Dear Reader,

Thank you for…

We believe that…

We ask you for…anti-piracy@macmillan.com.

Very best wishes,

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HAL DUNCAN

Vellum

The Book of All Hours: 1

To my Dad,…

To my Mum,…

And above all…

Forever

Volume one The Lost Deus of Sumer

Prologue The Road of All Dust

The Journals of Reynard Carter – Day Zero

– A burning… fwoom.

That was Jack…

The Book. I…

I felt a bit…

I wiped away…

The Book of All Hours

The Book of…

– The Book…

I remember…

– But Uncle…

– Uncle Reynard…

I remember…

– Of course,… utterly untrustworthy…

And he held…

– Almost as…

The Cistercians… copy of the Book… he was God’s…

The only binding…

The Legends of a Lifetime

– A book of…

– Bullshit,…

– Shut up,…

He slid the…

– Go on, he…

– Right, I… both these ideas…

– It’d have…

I shrugged,…

– Maybe the… where it is . .…

– You read…

The Macrom… , said Uncle…

He turned the…

– Second-hand…

I was lost…

– You know,…

He had that…

– Sure, I’ve…

I lit a cigarette…

– Why do you…

Bullshit , Jack coughed…

But I could…

– God’s honest…

– Oh, fuck…

I shook my… Your loss.

– Don’t believe…

The legends…

– I know where…

– I’ll believe…

So will I , I thought.… So will I.

Between Kabala and Calculus

Three years…

– Well, of…

He went suddenly…

– That’s what…

– Your grandfather…

Death changes…

I remembered… fuck you, fuck… .

You describe… that Jack,… and it doesn’t…

There was a…

After what…

People die…

The page I…

Instead it…

A Cool White Pillow

– What time…

– Summer, he…

The sunlight…

I sat on a…

I lay on one…

– It’s half…

– Fuck, said…

– A couple…

I picked up… Norton’s Anthology… splayed face-down…

– John Maclean.… Die Hard ? Puck had…

– As in the…

Jack had shaken…

Of all the…

I looked down…

Angularities and Curves

I flicked forward…

The map of…

I remember,…

I turned another…

The Macromimicon.…

The Tower of Bible

– Jack.

He didn’t …

– Jack, I said…

– For fuck’s…

– Come on.…

We’d been there…

– Open the… fucker !

And he exploded…

After a while,…

Jack sat back… bytes , each byte…

On one side…

As I watched,…

In the corner…

– What the…

Joey was walking…

And I watched…

And Jack was…

The Big Picture

As I turned…

– The Macromimicon.…

Another page…

– It’s a fucking…

He checked…

I felt feverish,…

– Who’s coming…

– Fuck that…

The alarm rang…

New Unfamiliar Terrain

The coastline…

To east and…

Again the scale… Eastern Pa… was no more…

Another page,…

I kept turning…

The Silent World

And as my heart…

I knew it even…

I knew it even…

I shouted,…

I didn’t know…

Transformations

We stood there…

I glanced at…

They turned…

I actually…

I don’t know…

– You really…

He finished…

I shook my…

– Maybe it… is just some…

– Nothing’s…

– Everything’s…

I thought,… that’s a q… . I thought,… I recognise… , but I couldn’t…

I looked from…

No Comfort, No Answers

So I sit in…

It sits before…

I think maybe…

I miss Jack…

So where do…

The Road of All Dust

I plan to set…

Tomorrow my…

So I sit here…

I know my destination…

I finish off…

But, yes, it’s…

I have a long…

1 A Door Out of Reality

From the Great Beyond

From the Great…

She gave up…

She gathered… me into her hands,…

Her lashes… sugurra , crown of… come to me,… , with warm,…

And finally,…

Inanna set…

– Lady Shubur,… sukkal who gives…

– O father…

– If Lord Ilil…

Thick with Trees and Thunderstorms

North Carolina,… Welcome to… , and gun your…

She rides past…

The burger…

– and she stands…

It’s August…

Steady again,… Fucking zombie… , she thinks.…

She picks up…

She grabs her…

The antique…

– Looooooooooooooord!… TV Eye kicks in,…

Whore of Babylon, Queen of Heaven

And Inanna…

She saw villages…

She went from…

She travelled…

She journeyed…

She stopped,…

– Go now, Lady…

– My Queen,…

– Go.

A Sculpture of Time and Space

She shifts… #1 Dawg scrawled in…

The bike swings…

The road cuts…

It’s places…

But those aren’t…

Inanna at the Gates of Hell

– Gatekeeper,…

Inanna stood…

– Open the…

– And who are…

– I am Inanna,…

– If you are…

– My sister,…

– Wait here,…

And Neti, chief…

Mary or Anna,…

Another town,… s , the round… m , but in the…

And as it turns…

Thomas Mes…

It’s black…

She lets the…

– My queen,… me gathered into… come, come… . On her head… sugurra , crown of…

And Phreedom…

The water from…

She steps into…

Broken Minutes and Bent Hours

– She is here,… keppu toy, to stir… abzu up as Enki…

When Eresh…

– What have…

Her face turned… kuninu- vessel’s rim.…

– Come Neti,…

Neti listened…

– Come Inanna,… sugurra , crown of…

– What is this?…

– Quiet, Inanna,…

And: Click.…

Other unkin,…

Then there’s… me written in…

– Where’s your…

– I don’t …

– We’ll see…

No. Phreedom’s… did .

A Speck of Dirt Under a Fingernail

As she stepped…

– Quiet, Inanna,…

Click. The bar-handle…

– I’ve found…

She cuts him…

They sit in…

– Don’t tell…

And all she…

– The Vellum,…

The Vellum.…

She looks at…

– I’ll go into…

– Fuck Finnan,…

Never what?…

But she knows…

But still,…

Angels on Your Body

From her breast…

– What is this?…

Creak.

– Thanks. The…

– Angels on…

She swings…

Most people… could be written.…

For a second,… was on before…

– They won’t…

– You won’t… I’ ll kill… , she’s thinking.… I’ ll fucking…

She can feel… where is h… ? The cigarette… She shouldn’t… The smoke…

He turns to…

– Ash? he says.… are you thinking,…

She looks at…

– Fuck you,…

– We’ll find…

Good cop, bad…

Fuck you. Fuck… , she thinks.… I’ ll fucking…

The punching…

I’ ll fucking…

She can feel…

You won’t find…

But I will…

Hunter Seeker

When she entered…

– What is this?…

– Quiet, Inanna,…

Doom. She catches…

The vision…

Asheville,…

It’s weird.…

It’s a college…

She turns onto…

They used to…

– Ah, now you’re… White hot.

The Resonance of Another Moment

Doom. This time… Come here.

She has to…

The car is…

When she entered…

– What is this?…

– Quiet, Inanna,…

And she’s close.…

She turns to…

The tattoo… whenever the hell he…

She lays her…

Ting. The bell over…

When she entered…

– What is this?…

– Quiet, Inanna,…

And the beaded…

And when she…

– What is this?…

– Quiet, Inanna,…

– What’s that?…

– I said, you…

– She’ll see…

Naked and Bowed Low

Naked and bowed…

Phreedom looks…

The woman in…

– You’ve got…

She has an… Ditch the hokum,… , Phreedom…

– I’m looking…

She reaches…

– Thomas, she…

– Brother.

The woman gives… hmmm .

– You know…

– Vellum, she…

He said they…

– I know he’s…

– He’s dead,…

– That doesn’t…

Madame Iris…

– Where angels…

– I don’t …

And Phreedom… should feel but just…

– I’m going…

– You’re already…

Phreedom at the Gates of Hell

Phreedom steps… pleasure that barely…

If she was…

So Phreedom…

She gives herself…

With a wry…

Hotel Cali…

She was never…

It would have…

The door swings…

Click.

Errata

The Book of Life

– So tell us…

Joey snorts… clear latent… , said Jack…

– OK, I say.…

I sip my G…

– But then,… is going to fall.…

– So if you…

– Exactly,…

– So what happens?…

– I haven’t…

– What’s wrong…

– War isn’t…

– Bollocks,…

He grins as…

– You don’t…

– Jack, I say,…

– Cheers, he…

The Search Engine

I trace the… Search Eng… heightens…

In scale and… Search Eng… is the product…

I have no idea…

And so now,…

I have been…

2 The War Against Romance

The Journey of the Dead Man

The angel walks… them before, one…

Nearly everybody… thing does. Every… you , that secret…

Of course she…

So she knows… smell him on the…

He’s black;…

The Jesus Hill

– Never saw… walk into Slab…

– Morning,…

She’s pretty…

He started…

She remembers…

– Hey, by the…

– Sure could,…

– Eggshell…

Mac laughs…

– I’ll bring…

– So cynical,…

– Baa, she…

A Heart-Shaped Window

You don’t argue…

– Hey, says…

The rasta angel…

– Can I bother…

The bastard…

– My . . .…

– I’ll get…

– No . . .…

The heart-shaped…

– What’s your…

– Phreedom,…

She loves her… yeah, and your…

– Is it? –…

Finnan.

– You mean…

– Exactly.

Don’t lie to… , she thin…

– What kind…

– Here’s your…

– I was just…

– You want…

She looks from…

– Guess not,…

Staring Down an Angel

– So, how come…

He’s walking…

– Just heading…

– I imagine…

– I like your…

It’s long and…

– It looks…

– I wouldn’t…

– None tak…

Slab City is pretty primitive,… first home. So you…

– So what kind…

– A red one,…

– I don’t know…

– Mac said…

– He doesn’t…

– Perhaps he’s…

– Finnan doesn’t…

– We all have something…

– So what are… you hiding?

The guy stops…

So, she stands…

– I imagine…

It’s like he’s…

– You’re not…

– Don’t try…

Birdman?

– What does…

– Unkin, she…

A Plain of Bones

– I thought…

His voice is…

– He never…

– Ignorance…

– Bullshit,…

The angel glances…

– Did he think…

– I don’t know…

– Then your…

And he mutters…

She shakes…

– All I know,…

She loses the…

In some ways… unkin only slipped…

– There are…

– And that’s…

– It’s time…

He tails off…

– You have…

– So you’re…

– I’ve come…

And Finnan’s…

An Old Sepia Photograph

The place has…

Round the back…

It was Finnan…

Part of it…

And right now,…

Finnan

Finnan looks…

– That’s the…

She’s sure…

We’ve all got…

Then he opened…

At the moment,… disruptor . Magic for… bitmites , nanite surveillance…

She doesn’t…

– Well, he…

The Book of Names

– There’s nothing…

He and Finnan…

– Your name…

The angel’s…

As she watches,…

– The book…

He smirks.

