Lou the Shrimp - Canto III: The Prisoner

Canto I
Canto II

“Go ahead, kill me. I am not afraid to die.” His voice was unwavering. His stance unswerving. There was no question that Lou meant what he said.

Is Laurie in? I have an appointment at 3 for narrative inspiration. The waiting area? Will it be long? I’ve got a deadline. Ok, I’ll be over there by the fountain. Man, these magazines suck.

In the black night of unconsciousness Lou dreamt of a strange female who took him by the nipper and led him toward a blinding white light. Inside the light was a strange and beautiful land where algae bloomed all year in a rainbow of colors, shrimp swam and played and burrowed all around. It was a place like a dance, like a song.

A sharp metallic rattle ended his dream abruptly. The euphoria of the dream was replaced by screeching pain. “Whoever made that sound will you please cut it out!”

“Heh, heh, he—cough, cough, eh, your, uh, your head hurt, there, laddie? Heh, heh, heh.” Every laugh sent the old timer’s chains rattling right into Lou’s pounding forehead.

Lou struggled to focus on the place where the voice was coming from. He could just make out a form halfway up the wall and sideways near the blinding lone window of the cell.

“I was having a great dream until you woke me up, you old fart.”

“Hmph. Some kind of language for a hero.”

“Hero? Ha. What, do you want me to bust you out of here or something?”

“You bust me out?” As the geezer spoke his telson and nippers slipped from their chains. He swam slowly toward Lou until he was eyestalk to eyestalk. “Maybe you aren’t the one after all. You’re pretty small, even for a shrimp.”

“The one who? What are you trying to say?”

“The one. Don’t you know? Haven’t you guessed?”

Maybe for the first time in his life Lou trembled. “I’m just me. Just Lou. Lou Wiggler.” But there was no conviction behind his voice.

“You know that is not true. I will tell you who you are by telling you who I am. Malaco, pleased to meet you.”

And so Lou met Malaco. As he stood dazed, the words of the prophecy swam up through his mind.

“But the prophecy is a bedtime story. A fantasy for zoaea and old women.”

“Tell me, what were you dreaming about? What do you always dream about?”

The cell door slammed open, in the blink of an eye, Malaco was back in his chains. Guards armed with rusty nails entered and flanked the door. They were followed by none other than Terterus the Robed.

“Kneel before your prince, brine.” The affectation of power sounded thin in the young royal’s voice. But again, both Terterus and Lou were transfixed by one another.

“Prince, ha! Why don’t you take off that robe. You’ll never rule, cough, hrrmm, cough, you fake. Do you think they won’t find out?”

“Silence! Guard!” One of the guards moved swiftly over to Malaco and gave him a knock across the rostrum with his nail.

“That’ll do for him.” The guard chuckled at the limp, unconscious body of Malaco, bobbing in the chains.

“Guards, wait for us in the hall.” Terterus turned back toward Lou. “Don’t believe this old rag. He’s a blathering old fool. His mind is gone. I suppose he told you he’s Malaco and you’re the chosen one.”

Lou couldn’t help a start at the prince’s surprising accuracy.

“I see he has. Well don’t let it go to your head. Or, do, for all I care, you won’t be the first.”

Lou’s disappointment and anger surged. “Why are you here? What do you want with me?”

“Ah, what do I want with you? What DO I want with you?” Terterus looked puzzled himself. “I came down here to kill you.” And before Lou could move there was a hatpin pressed up to his throat. “I want to, you know.”

And so Lou found that he was not afraid of death. And so his courage returned. In one swift motion, Lou grabbed the pin and reversed its point upon its owner.

“Now, Terterus. Let’s see what’s under this robe of yours…”

“Guards! Guards!”

As the guards rushed in, Lou stripped the robe off the prince’s back. What was there stopped the guards short. There it was. The second abdominal segment overlapped the others in back AND in front.

“He, he’s a shrimp.” The smaller guard stammered. None of the three saw Malaco until he’d already slammed the two guards’ heads together with such force that their carapaces were crushed.

“Shall we go?”

And so two Malaco brought knowledge and freedom to Caridio.

They took the robe, but left Terterus alive to be discovered. They knew the prophecy. They knew not to kill him.

Next Issue:
Canto IV: The Adventurer