind, a sudden deathly silence came over the occupants of the chamber and in that instant I was seized by many hands, lifted and carried out of the room and then down and down many winding passage ways where all about me there came the hiss of pent up steam, the grinding of the motorised cheese presses and the constant rumble of the churning vats until a dreadful dizziness oppressed me at the mere idea of the infiniteness of the descent and the vague horrors which might await me at my journey's end.
At some point during this hellish passage into the bowls of the city – perhaps the very earth itself! – I must have slipped again into unconsciousness because my next sensation was of flatness, stillness and intense cold.
I did not dare open my eyes, at first, but instead I tried to imagine what there could be.
I felt that I lay upon my back, upon something cold and moist, and then into my weary mind their pressed such horrible visions, conjured up from the memory of the hideous rumours I had heard of these demonic cheese mongers and the thick debate of my captours as to what should be my fate.
I dreaded my first glance at objects around me, I dreaded the impending sensations which I imagined I could feel the beginnings of in every nerve and hair.
And then, as moments passed in silence and stillness, I grew suddenly aghast at the thought that there should be nothing to see or feel; that my captors, in their utter madness, had decided to bury me alive!
In a fit of panic, I leapt to my feet and thrust my arms out wildly in all directions. I felt nothing, yet I feared to move any further in case I should encounter the cold, stone walls and ceiling of a tomb!
Yet at last the agony of suspense grew intolerable and I cautiously moved forwards, my arms outstretched and my eyes straining from their sockets.
One, two, three, four, five… and my hands struck a cold, smooth surface – slightly slimy but more solid than the floor on which I stood. This sudden contrast brought me momentarily into a clarity of mind and now an urgency gripped my every fibre; to better understand the nature of my surroundings. It was a futile and utterly hopeless curiosity and yet the mind in torment will clutch desperately at any thread of reason in endeavour to anchor itself back to normality.
Keeping one hand upon the wall, I crouched and cautiously laid a palm upon the floor of my prison. At first I encountered some soft spongy substance which I took for moss.
Then, to my horror, it moved.
I plainly felt beneath my palm a steady palpitation, a writhing pulse, which sent a shudder – as of electricity – through my entire being. I can barely describe to you the horrific fancies which now plagued my shattered mind, nor can I recall the length of time that I crouched there in the icy darkness, feeling the sweat pool in the creases of my skin, feeling my breath steam as it passed in ragged shudders over my trembling lips. Where and what was I? What tortuous end had these devils dreamed up that I, like all my interfering predecessors, might be silenced eternally and that they should be left free to go on with their infernal cheese munching?
It may have been one or many hours that I remained paralysed in a state of utter terror and during all that while my attention was fixed wholly upon the floor. After a while my sanity must have fled the premises for my mind took up a grim fascination with the various pulses, tremors and reverberations that were taking place beneath my finger tips, until at long length there came a point at which my obsession with these movements – their cause, origin and intent – overrode my dread of the unknown and I determined to make an awkward circuit of my cell with one hand still against the wall and the other groping carefully about the floor.
I used one shoe as a marking point and by this method I soon deduced that I was in something like a circular pit, the walls of which were uniformly smooth and slick with moisture. As to the floor, the same gently pulsating moss was only present in patches – becoming denser with decreasing proximity to the wall – the remainder being of a smooth, cold, almost rubbery material.
But it was the pulsing that disturbed me more than anything for I could not imagine its origin or purpose, despite the zealous efforts of my mind to produce fancy after horrific fancy as to what tortuous death my captors had devised. This fact; that what lay in store for me was some fate worse than a mortal mind could fathom, filled me with such a terror that I collapsed and lay for many hours, perhaps even days, fitfully passing betwixt the realms of unconscious void and waking nightmare.
At length however, and since I remained alive and no change in my circumstance had occurred, I became aware of a sensation more primal than fear; hunger. A devastating, gnawing need which brought first dizziness, then nausea, and finally a passionate drive to consume anything I could lay a hand to.
Almost at the same instant that this hunger set in I perceived a gentle greying of the darkness around me. A light like dawn softly breaking in from some high shaft and then – oh mercy! – I was at last able to understand the nature of my grim predicament.
I was in the cheese.
As the light increased, so did my understanding and my horror of that place. The rubbery floor I had circumnavigated was an enormous round of the dreaded Casu Marzu. The suspected fungus that I had felt pulsing beneath my trembling fingertips was, in reality, the thousands of cheese fly eggs, gently squirming and, even as I watched, beginning to hatch. What would happen when those maggots sensed a new sallow flesh upon the menu? I shuddered, remembering the missing members of my unit – was this how those poor souls had met their grizzly end? Slowly digested, cell by throbbing cell, in the fermenting chambers of the demon cheesemongers of Bercei?
