The Life-Changing Torc

This white marble statue depicts a wounded, Gaulish Celt. Notice that he’s wearing a torc, a rigid neck ring in metal, made either as a single piece or from strands twisted together. The great majority are open at the front, although some have hook and ring closures. Many seem designed for near-permanent wear and would have been difficult to remove.

In “The Bodyguard”, a story in The Deadliest Returns, Miriam’s brother saves the life of a young boy wearing a torc:

The thief kept pulling at the kid’s neck, trying to steal what must have been awarded to the father for his rank as a legionnaire.  This torc was made of strands of gold twisted together. But this one had a hook and ring closure too tight for the thief to open. So, in disgust, he threw the kid into the Tiber. Itching for action, that was all I needed to see. Now, you know I can slice through water, right? So, I kicked through the crowd—boy, you should have seen them jump—Ha!—And then I dove off the nearest bridge and pulled him out of the water like a fish on a hook. Turns out he was crippled besides.

For that act of heroism, Miriam’s brother is hired as the bodyguard for the legionnaire’s family and upon the soldier’s retirement returns to Alexandria. And so the story begins as the first novelette in The Deadliest Returns. Ordinarily, people look forward to returning home. But not when they have a deadly secret. To find out more, click here.