Mr. Punch of Belgrave Square, Chapter 285

Chapter 285 
One of Us 



“What’s troubling you, Charles?” Orpha asked. “Why don’t you advance upon me? Why don’t you cleave me in two?”

Charles stared at Orpha. He stood close enough that he could touch her. From behind him, he could hear Gerard coming forward. Charles dropped the cleaver to the floor where it fell with a piercing clatter.

“Come with me, Charlie.” Gerard whispered, putting his hands on Charles’ shoulders.

“Coward.” Orpha smirked. “I always knew you are a coward.”

“I’m no coward.” Charles shook his head. “Killing you would only unleash more evil into the world, like opening Pandora’s box.”

“That’s what I was going to call Marduk if he’d been a girl.” Orpha grinned. “Pandora.” She stroked the hair on one of Marduk’s heads. “Still, I’m glad he is what they are. You’ll never know such greatness, Charles. You’re weak…cowardly.”

“Don’t speak to him! You’re the coward, you bitch.” Gerard stepped forward. “You hide behind your monster!”

“No one my call them a monster except me!” Orpha barked.

Suddenly, Orpha lunged forward and grabbed Gerard by the arm, lurching him toward her with startling force. He could feel the strain on his still-healing side and he yelped.

Before Gerard could fight the woman off, she’d managed to get his other arm with her free hand. She pressed his wrists together and held them in an unhuman grip. “Now…when you feel the skin break, don’t flinch. That will only make it more difficult for my little darling to feed.”

Gerard bellowed. “Let go of me!” He pulled free. “You lunatic! You ought to be locked away! You and your beast! You’re unnatural!”

He quickly retreated, taking Charles by the elbow, and rushed away from Orpha.

“Oh? You want to know what’s unnatural?” Orpha laughed. “A white man marrying an African!”

“What?” Gerard spun around. “You? You’re one to judge, you are. A woman what mated with ‘er own brother.”

“I knew what the result of that union would be. What will be the result of yours? Perhaps you’ll have your own little brood of monsters.”

“Shut yer gob, witch!”

“Tell me, Gerard. When you kiss your dark darling, does she taste like coffee?” Orpha howled with laughter. “How does your sweet Gamilla taste?”

“You’re not fit to say her name!” Gerard roared.

“Gamilla…such a queer name, too.” Orpha continued.

“Don’t you see what she’s trying to do, Gerry?” Charles yelped. “Don’t let her. You were right; let’s go!”

“Yes, Gerry. Do listen to your companion.” Orpha said. “You wouldn’t want me to say anything about your jungle goddess.”

“Sow!” Gerard screamed, leaping forward as Orpha shrieked with laughter. The baby’s two heads began to scream as Gerard picked up with cleaver from the place where it had fallen on the floor.

With one swift motion, Gerard raised the cleaver about his head and brought it down quickly. The force of the blow knocked him to the floor and as he looked up, he saw first a growing pool of crimson, and then…Orpha’s hand.

Gerard howled.

“My God!” Charles gasped coming for Gerard who just stared at Orpha’s severed hand.

Orpha, meanwhile, stood quite still, as if she didn’t feel the injury which had taken her left hand.

As her face grew increasingly pale, her smile broadened. “My child…they will eat well tonight…”

Gerard scrambled backward, assisted to his feet by Charles.

“She…she…she spoke of Gamilla, Mate. I…”

“You didn’t mean to do it.” Charles said quickly.

“We must go for Dr. Halifax.” Gerard wailed.

“No.” Charles said firmly. “Leave her…”

“Mate, I didn’t mean to…” Gerard moaned.

They both looked at Orpha who stood, unchanged as scarlet ribbons sprang from her wrist.

“Let’s go!” Charles said quickly.

“We gotta get ‘er help.” Gerard pleaded.

“She doesn’t need it.” Charles replied. “She doesn’t deserve it.” He wrapped his arm around Gerard’s waist and pulled him toward the door, walking right into his own brother, Giovanni.

Giovanni entered the room. “What is this?”

He was followed by Ulrika, and…Fern.

“Miss Fern!” Charles gasped.

Fern looked at the increasingly thick pool of blood and at the severed hand on the floor. A glaze of absence passed over her eyes.

“Orpha!” Ulrika groaned. “I knew it! I knew this bit of juvenile trickery must have been to get to you. Oh, darling, your poor hand. If it wasn’t all so beautiful, I could cry.” The American giantess hurried to pick up Orpha’s hand. “We’ll preserve it for you. Yes. That’s what we’ll do. And, when you’re restored by your very greatness, it will be waiting for you.”

“It’s bedlam!” Charles gasped.

With one arm around Gerard’s waist, Charles moved forward…quickly using his free hand to grasp Fern’s arm. He pulled both the girl and Gerard from the house as his brother, Giovanni, screamed after him. “Come back! Now, you’re one of us, Brother!”



Did you miss Chapters 1-284 of Mr. Punch of Belgrave Square? If so, you can read them here. Come back tomorrow for Chapter 286.

