Hawthorn had just tucked into an egg. He had rapped it twice with a butterknife, peeled back the top, and ladled out a goey teaspoonful. Slowly, he daubed the yolk on some toast, peppered it, brought it to his mouth. "Duane!' Hawthorn reluctantly lifted his eyes from the toast. Across the cafe, a beaming, curly-topped […]
With the man’s every step, a flat note tolled. An iron bell bounced round his neck. Faces turned, startled, shuffled away. Stoat turned from the bar, stared, wrinkled her upturned nose. She leaned to her friend, a lass wrapped in silk. “Can’t believe they allow that, here.” “What?” said the lass, distracted from her beer. […]
Something slithered in the underbrush. A bobbing shadow pursued it, fast and methodical over duff and scattered twigs. A scaly tail flicked, disappeared under a drift of rotten leaves. The shadow leapt. There was a scuffle, a crunch. “Karl, I got it!” shouted the girl, cheeks flushed red. She shuffled upright, waved her fist in the […]