For He Can Creep: A Tor.com Original

By Siobhan Carroll

A LOCUS AWARD FINALIST FOR BEST NOVELETTE

A Tor.com original, Siobhan Carroll's For He Can Creep is a dark fantasy story of poetry, devilry, and cats in a battle of good vs. evil for the fate of humanity.

Nineteenth century poet Christopher Smart has been committed to St. Luke's Hospital for Lunatics believing God has commissioned him to write The Divine Poem. But years earlier, he made a bargain with Satan and the devil has come to collect his due--a poem that will bring about the apocalypse.

Saving Smart's soul, and the rest of the world, falls to Jeoffry, the poet's demon-fighting cat and a creature of cunning Satan would be a fool to underestimate...

At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Macmillan Publishers
• Release date: Jul 10, 2019
• ISBN: 9781250237569

Siobhan Carroll

Siobhan Carroll is an Associate Professor of English at the University of Delaware, where she specializes in British literature from 1750-1850 and in modern science fiction and fantasy. Readers can find other fiction by Siobhan in Beneath Ceaseless Skies, Ellen Datlow’s The Best of the Best Horror of the Year anthology, and indexed on her website.

Book preview

Flash and fire! Bristle and spit! The great Jeoffry ascends the madhouse stairs, his orange fur on end, his yellow eyes narrowed!

On the third floor the imps cease their gamboling. Is this the time they stay and fight? One imp, bolder than the others, flattens himself against the flagstones. He swells himself with nightmares, growing huge. His teeth shine like the sword of an executioner, and his eyes are the colors of spilled whale oil before a match is struck. In their cells, the filthy inmates shrink away from his immensity, wailing.

But Jeoffry does not shrink. He rushes up the last few stairs like the Deluge of God, and his claws are sharp! The imps run screaming, flitting into folds of space only angels and devils can penetrate.

In the hallway, Jeoffry cleans the smoking blood off his claws. Some of the humans whisper their thanks to him; some even dare to stroke his fur through the bars. Sometimes Jeoffry accepts this praise and sometimes he is bored by it. Today, annoyed by the imps’ vain show of defiance, he leaves his scent on every door. This cell is his, and this one. The whole asylum is his, and let no demon forget it! For he is the Cat Jeoffry, and no demon can stand against him.

---

On the second floor, above the garden, the poet is trying to write. He has no paper, and no pens—such things are forbidden, after his last episode—and so he scratches out some words in blood on the brick wall. Silly man. Jeoffry meows at him. It is time to pay attention to

Reviews for For He Can Creep

[liscarey · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Eighteenth century English poet Christopher Smart has been confined to St. Luke's Hospital for Lunatics due to "religious mania," i.e., he believes God has commissioned him to write the Divine Poem. Confined to his cell, but equipped with paper, pen, and ink, Smart is working on his Divine Poem, or trying to. He is supported by his cat, Jeoffry, who does not see the point of this poetry stuff, but is devoted to his human.Jeoffry has the advantage of being able to come and go.Jeoffry also has the ability to see, and fight with, the demons that haunt the asylum. He can easily chase off the demons and imps that normally haunt the asylum. Satan, though, is a greater challenge.Years ago, long before his commission from God, Christopher Smart had made a bargain with Satan that seemed unimportant at the time. Satan did him some favors, and in return, Smart promised him a poem, also.Satan has arrived to demand that Smart finally write and deliver his poem.Jeoffry, champion of the streets and torment of demons and imps, has a new challenge. It starts with resisting Satan's blandishments. But even if he can, he'll still need to fight, and defeat, Satan.How can one cat do that? Jeoffry is as arrogant and independent as any good street cat should be. He's also clever, and tricky, and has friends as clever and tricky as he is.I really liked Jeoffry and his friends. Satan is properly impressive, and Christopher Smart properly values his loyal friend, Jeoffry.Recommended.I received this story as part of the Hugo Voters packet, and am reviewing it voluntarily.

[lavaturtle · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

This wasn't really my thing, possibly because I'm not familiar with the real-life poet/poetry being referenced. Nighthunter Moppet is pretty great, though.

[zoes_human · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A speculative fiction short in which Jeoffrey the Cat battles the Devil for that which is rightfully his—his human's soul. Cat lovers are certain to adore this tale.