The Tales of Twisted Felix Katt (Book 1)

Ending an Empire (NaNoWriMo)

Battle not with monsters lest ye become a monster; and if you gaze into the abyss the abyss gazes into you – Friedrich Nietzsche

 “Where’s my crew?” I demanded, skipping passed the pleasantries; things like where are my pants, where am I and oh yeah, where the hell are my clothes?

 “They’re alright. Everyone’s supposed to be asleep. You’ve been out of it for half a day, too much blood loss and the doc wanted you pumped full of antibiotics so you’re friends finally needed to crash. I’m glad to get the chance to talk to you one on one.” Dandy started to lead me back towards the room I’d woken up in and I went along because I was suddenly not feeling so hot, and I had this weird ringing in my ears that was getting louder. I knew those signs all too well. I was on my way to black out number three. I needed water and to sit down. I raced myself back to the room, sitting on my bed with legs so shakey that Dandy had been hovering the last few steps down the hallway. But my pride was just big enough to compel me though the door and to my bed before I collapsed.

 Dandy just passed me the glass of water I’d ignored earlier and I gulped it down quickly. “I’ll go get you more but promise me you’ll stay here.” He demanded. I raised an eyebrow but stayed quiet. Nice of him to pretend that I was actually capable of wandering off right now, we both knew I was one gentle breeze away from taking a nose dive. He was back before I’d even maneuvered myself back into bed, witches’ tits that man was quick.

“I know what Rorick must have told you about me but I wanted a chance to…” Dandy started to say the moment he returned. I cut him off with the palm of my hand.

“Don’t. Just tell me why you need Frank.” I focused on the task at hand. I was still resisting the idea of letting him get the organ donor, I had a reputation to uphold. But if the price was right (and don’t tell anyone this but if the cause is right too), I can be brought around to the bargaining table. I just really wished that my gut wasn’t telling me two things right now. One- I told you so. Here was my bad feeling, in the flesh. Two- I needed to eat something, preferably already dead and cooked. But I’m not picky.

“Frank?” Dandy’s voice sounded amused, but like he’d already figured out the reasoning behind the moniker. “Well. I may look in the peak of health, but the truth is that I’ve been poisoned. The only reason I’m not dead now is that I’m an only child from a High Family.”  His tone was turning angry. “If I had been born a woman, I’d have gotten the transplant organ a long time ago, but because I’m male, I’m condemned to die.”

“So you’re throwing a political revolution based solely on the selfish urge for self survival?” I blinked, looking past the emotional baggage he tried to club me with.

“I’m not that narcissistic. I’ve been a part of the Movement ever since the whole incident with Rorick. It was coming to a peaceful head when I started to notice that I was getting sicker. The only reason we’ve switched to guerilla tactics was that I wanted to give these men their freedom before I died. Now that you’re here, with that very organ on delivery, can’t you see that it’s providence Felix? You were meant to come here where I could reach out to you. And Rorick is your slave… its serendipity.” Dandy rhapsodized and I just drank my water. He’d brought a pitcher this time.

“So you’re blowing up their buildings and administration, leveling the entire society back to the post war stage so you can all rebuild together as one big, happy family?” I asked, not even needing to make my tone sarcastic.

“That’s a simplification and misses the point. I’m not attacking the people, I’m eliminating their favorite punishments against men. My Mother wanted me to be able to pass on the Family name by marrying and having my youngest daughter granted the Name.  My Wife would already have her own heir so the youngest would be free to start her own Line. It was win-win. But that meant granting me inheritance rights and that’s where everything went to hell. One of the Old Families wanted the rights to my Mother’s estates and a political war broke out. They won. I couldn’t inherit. After that, their campaign of fear of the desecration of ‘good moral and social values’ convinced everyone that’s what would occur if this precedent was allowed.” His tone was bitter.