by Faith Hunter
“I didn’t recognize myself anymore in the killing machine I was becoming.” (Death’s Rival, 59)
“He had no security consciousness about him at all. We could have been two ninja attackers or even a couple of Angus steers, and I didn’t think he’d have noticed us enter.” (Death’s Rival, 134)
“Having men in the house was going to seriously impact my comfort clothes.” (Death’s Rival, 141)
“Even here, out of the city, miles away, I could feel him inside me like a ghost crouching in the corner of my brain, like a demon’s dark shadow, waiting to command me.” (Death’s Rival, 153)
“Being normal was no proof against horror.” (Death’s Rival, 197)
“My job was hard on friends. Or I was.” (Death’s Rival, 208)
“I had no training for paramilitary raids. My combat style was more along the lines of stake ’em and run.” (Death’s Rival, 233)
“If I thought it was weird to have so many men I was interested in all in one place, my inner cat was just happy about it.” (Death’s Rival, 234)
“Jealousy skulked through me on pointy little claws.” (Death’s Rival, 247)
“I was part of the world of vamps whether I liked it or not, and that meant being part of vamp politics. I hate politics.” (Death’s Rival, 258)
“But nothing in life is set in stone and nothing in life is promised us. Not happiness, not joy, not love. Everything was variable and mutable and inconstant.” (Death’s Rival, 300)
“There was something about this town. Every time I came here, things got so freaking complicated.” (Blood Trade, 55)
“I’d rather fight a score of rogue vamps than face a difficult social situation—and this was going to be bad. I just knew it.” (Blood Trade, 155)
“After a time, old pain became like a living being, with breath and self-determination.” (Blood Trade, 231)
“This was a rescue job, not a pole dance.” (Blood Trade, 273)
“People of all faiths are responsible to help the weak, the downtrodden, the sick, and the helpless, especially children. And of all the religions in the world, Christians are the only ones commanded not to judge, yet we do every day—gay people, ethnicities different from our own, people in mixed relationships, people with gifts they were born with, power they were born with, genetic mutations they were born with, illnesses of brain and body. I’ve got a little girl’s mother to save, and yes, she’s a witch. Are you gonna make it possible for me to save her?” (Blood Trade, 302)
“I was getting pretty good. I had astounded Evan several times today and it wasn’t even lunchtime yet.” (Blood Trade, 334)
A Partial Listing of Jane’s Weapons
Silver-plated main gauche (knife)
Walther PK 380
Benelli M4 Super 90 (Can use regular ammo, but Jane uses hand-packed silver fléchette rounds when hunting silver-sensitive bad guys like vamps and weres)
M32, six-shot launcher
Heckler & Koch (nine-millimeter handgun)
.32 six-shooter
Kahr P380
Colloidal silver spray in canisters
Vamp-killers (steel-edged knives plated with silver)
Stakes (ash and sterling silver some with small knobs on the ends so she has something smooth to shove forward)
Holy Water
Clan Pellissier, Blood Family Historical Chart
Judas
The Eldest Son of Darkness. Sire of:
Claudia Acete, a former slave of, and freedwoman of, Nero. Turned in Rome in AD 50. Dame of:
Rufinus Agricola, a Centurion in Hispania, turned in what is now Spain, in AD 125. Sire of:
Cesar and Ordonius Frunimius turned in Spain in AD 400. Traveled to what is now France. They created a large blood-family and returned to Rome, where they fomented a blood-feud against the Sons of Darkness in AD 950 and were destroyed. Dual sires of:|
Alazais Chevalier, turned in France in AD 900. Was taken by the Eldest Son of Darkness and forced into his blood-family, as a slave, in reparation of the blood-feud that killed Claudia Acete. The son felt a strong attraction to the boy and took him as companion, sharing his scions, his bed, and his own blood. This gave Alazais great strength. When his time of servitude was up, he left Roman territory and returned to France where he became the sire of:
Mainet Pellissier, turned in France in AD 1200. Was given rights to start a blood family in AD 1450. In the years following, he turned several of his decedents, including Rudolfo and Amaury Pellissier. Rudolfo did not survive devoveo.
