Friday, October 16, 2009

This one's for Nigel

The pale-skinned monk clasped the leather-bound book tightly to his chest. He breathed heavily in anticipation, tensing each time he felt another person get too close. He could sense the eyes of the crowd all around him, and pulled the hood over his white face to better keep them away. They were jostling now, pressing forward. The monk pressed forward too. He thought about fleeing but knew it was futile; and besides, his task must be completed. He grimaced as an elbow pressed into his side, then winced as a boot nearly crushed his sandaled foot.
At last the bodies in front of him parted, and he stumbled forward into fresh air, thrusting the leather book toward the grey figure seated at the desk before him.
The monk hesitated for a moment, then opened the heavy tome to its first page and said, "Can you make it out to Betsy, on her ninth birthday? She loves all your books".
The grey figure dipped his quill in his inkpot and began to write. He sighed morosely as a pair of drops fell onto the paper.
"One of these days", he muttered, then blew on the elegant script and handed the book back to the monk, who departed.

That was an excerpt from the brand new Chief Inspector Laszlo Bíro mystery, "Scarlett Johansson in the Study with the Lead Piping", in which the leading criminal psychologist and children's author must investigate the disappearance of a beloved taxidermist. And his dog.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Insert big ol' smiley here.