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Pendergast #12.5
Extraction
From #1 New York Times bestselling authors Preston & Child, an all-new short story featuring Agent Pendergast, available only as an ebook and audio download.
In New Orleans' French Quarter, the Tooth Fairy isn't a benevolent sprite who slips money under your pillow at night....he's a mysterious old recluse who must be appeased with teeth--lest he extract retribution. When young Diogenes Pendergast loses a tooth, however, his skeptical older brother Aloysius is determined to put the legend to the test...with dire consequences. *Includes a special preview chapter of Preston & Child's new full-length novel TWO GRAVES, available December 11, 2012.
In New Orleans' French Quarter, the Tooth Fairy isn't a benevolent sprite who slips money under your pillow at night....he's a mysterious old recluse who must be appeased with teeth--lest he extract retribution. When young Diogenes Pendergast loses a tooth, however, his skeptical older brother Aloysius is determined to put the legend to the test...with dire consequences. *Includes a special preview chapter of Preston & Child's new full-length novel TWO GRAVES, available December 11, 2012.
22 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 16, 2012
734 people are currently reading
6630 people want to read
About the author
Douglas Preston
196 books13.4k followersDouglas Preston was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in 1956, and grew up in the deadly boring suburb of Wellesley. Following a distinguished career at a private nursery school--he was almost immediately expelled--he attended public schools and the Cambridge School of Weston. Notable events in his early life included the loss of a fingertip at the age of three to a bicycle; the loss of his two front teeth to his brother Richard's fist; and various broken bones, also incurred in dust-ups with Richard. (Richard went on to write The Hot Zone and The Cobra Event, which tells you all you need to know about what it was like to grow up with him as a brother.)
As they grew up, Doug, Richard, and their little brother David roamed the quiet suburbs of Wellesley, terrorizing the natives with home-made rockets and incendiary devices mail-ordered from the backs of comic books or concocted from chemistry sets. With a friend they once attempted to fly a rocket into Wellesley Square; the rocket malfunctioned and nearly killed a man mowing his lawn. They were local celebrities, often appearing in the "Police Notes" section of The Wellesley Townsman. It is a miracle they survived childhood intact.
After unaccountably being rejected by Stanford University (a pox on it), Preston attended Pomona College in Claremont, California, where he studied mathematics, biology, physics, anthropology, chemistry, geology, and astronomy before settling down to English literature. After graduating, Preston began his career at the American Museum of Natural History in New York as an editor, writer, and eventually manager of publications. (Preston also taught writing at Princeton University and was managing editor of Curator.) His eight-year stint at the Museum resulted in the non-fiction book, Dinosaurs in the Attic, edited by a rising young star at St. Martin's Press, a polymath by the name of Lincoln Child. During this period, Preston gave Child a midnight tour of the museum, and in the darkened Hall of Late Dinosaurs, under a looming T. Rex, Child turned to Preston and said: "This would make the perfect setting for a thriller!" That thriller would, of course, be Relic.
In 1986, Douglas Preston piled everything he owned into the back of a Subaru and moved from New York City to Santa Fe to write full time, following the advice of S. J. Perelman that "the dubious privilege of a freelance writer is he's given the freedom to starve anywhere." After the requisite period of penury, Preston achieved a small success with the publication of Cities of Gold, a non-fiction book about Coronado's search for the legendary Seven Cities of Cibola. To research the book, Preston and a friend retraced on horseback 1,000 miles of Coronado's route across Arizona and New Mexico, packing their supplies and sleeping under the stars--nearly killing themselves in the process. Since then he has published several more non-fiction books on the history of the American Southwest, Talking to the Ground and The Royal Road, as well as a novel entitled Jennie. In the early 1990s Preston and Child teamed up to write suspense novels; Relic was the first, followed by several others, including Riptide and Thunderhead. Relic was released as a motion picture by Paramount in 1997. Other films are under development at Hollywood studios. Preston and Child live 500 miles apart and write their books together via telephone, fax, and the Internet.
