[stylist] Trials of an honorary Dragon. Chapter 18 (new chapter).

[helene ryles]

I have done just now. Pyre, the narator of this chapter is a hearing
blind person.

Helene

On 12/10/2009, Judith Bron <jbron at optonline.net> wrote:
> Check your first few lines again.  There is a glaring error.  Judith
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "helene ryles" <dreamavdb at googlemail.com>
> To: "A private list for authors" <DB-AUTHORS at tr.wou.edu>; "Writer's Division
> Mailing List" <stylist at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Sunday, October 11, 2009 6:11 PM
> Subject: [stylist] Trials of an honorary Dragon. Chapter 18 (new chapter).
>
>
> Chapter 18
> My career as a Spy by Pyre Parvesh
> 1997
>
> I could hear sobs coming from Liza Parvesh Bronze's room.  The crying
> had been going on for hours now.  She had been crying Ever since Liza
> got back from visiting her family.
> "What's wrong with her?" I asked when I heard Pluto and my grandmother
> coming out of her room.
> "She's worried about her niece.  I'll just have to put a memory
> modifying charm on her.  That'll be best," my grandmother decided.
> "That's despicable!  We should help her get her niece back," my
> brother Pluto argued.
> "What chance does Liza have against two powerful witches?  Your father
> has already lost one wife.  Don't you think it's a little unfair to
> put Liza in danger in this way?"
> "It's more then a little unfair to Marry Liza off to an idiot," I replied.
> "Pyre, that's no way to speak about your father," my grandmother snapped.
> Just then I heard the patter of tiny feet.  It must be Sunniva's
> enchanted dolls again.  She was forever getting them to go on
> demonstrations of one kind or another.
> "What are they protesting against now?" I asked her.   I thought it
> rather insensitive of her to play with her dolls when our new step
> mother was so upset.
> "They are campaigning to liberate Liza's niece, Nadia.  I may be
> little but  I know there is something very wrong about this situation
> and I mean to do something about it, even if the grown ups don't care.
>  My dolls will carry on protesting until the whole of the Parvesh clan
> get to hear about Nadia and we all offer to help set her free."
>
> Our new step mother Liza fascinated us right from the start. It wasn’t
> just the sound of her voice, or the way my sighted cousin’s were
> talking about her either.   It impressed me that she had managed to
> get as near to our cave as she did, even if she did get lost.  Nobody
> but a witch from the Parvesh Clan could possibly have found the
> entrance unaided.
> We were also impressed by the way she insisted on keeping her surname
> Bronze.  Lots of women marry into our family, just so they can use our
> name.  There is a certain prestige about the Parvesh Clan, which the
> other witch clan’s don’t have.  It made me wonder why Liza wanted to
> marry someone like father, if not to use our name.
> I was particularly intrigued by her attachment to her dragon.  She
> spoke so lovingly about Talmon, and she attended these monthly
> meetings with the Bronze dragon clan.  We had been hearing very wild
> stories about what Liza did with these dragons, but Liza insisted that
> her supervisor Beria was only spreading such tales because she was
> jealous.
> I couldn‘t help but wonder what there was to be jealous about.  It
> seems Liza just sat around looking pretty for hours on end.  Although
> she told me she really enjoyed the experience, her flat tone did not
> match her claims.  The whole ordeal seemed unbearably tedious to me.
> Then there was Nadia, her niece.  It seemed Liza was forbidden from
> seeing her.  She spoke a lot about Nadia too, and was obviously very
> worried a about her.
> It wasn’t the first time I had heard about Nadia.  When Nadia’s sister
> Zakia died, mother wanted to take care of Nadia along with her twin
> sisters, but Madrella wouldn‘t agree to part from her.  So mother went
> to speak to our evil auntie Beria about it.  She wanted Beria to help
> remove Nadia from Madrella by main force.  Not only was Beria not
> going to help her, but she threatened to take Madrella’s part in the
> matter.  She felt witches should not interfere in another witch’s
> business whatever the other witch was doing.  I remember the argument
> mother had with Beria after that.
> Mother was going to make arrangements to rescue Nadia anyway, but Liza
> Bronze beat her to it.  So mother let Liza keep Nadia and helped
> protect Talmon’s home from Madrella with extra charms.
> It worked well until Mother left us all to go up North.
> “Oh for goodness sake Vinny, you’re such a slob.  I’ve been working
> hard, all year, just to come back to this pigsty.  I’m sick of the
> sight of you,” were the last words mother screamed.   She didn’t even
> take Sunniva with her, and she’s never been back since.  Father’s
> divorce was settled entirely over the phone.
