NOIR-vember_AS YOU HUNT THE TIGER
AS YOU HUNT THE TIGER
“The sublime comes down to thespirit itself. The spirit and space. The empty spirit in vacant space. Whatwine does one drink? What bread does one eat?”
- DayStar
The palace had offered the sortof welcome I expected, the walkway lined on either side by pikes topped withsevered tiger’s heads.
Abit sophomoric for a cosmicbeing. My enemy must be growing bored.
Which might mean my timing wasright on the mark … or not.
Story of my unlife.
Lucy Wentworth was dying in myarms, her blood mingling with my own cursed one.
Her trusting eyes sought mine aswe stood before DayStar
who was currently slumming as thefeared .
I hear in the most dissoluteparts of the French Quarter he went by the name of Mr. Morton.
An asp by any other name stillkills.
His title in India was ironic asbefit DayStar.
Monarchy is based on fear, cruelty and on themercy of the ruler … or lack thereof.
All through the ages, Cruelty wasa way of life,
so whoever’s name actually pops up in history books was far morecruel than the standards of those days.
Priyadassi Asoka’s name would bein red in the history books detailing this time.
The red of the blood of thosewho it pleased him to torture then kill.
His slightly slanted eyesglittered under his turban like the unfeeling diamond of which his heart wascomposed.
He spoke, and his voice soundedgolden and hollow like the ghost bells I once heard in Burma.
“This is why I refrain fromkilling you, McCord. Just when my ennui is near to choking me, you do somethingmonumentally farcical.”
Lucy looked up startled at me,and I murmured, “He is my second greatest enemy.”
He looked startled himself, thencruelly amused. “Oh, you are being metaphysical.”
His deep-set eyes locked on her ownfrightened ones.
“He considers himself his own greatest enemy. How droll.”
He sneered at me.
“Did you have theabjectly stupid thought that I would heal this urchin for you?”
“You already have.”
“What?”
“Notice her wounds even now aremending, her wounds closing.”
He shot to his feet. “Not I! I donot heal. I destroy!”
“You heal all the time …yourself. You should have learned that as you hunt the tiger, he studies you …as I have been studying you.”
As Lucy watched withever-widening eyes, I went on,
“In the past, I’ve noticed howlistless, how weakened you grew. Then, you lashed out savagely towards thosewho could not fight back.”
Lucy wiggled out of my arms tobounce on the ground with her old vitality, and I ironed my face with glovedfingers.
“You grew strong once more. Itseemed your cruelty blossomed a healing aura about you.”
He shook his turbaned head.
“And you wagered that my aurawould heal this brat?”
I shook my own head.
“No. As you say – you destroy;you do not heal … others.
But I rolled the dice that your aura would act as acatalyst that would make of my cursed blood a healing agent.”
He focused the considerableweight of his gaze upon Lucy.
“Then, why should I not witheryou where you stand, brat?”
She drew herself up as tall asshe got, “You will not.”
“Really? Why not?”
“Too short. Too simple. Yourtoying with Captain Sam says you like to play the long game.”
“I do not play games, littleone.”
“Of course, you do. What else doyou have to do in your exile, Mr. Devil?”
“Devil am I?”
“You do not cast a shadow.”
“I do not scare you?”
“You give me the wobblies, Mr.Devil.
But Captain Sam has taught me to swallow them and go and do what needsto be done.”
“Your soul burns like a miniaturesun with your naïve faith. In this state I cannot touch you, Lucille Wentworth.But I will be watching … and waiting.”
“Then, I shall try to live an interestinglife.”
As we walked out of his compound,Lucy looked up at me, swallowed hard, and managed to get out,
“Did you just save me, CaptainSam, or curse me?”
I sighed, “Like with most of mylife, a little of both.”
“The exceeding brightness of thisearthly sun makes me conceive how dark I have become.”
- DayStar
