Read Online The Valkyrie by Charlotte Vassell - Free Book Online
Authors: Charlotte Vassell
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predicted.
“See I told you
not to worry. You’re not losing it.” Glory said “Now Honour shuffle
those blessed cards and set up a round of ring of fire to welcome
our new recruit. Bea pull up a chair sweetheart, let’s get
destroyed. I can’t bear Valhalla sober. Oh Liberty what’s with the
depressing Grecian urn? Having a Keats moment?”
“I found it in
Save The Children.” Liberty said in a quiet voice “Or rather it
probably found me.”
“They don’t
half sell some crap in those charity shops. What a morbid subject.
Do we have to keep it in the house?” Glory asked looking closer at
her friend. “Oh I see, you think someone is trying to make a point?
Who needs to stress their opinion with a vase? We all already know
that Apollo is a creep without a bit of effing pottery.” Glory said
killing the subject as Honour finished dealing out the cards.
Valhalla
The girls entered Valhalla with no
enthusiasm, none what so ever. Glory was angry-drunk but was trying
very hard to contain it. Liberty looked worried still but was doing
a better job than Glory at keeping her feelings off her face.
Honour was bored. Bea was observing it all but even as a first
timer she couldn’t bring herself to anything more than mild
interest. Around them were Valhalla’s ghoulish but boozy
inhabitants dressed in the uniforms or armour that they had worn in
their prime. A few Norman knights glided past them before a fairly
dashing Prussian officer who had died young gave Honour the eye. A
smattering of other Valkyries could be spotted here and there in
various degrees of tedium with the whole thing. The problem was
that Valhalla used to be quite glamorous, but now it looked like a
shit Ritz. The wallpaper could peel off at any moment and a feather
wouldn’t trust any of the sofas to hold its weight.
“Right it’s
6.30pm, good timings girls. Right can anyone see Freya or Odin, we
need to get seen.” Honour said scanning the room.
“Bea this is
the old ‘withdrawal method’. Make sure you’re noticed early then
you can fuck off and do something more fun.” Glory said.
“What are they
like?” Bea asked.
“The Norse?
They’re all dreary.” Honour said.
“You’ll soon
see, here comes The Dreadnought.” Liberty said as Freya charged
over scattering dead shoulders in her wake. Freya was both Norse
goddess of war and of beauty and she wasn’t particularly good at
it. She was hot but so uninterested with how anyone else looked
that to lay all the blame for the various neuroses those mortal
women had over their own bodies at her door would not be unfair
(although Honour had come to a conclusion that there was a global
cabal of beauty goddesses that all conspired together). Freya was
even less bothered by the concept of war which was why Glory and
Unit 401 got so much free reign.
“Lady Freya,
good evening. May I present Unit 401’s newest recruit Bea.” Glory
said.
“Charming,
charming, charming.” Freya said to Bea as she looked the girl up
and down a little jealously.
“It’s a
pleasure to finally meet you.” Bea said.
“Delightful,
delightful, delightful.” Freya said, as she looked over Bea’s
shoulder for the next set of Valkyries to tick off her list.
“We hope to
submit all the paperwork for the Second Korean War tomorrow morning
for you to peruse before they are sent to Odin.” Glory tried to
remember her duty.
“Splendid,
splendid, splendid. I shan’t read it.” Freya said.
“Fantastic,
fantastic, fantastic.” Honour said under her breath.
“Liberty
Prometheusdottir, can I have a word?” Freya asked remembering why
she had bothered to speak to them in the first place.
“But of
course.” Liberty said as Freya ushered her away from the group.
Freya offered Liberty a pill out of a small ornate box which she
declined.
“So Apollo.”
Freya said sternly.
“Yes, Apollo.”
Liberty was not entirely sure in which direction Freya was going to
take the conversation (to use her
“See I told you
not to worry. You’re not losing it.” Glory said “Now Honour shuffle
those blessed cards and set up a round of ring of fire to welcome
our new recruit. Bea pull up a chair sweetheart, let’s get
destroyed. I can’t bear Valhalla sober. Oh Liberty what’s with the
depressing Grecian urn? Having a Keats moment?”
“I found it in
Save The Children.” Liberty said in a quiet voice “Or rather it
probably found me.”
“They don’t
half sell some crap in those charity shops. What a morbid subject.
Do we have to keep it in the house?” Glory asked looking closer at
her friend. “Oh I see, you think someone is trying to make a point?
Who needs to stress their opinion with a vase? We all already know
that Apollo is a creep without a bit of effing pottery.” Glory said
killing the subject as Honour finished dealing out the cards.
Valhalla
The girls entered Valhalla with no
enthusiasm, none what so ever. Glory was angry-drunk but was trying
very hard to contain it. Liberty looked worried still but was doing
a better job than Glory at keeping her feelings off her face.
Honour was bored. Bea was observing it all but even as a first
timer she couldn’t bring herself to anything more than mild
interest. Around them were Valhalla’s ghoulish but boozy
inhabitants dressed in the uniforms or armour that they had worn in
their prime. A few Norman knights glided past them before a fairly
dashing Prussian officer who had died young gave Honour the eye. A
smattering of other Valkyries could be spotted here and there in
various degrees of tedium with the whole thing. The problem was
that Valhalla used to be quite glamorous, but now it looked like a
shit Ritz. The wallpaper could peel off at any moment and a feather
wouldn’t trust any of the sofas to hold its weight.
“Right it’s
6.30pm, good timings girls. Right can anyone see Freya or Odin, we
need to get seen.” Honour said scanning the room.
“Bea this is
the old ‘withdrawal method’. Make sure you’re noticed early then
you can fuck off and do something more fun.” Glory said.
“What are they
like?” Bea asked.
“The Norse?
They’re all dreary.” Honour said.
“You’ll soon
see, here comes The Dreadnought.” Liberty said as Freya charged
over scattering dead shoulders in her wake. Freya was both Norse
goddess of war and of beauty and she wasn’t particularly good at
it. She was hot but so uninterested with how anyone else looked
that to lay all the blame for the various neuroses those mortal
women had over their own bodies at her door would not be unfair
(although Honour had come to a conclusion that there was a global
cabal of beauty goddesses that all conspired together). Freya was
even less bothered by the concept of war which was why Glory and
Unit 401 got so much free reign.
“Lady Freya,
good evening. May I present Unit 401’s newest recruit Bea.” Glory
said.
“Charming,
charming, charming.” Freya said to Bea as she looked the girl up
and down a little jealously.
“It’s a
pleasure to finally meet you.” Bea said.
“Delightful,
delightful, delightful.” Freya said, as she looked over Bea’s
shoulder for the next set of Valkyries to tick off her list.
“We hope to
submit all the paperwork for the Second Korean War tomorrow morning
for you to peruse before they are sent to Odin.” Glory tried to
remember her duty.
“Splendid,
splendid, splendid. I shan’t read it.” Freya said.
“Fantastic,
fantastic, fantastic.” Honour said under her breath.
“Liberty
Prometheusdottir, can I have a word?” Freya asked remembering why
she had bothered to speak to them in the first place.
“But of
course.” Liberty said as Freya ushered her away from the group.
Freya offered Liberty a pill out of a small ornate box which she
declined.
“So Apollo.”
Freya said sternly.
“Yes, Apollo.”
Liberty was not entirely sure in which direction Freya was going to
take the conversation (to use her
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