Couldn’t think of anything to write today so instead decided to post the opening snippet from my short story “And Injustice For All” from the forthcoming “Lawyers in Hell” (Janet Morris, July 2011), the first of the upcoming new anthologies in the Heroes in Hell series. Enjoy.

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“I’ve had it!” Marie Antoinette screeched as soon as she was inside the dilapidated apartment. She stamped a petite foot onto the ruined carpet and glared furiously at the miniature head perched carefully upon the dining table. She pointed one manicured finger at the shrunken head accusingly: “You! You did this to us! You lied to me!”

“That could be construed as slanderous, you know, the bearded, shrunken head replied caustically. His normally warm brown eyes were cold as they bore a hole into Marie. “If I didn’t know better, I’d say you were accusing me of not fulfilling my duties.”

“You haven’t fulfilled anything except for your egotism!” Marie screamed hysterically, pulling at her hair. She stomped over to the table and grabbed the shrunken head. She hoisted it up by the beard, letting the head sway dangerously and upside down. “I did exactly what you told me to do and now I’m going to have to move out of this dump –” she spat the word emphatically, “– and into Unwelfare housing!”

“We’re going to do what now?” a familiar voice called from the other room. Henrietta Marie poked her head from around the corner, concern etched upon her face. “We must move again?”

“Oui,” Marie snarled, glaring at the swaying shrunken head angrily. “Our dear prophet has lied again!”

“I did not lie,” the shrunken head stated simply. “I only did as you asked.”

“I asked for a prophecy about how to move into a place befitting my status!” Marie shrieked. “And your ‘advice’ got us evicted from this dump and into Unwelfare housing, like common trash!”

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Visit Heroes in Hell, which is still under construction but also lists the other authors in the upcoming book.