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Description

Chapter 4: Blaze and her captor

The next morning, Silver was wandering the busy London streets, lugging a large bag over his shoulder. He rounded a corner and sat on a bench in front of a large mansion. Meanwhile inside the mansion, sitting at a window watching the sky sat a beautiful purple cat, sewing. She was wearing a long blue dress while she sat on the window ledge. Several bird cages surrounding her, each with birds of all different species, all singing.

Cat: Green finch and linnet bird, Nightingale, blackbird. How is it you sing?

As Silver sat looking at a book on the bench, he stopped as he heard the cat’s singing. He looked up at the window and stared in awe at her.

Cat: How can you jubilate, sitting in cages, never taking wing? Outside the sky wait, Beckoning, beckoning. Just beyond the bars.. How can you remain, staring at the rain, maddened by the stars? How is it you sing anything? How is it you sing?

Silver stood up and walked into the middle of the street, his eyes locked on the girl, his mouth hanging open slightly. As he did, the cat noticed him, she smiled as they stared at each other for a moment.

Cat: My cage has many rooms, damask and dark. Nothing there sings, not even my lark. Larks never will, you know, when they’re captive. Teach me to be more adaptive.

While the cat continued to sing, a red echidna outside her room removed a painting from a wall, revealing a hole. He looked through the hole, staring at the girl.

Cat: Green finch and linnet bird, Nightingale, blackbird. Teach me how to sing. If I cannot fly, let me sing.

For a moment, Silver and the cat stared at each other, smiling, when suddenly the girl turned away and ran, as if someone had disturbed her. Silver looked confused and worried, but his thoughts were interrupted by the voice of a woman, hunched over, wearing an extremely dirty dress and hat, covering her face.

Woman: Alms! Alms! For a miserable woman, on a miserable chilly morning..

The woman was wandering the streets begging. Silver reached into his pocket and handed the woman a few coins, the woman eagerly took them.

Woman: Thank you, sir!

Silver: Ma’am?…Could you tell me whose house this is?

Woman: That’s the great Judge Knuckles’ house, that is.

Silver: And the young lady who resides there?

Woman: Oh, that’s Blaze, his pretty little ward. Keeps her snug, he does. All locked up. So don’t you go trespassing there, or it’s a good whipping for you, or any other young man with mischief on his mind.

The woman walked away and continued to beg from other people as Silver walked back to the bench where he left his bag, thinking to himself about Blaze.

Silver: I feel you, Blaze. I feel you. I was half convinced I’d waken, satisfied enough to dream you, happily I was mistaken, Blaze.

He picked up his bag and slowly walked close to the mansion.

Silver: I’ll steal you, Blaze! I’ll steal you.

Just then the door to the mansion opened, a red echidna stood there with a broad smile on his face, he was wearing an unkempt brown suit. He motioned his hand, inviting Silver in. As Silver cautiously approached the echidna’s smile widened and he stepped outside to let Silver pass.

Echidna: Come in, lad. Come in.

As Silver passed and entered the house, the echidna’s smile turned to a look of contempt as he followed. The echidna led Silver into a living room filled with red leather chairs, expensive looking paintings on the wall, a vast bookshelf taking up most of one of the walls and a table in the middle with a glass bottle of whisky and two glasses.

Echidna: You were looking for Hyde park, you say?

Silver: Yes…It’s very large on the map but I keep getting lost.

The echidna smiled again and motioned towards a chair

Echidna: Sit down, lad, sit down.

Silver took his bag off his shoulder and sat down as the echidna poured some whisky into the glasses

Silver: It’s embarrassing for a sailor to lose his bearings, but there you are.

Just then a short fat man with a large ginger moustache walked in and stopped in the doorway. The echidna looked at the man knowingly while Silver looked at the two, confused.

Echidna: A sailor?

The echidna handed Silver the glass, Silver took it as he replied

Silver: Yes, sir. The Bountiful, out of Plymouth.

Echidna: A sailor must know the ways of the world, yes?

