On our way into the Gutenberg train station
to catch the Gutenberg City to Erasmusville train,
I suddenly realized I had left behind my traveling novel.
Yes, I do keep one just for traveling.
And one for the doctor.
And one for the dentist.
Where I don’t have to go so often,
thank heavens,
but the wait is so long,
so you can usually get a couple of chapters done
before they decide you need x-rays and a teeth cleaning.
At the moment, however,
my travel novel is Martha Grimes’ “The Old Fox Deceived.”
Hey, good is good.
So since I can’t travel without my mystery novel,
especially on my way to a vacation,
since Harald is usually doing all things Dieudonne,
like writing math formulas in the air,
I decided to look at the nearest book shop.
Where I saw…
Vampires.
Everywhere I looked vampires.
From DVDs on sale with blood-dripping covers of the prong-teethed little beasties,
to the psychological novels.
Guaranteed to make you glad the tea cart finally made its way to your compartment.
So why all the interest?
Despite the fact that Gutenberger are big Halloweeners?
Well, since every section of the shop,
even the science section,
was crammed with books and scientific magazines,
and even the kids section seemed to be having a special on….
you guessed it.
So apart from Halloween-
the CELTIC holiday
about candle-lit turnips and peaceful families,
not Vampires on the half-shell,
what on earth is going on?
Especially since, two minutes into writing this blog,
my computer suddenly went ping-
I’ve trained it to ping in A-major…
And…
I saw a new article in my reader.
By Lee Duigon.
About the fact that the U.N is pulling its people out of Malawi,
where the locals are killing people for…
vampirism.
Ie drinking blood.
Did I mention that drinking blood is usually toxic?
Read on.
Actually, this isn’t the first time in history the vampire cult has suddenly run rampant.
In Egyptian lore:
vampires were created by sorcery.
In Asia, evil spirits steal life energy,
and then, of course, there are the blood drinkers from the Tibetan Book Of the dead.
Even in American tradition,
a baby born with a cowl ie an amniotic sack over the head,
is considered to have supernatural powers.
And in some places in America,
like the ones that believe in seances,
and other things that go bump in the night,
those born with a red cowl were believed to be born to drink blood.
How about that?
So, given the history of the whole world,
and the state of that world at the moment,
just what would you do about these vampirical wee beasties?
Well…
in stories about Djinns,
iron was used to pin bodies to the earth so they can’t attack.
Usually an iron rod.
Or a brick in the mouth.
Or, I suppose even a paperweight with a view of the volcano on Hawaii.
Hey, apparently anything that weighs a spirit down
and holds it to the earth,
is apparently even better than a stake.
I’m not so sure about steaks, though.
All that iron.
Have to check that one out.
And now, according to Lee Duigon’s article,
the government of Malawi
is apparently promising to protect the people of that nation
from Vampires.
Say what?
And, as I already mentioned,
the U.N. is pulling its people out.
Which brings me to the crux of the matter.
Why on earth,
instead of accepting this situation,
doesn’t one of these people just mention,
in a quiet, reasonable tone,
maybe in a statement issued by the surgeon general,
that
unless someone has one of the diseases that require iron,
and which can be treated medically today,
drinking real blood is
toxic.
Happy Halloween.
copyright Dunnasead.co 2017
Quahog on a Tightrope 