– Pity, he…

– Seamus Finnan.…

– That’s not…

It’s not the…

The angel leans…

– The book…

– The little…

– A book of…

He moves a…

– Slab City,…

Finnan lights…

– I don’t see…

– Slab City,…

– You can’t… my invitatio…

– You will be gathered,…

– Not by y…

– Then by the…

– You think…

She picks up…

– When they come for you…

– And I’ll…

– They’ll rape…

She blinks…

– Don’t underestimate…

– A chicken-bone…

She fingers…

– You know… unkin with a little…

You never did…

– I always…

– We’re more than human,…

The Last Big Rumble in the Sky

He turns to…

– At most,…

She looks at…

– I took the…

– You know,…

– The Last…

– What do you know about… gangs were throwing… in case – they might…

Finnan flicks…

– You think… that ? This is…

He turns to…

– Against those…

Seamus Finnan.…

– No, says…

Finnan flashes…

– And that…

She’s waiting…

The angel sits…

– My name is in this book,…

The scrolling…

– Would you…

– Neither of…

– What is it…

– It’s—

– I won’t join…

– Metatron,…

Metatron

– Metatron,…

Finnan’s anger…

– Nice of you…

– You invited me in. It’s…

– Polite, sure,…

– I always…

– We have no…

– Then ‘know…

– We’re not…

– And in gratitude,…

– You don’t…

– But I have to repay your…

– I release…

Phreedom notices…

– You’re expelling…

– I’m requesting…

– Just say…

– Please, snarls…

– Not that…

I know what…

Finnan shakes…

– Don’t even…

– Let the little…

– Don’t patronize…

– Leave her…

He bows his…

– I command…

–Metatron,…

Golden, Burning Sound of Fire and Rust

The empty bottle…

Metatron , she says,…

The world is…

Metatron.

And it feels…

The angel throws…

Finnan stubs…

The world becomes…

– I’ll be leaving…

– It looks…

– Maybe I’ll…

– I don’t think…

– My folks…

– My father… what you are?

– As long as…

– You’ll protect… is the choice…

– Get out of…

He pushes past… cheers .

The angel flicks…

– Be seeing…

The Fields of Lost Days

– How long…

– Longer than…

– So how old…

Mac shrugs,…

– Looks like…

As Mac replaces…

– But, hell,…

And she’s thinking…

– You know…

– No. No, I’m…

– So you never…

The road of… , she thinks.… The fields…

– I didn’t… wanted to be asked,…

Nearly everybody… them except that…

And she knows…

The Song of Unknown Lands

– Are you sure…

Evening is…

– Nothing I’ve…

– It’s not… me graving you , he says,…

– We’re unkin,…

– We’re different.…

He puts a finger…

– No they,…

– OK.

They stay there…

– What does…

– It’s like…

– With me it’s…

– ‘Everything…

– That’s it…

– I envy y…

She turns over…

– How long…

– Not long,…

He stops, as…

– Fucking angels,…

– Maybe . .…

She hesita…

– Maybe it’s…

– A fucking…

– Maybe.

He shakes his…

– Promise me,…

But she realizes…

– Why didn’t…

– Cause it’s…

She can hear…

– I’m ready,…

He rolls over…

– Fuck, she…

And his other…

A Half-Empty Pack of Cigarettes

She wakes in…

Tomorrow she’s…

No, it’s more…

She looks out…

And she remembers…

Before she…

But then again.…

Errata

The Journals of Guy Reynard Carter – Day Infinity

The trailer-town…

New Mexico,…

The Jornada…

To get to Slab…

I lay the maps…

The handwritten…

The journey…

The Jornada del Muerto

This world…

I left my last…

Sometimes I…

Slab City,…

3 All Eternity or Nothing

A Vague But Passionate Way

Asheville,…

Thomas watches… sand-nigge… . Jack, his…

He darts another…

You know you…

– You’ve got…

– All I want…

He’s still…

– You think…

Thomas turns…

– No. Death… this world. Death…

– Well, maybe…

Thomas notices… When do you really…

He fidgets…

– Come on.…

– Shite. Will…

Thomas runs…

– Second star…

Finnan says…

– OK, says…

Thomas has… unkin , not as hard…

But, still,…

– Do we just…

– I don’t know,…

– How long…

– I don’t …

Destination Apocalypse

Thomas picks…

Like airports,…

– Madame Iris…

Thomas lays…

It fucking…

– So are you…

– Fucked if…

He wonders…

– This is our…

bullshit w…

The frat boy’s… leave it, man,… and they’ve…

– We don’t…

Thomas became…

Finnan finishes…

– God help…

– Which one?…

But as they… does know – that…

But there’s…

He checks the…

Pick a year,…

The Voice of God

The Voice of…

– You want… really want to know…

And then he’d…

Charlotte,…

He takes the… You too in reply to… Have a nice…

It’s not that…

Carter and…

The other five…

– Glad to finally…

Metatron shakes…

– I understand…

– Slippery…

– He always…

Thomas Messenger,…

– We’ll get…

– I know you…

Golden Apples and Green Leaves

In Uruk, under… me -garments,…

– Take him!…

The ugallu grabbed him… ugallu , who know…

Tammuz wailed.…

Shamash in…

Who are yo…

Carrion Comfort

Lightning.… a flash of… electric flame…

Poet, prodigal,…

Thunder. He… hey girly-boy… and hippy… which way you… blue boot-cut… you selling… .

And all you…

– Get the fuck…

He shrugs.…

– Good Book… you were.

Carrion comfort… , he think…

– Fucking hippy…

– Sure. Wh…

And Thomas… You don’t know… This Thomas…

He pulls his…

But it would…

The Lioness and the Gazelle

His heart,…

– O steppe,…

And on that…

Tassili-n-Ajer…

It is a dry,… predator in…

– These animals… where they run that… that they run.

In ochre sketch,…

– There’s no…

– Sure and…

– No. No, it’s…

It is a dry,…

Unbound by…

Tassili-n-Ajer…

Yellow Paper and Brown Pencil Lines

– Tommy boy,…

Seamus looks…

Tommy reaches…

– Ah, you’ve…

But the boy… aye now, ye… . The boy can’t…

Seamus wanders…

DOOM!

– Jesus Fookin…

Tommy’s howling…

– Jesus Fookin…

– Jesus. Tommy…

The boy’s panting…

He looks at…

Dumuzi’s Dream

He awoke from…

– Sister, listen…

– I see rushes…

I look everywhere…

– Sister, the…

The Great White Hunter

DOOM!

Thomas trembles,…

DOOM!

– It’s all… shhh – that’s right,… shhhhhhh – I know, Tommy,…

And Seamus… our fookin boys going out…

– O Jesus,…

Tassili-n-Ajer…

DOOM!

– Damn it,…

Kenya. Pick…

The hunter…

– Reload i…

His face red,…

Out in the…

Mad Jack Carter

The Somme.

– That’s good,…

Thomas jumps,…

– Sir, he …

– At ease,…

He smiles at…

Carter crouches…

– Saint Sebastian,…

– You recognized…

As embarrassed…

– I’m something…

Of course.…

– I’m not sure…

Carter nods.…

– Was . . .…

Carter turns…

– I just .…

Thomas bites…

– I’m OK now,…

– Good. Good.…

They stand…

– You know,…

He nods at…

– Thank you,…

– Saint Sebastian,…

Thomas says…

– Interesting…

Objects Out of History

– My brother,…

Oxford, 19…

Professor Samuel…

– In the forest…

Around the… ensi stands in…

Given to the Winds

A Phoenician…

The lioness…

– Tammuz, you…

And she looks…

She doesn’t…

But Thomas…

Dumuzi in Sumer,… dumu-zi , child, shining…

Forgotten for…

– The churn…

– The shepherd’s…

And the problem… ugallu ‘ demons’ or…

Errata

The Vellum

Talmud, Midrashim…

I find it an… Villon . He makes…

Outside, the…

The maps in…

The Sheer, Skewed Slant of Their Perspective

It is a peasant…

But, no, as…

And I have…

The sun is…

I consider…

4 Gravings of Destiny

A Sister of Sorts

Inanna, fierce… mistress o… . As soon as…

– I’m going…

– You’re already…

– You’re .…

– No, says…

Forward and…

– Who are you,…

Eresh, Eris,…

– Let’s say…

Madame Iris…

– I am the… is dead, and… always be dead.

– Good, says…

Animal Hide Painted with Ochre

The needle…

On the counter,…

The needle…

– You understand…

Destiny ? says Phreedom.…

– True. But,…

And the needle…

Phreedom twitches…

The book lies… were – burned into…

Phreedom flicks…

She flicks…

– Inanna, she…

Madame Iris…

– Yes, little…

The needle…

– You cannot…

But that’s…

Madame Iris…

– Change is…

An Empty Role of Rituals

From the Great… edin plentiful… en who had made… sugurra in all of… me s, the rules…

– Supreme lordship… me , says her…

His voice drags…

– Lasting ladyship… me , he says,… Nin . Are you …

– Yes, she… ishub , of the lumah , of the gutug . Why do I…

He just shakes…

– The fifteenth… me is truth,…

But she is… me , he doesn’t… hears it.

And she’s going…

Forces shifting… abzu , the abyss… him , something…

The man mutters… is still Enki,… me in which are…

She knows what…

And she’s smart…

So our destinies…

Inanna , hisses Phreedom,… lilis and the mesi and – her… ala . She is Inanna…

And giving…

If you’re going…

The Answerers

The Comfort…

Like a message…

She bypasses… Phreedom isn’t… Fuck that…

But this doesn’t…

Phreedom links…

The sprite… De lieuw zit… But to get…

Qu´e pasa? the sprite… Perd´on; no… .

Man, this stuff…

The avatar’s…

She loads her…

Any sufficiently…

The Temple of Lord Ilil

When, after…

Pound the … Phreedom feels… Around the… Fierce pride… She tore at… Memories,…

So this is…

Another memory:…

– Enlil, the… en meaning lord , lil meaning .… winds or sky , but one old… ilil , literally… god of god… . It’s from… Elohim and the Arabic… Allah , so Lord God…

It smiles with…

– Like Zeus…

The Lady Cypher…

– I’m sure…

The Lady Cypher…

– Well, Enlil…

– It really…

The Lady Cypher,…

– should be…

Inside her…

– look upon…

And the Lady…

Lady Shubur’s Lament

– O father…

The words carve…

But this is…

The needle…

Arecibo, Puerto…

Papa Eli holds… abiku that possesses… brujos have been…

– Ilil, she…

The other santeros…

– Ilil, she… is trying to…

The Temple…

The Lady Cypher…

– Father Lord…

The language… buried forever… the ruins… to death damnation… and as she… the precious… and the air… aromatic cedar… sings the… slaughtered…

And the song…

Liverpool,…

– For it is…

But the girl…

– Baalzebaal,…

– The sacred…

– Elial! Lord…

– The faith…

– Fuck you…

– The virtue…

And he holds…

– Elial! she…

And his hand…

The Houses of the Gods

– Enlil Enlil…

The tour guide…

So. Somewhere…

He used to…

He’d been using… lugals carried with… shabtis , answerers.… karibu as their guardians,…

O yes, he used…

– What does… sukkal – left behind…

– You are the…

But this one-time…

– My daughter… me of the Kur…

He will not…

In a Dark Eye

– He would…

The Lady Shubur… Time flickers…

The Lady Shubur…

She’s holding… brujo’ s hand between…

The Lady Shubur…

A Spiderweb Collage

The Temple…

The Lady Shubur… me under the…

– O father…

The sim takes…

A dead, airless…

It dances to…

A spiderweb…

The Illusion Fields

Phreedom remembers…

– Who am I?…

She was born…

They’d get…

The Lady Cypher…

The Lady Cypher,…

She remembers…

– What am I?…

It was a fluke,…

– I want to…

– Curiosity…

– Yeah, but…

Phreedom tries…

The Lady Cypher…

– My daughter… me of the Kur…

He will not…

The Gods of Old

– Once upon…

– Once upon… must be something…

– Once upon… should be like.They’re…

– You know,…

Thomas had…

– Consistency,…

– It’s not… what it’s all… they’ll be…

– And you don’t…

He shook his…

– Even the…

– What boo…

– The Book…

– What’s the…

– Ah, said…

A Sleeve of Blood and Black

She was born… abzu , deep under…

– Who am I?…

What’s left…

She was born… me , the plans…

– Audacity,…

Iris runs her…

Errata

The Book of Life

The angel known…

The foyer is…

He flicks his…

That’s what… She’s out of… , they’d said.… Little birdy…

Except that’s…

The palmtop…

Thunder and…

He frowns

The Tablets of Destiny

The palmtop’s…

He can smell…

– This is the…

He looks at…

The language…

Whatever form… me are coded…

It’s the machine…

And Metatron…

5 The Fields of Lost Days

Crossroads, 1937

A lone crow… Should be here… , he thought,… should be along…

From its first…

There’s one…

And so, on…

A lone crow…

Dogs of Kingship

1971.