Silver looked slightly confused as the echidna spoke almost menacingly

Echidna: Must be practised in the ways of the world. Would you say you were practiced, boy?

Silver: Sir?

The echidna walked over to the bookshelf and slowly slid his fingers over the spines.

Echidna: Oh, yes…Such practises…The geishas of Japan. The concubines of Siam. The catamites of Greece. The harlots of India….I have them all here. Drawings of them…Everything you’ve ever dreamed of doing with a woman…Would you like to see?

Silver:…..I think there’s been some mistake..

Echidna:…I think not….You gandered at my ward, Blaze. You gandered at her. Yes, sir, you gandered.

Silver became nervous, his face turned to fear.

Silver: I meant no harm.

Echidna: Your meaning is immaterial…

The echidna grabbed the sides of Silver’s chair and held his face close, baring his teeth.

Echidna: Mark me…If I see your face again on this street, you’ll rue the day you were born.

The echidna then stepped back and nodded at the man in the doorway. Outside, Silver was thrown into the street by the man

Man: Hyde Park is that way, young sir! A left and a right and straight on, you see?

As Silver stood up, he was hit in the back of the head by a cane the man was holding, making him fall again.

Man: Move on, now!

The man then started beating Silver with the cane, hitting him hard in the back until he kicked Silver over, blood seeping from his mouth.

Man: You heard what Judge Knuckles said, little man. Next time, it’ll be you pretty little brains all over the pavement.

As the man turned and walked back inside, Silver coughed and rolled onto his hands and knees. Just then the man threw Silver’s bag out, it landed on Silver’s head hard, making him fall one last time. Silver stood up, and limped out into the street.

Silver: I’ll steal you, Blaze. I’ll steal you. Do they think that walls can hide you? Even now, I’m at your window. I am in the dark beside you, Blaze. Buried sweetly in your purple hair. I feel you, Blaze. And one day, I’ll steal you. Till I’m with you then, I’m with you there! Sweetly buried in your purple hair.

Description

Chapter 4: Blaze and her captor

The next morning, Silver was wandering the busy London streets, lugging a large bag over his shoulder. He rounded a corner and sat on a bench in front of a large mansion. Meanwhile inside the mansion, sitting at a window watching the sky sat a beautiful purple cat, sewing. She was wearing a long blue dress while she sat on the window ledge. Several bird cages surrounding her, each with birds of all different species, all singing.

Cat: Green finch and linnet bird, Nightingale, blackbird. How is it you sing?

As Silver sat looking at a book on the bench, he stopped as he heard the cat’s singing. He looked up at the window and stared in awe at her.

Cat: How can you jubilate, sitting in cages, never taking wing? Outside the sky wait, Beckoning, beckoning. Just beyond the bars.. How can you remain, staring at the rain, maddened by the stars? How is it you sing anything? How is it you sing?

Silver stood up and walked into the middle of the street, his eyes locked on the girl, his mouth hanging open slightly. As he did, the cat noticed him, she smiled as they stared at each other for a moment.

Cat: My cage has many rooms, damask and dark. Nothing there sings, not even my lark. Larks never will, you know, when they’re captive. Teach me to be more adaptive.

While the cat continued to sing, a red echidna outside her room removed a painting from a wall, revealing a hole. He looked through the hole, staring at the girl.

Cat: Green finch and linnet bird, Nightingale, blackbird. Teach me how to sing. If I cannot fly, let me sing.

For a moment, Silver and the cat stared at each other, smiling, when suddenly the girl turned away and ran, as if someone had disturbed her. Silver looked confused and worried, but his thoughts were interrupted by the voice of a woman, hunched over, wearing an extremely dirty dress and hat, covering her face.

Woman: Alms! Alms! For a miserable woman, on a miserable chilly morning..

The woman was wandering the streets begging. Silver reached into his pocket and handed the woman a few coins, the woman eagerly took them.

Woman: Thank you, sir!

Silver: Ma’am?…Could you tell me whose house this is?

