Noir by Jacqueline Garlick

Author:Jacqueline Garlick [Garlick, Jacqueline]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Goodreads: 24488627
Publisher: Amazemo Books
Published: 2015-01-25T16:00:00+00:00

We arrive at the rear of the Brink in our bobbing caravan. C.L. pulls the elephant to a stop behind a bush and whistles into the trees. One by one the freaks emerge, and my heart does a full wrench round in my chest. I’m not proud of it, but it does. No amount of verbal coaching could have prepared me for seeing them in the flesh, though C.L. did try to warn me on the way up.

“Martin, this is Urlick. Urlick, Martin.” C.L. jumps cautiously down from the elephant in front of a very dry-skinned man.

“So good to meet you.” Martin sticks out a weathered hand for me to shake.

“The pleasure is all mine.” I accept his hand, a little worried I might be left with some of it.

“This is Sadar.” A man with a dastardly crooked spine bows to me, and I wince for the pain he must feel. I return the favour and he nods his head, bringing his hands to his chin in prayer.

“Reeke,” says a squat, round man with numerous tumours. He smiles, and a bit of drool seeps from between his rows of staggered teeth.

“Pleased to meet you, Reeke,” I say, stooping to meet his eyes.

“And this is Wanda,” C.L. announces as the last, a haired woman who looks much like an ape, dips shyly out of the bushes. She does not look me in the eye but instead stands and studies her feet, blinking, long lashes waving in the breeze.

“Hello,” I say gently. The woman rolls her shoulders.

“Wanda takes a bit to warm up to strangers,” C.L. says. “Idn’t that right, Wanda?”

She lifts her gaze.

“Been about eight years since she’s said a word to anybody, so don’t be offended,” Martin adds.

Wings flap behind our heads. I whirl around defensively, prepared to fight. “Clementine?” I squint as she hits the ground. She bounds to a stop in front of us, pawing the earth in her shimmering armour, extending a gilded wing toward my hand. The rider reaches for her face mask to throw it back. Eyelet? My heartbeat quickens. Could it be?

“Iris?” I sound both shocked and disappointed.

Iris frowns. Nice to see you, too, she signs.

Clementine whinnies and snorts, as if laughing.

Iris dismounts, annoyed.

“Where’s Cordelia?” C.L. says.

“Right here!” Cordelia pops out from behind Wanda’s girth. “Iris and I have already made the freaks’ acquaintance. They let me stay with them while Iris did another pass over the building.”

“I see.” I stare hard at C.L.

“It was Iris’s decision to bring her, not mine, sir.” He raises his toes in defence.

Next a tall, stocky but well-built young man slips out from the trees onto the road. I suck in a quick breath. “Who’s this?” I say, onceing him over. He wears a pair of tattered trousers and a sleeveless vest. His skin is bronze and his head is shaved. He holds his fists tight at his sides, arm muscles tensed and bulging. Piercing navy eyes level me.

“Oh, that’s Masheck,” C.L. laughs.

“Where did he come from?” I say, still staring at him.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.