Nature's Janitors

In June’s story “The Confession”, Iso is about to be crucified, but his friend Baba, a produce vendor, goes to Miriam bat Isaac to see whether she can stop the execution of an innocent man. Unfortunately, Baba comes late, on the evening before the execution. So, Miriam asks him why he didn’t come sooner:

Never really thought it’d happen . . .  Figured the Fates would somehow intervene. But no. Come the dawn’s first light, me ridin’ out for my produce, I heard the hammerin’ and looked up at that rocky ridge. Soldiers drinkin’ and clownin’ while preparin’ the crossbar. A centurion and his military guard. Just so Iso can slowly suffocate in the hot sun. Then, you know, they leave ’im hangin’ for the flies and vultures to take a turn.

We don’t like to think of the vultures taking their turn, but they’re built for that work. If the meat is getting a little skanky, they don't care. They have a digestive system that can handle bacterial biotoxins. And if they get covered in blood and body parts, that's a plus, because the odor keeps lions and other competitors away.

Okay, so “The Confession” is a horror story, but it’s not horrible. And it’s not even about vultures. It’s about a murder that takes place in a public latrine in Roman-occupied Alexandria and Miriam’s attempt to save the accused. And something else that’s not horrible: Published by Gargoyle Magazine, the story is free to read. Just click here.