I have said already that I was starving to the point of near delirium and yet at no point did the thought of devouring even the tiniest crumb of that repulsive curd ever enter my mind. Instead I sought to press my entire body up against the wall and as far away as I could get from those wretched larvae, which had now began to nose about the silky surface of the cheese and spread their ammonia stench throughout the pit.
Thus I stayed. Marking the passing of time only by the fading and dawning of that distant greyish light, at first, until the larvae began to pupate and then…the flies.
They didn't so much fly as hop and flit from one surface to another, drifting lace-like and silent on the pungent air, filling my eyes and nostrils like smoke until, at length, I lost both the energy and the will to waft them away.
The flies came, the flies went. They laid their eggs in the cheese and the eggs hatched and the maggots squirmed and formed oozing puddles of stinking putrid puss upon the floor. The maggots became flies and the flies came and the flies went. Up and up, called away by the fresher air and the light at the top of the pit.
I became grotesquely fascinated by this cycle and, when my legs could no longer take my weight and I was forced to lay amongst their writhing, pulpy layers, I took an almost child-like delight in watching every aspect of their development at close range. In fact, as time passed and my senses began to rot along with the cheese, there rose inside my bosom an almost paternal affection for the little creatures whose brief and simple lives were playing out before me hour by hour and some of the very nearest to my face I even thought to give names to; Beatrice – after my beloved sister, Maud – my dear mother in law…
As I drifted in and out of the realms of nightmare and fantasy my position seemed less and less dire, the instruments of my demise less like ravenous predators than familiar friends comforting my cold aching flesh with the warm blanket of their bodies; a blanket that was rising now about my shoulders, creeping around my ears, falling gently like a shroud over my exposed cheek and
My mouth
I had forgotten that parched and puckered hole in my delirium. My mind had ceased to dwell on gastric sensations but when one over adventurous wriggler slipped in his exploration of the valley of my cadaverous cheek-pit and in
Taste I remembered
Meat I remembered as I sucked him in
And suddenly my mind teetered back from the edge of the abyss; these were not my friends, pets, tormentors nor even yet my devourers! No, these squirming worms were my salvation!
With wild abandon I scooped handfuls of the urine-soaked larvae into my mouth and they burst amongst my molars, their warm pus like a fine sherry sliding down my gullet. I rose frantically onto my hands and knees, grasping great handfuls as they tried to flee before me and then, all in an ecstatic second, it happened.
The cheese was in me.
I cannot describe adequately here, with pen and ink, the transcending beauty of that first mouthful. The intense burn of ammonia heat, almost unbearable in itself yet coupled with the cool and silky cream of the part-digested cheese that heat transformed into a mouth watering candied sweetness, perfectly balanced, before it became cloying, by the acidic tang of the savoury maggot meat.
I gorged myself into a divine frenzy. I leapt and danced like a freshly baptised demon waking into this new fromagian Eden.
Then, as if in confirmation that my sins of unbelief in this god-of-all-cheeses had now been washed away, the feeble veil of muted light, which had watched over my long hours of penance in the pit, burst suddenly into a blinding ray of brilliant gold illumination!
Dozens of arms reached down to me, hauling me up and out and into the welcoming embrace of my new brothers, who wrung my hand and slapped my back and dressed me eagerly in the fresh white robes of that secret and most holy society – The Cheesemongers Of Bercei.
Good grief, who is it that keeps slipping these mutilated corpses of classic literature in amongst my treasured tomes? I do apologise for that atrocity and I assure you it is not representative of the rest of my magnificent collection. But, now, enough of this cheesy nonsense! The cask has been drunk dry and so has my patience so come on, out with you all, immediately! No I do not care a hoot about the man eating Liver Birds or your long and treacherous walk home, you should have thought of that before you decided to break the curfew. GOOD NIGHT!
all images courtesy of http://www.freeimages.com


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Monthly Archives: May 2018
In The Volunteer Spotlight: Doug Mead
Posted on May 30, 2018 by Janet Kleyn, President, Agape Villages
I met Doug Mead in 2008 at the Christian Child and Family Services Association's annual conference in Chicago. He was the Executive Director of Georgia Agape back then, a foster care and adoption agency in Atlanta. After seeing a copy … Continue reading →
Posted in News | Tagged adoption, newsletter, volunteer |