Preston and his brother Richard are currently producing a television miniseries for ABC and Mandalay Entertainment, to be aired in the spring of 2000, if all goes well, which in Hollywood is rarely the case.
Preston continues a magazine writing career by contributing regularly to The New Yorker magazine. He has also written for National Geographic, Natural History, Smithsonisan, Harper's,and Travel & Leisure,among others.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/dougla...
As they grew up, Doug, Richard, and their little brother David roamed the quiet suburbs of Wellesley, terrorizing the natives with home-made rockets and incendiary devices mail-ordered from the backs of comic books or concocted from chemistry sets. With a friend they once attempted to fly a rocket into Wellesley Square; the rocket malfunctioned and nearly killed a man mowing his lawn. They were local celebrities, often appearing in the "Police Notes" section of The Wellesley Townsman. It is a miracle they survived childhood intact.
After unaccountably being rejected by Stanford University (a pox on it), Preston attended Pomona College in Claremont, California, where he studied mathematics, biology, physics, anthropology, chemistry, geology, and astronomy before settling down to English literature. After graduating, Preston began his career at the American Museum of Natural History in New York as an editor, writer, and eventually manager of publications. (Preston also taught writing at Princeton University and was managing editor of Curator.) His eight-year stint at the Museum resulted in the non-fiction book, Dinosaurs in the Attic, edited by a rising young star at St. Martin's Press, a polymath by the name of Lincoln Child. During this period, Preston gave Child a midnight tour of the museum, and in the darkened Hall of Late Dinosaurs, under a looming T. Rex, Child turned to Preston and said: "This would make the perfect setting for a thriller!" That thriller would, of course, be Relic.
In 1986, Douglas Preston piled everything he owned into the back of a Subaru and moved from New York City to Santa Fe to write full time, following the advice of S. J. Perelman that "the dubious privilege of a freelance writer is he's given the freedom to starve anywhere." After the requisite period of penury, Preston achieved a small success with the publication of Cities of Gold, a non-fiction book about Coronado's search for the legendary Seven Cities of Cibola. To research the book, Preston and a friend retraced on horseback 1,000 miles of Coronado's route across Arizona and New Mexico, packing their supplies and sleeping under the stars--nearly killing themselves in the process. Since then he has published several more non-fiction books on the history of the American Southwest, Talking to the Ground and The Royal Road, as well as a novel entitled Jennie. In the early 1990s Preston and Child teamed up to write suspense novels; Relic was the first, followed by several others, including Riptide and Thunderhead. Relic was released as a motion picture by Paramount in 1997. Other films are under development at Hollywood studios. Preston and Child live 500 miles apart and write their books together via telephone, fax, and the Internet.
Preston and his brother Richard are currently producing a television miniseries for ABC and Mandalay Entertainment, to be aired in the spring of 2000, if all goes well, which in Hollywood is rarely the case.
Preston continues a magazine writing career by contributing regularly to The New Yorker magazine. He has also written for National Geographic, Natural History, Smithsonisan, Harper's,and Travel & Leisure,among others.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/dougla...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 452 reviews
January 24, 2018
This is a ebook short story that follows the Helen Trilogy in the Pendergast series. I didn't realize how truly short it is until I sat down to read it; it can be read in 15 to 20 minutes. Because of this, I am not including read dates so it will not be part of my reading goal (150 pages is about as short as I will go on goal books)
From what I can tell, you should wait until after the Helen Trilogy to read this (or it will spoil earlier books in the series). But, it seems like it is not necessary to read this if you do not want to. I think it is a cool little story, but I imagine some people might not want to pay $1.99 for what amounts to a 30 page story.
However, if you are a die hard Pendergast fan, I think you should get it and read it. It is a creepy and suspenful take on the Tooth Fairy that gives a little more insight on the childhood of A. X. L. Pendergast. I enjoyed every second of it!
From what I can tell, you should wait until after the Helen Trilogy to read this (or it will spoil earlier books in the series). But, it seems like it is not necessary to read this if you do not want to. I think it is a cool little story, but I imagine some people might not want to pay $1.99 for what amounts to a 30 page story.
