"The Castle Pilots" by Heathcroft
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Description
Digby left our earthly realm last August exactly a year ago, aged 15. For some months before he died, he would, at the same time on each evening, stare intently for 30 minutes or so at a spot on a wall in our house, beyond which lies our garden, the sea, and further away, about 2 miles across the bay, Gorey Castle, which has become the focus of these stories.
Whether you believe in an afterlife or not, it is strange that he looked in that exact direction so long and so regularly each night before he died.
So allow me to let the venerable Count Tyrannus tell you about Digby (he does it so much better than I ever could.)
"Ah - My Children, so you wish to know more about The Castle Pilots?
Here they are up close and personal and also in the new Hind Gunship which brought them to our rescue in the last post. Digby (of course) is on the left.
Things are now quiet, the slaves are sleeping, chained to their iron bunks for their own safety, and the warriors are off duty (somewhere recreational no doubt.) So I will, if I may, tell you more about The Castle Pilots.
Pilot Officer Digby (First Class, C.D.M. with bar) is our link to the World of Men. He brings Dr. Cannibal Spectre to the Castle each month at the time of the full moon, when I rise from my crypt and prepare for the monthly feast.
Digby had a fine career in the S.A.S. and was known as 'The Shadow' as he was never seen by the enemy before he struck. He travelled widely and secretively in the World of Men and excelled quietly in theatres of war such as Bosnia, Croatia, Iraq and Afghanistan, stopping off on leave to acquaint himself with the prettier lady spaniels in the various cities en route to his destinations.
Digby sired 4 litters (that he admits to, anyway) and has a total of 38 pups, many of who now are pilots in the Russian Air Force. You can see two of them in the picture.
Whilst in Russia, Digby made a commercial killing by finding a source of cheap perfume and exporting it in vodka bottles to the West, where its was repackaged in fancy bottles and flew off the shelves in its new branding of 'Moscow Nights'. The ingredients are a well kept secret, but I can vouch that before it was bottled it had to be diluted by a factor of 1000 before it could be sold to the Western market. One whiff of the powerful yellow 'essence' would made one's eyes water, and could induce hallucinations.
Having finished two tours with the Regiment, and by then a multi-millionaire, Digby went freelance, just to keep his paw in, and that is when my spies heard of his covert skills and contacted him in his villa in St. Moritz. He immediately agreed to be the link between our world and yours, and also agreed to visit us each month with our special visitor, the good Doctor Spectre.
It was on one of these visits that the dragons of Garnsea attacked us and Digby decided to obtain the Hind gunship and trade in the Castle Sikorski, which was a bit old and knackered (rather like me.)
And Barnaby? Well, Digby has a soft spot for his dopey son, and tries as best he can to accommodate the soppy spaniel. So, useless as Barnaby is as a navigator, when passing his Island home, Dad picks him up for the ride out to the Castle.
So there you have it My Children. Now to business: " Seaglemus, fetch me that haunch of peasant and a flagon of wine. I am ravenous!"
All comments welcome! Thanks for dropping by!
Dave
Previously....
"Digby And The Dragons"
Amazing Fantasies
Whether you believe in an afterlife or not, it is strange that he looked in that exact direction so long and so regularly each night before he died.
So allow me to let the venerable Count Tyrannus tell you about Digby (he does it so much better than I ever could.)
"Ah - My Children, so you wish to know more about The Castle Pilots?
Here they are up close and personal and also in the new Hind Gunship which brought them to our rescue in the last post. Digby (of course) is on the left.
Things are now quiet, the slaves are sleeping, chained to their iron bunks for their own safety, and the warriors are off duty (somewhere recreational no doubt.) So I will, if I may, tell you more about The Castle Pilots.
Pilot Officer Digby (First Class, C.D.M. with bar) is our link to the World of Men. He brings Dr. Cannibal Spectre to the Castle each month at the time of the full moon, when I rise from my crypt and prepare for the monthly feast.
Digby had a fine career in the S.A.S. and was known as 'The Shadow' as he was never seen by the enemy before he struck. He travelled widely and secretively in the World of Men and excelled quietly in theatres of war such as Bosnia, Croatia, Iraq and Afghanistan, stopping off on leave to acquaint himself with the prettier lady spaniels in the various cities en route to his destinations.
Digby sired 4 litters (that he admits to, anyway) and has a total of 38 pups, many of who now are pilots in the Russian Air Force. You can see two of them in the picture.
Whilst in Russia, Digby made a commercial killing by finding a source of cheap perfume and exporting it in vodka bottles to the West, where its was repackaged in fancy bottles and flew off the shelves in its new branding of 'Moscow Nights'. The ingredients are a well kept secret, but I can vouch that before it was bottled it had to be diluted by a factor of 1000 before it could be sold to the Western market. One whiff of the powerful yellow 'essence' would made one's eyes water, and could induce hallucinations.