Woman: That’s the great Judge Knuckles’ house, that is.

Silver: And the young lady who resides there?

Woman: Oh, that’s Blaze, his pretty little ward. Keeps her snug, he does. All locked up. So don’t you go trespassing there, or it’s a good whipping for you, or any other young man with mischief on his mind.

The woman walked away and continued to beg from other people as Silver walked back to the bench where he left his bag, thinking to himself about Blaze.

Silver: I feel you, Blaze. I feel you. I was half convinced I’d waken, satisfied enough to dream you, happily I was mistaken, Blaze.

He picked up his bag and slowly walked close to the mansion.

Silver: I’ll steal you, Blaze! I’ll steal you.

Just then the door to the mansion opened, a red echidna stood there with a broad smile on his face, he was wearing an unkempt brown suit. He motioned his hand, inviting Silver in. As Silver cautiously approached the echidna’s smile widened and he stepped outside to let Silver pass.

Echidna: Come in, lad. Come in.

As Silver passed and entered the house, the echidna’s smile turned to a look of contempt as he followed. The echidna led Silver into a living room filled with red leather chairs, expensive looking paintings on the wall, a vast bookshelf taking up most of one of the walls and a table in the middle with a glass bottle of whisky and two glasses.

Echidna: You were looking for Hyde park, you say?

Silver: Yes…It’s very large on the map but I keep getting lost.

The echidna smiled again and motioned towards a chair

Echidna: Sit down, lad, sit down.

Silver took his bag off his shoulder and sat down as the echidna poured some whisky into the glasses

Silver: It’s embarrassing for a sailor to lose his bearings, but there you are.

Just then a short fat man with a large ginger moustache walked in and stopped in the doorway. The echidna looked at the man knowingly while Silver looked at the two, confused.

Echidna: A sailor?

The echidna handed Silver the glass, Silver took it as he replied

Silver: Yes, sir. The Bountiful, out of Plymouth.

Echidna: A sailor must know the ways of the world, yes?

Silver looked slightly confused as the echidna spoke almost menacingly

Echidna: Must be practised in the ways of the world. Would you say you were practiced, boy?

Silver: Sir?

The echidna walked over to the bookshelf and slowly slid his fingers over the spines.

Echidna: Oh, yes…Such practises…The geishas of Japan. The concubines of Siam. The catamites of Greece. The harlots of India….I have them all here. Drawings of them…Everything you’ve ever dreamed of doing with a woman…Would you like to see?

Silver:…..I think there’s been some mistake..

Echidna:…I think not….You gandered at my ward, Blaze. You gandered at her. Yes, sir, you gandered.

Silver became nervous, his face turned to fear.

Silver: I meant no harm.

Echidna: Your meaning is immaterial…

The echidna grabbed the sides of Silver’s chair and held his face close, baring his teeth.

Echidna: Mark me…If I see your face again on this street, you’ll rue the day you were born.

The echidna then stepped back and nodded at the man in the doorway. Outside, Silver was thrown into the street by the man

Man: Hyde Park is that way, young sir! A left and a right and straight on, you see?

As Silver stood up, he was hit in the back of the head by a cane the man was holding, making him fall again.

Man: Move on, now!

The man then started beating Silver with the cane, hitting him hard in the back until he kicked Silver over, blood seeping from his mouth.

Man: You heard what Judge Knuckles said, little man. Next time, it’ll be you pretty little brains all over the pavement.

As the man turned and walked back inside, Silver coughed and rolled onto his hands and knees. Just then the man threw Silver’s bag out, it landed on Silver’s head hard, making him fall one last time. Silver stood up, and limped out into the street.

Silver: I’ll steal you, Blaze. I’ll steal you. Do they think that walls can hide you? Even now, I’m at your window. I am in the dark beside you, Blaze. Buried sweetly in your purple hair. I feel you, Blaze. And one day, I’ll steal you. Till I’m with you then, I’m with you there! Sweetly buried in your purple hair.