However, if you are a die hard Pendergast fan, I think you should get it and read it. It is a creepy and suspenful take on the Tooth Fairy that gives a little more insight on the childhood of A. X. L. Pendergast. I enjoyed every second of it!
July 3, 2025
When I saw Extraction, a short story in the Pendergast series written by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child, was only 25 pages, I borrowed it from the library as a quick read in between the next installment. I am finding myself thoroughly absorbed in this series and need to pace myself before I am current. In this tale, we go back 40 years to Pendergast's childhood where we learn the truth about the Tooth Fairy from his evil brother's, Diogenes, perspective. Haunting. Silly. Clever. Love the detailed explanation of their New Orleans house and the odd relationship between the siblings. Looking forward to the next big release.
May 17, 2020
Wonderful looking back to an event in the childhood past of Aloysius and Diogenes Pendergast. Having dinner (Pasta al dente), Pendergast is telling a story to Constance and his teacher Monsieur Bertin. It's about The Tooth Fairy and a strange neighbor in New Orleans, Mr Dufour. What is going on behind the doors of his mysterious home? What about the cuspidor of teeth? What is the connection to the tooth fairy and why is this little tale so important for the development of Diogenes? The story is very compelling and comes up with a great twist at the end (what about the uncle?). Love to read tales like this! Highly recommended, if you already are a fan of Pendergast or if you want to become one!
January 11, 2025
Not a bad novella. Pendergast is intriguing as always. A tasty morsel to read between my longer novels so I can continue this series.
February 26, 2018
Extraction is a delightfully creepy novella which manages to pack more content in it than any of the last 5-6 books in the series. It gives us a closer look at the relationship between Pendergast and his brother. And wonder of wonders, Pendergast actually realises and articulates what a shite of an elder brother he was. The plot is quite reminiscent of the tooth fairy from the Hogfather by Terry Pratchett.
In conclusion, Extraction rings all the right bells.
In conclusion, Extraction rings all the right bells.
November 16, 2018
Are you looking for a quick and creepy thriller that’s a novella? This one definitely has a BITE to it!
Look no further then this short, Creole like tale about Pendergast as a kid. I really enjoy stories set in New Orleans. The atmosphere is just excellent!
Look no further then this short, Creole like tale about Pendergast as a kid. I really enjoy stories set in New Orleans. The atmosphere is just excellent!
May 23, 2018
Ooh. What a wonderfully, creepy Creole-Type novella. I love things like this!
April 9, 2017
This is a short Pendergast story from when he was a kid. I often find these short stories that seem to be so popular these days lacking and real depth, they are too short, you hardly get into the story before it is over. This is an exception. This is a good story, very eerie. If you like Agent Pendergast, if you like creepy little tales, then you will love this one!
July 31, 2017
Spooky and dark, this short story - as told by our favorite FBI Agent, A. X.L. Pendergast - gives us more insight into the canyon-sized rift between Aloysius and his diabolical brother, Diogenes.
Not only that, but it will make me wary the next time I place my daughter's next lost tooth under her pillow at night...
Not only that, but it will make me wary the next time I place my daughter's next lost tooth under her pillow at night...
March 8, 2013
2.5 Love all things Pendergast as a general rule and this short is rather creepy. That said it really has no tie-in to his book "Two Graves" and other than giving the readers another glimpse into his young life in New Orleans, it really did not do anything to further the plot in the Pendergast stories.
February 5, 2023
This is a fun, creepy short.
If you are a Pendergast fan you will definitely want to read this.
If you are a Pendergast fan you will definitely want to read this.
October 5, 2015
A tale I had not read yet in the Pendergast series. It is not a full tale but a short one more appropriate for these cooler October days on the way to Halloween. It is a tale about a young Pendergast and their brother situated in New Orleans. The story is about a less benevolent version of the Toothfairy. Even if you are not into the series the short story offers an idea that is well written and belongs in horror lore more than in anything else.
On the basis of this one I would not mind a few more shorts by messieurs Child & Preston.
On the basis of this one I would not mind a few more shorts by messieurs Child & Preston.
