THE PERSUADERS   we rise just after the heat of day has pressed life flat our deliberations inflating the indrawn breath of evening a cool murmur across the skies robes of scarlet, pale amethyst, robust plum we don against the encroaching night, realm of mystery and allusion   we gather darkness into ourselves Pluton’s immeasurable […]

WENCH, by Scott Hutchison   Nary a man doesn’t review the merchandise upon entering, wary eyes scanning tables and corners and me. They stride or stroll or slink in the door smelling of earth and blood, wet horse, rust, and a rankness all their own. They clap and call out Wench!–I pause, then saunter over […]

Spring is well underway, which in our part of the world means torrential rains, hail and the occasional tornado. Lively times, indeed! Also lively? HFQ # 28! We’ve got the final installments of “Crazy Snake and the Tribute for Pachacamac”, and “The Siege, the Gums, and the Blue”, as well as two new stories and […]

CRAZY SNAKE AND THE TRIBUTE FOR PACHACAMAC- PART II, by Eric Atkisson   After a high seas chase by mercenaries of Nicaragua’s usurper president, William Walker, Crazy Snake and his loyal horse Aahtaqui are forced to abandon ship near a mysterious, mist-enshrouded isle. The horseman soon encounters a magical “stone man” who demands tribute for […]

CURSE OF BEAUTY, by Marlena Frank *-* She knew she was beautiful. In fact, she found it painfully obvious. Catharine owned no mirrors and her windows had no glass. There was not a scrap of reflective metal in her house, and even her image in the river was a wave of motion. No, Catharine had […]