Broken World Book Three - A Land Without Law by T C Southwell Page B
Authors: T C Southwell
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shuffled
from the darkness and peered at her myopically.
"Can I help
you, missy?" she quavered.
"I doubt it."
Talsy headed for the door.
"You should
try me first, you know." The crone's voice strengthened.
Talsy turned
to face her, revolted by her seamed face and tattered black garb,
which smelt as if it had never been washed. "Okay, I want a love
potion."
"Ah." The
witch revealed toothless gums. "A very common requirement, although
a lass with your looks shouldn't need any such thing. Married, is
he?" She plucked a dark vial from the table in a claw-like hand. "I
have just the thing, guaranteed to make him as horny as a boar in
rut."
Talsy eyed the
vial. "Does it only work on Truemen?"
The crone's
face fell. "Don't tell me you're one of those women who want to lie
with animals, girl? They don't need any potions."
"No!" Talsy
shuddered.
"Well good,"
the woman muttered. "Can't say I approve of it, you know. Men can
screw whatever they wish and no harm comes of it. But a woman,
that's different." She leant forward, giving Talsy the benefit of
her fetid breath. "We've got to be careful what we let take root in
our wombs, missy. Never can tell what it'll turn out to be, or even
if we can birth it, you see?"
Talsy nodded,
swallowing the bile that had crept into her throat.
The crone
stared at her with faded green eyes. "Well, if it's not a man or an
animal, what can it be? A woman? I have a potion for that too."
"No, not a
woman." Talsy raised a hand to her mouth, sure that she was about
to vomit. She longed to escape the dark horrible house, but the
crone's intent gaze held her like a snake holds a rabbit.
The crone's
eyes lighted with dawning comprehension. "Not a man, nor woman nor
animal. That only leaves one thing, girl. You know, no one's
thought of that. What a grand idea!"
She looked
excited. "You can get your hands on one? You know, I bet there are
plenty of women who'd pay excellent money for a chance to bear that
child if it's possible. But if sheep can breed with pigs and cats
with dogs, which never could before, then why not?" She gripped
Talsy's wrist, pushing her face close to the girl's. Talsy gagged
at the stench. "If you know where to get one, I could make you
rich, missy!"
"No, I never
said..." Talsy tried to break free of the witch's hold, but the
woman's hand was like a vice.
"We thought
that they were all in the Pits." The crone ignored her struggles.
"You do know where there's one, don't you? If you do, I have
something that will help you, lass. Yes, it might work."
Talsy forced
her stomach to stop churning. "You do?"
The hag
nodded. "Mighty expensive though, brought from far to the north by
a tradesman. Makes Truemen crazy with lust, but it would probably
work on one of them, too. Never been able to try it, mind, there's
none of them about."
Talsy's
curiosity got the better of her revulsion. "Where does it come
from?"
"Well now, I
was told it comes from a huge plant they found far out in the
wilderness. The men had to burn it, because the thing was deadly.
But when they reached the flower, they went berserk, started...
never mind that. They cut some pieces of it and brought it back.
It's not a potion or nothing, it's a scent. They kept it in a
bottle, and I bought a bit, just a little to try. No effect on
women mind, but the men!" She gave a low cackle.
Talsy stopped
listening to the old crone's prattle, her mind flying back to the
vast golden plain she had crossed with Chanter and the huge,
strange flower they had encountered there. The way he had gone to
the flower, as if drawn by a siren's call and returned exhausted
and silent. She interrupted the hag's story.
"How
much?"
"Well, now, I
doubt you could afford it, lass, but I tell you what..."
"How
much?"
The crone
looked miffed and named an exorbitant sum that Talsy could not
afford. The silver she carried was worth a great deal, but the
woman's price far exceeded that.
She shook her
head. "Too much."
"I thought
so." The witch
from the darkness and peered at her myopically.
"Can I help
you, missy?" she quavered.
"I doubt it."
Talsy headed for the door.
"You should
try me first, you know." The crone's voice strengthened.
Talsy turned
to face her, revolted by her seamed face and tattered black garb,
which smelt as if it had never been washed. "Okay, I want a love
potion."
"Ah." The
witch revealed toothless gums. "A very common requirement, although
a lass with your looks shouldn't need any such thing. Married, is
he?" She plucked a dark vial from the table in a claw-like hand. "I
have just the thing, guaranteed to make him as horny as a boar in
rut."
Talsy eyed the
vial. "Does it only work on Truemen?"
The crone's
face fell. "Don't tell me you're one of those women who want to lie
with animals, girl? They don't need any potions."
"No!" Talsy
shuddered.
"Well good,"
the woman muttered. "Can't say I approve of it, you know. Men can
screw whatever they wish and no harm comes of it. But a woman,
that's different." She leant forward, giving Talsy the benefit of
her fetid breath. "We've got to be careful what we let take root in
our wombs, missy. Never can tell what it'll turn out to be, or even
if we can birth it, you see?"
Talsy nodded,
swallowing the bile that had crept into her throat.
The crone
stared at her with faded green eyes. "Well, if it's not a man or an
animal, what can it be? A woman? I have a potion for that too."
"No, not a
woman." Talsy raised a hand to her mouth, sure that she was about
to vomit. She longed to escape the dark horrible house, but the
crone's intent gaze held her like a snake holds a rabbit.
The crone's
eyes lighted with dawning comprehension. "Not a man, nor woman nor
animal. That only leaves one thing, girl. You know, no one's
thought of that. What a grand idea!"
She looked
excited. "You can get your hands on one? You know, I bet there are
plenty of women who'd pay excellent money for a chance to bear that
child if it's possible. But if sheep can breed with pigs and cats
with dogs, which never could before, then why not?" She gripped
Talsy's wrist, pushing her face close to the girl's. Talsy gagged
at the stench. "If you know where to get one, I could make you
rich, missy!"
"No, I never
said..." Talsy tried to break free of the witch's hold, but the
woman's hand was like a vice.
"We thought
that they were all in the Pits." The crone ignored her struggles.
"You do know where there's one, don't you? If you do, I have
something that will help you, lass. Yes, it might work."
Talsy forced
her stomach to stop churning. "You do?"
The hag
nodded. "Mighty expensive though, brought from far to the north by
a tradesman. Makes Truemen crazy with lust, but it would probably
work on one of them, too. Never been able to try it, mind, there's
none of them about."
Talsy's
curiosity got the better of her revulsion. "Where does it come
from?"
"Well now, I
was told it comes from a huge plant they found far out in the
wilderness. The men had to burn it, because the thing was deadly.
But when they reached the flower, they went berserk, started...
never mind that. They cut some pieces of it and brought it back.
It's not a potion or nothing, it's a scent. They kept it in a
bottle, and I bought a bit, just a little to try. No effect on
women mind, but the men!" She gave a low cackle.
Talsy stopped
listening to the old crone's prattle, her mind flying back to the
vast golden plain she had crossed with Chanter and the huge,
strange flower they had encountered there. The way he had gone to
the flower, as if drawn by a siren's call and returned exhausted
and silent. She interrupted the hag's story.
"How
much?"
"Well, now, I
doubt you could afford it, lass, but I tell you what..."
"How
much?"
The crone
looked miffed and named an exorbitant sum that Talsy could not
afford. The silver she carried was worth a great deal, but the
woman's price far exceeded that.
She shook her
head. "Too much."
"I thought
so." The witch
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