CHAPTER 47 - CIRCE'S LOVE

Punky moved slowly through the ancient forest toward the distance bonfires. She was very quiet but the sulphur in the air almost made her sneeze. To her left was considerably more light behind a large iron and wooden gate. Then Punky heard movement along the road and she dropped to the warm but prickly forest floor hidden by fog. This place was very dangerous decided Punky. After a few moments the large gate opened and the procession entered the compound. She was about to stand when she noticed warrior guards standing near the gate. They looked serious in their furs and with very sharp spears. Punky decided to stay put and invisible in ground fog.

As she lay on the ground behind a very large rotten tree stump she found a place where she could peak thought the skeleton of decaying bark and take in the entire scene.

She saw hundreds of warriors lined up in some kind of formation. Like graduation at the Academy of Blimps thought Punky, but these were not happy graduating cadets. These were warrior women in ancient dress, or undress in some cases. They were heavily armed and Punky recognized some of the modern weapons. There faces were painted blue. Punky did not know why they looked that way, but she knew that the entire effect was screaming “don’t mess with me.” She watched as the procession advanced to a stone monument and then set up a chair or throne opposite the stone and the silent warrior guard. Some kind of ritual thought Punky. Then she recognized The Chair. An inner voice told her to remain hidden. The Chair did not look happy at all. He was surrounded by a small group of oddly dressed seniors and a rather short man with a mask and a black outfit. Zorro came to mind, thought Punky, but that made no sense.

Punky decided to creep forward with care and determine what was going on. She looked carefully and saw no one but the phalanx of warriors and the elegantly dressed group standing with The Chair. The guards by the gate had disappeared when the gate had been closed moments before. Punky moved swiftly and silently across the road. She hugged the ancient wall of stones. The fires grew dim as she followed the wall for some distance. Then the wall made a 90 degree turn and she followed it until she estimated that she was behind The Chair and his group. Punky rested a moment. She could see clearly two of the bonfires, but the ground fog obscured the others.

Punky advanced with caution. The bonfires grew brighter and she advanced slowly and silently. Then she came upon a huge slab of stone angled at about 30 degrees toward the sky. The top of the rock slab must have been 10 meters and above the slab. At the top of the slab a group of very large tree trunks obscured the scene below. Punky found climbing the stone easy and she soon reached the top. Several bushy tree limbs the thickness of a cow obscured here view. She stopped for a moment and then began to climb out on the limb. The limb was solid and Punky found many sturdy handholds in the tough fibrous bark. As she inched forward the limb stopped. It had fallen off or been destroyed in some primordial storm. However the view below was spectacular. Punky could see everything including the ranks of warriors and beyond. She saw a large flat stone covered with yellow flowers. Punky was high above what she decided must be a Druid sanctuary. She was perhaps 15 to 20 meters high. Directly below her was the little man dressed like Zorro sitting on a very large and ornate golden chair. And next to him stood The Chair.

All Punky needed now was to light up the Testosa Grande and take in the spectacle. However the blue painted faces indicated that smoking in the grove would not be advised.

Just as Punky was settling in she heard in the distance a child’s voice begin to sing. It was a single voice of intense beauty. The voice was sorrowful, innocent, and delicate. The single voice resonated throughout the grove and Punky listened carefully.

“Circe’s love and lust so fair,
Now the sun is laid to sleep,
Seated in thy sacred chair,
Stately guide and laws to keep:
Tigers entreat thy might,
Circe’s love excellently bright.”

Punky saw movement at the far end of the warrior phalanx. Four tall and nearly naked blue painted women carried a golden throne between the two lines of guards. They moved slowly as the solitary voice sang the dirge like melody. The jeweled throne was carefully placed opposite the flat flower covered slab that faced The Chair and Zorro. A bit like two chess masters getting ready for a showdown thought Punky.

The mountain rumbled and the glowing pit in the distance suddenly lit the sky. Punky thought she might be seen, but soon a cloud of stinky gas obscured the entire area. Soon it would pass. Time to light up thought Punky. She drew the Testosa Grande from her pocket, bit off the end which she put into her pocket. Then she lit a match cupped in her hands and puffed hard like a blimp climbing for altitude. The Testosa tip glowed a dull red. Eventually the stinky cloud of smoke cleared and Punky could see the scene below again.

Punky was less than three puffs into the Testosa when again she noticed movement at the far end of the lane of warriors. Two very burly, very ugly, and very nude women were dragging some poor soul dressed in an outrageous outfit into the light. There was a chain about his neck and he wore a dumb purple robe, was stripped to the waist, and was wearing some kind of sparkly gold skimpy shorts. Punky thought it was almost funny until she looked closely. It was Ed! Ed Hallard. This is getting serious thought Punky. Dangerously serious.

The voice began to sing again.


“Earth, let not thy envy shade
Dare itself to interpose;
Circe’s darkened moon was made
Heaven to clear when day did close:
Give us then our blessed night,
Circe’s gift excellently bright.”

