The Castrator by Atanas Marinov, Atanas Marinov, Atanas Marinov, Atanas Marinov (short books for teens txt) 📕

FELISTER HAD BUILT UP AN EXTENSIVE NETWORK OF FARMS WHERE ANIMAL CASTRATION TOOK PLACE. PERHAPS OVER TWO HUNDRED DIFFERENT FARMS AROUND THE COUNTRY WERE DOING JUST THAT. BUT HIS SLOGAN WAS ACTUALLY THAT THEY WERE DEVELOPING ANIMAL HUSBANDRY.

LIFE'S FELISTER HAD UNDERSTOOD THAT NOTHING CAME FOR FREE AND THAT EVERY THING CAME AT A PRICE. HIS CATTLE KNEW IT TOO. ANY MISDEMEANOUR ON THEIR PART COULD COST THEM HANGING FROM THE BARN DOOR. SOME WERE EVEN BEATEN WITH A BROOM HANDLE. BUT FELISTER WAS - LIKE A TRUE EDUCATOR - ALL TOO AWARE THAT HIS EDUCATIONAL METHODS WOULD HAVE MADE THEM DO THEIR JOBS EVEN BETTER. YES, THOSE BASTARDS HATED HIM AND WANTED TO DRAG HIS GUTS ALL THE WAY TO KANSAS CITY ON THE ASPHALT. BUT FELISTER WAS JUST MINDING HIS OWN BUSINESS! AND THE DAYS WENT BY MONOTONOUSLY.

FELISTER WAS ALSO A HISTORY BUFF AND READ HISTORY BOOKS VORACIOUSLY - NOT THAT HE HAD MUCH TIME FOR THAT. THE CARTELS REQUIRED THE FARM TO WORK TWENTY-FOUR-HOUR SHIFTS TO ENSURE HIGHER TURNOVER AND PROFIT. IN ONE OF THESE BOOKS HE HAD READ THE FOLLOWING FORMULATION "THERE IS NONE OF YOU BUT WILL HANG ME, I KNOW, WHENEVER YOU CAN TOUCH ME IN YOUR POWER.[1]" SO HE TRIED TO MAKE SURE THE FORCES WERE NEVER EQUAL. AND THAT HELD THE SITUATION.

FELISTER ALSO UNDERSTOOD HOW TO MANAGE HIS BUSINESS, AND HE ALSO UNDERSTOOD FINANCE. AND HIS KNOWLEDGE OF THE WHOLE WORLD ENDED THERE. BUT HE DIDN'T NEED MORE. HE WAS SELF-SUFFICIENT. NO MATTER HOW HARD THEY TRIED AND HOW MUCH THEY SAW HIS QUIRKS, HIS SUBORDINATES KEPT QUIET, KNOWING THAT HE WAS GIVING THEM THEIR BREAD AND ALSO PROVIDING THEM WITH A STABLE BACK FROM A FORMAL POINT OF VIEW. NO MATTER HOW THEY SPUN HIM WITH THEIR QUESTIONS, FELISTER WAS UNRUFFLED AND DID NOT GIVE IN TO ANYONE'S PROVOCATIONS. HIS SIMPLE PHILOSOPHY OF LIFE WAS THAT HE HAD COME INTO THIS WORLD ON A MISSION AND IT WOULD SOON BE OVER.

DETECTIVE DONOVAN HAD IDENTIFIED HIM IN THE MORGUE IN NO UNCERTAIN TERMS, AS THERE WASN'T MUCH LEFT OF HIM. A FRAGMENTATION GRENADE THROWN BY ONE OF THE STORMTROOPERS HAD TORN HIS LEGS OFF TO ABOVE THE KNEE, AND ALSO PARTS OF HIS TORSO.

THE MORGUE WAS CRAMPED AND OPPRESSIVE ENOUGH, AND EVEN THE WALLS THEMSELVES SEEMED TO WHISPER SECRETS. IT WAS AS IF THEY WERE SAYING TO DONOVAN "YOU KILLED HIM! YOU WERE! YOU! YOU! YOU! YOU! YOU!"

DONOVAN WAS GOING TO THROW UP. HE WISHED TO GET OUT INTO THE FRESH AIR. HE WASN'T GETTING ANY IN THE GOVERNMENT EITHER, AND HE KNEW HE STILL HAD SOME ACTIVITY TO REPORT AND NOT LIE ON THOSE OLD LAURELS FOREVER.

