onsdag den 13. november 2019

Susan in Paris 9

Cooper and Teiko were the first to return. They carried between them a creature mangled beyond recognition. It had a head, and some fur could be seen, but what was up and down in the bloody mound, they placed on the floor was not to be determined. Susan watched in horrid fascination. Then the lumps of flesh and bones started moving. Susan felt sick. but before she was overwhelmed, Granny stood at her side.
"Fill this dipper from the cauldron, and bring it to me. Careful. Do not touch the substance, before it has touched the monster there."
Susan did as she was asked, and she returned with a dipper full to the brim. Granny took it from her, and poured the grey green liquid all over the crawling mound of flesh and bone.  Suddenly the bones knit, and the flesh knew where to go. Once again they looked, transfixed as the shape turned more and more human.
"You," Granny whispered. " You're the miller of this town. Do you even know what you are, or rather were, until tonight."
"I know it not," the man whispered, "but I suspected it. I always got drunk, and hid in the cellar at the full moon, but this time I forgot. It was that dance."
"Well that dance, and a gargoyle, and a potion out of my cauldron also cured you. You are no more a skin turner or a lycantrope. What are you going to do now."
"I am cured? I will help build up what I have ruined, and marry the sweet Elsbeth of the swirling shirts. I'll spend two days a week to build and help the citizens of the town for free. Sundays I'll go to church, and on the remaining four, I'll build a new life for Elsbeth and me. And I'll help and recompense you in any way you'll deem necessary."
"I'll hold you to your promises," Granny said. "Now leave!"
Susan turned to the door, where Kensuke, Ella and  Liam came carrying one more wolf-human pile of meat and bones in a sheet. She left the house with Cooper and Teiko, hoping that there were no more of these not quite dead bodies around, or at last hoping she would not be the one to find it.

In all five werewolves were found and cleansed. They were all normal citizens, all having had a suspicion, but deeming werewolves superstition, they had tried to explain their illness under many other names.
None of them saw one another, or were told who they were, only that there were more of them. All pledged to live decent, helpful lives from now on, and Susan and the Mountaineers were sure Granny would hold them to their promises.

"And now, Granny said, as the last of the weres were found and cleansed, "It's time for us all to depart. It's almost midnight. you should all be at he hotel. I cannot thank you enough for your help tonight." She hugged them all soundly, blessing them and then she raised her spoon and chanted something that sounded like a lullaby. Suddenly they drifted trough the air, landing at the parking site in front of the inn.
They piled inside, and as Teiko, the last of them, crossed the threshold, the bell began tolling the midnight hour.
"We'll meet again in Denmark. We'll have to leave early tomorrow."  The Lion dancers said to Susan, and they all hugged one another.
"Gengonai!" Kensuke whispered, swishing his drum stick wand and suddenly Teiko's chirping sounded once again totally unintelligible in Susan's ears.
"Sayonara!" she said, one of the really few Japanese words Susan had learned.
Susan slept as soon as her head hit the pillow, and she dreamt of nothing at all during the night. Next morning she woke very late, and she was sure Granny had done something about this, as she had feared sleeping after seeing the werewolves changing shape.

When Susan and Linda climbed into the car, Susan looked up. And there, at the highest point of the house, where the eaves met, a grey green Gargoyle glistened in the early sun. Susan left the car and looked up. Very slowly one of the eyes closed, and opened again. It was Cerina. 

3 kommentarer:

  1. I just read all the Susan in Paris 1-9. The colorful hotels sounds fun and certainly easy to remember if you ever get lost. And the gargoyle - Cerina - I like her and the fact that she tames werewolves - that's definitely a new idea to me.

    When Susan said "What do I have to do, my pretty one?" - it suddenly reminds me of 'The wizard of oz' and the witch there with her flying gargoyles.

    I just had an idea - you could make Granny Susan's Grandmother instead of Ella's and that's why Susan and her family are in Paris - well, I just like the idea that Susan have a witch grandmother. And mostly because I find it odd that Susan could meet a bunch of people and suddenly they are friends and working together. Well, I'm not Susan so I probably would not make friends this easily and so easily trust them that they wouldn't kidnap her when they suggest they go visit Ella's Grandmother. I guess that's my mentally for growing up in a modern city.

    Great story! Have a lovely day.

    SvarSlet
    Svar
    1. The 1970ies were much more trusting times. That's true. And while I want to write Susan's story, I'm writing my own biography at the same time. I work with a basis of real happenings (so much so that even the television program is authentic ;) ), whereupon I build and weave in the magic happenings.
      I never read the Wizard of Oz. The flying gargoyles came from my own fascination with them visiting Paris in 1977 ;) I'll have to read it - when I'm done writing Unicorn Farm.
      Susan's grandmother is a witch ... good thinking. My granny was a fabulous woman, strong, nice, brave and indomitable ... and lived near Unicorn Farm ...

      Slet

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