Gibbous House 62

Cullis' head nodded vigourously after I had instructed him to be rid of the abomination instanter. I wondered that he had not already done so, but perhaps such gumption was not common among the local population. The man showed me a further four horses in varying states of neglect. Quizzing the fellow as to the reason for such negligence returned no communication meaningful to me, therefore it only remained for me to tell him in no uncertain terms that I expected such beasts as could be saved to be both fed by him and attended by the veterinary. For good measure I added that I expected to save the payment to the vet for disposal of the abomination and any horse beyond salvation since Cullis should see to it himself. He held out a hand: I placed a small silver coin in it, and resolved to discuss the estate's arrangements for my living allowance with the Jewish dwarf, when he stirred from his chambers.

Turning from the stables, I skirted the feline-occupied west wing. The smell was discernible from without, no doubt permitted to befoul the air by the quantity of broken window glass. Most confounding was the immaculate state of the roof of this part of the house. I noted one slate hanging askew, there must have been several thousand comprising the roof. The lead looked new. Two doors were let into the rear wall of this wing, each was warped, rotted and sealed by a padlocked chain, with a bar athwart the door itself. Naturally, I peered through one of the windows, but there was little to see through the grime and the cat which leapt -hissing- at the pane of glass unnerved me somewhat.

At the gable end of the wing, there was no repeat of the french windows and terracing outside the library in the east wing. A blank and featureless expanse of red-brick soared to the roof: it made one dizzy to look at it.At the corners of the wall, the brick met the sandstone of the rest of the building in a most jarring style. To the front elevation, the west wing appeared more presentable, although the windows were still filthy. The architect's devotion to asymmetry was served here by placing a total of thirteen identical windows in a run along the front, which did anything but mirror the hodge-podge of designs in the east wing's examples of glaziery, which numbered at least sixteen.

Finally, I returned to the door to the house itself. It was a fine day and I regretted the absence of any suitable mounts for Ellen Pardoner to ride out upon. I let out a sigh, turned to the door and swung the grinning monkey's head with some venom, expecting that Mrs Gonderthwaite would appear eventually. The door, however, opened for my admittance almost immediately. Miss Pardoner offered a sketch of a courtesy which I returned with a bare nod, whilst I wondered if there were anything which she did that was not informed by a most knowing irony.