HE HAD BEEN GIVEN A PRIVATE OFFICE WHERE HE COULD DO WHATEVER HE WANTED AND HAD RECEIVED ALMOST DOUBLE HIS SALARY, AND AT THE END OF THE YEAR HE COULD HOPE FOR SOME PRETTY FAT BONUS. WHAT MORE COULD HE ASK FOR?

HE COULD BOSS AROUND THOSE LOWER THAN HIM AND GET THE SATISFACTION OF HIS COMPARATIVELY GREAT POWER AS CHIEF OF POLICE. SO MANY AND BRUTAL GAINS OBTAINED AT THE PRICE OF A NOTHING AND NO DEATH OF A NOXIOUS CRIMINAL SCOUNDREL!

YES, DONOVAN AS A PROFESSIONAL WAS TRAINED TO SEE THOSE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE LAW THAT WAY. OF THOSE HEINOUS OFFENDERS WHO, LIKE A BRUTAL CATERPILLAR

AND YET SOMETHING BOTHERED HIM.

HE HAD PROPERLY ORDERED A BALLISTICS EXAMINATION OF THE WEAPON THAT HAD KILLED FELISTER - NOT THAT HE NEEDED TO, BUT HE DECIDED TO DO IT JUST IN CASE BECAUSE HE FEARED FELISTER WOULD HAVE NO POWERFUL PATRONS HOLDING HIM TO ACCOUNT. HE WANTED TO LOOK IMPRESSIVE, AND HE WAS PUMPED TO STAY AT THE VERY TOP, WHERE MAYBE FORTUNE WOULD SMILE ON HIM AND EVEN ONE DAY ELEVATE HIM EVEN FURTHER.

THEN HE ORDERED A STUDY OF THE GRIMOIRES OF HIS ENEMY, WHOM HE DIDN'T EVEN KNOW PERSONALLY, BUT THANKS TO WHOM HE HAD GOTTEN ALL THAT HE HAD AT THE MOMENT, DONOVAN SEEMED TO CALM DOWN FOR A MOMENT. HAD HE BEEN A SMOKER, HE PROBABLY WOULD HAVE LIT UP A GIANT CIGAR AND PROUDLY LEANED BACK IN HIS HUGE AND RELATIVELY EXPENSIVE LEATHER CHAIR. BUT THE PROBLEM WAS, HE WASN'T A SMOKER. AND HE DIDN'T GIVE A DAMN ABOUT FOUR HUNDRED AND FIFTY BUCKS FOR CIGARS LIKE "KOHIBA," WHERE THE DEEP AND DELICATE AROMA CARESSED NOT ONLY YOUR LUNGS BUT YOUR OVERACHIEVING PARVENU EGO. WELL, HE HAD BEEN DENOUNCED AT THE GOVERNMENT TROUGH LONG AGO, BUT HE LIKED TO THINK OF HIMSELF AS A PARVENU IN HIS OWN IMAGINATION. THE DETECTIVE MIGHT HAVE BEEN CONSIDERED A CAPABLE COP, BUT IN PRACTICE HE HAD BUILT HIS IMAGE THANKS TO A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO STOOD BEHIND HIM AND BACKED HIM UP IN EARNEST.

FOR MORE THAN FIFTEEN YEARS NOW, HE'D BEEN LANGUISHING IN THE SMELLY OFFICE, WHERE HE'D WAITED ANXIOUSLY FOR A MORE SERIOUS CASE-BUT THERE HADN'T BEEN ONE. WHATEVER HE SAID, DONOVAN WAS AMBITIOUS AND WANTED MORE FOR HIMSELF THAN HE DESERVED.

AFTER A WHILE, SOMEONE CAME TO TELL HIM HOW FAR THEY HAD GOTTEN WITH THE RELIANCE ON THE GRIMOIRES. IT TURNED OUT TO BE OLD BOOKS. IT WAS THE ORIGINAL OF "ARS ALMADEL," WHICH WAS TO HELP FELISTER SECURE COMMUNICATION WITH THE ANGELS WHO COULD AID HIM IN HIS UNDERTAKINGS. THIS WAS PRACTICALLY THE FOURTH BOOK OF SOLOMON'S LITTLE KEY, WHICH GAVE PROFOUND KNOWLEDGE TO THE PRACTITIONER.

DONOVAN JUST SCRATCHED HIS HEAD. THESE SIMPLE THINGS WERE CLEARLY GETTING TO HIM. BUT HE NOTICED SOMETHING - NONE OF THE CONGRESSMEN CAME TO CONGRATULATE HIM ON A JOB SO WELL DONE. ALL HE GOT WAS AN OFFICIAL CONGRATULATIONS AND NOTHING MORE - NOT THAT HE EXPECTED THOSE GOD-ANOINTED SOULS TO PAY MUCH ATTENTION TO HIM, BUT THE SPECIAL OPERATION HE HAD ORGANIZED WAS CARRIED OUT LIKE A TEXTBOOK. NOT TO MENTION THAT HE HAD PUT HIS WHOLE SOUL INTO IT.

