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Chapter 20: A penny for a thought
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2021-10-15 15:25:18The afternoon light glanced down like a slice of gold through the billowing clouds, scattering through the streets of Sterling in dispersed glints and flashes. People skittered this way and that, pausing to hail a passing cab, to inspect a broken lace torn free from a shoe, or to simply stop and chew the fat with a fellow. In short, it was that time of day, after the small meal has been taken, when people seem most relaxed in their digestion and less wary of their surroundings. That is to say, it was the opportune moment for a scallywag such as our little mongrel Mylo to pinch a rogue penny from an unattended purse, or to lend a helpful ear to those whose tongues perpetually wagged.
On this particular day, our lad had within his possession a commodity which he knew might spark the imagination of his occasional-master: a curious story, which he himself had witnessed first-hand. And with this choicest of morsels tucked neatly away in his shar
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Painted Pearls Chapter 20: A penny for a thought continued
"Could I have a penny, sir?" "What?" Muttered Edward distractedly, striking a match to a packed pipe. "A penny, sir- haven't eaten all day!" "Thatis a lie- but it seems I will not be rid of you! There, now! Ask Mrs. J for a biscuit, you're clearly after one!" And with that he pulled three pennies from the pocket of his dressing gown, throwing them irritably at the delighted lad. Mylo scrambled about the room, plucking them from the wooden floor. It was at this moment that Professor Barland chose to enter the fray, opening the door and nearly tripping headlong over the boy as he reached for a final penny tucking itself under the ottoman. "What the devil- Mylo, good heavens is that you? I nearly broke a leg, young man, away with you!" Spluttered the professor as the boy righted himself, clutching to the mantelpiece and coming face to face with an old skull, its empty sockets gazing balefully through him. "Is that ahuma
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It was clear that this was by no means Simon's greatest wish, for his demeanour was grudging and ill-tempered as she slowly descended the stairs. But he held the door open for her all the same, and she stepped over the threshold, into the brisk air of early winter. Hesitantly she took the steps one at a time, clutching to the railing. Her cheek ached dreadfully, even in the mere minute it had been exposed to the weather. The street bustled; horses trotted by, and the citizens of Sterling found their dogged way from this place to another. She took it all in, in deep, bewildering breaths; into her mind, into her lungs, into her heart.Lifefound her, once again, in a heady rush of sound, and noise; a caterwaul after the silence of her prison.And it was too much. Energy, brimming and running over, teemed in every direction, flowing through her like great waves crashing against the surf. Her knuckles grew white against the railing, and she found her body
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"Sonjica here- " and Edward flapped his hand at the distracted man- "was just informing me that these birds are town bred. Well! I've put a penny on it, for they're country bred, through and through!""You've lost your money, then" replied the merchant, Mr Casbane, "for they're town bred.""They are most certainly not!""Take it or leave it, Mister! They're town bred, and I have the ledger here to prove it."Sonjica stared at the woman. The woman stared back at him. Her eyes were wide, and dark, and fretful. They flickered to Edward and back again."Edward- look, do you see her? Just there?""Notnow, Sonjica, he's just fetching the ledger- the thief's name will be there, I'm sure of it- ""Edward, do you see that woman? Look, look now- there!" And he spun his fellow profiler round, jerking him by the sleeve of his greatcoat. Together they scanned the crowd, but where before she had stood, there was now a group of y
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Tyoborha, 11 July, 1889From her vantage the Black Mountains slithered, rock and woodland strewn artfully as if by God’s own hand.And there, beneath the dark, roiling clouds, a stab of lightning appeared and made its blinding voyage towards the dry, famished earth, awesome and frightening in its brilliance.Her eyes grew wide against the surge, the very pits of her stomach leaping to the tines of her wings, her fingers…‘‘Liziwe…’’ the very air whispered, consuming her senses; a voice carried on the wings of a falcon.‘‘Liziwe!’’ the sharp tone of her Mother’s voice overcame her, and she sat upright, the hazy edges of sleep escaping her mind. ‘‘Child, what on Earth possessed you to sleep unclothed? Good heavens, and without a covering, as well! You’ll catch your death of cold, mark my words. Wake up! We have compa
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‘‘The absolute nerve,’’ she muttered under her breath, treading carelessly on any weed or flower that dared cross her path, the clean air invading her faculties, clearing the cobwebs and dust of gossip from the nethermost corners. Exercise, she noted, always did one good.Time became open then, unoffending in the expanse of the rugged landscape as she followed the trail with determined strides ever upwards, towards an outlook she loved best. And there, where craggy boulders stood like broken teeth against the cool horizon, she shuddered suddenly as a gust of wind wrapped its probing tentacles around the thick wool of her shawl.She glanced at the sun hidden behind the thin sweeping clouds, and supposed that people, perhaps kinsfolk, had lived and worshipped and existed on this here woodland for far longer than she could ever imagine.The breeze grew chill, and she pulled her shawl closer.And at last she foun
