Old Hannibal says some strange things at times. As such this is an irregular series of quotes form the Hannibal Smyth novels, because occasionally one should probably remember to do some promotion work for ones own novels for a change…
This particular one is actually not a quote from old Hannibal himself but from Lady Henrietta Carthurst, a lady of fine refinement and a positive boon at all society functions, which is to say she can neck whiskey, smoke cigars and talk engines with the best of men. Better than most of them as a rule. She also is not one to put up with fools, and has threatened to give many a man a good ‘Spannering’ when they have got on the wrong side of her. Some have been known to enjoy the experience, others have complained of bludgeoning…
Hettie, or ‘Spanners’ as she is known down at the ‘Ins and Outs’ appears in the short story ‘The Cheesecake Dichotomy’ set earlier in Hannibal’s life, before the novels, while he was still a serving in the Royal Air Navy and had was yet to be sentences to perform the Tyburn jig… ‘The Cheesecake Dichotomy’ is published in Harvey Duckman presents Volume 1, an ecliptic collection of short stories from a host of very talented indie writers (and me), the next volume of the Harvey Duckman Presents anthologies (volume 4) will feature another of these glimpsing into Hannibal’s early life.
There are rumors, started by some itinerant author (me) that Hettie will also be appearing in the third Hannibal novel ‘A Squid on the Shoulder’. While I could not possibly confirm if these rumors are true (they are), I can also neither confirm or deny the possibility of Hannibal getting a good ‘Spannering’ at some point in the novel…
The third novel of Hannibal’s misadventures is due out later this year.
The Passing Place 