The Dowager’s Bodkin

Branwell’s surprise was induced as much by the dowager’s prowess with a blade as from seeing the gem-studded bodkin protruding from his chest. Though he had searched a lifetime for the priceless dagger, his final thought was that the widow was remarkably agile, despite having been dead for centuries.

Tim Canny is a writer in the dust of middle age specializing in children’s stories characterized by a misguided sense of whimsy. Twitter @tcanny