Man of War – Excerpt No. 359

Marc had to admit that reading people was never one of his strengths. Anyone could figure out that someone was mad when they flew off the handle. However, it proved challenging when they teetered on the edge of insanity.

Still, there were clues, such as erratic movements, a predatory stare, clenched jaw and fists. One simply had to observe their breathing, perspiration, and heart rate.

The last three were key, because these were predominantly autonomous responses. Few were able to prevent the veins on their forehead from bulging. Hunters were amongst the few who could consciously control their autonomous functions, and that was why they were dangerous.

A dark, moody, and atmospheric photographic portrait of a raven-haired, olive-skinned Spanish courtesan, her eyes sunken, and her gaze distant, conveying a sense of madness, dressed in a lavish, heavy, velvety red dress with a tight corset, layers of lace, and intricate golden embroidery, set against a dimly lit, ornate, and richly textured stone wall, with flickering candlelight casting eerie shadows, transporting the viewer to 16th Century France, with lush, heavy drapery and tattered fabrics subtly hinting at the courtesan's fragile grip on reality, her full lips curled into a faint, enigmatic smile, and a single, delicate, pearl earring dangling from her left earlobe, as if suspended in a moment of quiet desperation.

Disclaimer: This excerpt from Man of War is currently in development. There may be typos, errors, omissions, inconsistencies and so forth.



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