Thomas crouches…

Baseball bats…

What was his…

Scarcely had…

– My sister!… ugallu , who men both…

– You see them?…

– They are… ugallu , with the…

– Quickly,…

– My sister,…

– Dumuzi, said…

And Geshtinanna… ugallu , up into the…

Another century…

Thomas crouches…

Rifle-butts…

– Come out… gonna find you.

The small ugallu spoke to the… ugallu .

– You ugallu , with no father…

Sweet Little Pink Things

They introduced…

– But you can…

They looked…

– We only call…

– But then,…

– It’s short…

– Sweet little…

– And why do… Too much a… , she thought,… defensive .

He ignored…

– Where is…

– paranoid…

– Isn’t that…

– I don’t know,…

Pechorin still…

– This is .…

She looked… Are you guys… she thoug…

– So full of…

And the word… shifted into the blackest…

– That, he…

– Go on, she…

Carter snapped…

– about it,…

– I knew it,…

– Where is…

She just smiled…

– You think…

– You know,…

His Long, Thin Fingers

The ugallu…

– Tell us where…

Geshtinanna…

They offered…

Pechorin stepped…

– I don’t think…

– Since the…

The ugallu…

Seamus Finnan… Christ, Tom… He couldn’t…

And the angel… need , to just crush…

– Where is…

– Dumuzi hid…

The ugallu…

He leaned forward…

– You don’t…

He was empty…

– The ditches…

The Ditches of Arali, the Trenches of the Somme

The ugallu…

– My sister… now, as embedded…

The ugallu surrounded…

– Make my hands…

– Ah, Christ…

The boy looks…

– I just went…

– For fook’s…

– It wasn’t…

Seamus looks…

– I don’t know,…

Shamash took…

Dumuzi, the… dumu-zi , shining child,… Dumuzi’s D… , he leaps,… The Most Bitter… , captured…

Dumuzi’s Capture

– Let us go… ugallu . And they…

– Old woman.…

He ransacks…

– Let us go… ugallu . And they… ugallu watched her…

Geshtinanna…

And the door…

And the angels…

A War of Ideals

Asheville,…

Thomas watches…

Still, there’s…

Thomas is just…

On a small…

Thomas has…

He slips the…

The dark-haired…

He looks uncomfortable… sure, yeah… and fumbles…

– Thanks .…

– Jack, the…

No More Gods

They wore the…

Thomas huddled…

– Why?

– No more gods,…

The creature…

It ran its…

The creature…

– Dumuzi .…

– You can’t…

He whispered…

– That’s what…

Thomas turned…

He turned to…

– One last…

– Great war,…

The Lost Deus of Sumer

The ugallu leaped the… ugallu scratched… ugallu smacked Dumuzi… ugallu smashed the… ugallu threw the… ugallu shattered… ugallu shattered… ugallu cried:

– Rise, Dumuzi!… me -garments from…

The ugallu…

And they lead… , Thomas, and…

And Thomas…

He looks to…

The churn lies…

The Sebitti

When Heaven,…

Metatron looks…

There were… ugallu , just as there… abzu – the great…

Seven Against…

In Egyptian…

It had been…

Seven archangels.…

He had always… me , a new identity…

And when they…

The seven standing…

– It’s done,…

– You’re sure?…

– She’s out…

He nods and…

So the boy…

It’s not like…

In the Silvery Steel of a Cigarette Lighter

Carter holds…

– What the…

Pechorin slaps…

– Jesus Fucking…

Carter clicks…

– Where did…

Pechorin s…

– What does…

Pechorin walks… rephaim . . . hea…

As he climbs…

Pechorin has…

He remembers…

– You look…

Jack looks…

– I feel fucked,…

The River of Crows and Kings

Down the river…

And Thomas… enough behind – the…

It is a dry,…

And though… doom to shatter…

And still he…

Errata

The Strazza Ce La Daedalii

I step out…

Laying my espresso…

It seems I… try to touch the…

As bounded…

And so, Daedalus…

The plaza above…

There are a…

Leonardo’s Laughter

I slip my feet…

As I pull up…

I snap the…

Lastly, finally,…

And the Strazza…

I rise on their…

I fly.

6 The Passion of Every Thomas

The Crucified Shepherd

She finds him…

– I didn’t…

– I don’t,…

– That’s not…

– No? What…

– I’ll die…

– Aye, he says.…

She slides…

There are no…

– What happened…

– Angel took…

– Negative…

– That’s the…

– Maybe, she…

– And that…

Sodjies? What?

He makes a…

– Sergeant…

– I guess they’re…

He takes another…

– Christ, he…

And another…

– But they…

I have a lot… , she thin…

– You know…

She remembers…

– So are ye…

She looks at… Ash- , the angels…

– No, she says.…

She doesn’t…

He looks up…

– D’ye think…

A Ragdoll or a Scarecrow

They crucified…

Just so you…

– His soul…

In that time…

The Temporal World

We lay upon… tuts and tsks of other students…

– Fucking fairies,…

– Fuck you…

I put a hand…

– Hey.

The world,… because we neglected…

– Ouch. Ba…

– Well, don’t…

He cocked his…

The Gracile and the Robust

– When compared… distinct and… to the more…

Old bluff bombastic…

– When we read…

He opened the…

– It is for…

– This series…

Students of Metaphysique

We met, Puck…

It was in our…

And later,…

We studied…

The Suppliants

A woodprint…

Not that it…

Tailors of…

In the darkened… click-whir… and the projected… Hobben rau… daubed on… fucking . . . and…

Of Distraction, of Attention, of Attraction

He looked over…

– Benedictions,…

– Salutations,…

– I have. Those…

– Live fast,…

– Fuck that…

– J.D. and…

– You know,…

His head cocked…

– Ah, no way.…

– I like fucking…

He tracked…

– Man, smell…

Curtius, E., Griechische Geschichte (1857–67), Vol. 1, p. 41

– From Aeschylus,…

– It is inconceivable…

A procession…

We sat in the… Intoleranc… flickered… miscegenat… , he called… Birth of a… and, as the…

And the ochres…

Sharing Room and Sharing Space

– Mine, he…

– Fine, then.…

He threw a…

– Hey, I’m… oomf !

– Yeah. And…

He flicked… yeah yeah,… and sneez…

Later we sat…

– Don’t even…

Unpacking a…

– This is empty.…

He shrugged…

The cop’s ochre… signifying… to motherfuck… with the flash…

– Nobody calls…

Breasted, J., Memphite Theology (1901), p. 54

– And yet it… is the true birthplace… mesopotamia… we see a fully-formed… unkins , gatherings…

– You coming… hssshhh us over his…

– And what… Weltanscha… forms, he… nous and logos , hitherto…

– Apple-gold,…

– Piss-yellow,…

– Yeah, actually,…

– You usually…

I clicked off…

– So are you…

– I’ll get…

Concrete Pictures, Abstract Notes

– While the… hate crime .

On a corner…

I sat on the…

– In a statement…

Concrete p… , he had scribbled…

The Passion of Thomas Messenger

– I can’t help…

– Moth, I said.…

– Butterflies… clunk , a snicking… fssh , and a final… clack of his Zippo…

– The question… real , the rational,… excluded from the rational?…

According to…

But the bigots…

And that’s…

Errata

Pan Is Dead. Great Pan Is Dead

In Plutarch’s…

– Pan is dead,…

And when he…

To the Christians…

– Tammuz, Tammuz,…

On a cold October… I’m gay , and the words,… Up My Ass , painted on…

On the website…

The apostle,… te’oma and the Greek… didymos . He is described… christos as his shadow,…

– Pan is dead,…

I look at him,…

I look at him,…

The siren of… you stay with… .

Jack lays the… chik, chunk,… .

– How’s the…

Chik, chunk,…

– OK, I sa…

Chik, chunk,…

– Did you put…

I shrug.

Chunk.

Flight into Eternity

I fly over… know , that this…

I soar among…

The first time…

The world was…

Is it the Book,…

Since that… once , I was standing…

I am become…

Is it the Book,…

I have considered…

There is no…

There is one…

So I stand…

7 Black Lines of Our Doom

The Angel Metatron

To Eridu, the…

– Death silver…

He taps a couple…

– What has…

He stares at…

Inanna.

Father Enki… and shaped…

He slides his…

Enki, in the…

It’s the same… Inanna’s D… in Sumer,… Ishtar’s D… in later Babylonia.… me from him at…

He had been… Eyah asher… , he had said.… I am that which… was just testimony…

So Rapiu became…

– The One True…

It’s the core… un-kin , without kin… democrat wasn’t around…

For Metatron,…

But there are…

But, no. It’s…

Metatron was…

And he’s tired…

What has happened?…

– What have…

Creatures of Earth

– Well, Inanna,…

– No, she …

She brushes…

– Call me .…

It’s a little…

But once you’re…

– Anna, then,…

The book of…

She has a sudden…

Inanna had…

So she had…

But Eresh had…

The last thing…

– Why? she…

– And I will,…

Iris walks…

– Understand…

Anna feels…

Iris appeals…

– Remember… I’ll tear these…

Is it justice… does belong to…

But even as…

The Ghost in the Machine

– O silver…

He taps in…

It flips into… What has happened?…

Damn right,…

The clerk,…

– Do not let…

He crouches…

– About fucking…

– Phreedom…

– Kinda sorta,…

He looks about…

– Answerers…

He feels a…

– Fuck you,…

He answers…

– Oh, put the…

The Lady Cypher,…

– I . . . upgraded…

Its lips move…

He blinks.…

He closes the…

– Not quite…

He’s figured…

Except it seems…

– So where…

– Time isn’t…

– Where is…

– All in good…

– The Covenant…

– The Covenant…

A Terrible Innocence

Enki, in the…

Metatron closes…

The two angels… at ease has never…

Because in…

He gave the…

Metatron reaches… po-ni-ki-j… in Mycenae,… kinnahu to the natives,…

Metatron’s…

For a second,…

It’s like rewiring… in .

