The Magnum Opus

By Deina Furth

Creating the perfect companion is Rastigan's dream--maybe even his obsession. For years, he has tinkered and planned, pouring his heart into his work as intensely as he poured scotch into his glass. But every machine that he built fell short of his expectations. His work completely consumed his thoughts and time, leaving him a homebound hermit with nary a connection to the outside world. As the years pressed on, Rastigan seemed doomed to live out remainder of his life as a solitary eccentric who found companionship only with his favorite brand of booze.

Then he created Evangeline. She far surpasses anything he's ever built in terms of complexity, intelligence, and of course, beauty. She's his most lifelike invention to date, and to him, she is perfect in every way.

Until she begins to develop her own desires, that is--desires that leave Rastigan out of the picture, frustrated and unconnected yet again.

Has Rastigan finally found the companion he's yearned for, or has his obsession with building his magnum opus gone too far?

This dark steampunk story has a little something for everybody! Or at least something for those who relish twisted love stories, clockwork worlds, shifty characters, or who simply have a thing for Victorian oddities...

• Language: English
• Publisher: Deina Furth
• Release date: May 31, 2014
• ISBN: 9781311268686

Deina Furth

Deina Furth is an author who blends fantasy, science fiction, steampunk, and adventure to bring you multi-faceted stories set in unforgettable worlds.

Book preview

The Magnum Opus

A dark steampunk tale best enjoyed with a glass of scotch…

And scrambled eggs.

Deina Furth

The Magnum Opus Copyright © 2014 Deina Furth.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, organizations, places, events and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

For information, visit: http://deinafurth.com

Book and Cover design by London Burden and Alexis Swartz

Edited by John Rickards

First Edition: May 2014

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PROLOGUE

RASTIGAN

EVANGELINE

IMOGEN

THE OTHERS

EPILOGUE

ABOUT DEINA

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Prologue.

HOW ON EARTH did he create such an intricate contraption? the inspector asked, bending down to examine the clockwork heart through his goggles’ magnifying lenses. It was no bigger than his fist, its cogs and wheels still quietly whirring and whizzing like a child’s wind-up toy. It’s incredible, I’ll give you that, but what purpose does it serve?

I couldn’t tell you, the detective replied. She shifted her weight and crossed her arms, nodding her head toward the dead man whose hand still tightly clutched the heart. A crimson rivulet twisted through the kitchen and into the parlor, leading the detective to believe he had either crawled or been dragged to where he now slumped against the wall. But his method of arrival wasn’t what intrigued her; it was the grisly state of his torso.

His chest had been rent apart, and now oddly resembled a predator’s gaping maw, the ribs jutting out like teeth about to tear into the flesh of prey.

She shook her head, perplexed.

"But what about him? Who—or what—could have done this to him?"

Rastigan.

WITH A QUICK TWIST of his screwdriver, the engineer sealed the panel to his creation’s central circuitry. This was what he’d wanted—no, yearned for—for years.

He was the type of man who was married to his work, and the few romantic relationships he’d held in the past had floundered within only a few months, taking place largely behind the locked doors and drawn curtains of his century-old apartment. Now, wifeless and without children, the villagers seemed to behold him with pity, as though they were concerned that the eccentric hermit’s heart had already shrunk and withered away without a proper family to care for. It was all utter horse-feathers, in his opinion—he was perfectly content to spend his life with his

Reviews for The Magnum Opus

[R.W. Foster · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Furth's tale of Rastigan's life achievement kept me spellbound. The world was dark and Rastigan was even darker. An inventor left alone with his work for too long, he wasn't quite right.

And his crowning achievement? His lifelike doll?

She was a woman that anyone could love. Well, as long as you can get past the whirring and clanking, that is. Evangeline had wants and needs, and her desires were something we can all relate to. Rastigan was the inventor, but she was the star.

The length of this ebook is very short, but it leaves you thinking long past its completion. It also makes you wary of lifelike dolls. I look forward to more from Deina Furth.