Ye Liveliest Wickedness

Cherry Gerrard

Description

The macabre and supernatural add to the atmospherics of this beguiling collection. From the descent into madness of a man trapped in the Polar ice to a gruesome American Civil War discovery far grislier than the usual horrors of war, or the oddly ribald haunting in New Orleans to the downright bizarre man who comes to a restaurant every day to gulp down vast quantities at the shrimp buffet while his forlorn waitress seems to gain weight on his behalf. Gerrard achieves a delightful balance of whimsy and the grotesque.

Informations

• Publié par: Andrews UK
• Date de parution: 22 mai 2012
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9780974521794
• Langue: English

Extrait

Contents

Front Matter ..................................................... 4 Tîtle Page ..................................................... 4 Publîser Inormatîon ................................... 5 Autor’s Note................................................ 6

Ye îveîest Wîckedness ..................................... 7 Book I: Luna Umbra .................................... 7 New Moon ............................................... 7 Fîrst Quarter.......................................... 13 Waxîng Gîbbous ..................................... 20 Wanîng Crescent ..................................... 30 he End o te Lunatîon ......................... 35 Book II: he Gost o Naked Molly.............. 37 December 16, 1799 ................................ 37 Mîssîssîppî Fog........................................ 43 Dead Man’s Dîary .................................. 52 Women, Weapons, and a Tea Party........... 59 Calamîty at te War ............................ 64 he Sîck House Trap ............................... 72 Dead Men Don’t Play Cess .................... 77 Book III: he Penultîmate Mîster Nîlly ........ 83 August 23, 1859..................................... 83 Se Bîtes ................................................ 92 October 27, 1859 ................................. 102 End o Enemîes..................................... 115 February 27, 1860 ............................... 124 La Tragédîe d’Homme........................... 134

Book IV: he Fînger People ....................... 142 February 4, 1862 ................................. 142 he Floodîng o Fort Henry ................... 150 he Fînger People ................................. 162 Saboteurs ............................................. 174 Essex .................................................... 185 Spoîls ................................................... 196 he Swamp Hîve .................................. 207

End Matter.................................................... 219 Also Avaîlable........................................... 219 he Cruîse Conidentîal Serîes ............... 219

Ye Lîvelîest Wîckedness

Cerry Gerrard

a World Waters publîcatîon

as Vegas - Ottawa

Publîser Informatîon

Copyrîgt © 2012 Cerry Gerrard

Pubîsed în 2012 by Word Waters as Vegas, NV USA www.wordwatersbooks.com

Dîgîta edîtîon converted în 2012 by Andrews UK îmîted www.andrewsuk.com

A rîgts reserved Cover desîgn by Word Waters ïnterîor ayout by Steven Urban

Orîgîna text produced în te Unîted States o Amerîca. No part o tîs pubîcatîon may be reproduced în any orm - except quotîng brîe passages în a revîew - wîtout permîssîon în wrîtîng rom autor or pubîser.

st 1 ed.

Wît te exceptîon o Luna Umbra, te locatîons, customs, and arcîng teatre o events în tese storîes are îstorîcally accurate (barrîng te supernatural, o course).

Book I: Luna Umbra

New Moon

Returnîng to te tabe, te man set te eapîng pate beore îm. Dety e sîd înto te seat and ten wrîgged în Irmy. Hîs napkîn was pucked deîcatey rom te tabe and te tîps pused deep înto îs sîrt coar. he peac înen reLected curîousy rom te poîsed sîverware. He brougt sîmpe contents rom te bufet, but e revîewed tem wît întense, manîest scrutîny. ï wondered wat was so ascînatîng about ît. Hîs pate was pîed îg wît pînk, unpeeed srîmp. he mound o morses rose îke a pyramîd. Cîrcîng ît were our emon wedges, a paced careuy apart rom eac oter. He was very partîcuar about tat: tey were at 0°, 90°, 180°, and 270°. hey a aced înwards, payîng omage to te srîne o nourîsment. he man’s îps cracked înto an anxîous grîn. Seeîng îs pînk, swoen tongue momentarîy peek rom beînd te cofee-staîned teet made me grîmace. here was sometîng very unsettîng about îs mout. Hîs sort wîte mustace was staîned wît a înt o pînk. He was ready to begîn. Wît a grand sweep o bot ands e pused te entîre afaîr onto te tabecot. Srîmp dropped to te înen and emons cascaded ater. he backs o îs ands became greasy and covered wît emon juîce. He brused tem absenty upon îs pants. Ater crackîng tîck, knobby knuckes te man began to pee. he meat was deposîted once more onto te grease-smeared pate. hose arge ands dîd not appear a part o te man wo utîîzed tem wît suc precîsîon. houg îs waîst was trîm, îs ands were boated. hey bobbed în te aîr beore îm, not possîby part o îs sender person, but îke swoopîng, pae vermîn.

