Histories of the Void Garden, Book 1: Pyre of Dreams by Damian Huntley Read Free Book Online Page B

suffice.
    “Charlene …” He
picked up the bull, tossing it from hand to hand before holding it
out in front of him, “The cow’s stomach has four chambers, the
rumen, reticulum, omasum, and the abomasum.”
    Charlene glared
at him, “Put that down, I’ve had that forty years son.”
    West smirking,
quickly obeyed, placing the cow back where he found it, amongst the
menagerie of ornate fish, and fowl. Charlene continued, “I’ll tell
you what, if all my aches and pains can be fixed with cow stomach,
and I’ve been suffering all this time, there’ll be hell to pay, and
that’s all I’ve got to say on the matter.”
    West waved his
hand in the air, clearing the imaginary slate, “No, I’m sorry …
What I was trying to say,”
    “Say it man,
there is no try.”
    “The cow
stomach.”
    Charlene
slapped her open hand on the couch beside her, “Spit it out. I’m
eighty-five years old you know; I’ll be in my bloody grave by the
time you’re done.”
    West licked his
lips involuntarily, “Leeches.”
    “Leeches?”
    West nodded,
“I’ve given you leeches.”
    Charlene
slumped back into the comfort of the couch, “Waste of time lad.
I’ve had ‘em before, and they did nothing for me …” her eyes
narrowed as a thought seemed to occur to her, “Here, you say you
gave me them? You mean you put one in my mouth?”
    West shook his
head vehemently, “No, I simply placed one on your chest.”
    Charlene’s
mouth contorted into a disgusted frown as she tried to look down at
her chest, wiping the skin feverishly with her hands. “Where’s it
now?”
    West pointed a
finger at her, “These particular leeches have an ability to pass
through skin and muscle fibers with great ease, and they form a
strong neural bond with their hosts.”
    “You mean to
tell me that there is one of those … those things in me?”
    West nodded,
“One single leech, yes.” Charlene moved her hand over her skin,
trying to feel where the creature might be inside her. She was
horrified, panicked at the very thought of such a creature moving
in her, sucking her blood from within. “Why would you do this to
me?” she asked, fear rising in her voice, “Will I die? Is that what
you want?”
    West looked
sympathetic, almost condescendingly so. He had known that she might
react like this, and he had been prepared for the risk, ready to
reason with her, and explain what was happening. Still, he was
surprised that Charlene would imagine he was trying to kill
her.
    Charlene had
started to scratch at the skin of her chest, imagining that she
could feel the thing moving, feel it destroying her insides. West
moved to her quickly, pulling her hands down and holding them
still, “Listen to me,” she struggled to release herself from his
grip, “Charlene, just listen before you do yourself an injury …”
She tried to spit in his face, but her mouth was too dry, her
throat contracting with fear.
    “Charlene, the
creature can be killed, and it would do you no harm if it died
right now. A single glass of salt water would drive it out of you,
but I need you to listen to me first.”
    She rounded her
eyes on him furiously, “You’re a pig. You’re a monster, that’s what
you are. How could you do this to an old lady?” She redoubled her
effort to free herself from his grip, but his hands didn’t give at
all.
    “Charlene stop,
now.” He shouted calmly. She stopped still, clearly terrified of
what he would do to her if she didn’t stop struggling.
    “Charlene, I
will never hurt you. If you refuse to listen to me, and insist that
we end this right now, I’ll understand and I will accept. I ask
only that you allow me to explain myself before you judge.”
    She leaned
forwards, “Oh, you’re a big man, threatening an old lady. ‘Ooh,
I’ll never hurt you’ you say, but you know that mentioning hurt
puts the thought in my head. I know reverse psychology when I hear
it.”
    West heaved a
sigh of frustration, and decided to forge