– What was…

– Jack, sir.…

His voice is…

– And you?

– Pechorin…

– I have something…

The Very Darkest Purple

– Come, Enki…

– College Street,…

He’s working…

Eresh, thinks…

– There you…

– The target’s…

It goes against… Good and Evil . Reality,…

But.

If anything…

– When she…

– But you’re…

The dark one… kurgarra and a galatur , a shatterling…

Eresh will…

– When she…

Metatron steps…

– Eresh is…

– Raise your…

– You’ll see…

– Ask only…

– And when…

Metatron picks…

– That’s when…

The Throne Room of the Queen of Hell

The kurgarra and galatur listened to…

The two fallen… angelus . . . messenger . Anna, Inanna,…

Eresh looks…

The outer door…

Ting.

– O, my inside,… kurgarra and galatur .

The blond one… him here, she…

– I’m just…

The angel stops,…

– Lost, he…

Eresh eats…

The Wineskin on the Hook

Eresh of the…

Anna stands…

– Who are you…

– That is not… kurgarra and galatur .

– I will give…

– Will you…

He’s been silent…

– Oh, yes,…

– That is not… kurgarra and galatur said.

– Speak, then!…

– We ask for…

– And I give…

It’s the old…

– Anything…

– Only the…

– The body…

– Whether it…

And the dark-haired…

– You have…

She has a wry,…

– She’s all…

The dark angel…

– I can do…

– Anything,…

And the dark…

– Jack, he…

She gave the… kurgarra crushed the… galatur splashed the…

Inanna Rose

The blond angel…

Every bottle…

And even as…

– Get up, the…

The other is…

– Get up.

Black ink pours…

– Get up.

Skittering…

– Get up.

The noise of…

She has to…

The living…

She has to…

– Get up, the…

And she drags…

Inanna ros…

Frozen Between Eternity and Now

Inanna ros…

The room is…

The Anunnaki , judges of…

The room is…

It’s not easy.… anu and ki , the liquid… Anunnaki themselves…

She holds the…

– No one rises…

The room is…

This is something…

– If Inanna…

The room is…

The black stuff…

And then she’s…

Dressed in Soiled Sackcloth

As Inanna rose… ugallu , the demons… ugallu were demons…

The demons…

Anna runs a…

She stands…

The part of…

Outside the… ugallu all round…

– Walk on,… ugallu said. We will…

– No, cried… sukkal who gives…

– Walk on then,… ugallu said. And…

She cracks… fucking kill… , other times…

But she’s sure…

The book is…

She flicks…

A Door Out of Reality

At the holy… ugallu all round…

– Walk on to… ugallu said. We will…

– No, cried…

– Walk on then,… ugallu said. And…

She opens up…

The black car…

At the holy… ugallu all round…

– Walk on to… ugallu said. We will…

– Not Lulal,…

– Walk on to… ugallu said. And…

They’re closing…

At the tunnel’s…

Through the Long Grass

In Uruk, under… me -garments,…

– Take him!…

She lies there…

She curses…

He shakes his…

She can hear…

All she has…

He shakes his… are the story… their story now.…

– You’ll always…

– And I’ll…

– They’ll kill…

– And all the…

She holds the…

He drops the…

– Damn you,…

He shakes his…

Errata

Under a Tree of Golden Apples

Late afternoon…

He brings the…

– Puck, I say.…

– Do I know…

– Reynard,… fucking fa… ? Or is he…

– Reynard the…

I have no idea…

–I–

It’s so long…

– I am at your…

And even though…

– I think,…

He tells me…

– What’s your…

– Which one?… and his deputy.…

I hold up a…

There is a… are any facts…

– Do you remember…

– Jack Flash?…

Jack Flash…

I think of…

– I thought…

But that’s…

– I don’t know,…

– Man, says…

He flicks the…

– If Jack’s…

He licks his…

The Broken Seven

The five of…

In truth, of…

They’re not…

The news on…

But it’s the…

Folklore and…

Metatron dismisses…

But Jack .…

On Metatron’s…

I was born…

Volume two Evenfall Leaves

Eclogue The Song of Silence

Of Kings and Battles

Within the…

They approach…

– Why all these…

He looks from…

– I have another…

And with that…

– When once… Teacher, a… So now, my…

They don’t…

– I babble…

And Chrome…

– Well then,…

Now, indeed,…

The Silence of a Moment

Endhaven.

The dark sea…

– Are you awake?…

He mumbles…

– Are you alive?…

– Something…

– Why won’t…

– I’m Jack…

He grins, an…

– You know…

He hushes me…

– No questions,…

I stare at…

– Don’t look…

– I should…

– Come on;…

– If you tell…

I pick up my…

– I can’t,…

He opens his…

– Don’t you…

I look out… don’t you love… even if it…

– Tom, he …

The United States of Anachronisms

Anna kicks…

She feels something…

There’s no… hippy goth… ambience.…

So there’s…

Two younger… Come on, you… [one of them… tell him that… .

She smiles…

– Go on, she…

And the old…

The Song of Silence

He sings of…

He sings of…

He sings of…

– These pipes…

He sings of…

Blue Like the Veins in Marble

He lays his…

– Tom, look…

I look.

Jack is tall…

He stands there,…

I found Jack…

But Jack’s…

– Tom, he says,…

– Come on,…

– Younger than…

He doesn’t…

– I know, Tom,…

– What people?…

Did you tell… them , I want to… them whether you’re… ever been human,… I don’t know…

– What damage?…

– Let it drop,…

The gulls scatter…

I crouch down…

Slowly, the…

The Simple Pleasure of a Good, Square Meal

She closes…

– What can…

– A Mountain…

She wishes…

– You ready…

She asks for…

Fifteen, twenty… you need a… ?

– Sure, th…

The waitress…

The steak tastes…

She settles… and chicken, chicken… and beef, beef… and prawns. No…

Ivan’s is not…

She eats a…

She runs a…

And she realizes…

She grinds…

Her fingers…

The Liquid Light of Language

And he tells…

He sings, to… Alas! Alas… called back…

The two young…

– Dogtags and…

The blond guy…

– O dear miss…

He sings to…

– What frenzy…

The whole place…

He sings a…

What the Fuck Is Natural These Days?

– So, are you…

– What? I say,…

– Christ, you’ve…

He slips his…

– No . . .…

– Bad times…

– They don’t…

He laughs.

– And just… is natural these…

I don’t want… need me to stay;…

– It just doesn’t…

I tail off,…

– You don’t…

I want him… him , that I have to stay.

Jack scratches…

– I’ve made…

– I made an…

Everything…

Half the time… to them, and…

I wish I had…

The Paradox of Patriots

He sings a…

– Now close,…

– And we’ve…

This one, she…

She studies…

This paradox…

How should…

There are no…

You only realize…

Decay, Dereliction, Desperation

I think what…

I remember…

Jack, when…

It’s his strangeness,…

Down by the…

Jack stands…

– Stay? says…

I shake my…

– One of these…

– I’ve got…

The Golden Age Returns

– Now the last…

The old guy…

– We’ll banish…

And Chrome…

– This boychild…

He stops her…

– He’ll gather…

– There will…

She backs away,…

– Begin, he…

At the bar,…

All That Remains

– To me, he…

She steps out…

– Begin then,…

The door swings…

The evening…

And back in…

All that once,…

– Tell all…

Errata

The Annunciation of Anaesthesia

Her hand slides…

– now. According…

Isn’t that… , she thinks,… affiliated…

– truth to…

– Well, now,…

Big fucking… , she thin… . We’ve been…

She looks at…

The earphones…

His hand slides…

– Well, I don’t…

He laughs,…

– No wings…

She doesn’t…

– Is it a boy…

– A boy, he…

You should… , Finnan had… spelled PH…

– I was thinking…

The scalpel…

He runs his…

He flicks a…

– What are…

– Nothing,…

It’s been sort…

She pulls herself…

– Don Coyote,…

He runs his…

– What time…

She looks at…

– It’s the…

That Moment of Perfection

– I give a…

The two newbloods… beauty of jungles…

So there’s…

A terrible…

And then there’s… at his captors,…

There was a…

And then there’s…

Seamus Finnan,…

– Who gives…

Finnan. Crouching…

Metatron looks…

– Get him cleaned…

The hatchling…

And maybe,…

1 The Hammers of Hephaestos

Beyond the Way of Scythes

– To the end…

He looks around…

– You have…

Smith limps…

– Powers and…

And, in front…

– Ah, God,…

As loath as…

– You’ll welcome…

These are the… The will of… , Smith thinks,… is hard to…

– All kings,…

The Wasted Wounded Land

Seamus notices…

– Why the delay…

– The bond…

– Agreed, but…

– Ever the…

– I shed no…

And fook you… , thinks Seamus.… I always knew… He pulls his…

– I hate my…

– Why hate…

– Still I would…

– All things…

Well maybe…

– I know, says…

And Sergeant…

Outside, the…

An Adamantine Wedge, a Stubborn Spike

He feels Smith…

– Hurry it…

Through vision… Look; shut…

– Put them…

His legs give…

Seamus retches…

– It’s done,…

Seamus’s head…

– Strike harder.…

Seamus watches…

He feels cold…

– This one…

– Aye but this…

Seamus moans,…

– And clasp…

He tries to…

– No one could…

Powers comes…

– Now nail…

O, Jesus Fookin…

– Alas. Alas,…

Prometheus

Seamus looks…

Smith holds…

– Do you hesitate…

– You see a… God, I’m s… . Jesus, but… I’m sorry I… It’s the look…

And the bayonet…

– I see him…

Sure and it…

– Put straps…

His world is…

– I know what’s…

The blizzard…

– I’ll harass…

He hears the…

– The work…

Doom. Doom.…

– Drive the…

– Your mode…

– Be soft yourself,…

– Let’s go.…

He hears the…

– Now, now.…

And Seamus…

A Dugout, the Somme, 28 June 1916

Smith steps…

Powers steps…

Poor fellow’s…

But the charge… Why the fuck… That’s treason,…

Smith shakes…

Finnan rolls… Scheisser and Hände hoch… but it’s not…

He stands up,…

But it still…

He feels queasy,… Where are you… thinks Smith.… Where are you…

But it’s not…

– Out, says…

A Net of Wires and Chains

Another time,…

– You’re not…

Finnan’s head…

The net of…

He coughs,…

It raises his…

– To the divine…

The voice that…

– See these…

Teeth bared… What the fuck…

– I’ll tell…

He screams…

– I have been…

And white-eyed…

There’s a part…

– Behold this…

And somewhere…

Inchgillan War Hospital, 1917

He sits looking… convalesce, Seamus wonders,… nerve trou… and anxiety ne… and hysteria and fookin… neurasthen…, to be sure,… NYD – not yet diagnosed… because it’s…

Not that he…

Seamus slurps… Och dear, now… And while… there ye go,… .

