In the Works.
The In the Works page is for books
that Dee is currently working on and has not been sold to a
publisher yet. Dee would love to have your input on the first
chapter below.
The
Eleventh Commandment
The
Fox and the Gargoyle
By
A.
Dee Carey
An
orphan, paid little attention by the villagers, he wandered
wherever he chose. He wasn’t sure why he frequently followed the
churchman. The man was kind and often shared his food with Clancy.
He idolized the man who only seemed to preach to scattered, and
tattered, poor folks. He did not have any particular skills other
than the ability to mesmerize the crowds he gathered wherever he
went. People followed him and Clancy was no exception.
He
remained when all the others left. Clancy was Patrick’s constant
companion. The boy was delighted as Patrick told him, they would
be traveling to see the Pope.
He never
thought he would ever leave his homeland, let alone visit the
venerable Pope Leo “The Great.”
Patrick
explained his position in the church. The boy listened intently
and desired a likewise way of life for himself.
Clancy
was a handsome red haired lad. He was shorter than other boys his
age and the village children often taunted him. He had no
protector until he allied with Patrick. The clergyman took the
orphaned child to his heart. He provided a home and family for the
child who had none.
Chapter 1
Clancy
I knew better than to mess with the forces of evil. Oh,
I knew better but never thought it would come to this.
The force was so
tempting, all I ever wanted was to be a part of something, to have
some worth, to be accepted. Damien Darke promised not only would I
be accepted but I would be far superior to those who belittled me.
Darke was an imposing man. Suave and sleek, he was immaculate in his
dress, the clothes he wore were obviously made for him by a very
skillful tailor. His long slender fingers were perfectly manicured.
And Damien asked so
little, all he had to do was report the comings and goings of
Patrick. I reasoned I am with him all the time, what could it hurt
if I tell Damien Darke? Surely the churchman had nothing to be
ashamed of nothing I could say about him would bring him harm.
Patrick called as
Damien slunk away. There was a faint scent of sulfur in the air.
Patrick caught it at once.
“Clancy, who have you
been talking to?”
I hung back into the
shadows, knowing I’d done something wrong, but was not sure what it
was. “Ah, no one, I’m here alone,” I replied haltingly.
Patrick drew himself
to his full height and placed his hands on his hips. “Boy don’t
think to lie to me. I’ve given you every advantage this is no way to
treat a benefactor.” He drew a vial from the pouch he wore over his
soft brown robe.
For a reason I did
not understand I began to tremble. I was more frightened than I’d
ever been before. In my heart I knew Patrick would never harm me,
yet I flinched as the clergy man moved toward me.
Patrick poured the
water from the vial into a small cup. He handed the cup to me and
indicated I was to drink. I took the cup and raised it to my lips.
Strange feelings
flooded through my body. My blood seemed to curdle in my veins, and
within my heart a great battle was being waged. I was being punished
for a sin far more grievous than I could ever have imagined. I fell
onto all fours. Looking back over my shoulder I noted I now had a
tail, a thick white plume of a tail. My back was covered with a
russet fur. I held out my hands that were now paws covered with a
shiny black fur. This is what happens when you fall prey to evil. I
knew deep within his heart that my transformation was tempered by
Patrick. Had I no protector I would have burned for my sin. What
seemed a harmless trade was far more and the price paid was greater
than I assumed at the onset of the bargain.
I stamped the ground
but his padded paws made little impression on the soft grass.
Patrick leaned down
beside me. Tears were forming in his eyes. “Clancy, you have been in
the company of the devil. You listened and agreed to work for him.
For that you are relegated to be an animal. I tried to lessen the
punishment, but I can do no more than this. You will remain with me
as my pet and I will care for you all of your days.”
I pressed my furred
body into the dirt. It was hopeless, I should have known. Surely the
Christ who died for us all could intercede for me. I implored
Patrick to speak for me. Yet I knew he’d done all he dared. Somehow
I had disrupted his thoughts and his way of life. Oh, would it ever
be as it was. We were free, to travel and preach of the Lord’s
goodness. I had ruined his plan. What would become of me? How will I
survive in an animal body? I don’t know how to forage or hunt. For a
certainty I would starve. But was it fair I be punished so
grievously for my sin? Surely there were those who stole and
murdered.
The cleric
replaced the vial and said, “Come Clancy we must find a shelter for
us. We will leave for Rome in the morning. I guess there is no sense
in your packing, as you now have no need for clothing.
I as a fox looked up
at him, his eyes brimming with tears. I felt even more abandoned
than I did as an orphan.
Patrick found an area
covered by the long boughs of a willow perched at the edge of a
crystal stream. He opened his pack and laid out blankets and cleared
an area for a fire. I did not like the fire and backed away from the
flames. My own reaction to the fire surprised me. As a boy I’d
always enjoyed the warmth of a cook fire and the resulting smells.
However as an animal I fear it. MY conflicting emotions frightened
me. Would I have to spend my entire life as an animal or could I
perform some service that would grant me reprieve? Surely there was
more to this transformation, than is currently apparent. Why would
I, an animal, be summoned to Rome by the Pope himself?
The road from
Scotland to Rome was a long and treacherous journey. The churchman
was well acquainted with journies and hardship. He had been a slave
in Ireland and Patrick knew well the dangers, but I was only excited
by the glamour of it. Patrick rode on an overlarge draft horse,
named Ox. Ox was a mismatched animal from a farm plow. None of the
other horses were as large as he. He could pull many pounds but not
in tandem with another horse. As he had little value as a farm horse
Patrick acquired the animal for little coin. Though large Ox had a
gentle nature and was happy to serve Patrick.
Patrick spent many
hours construction a means of conveyance for me. As fox I would be
unable to travel such a distance without being carried at least a
portion of the way. He fashioned a carrier of leather drawn over a
wooden frame. It was large enough for me to stand in or lie as I
chose. Across the front of the carrier there was a simple flap that
could be closed in inclement weather and left open while riding to
observe the land around them. This method of transport, pleased me
well. Ox was undisturbed by the additional weight on his back. He
did not mind another animal riding upon him, as many horses did. His
back was broad and flat and easily accommodated my carrier.
The three of us
rested by the fire and finally drifted off to sleep.
I awoke to a loud
flapping. Patrick was shaking out his bed roll and gathered the pot
from the extinguished fire. “Well, lad, we must not tarry, we need
to cover as much ground as possible. Rome is a long way from here
and as we are summoned, we must arrive as quickly as we can.
My stomach gnawed and
growled in protest that we would not be eating right away. Patrick
tightened the chinch on Ox’s saddle, then secured the carrier for
me. I jumped up onto Ox and poked my head in the contraption Patrick
constructed for me. I turned within the small enclosure and stuck
out my snout. He must have seen the hunger in my eyes for he offered
me a piece of dried meat and a bit of biscuit through the flap of
the carrier. I bit into the meat and pretended it tasted better than
it actually did. It was cold, hard and not in the least satisfying.
The biscuit was tasty though and I devoured every bite. I knew it
would be sometime before we ate again and I prayed my stomach would
not be too loud in its protest.
Back to top
©foxladycarey. 2007
Designed and
maintained by Way2Kool Designs
Meet Dee