Sam Redlark

image generated by Craiyon The fog of prehistory disperses to reveal a likeness of Britain that is net yet called Britain. It is known by older names – Albion or Pretannia, both fabrications of foreign tongues, gifted to the island by the scholars of more advanced nations. An unknown soldier of this era licks the loose red thread of what could have been a more serious wound, and surveys the field of battle in the aftermath of a victory, or else crouches down in the ferns, among the trees, as a remnant of a defeated force, hiding from the voices of those who would gladly add his name to the roll-call of the dead. He detects, in the congealing blood, the taint of the weapon that caused the injury – the same iron that he has perhaps witnessed being drawn from a bloom of slag metal and its own spongy cast-offs, either in a pit, or at the foot of a clay chimney. He also tastes salt – the lifeblood of the sea – the crucible of his unknown origins. When salt is added to certain foods, it has

image generated by Craiyon It is misleading to say that Victoriana Primaria – the Great Star of the Equatorial South – appeared in the heavens on the eve of the 24th May, 1819, hours after the birth of Alexandrina Victoria; who would later become Queen Victoria. Nonetheless, the claim is often repeated. In a world where received wisdom is increasingly favoured over hard evidence, there are many, no doubt, who believe it to be true. I will admit that there is something appealing in the idea that the organisation of the firmament is still beholden to the reign or kings and queen, as was reportedly the case during Biblical times. In fact, the star had been visible in the skies since the mid-1700s, with many ship's captains making mention of it in their logbooks. A century before, members of various First Nation tribes had noticed it as a faint, troubling presence in the Southern Hemisphere. These indigenous peoples are known for their keen visual intelligence. A particular arrangement

image generated by Craiyon “The Chinese Empire, which is the empire of the 21st century and the centuries that lie beyond, already extends a greater invisible reach than any other in the historical record,” said Gan Bai. He did not frame his claim as a boast, but more as an undeniable statement of fact. I was looking past him towards a gloomy cluster of champagne magnums. They had been pushed together into the tapering niche of a large, recessed window that faced onto the room at an unfriendly angle, seemingly against the grain of the table layout. Heavy drapes obscured a view of the Strand, deadening the sounds of the London traffic. The burnished gold labels on the sides of the bottles were garnished with giant oriental characters printed in glossy black ink. The lettering caught the light dimly, like puddles of dark liquid. The muzzle-braked bottlenecks were stoppered with enormous corks that gave them the appearance of artillery barrels. “The Chinese incursion has yet to reach Corn