Amaury Pellissier turned his sons and nephews, including Leonard Eugène Zacharie Pellissier, in 1525. Together they came to the Americas and started the Pellissier blood family, under the proprietorship of Clan Pellissier, and Mainet Pellissier in France. They became one of the earliest independent clans in the colonies in 1724, and Amaury quickly became Master of the City of New Orleans. He took over the hunting territories of the Louisiana Territories. Under Amaury, the territory spread and gained power.
Leonard Eugène Zacharie Pellissier, became Master of the City of New Orleans and most of the Southeastern United States in 1912.
The World According to Beast
From Faith: Beast has had her own personality (from the very beginning), though I admit that finding the voice for Beast—primitive, wise, snarky, sometimes confused about humans, lofty, snide, sexy, practical—in other words totally catty—was harder than I had thought it would be. It took a lot of very different things to make the voice become real to me. I started out with old Tarzan movies. The dialogue of, “Me Tarzan, you Jane,” felt close to right, and it helped that Tarzan had a Jane in his life too. I had recently read the wonderful book by Temple Grandin, Animals in Translation, which gave me a vision into how animals think, reason, remember, and deduce life lessons in pictures. And then there was all the lovely, incredibly helpful input from my wonderful editor, Jessica Wade, who was invaluable in helping me with this series in general, and with Beast’s voice in particular.
Beast has a Facebook fan page, where she sometimes makes an appearance to answer questions posed by her fans. This section of Beastly advice came in part from her interactions with her fans, though I have altered the questions, hidden the identities of the questioners, and revised the answers to provide privacy. (Cats love their privacy.)
Faith
Beast Advice
From: Swannanoa Sweetheart Hooked on Pistachio Gelato: Humans get into a lot of trouble because of their appetites. They get hooked on drugs, alcohol, food, and the Home Shopping Network. What do you think about the human appetite and addiction . . . and do the people of claw and tooth ever get hooked on anything? If so, what do they do to break the addiction?
PS: FYI, I think you are absolutely beautiful . . . you can claw the oaks in my yard anytime.
(And yes, pistachio gelato is food of the gods.)
Beast: Beast is beautiful. (Flicks ear tabs.) Cats like catnip, fish, birds, lizards, clouds, moving water. (Thinks.) Deer and rabbits. And bison. Want to hunt bison. Would be addicted to bison. Do not know about gelato. Does it bleed?
Dear Beast:
I’ve had a really hard time losing weight. A few years ago I had an accident that resulted in a knee injury and it’s just gotten worse since then, so I have a hard time working out. I eat right (mostly), but I just seem to either stay the same or gain more weight. I’m not enormous or anything, but I’d love to get back down to a healthy weight so I can get healthier. Do you have any advice for me?
Sincerely, Joshua A. AKA Person-Who-is-Not-Food
Joshua. You cannot hunt deer. Cannot chase rabbits. (Thinks.) If you were puma you would starve. But if you eat food that rabbits eat, you will be thin. Writer calls it let-us.
Beast, what would you do to encourage an injured mate? My mate had a foot amputated a few months ago. It’s so easy to be an enabler and let him get too dependent. So what would Beast do? :)
I’m known as Butterfly at all my favorite forums and boards.
Butterfly, Humans are not like puma. Humans have hope. And pro-sss-thetics. They can give life. Can allow humans to hunt and mate and walk. (Thinks.) Tell mate he is not ruined like bad meat. Mate is still good and alive and can be strong again if he has hope. Tell mate to eat much let-us and veg-e-tables. And have faith.
Writer is laughing. I do not understand.
I have a question for Beast.
I work in an office with four people. Two of us work our tails off, while the other two are very lazy. I have no authority over them, so any advice on how to deal with them??
Thank you,
Liesa
Leisa: You must kill and eat lazy humans. Or chase them out of den. (Growls.) Writer is trying to push Beast away. Says not to kill lazy humans. Writer is stupid.
Beast, I need to learn how to hunt for a new mate. Can you help me?
Rae
Rae. You must sharpen claws on dead trees. This removes dead skin on claws. You must bathe in river and eat much bloody meat. When you are strong, you must go far away, to edges of hunting grounds, to find mate. Mate with him. But do not let him follow back to den. If he follows you back, you will have to feed him. This is not good. Mates should kill their own food and stay on their own hunting territory.
