Photo by Larry Combs

This excerpt is taken from the chapter “I Need More Guns.” In which Fenmore LeMerde gets a heavy dose of foreshadowing.

Enveloped in the warm metallic tones of brass, copper, and gold his new best friend Orby blinked slow and methodically charging on a stand next to Fenmore LeMerde’s head. The red light kept rhythm with his soft snoring as he slumped over his desk. “I need more guns,” he mumbled and flexed his trigger finger. It was a rare occurrence that the heir to Boilertown slept. When he did it was for an indeterminate amount of time and there was no waking him up. “More-” This time the air was different, it carried a heavy acrid odor. “What-” Suddenly roused, he picked his head off the work desk. Then he heard it. A voice called out down the hall. “Hey! Who’s there?” Fenmore LeMerde shouted. It was the first time in a very long time that heard a voice that was not his own. But after a spell he began to wonder. He could barely make out the words. It was like an echo before he even spoke. He woke up Orby and wound his way out of the study. Sound swept strangely through the sprawling halls of LeMerde Manor. He held his breath and listened just to make sure he wasn’t the one who caused the echo. Following the voice he walked past numerous doors to tightly packed quarters. “Hello?” He asked when he heard a very familiar person. Himself. “What?” He put his hand on the door knob hesitant to enter. By the tone of his voice there was no doubt he would find himself in a frantic situation.

“Good bye LeMerde” He heard himself say from inside the room.
“Me?” Fenmore LeMerde called out to the other Fenmore LeMerde.
“Good bye LeMerde” He repeated those words over and over until it sounded like he gave up hope.
“All those lives lost.” He heard a woman say in a far away voice. Her anguish was palpable.
“No… Noooooooo,” Just then a third person growled in a low animalistic and angry voice.“Baaaad Gretttaaaahhhhh.”
“Whats going on?” Quite confused the corporeal Fenmore LeMerde asked from the hallway. “Who’s with you- me?” As if in answer a very noxious odor wafted up from below. Very deep down below as if the smoldering caldera that Boilertown was built upon belched up something foul. The incendiary air burned his nostrils and made him cough. He burst through the door fearing the worst.