Good lad. There’s…

He looks around… can’t fookin see…

But, no, there’s…

Seamus takes… No , he says to… don’t think…

He blows into…

What secret…

He jerks his… What echo,… No. No. Shut…

He stares back… what other…

Shut up! Ah,…

It flaps its… the fluttering… another fookin… alas, alas… aw shite,… what do I hear… ? And he’s… air rustling… and he just… everything… and the rough… fearful to… but already…

Chorus

And piercing…

Finnan watches…

– Fear nothing.…

The voice comes…

– Alas, alack,…

They see, they…

He shakes his…

– Indeed, they…

And Finnan…

– O, would…

And like the…

– Who of the…

He understands.…

– Sure and…

The bitmites…

– You are bold,…

– But still,…

And while the…

It isn’t the…

The Freedom Of Small Countries

Inchgillan…

– I want you,…

He sits there… River Clyd… with sixty… court martial… , but they’re going… ? And how could…

– Just tell…

– And what…

– This . .…

It hurts as… , he thinks.… Damned if I…

– Well, let…

Seamus sits…

– But well…

– Sound advice,…

– O sure. But…

Finnan smiles…

– But anyway,…

– But of course,… educated young… will listen…

And Seamus… Ah, Jesus , he says to… but I’ve tried…

There was nothing…

– So before…

– There is,…

– Ye want to…

He leans over… d’ye mind?… and the doctor… go on, please,… .

He takes a…

– Ye know,…

– Lloyd George…

– Shite! And…

– Your Victoria…

– Bollocks…

He’s aware…

– Bollocks…

The doctor…

– A man, he…

He takes a…

– But I want…

And Seamus…

– I want to…

The Second City of the Empire

– I want to… proletaria… and imperialis… . Maclean had…

Sure and Seamus…

– No human…

Five years…

And Seamus… Red Flag , when he came…

Muir and Shinwell,…

The polis bear…

It’s George…

– I want to…

Friday, Bloody Friday

So Seamus Finnan… all have work,… will build. And…

– And so they… d’ye not t… , they say,… ye’ve gone… ? Well, true,… too far ? says I. That…

– O, but it’s… Charge! and they all… Fire! and, brothers,…

And he looks…

– The fire…

– What are…

Cries of shame! sha…

– What are… might set this one…

He takes a…

– Sedition…

The 60,000…

– What good… a grave mi… ? A grave …

But let’s forget… , says Mad… I’m quite sure… And what he…

He should’ve…

The Hammers of the Red Clyde

– A grave mistake,… all the mistakes.… nothing , to come back…

The crowd is…

– O, yes. Sure…

Christ, but…

– Why? he shouts,…

He lets the…

Because sure…

He takes a…

– But brothers,…

He points up…

– Please, Seamus… settle dow… . Let’s talk…

– But let’s… all now suffering…

But he can…

Errata

Black Tears

Metatron walks…

It’s hard.…

He flickers… what’s starting all…

It’s an old…

He steps over…

The unkin lies…

The unkin’s…

He utters a…

Outside, there…

Ghosts

The street…

Nobody pays…

They lay the…

The bitmites…

– It’s not…

Carter swallows…

– Another one,…

He turns to… little Bel… and the duty…

– I can’t accept…

He stops as…

– Look, Pickering,…

– Are you all…

Pickering leans…

– Sorry, he…

He laughs,…

– A little…

– You shouldn’t…

– The future…

– Yes, well,…

2 Prometheus Found

The Journals of Jack Carter, 1921

17 March 1921.…

The archaeological…

In fact, looking…

Well, it shall…

The Diary of Jack Carter, 1999

Dear N., the letter… A piece of…

Anyway, I have…

I don’t know…

But is that…

HAVE FOUND…

For me, though,… grandmother,…

7 March 19…

My dearest… I imagine him… ] – As I write…

One thing that…

Anyway, Anna,…

Yours With… it finishe… . Jack.

Or perhaps… blue like the…

Dear Mr Carter,… it says , I regret…

Do I believe…

I still don’t…

The Second Expedition

2 September… considered… brutality.…

They took away…

A wooden table…

I asked Strang…

Oh God. We’re…

Can’t or Won’t, Mr Carter?

The transcript…

– So tell me…

– There’s nothing…

– Now, that’s…

– It’s referred…

– Tell us about…

– We didn’t…

– You won’t…

15:46.

– Now, tell…

– [voice m…

– Louder.

– Go to He…

– Hardly, Mr…

– Ask Pechorin.…

– We have,…

– Nothing.

– Let me show…

– These notes,…

– That’s what…

– These transcriptions…

– Nor do I…

– And these…

– No.

– What do they…

– I can’t tell…

– Strange.…

The Bones of the Giants

September 6th,…

– You know,…

– That would…

– His articles…

– That is the…

– You seem…

– I don’t need…

– Still, you…

– [laughing]…

I lay these…

Relics, he writes on…

There was never… he writes , from what… the languages… ] – or that…

What baffles…

I must speak…

Let Sleeping Gods Lie

Pechorin denies…

Dear Mr Carter,… the letter… , I have looked… you . Let sleeping…

And yet:

20 March 1921.…

My suspicion…

Pechorin’s…

The Tablets of Destiny, the Book of the Dead

10 September…

The whole army…

Unless Pechorin…

I look at the…

I place the…

All goes well,… writes SS-Sturmbannführer… The trucks…

You asked me…

The Time of Nomads

23 March 1921.… finally saw the tablet…

To say that… and Sumerian.… want to have faith…

28 March 1921.…

The cave is…

Pechorin only…

Hobbsbaum’s Notes

I keep Hobbsbaum’s…

So what I lay…

Email to jack.carter@miskatonic.edu,…

Jack. That…

After I got… theta or a Norse… thorn. They can represent…

Hobbsbaum’s… whisper.

It’s as if…

And then there…

Fear.

The Master Race

12 September… Schweinehund,… and so on.…

– You really…

– I know you…

– It’s some…

– You didn’t…

[Carter la…

An email to…

This is a joke…

– Don’t test… find the city,… you screaming…

– I have a…

– It’s more…

– Send out…

– Mr Carter,…

– [indisti…

– I think you…

Our Language, Ur Language

Email to jack.carter@miskatonic.edu,…

Pull the other…

I gotta give…

Email to jack.carter@miskatonic.edu,…

OK. Number…

Number Two.…

Three. Those…

Email to jack.carter@miskatonic.edu,…

Jack. I am…

Email to jack.carter@miskatonic.edu,…

You are one…

Whatever Happened to Jack Carter

Email to jack.carter@miskatonic.edu,…

Jack. I’m on…

I’m running…

Jack, it says.…

I had read…

There were…

Jaguar Jack,… & BURN IT.

I don’t know…

The last email…

I need to know,…

I have the…

Iacchus tick…

I fold the…

Errata

The Simians on the Veldt of Evenings

The creatures…

I watch them…

The bones of…

We take our…

Passing through…

– I like purple,…

Well, at least…

I am not, it…

So we try to…

We started…

After that…

All of these…

Following Us Ahead of Us

Jack stands…

Wandering wide…

And that is…

Jack sings…

Where the others…

I wonder sometimes…

Jack sings…

The others…

He does remind… skandas . The ancient…

Is that what…

It worries… firestarte… .

3 Of Mammon and Moloch

Jumpin’ Jack Flash

I leap from…

It’s 1999.…

I land in a… Hindenburg or the Titanic . A blue aura…

Jack B. Nimble,…

The third bomb…

Knowing I don’t…

Through the…

Weapons-Grade Adamantium

Dr Reinhardt…

– Do you understand…

No answer.

– I’m a clinical…

No answer.

The police…

Suspect refuses…

No ID card.…

– Do you mind…

– Jack the…

– Hmm. But…

– He’s a gas,…

Starn moves…

– That isn’t…

– Well, you…

– I suppose…

Jack sizes…

– Keen, says…

He tells himself…

He’d be insulted…

A Glint of Snickety-Sharp Teeth

Pechorin (bioform)… all vital…

Observatio… Subject sits… Analysis : bioform presence… Response : minimize…

Operation: psychic contact…

Narrative …

Jack looks…

Jack grins…

Operation: focus narrative;…

He walks across…

– Hey, Jack,…

– Yo, Joe,…

– Where you…

Nowhere , he thinks.…

– Keeping my…

He knows he’s…

The Nature of the Conspiracy

Starn tries…

– Perhaps we…

– You know…

– Of course.…

– In an interrogation…

Starn looks…

– ‘Monkey robot’?…

– Puppets on…

– The Empi…

– Empire never…

The prisoner…

– You think…

– I know it…

Of course,…

– Do you think…

– The less…

– You think… everyone’s a part of…

– I know I…

Starn looks…

Subject displays…

Subject has…

The question…

– Could you…

The Kali Yuga

I slice the…

The ornithopters…

As I blast… ajna eye will never…

Four of the…

It’s the dark…

I tear the…

Jack Flash , it hisses.… No sleep for…

– Get out of… his head.

And I blast…

Yeah, reality…

Society and…

Soldiers of the Empire, Children of the Scheme

Operation: Enhance psychic…

Narrative …

– I fucking…

– Tell me about…

Jack looks…

Guy plays with…

– That’s all…

– Soldiers…

Information… Location –…

Operation: Enhance location.…

They sit on…

– There’s always…

– Yeah, says…

– Patrolling…

Joey nods,… fucking dr… .

– Weapons,…

– Maybe, says…

But he’s used…

Welcome to… , the graffiti… Saigon correctly.… Welcome to… himself. He’s…

Operation: Reinforce…

The road is…

Interject …

Operation: reroute digression.…

Jack has the…

– Check this…

Some kind of…

ET IN ARCADIA…

– What the…

– I don’t know.…

But he can…

A River of Voices

– Do you know…

– No, says…

– You know…

– I don’t think…

– Scapegoats…

– Voices?

Starn looks…

– All the voices…

But it’s too…

– You hear…

– Don’t we…

Jack leans…

– Too much…

– And these…

– Listen. It’s…

Starn sits…

The Lost Boy

Analysis: subject resistant;…

Operation: trace source…

Imago dete…

Hair the colour…

Jack remembers…

Analysis: compensatory…

Operation: enhance engram…

Narrative …

They leave…

– Come on,…

He’s a little…

He crashes…

– Hurry up,…

– Shut up,… Reynard , says Joey,… nobody’s called Reynard.…

– You shut… Narco , says Guy,…

Names are important,…

The Rookery

I pull on my…

Outside, the…

Here, on the… in which the…

The wide swathe…

Once this walled-in…

Over the scattering… kundalini , which we…

I slip my silver…

It’s not the…

I check my…

Time for the…

Caledonia Dreaming

– You see the…

– You’d think… literally run by gods…

– Mammon and…

– Myths? Metaphors?…

Starn shrugs,…

– What should…

Jack turns…

– John Maclean,…

– Jack, one…

– Mammon or…

– Exactly.

– You didn’t…

– It doesn’t…

– And you think…

– You need…

– I could ask…

Starn runs…

– You talk…

– How real…

– Dreams aren’t…

– I am.