IT SEEMED TO HIM THAT THE OTHER ASSISTANTS IN THE POLICE FORCE ALSO HAD LITTLE PARTICULAR REGARD FOR HIS ASPIRATIONS FOR PROMOTION. DONOVAN, HOWEVER, DID NOT CARE. HE ALWAYS ARRIVED AT WORK IN A PERFECTLY PRESSED SUIT AND WAS VERY ATTENTIVE TO DETAIL.

DONOVAN LOOKED FORWARD TO THE END OF THE WORKDAY SO HE COULD GET HOME FROM WORK AND GET SOME SLEEP. EVEN IN HIS OFFICE HE WAS ALERT, BECAUSE SOMETIMES REPORTS CAME IN OF SOME BRUTAL CRIMES, SUCH AS BEATINGS FOR THE PURPOSE OF ROBBERY OR EVEN ARSON.

DONOVAN KNEW THAT KANSAS CITY WAS NOT A BAD PLACE TO INDULGE IN A BIT OF FUN, BUT ACCORDING TO OFFICIAL RANKINGS IT WAS THE FIFTH MOST DANGEROUS CITY IN THE US.

THE COP HAD A SMALL CABIN NOT FAR FROM KANSAS CITY-MAYBE THIRTY MILES SOUTHEAST OF THE METROPOLIS. IT WAS A MASSIVE TWO-STORY STRUCTURE, AND BECAUSE HE HAD SOME CONNECTIONS, DONOVAN DECIDED TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE SITUATION AND STAKE OUT THE LAND AROUND IT. IT WASN'T MUCH LAND MAYBE ABOUT THREE OR FOUR ACRES BUT HE WAS EAGER TO DO SOMETHING AND DIDN'T WANT ANYONE WATCHING HIM.

WHY HAD FELISTER ALLOWED HIMSELF TO BE CAPTURED? WHY HAD NO ONE DEMANDED AN ACCOUNT OF THE DONOVAN? WERE THE PEOPLE BEHIND THIS GIGANTIC DRUG DEAL NOT LISTENING?

SOMETHING DIDN'T ADD UP HERE AND IT DIDN'T ADD UP AT ALL. NO MATTER HOW HARD HE TRIED TO FIGURE IT OUT, DONOVAN WAS UNABLE TO ARRIVE AT THE FULL TRUTH ON HIS OWN.

- "FELISTER SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN A REAL MAVERICK," HE MUTTERED, STARING INTO THE FIREPLACE, WHICH WAS CRACKLING MERRILY.

IT WAS A HELLISH HEAT, BUT THE HUT WAS SOMEHOW COOL, AND YET THE DETECTIVE'S SEEMINGLY MADE-UP STORY WAS FICTIONAL, BUT HE WANTED TO REACH THE INSIGHTS OF FELISTER, HIS MORTAL AND RUTHLESS ENEMY, FOR HIMSELF.

- "FIRE PURIFIES," HE SAID, AS IF IN A TRANCE, AND BEGAN TO UNWRAP THE GRIMOIRE WHICH, WHO KNEW WHY, WAS IN HIS HANDS.

YES, THAT'S RIGHT, HE HAD TAKEN IT BECAUSE HE WAS CLEARLY AWARE THAT HE NEEDED IT. THE SAME BOOK WAS KEPT AS PHYSICAL EVIDENCE, BUT DONOVAN HAD PHOTOGRAPHED IT WITH A SPECIAL

CAMERA AND HAD ASSEMBLED THE PRINTED MATERIAL, SHAPING IT CAREFULLY INTO A BOOK.

IT WASN'T LONG BEFORE HE REALIZED THE MOST IMPORTANT THING - FELISTER HADN'T BEEN TRYING TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE DEMONS HE'D BEEN COMMUNICATING WITH ALL HIS LIFE, BUT WITH THE ANGELS WHO SEEMED TO HAVE FORGOTTEN HIM.

THE COP WONDERED WHY FELISTER WAS SO DETERMINED TO HELP THE OTHERS. PERHAPS SOME OF THE SOULS WERE IN FACT IN NEED, BUT IT WASN'T THE CASTRATOR WHO WAS BEST SUITED FOR THIS.