December 28, 2022
Shades of Edgar Allen Poe! Douglas Preston has written a creepy short story told by Aloysius Pendergast about a different sort of 'tooth fairy' than the one most of us remember from our youth. Atmospheric and quite fun! I won't be telling my grandson this tale any time soon!
November 16, 2018
Very short, but still fun Pendergast tale. Dark, foreboding and well worth reading if you're making your way through the rest of the series. Preston and Child continue to do it right!
July 23, 2019
Una historia muy corta, solo de 40 páginas, que nos relata una pequeña historia de terror, una variacion muy peculiar sobre el hada de los dientes, claro esa es su versión estadounidense, en mi caso sería la versión terrorífica del ratón de los dientes.
Pendergast nos lleva a su niñez con su hermano Diógenes y un vecino bastante tétrico al que cada niño tenía que rendirle culto entregandole los dientes de leche que iba perdiendo.
Es una historia completamente independiente a toda la serie y se puede leer perfectamente fuera del orden que corresponde, por supuesto es cortisima, pero más allá de buena, es fenomenal.
Me ha encantado!
Pendergast nos lleva a su niñez con su hermano Diógenes y un vecino bastante tétrico al que cada niño tenía que rendirle culto entregandole los dientes de leche que iba perdiendo.
Es una historia completamente independiente a toda la serie y se puede leer perfectamente fuera del orden que corresponde, por supuesto es cortisima, pero más allá de buena, es fenomenal.
Me ha encantado!
January 7, 2014
A very short alternative tooth fairy story. A lot more gory than the traditional one, needless to say.
July 16, 2021
Audiobook. 5 stars.
A little gem for the Pendergast fan!
Ambient with southern gothic creepiness, it's a story from his youth as told to Constance. I think it can be read any time after the introduction of her character, though the audiobook also included a short segment from the Helen trilogy, so perhaps that's why it's placed here.
I'm not a huge fan of the narrator in this point of the series, but IMO he does this short story justice.
A little gem for the Pendergast fan!
Ambient with southern gothic creepiness, it's a story from his youth as told to Constance. I think it can be read any time after the introduction of her character, though the audiobook also included a short segment from the Helen trilogy, so perhaps that's why it's placed here.
I'm not a huge fan of the narrator in this point of the series, but IMO he does this short story justice.
November 5, 2012
Special Agent Pendergast is an excellent story-teller, so excellent in fact he disturbs himself while recounting a time in his childhood when younger brother, Diogenes, decides to appease the local keeper of TEEFS with one of his own. As much as I love Pendergast and his icy facade and cool personality, his big brother bravery comes off more as big berating bully, and I'm left feeling a little defensive for poor little Diogenes.
A fun, quick-pace read for any Pendergast lover, or reader of local folklore.
Now, Aloysius. You upset your brother. No hot cocoa for a month!
A fun, quick-pace read for any Pendergast lover, or reader of local folklore.
Now, Aloysius. You upset your brother. No hot cocoa for a month!
January 20, 2016
Very good quick scary read. Contains our very own Aloyisious X Pendergast. This time him and Constance are waiting for their dinner to get ready. So in the process Constance ask Pendergast for a story of the tooth fairy. But this story of the tooth fairy is one in which you want to run screaming in the other direction with hand over your mouth. Remember kiddies if you loose a tooth, make sure you pay the fairy man lest he come and extract the toll himself. A good, short spooky read that I wish that I would have read before Halloween.
June 30, 2019
A creepy, atmospheric Creole-like short story set in New Orleans' French Quarters, it was a quick and enjoyable read about the Pendergast brothers when they were still kids. Not connected in any way to the Helen trilogy.
June 19, 2017
This is a short story that is part of a series but can be read as a stand alone. Goodreads has this story listed at 128 pages. It is no way near that as it only took me twenty minutes to read. This one is a flashback to Pendergast's childhood. It is a alternate version of the tooth fairy.
