Stomme

She is called Stomme (Mute) because her tongue was cut out long ago. She wants to be near strong powerful men. The most powerful men are holy men, or demons, or devils. One of them is a raging halfbreed, plundering, murdering and seeking revenge for the death of his mother long ago. He is also searching for his sister Marie whom he was forced to leave behind when she was a baby. Stomme joins his forces and she tricks herself inside the barricaded community this Marie lives in with her stepparents. She opens the gates at the right time, the town is raided and almost destroyed and Stomme takes Marie away. She delivers the woman, a half devil herself, to the man she works for. But then the stepbrother of their prisoner comes bashing in and kills the devil, her leader. Stomme is without employment now but she remembers a secret document of indescribable value. She knows where it is and she hides it.
Stomme then goes to the natural father of both Marie and her former employer. And she bargains and trades the hiding place of the manuscript and the capturing of Marie, two things Kzyl-Orda wants desperately, for the one thing she herself wants desperately, her voice and speech. Kzyl-Orda agrees. And for a while Stomme isn't mute anymore but can talk and sing. But not for long. She did held her part of the bargain though. She delivers both the manuscript and Marie to the devil. But the manuscript turns out to be a forgery, a bad copy. Stomme couldn't have known this, but a devil is a devil and Kzyl-Orda took away her voice as fast as he had given it to her earlier.

Series Les Larmes du démon, © Clair de Lune, 2001
Dutch edition De Tranen van de Duivel, © Uitgeverij Farao-Talent 2002
Artwork taken from volume 1, Marie and volume 2, De Rooie (La roussotte)

Artwork, writing and coloring: Christophe Picaud

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