DONOVAN HAD ALSO TAKEN SOME OF THE SHRUNKEN MAGE'S NOTES, WHICH HAD ALSO BEEN DUTIFULLY SCANNED WITHOUT HIS COLLEAGUES' KNOWLEDGE. HE WANTED TO EXAMINE THEM IN PEACE AND FIGURE OUT WHAT WAS BEHIND IT ALL.

 

[1] Words of the famous Samuel Bellamy, known as "Black Sam", who was the richest pirate of all time.

THE FELISTER'S LEGACY

CHAPTER SEVEN: THE FELISTER'S LEGACY

 

THE MORE HE CONSIDERED DONOVAN, THE MORE HE FOUND THAT THERE WAS SOMETHING VERY, VERY ROTTEN HERE. JUST TO KEEP YOU GUESSING. NOWHERE COULD HE CATCH THE LOGIC OF FELISTER'S THOUGHT, AND HE WAS SURE THERE WAS ONE. THEN, UNEXPECTEDLY, IN ONE OF THE MANY PASSAGES, HE CAME ACROSS SOME VERY DISTANT HINT OF HIS HERITAGE. ACCORDING TO FELISTER'S INSTRUCTIONS, IT WAS LOCATED SOMEWHERE BETWEEN THE STATES OF MISSOURI AND OHIO - THE SAME INFORMATION ZONARA HAD SHARED WITH ME.

THE MESSAGE SAID THE FOLLOWING:

"WHOEVER FINDS THE INHERITANCE WILL ALSO INHERIT MY SORROW. HE WHO FACES DEATH WILL REALIZE HIS INNER STRENGTH. AND HE WHO GOES AGAINST THE WILL OF THE GODS WILL SUFFER!"

DETECTIVE DONOVAN DID NOT SEE HOW THE CONFUSED INSTRUCTIONS COULD BE OF ANY USE TO HIM. ILLINOIS AND INDIANA WERE LOCATED BETWEEN MISSOURI AND OHIO, BUT EVEN THAT INFORMATION WAS TOO GENERAL.

- "DAMN IT!" ROARED DONOVAN. "THAT DIRTY BASTARD SURE KNOWS HOW TO PLAY THOSE GAMES!"

AND WITH A FURIOUS SHOUT HE SENT THE REMAINING PAPERS INTO THE FIREPLACE. FLAMES ROSE UP, ALMOST SETTING THE FLOOR ON FIRE.

DONOVAN WAS BEGINNING TO SUSPECT THAT FELISTER'S LEGACY WAS TO GET THEM INTO A GAME THAT WAS PLAYED BY SOME RULES OF HIS OWN, BUT WHAT EXACTLY?

THE SEARCH OF THE COTTAGE HAD FOUND ABSOLUTELY NO MONEY, NOR ANY PARTICULAR VALUABLES, LET ALONE HUNTING TROPHIES OR ANYTHING ELSE. ALL THAT WAS LEFT WAS THE MERCHANDISE, WHICH HAD TO BE DISPOSED OF IN DUE ORDER.

- "SICK BRAIN!," SHOUTED DONOVAN, "THERE IS OBVIOUSLY SOMETHING MUCH DEEPER HERE!"

ALL THE TIME THE WOMAN IN RED WAS TRYING TO CONVINCE ME THAT I SHOULD ACCEPT HER OFFER.

- "WE'LL SPLIT FIFTY-FIFTY," SHE TOLD ME CONFIDENTLY.

I WAS UNABLE TO FATHOM WHAT WAS THE POINT OF USING ME FOR CANNON FODDER EXCEPT TO SAVE MY OWN SKIN.

- "I ASSUME DETECTIVE DONOVAN WILL BE HOT ON OUR HEELS AS WELL, AND WE'LL HAVE TO BEAT HIM TO IT," SHE ADDED, TRYING TO IGNORE MY PROTESTS TO JOIN IN, PROMPTED BY MY BEWILDERMENT.

- "HOW LITTLE IT TAKES FOR A MAN TO BE HAPPY," I SAID QUIETLY IN AN ATTEMPT TO CONVINCE EVEN MYSELF.

AS WE BREATHED THE FREE AMERICAN AIR, WE HAD LONG SINCE LEFT PHOENIX, ARIZONA, AND WERE NOW ENTERING ANOTHER STATE, BUT SOMETHING WAS BOTHERING ME. THERE WAS NO TAIL ON OUR HEELS, AND ZONARA HADN'T EVEN TAKEN A GUARD TO PROTECT US IN CASE OF ACCIDENTS.

- "WHAT THE HELL WAS GOING ON?,"