The Abyss

Operation: verify schizophrenia…

Narrative …

– Jack, you’re…

He pants, recovering…

– Told you…

– Yeah, but…

Jack can’t…

But he’s smart…

You can’t …

He tries to…

It’s bullshit,…

He rubs at… dare him to swing…

And suddenly…

Guy is leaning…

– Jack. Wake…

He’s lying…

And then Guy…

– Time to wake…

He snaps awake… nothing there in the…

It moves around…

He gets out…

And then the…

And Jack Flash…

– Keen, he…

The Empire Never Ended

A knock. The…

– Sorry, excuse…

He steps out…

– You’ve found…

– Well, yes…

She hands Starn…

– You found…

– Well, that’s…

Starn opens… in control as his twin…

– Obviously…

– Captain Jack…

– But what…

– Well, he…

– You have…

– We have a…

Starn nods…

– I’ll try…

– One other…

– What’s t…

– Some old…

Starn shru…

– History’s…

She smiles… I know what…

– Anyway, she…

– And?

– Well, he…

Starn opens… The Empire… But the resemblance…

– You’re sure…

– None that…

He nods, hand… between you…

– So, she says…

He shakes his…

– Too early…

Her hand stays…

– Don’t worry,…

She takes her…

– Inspector,…

– Can’t say…

– Just something…

He shakes his…

– Probably…

Errata

Something Bad Happened Here

I look at the…

– Something…

I’m not convinced…

I try to explain…

– It’s probably…

– Bollocks,…

Jack sits on…

– Give us a…

I join him…

– One, two,… hnnnh . One two,… hnnnh .

There’s a creak…

The bush has…

I have to admit…

The Tavern

– You never…

– What’s the…

Voices quiet… away . Away from… away .

But as far…

– Come on,…

She flicks…

– Fifteen minutes,…

– One, says…

Don points…

She nods and,…

– One minute?…

She grins.

– Time me.

Five seconds.…

– Hey there,…

She hits him,…

Thirty-two.…

Thirty-three.…

– Forty-one…

– Personal…

She slides…

– You never…

She pulls her…

– I can’t fucking…

She takes a…

– I wish I…

4 The Scythes of Cronos

Peterhead, 1920

Your request… , says the… and an answer… , and more…

So he lies…

– Well, now,…

He looks down… The Sash by heart and… Such a wou… , he’d said,… such a horrific… It was after…

– Ah shite,…

Seamus pushes…

– Ah, Christ,…

– Aw come on,…

He points at… Like a reeky… , he’d say.…

– And I suppose…

He feels a…

– Sympathy…

He walks round…

– Aright. It…

Visitations, Visions, Voices

Ah Jesus, look…

– Some fookin…

Seamus looks…

– Ah know,…

He turns to… No. Don’t think…

– Ah mean .…

Seamus tries…

– Ah know,…

Seamus tries…

– Sarge, says…

He lays a hand…

– Ah’m goin…

The Unknown Soldier

MacChuill steps… Donald O’Sheen… . But that’s…

He blows into…

MacChuill glances…

No, this isn’t… unkin , they said… greatest good, they…

They told him…

But this is…

That’s what…

This Finnan… build a bond… , as his orders…

– I don’t blame…

His head drops…

– Leave me…

MacChuill reaches…

Another memory…

Times Change

Seamus passes… bang , somebody’s…

He leans against…

That was four…

– Ye give advice…

And what can…

So he had stopped… are both drunk,… aye, big m… and och, away of people…

They tell him…

– There’s nae… army coming out…

They’ve no… nothing ventured,… . But still.…

– Hold yer…

And all he…

A heron flaps…

Ah Jesus, no,…

Christ, thinks…

A revolution…

How goes the…

Seamus realises…

Nothing Changes

He tells them…

– What harm…

– Pointless…

So save yerself,…

Well, him,…

– And just…

He takes a…

– Huv ye no…

– If words,…

He turns back… For-sythe anyway, sure… is a fookin heron…

The bird’s…

– If it’s prudence…

He looks at…

– If anyone’s…

Mad Seamus…

– Ah get the…

Forsythe? Why does he…

– Go on, fook…

And keep yer…

MacChuill’s…

– You speak…

The bird’s…

– Leave me…

And MacChuill…

– What are…

He shakes his…

– MacChuill,…

But he’s already…

He leans against… them tear the poor…

Buzzards, they…

A Titanium Atlas

Outside, the…

A painting… sensitive for his own… contrappos… this or that,…

– Is that some…

Reynard heaves…

– One of the…

– He’s got…

– Visual. It’s…

– Talking in…

Reynard picks…

Seamus nods…

– So is that…

Reynard shakes…

– I shouldn’t…

He looks tired,…

– No, says…

– I’m sorry…

Woke up half…

– Nothing to…

– Yes . . …

So Seamus tells… illustrious… your broth… , he says,…

– Would you…

– No, I would…

– Since wh…

Seamus shrugs,…

– Can we talk…

Revolutions

– It’s just… the Virgin, p…

– Well, it’s…

Seamus gazes…

– But a city…

– Sure and…

– lords and…

Sure and the…

– From the…

– I don’t think…

– Humanity?…

– You may be…

– Sure and…

He taps the…

– And yer three…

Reynard has…

– So how come,…

– The war?

– The war.

– Listen to…

He stands up,…

– So me, I’m…

Reynard studies…

– But this…

Seamus just…

– Ye know,…

And he thinks…

– Well now… our entrails,… flank of meat. Ah,…

He’s sitting…

– It’s not…

He isn’t proud…

– It’s not…

Angels with Dirty Hands

He opens his…

The abattoir…

He tries to…

Operations.…

It took him…

And the Word…

He looks at…

Finnan clenches…

He wonders…

Which leaves…

He’s heard…

Henderson’s…

But it seems…

Finnan knows…

He hopes that…

If you’re willing…

Christ, but…

The Entrails of His Dreams

– Now’s not…

Or at least…

– Come, friend,…

Well that’s…

– Fate’s never…

It takes less… yeah, righ… , which is…

– And who decides…

What has to…

– The triple…

Wait a minute.… We hope that… Are these…

– The dukes…

And that’s…

– They can’t…

– What is fated…

– That you’ll…

And then they…

– Surely it…

And he knows.…

– for a second,… O’Sheen his name was,… I want to … and standing… Fire he’s shouting,… Fire!

And he drags…

Sure and it’s… really open up his… We hope that…

He thinks of… grave mist… , and the opportunity…

Good cop, bad…

– Let’s talk…

But that’s…

Finnan’s a…

The bitmites…

A Fury of Flies

A lass, alas,…

Ah, god, the…

And Anna stumbles…

Where, Lord,…

She feels the…

– Ah, hush…

How can she… she’s in? Him stuck… Seamus , forgive me.…

She wrings…

– What kind…

She trembles,…

She looks at…

And stumbling,…

– Please listen…

Seamus, forgive…

A Terrible Dark Thing

He tries to…

– Why do you…

Because decency,…

He doesn’t…

– Do we go…

Tell her, thinks…

He can’t.

It’s been a…

But what has…

He remembers…

And when she…

But if it’s…

And so they…

– Sure and…

– Seamus, tell…

The will of…

She asked him,…

And so she…

And now he…

The Third Player

– I’m pregnant,…

Finnan looks…

– Is it . .…

– Yours? she…

He knows it’s…

They’d left…

– I led them…

He had been…

That was three…

– Whatever…

He looks at…

He’s just waiting…

– So you’ve…

– No sides,…

She lays a…

– Us.

He thinks of…

– You know…

– The Sovereigns…

She pulls off…

– Jesus, fookin…

– I don’t know,…

– Metatron’s…

She’s told…

– I don’t think…

She flexes…

– You always…

Her other hand…

– But I think…

Errata

Heroes and Villains

– Don’t try…

He walks around…

Malik lifts…

He reaches…

– Rafael Hernandez…

He dribbles…

– Not without…

The archangel…

– I apologize…

He gestures…

– No bitmites,…

Malik strokes…

– Ten years…

Rafael just…

– And I’m the… baby-kille… , he says.… Moloch .

– You used…

Malik leans…

– How many…

The angel turns…

– Understand…

– No, says…

He stands in…

– No? he says…

It’s got to…

– No, the creature…

The tongueless…

– A commendable…

And we tell…

The Heart of Damascus

White light,…

Rafael’s d…

– some kind…

Phreedom crawls…

– reports coming…

She reaches…

– horrific…

She reaches…

Time flick…

– Israel or…

The TV flickers…

– I need an…

And then the… breach-bir… and c-section and have you taken… ?

– No, she …

No, no, no,…

And Carter…

– Where is…

The shell blast…

– I don’t care…

Sergeant Finnan…

– Tims, eh…

– Shut up,…

– Come on,…

– What did…

He spits the…

– I said he…

– Stop the…

– What the…

He pulls the…

– Jesus, Jack,…

Joey leans…

– What did…

– Nothing.…

Jack pushes…

– Where are…

– College Street,…

But Jack’s…

– Where the…

He passes a…

– Where the…

He has no …

– I had no…

He sits at… could they do it… had to do it.… head of the… was not where… this is what… . No. That…

And now, up…

– You make…

– She wasn’t…

Michael snorts.…

– You waste…

– I sent them…

– Not to mention…

– I had to…

– They were…

Uriel nods…

– And now,…

– We don’t…

– It’s time…

He pushes his…

– I’m working…

And Gabriel… stars meant cherubim…

– No more time,…

He stands straight,…

–No, Gabriel,…

–Weren’t we…

– So what do… Lord Gabriel? …

Gabriel stares…

–Not king , he says.…

Not dukes , thinks Metatron,…

5 Narcissus Has Woken

The Reality of Dreams

– You think…

– That’s the…

– Most people…

– You don’t… I’m living in…

– Jack, these…

– A flag flown…

– Jack, nobody’s…

– Who’s in…

– Calm down,…

– You’ve been…

– You’re a…

– I’m awak…

Starn lays…

He opens up…

– You said…

– Once upon…

Return to Arcadia

Operation: enhance grandiose…

Jack fiddles…

– But it says…

He looks at…

– Well you… people to be as powerful… would you, Jack?… bad , and do bad…

– It doesn’t…

– Well, they… would have lived…

– That’s not…

The others…

Like all it… a god, but something… Lest they become…

And a little…

– What was…

Alert: messianic…

Operation … scan for reality…

Narrative …

The road is…

ET IN ARCADIA…

He knows what… and I am also… It’s from…

Joey is zipping…

He’s starting…

Jack knows…

The Road to Nowhere

Information… subject previously…

They’ve started…

– You know…

Joey Pechorin.…

Jack edges…

– They’re real,…

Joey grabs…

– It’s you,…

– I know, says…

And he leans…

It’s 1979,…

It’s 1999 and…

Analysis: subject r…

Operation … scan for reality…

Hair the colour…

Hi Joey, he…

Alert: scan dete…

Emergency …

Operation: Codename …

The Ink Blot

I let my psychic…

The ink blot,…

– Nothing.

– It doesn’t…

– No. Just…

Starn studies…

– Nothing at…

– Nuh-uh.

