The Poison Pie Publishing House presents:

November 1, 2025
The soldiers in the garrison assigned to the citadel in Damascus prepared a small room within the fortress for Melite. They could not communicate with her for she did not speak Aramaic and not a man among them knew a word of Greek. She refused to leave the courtyard holding the behemoth. The soldiers assumed that she kept close to the beast for protection from unkind advances. In truth, the thought of leaving Theopompos never crossed her mind. She did well to remain with him for already her pale, foreign skin enflamed the desires of the surrounding young men.

written while listening to:  Maria Faust Sacrum Facere - Marches Rewound and Rewritten (Stunt Records, STULP 25071, 2025, Denmark, lp, discogs.com)

November 2, 2025
When the behemoth was ready to take a weight off his feet, he brushed aside the gate as if passing through a curtain of reeds. The snap of wooden boards drew the attention of a guard on the overlooking parapet. His shouts summoned others. Their agitation was inexplicable to Melite for, after descending the ramp, Theopompos floated idly in the channel. He was not going anywhere. When Melite saw a soldier fit an arrow to his bow, she jumped into the water. Climbing upon his back, she stood and spread her arms wide in a desperate attempt to shield her friend from any incoming missile.

written while listening to:  Carnalisme - De Profondis (Nunc., Nunc.028, 2022, France, cd, discogs.com)

November 3, 2025
Unfamiliar with the habits of the behemoth and unable to communicate with its keeper, Hazael did not have the gate replaced. He feared his new prize would languish if daily access to water was essential to its health. He did, however, order the pair of swimmers who had lured the beast to the citadel moved into the fortress and put on alert, should their guest attempt to flee. The king made much of the beast. Any visitor to his court deemed to possess sufficient prestige joined him from a high vantage over the channel for a viewing.

written while listening to:  David Brown, Tony Buck & Magda Mayas - Blue Plum Bloom (Shame File Music, sham129, 2024, Australia, lp, discogs.com)

November 4, 2025
Not content to limit the behemoth to a showpiece, the king ordered it trained for military incursions. "The beast has a natural affinity for water," he explained to his generals. He shared his vision of the creature leading a nighttime raid down a river. Gliding silently past sentries, it came ashore in the midst of an encampment, taking the enemy unaware. Spreading terror in a devastating rampage, it spared none the thrust of its mighty tusks. "With an amphibious unit built around it, I shall lay waste to Ammon, Israel, Judah, Moab, Edom and lands beyond."

written while listening to:  Derek Bailey & Simon H. Fell - At Sound 323, sides A & B (Confront, CORE 03LP, 2023 (rec. 2001), United Kingdom, lpx2, discogs.com)

November 5, 2025
The task of training the behemoth for war fell to a young general named Ben-Yassib, for the older military men foresaw calamity. Organizing men into a coherent fighting force was difficult by itself, never mind a beast. They concealed their pessimism and wished their junior colleague well. Ben-Yassib appointed his gray-haired "uncle" Niqmad as lieutenant and counselor. Also placed in lesser positions of command were the two swimmers, Rabbas and Obodas. Eager to make his mark with the king, the general's first order was the creation of matching shirts embroidered with the open-mouthed bust of the beast.

written while listening to:  Keiji Haino & Guro Moe - Drums & Octobass, disc 2 (Conrad Sound, CnRd334CD, 2023, Norway, cdx2, discogs.com)

November 6, 2025
The role of the behemoth keeper was discussed at length. The general called it a stain upon the honor of the unit to count a woman among their ranks. Having heard the rumors of a divine purpose in the beast and its rider, the suspicious swimmers remained ambivalent. Besides, they saw a ferocious sensuality when, garbed in her wet chiton, she sat astride the beast. Uncle Niqmad advised Ben-Yassib to play it by ear. "We need her to control the monster, at least until it is trained. Once we have it tamed, we can dispense with her at our leisure."

written while listening to:  Jean-Luc Cappozzo, Douglas Ewart, Joëlle Léandre, Bernard Santacruz & Michael Zerang - Sonic Communion (The Bridge Sessions, TBS01, 2015, France, cd, discogs.com)

November 7, 2025
As predicted, Melite played an essential role in encouraging Theopompos to swim up the channel to a field cleared for the purposes of training. Even then Rabbas and Obodas liberally cast cucumbers when the behemoth began to slow. Eventually they made it to a spot in the river beside which a faux camp had been erected. All attempts to lure the beast from the river proved unsuccessful. Submerged to its neck, two eyes peered skeptically at the men heckling it from the bank. From her perch, Auntie Ibis cooed calming words.

written while listening to:  Susan Alcorn & Eugene Chadbourne - An Afternoon in Austin (Boxholder Records, BXH032, 2002, United States, cd, discogs.com)

