The Dolocher by European P. Douglas Read Free Book Online Page B

which James took. “If there is an animal out there it may well do this again, even if it doesn’t if you are the one to find it and capture it you may get a new name that better fits your sensibilities.”
    “Keep me posted on anything else you find out Mr. Edwards.”
    “I will and don’t forget, no soldiers in Hell from about 9 O’clock on Sunday night?”
    “I won’t forget.”
    Edwards went to leave, but he stopped at the door and turned back to James.
    “Seriously though Alderman, be careful. I know, I speak lightly of these things but the fact is an animal of some description has killed a man, and there is no reason why it wouldn’t be able to do the same to you.”
    “Yes it would be a shame if you had to get into the secrets and fears of a new Alderman altogether and learn how to bribe him,” James smiled though there was nothing friendly in it.
    “Don’t be silly Alderman, if you were gone I’d just see to it that whoever I wanted to would become your successor,” and he laughed out loud again, nodding as he left the room and James could hear him laughing all the way down the hallway to the front door.
    When he was finally gone, James went to the window and looked out into the dark of the evening. He could feel the cold from outside through the glass pane, and he wondered what had happened a few nights ago at the debtor’s prison. He imagined himself at Corn Market with the body of a wolf dead at his feet and the gratitude of the people of the Liberties. What would they call him then? Something humorous no doubt but also just as likely to incorporate his current nickname as his real name. He never understood where the wit of these people came from, and he could predict nothing of what might be said in jest about any event that transpired.
    If he could do this, get to the bottom of what did this to that poor man he would go some ways he felt towards redeeming himself but even as he thought these fantastic thoughts he felt that he was destined to be Alderman Level Low for life.
    Alderman Lupine Low, he mused and this brought a smile to his face and stepped back from the window and filled his drink again.
     

Chapter 9
     
    Kate woke from yet another nightmare. She could smell immediately that she was still in the dungeon of the ‘Black Dog.’ She leaned up a little and as was her habit after these nightmares of the last few nights she looked out the window expecting to see something evil wanting to get in, something menacing and glowering that only wanted her. Her eyes saw nothing, and she glanced at the black spaces in the room. The syrupy residue of the nightmare, screaming pigs and the screaming guard, was thick on her forehead and temples and she could smell the pungent sweat that soaked her clothes and the smell of the damp hay they lay on.
    She lay looking at the ceiling which was alive with reflected surface water from the floor; it looked so clean and beautiful she couldn't believe it. She followed the patterns that it made as she tried to rid herself of the uneasy feelings that were inside of her. This place was getting to her; there was no doubt of that. She hadn’t thought she’d be here so long but obviously no one was willing to pay for her to get out.
    The uneasiness refused to lift, and a half hour later she was still a bag of nerves and almost sick to her emptier than usual stomach. None of the others were awake, and they seemed to be coping with things here much better than she, but then they had been here many times before. Some of the women in the brothel talked of this place with bravado and joked about their times in here but for Kate it was never going to be anything but a living nightmare for her to think of this place and she would live in constant fear now of ever being out back in here. She heard a low grumble and wondered whose belly it was of the sleeping others. It wasn’t hers because she didn’t feel anything.
    She was looking at the ceiling again when the grumble