– When you…

– Have you…

– No. I don’t…

– OK. I have…

– You can see…

– or I could…

Starn closes…

– What are…

– Shadows and…

Starn shakes…

– Jack, all…

But there’s…

There’s Something Wrong

Analysis: evasive manoeuvres…

Operation: reinitiate…

He lays out…

He starts to…

Death – that’s…

On the one,…

He turns the…

There’s something…

– There’s something…

– You’re fucking…

– You don’t…

– I feel a…

Analysis: memory re…

Operation: reroute digression;…

Jack sparks…

– What if,… things , but we don’t…

– They can’t…

– But if they’re…

– If all the…

– And what… don’t see the same…

Jack turns…

There’s something…

Since when…

– You know,…

Club Soda

– Guy Fox,…

The club is…

The barman…

– I don’t believe…

– I don’t believe… had made some…

– Miss Kitty…

– I’ve heard…

– And I, my…

– All bad,…

– Wicked, she…

I can’t help…

– Sex or death,…

–Hush, dear.… your preferenc…

So we sip our…

The Deustream

Information… metaphysical…

Operation: scan for contact…

The voices… unkin—

Alert! Information… exposure;…

– they’ll try…

He taps at…

Well it’s all…

Fuck the unkin.…

Operation: trace leak…

– Show me,… thing – which he’s…

– What’s on…

– Death dream…

He presses… loaded with badass…

– Be a little…

– Eternity,…

– Oh, that…

– How do y…

– Been there,…

And Jack Flash…

Nec Spe, Nec Metu

– What do you…

Starn almost…

– Shadows.…

– So you’re…

– Pardon?

– ‘Subconscious’…

– Well, Jack,…

– Words are…

Analysis /… subject armed…

Operation … establish…

He sits, back… clunk, chik,… The pile of… Nec Spe, Nec… scratched… No Hope, No… . He stabs…

He’s put his…

Clunk, chik,…

Chunk.

Burn, baby,…

Alert: subject i…

Operation … establish…

– Who are …

He hisses it…

– Who are …

He wants to…

– Who are …

But there’s…

– See, says…

He’s already…

– You think?…

– I think it’s…

Joey stops…

– Or dreams,…

Joey starts…

– Reality doesn’t…

– I think it…

The Sight of Greenhouses Exploding

They corner…

I know, I know,…

My moment of…

I go into Kendo…

Fuck , is my last… I think I’m…

Shattering

Alert: subject unstable;…

Operation: scan for death…

Imago:

He turns to…

Operation: mental incision;…

Narrative …

And it’s a…

Imago:

Death swings…

Imago:

Standing at…

Imago:

He stands over…

Imago:

He sits in…

Imago:

Reynard stands…

Imago:

Jack stands…

Operation: harness paranoia;…

It’s one year…

But he feels…

Alert / Information… rogue unkin;…

In the unspoken…

He hasn’t figured…

But he’s going…

Dreamtime’s Up

Operation: enhance and…

Narrative …

Jack picks… The Book of… , it’s called,… The Book of… sounds important…

– You’re not…

Analysis: irrelevant;…

Operation: scan for all…

And he watches…

– There is…

Operation … scan for all…

Dream on, …

Alert—

Shut up. Yeah,…

And inside…

– Who are you,…

He looks sad,…

– I’m exactly…

And Jack Flash,…

– You want…

– Jack . .…

– I’m a time-bomb.…

Through the Looking-Glass Darkly

– Narcissus…

I utter the…

Narcissus has…

Narcissus has…

Observatio… status – danger…

Report bioform… bioform not…

Analysis: Narcissus…

Operation: reboot psyche.…

Observatio… Narcissus…

Observatio… I am the me…

Analysis: Dream is Reality.…

Operation: emergency…

Analysis: I am legion;…

Analysis: Narcissus…

– What – is…

He has my Mark…

I hunker down…

– Time to wake…

He groans.

– Jack? Did…

And to think…

I sight down…

– What did…

But before…

I may well…

– What did…

I pick off…

– Meme-bomb,…

Guy grabs the…

– Must’ve been…

I kick open…

Which means…

Jack Flash…

Errata

All the King’s Horses

– How is he?…

Joey shakes… For fuck’s…

– He’s living…

I want to hit…

But I’ve been…

I stare at…

– It doesn’t…

He’s right.…

Schizophrenia.… That about…

– How are you…

He smiles and…

– Still crazy,…

I make a so-so…

– You seem…

– Wonders of…

A glint of… Tradition , he’d say,… Young people… We were so…

– No, I don’t…

He waves a…

– I bet it…

We laugh.

– I had an…

Uh-oh, I t…

– Last night,… almost makes sense.…

– To you, Jack,…

I stand up…

– When I was…

– You were…

– Oh, yeah,…

He winks.

– Anyway, they…

I vaguely recognise…

– MacPherson…

– I think we’d…

– Do you know…

– Jack, that…

– I know, he…

I sit back…

– You want…

Two for Tea, a Tree for Two

Jack seems… infinity-t… and infinity-s… and infinity-to-the-power-of-infinity,… ); the problem…

He has managed… chunk , chik – rather than…

Since then,…

I glance over…

I wonder that…

I pick out… metaphysique… hemming and…

What is death…

I have the…

6 Echoes of Iapetus

Kur

Now well behind… writes Pec… . The next…

Carter strikes…

29 March 1921.…

What I felt…

So was Tro…

The Bone Age

– They left…

1 April 1921.…

But, my God,…

– The power…

– You still…

– Tell me about…

– They could…

– But they…

– They did.…

We followed…

I think it…

If that smell…

A Little Skin and Bone

2 April 1921.…

He is convinced… will not believe.…

The men are…

Hobbsbaum buries…

3 April 1921.…

22 September…

– Do you feel…

– Feel what,…

– The eyes…

– I feel nothing.…

– You don’t…

– By a little…

– A dozen corpses…

– Be quiet…

– Of course.…

[A long si…

– Tell me what…

– We cracked…

The Illustrated Men

4 April 1921.…

I have been…

One of the…

6 April 1921.…

When I talked…

Now it is only… exactly as they would…

But the longer…

Is this why… yes, yes, of… . And I find… This is the… The Ossetian…

The Command of Fear and Fury

22 September…

Damn them.…

23 September…

– You said…

– You know.…

– They wanted…

– Pechorin’s… his story, not…

– Why would…

– [indisti…

– What did…

[Carter la…

– What did…

– You know,…

– What did…

– You really…

– What did… What was that…

– We found…

– Enough.

– You speak…

– I can’t allow…

– Carter. Enough.…

– How dare…

Need? No need, Pechorin?… everything they were…

– There is…

– The will…

– You’re a…

– You will teach me this… must .

– Listen to… strain . You have…

A Cold, Inevitable Logic

12 April 1921.… exactly . I felt the…

13 April 1921.…

A ‘voiceless’…

Pechorin:

Strang begins…

Ten seconds…

The Stenographer

25 September…

– Fury. I could…

– Can you hear…

– [Interrogation…

– Sturmman.…

– [With forceful…

– Tell them…

[My hands shake…

– I am under…

– I am in command…

– [Pechorin,…

– You will…

– [Carter laughs.…

– You will…

[I have to…

16 April 1921.…

What if you…

What if you…

[Sounds of…

– We will break…

– [There is…

– I will break…

– Pechorin.…

– Sturmman…

– Sir?

– Do it. Use…

– Damn you…

– I – Sir –…

– Let’s end…

– [cursing,… h ya w ve [?] –

We are in …

A Letter from Beyond the Grave

The letter…

Dear Sr Carter,… it says. I write to…

As he was without…

I send you…

Yours sinc…

Miguel de …

Why the package…

Dear Carter,… it says.

Atonement.…

So, in my death,…

Reinhardt …

Childe Roland

As I step down…

I put my hands…

Corpses lay…

The dead flesh…

His peeled-off…

Beyond these…

Childe Roland…

The Book of Names of the Dead

It is an avenue… The word for…

And I remember…

I walk down…

What if you… , my grandfather…

As I walk I…

The Dead God

It stands at…

He, it, lies…

I don’t have… h ja w ve/, only the…

A small scrap… h ja w ve/, placed…

I find it hard…

So I stand…

Hobbsbaum did…

I can hear…

His Tattooed Skin

Hobbsbaum was…

I still don’t…

I touch the…

So can I put…

I can only…

Jack Carte…

Kur, 1999

Errata

Over the Pit of Skulls

– Look, I say…

– Look at the…

I flip forward…

– See how the…

– Amazing,… map ?

I glare at…

– Yes. But…

And I start…

– You see,…

He whirls a… get on with…

– They’re damn…

Puck looks…

– And this…

And Puck and…

Dusk on Oblivion’s Mount

– It might…

– It’s a fucking…

We ride full…

– Well, there…

– So it can’t…

Jack howls…

– But suppose…

– So it is…

The cart skids…

I’m thinking…

– So it is…

– Well . .…

– No. Not well . No well . I don’t want… well .

– It might…

I try to explain… well , see, if the…

Ahead of us,…

7 Zeus Irae

Of Marriage and Motherhood

– Wait. Please,…

The crowd applaud…

– First let…

Then let her… , the bitmites…

Shut up , he thinks.…

Pankhurst is…

– It is your…

And Anna nods,…

– I don’t know…

And Anna tells…

– O, Seamus,…

O greatly happy…

With such messages…

Until one day…

Argus-Eyed Humanity

– I dared to…

And she was…

But Enoch Messenger…

– Till finally,… officer and a gentleman , why he would…

So she was… to wander to… , Seamus hears…

Against his…

– Now here…

The hall is…

Ah, Jesus wept,… Argus-eyed… and quietly,…

Spring in Lerna.…

– And . . .…

– O Seamus,…

She reached…

– It’s not…

He could see… What’s going…

– Lies are…

In His Black Pin-Point Pupils

– Ah, no. Enough,…

The air in…

– We never…

He pushes through…

– Your love,…

He opens his…

Henderson stands…

– You’re sure?…

He glances…

– OK. Yes sir,…

Metatron, thinks…

So, it’s pretty…

– Alas, a lass’s…

Again the sympathetic…

– Your tears…

– Tell us,…

– Why do you…

– It’s sweeter…

The little…

– Our former…

– Anna? he…

– Time in the…

The phrase…

The bitmites…

What do you…

– Tell us,…

– Then listen…

Or where the…

The Dawn of Time

She turns towards…

– What’s up?…

– Watch out,…

He slips his…

– Just be careful,…

– Just be careful,…

She looks down…

– Don’t worry…

A week to pass…

– You still…

– Well then,…

– I’m glad…

Behind them…

All along the… they think… . So she smiles… Aren’t you ?

But she wonders…

– Aren’t you…

He sits down…

– What’s the…

She shakes…

– The truth?…

But she does.…

A Fairy Tale of New York

– I’m not going… magnificen… , with the…

She smiles…

– Towers of…

They sit on…

He thinks of…

– It’ll be…

But what has… what a pit… and the poor, poor… but secretly… maybe it’s… die once and… . Bollocks,…

– It’ll be…

He tries to… If you want,…

– If . . .

If you want…

– If . . .

