Welcome to the second short story read in our ongoing series detailing the tales from Ancestors and Descendants - Lovecraftian Prequels and Sequels from Innsmouth Gold.
Tale number two is set, just like the first one, in an unspecified time, but this time in the American Frontier. The main character is Unna, a female stagecoach driver. She is halted by a pair of travelers; the well dressed and mannered Alfred Jermyn and his partner Malcolm, who want passage to San Bernadino. She accepts and while the rebel clad Malcolm hides inside the stage, Jermyn sits beside her up front. During the trip Jermyn details his travels as a snake oil salesman and the peculiarities of his partner riding with them. As one might expect it is not all smooth sailing and they are halted by a small posse looking for the two men.
In many ways this prequel to Arthur Jermyn and his Family is a better tale than the first short story. Even though it spins from the original material it does not further it in any way and it falls somewhat flat. Had author B Harlan Crawford expanded and written a longer story it might have done more, but now it is but a parenthesis in a broader family lineage. Personally I would have like to know more about Alfred Jermyn's travels with his relative Malcolm instead of them haphazardly meeting because he heard whispers of ape men in Africa. By and large this is an interesting enough tale, it meerely suffers from such short a format.
-C. Marry Hultman
Ancestors and Descendants is available from Innsmouth Gold over at innsmouthgold.com and B Harlan Crawford's stories can be found at thelibraryoftheschlocklords.blogspot.com
Illustration taken from the book and done by Shelley De Cruz
Comments