Frederick K. Foote has been a steady contributor to the site for years. He has published more than eighty with us and it is not a matter of if but when he will reach the magic 100 mark.
Fred’s tales involve many human and social issues, but he is also witty and downright funny. In Dauntless, we meet Horace, an unrepentant and delightfully damn funny old sinner who knows how to weave a tale and play a fool.
A note from the author:
The inspiration for Dauntless.
Age is often associated with a degree of physical and creative decline. However, I believe that the degree of creative decline may be exaggerated. And, I hope, as I step into my early 80s, that we offset physical decline by enhancing our other abilities.
Horace/Pops in Dauntless is a result of these reflections and desires.
literally stories 
I really wasn’t sure how this was going to go til right before the end! Nicely paced.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hi Fred
I am all in for “OG” Horace. What a wonderful character, witty and quick thinking.
Leila
LikeLike
I kind of thought the old guy was bluffing but wasn’t sure til the excellent reveal. Gritty and believable.
LikeLiked by 1 person
*reveal … grrr
LikeLike
Hello David
Queen Maab the Photobomb Fairie sprinkled a dash of pixie dust on a certain word. Problem solved.
Now if we can only convince her to go to Washington D.C., but she says there are limits to the power of magick when the potential targets are dumber than a Sardine; it appears possible to be so dense that magick bounces off you.
Leila
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Leila, if Queen Maab has any magick dust left (after she helps your Sonics, of course!) have her sprinkle some on the Bulls.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ha! I can always ask.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Surprised I didn’t comment on this when it first appeared. The OG was a tax fraud. Ho ho.
LikeLike
Great fun take on the very serious topic of how to survive in the slammer. Only knew one guy who’d been through it: he was a lawyer, so he was able to dispense free legal advice, but he knew a few cases of guys who were at the very painful bottom of the pyramid (pun intended).
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hi Fred,
I enjoyed reading your comments.
And Horace is as alive in my mind as he was when I first met him.
All the very best.
Hugh
LikeLike
Absolutely sizzling prose – the reveal at the end is ingenious. The scattered mention of the aging body alongside the increasing nerves of the young man and his sweating is a great parallel – a story that seems to be one of evil outweighing evil is actually one of smart over smart. Loved this.
LikeLiked by 1 person