She shakes…

– It’s different…

– A new beginning,…

He hopes so.…

If only there…

A bitter wooer… , he says,… O virgin, for…

– What’s that?…

He looks e…

– It’s from…

She shakes…

– Seamus Padraig…

They laugh,…

– But, see,…

– Eagle, she…

– So ye know…

– Sharing a…

And he looks…

Prometheus’s Secret

– But listen,…

She takes his…

– But it’s…

Seamus grins…

– Sure and…

– The point…

– So he tells… knows will free…

– O, Seamus,…

– How’s that?…

– I know the… his mother is…

– No, he says.…

He leans c…

– Anna, there’s…

He shakes his…

– So what if…

– Humanity…

The Ballad of Seamus Finnan

– Tell her,…

Hush now , he think…

– If I tried…

He wonders…

He can feel…

– These are…

But that’s…

She sits at…

– To you first,…

– Give us a…

She turns her…

– Well there…

She’s heard…

– Well, it…

– See, Anna…

The tavern…

– Now Seamus…

Three or four…

– Tis a hard…

There Is a City

– If anything…

So Prometheus,…

– When ye’ve…

They guide…

Don whistles…

– All the way,…

Three old toothless…

She looks over… be – a mix of piss…

– I tell ye,…

And he’d tailed…

– Maybe, he’d…

–All the way,…

– There is…

They creep…

She looks behind…

– Their laws… purity . I don’t care… will bear my royal…

And then the…

It wasn’t her… had to. I know…

She looks behind…

And not far…

– Go, he s…

Go, thinks…

He closes his…

He opens his…

The tips of…

But of course…

This isnae… , he thinks.…

Seamus Finnan,…

Tis a hard…

MacChuill makes…

He’s got no…

Don glances…

Waking the Giant

– It was a…

Not being just…

He slides off…

Her eyes wander…

– Seamus, I…

– All I know,…

He reaches…

– Right, she…

She slides…

– Christ, he…

– I’ve got…

He laughs out…

So they just…

– If I don’t…

Some day, he…

In the morning…

– Named for…

He’s almost…

– That’s right,…

And it’s 1936…

– Sure and…

Henderson is…

– Aye, ye fookin…

Glasgow to…

– I’ll tell…

The training…

Chinchon, the…

Mucho fuerte,…

– Ye see, he…

Henderson stands…

– His flame…

He strains…

– These gods,…

And stumbling…

He shakes his…

– Against my…

– Aye, so you…

– I hope ? laughs Finnan.…

– Why are you…

Henderson hears…

Finnan answers…

– What have… me ?

– They might…

– Let them…

– It would…

– Worship and…

He flicks his… what’s this…

– Well, if…

A shape of…

Metatron.

A Minister of the Gods

No. 1 Company…

– Keep firing,…

And some of…

– Salute, comrades,…

They march…

And finally…

The interrogator…

– By Jove,…

– You schemer,…

Metatron steps…

– The Covenant… throw us from… .

He raises a…

– Do it clearly,… Prometheus , do not make…

– How pompous…

The angel twitches.… top ?

– Well, he…

At the word… master , Metatron…

– Esta tarde…

And the death…

They put the… Britain , tins of sardines,…

After the death…

– Esta noche…

They parade…

– Mañana por…

Ninety men…

– You think…

Metatron has… will not understand,…

But that was…

– It was this…

– And I wouldn’t… insolence is only right…

Metatron crouches…

– Are you so…

– Happy? I…

Metatron lays…

– You blame…

– I blame all…

Metatron looks…

Let Them Come

– You rant…

– Aye, sick…

Metatron shakes…

– If you weren’t…

– Have mercy,…

– You still…

– True, or… try and do the…

– No!

Metatron realizes… shaitan and gave it…

It’s just that…

– So you’ll…

– I will repay…

– Don’t talk…

– O, and yer… this ?

He twists in…

– There is… these . Send Gabriel.…

Metatron whirls…

He walks slowly…

– Consider…

The bound man…

– Enoch, he…

Metatron’s… gaaah that’s made…

– Just try.…

Seamus sno…

– Ye urge and…

– It seems…

Metatron looks…

– But, believe…

He doesn’t…

Metatron lowers…

– No shelter,… bury you. You’d…

– Ah, send…

– Who?

– Ask yer wee…

– I’m giving…

– I told ye.…

There’s a strange…

– Look about…

– Ask them…

– To us indeed,…

Metatron steps…

– He advises…

The sarcasm…

Metatron snaps…

The tendrils…

– Sure and…

The bitmites…

– So let them…

A Fire in the Night

They put him… revolution… .

The lieutenant…

As it is, as…

So he gets…

And he goes…

The Cant rips… grave him, and the…

– Ye’d better…

Metatron turns,…

– These are…

They tug at…

– There is…

The earth shakes.…

– You, then,…

– Sing a new…

They pick him…

– O, yes, the…

They hurl him…

– Then remember!…

But he doesn’t…

– They say…

– Is that so?…

He looks across…

– O, no, says…

– ’Cause sure…

Across the…

A guilty conscience,…

– You know…

Know him? Seamus…

– Let’s get…

Fox shrugs…

– You know,…

– That’s grand,…

The man’s head…

Time slows…

Jack Carter.…

None of them…

Chik.

He holds the…

We whirlwinds…

– Don’t blame…

If we had shoulders…

– No, only…

We try hard…

– Yes you yourselves…

Oh, but we…

And so we fold…

But hush now.…

And so we turn…

– Such is the…

And you seem…

– Oh, but the…

And even in…

– I will e…

Epilogue Endhaven, Evenfall

They Might Be Giants

The dirt path…

On the ridge…

– When I was…

I don’t know…

That’s what…

– Mad Tom.…

And then he…

A Few Snatched Images

I don’t know,…

I mean, I remember…

So all that…

– I used to…

But whether…

– It’s just…

– Then you…

– No, he says.…

– They don’t… choose to disapp…

And he just…

– It doesn’t…

Less than Nothing

– Aaaah! Fuck…

– Fuck you,…

A gang of kids…

I wonder what…

Old Man Blake…

– You’re less…

One girl is…

I reckon you’re…

A Poster of Marlene Dietrich

The pastel-green…

The room is…

Ms Dalley opens…

– That was…

No answer.…

– I was ready…

– The rag-and-bone-man…

She bites her…

– For a reckoning,…

I swallow.

– When? I say.…

– He’ll be…

Ms Dalley steps…

– I’m . . .…

Clean Lines and Modern Surfaces

– Jack? Jack?…

– Hey, he says.…

I twist in…

– You OK? he…

I don’t talk,…

– What’s .…

I kiss his…

– Tell me after…

– Are you awake?…

– Not yet,…

We lie in what…

He sniffs me,…

– You smell…

– Charming,…

He laughs.

– Fuck that…

He rubs noses…

– So, are you…

– The rag-and-bone-man’s…

Jack’s arms…

– You’ve got…

This is nothing?…

This is none of…

– Everything’s…

I pull away,…

– What can…

He’s never…

We owe everything…

On an individual…

– What can’t…

Learn to Forget

– Everyone’s…

Jack rolls…

– You’ve got… that ? How? Why?…

– Because you…

The violence…

He climbs out…

– I’m sorry,…

I sit up on…

– Can’t you…

– I don’t feel…

After a while,…

– You know,…

– Nothing would…

He looks over…

– Everything…

– I don’t know…

– And, boy,…

– You’re talking…

– You always…

He turns to…

– Stay with…

– Jack, I’m…

I can see his…

– Why do you…

– Maybe I’m…

– I’m scared,…

He walks over…

– You don’t…

Slides them…

– Take it all…

He pulls the…

– I’ll try,…

The tip of…

– Yes.

What Dreams May Come

I’m running.…

I turn a corner…

– I don’t want…

– Everybody…

My gaze follows…

Jack squats…

He stands slowly…

– There there,…

She holds me…

– I lost my…

Because that’s…

– I know, says…

The cart trundles…

Autumn Afternoon

The bells of…

I shiver a…

– Are you awake?…

The bells of…

All I need…

– Jack, I whisper.…

And maybe a… We’ve got each… But all I’ve…

– Jack, I whisper,…

I slip out…

But I have…

When I’m ready,…

The Reckoning

It’s raining,…

The doors are…

And the rag-and-bone-man…

– Hail and…

– Don’t you…

He speaks in… m’lad or m’lord .

In a couple…

All over his…

I’m shakin…

He throws his…

– Speak, m’lad,…

His brown trousers…

– Speak, he…

– You wanted…

A very small…

– Yes, indeed.…

I bite my bottom…

– You’re a… bright boy, m’lad.…

Dumbly, numbly,…

Where Are You Now?

His gloved…

– Go where,…

He lets me…

– I didn’t…

His voice is…

– Why don’t…

I slide in…

– Tell me,…

I manage to…

– What do you…

– Wrong, m’lad.… me that brought…

He stalks away…

– Where you… worth all this?

He comes striding…

– It’s . .…

– What’ve you…

I can’t answer,…

– Should I…

I moan. I feel…

– You owe me… soul .

He’s lifting…

– Or fair exchange,…

I wipe the…

– You know,… pay back what… .

I’ve never…

His gloved…

– You people.…

Has anyone…

– I’d kill…

And his voice…

– How do I…

A Short Walk Down to the Evenfall

My face is…

– What do you…

– I want nothing…

– Then leave…

He pulls off…

– Leave you…

He reaches…

I remember…

The rag-and-bone-man…

– Who are you,…

– I have Jack,…

– Yes, but…

I say noth…

– Jack . .…

I feel sick,…

– Come on,… essence of Jack? Until…

– Leave me…

– Oh yes, you… own him.

– No, that’s…

– I could help…

– No! Leave…

– You want…

The Declaration of Dependence

I won’t listen…

– No, I say.…

– Is that what…

– . . . yes…

– Is that what…

I say noth…

The rag-and-bone-man…

– I don’t own… You own me. Look…

He tears his…

– Look at me.… your contract carved…

I stare at…

– You . . .…

I think of…

– You and your… by me. Me – [a…

– You brought…

I don’t think…

– Every symbol… carried you here.… need me. I’m your…

Suddenly it…

– Jack . .…

– Now there’s…

Waves of nausea…

– I’m sick,…

I clutch the…

– You have…

His fist grips…

– And I can…

– Or, he says,…

I close my…

– It’s your…

– This isn’t…

– It’s your…

I bow my h…

– No, I sa…

– Then follow…

His rough,…

– Leave me…

The Dissolution of Meaning

The evening…

– The involutions…

He waves his…

– And the world…

I look out… What’s the… I think. Back…

– I don’t know,…

I feel the…

– Maybe I am, I say…

The rag-and-bone-man…

– Will I whistle…

The grey misery…

Out here I…

The sound of…

– Let it go,…

And a hand…

– As he said,…

Like the wrapper…

– You’re lost,…

I don’t feel…

– No, he says.…

The rag-and-bone-man…

I don’t know…

– I have something…

We back away…

– Your contract… nothing except what…

And as we turn…

The Night Is Just Darkness

– Are you awake?…

– I am now,…

– About midnight.…

He stands at…

– It’s too… some kind of heating,…

– Sure, whatever.…

– What is it?…

– Damn . .…

Outside the…

– What should…

– Leave it…

I wonder –…

– Probably,…

And we sit…

So we lie there…

–One moment…

I think of…

I think of…

–Jack? I s…

I sort of realize…

–What? he …

I smile to…

–Nothing.