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It felt like an awfully long time before she became aware, slowly, of the warmth of fingertips at her throat. They pressed, gently, and then were gone; then brushed against the tip of her nose and hovered above her lips. Her eyes snapped open suddenly, and she met the startled gaze of Edward Skweyiya. She was surprised to see his eyes were an odd assortment of brown and hazel, as they widened in the shock of contact. He jerked his hand back and spoke deliberately, ‘‘I was checking for your pulse, and to be sure that you were breathing, Miss Matiwane. Forgive me; I have startled you, and you are clearly unwell.’’‘‘Oh,’’ she gasped breathlessly, ‘‘Oh, it’s you...’’ she winced, clutching her head and sitting upright, ever so cautiously. ‘‘I thought I heard...something...’’ she mumbled, avoiding eye contact. Embarrassment could not begin to describe her emoti
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‘‘Hurry up, Liziwe, we will be late!’’ exclaimed Miriam, tugging Elias alongside her as if he were a small child.‘‘Coming, Mama,’’ Liziwe called in a sing-song voice, as she attempted to make her strides as short as possible. But no matter the size of her steps, they did inevitably bring her to the entrance of the church, where the Pastor stood in all his pompous benevolence. His presence served to hold the doors open as much as to greet the congregation, and she scrutinised him for all of a moment, attempting to extract from his manner the subject of today’s sermon. A small and sallow man, the Pastor was, with the shrewd face of a weasel and a vacant glance that seemed to nevertheless hone in on the most unwanted of aspects. The wind whipped her skirts into a frenzy as she approached, the ribbons of her bonnet fluttering behind her. Dr and Mrs Matiwane had already disappeared into the depths of the church,
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"Sonjica here- " and Edward flapped his hand at the distracted man- "was just informing me that these birds are town bred. Well! I've put a penny on it, for they're country bred, through and through!""You've lost your money, then" replied the merchant, Mr Casbane, "for they're town bred.""They are most certainly not!""Take it or leave it, Mister! They're town bred, and I have the ledger here to prove it."Sonjica stared at the woman. The woman stared back at him. Her eyes were wide, and dark, and fretful. They flickered to Edward and back again."Edward- look, do you see her? Just there?""Notnow, Sonjica, he's just fetching the ledger- the thief's name will be there, I'm sure of it- ""Edward, do you see that woman? Look, look now- there!" And he spun his fellow profiler round, jerking him by the sleeve of his greatcoat. Together they scanned the crowd, but where before she had stood, there was now a group of y
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It was clear that this was by no means Simon's greatest wish, for his demeanour was grudging and ill-tempered as she slowly descended the stairs. But he held the door open for her all the same, and she stepped over the threshold, into the brisk air of early winter. Hesitantly she took the steps one at a time, clutching to the railing. Her cheek ached dreadfully, even in the mere minute it had been exposed to the weather. The street bustled; horses trotted by, and the citizens of Sterling found their dogged way from this place to another. She took it all in, in deep, bewildering breaths; into her mind, into her lungs, into her heart.Lifefound her, once again, in a heady rush of sound, and noise; a caterwaul after the silence of her prison.And it was too much. Energy, brimming and running over, teemed in every direction, flowing through her like great waves crashing against the surf. Her knuckles grew white against the railing, and she found her body
Painted Pearls Chapter 20: A penny for a thought continued
"Could I have a penny, sir?" "What?" Muttered Edward distractedly, striking a match to a packed pipe. "A penny, sir- haven't eaten all day!" "Thatis a lie- but it seems I will not be rid of you! There, now! Ask Mrs. J for a biscuit, you're clearly after one!" And with that he pulled three pennies from the pocket of his dressing gown, throwing them irritably at the delighted lad. Mylo scrambled about the room, plucking them from the wooden floor. It was at this moment that Professor Barland chose to enter the fray, opening the door and nearly tripping headlong over the boy as he reached for a final penny tucking itself under the ottoman. "What the devil- Mylo, good heavens is that you? I nearly broke a leg, young man, away with you!" Spluttered the professor as the boy righted himself, clutching to the mantelpiece and coming face to face with an old skull, its empty sockets gazing balefully through him. "Is that ahuma
Painted Pearls Chapter 20: A penny for a thought
