20 views
The gods were struck to coin (unedited excerpt)
Chapter 8. The Shadow of the Mountain Angel
Avery woke with a headache. Without opening his eyes he felt the only relief was in the imaginary steam that would come from his tears but he couldn’t imagine crying. He rolled over to feel someone next to him.
“You want some water?” A gentle voice said softly.
He opened his eyes, because he did not know this voice, or who it belonged to. A pretty round face framed with yellow hair looked concernedly at him. The yellow contrasted with dark blue eyes, and this contrasted again by the paleness of her bare neck. Followed by the bareness of her shoulders and the open vacancy of her clothes was revealed by her free breasts that swept the fabric of the bedclothes in a manner that made Avery’s heart jump in surprise and again in delight. This action, made his eyes squeeze shut, for his head pounded.
And lo! She moved, not away in shame, or into the mists as an apparition, but like an Angel announcing the word of God. Peace on earth and good will toward men. To be seen and desirable to continue to be seen as good and delightful. For a moment the sun shined in the soul of Avery Gennedario.
“You paid for the night.” said the girl, “but you fell asleep.”
“I’m sorry...I don’t remember coming here.”
“That’s alright,” the angel laughed softly, “it happens frequently here.”
The naked girl stood pensively regarding him and in this moment something called to Avery from deep within himself. It went something like this:
The Angel spoke hallelujah: Glory to God in the highest. Who was and is and is to come. With only her stretching and unashamed form that makes a man’s heart sing: Stay Angel and never let the good news God speaks leave your lips! And may He everspeak through the silence of his radiance through your skin! Bare it to me and melt the winter of my heart! Confirm in me that I too have this fire that I see in the miracle of your form. Confirm that your eyes see in me what I see in you!
“What do I owe for.” Avery was suddenly anxious he had spent all of Josie’s money.
“Just the going rate for a bed.”
Avery reached for his money.
“No fear.” laughed the girl, “you paid last night. and in pennies. You picked me but we could see that you were drunk and it was very late. So we gave you a place to sleep it off and I hope you don’t mind that I needed a place to sleep as well.”
She bent over the table and placed the refund for services not rendered. And though Avery’s head pounded he managed to open his eyes and explored the topography of that narrow passage of lips that kiss to the womb as she did so.
The Angel stood smiling at the boy’s eyes on her. “There, now we are square. But I would suggest, for the sake of your recovery from a little more drink than what’s good for you that we catch a bath.”
A bath? That had to be costly. Keythos culture priced water as precious. And the few baths Avery had there it was an event of great pleasure. It would be just the thing.
“How much?” asked the economist.
“2 cents.” said the prostitute.
“Alright.” She dressed and helped the boy arm in arm down the wide stairs to where the wooden tubs stood steaming in the room well protected from too much sun. They undressed and stepped in. It was early but soon the tubs began to draw shameless women into the lure of refreshment of their bodies. They would...
Avery woke with a headache. Without opening his eyes he felt the only relief was in the imaginary steam that would come from his tears but he couldn’t imagine crying. He rolled over to feel someone next to him.
“You want some water?” A gentle voice said softly.
He opened his eyes, because he did not know this voice, or who it belonged to. A pretty round face framed with yellow hair looked concernedly at him. The yellow contrasted with dark blue eyes, and this contrasted again by the paleness of her bare neck. Followed by the bareness of her shoulders and the open vacancy of her clothes was revealed by her free breasts that swept the fabric of the bedclothes in a manner that made Avery’s heart jump in surprise and again in delight. This action, made his eyes squeeze shut, for his head pounded.
And lo! She moved, not away in shame, or into the mists as an apparition, but like an Angel announcing the word of God. Peace on earth and good will toward men. To be seen and desirable to continue to be seen as good and delightful. For a moment the sun shined in the soul of Avery Gennedario.
“You paid for the night.” said the girl, “but you fell asleep.”
“I’m sorry...I don’t remember coming here.”
“That’s alright,” the angel laughed softly, “it happens frequently here.”
The naked girl stood pensively regarding him and in this moment something called to Avery from deep within himself. It went something like this:
The Angel spoke hallelujah: Glory to God in the highest. Who was and is and is to come. With only her stretching and unashamed form that makes a man’s heart sing: Stay Angel and never let the good news God speaks leave your lips! And may He everspeak through the silence of his radiance through your skin! Bare it to me and melt the winter of my heart! Confirm in me that I too have this fire that I see in the miracle of your form. Confirm that your eyes see in me what I see in you!
“What do I owe for.” Avery was suddenly anxious he had spent all of Josie’s money.
“Just the going rate for a bed.”
Avery reached for his money.
“No fear.” laughed the girl, “you paid last night. and in pennies. You picked me but we could see that you were drunk and it was very late. So we gave you a place to sleep it off and I hope you don’t mind that I needed a place to sleep as well.”
She bent over the table and placed the refund for services not rendered. And though Avery’s head pounded he managed to open his eyes and explored the topography of that narrow passage of lips that kiss to the womb as she did so.
The Angel stood smiling at the boy’s eyes on her. “There, now we are square. But I would suggest, for the sake of your recovery from a little more drink than what’s good for you that we catch a bath.”
A bath? That had to be costly. Keythos culture priced water as precious. And the few baths Avery had there it was an event of great pleasure. It would be just the thing.
“How much?” asked the economist.
“2 cents.” said the prostitute.
“Alright.” She dressed and helped the boy arm in arm down the wide stairs to where the wooden tubs stood steaming in the room well protected from too much sun. They undressed and stepped in. It was early but soon the tubs began to draw shameless women into the lure of refreshment of their bodies. They would...
