*
…Even allowing for the earliness of the hour, there were far fewer students than he expected.
By long habit his steps found a familiar corridor and the worn stone rang underfoot.
It would not harm to hazard it.
How would the Old Devil be, he wondered.
‘Dr S. Eaves’
The name plate appeared unaltered.
He always read it as ‘sheaves’.
Before thought had a chance the polished oak door sounded a triple retort to knuckle-bone…
No reply.
Probably an oversight to leave the plate there, afterall.
But then, a barely audible, “Hum!”
The door swung open…
“Humus… Humour… Humble…”
“Three words that ‘Hum’,” grinned a now grey-haired, bespectacled, Seamus.
“I’ve been expecting you.”
“Not possible.”
“And your ‘lupine’ friend.”
“Oh, him!”
“He should have a name you know…”
“How about Koo Kullin?”
“Ah, the hard ‘Cee’… Perfect,” said Seamus, taking the proffered parchment and eyeing the calligraphy,
“…Especially in view of this.” He flipped the sheet and took in the inscription…
“‘A Hag Load of Lard!’ That’s very good, your other friend, I presume.”
“What does it mean?”
“We’d better have a drink,” said Seamus, reaching for the half empty bottle of pale gold liquor which stood in the centre of a tray on his writing desk.
“Still on the monkish mead?”
“The Hell-Fire Men,” he offered, by way of excuse.
“Isn’t it a bit early?”
“Or a little late,” he poured two tumblers of the golden coloured liquid, emptying the bottle…
“You know, Mark, you really oughtn’t to have come.”
“Shea-must?”
*
Lands of Exile Volume Two
BECK ‘N’ CALL
Stuart France and Sue Vincent
Ben, fast becoming a folk hero after the apparent theft of a standing stone, now languishes in Bakewell Gaol. Don and Wen, suspected of being his accomplices, are on holiday… or ‘on the run’ if Bark Jaw-Dark and PC 963 Kraas, hot in pursuit, are to be believed.
From England to Scotland, the officers of the Law have followed the trail of the erratic couple as they visited the ancient sites of Albion. This time, though, as Don and Wen take the slow boat to Ireland, Kraas and Jaw Dark are one step ahead.
But Ireland is a land of mystery and magic, where reality intertwines with vision and standing stones are still open doors…
How long can Don and Wen continue to evade the long arm of the Law?
Who are the men who wear the Templar emblem… and what are they doing in Derbyshire?
In the shadows, a labyrinth of secrecy shrouds a mysterious figure. What is Montgomery’s interest in a small standing stone? Just how many high-level strings can he pull… and why?
And what is the dark, winged creature that is now on the loose?
Join Don and Wen as they continue their adventures in the sacred and magical landscape of Albion.
Available in Paperback and for Kindle via Amazon
(Illustrated in full colour)
France & Vincent 
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