Languorous, lingering, luxuriant and self-indulgent. I never could have dreamed of such a day, before the other night, when he called me: ‘Ingrid?’ ‘Yes?’ ‘Are we still on for tomorrow?’ ‘Why ever not?’ I asked: ‘What was the plan again?’ ‘A picnic,’ he said, ‘by the lake: I’ll bring the sandwiches, if you’ll bring the... Continue Reading →
Prime Minister Burris Jackson addresses the people of Brexitannia, after the Corollavirus outbreak has been declared a pandemic by the World Health Organisation... "We face an invisible, unprecedented enemy. We are fighting a foe we cannot see, with the simple tools of soap, water, and our own singing voices. Remember to wash your hands for... Continue Reading →
All those close to the President would be lined up outside the Palace and told to run, but they wouldn’t get far. I was in the airport. They were coming for us there too, but there were no guns, only razor blades. I escaped down the service lift and hid in the luggage conveyor. I’d... Continue Reading →
I am an old man. I had a busy life once. A wife, a family, a career, but these days, retired, I live alone. I am swiftly advancing in years: too swiftly. I have some friends. I value those friends, and I hope they value me. We meet on a regular basis, in pubs, and... Continue Reading →
There was a fireplace in my old bedroom, or rather, an empty space where a fireplace used to be. Except that the empty space had now been filled by a blue-and-white chest of drawers. Every night, I'd wait until the grown-ups were asleep and then I'd move them. Because only I knew that behind that... Continue Reading →
The second day of the vaccine drive went well. We travelled all over the inner Southlands visiting small villages and farmsteads. In return for the vaccine, we were given gifts of home-baked pies, cakes and preserves from the grateful villagers. They wished us luck in our rebellion against Koronin and his followers. As day drew... Continue Reading →
The news of Erasmus' death and the capture of his castle hit me hard, like a cannonball to the chest. We would have to take action without delay to avoid the further advance of Koronin's forces. Luckily, the Fates had granted us a fighting chance: the runner who came to us with news of Erasmus'... Continue Reading →
I went out to the hazel wood, because a fire was in my head. And how. What a fire. It wasn't the first time I'd gone out somewhere because of a fire in my head. In the Old Days, I was constantly walking out somewhere or other to put out some fire or other that... Continue Reading →
I was supervising the kitchen staff in preparation for the St Valentine's Day feast when I heard the herald's horn blow from the hills beyond my Summer Palace. With an excited rush of anticipation, I ran to the lookout post and sure enough, I saw the long-awaited sight: the rebel fleet approaching! Preparations Soon, the... Continue Reading →
Seen from the glittering shores of the Southlands, Mt. Nanos looks peacefully majestic. But on a wild winter’s night it is far from this. It is a dark and hostile place where dread winds blow, and the route below is fraught with danger. The mountain marks a watershed between the inland climate which is temperate,... Continue Reading →
