Free Goat Mother and Others: The Collected Mythos Fiction of Pierre Comtois by Pierre V. Comtois, Charlie Krank, Nick Nacario Page B

estate, I’m not liable for other, less-formal agreements.”
    “Ah, buts you see, Miss Cobb,” said Shuri, setting down his tea and slipping from his chair, “I am similarly bounds by the law of my owns people, the Tcho Tcho People.”
    “That may be true…but…” said Darlene, setting her own cup down with a feeling of increasing lethargy. Again, it seemed to her as if everything around her was hurtling into the future even as she stood like a rock in a rushing stream, forcing water around her but never yielding. Outside, she thought she could see the sun climbing toward noontime and the clouds racing past the summit of Sabbat Hill…then it came to her as if from long ago…the familiar smell of the tea…it was on Sabbat Hill that she’d encountered it before…the fire that had been put out…the blackened remains… “The laws in Burma don’t necessarily…apply in the…United…”
    “That is quite all right, Miss,” said Shuri, helping her to get up. “The law of Leng is much older. Much, much older and for those who transgress, the punishments is not a thing pleasant to contemplate. Much more frightfuls than the laws of humans. And so, you sees, to avoid punishments, the law of Leng must be observed and the agreements your uncles made with the Tcho Tcho must be fulfilled. You will come with me and you will see. You will be glorifieds and be a mother to our peoples. You will give birth to new younglings who will continue to serve our masters Nyarlathotep, may his name be praised.”
    Darlene allowed herself to be led from the kitchen.
    “Now, you will packs yourself a bag for travel,” continued Shuri. “We have long journeys ahead of us.”
    From that point, Darlene could remember little but the occasional impression or snatch of conversation. To all outward appearances, she seemed normal and in possession of all her faculties, perfectly cognizant of what she was doing when she called Whitney to verify his commitment to oversee the property until the house could be sold, when she told Humberton to send all mail to her residence in New York and to transfer the proceeds from the sale of the house to her personal account, when she called the travel agent to arrange a flight schedule for Shuri and herself to Burma.
    “…will be of great service to my peoples who have had many other Goat-Mothers who served us well in the past,” Shuri was saying as she drove the Saturn up Interstate 93 to Boston’s Logan Airport.
    “…life of Tcho Tchos good and devoted to service of Nyarlathoteps in return for sharing his rule when Elder Gods return some day, but price to be paid for our faithfulness is our inability to procreates,” she heard Shuri saying while the flight attendant cleared away the remains of their meal.
    “…Tcho Tcho folk not mens nor womens, not builts for reproduction, so we have our Goat-Mother, she who is consecrated to Shub-Niggurath, the goat of a thousand young, she who is Great-Goat-Mother to all…Tcho Tcho…Deep Ones…Dholes…Shantak…
    “…of great service to Tcho Tcho People and whose bodies have provens to be oh so well suited to Shub-Niggurath’s purposes are those of humans women…” Shuri said as they made their way through the crowded streets of Rangoon.
    “…have served Tcho Tcho People in past but more humans about Sung in these latter days and was determined by peoples to be too dangerous to continue to consecrate local candidates as Goat-Mother and so was decided to look in lands that not know of us…” Shuri said, tugging vigorously on the reins of his donkey as they picked their way up slope from the jungle that was left behind some days before.
    “…when name of Silas Cobb came to us, we send cousins to see him…” said Shuri, holding a great, covered tray before him.
    “…cousins in Innsmouth know of humans ways and speaks to Cobb of trade…” Darlene heard Shuri say as she lay sweating and naked upon a stone couch whose cold could still be felt