GS: Brian, it’s been great chatting with you and we wish you every success with The Vorrh when it is released later in 2012. The Vorrh will be published by Honest Publishing later this year. An excerpt of the
book follows this interview and a longer version is available online at Honest Publishing’s The Vorrh page.
Geek Syndicate
For more information about Professor Brian Catling and his work, visit his homepage at: www.briancatling.com
Phil Ambler
NOVEL EXCERPT - The Vorrh By Brian Catling
‘The eyes have fallen into disuse in their method of stringing them. Nor is the notch frontally in the middle ends of the bow.’ Leo Frobenius, The Bow, Atlantis, The Voice of Africa. Vol. 1 The bow I carry with me into the wilderness, I made of Este. She died just before dawn, ten days before. She had seen her death while working in her garden, saw the places between plants where she no longer stood, an uncapping of momentum in the afternoon sun. She prepared me for what had to be done, walking back into our simple house and removing her straw hat, returning it to its shadow and nail on the north wall. She was born a seer and some part of her seeing lived in the expectancy of her departure, a breeze before a wave, before a storm. Seers die in a threefold lapse, from the outside in. The details and confinement of each infolding had to be carefully marked and heard without panic or emotion on my part, for I then took on a different role. We said goodbye during the days leading to her night. Then all of my feelings were put away; there were more important rituals to perform. All this I knew. From our first agreement to be together it had been described, it had been unfolded. Our love and companionship grew in the confines and the constantly-open door of its demand, and secretly I rehearsed my distance and practiced the deceit of loneliness. Standing before our solid wooden table with her blood drying stiff on my skin, her body lay divided and stripped into the materials and language. As my back and hands 6?VBg&??F?R?&?W"?b7?GF??r?W"'B??6?V?B7F????V"?W"v?&G2?F?R6????7G'V7F????b?F6?&WVFVB?fW"?B?fW"v???V?&VFFVBv?F?6??w6??r??6?7FV?6RF?W&6R?f?&vWFgV??W72?B?G2fV?6R?bF?V'B?F?RV?F?&R&???v26?fW&VB??&???B??WB????6V7Bv?V?BG&W772F??276R???f?v?V?BG&????W"????Bv?V?Bf?&vR?W"?'&?r?vRvW&R6V?VBv??7BF?Rv?&?BGW&??rF??6RF?2??F6?FWFW&??VB?&6?2?B???B?6?R?BW????VB??F??2F??Rv???R?6W'fVB?W"'&V?f7B??&&R&?????&???r?F?R&?6?'&VB?B?V???r'WGFW"?B6VV?VBF?7F&Rg&???G2?FRv?F???6???r??FV?6?G??F?Rg'V?BV?6??r?Bv'??r??F??'66V?RGV7G2?BfV?G&?6?W2?f?f?B??????6V?6RBWfW'?F?&V7Bv??6R??W&6?VB??F?RVFvR?bF?R&VB??7FV???rF??W"6???Rv?&G2v?FR?Bw&VRv?F?F?R&???v???R?fV"?v??FVBF?V???F?WG&??v?&W2?bfW&?6??W2?vW"v??6?vW&R7GVffVB??F?????vV??W72???FFV?6?&R??6?fVB???rf?B7G&?2g&??F?R&??W2?b?W"?Vw2???F??r6??Wr?BFV?F????7G&WF6?VB?W66?R??F???FW'v?fV?vW2?B&?V?BF?V?v?F?f??F?B6?R7WBg&??F?Rv&FV????FRF?R&?r?bF?W6R?6WGF??rF?Rf?'&W2?Bw&??2?b?W"F?77VR????6?F????F?R&r&26??vV??r?Gv?7C3???