The letter was now tucked inside the breast pocket of his blue-grey suit. A martyr to obsessive compulsion, Sam had taken the letter out of his pocket and examined it precisely nine times since the train left Victoria.Continue reading Mr. Pilling's "The Path to Brighton."
Needing to reach ten, a nice round number, before he could feel comfortable, he drew it out once again, unfolded the neat white paper and studied the brief message:
To S. Burgess, late of the Royal South Kent Regiment,
From one who was taken in the birdcage with you. I will be under Brighton Pier at 11:45 p.m. on 10th November and will have your reward. Come. — E. Greaves.
Sam's mind wandered from the present back to Flanders. Back to the trenches, the barbed wire, the mud, poison gas and all the rest of it.
Next Week: Best-selling author Dave Zeltserman will introduce you to "King."
Soon: Anthony Neil Smith with even more royalty, "The King of Mardi Gras."
In August: BEAT to a PULP: Round One print anthology featuring Ed Gorman, Robert J. Randisi, Sophie Litttlefield, James Reasoner, Charles Ardai, Frank Bill and many others. Edited by Elaine Ash and yours truly.