Punch's Cousin, Chapter 285

Barbara shut her eyes and relished the feeling of being weightless. Though the water was positively freezing and though its cruel waves buffeted her about, knocking her head and shoulders painfully into the pilings, she couldn’t help but feel somehow liberated—as if all of her mistakes and sins were being cleansed from her skin.


Refuse and detritus floated past her and became entangled in her hair as the feeling of weightlessness began to pass and the weight of her wet clothes began to pull her down into the river.

Suddenly, a sharp, stabling panic pierced her heart and she began to regret jumping from the dock. Without her consent, her arms began to paddle and her feet began to kick. She inhaled deeply, sputtering as she was pulled under the angry water.

Before she knew it, she wasn’t alone in the water. She felt the strong arms of a man whose face she couldn’t see grasp her around the waist. She tried to push him away, but her strength failed.

She could neither scream nor struggled, and as she was carried from the water onto the mud and rocks at the narrow bank, she allowed herself to be placed onto the squishing, filthy ground. Opening her eyes, she hoped to see Charles—dripping, staring down at her with relief and recrimination. Alas, his was not the face she saw.

A dark countenance scowled at her. “What’d you want to go an’ do that for?” The man growled.

At first, Barbara felt the urge to rise up and slap the black man for daring to speak to her in such a way. But, she soon realized that though it had not been worth saving, the man had saved her life.

“I fell.” Barbara coughed.

“Nah,” the man groaned, plunking down into the mud next to her. “You done went and jumped right in. I seen ya.”

Barbara didn’t answer.

“Who you belong to?” the man asked.

“Myself.” Barbara sputtered.

“Don’t think so.” The man shook his head. “A girl with your looks don’t not belong ta someone.”

“Thank you for helping me, but I’m all right now.” Barbara said, trying to sit up.

“No, ya ain’t.” The man smiled calculatedly.

“Really.” Barbara said. “You may leave.

“Nah.” The man winked. “I think I just got myself a real lucky break.”

Meanwhile, Marie Laveau sighed as she tried, once again, to explain her wishes to Iolanthe Evangeline.

“I have already heard you argument,” Iolanthe spat. “I don’t wish to hear it again, and I don’t want you thinkin’ that I do.”

“Now, Iolanthe,” Marie replied angrily. “I don’t see why you’re fightin’ me on this. I ain’t like it don’t fit into what you were already gonna go and do for your own self anyway.”

“She’s right, Iolanthe,” Ulrika interrupted. “And, she’s saved you the trouble of having to retrieve Edward’s child.”

“I don’t recall askin’ you.” Iolanthe growled.

“Well, then, really, why’d you bring me?” Ulrika moaned.

“I don’t know now.” Iolanthe said stiffly.

“The two of ya are somethin’.” Marie chuckled. “Now, listen, Iolanthe. You are getting’ everything handed to ya. I’m only askin ya to give me one little thing. That ain’t so bad. What’s the problem?”

“I swore when I first broke my ties to you, Marie Laveau, that I’d never return to your ways again.”

“Your ways ain’t so much better, Iolanthe, nor are they very different.” Marie smiled.

“But, they’re mine.” Iolanthe shrugged.

“I ain’t askin’ for ya to come back here and live with me. Jus’ do for me this one little things and we’ll let all that old hate and hurt we got between us go. It may just prove to be what we both need.”

“Just agree to it, Iolanthe.” Ulrika sighed.

“”Listen to the girl.” Marie said hopefully.

“Very well.” Iolanthe grumbled. “But, only this once.”

At that very moment, above the dress shop in the French Quarter, Robert’s eyesight became blurry as his eyes burned with sweat and tears. He’d tried blowing his own air into Julian’s body, he’d tried compressing the man’s chest, but still he would not breath.

Robert looked down at Julian’s increasingly blue face and wept.

Marjani and Adrienne both tried to help Robert to his feet, but he would not budge. “I’ve got to save him!” he shouted.

“I don’t know how you can, my dear.” Adrienne said softly.

“He’s got to save himself,” Marjani shook her head.

Just then, unbeknownst to the people outside of him, Mr. Punch was fighting a fierce battle with Jack Ketch, striking him mercilessly with the stick he’d imagined.

“Die!” Punch screamed as he clubbed the hooded figure.

“Never,” The hangman barked.

Punch panted and growled as he barraged the hangman with blow after blow.

“Punch! For God’s sake!” a voice called out from beyond them.

“Master?” Punch said, not pausing in his assault on the hangman. “Is that you?”

“No!” the unfamiliar voice cried. “You’re fighting the wrong foe!”

“What?” Punch grunted.

“Don’t forget the rest of you!”



Did you miss Chapters 1-284? If so, you can read them here. Come back on Tuesday, July 5, 2011 for Chapter 286 of Punch’s Cousin. We’ll be taking a brief hiatus on Sunday and Monday for the holiday, but the Chapter Archive is always available.