Having finished two tours with the Regiment, and by then a multi-millionaire, Digby went freelance, just to keep his paw in, and that is when my spies heard of his covert skills and contacted him in his villa in St. Moritz. He immediately agreed to be the link between our world and yours, and also agreed to visit us each month with our special visitor, the good Doctor Spectre.
It was on one of these visits that the dragons of Garnsea attacked us and Digby decided to obtain the Hind gunship and trade in the Castle Sikorski, which was a bit old and knackered (rather like me.)
And Barnaby? Well, Digby has a soft spot for his dopey son, and tries as best he can to accommodate the soppy spaniel. So, useless as Barnaby is as a navigator, when passing his Island home, Dad picks him up for the ride out to the Castle.
So there you have it My Children. Now to business: " Seaglemus, fetch me that haunch of peasant and a flagon of wine. I am ravenous!"
All comments welcome! Thanks for dropping by!
Dave
Previously....
"Digby And The Dragons"
Amazing Fantasies
Comments (94)
densa
wonderful dedication amazing art my friend
Rodma_Hu
Awesome photo composition - so very original, clever and humorous. "Dog will hunt!"
kasalin
Great idea and suberb work !!!! Well one !!!!!!!!!!!!
Jaml
Great image!!!!!!
delbeke
Digby is and I say 'is' instead of 'was' (he's just taken a different form) one spiffy dog. I love his name and wish I had known him. I am so sad to hear Digby has left his solid form and is now in an invisible mode, but as you already know, he is with you. I loved the story of Digby's adventures and I think I got some of that perfume as a gift once. It does take getting used to. Thank you for the humor. Digby will be remembered. :o)
jif3d
The Count tells a pretty mean tale, but the real story of Digby staring at the wall is really freaky ! Wild ride and story, very well done ! BTW, in my last Snow Pirate frame, Sarina was swinging from the cable !!! ~Cheers~
KarmaSong
Superb composition, I very much like your sense of humour and excellent skills in postworking. Well done, and excellent work!
flaviok
Magnifica história. Grande tributo a Digby. Obra fantástica, aplausos (5)
novelist
Superb creative image and a touching story. I love it. Dogs are so amazing, aren't they? Obviously we don't know the half of it. : )
kahun.hida
犬、かわいいですね、すばらしい！！！！！
kbobbitt
What a clever combination of elements - fun to study this one:-)
npauling
Very imaginative work and a great story. The dogs look quite at home as pilots.
cyberknight1133
The goggles and the helmet are priceless. Great job compositing.
nikita_s_cold
O, I feel so sad. Pets do pass on. We have one old cocker spaniel, but she's still got several more years left. Meika, our baby, is only a little less than three years old. She's a character! I know I someday she will be gone and that presently makes me sad just thinking about it because of your sorrow over Digby's absense. So I can feel for you. It's nice that you have immortalized (so to speak) Digby in your art so that you can keep him with you in thought. Very sweet. :)
Flint_Hawk
Amazing work & story!
Biffowitz
A wonderful dedi to such a fabulous companion. Fun images, and I'm sure he's still out there flying in the big blue yonder.
Mr-Fog
Wonderful, I give it 10 woofs.
Suncat1
This is so cute! I love it!
katy555
This is absolutely gorgeous! The composition…
Zazou
Fabulous !! Instant FAV !
byakuu
Pilots is cool and pretty. Nice idea!
sema_fox
Very nice pic!
Steff_7
Wicked comp and great narrative. I do believe in the after life and hope its real cause there's more than a few I wish to Haunt when I'm gone....LOL Excellent work...
whiskeysierra
mostly excellent, my friend ! Wolfgang
amota99517
Excellent!!!
Elcet
Stunning image and stunning story. My special congrats! 5 stars without hesitation.
Chipka
Superb work! A wonderful dedication and a gorgeous narrative. In short there is NOTHING in this image that's lacking. I particularly liked the "Russian Nights" reference...diluted 1000x eh? Good stuff! In a gallery full of outstanding works, this is outstanding, and touching in its way. Great!
Faemike55
Absolutely beautiful story and wonderful pictures! Extremely well done on both counts.
Minda
wonderful dedi to your digby stunning composition dave..excellent image
beachzz
After my lab, Pearl, died, I heard her at the door, listened to her bark, and more than once, went to let her in. I KNOW dogs live on afterwards. I love this image for many different reasons, not the least of which is now I know who's flyin that plane I'm on!!