For an extremely short story I am so surprised by how much I enjoyed it. Right away I was interested in the story. This quick story is a horror story and fits in with this universe as it portrays the relationship between the two brothers. It was gory and suspenseful. And in true Preston and Child fashion the answers to the questions make sense and are based in reality.
If you are looking for a quick read and you are a fan of this series this story will be right up your alley. It is an enjoyable read that the reader can enjoy in between Pendergast books.
For an extremely short story I am so surprised by how much I enjoyed it. Right away I was interested in the story. This quick story is a horror story and fits in with this universe as it portrays the relationship between the two brothers. It was gory and suspenseful. And in true Preston and Child fashion the answers to the questions make sense and are based in reality.
If you are looking for a quick read and you are a fan of this series this story will be right up your alley. It is an enjoyable read that the reader can enjoy in between Pendergast books.
June 23, 2023
I am a HUGE Pendergast fans and own all the Audible books as we work our way through the series. I don’t recall how much I paid for this @2 hour novella, but I could have skipped this and my life would not have ended.
March 28, 2022
Pendergast perfection! Seriously, if you are an Agent Pendergast fan, this short story is a hidden gem.
February 10, 2019
Great short story and super creepy, like the good old Pendergast stories!
November 14, 2012
Review originally at Fantasy Book Critic
OVERVIEW/ANALYSIS: Extraction is possibly the first short story written by this acclaimed duo and which also features their signature character Aloysius X. L. Pendergast. I am very much enjoying the current Helen Pendergast trilogy and waiting to see what kind of end the authors have planned in Two Graves, that releases in December. When this short story was announced, I was very intrigued for two major reasons:
(a) because it was set in the past and focuses on the childhood of the Pendergast brothers in New Orleans
(b) Secondly because it featured the author’s variation on the tooth fairy tale and going by Relic & Reliquary, it’s very apparent that Messrs. Preston-Child are masters at writing horror.
The story is actually set in the events prior to the beginning of the Helen Pendergast trilogy and begins by Pendergast reminiscing about his childhood and the strange variation of the tooth fairy story that had taken root in their neighborhood. In the story, we meet a Aloysius who is ten years old and his brother Diogenes who is a mere six. The tale that goes around in their neighborhood is that for every child that loses their tooth, they have to give it to Maurus Dufour, for if not he will come to get you. With such a ludicrous premise, the tale however gains strong ground and Diogenes upon losing a tooth decides to give into the tradition. His older brother Aloysius however refuses to bow onto this ridiculous fashion and decides to stop Diogenes from doing so. This is the impetus of the story as to what happens after Aloysius chooses to disregard the local legend and from thereon things take a very weird turn.
This story on paper has the makings of a great story however the execution is simply faltering. Here are some of the reasons why this book didn’t really gel. First and foremost, it’s a narration from Pendergast’s POV and we never truly learn if the events he recalls are the truth or just his air-brushed memories. Secondly the events in the tale occur without explanation and the ending is just plain an ending without any real meaning to it. The story deals with a local legend and it showcases some seriously creepy turns but that’s all it does. The readers are simply left hanging to imagine what could have occurred and thus this story doesn’t really do much beside promise a lot and fail to deliver.
November 26, 2012
I feel bad saying that I didn't like this one, because normally I love a Pendergast tale, but I found Extraction quite disappointing. For one thing, it's very short; the total page count is inflated by the preview for Two Graves. I don't feel it was worth 99 cents of my time.
It bothered me that the story isn't internally consistent. Agent Pendergast tells Constance of an incident that occurred when he was nine years old. His six-year-old brother, Diogenes, overheard the household staff talking about the Tooth Fairy, a local man named Maurus Dufour who lived in a decrepit house nearby. The elderly recluse's reputation frightened the children of the French Quarter into offering the tribute of teeth they'd lost by depositing them in a receptacle on his front porch by the time of the full moon. Should a child fail to deliver the tooth by that time, the local lore claimed that Dufour would come and extract a tooth to claim his due.
The young Pendergast scoffs at Diogenes for believing such nonsense, however, as the story progresses, we find that Dufour must indeed be "appeased," as one character puts it. It's implied that this traumatic event is part of what altered Diogenes' path in later life, though we don't get any real details on that.