Sowy te pate Ied wît te srîmps once agaîn, now peeed and ready or consumptîon. he înen besîde te pate ad sînce grown wet and sîmy beneat te detrîtus, but te man paîd ît no eed. ï tougt e ooked îke notîng more tan an untînkîng robot, some sort o srîmpîng macîne. Yet ï sensed tîs was not so. Beneat te mîdy sweatîng oreead and knîtted wîte brows urked a tînkîng man. Hîs mînd orbîted te pate’s growîng contents wît unparaeed marve. He trobbed wît antîcîpatîon o wat was to come next. Fînay te pate was u and te tabe oaded ony wît dîscarded ses and srîmp egs, barrîng te emons. He excîtedy snatced up te cîtrus and squeezed te pup vîcîousy. he emons were orrîby manged în tose poweru ands, te rînds actuay spîttîng and te juîce drîbbîng rom îs cenced, ammy Ists. he renewed mound o srîmp Lowed wît te Luîd îke a vocano smotered în moten ava. Once beret o teîr precîous juîce, te crused emons were cast asîde as so muc useess rînd. hîs rîtua asted neary Ive u mînutes. To my urter dîsgust, e soveed te srîmp înto îs mout and guped tem down în barey a sînge breat. Once troug, te man wasted no urter tîme wît contempatîon or dîgestîon. Hîs napkîn was aready rîpped rom îts ome and tossed to te tabe, and e departed. He was întent upon te bufet îne once agaîn.

***

“O my God,” ï groaned to Wayne. “He’s back agaîn.” “Wo?” “he srîmp guy.” Wayne ecoed my moan. “Wat, îs tîs guy European or sometîng?” ï srugged, not understandîng îs reerence. “ï don’t know. ï guess e kînd o ooks European. Wy?” “You know, ot’s o Europeans come în ate and stay a aternoon. hose countrîes wît sîestas and a tat.”

“ï ave no îdea wat you’re takîng about, but no, ï don’t tînk e’s European. He’s too nîce.” “Wat’s tat supposed to mean?” “Most Europeans ï’ve served are reay demandîng and tînk o waîtresses dîferenty, îke a servant and stuf. You know, Amerîcans are rîendy to waîters.” “You tînk?” e acknowedged, ost în tougt. “We, maybe not ere în Cîcago...” ï muttered. hîs man, Mr. Arno, ad returned yet agaîn ater dîscoverîng te pee-and-eat srîmp bufet our days ago. he Irst day e ad not eaten anytîng, but ad seemed very excîted wen e spîed te bufet. he next day e returned and began îs strange rîtuaîstîc eatîng. He was nîce enoug, but e came în ate and et even ater. We ad to keep te bufet open or îm, and ï ad to waste a damn aternoon. ï normay ony ad two ours between unc and cass, and now ï ad to rus even more. Not surprîsîngy, e was sîttîng at tabe 29.5. He aways sat at te îtte a-sîzed tabe by te pîar, and aways dîd îs srîmp tîng. He was so weîrd! “ï swear to God, î e comes tomorrow ï’ quît. hîs îs a Ine dînîng restaurant - or dînner anyway - not te Tuna Bucket Bufet.” ï ooked over to Wayne, but e was absenty Lexîng îs musces beneat îs unîorm. ï coud aways te by te way te tendons în îs neck tensed and popped. He ad a deporabe Ixatîon wît îs buk and was addîng to ît every day. hîs e bragged about more tan îs grades, or even îs steroîd use. ï roed my eyes în wonder at îm. ïn partîcuar e aways Lexed wenIwas around. ï guess e tougt ît turned me on. ï tod îm a dozen tîmes tat ï coudn’t date îm even î ï wanted to, wîc ï dîdnot,because e was ony seventeen. “Wayne,” ï cîded, “Stop ît.” “Hmm?” “You’re Lexîng agaîn. You are amost as obsessîve as Mr. Arno.” Wayne’s pae eatures were Lused red wît te combînatîon o îs excîtement wenever e was around me, îs constant use o a tannîng bed, and te excessîve acne tat was a secondary resut o

steroîd use. Hîs pîmpes and reckes ougt or domînance over îs ace and în partîcuar on îs pug-îke nose. He swept asîde îs pae bond aîr în a urter act o se-posturîng. “ï you want to tak about obsessîon,” e retorted. “hen et’s tak about ît. ï can’t beîeve you et go o your scrîpt or more tan Ive mînutes today!” “Don’t remînd me! ït’s at ome, and now a tîs tîme îs wasted. Tomorrow ï’m brîngîng ît or sure.” ï ad ess tan two weeks remaînîng to memorîze a my înes. ï was payîng te ead emae roe at te Cook Communîty Coege’s perormance o Cyrano de Bergerac. Not ony was ï beîng graded on my perormance, but î ï dîd we ï coud get accepted înto te Emotîng Socîety. O tat woud be awesome. Usuay ï went nowere wîtout my scrîpt, but ater my aîrdryer broke tîs mornîng ï orgot ît în my anger. ï am epess wîtout my routîne. “ook, e’s doîng te srîmp tîng agaîn,” Wayne gîgged. ï ad no desîre to watc te orrîbe rîtua yet agaîn, so ï et te servîng statîon and strode down to te kîtcen. ï wanted to escape te two most annoyîng men ever known. We, man andboy. ï ad no uck. Wayne traîed ater me, contînuîng, “He soveed ît a în, and now e’s on îs second pate.” Wayne was not ta, but e stî towered over me. ï was very sma. Fîve oot two, eyes o blue, one undred two, ï îked to say. ï knew ï was pretty, but ï tougt my nose was too bîg. Obvîousy Wayne dîdn’t. ï swear e taked about me more tan even îmse, î tat’s possîbe. ï’m sure ît never crossed îs mînd tat ï was twenty-two and not about to date a îg scoo kîd. ït’s not îke e oved me or anytîng. He just îked my ass. “Wayne,” ï saîd, turnîng on îm suddeny, “ï am goîng to ave a cîgarette, a rîgt?” “Sure,” e saîd, standîng a bît too near or my comort. “Okay, ten stop oowîng me. You need to keep an eye on Mr. Arno.” “Wo?” “Mr. Arno. he srîmp guy.”