Not a very catchy tune thought Punky, but she found the words and melody deeply disturbing.

She spied another movement. Two warriors were carrying Little Ben toward the golden throne. Punky was sick. Little Ben! They were supposed to protect her. Not deliver her up to the hands of Adel’s maniacs. But there she was. Little Ben was unbound but looked as if she were drugged or in some kind of trance. The warriors gently placed her at the foot of the golden throne next to the chained Ed.

Gods thought Punky they probably got the rest of the crew as well. Punky thought hard. She had no weapons. She was determined to protect Little Ben, but there was nothing she could do. I’ll wait she thought perhaps Kees or Macboy got away. They were heavily armed, and as Omega Squad people, they could help out if they found this place. Perhaps those Knights might show up. They sounded pretty powerful thought Punky.

She took a puff and continued to observe as the ground rumbled again and smoke obscured the scene for a few moments. As the smoke cleared and the view returned Punky was again shocked. For behind the golden throne she saw the crumpled forms of Kees and Macboy. They were bound hand and foot. As a blimp captain she could see that the ropes were sturdy and the knots very clever. Even the Omega Squad could not escape.

Things were bad realized Punky and they were getting worse by the moment.

Just as the solo voice began to sing again Punky heard the clattering of horses’ hooves in the distance. Must be those Knights to the rescue. But the sound was not the clattering of hooves on a mighty charge as one heard on old youtube westerns, but the sound of small and very tired ponies.

“Sacrifice the ones apart,
And with thy sparkling dagger;
Give unto the bleeding hart
Dispatch them now then to stagger;
Thou that make a day of night,
Circe’s lust excellently bright.”

Sacrifice thought Punky. That’s what this is all about. It’s a Druid Sacrifice. An evil thing outlawed hundreds of years ago.

Probably Little Ben or perhaps Ed. Or perhaps all of them and the crew. I gotta do something thought. But what?

The gate slowly opened and bright white torches illuminated brilliant yellow banners and mounted Knights. Dusty Knights. Rusty Knights. Very very old Knights. Slowly the Knights ambled forward on their steeds. Soon they stood facing, what Punky now knew, was a stone of sacrifice.

On the right of the Knights sat Zorro and The Chair. To the left the golden throne, Ben, Ed, and the captives.

A tall beautiful warrior stepped forward and stood between the sacrificial stone and the little band of Yellow Knights.

“Just on time,” said Sister Letum. “Just on time.” Sister Letum was dressed in a brown leather outfit that left nothing to the imagination. In her hand she held a long and very sharp blade. Sister Letum continued “Welcome o Knights of the Yellow Banner, Bearers of the Concordat of Abdication, and Brothers in Arms to Mofo the Brave and Very Dead. Welcome to thy doom and the Druid Resurrection ”

In an instant a giant net fell heavily from the darkness above onto the Yellow Knights. Warriors hidden in the dark rushed the Yellow Knights. The Yellow Knights crumpled and fell. The ponies whinnied and pawed the ground desperate to escape. One Yellow Knight managed to cut free the thick netting but was immediately overcome by five strong warriors. The Knights had failed. There were too few to counter Adel’s swift and savage attack.

Soon the knights were bound and arrayed before a stone slab bordering the stone of sacrifice. They stood upon their knees like supplicants at some holy shrine thought Punky. Behind each stood a blue smeared warrior with a dagger held to the throat of each Knight. Silence again fell upon the primeval grove. Only Mount Sodom occasionally spoke.

A snap sounded just to the left of Punky’s ear. She froze and turned expecting to see an ugly blue face with a nine inch blade. To her amazement it was Daggy, her fingers to her lips. Punky quickly looked down. No one had noticed the tiny noise. Punky looked back and Daggy smiled. Punky raised her fingers and began signing to Daggy. Navy hand signals needed when the storms, or howling boilers made hearing and speaking impossible.

“Did you see?” signed Punky.

“Yes, everything,” replied Daggy. “There is only you and me to stop this madness.” “

Yes,” said Punky, “but first lets plan this out.”

Daggy nodded.

The beautiful voice resumed her song.

“Monforte throne in the night,
Our exile over and now so new
The crown and jewel to set it right,
A blessing for the very few
Yellow Knights fail in fight
Circe’s dagger excellently bright.”

Mount Sodom spoke again, this time with a bright flash and deep roar. Steam and smoke obscured the scene.

As it cleared there stood Circe. Circe was radiant in her splendor and fearful in her eyes.

Punky was shocked at the beauty of Circe. She turned to Daggy.

Daggy signed, “Look in here eyes.”

Punky leaned forward just a bit and looked long and hard. “Insane,” Punky signed to Daggy. “Completely insane.” Then Punky signed “Look at her hand.” Daggy nodded ‘yes’ as she spied the jeweled dagger of Circe.