> Fifteen months later, Nadia was reclaimed by her mother.  Despite how
> abusive Madrella was, my grandmother was just going to let things take
> their course.  She intended to keep Liza well out of the way, with the
> use of memory modification charms and sleep inducing potions.
> I found the very idea repellent.  So I had to get to the bottom of
> this and help Liza and her niece get together again.
>
> I climbed on my cane and flew to a cave where Pluto and I keep and use
> our mobile phones, along with several other electronic gadgets.  We
> have to keep them there since my grandmother doesn't approve of modern
> technology.  Liza's speech processor is stored there too, when Liza is
> not using it, because otherwise my grandmother kept hiding it from
> her.
> Flying a long cane is rather like flying a broomstick only even less
> comfortable.   It’s the only way to get about in Nazdonia since we
> don't have a public transport system like Darthrila does.  We don't
> even have many footpaths except for the ones my family created.
> I planned to get a job at Stilosarka police station so I could spy on
> evil auntie Beria.
> I had once asked Beria for a job in the Darthrilan secret services.
> She offered me work as a Telephone operator.  She made it sound like
> she was doing me a really big favour because she was my aunt but I
> hadn't taken a degree in criminal psychiatry, just to answer the phone
> all day.
> "Hello, do you still have that telephone job available?" I asked when
> Beria answered the phone.
> "Oh my, so we are getting a little more desperate now it seems.  I
> really should turn you down since you were very rude to me last time
> we spoke, but you are family so I'll give you another chance.  Don't
> expect any special treatment though.  If we have to disrupt our work
> in order to guide you to the toilet you'll be out of that job in no
> time.  Yes, and you are expected to make your own way to the police
> station," Beria told me.
> "Certainly, that’s what my long cane is there for."
>
>  A few days later I entered the police station.  I heard several
> prisoners being dragged in by a group of aggressive sounding police
> officers.  One of them was Liza Bronze.  I heard growling and snarling
> of police dogs.  They were snapping at the prisoner’s heels.    I
> heard one of the prisoners turn and kick the nearest dog.
> “Hey Liza, how are you doing?”  I yelled.
> “One of those low lives has just kicked a respectable working dog. I
> was very tempted to release the dogs so they could savage him a bit.
> It’s another demonstration by that dreadful group of Nazdonian
> terrorists. They want us to release this dragon Slayer we captured.
> How they get the nerve I don’t know.   There is nothing I hate more
> then dragon slayers.  Death is too good for the likes of them…” Liza
> hotly declared.
> "I thought you weren’t alowed on the beat.  In fact I thought you were
> dismissed from the police service altogether…” I asked using tactile
> sign language.
> “Well apparently not.  Who would Beria have round to make fun of, if I
> wasn’t there? I’m not usually allowed outside the police station, but
> today was a very big demo and we were a little short staffed, so they
> decided to let me go, so I could help manage the dogs,” Liza replied
> using speech.
> After Liza had gone, I made my way to the interview room.   I hadn't
> exactly been given much in the way of direction but I found my way
> using my seeker stone.  I just directed it to find me a witch from the
> Slyrake clan. It gets warmer, the closer I get. If I take a step in
> the wrong direction it suddenly goes cold.  Seeker stones are very
> useful things for a blind witch to own. I was just hoping there
> wouldn't be too many Slyrake witches working in this police station.
> "So, you made it on time.  It seems you know Liza. You don't need to
> sign with her.  Liza can hear with her cochlear implant you know,"
> Beria's domineering voice commented as I entered the room.
> "Yes, of course I know Liza.  She's my step mother.  She's a bit loopy
> isn't she? My dad and Liza go very nicely together don't you think," I
> replied.  I had already decided that I would get further with this
> woman if I pretended I didn’t like Liza.
> "You think so? Most people are blinded by her good looks, but I know
> her better.  She's been badly spoilt by that dragon. You know some
> dragons actually crave their human’s affection.  They will let their
> humans interfere in their dietary choices.   I've even known a dragon
> who allows his human to paint his nails, turning himself into some
> sort of household pet.  Of course there is none of that sort of
> nonsense with my owner.  I'm there to do his bidding, which is how it
> should be.” Beria told me.
> “Yes, of course,” I blandly agreed.  Hoping I wasn’t overdoing it.
> "Of course we don’t usually employ people with dual sensory impairment
> in the Darthrilan police force.  I just had to make a special case
> because Liza is family," Beria added putting on a virtuous air.
