Cometh the Conqueror Worm

So, I made a start on Conqueror Worm today, the exclusive novella that will accompany my fourth Pax Britannia novel, Evolution Expects. It’s a little different from the other stories that have appeared in the back of the PB novels to date (Fruiting Bodies in Al Ewing’s wonderful El Sombra, Vanishing Point in Leviathan Rising and Christmas Past in Human Nature), so here’s something to give you some small idea of what it’s about.

John Lambton went a-fishing once, a-fishing in the Wear,
He caught a fish upon his hook he thought looked mighty queer,
Now what the kind of fish it was John Lambton couldn't tell,
But he didn't like the look of it, so he threw it down a well.

Now the worm got fat and growed, and growed an awful size,
With great big teeth and a great big mouth and great big goggle eyes,
And when at night it crawled about all looking for some booze,
If it fell dry upon the road, it milked a dozen cows.

This fearful worm would often feed on cows and lamb and sheep,
And swallow little babes alive when they lay down to sleep,
So John set out and got the beast and cut it into halves,
And that soon stopped it eating babes and sheep and lambs and calves.

So now you know how all the folks on both sides of the Wear,
Lost lots of sheep and lots of sleep and lived in mortal fear,
So drink the health of brave Sir John, who kept the babes from harm,
Saved cows and calves by making halves of that famous Lambton Worm!

(Traditional)