Crud

My apologies for not keeping up with my blog schedule, but as I explained on Sunday I have been sick since the middle of last week. I normally write the blogs for the next week on Sunday, but I simply wasn't up to it. I am better now, so I should be able to resume my normal schedule on Friday. Thank you for your patience.

Meanwhile, here is the beginning of a Sir Differel flash piece:

Sir Differel Van Helsing paused at the edge of the moor and brushed a lock of her stringy, lifeless gray hair out of her bullet-shaped face. Her Master-at-arms, WO Giles Holt, stepped up beside her. She glanced at him, then turned her attention back to the field of Carlin stones before her. Tendrils of thick white mist drifted around them, causing them to fade in and out of sight like ghosts. Above the tableau the full harvest moon, partially obscured by black clouds with silver fringes, filled the moor with a soft blue-gray light that still managed to cause everything to stand out against the background darkness in stark relief.

She took a few steps forward, stopped, and scanned the surroundings, searching for her contact. "We're here, as requested," she called out in her light contralto. In the still quiet her voice sounded almost as if she had shouted with the full force of her lungs.

One of the menhirs shifted position, shimmered, and reformed as a caricature of a hoary old man swathed in a black hooded cloak. Its countenance was sculpted into an exaggeration of the human face, with a great hooked nose, protruding cheekbones, a long pointed chin, and a wide grinning mouth full of shark's teeth. Its eyes shined like headlamps, but with an eldritch blue hue, which surprised her. She would have expected red.

The Bodach strode towards her, leaving swirling shadowy clouds in his wake. "I would not have believed it had I not witnessed it," it said, in a voice that sounded like bricks rubbed together. "I would have thought it inconceivable that the Master of Dracula and the protector of Queen and Country would surrender herself to that which she has sworn to destroy." It reached out with a hand towards her throat.

She pulled a pistol from under her jacket and pointed it at the bridge of its nose between its eyes. "Before we get into that, there's something you need to do first."

The grin turned into a frown, but it moved his hand to the side and waved it in a languid manner. "I am a monster of my word." The remaining stones shimmered and resolved into a few dozen children ranging in age from five to twelve. Among them she spotted her son, Henry, and her ice-cold heart flared to warm life.

"Children! Over here! Come to me!"

The Bodach faded into a patch of black mist and flowed to one side. The children sprinted across the field, the older ones helping the younger ones, until they had gathered around and behind her.

"Go with this man." She indicated Holt by placing a hand on his shoulder. "He'll see to it you are returned to your homes."

"Up the hill, children." He pointed behind them, where troops waited with a dozen land rovers. "I'll be right behind you." The children started up the slope towards safety and salvation.

Henry walked up to her. "Mother..."

"Go with Mr. Holt, My Sweet Lad. Quickly!"

He hesitated, as if uncertain which of his conflicting feelings he should obey, but finally he followed the other children.

Holt turned to leave.

"Just a moment."

He paused and looked at her, and she gave him her pistol. "Take care of my son."

"Of course, Mum."

She smiled and pounded on his shoulder twice with her fist. He saluted, turned, and sprinted after Henry. Her son had stopped a short distance ahead, waiting for the old marine. When Holt reached him, he waved. She waved back, and Holt urged him to get moving. As soon as Henry's back was turned she rubbed tears from her gray eyes.

"If you are quite finished..." The Bodach's voice sounded laden with sarcasm.

"Of course." She set her face into a stony mask and turned around as it emerged from the patch of mist. "You've kept your word, now I will mine." She opened and took off her double-breasted suit jacket, removed the shoulder holster, and untied her cravat. She unbuttoned her collar, opened her shirt to her bosom, and slipped it off one shoulder.

"I offer myself to you, of my own free will; body and soul."

The grin returned as the Bodach approached. "I gladly accept, Director." It took a hold of her throat, not hard enough to choke her but just enough to restrain her. It gripped the arm of the bare shoulder and opened its mouth wide. A long, sinuous tongue emerged as it bent its head towards her neck.

She thought, Vlad; now!

A patch of intense ink-black shadow burst into existence behind the Bodach, coalesced into a tall, thin male form wearing a great coat and a wide-brimmed hat, and dissipated, revealing her vampire servant. Vlad grinned in a predatory fashion under his thick, iron-gray moustache, and thrust an arm forward, driving his hand into the Bodach's back.

It exploded into mist, blew past her, and reformed a few fathoms away. She turned to confront it as Vlad stepped up behind her.

"You gave me your word!" Its eyes blazed like twin suns as its voice thundered in rage.

"On the contrary." She slipped her shirt back onto her shoulder. "I promised not to bring him; I didn't promise not to call him once I was here. As to the other, I gave my word to offer myself, which I did, but I never said I would not withdraw the offer once you accepted." Her greatsword Caliburn appeared in her hand. "If you still want me, you must now come and take me." She raised the hilt to her face and pointed the blade straight at it.

"Then, for your deceit, you leave me no choice." It threw his hands out and wide, and a fan of small objects flew in a wide arc behind and to either side of her. She saw one land close by; it looked like some kind of tooth.

As soon as they hit the ground, cadaverous warriors in armor, bearing swords or spears, sprang up out of the earth. She felt her heart seize as she remembered her lessons in Greek mythology: the teeth of the Hydra from Jason and the Argonauts. They stood, motionless, for several moments before they're eyes lit up with the same blue glow as the Bodach's. They brandished their weapons, screamed, and charged.