> "Like with me and Madrella you mean?" I asked.
> "Why do you mention Madrella?  She has nothing to do with anything..."
> Beria snapped suspiciously.
> "Oh sorry, doesn't she work in the police force? Maybe I got her
> confused with someone else?" I replied, in an effort to smooth things
> over.
> "Madrella in the police force? That would be the day! She'd be behind
> bars if it wasn't for me, but family should take care of their own.  I
> think you probably mean Melissa.  She is deaf too you know.  She is
> much more capable then Liza is.   I'll have to introduce you to her,"
> Beria told me.
> "Yes please," I cried.  I didn’t have to put on any enthusiasm since
> the more contacts I had in this police force, the better.
> "I'll do that then.   As I was saying, I don’t think they would have
> considered Liza Bronze at all if I hadn't given her a leg up," Beria
> announced.
> "That was very kind of you," I commented, wondering if Beria ever got
> tired of putting down her niece.
> "Loopy Liza has always been an embarrassment, especially when she
> insisted on Kidnapping Nadia from Madrella.  The kidnapping of Nadia
> is obviously just Liza’s way of get back at Madrella for punching her
> in the face. She was asking for it, after Madrella caught her in bed
> with Nadia's father," Beria told me.
> "Still, I hear she's good for a bit of comic relief," I said
> flippantly, Hoping that I had not gone too far with this comment.
> "Oh yes, our disabled officers are very useful that way. It lightens
> the atmosphere.  It’s a shame you can’t see the impressions I make of
> Liza and Melissa.  The girl’s find it so amusing. Poor Liza probably
> doesn't even notice.  I take more care not to do it round Melissa
> though, in case she gets offended," Beria replied smoothly.  I bit my
> lip to stop myself from correcting her on that account.  I was there
> as a spy so it wasn't my place to correct her atrocious assumptions.
> Beria spent the rest of the interview bad mouthing Liza.
> Still, I got the job.
>
> "Ah, there's P.C Rickshaw... Hey Melissa, could you show Pyre Parvesh
> where the rest room is.  He’s my poor blind nephew, and he’s a vegan
> too, so no eating meat in front of him, or he might try to have you
> arrested.  I’m giving him a little job working with the phone, just to
> keep him happy,” Beria announced in a sugary tone that made me want to
> hit her.
> "Of course, if he'll just grab my arm," the woman replied. She didn't
> have a deaf accent like Liza did.  She spoke in an artificially clear
> voice, like a well trained Parrot.
> "You don't have to take me; the seeker stone will find me the way. I
> just thought it would be nice to get acquainted with my colleagues.
> I'll even offer you a drink.  I like the sound of your voice," I told
> her.  I was keen to get to know Melissa in the hope of gleaming
> information from her.
> "You really think so; I had a lot of speech therapy on my voice to
> make it sound just like a hearing person.  Now, nobody will believe I
> am deaf.  You don't have to buy me a drink.  If I take you to my
> office we can chat there in privacy.  It’s really nice to meet a
> fellow witch," she gushed.
> I let her guide me to a small room, where I started chatting her up.
> "Beria is such a bore isn't she," Melissa stated, "She keeps wanting
> to cover up for all her pathetic relatives.  It was hard enough before
> Madrella pushed Nadia into the underground railway station... No
> forget I said that.  I didn't mean what I said.  I heard Nadia
> slipped.  That's what we've all been instructed to say anyway.   You
> won't tell Beria I said anything different then that will you.  She
> would be furious,"
> "Of course not; whatever you say to me won’t go any further then me,”
> I assured her. I was hoping she would carry on making such slips of
> the tongue.
> "Good, because Madrella has always given me the creeps.  My brother
> had the misfortune to marry her.  We were misinformed about Madrella.
> Her step father Snyder told my family that Madrella was good with
> children, and very helpful around the house.  Madrella didn’t reveal
> her true nature to us until after the wedding was over,” Melissa told
> me.
> “How could that happen?  Surely your family must have had some
> indication of Madrella’s true nature?” I asked her.
> “Not necessarily, Madrella lived in Nazdonia and we live in Druzil.
> Plus my parents were very keen that my brother should marry a witch.
> That’s enough of that dreadful subject.  You know I would have Nadia
> put in care full time and Madrella behind bars, but Beria wouldn‘t
> hear of it.  So what am I to do about that?” Melissa told me with a
> sigh.
> "Wasn't there a court case about Nadia?  Couldn't you have spoken up then?"