Writer is laughing. I am confused.
Beast, you are beautiful, fast, smart, and good hunter. I am worried about the three dogs next door and their owners. Neighbor has good kin to watch over her, but he is leaving soon to go back home. Now bad man may come back and hurt pup. Bad man kicked pup hard. I been asked to keep my eyes open if bad man comes while friend is at work. What would you do to bad man? I want to kick bad man and see how he likes it.
Jenny
Jenny. Yes, Beast is beautiful. And smarter than other big-cats. And fast. And best hunter. (Licks jaw and grooms paws with rough tongue. Thinking.) Beast would hunt man and eat him. And then eat dogs if writer was not looking. You should take vid-e-o of man hurting dog and put on In-ter-net. Then other humans would kill and eat man.
Beast, my mate is causing trouble and being ornery. What should I do?
Beast does not understand trouble and ornery. This is hard question. Beast chases away male kits when weaned, and keeps female kits as hunting mates for longer. I do not understand males except for mating. And I chase them off too when done with them. Beast once killed mate who killed kits. Did your mate kill kits? I will help you hunt and kill him!
Also, Beast does not live with mate for long, like pride of African lions or like humans. Beast is with mate only when kits are wanted. When Beast’s mate snarls, Beast bats him with claws or leaves.
But I have watched Writer with mate. When he snarls, she scratches him behind ears and rubs his head and feeds him eggs on bread and mayo. He likes this. Beast likes this too. Try that.
Beast has own place. Does not stay with mate for many years, only for kits. But Beast has seen Writer with mate and Writer says tell mate, “Special mating on Friday night. Big whoop-de-do then. Not tonight.” Writer’s mate seems pleased with “whoop-de-do” plans and Writer gets to sleep. I do not understand. Writer is laughing again. (Snarls at writer.)
Beast, I would like to be like you, sole hunter. But I have to deal with humans.
Jane Yellowrock is like Beast, alone and unmated. But Jane is not happy very often. (Rolls over and thinks.) Beast thinks humans are pack animals like African big-cats. Beast thinks humans need other humans. Do not understand this.
Beast, many people say it is okay to euthanize sick humans the way lions cull the sick from the herd. What do you think?
Do not understand u-thise. U-thee nz? Sounds like sneeze. (Looks at writer. Writer is laughing but is sad too. Do not understand.) Writer says u-thin-ze means to kill. In animal world when big-cats cannot hunt anymore, other big-cats are not kind. But Beast is more than big-cat. Beast has learned from Jane. Beast would be kind to hurt big-cat and bring her raw deer or rabbits. Beast will talk to spirit of earth and sky and ask for hunters who will be kind to hurt humans.
Writer says humans do not cull other humans from herd because humans do not eat humans. Beast understands this. Have tasted human and it was stringy. Tasted bad, not good meat. Writer says tale of Beast tasting human is in short story in Have Stakes Will Travel.
Beast, what’s the best way to train a stupid human kit who will not listen?
Beast tosses kits into water to teach them to swim. Beast takes kits on long hunts, so kits pant and tongues hang out. Some kits need to be rolled over and held down, with claws at throat and fierce growls and show of killing teeth. Held down until they submit. Beast also swats kits (with claws hidden) but Writer says cops do not like it when humans swat kits. Beast does not understand this. Swatting works for cat kits. What are cops?
Beast, my dogs are fat. Any advice?
Writer had fat dogs (stupid yappy rescue Pomeranian dogs). Writer started walking dogs every day. Is now up to 1.5 miles every evening and .5 miles in mornings. For food: Writer added warm water, and soft food with hard food. Tommy and Tuffy liked food. Writer fed dogs two times a day this way with very little food. Water filled dogs up each time. Dogs lost much weight. But dogs had to pee a lot. (Twitches ear tabs.) Writer is laughing. Writer says dogs lost 30% of body weight. I do not understand %.
Beast, I hate my job. Should I quit and look for something else?