The afternoon light glanced down like a slice of gold through the billowing clouds, scattering through the streets of Sterling in dispersed glints and flashes. People skittered this way and that, pausing to hail a passing cab, to inspect a broken lace torn free from a shoe, or to simply stop and chew the fat with a fellow. In short, it was that time of day, after the small meal has been taken, when people seem most relaxed in their digestion and less wary of their surroundings. That is to say, it was the opportune moment for a scallywag such as our little mongrel Mylo to pinch a rogue penny from an unattended purse, or to lend a helpful ear to those whose tongues perpetually wagged. On this particular day, our lad had within his possession a commodity which he knew might spark the imagination of his occasional-master:a curious story, which he himself had witnessed first-hand. And with this choicest of morsels tucked neatly away in his shar
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Her eyes snapped into focus, alarm and fear mingling into an entirely different beast, whose hackles rose, whose lips pulled back into a guarded snarl. Her feet slid away from under her, her body propelled backwards on the energy of pure revulsion. But he seized her face between his warm hands, and drew her up towards him. A shriek tore from her lips; high and incoherent- but was silenced with his kiss. His mouth against hers was hard and demanding: it was an assault, an invasion of her person. Twisting her neck, she pulled away,awayfrom the searing contact of flesh against flesh- but his grip was made fast, coiling once more deep into her hair. His tongue darted into her mouth like a serpent; out and away, too quick, too shocking for her to seize it between her own teeth andripfor all her life was worth. He released her suddenly, and she tumbled backwards, catching herself precariously on the bedpost. Her stomach heav
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He scrutinised her, taking in every curve of her form; every line, every crease, every movement. Through a dim fog of disbelief she waited, her awareness wavering on a knife's edge. He seemed to be before her, and yet, he did not seem real; a threatening mirage, a reminder that reality was only the counting of physical hurts. Did she live, did she breathe? His eyes were burning coals; bright, burning circles, burrowing into her, consuming her…"Liziwe, my dear," he said finally, as if she were a little child who had done something very naughty. "You have cost me a pretty penny, did you know? The keeping of a woman is not cheap… nor was this littlejauntof yours today, this… little adventure. Did you not think I would find you? You aremine, Liziwe; you are mywife. The sooner you understand that, the better it will be for you." His words lapped at the edge of her reason, and still she stared, h
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"You must excuse my wife, Inspector; I fear she is given to fits of increasingly fanciful eccentricity.""Come now, Mr Xakatha; whose wife is not?""It is a curse, I think, that their sex must bear. The shock of moving has frayed her nerves immensely!""Ah, I would imagine so- a large move is hard on the strongest of minds."They talked over her as if she were a dog; a little pet that trots submissively alongside its master, dumb and mute. And Liziwe stood with her head bowed in her husband's shadow, quietly seething, allowing the words to fuel a future vengeance shewouldtake."Thank you, again, for notifying me so promptly! I must admit, when she disappeared I feared the worst- she is not, as they say, the sharpest tack in the box. And indeed, if you had not found her I am quite sure we would have found her frozen corpse in the morning. The weather is getting on, you know! Did she have no coin on her as well? Ah,
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She could not help it; her brow furrowed, her lips parted in a chortle as she exclaimed, "Come now, Inspector, ascoundrel?I grant you, he is an arrogant man, and undoubtedly an egotist to boot, but scoundrel is hardly the word I would choose!"The inspector stood abruptly, his eyes flashing furiously down at her. "Madam, he said stiffly, the coarse hairs of his beard bristling, "I did not present myself to discuss matters that arebeneath me.I came to have a look at the lady who has caused us so much anxiety this afternoon. I was led to believe that you were some lovely young thing, but I find the same could be said of any harlot that spends an evening within these walls. Now, if you would,Miss Matiwane," and he extended his hand, white and hefty and possessive of all the subtleties of a meat cleaver, "I will have the two pounds and six pence."Liziwe stared at him incredulously, impati
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In the end, she was deposited in a small, windowless room. Save for the addition of a scuffed wooden table with two stools tucked fastidiously beneath, it was not so different from her own despised quarters. She stood a pace into the room and shivered, looking back anxiously at the sergeant. He hovered by the door, and offered a hesitant, sympathetic smile. "Stay here, Miss; the inspector'll be in shortly to speak with you.""The- the inspector!" she exclaimed, her voice faltering. "Surely a... a stolennewspapercould not merit such rigor! Why would the inspector care to speak tome?"A small, niggling doubt lodged itself in her mind then, an uneasiness which could not be entertained for any longer than a moment. It must have spoken plainly on her face, for the sergeant grimaced, and his kind eyes looked away before closing the door heavily behind him. The oil lamps flickered in their stands, casting odd shadows from corner