> "I tried, but somehow I never got any further then the witness box.  I
> was sick for months after that.  Now I must go.   You know it's really
> good to talk to someone who doesn't cover their mouths when they
> speak, and really listens to me.  We're kindred spirits.  How would
> you like to spend the night at my flat? It‘s not far. It would save
> you booking a hotel."
>
> Several hours later I sat on Melissa's sofa with her, politely forcing
> down the limp dry salad that Melisa had prepared for me.  She was so
> close that I could smell her perfume.  Her long hair brushed against
> my face as she took what was left of my food away.
> “It’s such a pleasure to have you round.   I wish I could be friends
> with Liza too, but she really hates me.    I’m afraid I was taking my
> family situation out on her.  Now I just want to make it up to her in
> some way,”
> “Why don’t you learn sign language? Liza much prefers people to
> communicate to her that way,” I suggested.
> “Oh no, I can’t do that.  I’ve put so much effort into learning how to
> speak,” Melissa objected.
> “Surely you can do both.  My first word was in sign language.  Mother
> taught me how to ask when I wanted her milk, yet I had no problem
> learning to speak afterwards,” I told her.
> “How come?” Melisa asked.
> “Mother taught all three of us tactile baby signs.   Then, when we
> moved to Nassoli for a few years, she went on to teach us some tactile
> sign language so we could communicate with the deaf people who live
> there,” I told her.
> “Well it’s different for you.  You are a hearing blind person.  Sign
> language is an accomplishment for you.  For me, it would feel more
> like letting my family down.  After all the effort my parents put into
> teaching me how to speak…” Melissa objected.
> “No it wouldn’t.  I’m sure you would manage to do both.  I‘ll teach
> you how to fingerspell if you like,” I offered.
> I spent the rest of the evening showing show her the alphabet.
>
>             ***  ***   ***
>
> The nightly visits became a regular event.  After eating out for a few
> nights, I eventually managed to persuade her to allow me to do the
> cooking.  She rather hesitantly showed me round her kitchen.
> “Just call me, if you need anything.  Don’t worry if you break
> anything, or set fire to my kitchen. The fire brigade is right next
> door…” Melissa announced, before she left.  It was comments like that
> which made me understand why Liza didn’t like her much.
> I made a tortilla, with tofu, a few spices and various vegetables
> which she already had in her kitchen.
> “That was absolutely delicious, I’m really impressed how well you
> manage with a frying pan,” Melissa gushed.
> “There is nothing to it really.  My mother showed me…”
> “So did mine, but I never took it in.  I was more interested in other
> things, so l let my sisters do all the cooking,” Melisa confessed.
> “My Father was like that, that’s why Mother left him,”
> “My mother didn’t even expect my dad or my brother to help.  She just
> said it was the way men were.  In a way I find it even more amazing
> that you can cook as a man, then as a blind person.”
> “It’s not amazing at all,” I contradicted.
> “Maybe it‘s just the sort of family I lived in.  My mother used to get
> on my case a lot about me being a modern woman, we didn’t get along
> too well, but I really missed her when she died,”
>  “I‘m sorry to hear about that,” I told her.
> “It’s Madrella who should be sorry.  She created a really vile
> atmosphere in our home, with all the domestic friction between her and
> my brother.  My brother claims Madrella caused the fever, which killed
> mother, my sisters and Madrella’s own daughter too.  Not that we could
> prove she had a hand in it though.  She was just so indifferent about
> it all.  She really hates her own sex.  I can‘t think why," Melissa
> told me sadly.
> "Madrella sounds like a real psychopath to me.  Why doesn‘t anyone do
> anything about her?" I asked.
> "The murders were always done in a way that made it look all so
> natural to outsiders.  If anyone got suspicious, Beria would always
> cover up for her, one way or another.  Beria is just as bad, covering
> up for Madrella and her loathsome brother,” Melissa cried.
> “I agree.  She does seem very unprofessional.  How did she get to be
> such a high ranking police officer in the first place?” I asked her.
> “It’s Because of her owner.  He used his influence to get Beria a job
> in the police force.  I‘m afraid it happens a lot in Darthrila.  The
> rest of us have to work really hard to get where we are, but those
> with owners get placed in really high positions without any effort at
> all.  Some of them are really unhinged too,” Melissa complained.
> “That doesn’t sound right.  Do you have any idea Why Beria hates Liza
> so much?” I asked.
> “She’s eaten up with resentment because Liza is accepted into the
> Bronze clan, whereas her own dragon treats her really badly.  Can you
> keep a secret?”
> “Okay,” I agreed.
