The Fox Wife's Tail by Conrad Kinch

Author:Conrad Kinch [Kinch, Conrad]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: A Simple Plan Press
Published: 2016-08-14T05:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Late night roistering leads to a wretched discovery. Major Fitzpatrick discourses on the affairs of nations. I am condemned to death again.

There followed a period of several days where I stayed in the confines of the castle closely watched by Suki who was at least a pleasant gaoler. She taught me to play a game not unlike checkers with small black and white pebbles. It was diverting, though she beat me soundly at every opportunity. The Major paid a call on me only once during those first few days, explaining that his duties called him away, but he kindly returned what remained of my kit and added something of his own small library. Of the three volumes, he pressed on me, the first two were turgid enough, but the last was a translation of the Three Musketeers by the Frenchman, Dumas, which was much better. I shall forever be in his debt for having introduced me to that author.

The days dragged and so I explored and sketched the castle as best I could, learning that I was in an outer part, surrounded by what would be called a curtain wall in a European castle. There was a central keep[27], was nothing more than a regular building heavily fortified and put up on a stone base surrounded by a wall, that I was barred from entering. My observations led me to a few conclusions; firstly that Otaro was probably being held within the confines of the inner wall and secondly, the black smudge that appeared on the horizion marked the death of another settlement to feed Lord Hoji’s hatred which probably explained the Major’s absence.

But, for the most part, I rested. It was clear that my fever had not truly left me, for I slept badly and woke often, my teeth chattering and my body bathed in a cold sweat. Strange dreams, the products of a brain addled by fever, came and went, though some of them remained clear in my memory, as few dreams ever had, before or since.

I dreamt oftentimes of my mother, which I suppose is understandable. She was a sign of happier times and of home. But I also had a curious dream that recurred several times. I would wake on my pallet, my eyes fixed on the ceiling. There was a wetness about my chest, so that I feared that I had been truly wounded. I would look down to survey the damage and see a vixen crouched by me. She was licking the bruises on my chest and when she felt my eyes on her, she would look at me. Her eyes were very dark and wet and as they met mine, I would feel drowsy. She would place her paw on the injured part, her claws pinching the skin and my eyes would shut, just for a moment.

I would wake again, not knowing that I was still dreaming, and she would be gone, but the bruises on my chest would have formed themselves in the imprint of a paw.

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.