University of New Orleans ScholarWorks@UNO University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations Dissertations and Theses Spring 5-16-2014 The Wolves of Gehenna John H. Shinholser University of New Orleans, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.uno.edu/td Part of the Fiction Commons Recommended Citation Shinholser, John H., "The Wolves of Gehenna" (2014). University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations. 1832. https://scholarworks.uno.edu/td/1832 This Thesis is protected by copyright and/or related rights. It has been brought to you by ScholarWorks@UNO with permission from the rights-holder(s). You are free to use this Thesis in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights- holder(s) directly, unless additional rights are indicated by a Creative Commons license in the record and/or on the work itself. This Thesis has been accepted for inclusion in University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks@UNO. For more information, please contact [email protected]. The Wolves of Gehenna A Thesis Submitted to the graduate faculty of the University of New Orleans in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Fine Arts in Film & Theatre Arts Creative Writing (Low Resident) by John Shinholser B.S. Champlain College, 2010 May, 2014 Dedication To Judge Jim Sprouse As you asked, so shall I live. ii Table of Contents Chapter 1..............................................................................................................................1 Chapter 2............................................................................................................................11 Chapter 3............................................................................................................................24 Chapter 4............................................................................................................................43 Chapter 5............................................................................................................................51 Chapter 6............................................................................................................................57 Chapter 7............................................................................................................................62 Chapter 8............................................................................................................................72 Chapter 9............................................................................................................................84 Chapter 10..........................................................................................................................95 Chapter 11 ........................................................................................................................102 Chapter 12........................................................................................................................110 Chapter 13........................................................................................................................123 Chapter 14........................................................................................................................139 Chapter 15........................................................................................................................151 Chapter 16........................................................................................................................165 Chapter 17........................................................................................................................176 Chapter 18........................................................................................................................188 Chapter 19........................................................................................................................208 iii Chapter 1 The nights were too dark in the Gardens. One by one the lamps on the streets of the village had been covered. With no stars and no moon through the clouds and no flames on the street corners it was as if the world, like the lamps, had been shuttered. To all the drunkards in the Hoary Stag, Fulkton Gardens was black like ink. To all the world the town was black. To all the world the world was black, but it was not black to Taim. To Taim Corwin the world was muted colors. He wished that what he saw was black, as well. His golden eyes shone in the bar room's candlelight. Taim had been so proud to come home two months ago. He had spit in his father's face that day. The broken, formerly sharp edged man had done nothing. Regid Corwin's son was a soldier, now, of the King's army. Taim’s father had ruled his procession of wives and all of his children with his fist raised above all, but two months ago Taim had been the one to raise his fist and his father had not dared to raise his own. Not even Regid Corwin would raise a hand against a werewolf of the King’s Army. You did not bite the hand of the King. He was god vampire and ruler of the nation of Gehenna. Taim had polished his brass the day he’d spit in his father's face. It had not gleamed. The sun had not been shining. It rarely shone in Fulkton Gardens. He’d hated the town then and worn his black and brass to spite them all. And now? To all the world Fulkton Gardens was black like ink, but to Taim. To Taim the shadows were not dark enough. He drank and blurred the focus of his eyes. "Taim, I wish you'd tell me what's got you in such a mood," Hellory Vance said. 1 Hellory was wiping down an earthenware mug behind the counter of the Stag's bar. She was plump and cheerful in a linen dress. A moment of attention from Taim and he had memorized every detail of her: pale, blue eyes, black hair—she was of local stock. Taim’s brother, Tordric, might love her, but Taim could not stomach Hellory tonight. "An ale, Hellory," Taim said. Hellory rocked forward onto the wide counter surrounding the bar and took hold of Taim’s empty mug. She turned and went to one of the two kegs of early sweet spring ale by the inn's entrance and filled it, and then returned the mug to him. Taim turned his gaze to stare into the head of his drink and watch it die. Hellory moved down the bar counter to talk to some of the other customers. She was coaxing them to leave. Taim wondered, was it that late already? She did not talk to him, though. He knew she wanted to, after the customers were gone. Hellory returned to him. It had been twenty minutes and the rest of the drunks had gone. All of the candles but one had been guttered. It didn't matter much to Taim. "Are you going to be here for the wedding, Taim?" Hellory asked. Taim’s ale was half empty. He had come in late tonight, after the final staff shift had turned over. He had gone through glasses of ale without stopping until he couldn’t care about his thoughts. Now he was drunk. He only wanted to stare into his mug. Hellory was sitting barefoot beside him. Taim's focus wavered for only a second, but he had memorized each of her details again. He could see her naked calves. He wondered when she had slipped her shoes off. Taim noted discrepancies in her appearance before rubbing his eyes with the heel of his palm and going back to his drink. "Tord would be happy,” Hellory said. “Are you listening?" "Yes. Ale, Hellory," Taim said. 2 "But you've not finished the one you've got," Hellory said. She got another ale for him, anyway. Once Taim had the second ale he moved it close to the first to consider. He'd never realized how hard it was to stop thinking. If he would stop thinking perhaps he would not be sitting still. Perhaps he would not be sitting and getting ready to kill his lover, who was sleeping upstairs. He would not have a knot of silk in his back pocket prepared to strangle the life out of her two year old daughter. "You're not listening. Is this about Lili again?" Hellory asked. "You two are always getting into fights. How bad can it be?" Hellory gave him a shove on the shoulder. It was a playful shove. She knew Taim and she knew his moods. He was a dark one, and a wild one. Taim knew that was how she and the rest in Fulkton Gardens saw him. Even as a soldier. Especially. You did not bother a man like Taim Corwin. Hellory Vance was his brother's fiancé. She had decided, for tonight, at least, to ignore his darkness. Taim thought she was a vile woman tonight. He did not bother to look at her. Still, Hellory must have sensed something in the cast of his shoulders. She went stiff. He could smell her sweat, now, with his animal nose. She smelled uneasy. Taim closed his eyes. "Hell. I don't like talking," Taim said. "This isn't about Lili," Hellory said. Hellory's voice was tighter. Taim turned his eyes from his glass to regard her. He did not bother to lift his head. "It is about Lili,” she said. “Taim?" 3 Taim stood up. His black uniform pulled tight across his chest as his shoulders fell into alignment. He had been hunched over the bar for too long. He had forgotten that feeling of tightness. He was too broad for standard dress. Like his father. "I'm going," Taim said. "Taim?" Hellory asked. That was the only way Taim could think, now. Now that he had risen it was too late to think of different things. Lili was sleeping in one of the rooms upstairs. The brown, foreign, gentle woman with the lavender