> “Well I’ve seen her cut off legs from the criminals we arrest.   It
> was really gross.  It’s all hushed up too.  With powerful memory
> modification charms the prisoners think they have always had one leg,”
> Melisa whispered.
> I was lost for words after she told me this. This was another of her
> slips of the tongue no doubt.
> “Actually I would rather you forgot I said that.  Beria had me sworn
> into secrecy since it‘s illegal here in Nazdonia to remove someone‘s
> legs without their permission unless they have committed a capital
> offence… I should never have told you this, but I’m getting really
> sick of keeping all Beria’s dirty secrets to myself.”
>
>                        ***  ***  ***
>
> "You know Liza is wrong about Madrella murdering her sisters,” Melissa
> told me on another nightly visit, “I remember Beria telling me how she
> paid her father a visit.  She came just in time to witness Liza's
> birth.  Snyder took one look at Liza and asked if Beria's owner would
> like to buy her legs, and if he wouldn't mind bringing the rest of her
> body back so he could fetch a good price in various organs.  Snyder
> was asking for three thousand dren.  Beria gave him 50 Dren as a
> deposit and took Liza away from that home before Snyder found an even
> more unscrupulous client.   She was meaning to bring Liza up herself
> but her owner wouldn’t have it.”
> “Mother told me about that too, but somehow I think it’s out of
> character.  Are you sure Beria didn’t simply want to feed Liza to her
> dragon?” I asked.
> “I’ve no idea.  She also claims to have paid the cost of various
> medical expenses, which his wife and daughters accumulated over the
> years.  He's really loaded yet he won’t pay for medical treatment for
> them.   He caused some of their injuries himself by beating them up.
> The bills add up to over six thousand dren, which Beria says she paid.
> I didn't believe her at first but she showed me all the bills.  That
> thug Snyder belongs behind bars for the way he treated his wife and
> daughters alone,” Melissa told me.
>  “Mother told me about this too.  He married Monika off to this Dragon
> slayer up north without even getting her consent first…” I informed
> her.
> “Really, that’s just typical of old Snyder.   If only we could simply
> arrest him but Beria won't let us.  Just because he is family,”
> Melissa sighed.
> "Do you have anything you can pin on him?" I asked her.
> "Quite a lot actually, but as I said Beria won't have it..." Melissa
> told me in a resigned tone.
> "What's to stop you from arresting him anyway?" I asked.  This Snyder
> wasn’t my main target, but I was hoping that once he was out of the
> way, we could proceed to arrest Madrella and Beria too.
> "Oh no, I'd be out of a job in no time.  I'm only a junior police
> officer you see... but he really does belong in jail.   We also
> suspect him of trading in illegal substances.  He's got a business
> selling enchanted prosthetic legs but he earns far too much money from
> that.  You know he even sells prosthetic legs to people who murder
> dragons," Melissa told me.  She seemed more horrified by the fact he
> traded with Dragon ‘slayers then any of his other crimes.
> In the end I managed to persuade Melissa into organising Snyder’s
> arrest behind Beria‘s back.
>
>                  ***  *** ***
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> "Hello can I help you?" I asked as I answered the phone, the day
> Melissa had decided to arrest Snyder.
> "I want to speak to Beria," a haughty voice demanded.
> "Beria is not in at the moment.  If you will just tell me who is
> speaking..." I lied.  I'd heard Beria arrive earlier that day.  I also
> knew who he was already.  A friend of Pluto had done a recording of
> Snyder Slyrake to help me identify his voice.
> "It's Snyder Slyrake.  I want to know when Nadia will be getting back
> from her appointment."
> "Right I'll pass that message on to Beria.  I’m sure Beria will get
> back to you as soon as she can..."
> "There! Caught you at it," A voice whispered in my ear.  I startled.
> A tiny finger was put against my lips.  I could feel that she was even
> smaller then my seven year old sister Sunniva.
> "Don't say anything. I'm Fiona the fader.  I‘ve been snooping round
> here longer then you have.  I saw what happened to Nadia.  She would
> have died if I hadn’t been there to save her.  Something fishy is
> going on, and I want to get to the bottom of it.   I want to know if
> there is anything I can help you with," she asked. Her tone was so low
> that I had to strain to hear her.
> I put my hand on my braille watch before answering her.
> "Yes, if you go to the underground station now, you should see a
> dragon and a police officer.  They are waiting for Liza's train to get
> there before going on to arrest Snyder.  If you can fade I'm sure they
> will find you useful, but hurry as they will be going once Liza gets
> there," I whispered back.  She did not need telling twice.
>
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