seymoure

Chapter 21

Swearing Off

It was impossible that Scythe was still alive, but all indications said he was.

His heart was still beating, and his lungs were still pulling in air and letting it go. It was easy to know this, since his heart was on the floor near the door and his lungs were working while lying on the desk top at the far side of the room.

No part of his was near any other, but they were held together with the thinnest strands of flesh. The room was a crisscrossed network of red lines. Scythe’s head was wedged between a wall lamp and the wall. His eyes were wide and his mouth worked as though trying to speak.

“Can he talk?” Sabre asked.

Speck pointed to a decorative anchor on the opposite wall where a small piece of red meat wagged madly.

In every direction the Pirate Captain’s body was draped over all the furniture. It was truly a horrendous spectacle.

Stumbling from behind them came the Magician Koss; he looked over the Black Corsair’s shoulder and winced at what he saw.

“Oh, my good magicks!” he said. He turned to his friend and asked, “A woman?”

Sabre nodded his head.

“This is some powerful spell work,” the old man mused. “I would like to bring my new young lady to consult with me on this.”

“Whatever it takes,” said Sabre. “This shouldn’t happen to anyone.”

“This could almost make you swear off women,” Sandor said.

After a second, the two men said, almost in unison, “Almost.”

The pirate walked up to the head of his recent rival and began to talk, then looked closer.

Speck pointed to the porthole on the near hull.

The Black Corsair walked to that location and spoke down to the ears that were stationed there. “Scythe, we have good wizards who will bring you back. That is my promise to you.”

The head on the wall smiled weakly.