The
terrorists had already had extraordinary luck.
A
sentry lost interest just before he would have undoubtedly uncovered
the weapons in the back of their truck. A girl undressing at a window
had caught the attention of an officer who waved them through a
checkpoint impatiently, just before the numberplates of their stolen
van could be checked. An anti-tank shell screaming directly at their
truck had been intercepted by a tourist bus, approaching the city at
speed on the other carriageway. Over twenty people had died, but the
terrorists had escaped without a scratch. They were, they
acknowledged among themselves, extraordinarily lucky.
He
were a funny wee babby, that one. Came out of his mam with a head
full of blonde curls and a big beaming smile on his face. Nary a
scream nor a whimper: nothing. He just looked at me with them big
round eyes, smiling. And y’know, I think all of us in the delivery
room just stopped and stared at him for a moment. Then we caught each
other and sniggered like we was kind of embarrassed.
Did
you see her? With the hair up like that and buttons down her
chest? Walla.
For a girl like that …
What
do you mean, I’m not religious? For a girl like that, wouldn’t it
be worth it? Married, nice religious family, what the hell, little
hat on my head, whole thing. Look at her.
Dionis Baynbrigge
is a magnificent man with a strong arm and a fine doublet, as unthrifty as you
would want for a man in possession of a vineyard. And when my mother loosened
her ruff for him to gaze adoringly on her whitened neck, he was not yet her
husband. Well may she chastise me now!
"A
whistling woman and a crowing hen can drive the devil out of his
den" -
Hull fishermen’s proverb
When
I’d finished rubbing down the stove I took a bucket and brush out
to scrub my doorstep. Mam was out there on her own step. I hadn’t
moved far when I’d married Freddie.
‘Not
pregnant yet?’ Mam asked every time she came round for tea.
Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, traitors and plotters all ...
The conspirators have conspired, backs have been stabbed and favours
traded, and the winning stories for our TREASON & PLOT event on
Tuesday November 13th are as follows:
The Last Words of Emanuel Prettyjohn by Jonathan Pinnock
A Crowing Hen by Arike Oke *NEW AUTHOR* Princess by Atar Hadari Lucky Numbers by Michael Spring To John Wright of York by Leonie Milliner *NEW AUTHOR*
This month's explosive stash of fiction features lucky terrorists,
taciturn cult-leaders, Nordic fishermen, Jewish princesses and an
ankle-obsessed Jacobean in a ginger wig - and they're all yours for only a fiver!
As usual, we can also offer you a
brain-tickling literary quiz, FREE BOOKS to win, and bargain bottles of
wine. No fireworks though, not after last year. We hope to see you there with cloaks and daggers at the ready ...
The night will kick off at 7.30pm (doors open at 7pm) on Tuesday November 13th.
Tickets cost £5 on the door (cash only, no advance
booking) and seating is unreserved - so it's a good idea to get there a
bit ahead of time if you want a good table.
The venue is downstairs at: The Phoenix 37 Cavendish Square London W1G 0PP
(The Phoenix is 5 minutes' walk from Oxford Circus tube station, which is on the Victoria, Bakerloo and Central lines)
Journalist Catriona Troth came along to our Twist & Turn night, reviewed it and interviewed Katy, Liam, Cliff and author/actor Carrie. See what she said in her article for WordsWithJam here.
BUY OUR AUTHORS' NEW BOOKS!
Longtime contributors Niall Boyce, Jonathan Pinnock & Richard Smyth all have books out which you'd be well advised to buy, then read, then buy for others. All genres are catered for, from novels (Niall's Veronica Britton) and short stories (Jonathan's Dot Dash) to nonfiction (Richard's Bumfodder)
KATY LIAR'S DEBUT NOVEL
Liar Katy Darby's debut novel, a Victorian drama called The Unpierced Heart (previously titled The Whores' Asylum) is now out in Penguin paperback. It's had nice reviews in The Independent on Sunday, Sunday Times & Metro (4*).
OUR INTERVIEW WITH ANNEXE MAG!
They came, they saw, they asked us a bunch of interesting questions. Interview by Nick of Annexe Magazine with Katy of LL: here
