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Date Posted: 21:11:48 11/18/99 Thu
Author: Belamore
Subject: Belamore II

Belamore Two

From the bottom of his heart on top of the parapet King Mortcane was
Singing, teetering on the block tower wall.

"A whore! A whore! My kingdom for a whore!
One sack of six pence
a pocket full of rhyme
I've drunken one whole puncheon
Now to water the forest pine."
His codpiece tumbled, bonging, to the forest floor.

From the stable entry I could see Lady Dolimite and two tower guards
pulling the king back onto the catwalk before he should tip over to his
doom.

I caught a glimpse of Lord Justin and the queen just before they moved
away from south tower window above her chamber. Sir Dragzfuth stopped
in the center of the courtyard. He searched his person for something
and went back inside the castle for whatever he had forgotten. Good, I
still have to polish his saddle after I finish feeding his horse. Lady
Dolimte's horse, Pax, is ready and waiting, but she is late for her
morning ride, busy, I see, keeping foolish Morticane alive.

Dragzfuth saddle polished and cinched upon his mount, I heard footfalls
approach. Then a wretched, hacking cough. A wheezing-gurgling whine,
near death and the staggering of hard barefeet. I turned around.

Old Janora was gasping for air holding tight to the loft hook rope, her
black hooded cloak open, her black dress stained and shinning in sweat.

As quickly as I could drag my wooden leg over to her I brought her a
dipper of water. She waved me away, almost slapping me in half,
knocking the dipper from my hand. She kicked at me with her talon-like
foot, the nails grown out and under like eagle beaks. Coughing and
spitting in between huge hisses of in-gasping breath she handed me an
enormous cigar. "Light this, you ugly old dung forker!!" she said in one
quick breath, then turned blue, stopped breathing all together and made
involuntary trumpet noises from beneath her girdle. I held my own
breath until she began the breathing process again.

I lit the saugage-size, evil smelling cigar in the horseshoe hearth and
handed it to her. She hardly had enough mouth to insert the thing
around her one long tooth. She sucked the embers down a full inch and
inhaled deeply-wheezing so that courtyard dogs were perking their ears
and howling. Then with the pleasantest of pleasure she exhaled slowly
and sat in the opening of an open nail barrel...sinking her tiny bottom
in, enjoying that as well. She took two more like-drags; all the while
keeping her one red eye on me and the green eye on the stable entry. She
wiped her face with her skirt and then her nose and gave a hearty-honking
blow, examining the gather then dropped her skirt hem to the floor.

"That is one high hill from the village to here, I should have flown."
She pointing her twig-finger to the dipper.

I filled it with water and brought it to her.

"What brings you here?" I asked as she gulped.

"I want to carry your child, you ugly wart!" she handed me an envelope
and a pouch and cackled and slapped her knee. The laugh turned into a
coughing spell again. This time she almost died.

"A letter? I cannot read."

"Not for you. Tis for Lady Dolimite. Nevermind from who, tis a secret.
You are the only one to pass this to Dolimite." Janora drove her
finger four inches up her nose and scratched tickle-hairs with great
passion. When she was finished she said. "Give me your palm."

I put the letter and the pouch inside my vest and gave her my hand.

She studied it for a moment and grunted, then tossed my hand back at me
with great force for and old woman. Her raisin face pruned in disgust.
"My black stars, Belamore, you have no pinky or thumb! No leg, no right
arm! And one eye is gone! And you are an ugly, ugly man! " She
grabbed at my vest and forearm and hoisted herself out of the
nail-barrel. She picked four horseshoe nails out of her buttox and
moaned and groaned toward the door.

"What did you see in my palm?" I looked at my hand.

"Dirt and horse crap." She avoided my eye with her own this time. She
flicked the cigar butt outside. "Wouldn't it be a sight if you drove me
to town in the royal coach?" She cackled at the thought of herself in
there.

"If you wake for dark, when I'm through here I will drive you in my
donkey cart." I said, watching Lady Dolimite crossing the courtyard.

Janora saw her appoaching too. "Ride with you? Children throw rocks at
you! No I think not. I shall walk back. Tis down hill now. She
turned slowly. "Belamore...burn that letter." She said with her green
eye focused on mine. She hobbled away before Dolimite could see her.

Lady Dolimite took one look at her horse and narrowed her eyes. I
cringed, knowing the wrath of those knife blue eyes before..."Belamore! A
Sidesaddle!! No Belamore, I told you before..."

"Queen's orders m'lady. Her majesty said that you are not to ride like
a common boy and you must take an escort." I backed away, though I knew
she would not strike me. It was her words that would cut.

"With spies, you mean. I shall speak to the queen." All at once she
calmed and smiled at me...perhaps because of my cowling. "You will not
lose your job, dear friend. Fear not. Remove the saddle. I will be
back."

"This came for you..." I drew the letter from my vest and the pouch.

"For me? From where?"

I shrugged as she took it and placed it down her cleavage...and
it...vanished. Twir it the Dead Sea Scrolls they would have never been
found again, too.

"Remove the saddle and put my own back on." She said and stormed across
the court yard to the castle.

The king's echo of song began anew...something about ..."All the king's
horses..."

continued...


Mel Travers

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