I'm sorry, but this just doesn't stand up to any sort of scrutiny whatsoever. Aloysius obviously never paid his due in teeth and wasn't harmed. If children of the French Quarter were being attacked in such a fashion as to cause the origin of the tale, isn't it reasonable to think that the New Orleans police would do something about it? And the vague hand-wave of an ending in which we never see Uncle Everett again seems both improbable and lazy.
When Preston and Child are at the top of their game, they are among the best in their genre, but this just isn't up to their usual quality. Frankly, it feels like their publisher might have pressed them to come up with a bone to throw their fans while we await the next novel ... if this had been a freebie offered on their web site, I might feel a little differently. I wouldn't think it was good work, but I'd shrug, think it was a nice little bit of filler for them to post on their site, and move on.
I look forward to Two Graves, as I know these authors can do better than this seemingly dashed-off effort.
It bothered me that the story isn't internally consistent. Agent Pendergast tells Constance of an incident that occurred when he was nine years old. His six-year-old brother, Diogenes, overheard the household staff talking about the Tooth Fairy, a local man named Maurus Dufour who lived in a decrepit house nearby. The elderly recluse's reputation frightened the children of the French Quarter into offering the tribute of teeth they'd lost by depositing them in a receptacle on his front porch by the time of the full moon. Should a child fail to deliver the tooth by that time, the local lore claimed that Dufour would come and extract a tooth to claim his due.
The young Pendergast scoffs at Diogenes for believing such nonsense, however, as the story progresses, we find that Dufour must indeed be "appeased," as one character puts it. It's implied that this traumatic event is part of what altered Diogenes' path in later life, though we don't get any real details on that.
I'm sorry, but this just doesn't stand up to any sort of scrutiny whatsoever. Aloysius obviously never paid his due in teeth and wasn't harmed. If children of the French Quarter were being attacked in such a fashion as to cause the origin of the tale, isn't it reasonable to think that the New Orleans police would do something about it? And the vague hand-wave of an ending in which we never see Uncle Everett again seems both improbable and lazy.
When Preston and Child are at the top of their game, they are among the best in their genre, but this just isn't up to their usual quality. Frankly, it feels like their publisher might have pressed them to come up with a bone to throw their fans while we await the next novel ... if this had been a freebie offered on their web site, I might feel a little differently. I wouldn't think it was good work, but I'd shrug, think it was a nice little bit of filler for them to post on their site, and move on.
I look forward to Two Graves, as I know these authors can do better than this seemingly dashed-off effort.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 16, 2012
I've been a big fan of Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child since Relic, their first book in the Aloysius Pendergast series. Together and individually, the two authors have written some of the most suspenseful stories of the past two decades. In the short story "Extraction," they turned back the clock to an earlier time when Aloysius and his younger brother Diogenes were kids growing up in New Orleans (the story takes place before the traumatic event that resulted in Diogenes' brain damage).
The story begins in modern times, where Aloysius, his ward Constance, and Monsieur Bertin, one of Aloysius's childhood tutors, are having dinner in Pendergast's Riverside Drive mansion. A disagreement over the proper way to cook pasta led to a flashback story that took place in New Orleans when Aloysius was nine years old, and his brother Diogenes was six. With their mother in the hospital and their father away on business, their Uncle Everett was staying with them. Diogenes has just lost a baby tooth. Most kids did the tooth-under-the-pillow thing and hoped the Tooth Fairy would be generous, but in the French Quarter of New Orleans, an old tradition overrode the Tooth Fairy. Legend said that if you didn't bring your tooth to a mysterious old recluse named Maurus Dufour on the next full moon, he would come and get you.
When Diogenes seemed determined to bundle his tooth off to Dufour, Aloysius attempted to intervene to disprove the legend. And that's where things began to go awry. As with most Pendergast stories, creepiness and mayhem ensued, and you just knew that the story wasn't going to have a happy ending for all.
"Extraction" was an engaging, suspenseful short story (about 300 Kindle locations). I think Preston and Child fans will enjoy the story, which serves to fill in another gap about Aloysius's and Diogenes' early relationship.