November 8, 2025
The men grew frustrated at the refusal of the behemoth to leave the water. The general declared that the woman must be urging it to disobey a direct order but the language barrier left the purpose of her words uncertain. "We must find our own means of motivating the beast. Something more effective than cucumbers!" A soldier suggested that an arrow in the flank of the beast might drive it in a rage toward the archer. Neither Ben-Yassib nor his uncle judged it wise to prick the king's pet before all other avenues of persuasion were exhausted.

written while listening to:  Ivo Perelman & Tyshawn Sorey - Parallel Aesthetics, disc 2 (Fundacja Słuchaj!, FSR 01|2025, 2025, Poland, cdx2, discogs.com)

November 9, 2025
Pitch-soaked rags were wrapped about the ends of two sticks and set alight. Rabbas and Obodas entered the river, each holding a torch aloft. Separating, they slowly made a wide berth around the behemoth until they were positioned behind it. Treading water, they waved their flames and shouted at the beast to get moving. In response, Theopompos submerged entirely. The ibis too descended until the water reached her armpits and her buoyancy lifted her from the back of her mount. "I'm so sorry," she said to the torchbearers in a tongue they did not understand.

written while listening to:  Nicole Mitchell's Black Earth Strings - Renegades (Delmark Records, DE 587, 2009, United States, cd, discogs.com)

November 10, 2025
By the end of his first day of training, Theopompos had conquered the will of the army of King Hazael, for neither officer nor soldier proved able to dislodge him from the river. Despite the presence of an annoying band of cantankerous men upon the shore, the behemoth found the excursion a pleasant way to pass a cool autumn day in the company of his dear Auntie Ibis. Consequently, after a night spent back in the safety of his pen at the citadel, the light of dawn found him amenable to doing the whole routine again.

written while listening to:  George - Shorts (Out of Your Head Records, OOYH 018.1, 2023, United States, digital files, discogs.com)

November 11, 2025
Said Uncle Niqmad to the general, "The keeper is both the cause of our problem and its solution." He explained thus, "She is a woman of peaceful demeanor. Clearly, the beast has been confined with her for so long that it has been lulled into tranquility by her constant presence." His observation was accurate, for as we mentioned at the start of our tale, raised in a loving and well-to-do home, Melite had not developed the ordinary mechanisms for coping with hardship. She had naturally passed on these same traits to her protégé.

written while listening to:  Roscoe Mitchell & The Note Factory - Far Side (ECM Records, ECM 2087, 2010, Germany, cd, discogs.com)

November 12, 2025
"How then will she solve our dilemma?" asked the general. The old man nodded grimly. "We must exploit the beast's affection for her." At his orders, Rabbas entered the river and distracted the behemoth, offering a cucumber but retreating when it approached. Meanwhile, Obodas snuck up from behind and in one swift motion snatched Melite from her perch. She was plunged underwater and carried by force to the shore. Dragged upon the bank, her thoughts swirled in confusion, for surely they could have communicated their wish in a simpler way.

written while listening to:  David S. Ware Quartet - Flight of I (DIW, DIW-856, 1992, Japan, cd, discogs.com)

November 13, 2025
It did not take long for Melite to get the gist of their plan, for Obodas handled her gruffly, twisting her arm until she yelped in pain. At the call of distress from Auntie Ibis, Theopompos whirled about in the water. He had felt her departure but she often dove from his back for a swim. With remarkable alacrity, he swam to the bank, all the while bellowing a barrage of furious honks and roars. The bird had been dragged into a muddy alley of identical tents. The behemoth flattened them all in his panicked search for her.

written while listening to:  ŌTONN - Two Crumbling Shapes (esc.rec., 83, 2021, The Netherlands, cassette, discogs.com)

November 14, 2025
The soldiers scattered over earthen ramparts, taking shelter wherever they could. The officers crouched behind a pile of stone blocks, while their men found less robust defense behind wooden walls and in narrow, muddy trenches. The wall was the first to fall to the behemoth's charge, crushing the man behind it. Eventually, the general was satisfied with the experiment and barked the order to release the keeper. From behind a pillar, she raced into view. Throwing her arms around Theopompos, Melite soothed his rage with calming words. He felt a surge of relief and pride to have rescued the ibis.

written while listening to:  Berlinde Deman - Plank 9 (Relative Pitch Records, RPRSS049, 2025, United States, cd, discogs.com)

November 15, 2025
King Hazael was impatient for a report of progress, so this single demonstration of destruction sufficed to convince him that the beast was ready for deployment in the field. Standing before their imperious liege, neither Ben-Yassib nor his uncle made a case for further drills. Word spread among the soldiers of the amphibious unit that they would not return to the training grounds on the morrow. They welcomed the news since already one of their number had perished beneath the weight of the behemoth. Assuredly, the troops harbored little fondness for their brute comrade-in-arms.