Job is like hunting for food, yes? Beast only hunts when hungry, but when hungry is always looking for food. Will take first food to fill belly but will keep looking for more. Being hungry is not good. Must eat, to find more food, to eat. (Scratches ears with back claws.) Beast might have flea. Hates biting fleas-too-small-to-catch. Do you like being hungry? Do you like fleas? If you do, then Beast will eat your food and give you her fleas.
When should humans retire?
Big-cats do not “retire”. We must hunt to eat until we die. Humans do not die when they cannot hunt. Humans . . . are different. Humans have “jobs”. This is a strange thing to Beast. Writer wants to “retire” from job in hospital, but keep writing. Also a strange thing to Beast. (Rolls over and stares up at sky.) Beast says to stop hunting and “retire” when you can eat without hunting. But feels this does not help much.
Is it polite to “scoot” in public?
“Scooting” is private pleasure when mate is not around. (Shakes head.) Humans are strange to not know this.
What does Beast do when not hunting?
Beast likes to lie on sun-heated rock over shallow river and watch fish. Come today and nap with Beast!
Beast-Isms:
Beast on Writer
Writer has two stupid yappy dogs. Writer thinks she understands them when they “talk” to her. Does that make Writer stupid and yappy? (Chuffs with laughter.) Writer is staring at me. (Turns head and looks bored.)
Writer is stupid. Writer says new year has started today. But new year was more-than-five days ago when longest night was here. I do not understand. (Yawns.) Will hunt for deer later today. Have seen tracks and scat of large, healthy doe. Good way to celebrate Writer’s stupid new year. (Scratches ears with back paw.) Writer explained re-ser-va-shun. It is like when Beast claims tree limb over deer path to water and scratches with claws to show claiming. This says, “It is mine!” If you re-ser-va-shun, please do not eat Writer if she sits on your limb.
Why are you laughing? Beast does not understand.
Beast has page on “Facebook.” Writer will be there to talk with scritches on page and tapping of claws on “keyes.” I will be there too. You can ask me questions and Writer will answer for me. Sometimes writer is good.
Writer has new porch. Beast tried to sit on Writer’s pooch. Writer made squealy noises and said no. (Chuffs hard with laughter.)
Writer says she is an addict. I did not understand, but Writer explained. Beast is addicted to hunting like Writer is addicted to her computer. (Shakes head and grooms paws.) Computer has no blood. I still do not understand.
Writer has
been ignoring me. Writing. I brought deer haunch and left on her front porch. If writer keeps ignoring me, I will bring dead skunk. (Opens lips. Shows killing teeth.)
Beast on Beast, and Beast on Life
On clothes and pelt: Fur is soft. Beast is not. (Scratches chin with back paw-claws, thinking.) Beast is good hunter. Protects soft belly with claws and killing teeth. Why do humans not grow pelt? Writer says humans buy clothes instead of growing pelt, but then humans are hunting food and clothes. Seems much work to hunt so many different things.
On summer: Is too hot to hunt. Writer is going to hunt barbecue and swim in stinky pool water with no fish and no plants and no rocks. Stupid writer. (Perks up ears.) But maybe she will bring me raw pig?
On hot summer: Beast does not know why humans hunt in heat. Should stay home, like Beast, body lying in edges of river. (Closes eyes as cold water rushes by.)
On mud: Mud is good for rolling in to keep small biting things from making pelt itch. I like rolling in mud. This makes Writer laugh. Why is writer laughing?
On humans: Writer has yardboy working. I think yardboy needs more exercise than mowing and digging. Beast should chase him around the yard. (Chuffs with laughter.)
On computers: Beast is here. Beast would have been here sooner, but Writer’s mate was fixing computer. Writer is laughing at word “fixing”. I do not understand why that makes her laugh.
Beast and Writer Talk:
Beast: Want to hunt.
Writer: Not today. Tommy has an upset tummy today and his back hurts from running around like he’s nuts when we got home Sunday night, and then sliding across the new wood floor where carpet used to be.
Beast: (Perks ears.) Eat Tommy-dog?
Writer: NO! Leave my dog alone. Go outside, Beast. NOW!
Beast: (Growling.) Will hunt writer.
Writer: (Points to delete key.) Try it, big girl. Go ahead. Make my day. . . .
Beast: Writer is mean. (Lies down and puts head on paws.)