Bovicide, Zombie Diaries, and the Legend of the Brothers Brown
Page 81
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Adonis Andraste stood on the highest parapet of his castle and stared over his island. It was mending well. Lisa Tanner was a city councillor and generally accepted as a Proper, if not natural-born, Archian. Paddington had earned the citizens’ trust by laying down the law to the zombies, though no one was quite sure how he had done so. There was peace, in two societies instead of one.
The world, in short, marched on.
In his long life, Adonis had found that it always did.
He returned his attention to the stars. “You could still hurt him,” said a shape on the wall beside him.
“When you have wisdom, Leander, we can discuss the folly of using sullied pride as motivation for retaliation.” Adonis drew a deep cold breath. “The chief is no more threat to us.”
“That’s what you said a month ago.”
Adonis stared at Archi. Even at night, lights burned and people worked. Busy little bees.
“He can expose us,” warned Leander.
“Not without endangering Miss Tanner.”
Adonis’s eldest son leapt off the parapet and stormed toward his father. “He has defied the Three-God! There must be punishment!”
“Son…” purred Adonis, “you speak as if the matter were finished…”
Eyes still on the stars, Adonis caressed the crescent on the cover of the thick leather-bound book he had brought up with him. Above him, the stars continued their slow advance toward the next age.
Epilogue: The Second Coming of the Gods
Two months ago, Delores had been an ordinary dairy cow. Then her Farmer had tied her to a stake and she’d nearly been eaten by some horrible demon of a thing. She’d never quite recovered, always worried that it was behind her, in every shadow, watching her, and so her Farmer had taken her out of the fields for a walk through the streets – all the places she’d always wanted to see. And he’d left her there.
Wandering alone, abandoned and afraid, Delores had thought the world couldn’t get any worse…
And that was when the gods had appeared.
They were gorgeous. Being in their rotting presences brought greater joy than milking or the bull. All were welcomed, none were judged, and serenity flowed from them in streams. So did a horrid stink.
After a time, some of the gods had lain down and stopped moving, passing through the dirt into the next world. Others had fought the humans to protect the Holy Society. They were also now in the new earth, lucky sods.
Delores shook off the cold and called out for the gods. There was no answer. A few of her new herd’s desperate faithful had already tried to jump the fence and rejoin their beloved. They might as well have tried to jump over the moon.
Which brought Delores back to her doubts. What if the gods hadn’t gone to a better place? What if they had just… gone?
With the departure of the gods, a Farmer had found Delores and the others and joined them with his own herd, which was now tearing itself apart with grief: they had been so much more but now they had to be cows again, ordinary dairy cows and they… they couldn’t. They would always remember those glorious weeks of calm beyond calm.
Delores left the others at the fence, seeking solitude and space to wrestle with her doubts.
On the next hill was a shape, lighter than the darkness around it, moving fluidly, its body low. Two bright eyes were fixed keenly on her. She knew that shape, those eyes shining in the dark. The demon from the field had returned to finish her off. Delores steeled herself for death. She’d be with the gods again soon.
You couldn’t wait a few hours? said a voice behind her.
Delores turned to find a human looking past her at the white beast. He tore off his windblown outer coat to reveal the smooth skin beneath. And back you came, he said. Honestly, Lisa, you’re worse than a homing pigeon.
Had one of the gods returned? No. He smelled strongly, but not of noble death – of dirt and blood and glory, of the pungent peace that awaited them all – this human smelled of sweat and tractor exhaust.
Behind Delores, padded footsteps came closer. The demon would be on her soon. Delores fought the flight instinct with her every muscle. Not long now. A few seconds and she’d be with the gods again.
Ahead, the human rushed toward her. He sprinted, pushed his body forward, and reached her before the demon – and trod on her! He’d used her as a step to dive at the demon!
Delores heard whimpers and howls and snarls behind her, but didn’t feel the pain of an attack. What delayed her killer? Surely not that skinny human…
But when she looked around, the human was gone. Now the white beast rolled and fought with a dark-furred demon.
Ah, of course, the gods were being merciful: two would kill her quicker than one.
The dark demon nipped at the white, which drew back and snapped, but the dark demon lowered its muzzle and growled. Delores waited. They would remember her soon.
But no… the dark demon was keeping the other one away from her. It was the larger, thicker of fur and muscle, its tail waving in the air and its balance high.
And then it bounced above and around the other, then away… leaving the way open for the white demon to attack Delores. It considered her with those sharp blue eyes, its tongue hanging out, then turned away and raced after the dark demon.
Joy swept through Delores as she trotted back to the herd: the gods were still out there, performing miracles, protecting them, keeping them safe! She had to tell the others!
One moor across, the wolves ran together through the night.
The End.
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James Paddington will return in
Fratricide, Werewolf Wars, and the Many Lies of Andrea Paddington
About the Author
Stephen Bills is a kilt-wearing, motorbike-riding, turtle-owning Adelaidean with a B.A. in Philosophy and an M.A. in Creative Writing. When he is not writing, he is a waiter at an accounting firm.
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Connect with Me Online:
Webpage: https://StephenBills.com/
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