written while listening to:  Steve Coleman and Five Elements - Live at the Village Vanguard Vol. I, disc 2 (Pi Recordings, PI76, 2018, United States, cdx2, discogs.com)

November 16, 2025
Melite was paid a visit by a blacksmith and his apprentice, garbed in leather aprons. The pair surveyed the behemoth from a distance, never venturing more than a step or two from the exit to the pen. They held their hands at arm's length, spacing them to size the beast by sight. Their scrutiny was such that Melite suspected an ulterior scheme beyond curiosity at work. They conversed in an analytical tone as if discussing fine details. Certainly the keeper was surprised when she next became the subject of the same precise inspection and dialogue.

written while listening to:  Yes Selma - Mazes of the 13^th Moon (Ramble Records, RAM-133, 2023, Australia, digital files, discogs.com)

November 17, 2025
Within a matter of days, the blacksmith and his young apprentice returned to the pen, leading ten soldiers, eight of whom carried heavy pieces of cast bronze beaten into curved plates corresponding to the anatomy of the behemoth. The last two men bore between them a thick leather coat to be spread over the back and head of the beast to which the metal armor would be attached. The pieces were arranged on the ground in an unmistakable pattern—the head piece above the neck, then the right and left panels for the chest, flanks and hindquarters.

written while listening to:  Archie Shepp - Down Home New York (Soul Note, SN 1102, 1984, Italy, lp, discogs.com)

November 18, 2025
With a gesture they bade Melite place the barding on the behemoth. She glanced at Theopompos who snorted derisively. Every piece proved too heavy for her to lift, even the leather blanket. None present dared risk their life in the task, so a scullery maid was summoned to assist Melite. The two women managed to drape the coat over the beast, who tolerated their efforts. One by one, they hung six pieces of body armor upon him. Last they placed the neck and head piece. Melite stepped back to find a silly child in a costume, pretending to be a soldier.

written while listening to:  Chet Baker - It Could Happen To You (Riverside Records, RLP 1120, 1958, United States, lp, discogs.com)

November 19, 2025
The blacksmith ordered the beast undressed and the armor returned to his workshop for minor adjustments and decorative embellishments. Melite was left alone with the behemoth and the maid, who, wanting no part of any solidarity with the foreign captive, quickly left. The keeper led her charge down the ramp into the canal. There she washed the indignity of the armor from his gray skin. Even as her hands rubbed his flesh, she whispered thoughts shared by many conscripts, "Oh Theopompos, my dear friend, I am afraid we are going to war."

written while listening to:  Hank Mobley - Another Workout (Blue Note, BST 84431, 1985 (rec. 1961), United States, lp, discogs.com)

November 20, 2025
Hazael conferred with his generals on the upcoming offensive. Against the southwest border, Jehoash ruled the Kingdom of Israel and, like Hazael, oppressed the poor. The stability of his reign was weakened by the voice of unruly prophets, offended by his worship of golden calves. "We shall sack Samaria," said Hazael, "and take the idols for ourselves. What people we leave alive will hail us as heroes for restoring the worship of their penurious god to them." This quip engendered a chorus of sycophantic laughter for all knew of their king's love of gold.

written while listening to:  John Zorn's Cobra - Live At The Knitting Factory (Knitting Factory Works, KFW 124, 1995, United States, cd, discogs.com)

November 21, 2025
The city would farewell the army with a parade. Hazael, of course, would be at the head, immediately followed by the behemoth then officers and infantry. Another ramp was made from the street, allowing the beast to leave the pen via the channel. The blacksmith returned with the retinue of soldiers bearing the finished armor. The exterior surface of each piece was now engraved with arabesques. Into the fine grooves, silver had been poured resulting in elaborate filigree. Clad in such finery, the majesty of the behemoth was magnified to a royal degree.

written while listening to:  Rob Mazurek & Exploding Star Orchestra featuring Roscoe Mitchell - Matter Anti-Matter, disc 1 (RogueArt, ROG-0051, 2013, France, cdx2, discogs.com)

November 22, 2025
To her dismay, matching armor had been crafted for the keeper. She was ordered to don it for the parade. The outfit consisted of a cuirass that hung from her shoulders to her midriff, two curved plates strapped to her thighs and a helmet shaped like a teardrop. All pieces were bronze and lined in silver. She kept the bracelets of Minos at her wrists. She tried to resist entering the channel wearing this armor, for it was so heavy that should she slip from the back of the behemoth, she would surely drown. No sympathy did her protestations elicit.

written while listening to:  Jim O'Rourke - Bad Timing (Drag City, dc120, 1997, United States, lp, discogs.com)

