Blood of the Flock

ISBN-13: 9781535213660 / Angielski / Miękka / 2017 / 256 str.

Gerald Rochelle

Opis

Two lands, Athala and Atho, joined by a subterranean and danger-filled watery conduit, are the background for this tragic odyssey. Luit, burdened by a cursed immortality is reliant on his capricious servant Lezma and a flock of hapless followers she handpicks for him, to feed his fragile and never-ending suffering. There is only one solution to his dreadful mortal persistence, and this comes in the most cruel and soul-destroying way Thinking himself safe in the land of Atho, Luit, with the aid of his impish servant Lezma, lives out a cruel immortality dependant on his shabby flock of followers. But this irksome immortality is threatened by great evils and an unforeseen conspiracy. Luit, master of Atho, leaves for the rain sodden Athala where he finds a burdensome and horrific immortality-his body continues to degenerate, and he can still die at the hand of his own child. Fearful of water, his adoring, jealous, impish and self-seeking servant, Lezma, travels through the watery conduit to bring others to join his 'flock' where they are used to satisfy his need for replacement body parts. Luit and his wife Medean have a child but Medean, is driven from Athala by the flock. Lezma is instructed to abandon the child by exposure in Atho. Lezma fails in her task and hands over the child to Treasure, a fanatic with a deep hatred of Luit. The child, Sharka, is indoctrinated with Treasure's hatred. Luit's deformed half brother Graf builds a dam of bodies at the Atho entrance to the conduit. Medean, lost in the conduit, is caught up in this dead pile. She is looked after by Graf and eventually gives birth to his child. For her treachery, Lezma is exiled to Atho by Luit. Under the tutelage of Treasure, and accompanied by her devoted servant Dagan, Sharka grows into a beautiful, courageous and amoral woman with a deeply imbedded hatred of Luit. Graf obtains a platinum bell capable of great destructive power. Sharka collects a band of followers. Pestilence breaks out in Atho and Sharka is tasked by Treasure with the mission she has been trained for -to despatch Luit and the flock. The distrustful Treasure convinces Dagan to give Sharka a slow acting poison the antidote to which will be given only on completion of her mission. Sharka and her followers plug the dead pile to temporarily hold back the pestilence that emanates from it. Sharka's inherited fear of water means that to reach Athala she has to be bound and carried through the conduit. Sharka with practiced guile offers herself as Luit's lover. Dagan tells her that she has been poisoned. Sharka's followers cruelly slay the flock. Sharka stabs Luit while he is still in her arms. Luit, knowing he is dying, realises that Shark must be his child. Lezma tells Sharka that Luit was her father. The antidote never arrives. Graf sounds the platinum bell. All the inhabitants are sent mad and, as Medean dies, Lezma is washed down into Atho when the dead pile collapses and the polluted waters of Athala finally break through to destroy Atho.