The queerest thing about Carrot Mandalay is that he is not Carrot Mandalay.
The entity inhabiting Carrot Mandalay's body is a minor demon from the subterranean bone market under what used to be a convenience store. This demon has a handle. Goes by "Zander."
If you can corner Carrot's shell and get Zander to be truthful like, he will freely admit to being in possession of the man. There are several that have done this and all are of a like mind: Zander is infinitely more agreeable than Carrot Mandalay.
Both are indeed "sporting men" but Zander, quite unbecoming a demon, never cheats. Carrot was notorious for it. In fact it is the fallout from a game of Queen's Run that caused Carrot to shoot off for escape and a proper hiding spot in the bone market. Bullets and playing cards followed like a comet trail behind him. And it was Carrot's desperation to avoid being ventilated like so much moth-feeding cheesecloth that led him to hide within the one area of the bone market cut off to patrons. And just like that, little Zander wandered out from behind an "Employees Only" door and took hold of his body and being.
To the list of Carrot's sins add drunkeness, womanizing, horse-thieving, and blasphemy most foul as he on several occasions drained his whiskey-soaked ball sack on sites held holy in the eyes of men and magic.
Yes, it was the old Carrot Mandalay that Annalynne Tuckle has a beef with. Not Zander.
A fact that the poor, frightened demon is trying to explain now that Miss Tuckle has a barrel betwixt his eyes.
"I assure you! You and I have never met! I am Zander Dank Hen of the demon dirt caste! Shit, I'm so fucking useless it took all my strength to possess this fucker and he ain't exactly the robust picture of masculinity!"
Annalynne presses the barrel harder between Zander-Carrot's eyes, "You sure had the timbre of Carrot back with Kellwood and Shane When. And even if it truth that shits from your mouth, what on this earth is preventing me from ending a demon?"
"I got his mind! I can talk and have the attitude. Hell, half the time I truly do believe I am Carrot Mandalay. As to the other... I am a worthless demon! I didn't take this body to torture it and I surely did not wish its soul for it is a rank and rotted thing! I took him because I wanted to get out of the bone market. Be flesh. Live with you bizarre things. And now that I have discovered apple pie, to eat myself a shit ton of apple pie!"
Annalynn looks to the floor and Little Shithead, "He telling the truth?"
"I expect to be fed no matter what truth I give you."
"You have my word."
Little Shithead wanders over to Carrot's ankle, takes a bite and draws blood. He laps the blood several times, "Demon. A pitiable demon, actually," Little Shit head looks up at Zandor-Carrot, "You make me sad."
Little Shithead then rubs his head gently against the wounded ankle.
Annalynne puts away her pistol, "Reckon that'll do."
"Aw thank you, Miss Tuckle. I ain't a near sight done walking above yet."
"We'll be doing a lot of walking."
"I'm...you want me come with you?"
"Yes I do, Carrot--I will call you 'Carrot', by the bye. And if you deign to refuse my request for company I will slap leather and send you to the bone market and beyond with an expediency that would make your head spin off. Demon or no."
"I'm all yours, Miss Tuckle."
"Course you are, Carrot. We're pardners."
No comments:
Post a Comment