The story begins in modern times, where Aloysius, his ward Constance, and Monsieur Bertin, one of Aloysius's childhood tutors, are having dinner in Pendergast's Riverside Drive mansion. A disagreement over the proper way to cook pasta led to a flashback story that took place in New Orleans when Aloysius was nine years old, and his brother Diogenes was six. With their mother in the hospital and their father away on business, their Uncle Everett was staying with them. Diogenes has just lost a baby tooth. Most kids did the tooth-under-the-pillow thing and hoped the Tooth Fairy would be generous, but in the French Quarter of New Orleans, an old tradition overrode the Tooth Fairy. Legend said that if you didn't bring your tooth to a mysterious old recluse named Maurus Dufour on the next full moon, he would come and get you.
When Diogenes seemed determined to bundle his tooth off to Dufour, Aloysius attempted to intervene to disprove the legend. And that's where things began to go awry. As with most Pendergast stories, creepiness and mayhem ensued, and you just knew that the story wasn't going to have a happy ending for all.
"Extraction" was an engaging, suspenseful short story (about 300 Kindle locations). I think Preston and Child fans will enjoy the story, which serves to fill in another gap about Aloysius's and Diogenes' early relationship.
November 4, 2012
A short story of Agent Pendergast telling his ward, Constance, of a tale from his childhood, an incident that may have had an affect on both him and his younger brother, Diogenes, contributing to the men they became: Pendergast a top FBI agent, Diogenes a broken man.
It involves a nine year old Pendergast and his three years younger brother and the tooth fairy. Not your regular tooth fairy.
In the french Quarter, the children believed an old man that lived in a run-down mansion was the tooth fairy. Whenever a tooth came out, it must be delivered during a full moon, placed in a pot on the porch, or the old man, the tooth fairy, would pay a visit to get his due.
When he learns six year old Diogenes believes this legend, he's aghast. They argue and the boy slips away. Pendergast goes to the house and awaits his brother. When the younger Pendergast drops the tooth in the pot, he takes it when he's alone and drops it in a storm drain.
He relishes telling his brother what a fool he's been until the boy disappears. Hie uncle, minding the two brothers goes to the house when Pendergast tells the story. He takes a weapon and leaves, returning later with the ashen-faced Diogenes. He leaves a note for the boys' father, due back the next day, and leaves, saying he had made a deal to appease the old man.
The father, when he returns and hears the tale, takes his own gun and heads out for the old mansion. Pendergast goes along, after considerable begging. What they find in the old mansion makes this a horror story.
Loved this one.
It involves a nine year old Pendergast and his three years younger brother and the tooth fairy. Not your regular tooth fairy.
In the french Quarter, the children believed an old man that lived in a run-down mansion was the tooth fairy. Whenever a tooth came out, it must be delivered during a full moon, placed in a pot on the porch, or the old man, the tooth fairy, would pay a visit to get his due.
When he learns six year old Diogenes believes this legend, he's aghast. They argue and the boy slips away. Pendergast goes to the house and awaits his brother. When the younger Pendergast drops the tooth in the pot, he takes it when he's alone and drops it in a storm drain.
He relishes telling his brother what a fool he's been until the boy disappears. Hie uncle, minding the two brothers goes to the house when Pendergast tells the story. He takes a weapon and leaves, returning later with the ashen-faced Diogenes. He leaves a note for the boys' father, due back the next day, and leaves, saying he had made a deal to appease the old man.
The father, when he returns and hears the tale, takes his own gun and heads out for the old mansion. Pendergast goes along, after considerable begging. What they find in the old mansion makes this a horror story.
Loved this one.
January 26, 2016
This was a pretty good short story where Inspector Pendergast tells at a dinner to his guest about what happened to his Uncle when his Diogenes would not give his tooth to the tooth fairy in the French Quarter and what was of the consequences. Definitely check this out. It is available wherever books are sold.
November 3, 2012
Mmm..truffles...
Displaying 1 - 30 of 452 reviews