November 23, 2025
Theopompos bore the weight of his armor stoically, entering the water without hesitation. Melite clung tightly to the coat on his back. The behemoth swam to the exit and joined King Hazael, mounted on a stallion in the street. The blast of horns unnerved him but the presence of Auntie Ibis on his back reassured him, for she had always been his protector. The crowd marveled at the grandeur of the woman warrior upon the beast. Surely no army could stand against this merciless slayer of men. The cheering throng escorted the army to the city gates.

written while listening to:  Charlie Parker - Bird's Eyes: Last Unissued, Vol. 8 (Philology, W 80.2, 1994 (orig. 1944, 1945, 1947, 1951, 1952 & 1954), Italy, cd, discogs.com)

November 24, 2025
Neither in her wildest dreams nor darkest nightmares had Melite imagined that she should be the object of such misdirected and unwanted adulation. She felt the uneasiness of her friend beneath her and knew that he felt the same way. Because she had watched Theopompos all his life, she also knew that he had never committed any vile deed worthy of such bizarre punishment. Therefore, the ire of the gods must be directed at her. Why they remained unsatisfied with the doom of her selection in the lottery was a mystery beyond her ability to unravel.

written while listening to:  Duke Ellington & John Coltrane - untitled (Impulse!, AS-30, 1963, United States, lp, discogs.com)

November 25, 2025
Once on the road, Hazael grumbled at the slow pace of the beast and soon ordered the armor removed. Gratefully, Melite was also allowed to place her armor in a cart. As she rode atop the behemoth, the regimented march of the army provided a poor accompaniment to their journey. She tried not to think of Djedi-Khnet, for his absence only made her isolation worse. She leaned forward and lay her head against Theopompos' neck until an officer barked angrily at her. She was made to understand that soldiers were expected to sit up straight in the saddle.

written while listening to:  Marc Ribot's Ceramic Dog - Party Intellectuals (Pi Recordings, PI27, 2008, United States, cd, discogs.com)

November 26, 2025
The army traveled southwest. Having heard from the Egyptian of the beast's propensity to halt at water, Hazael avoided rivers and lakes. When the first day's march ended at a farm, the beast outraged the farmer by settling in a small pond intended for livestock. Without the adornment of her armor, Melite lost her luster. The soldiers had no difficulty expressing their resentment at the ill omen of a woman in the ranks, despite the absence of a common language. So intense was their antipathy that she dared not venture into their midst to collect dinner.

written while listening to:  Ground Zero - Conflagration (Creativeman Disc., CMDD-00047, 1997, Japan, cd, discogs.com)

November 27, 2025
At the close of the second day, they reached the Yarden River, marking the border with Israel. The behemoth immediately descended the grassy banks to hide himself in the shallow water. Because no plans were shared with her, Melite lived without any timetable or knowledge of the future for Theopompos and, by extension, herself. Hay and gourds were unloaded for the beast. Melite lay beside them as her friend came ashore briefly to devour his dinner. When finished, he leaned over the reclining ibis, his breath redolent with digesting vegetation.

written while listening to:  The Gate - Island Virus (Tubapede Records, #05, 2016, United States, cd, discogs.com)

November 28, 2025
At the Yarden River, the army split into two unequal parts, with the goal of approaching Samaria on two fronts. The larger group followed the king across the river to continue on land. Soon, the clamor of their passing faded from hearing and the dust from their heels was lost to sight. The amphibious unit, led by Ben-Yassib, followed the Yarden due south. Their supply train remained on the east bank in Aram-Damascus, while most of the men marched on the west, claimed by Israel. Only two members of the army chose to travel by water.

written while listening to:  Pauline Hogstrand - Chants (Solen, SOL1, 2025, Denmark, cd, discogs.com)

November 29, 2025
The slow-flowing Yarden had carved a serpentine route into the land. Small prominences of rock caused the river to take sharp, circular detours to the right then, at the next obstacle, to trace tight arcs to the left. Melite and Theopompos followed the meandering path as it wound its way down an imperceptible slope. The men on both sides took straight routes that ignored these contours. Thus, the behemoth and his keeper alternated visits between Rabbas, Obodas and the fighting men on one side and, a few minutes later, the supporting train on the other.

written while listening to:  Anne-Françoise Jacques & Tim Olive - Bistre (tsss tapes, tst 008, 2020, Italy, cassette, discogs.com)

November 30, 2025
In this dry land, the river provided a vital resource to local residents, who daily gathered water in buckets. The king's vision of the invisible stealth of his amphibious unit proved somewhat exaggerated, for peasants on both sides of the river saw the approaching men, even if they did not detect the silhouette of a beast low in the water. As soon as they recognized the group as soldiers, all civilians—Israelites and Arameans alike—retreated from the water, giving a wide berth to the passing troops, who had a well-earned reputation for indiscriminate violence.

written while listening to:  Cocteau Twins - Milk and Kisses (Fontana, 514 501-1, 1996, United Kingdom, lp, discogs.com)