The Poison Pie Publishing House presents:

October 1, 2025
To his dismay, Djedi-Khnet observed that Hazael coveted the behemoth. For the rest of the morning, the king spoke of nothing else, using grandiose terms like "gargantuan" and "divine". Several times he noted that the beast (inaccurately in the case of Theopompos) was native to Egypt, the Land of Kings. In an attempt to dampen his enthusiasm, Djedi-Khnet recounted the story, told him by Melite, of her failed execution by a behemoth in the arena of Lato. "Their disposition is unpredictable." He added other disparaging remarks regarding their smell and upkeep, which he was glad that Melite was not around to hear.

written while listening to:  Rafael Schilt Quartet - A Sound (Wide Ear Records, WER017, 2015, Switzerland, cd, discogs.com)

October 2, 2025
"Because you were raised in Egypt," said King Hazael to Djedi-Khnet when the two of them were seated again in the royal court, "you take the beast's magnificence for granted." Djedi-Khnet bowed deferentially before speaking. "My lord, forgive my impertinence" he replied. "In Egypt, a single wayward behemoth, having wandered upriver, can decimate an entire field in a single night. They are a pestilence. Aram-Damascus is blessed not to count them among its aggressors." Hazael did not welcome the insinuation that he had more pressing issues on his borders. "Nonsense!" he barked.

written while listening to:  Guillaume Gargaud - Fendre les Flots (self-released, no catalog #, 2018, France, cd, discogs.com)

October 3, 2025
As Djedi-Khnet was plied with aged, black wine from the royal cellar, Melite was able to tread water for only so long before she returned to her perch upon the broad back of the behemoth. There she sat cross-legged, a secondary object of fascination before a crowd, continually replenished by those seeking to catch a glimpse of the unlikely visitors. Word of the devoured cucumber spread and soon a veritable salad was thrown piece by piece into the canal. Theopompos dutifully ate everything placed before him, prompting Melite to mutter, "I'm never going to get you out of here, am I?"

written while listening to:  Urs Leimgruber & Magda Mayas - Air Vol. 2, disc 2 (Creative Works Records, CD CW1076, 2024, Switzerland, cdx3, discogs.com)

October 4, 2025
King Hazael casually inquired as to how many days the Minoan caravan had traveled from the coast to Damascus. "Three days," replied the Egyptian, "the beast stopped at each ford and wouldn't leave the river until the following morning." Hazael's expression changed to one of a man forced to share bad news with a friend. "I must confide to you that your prospects of delivering the behemoth to Babylon alive are very poor. You must cross a vast land of scorched rock, scattered over leagues of ground stone, polished by unforgiving winds."

written while listening to:  Company - Once (Incus Records, CD04, 1989, United Kingdom, cd, discogs.com)

October 5, 2025
"Under the best conditions," said King Hazael, "a train of camels can make the trek in thirty days, then only if the caravan-master enforces the strictest urgency. Usually, the trip is half as long again. Wayward dust storms can stretch it out to two months." The ruler waited as Djedi-Khnet's guide translated his cautionary words. "You will find no river," continued the king, "in which your behemoth may wallow. None but the most skilled guides know the established routes between wells, oases and emergency waypoints required to navigate the treacherous terrain."

written while listening to:  Keiji Haino & Guro Moe - Drums & Octobass, disc 1 (Conrad Sound, CnRd334CD, 2023, Norway, cdx2, discogs.com)

October 6, 2025
Djedi-Khnet explained again that King Minos had sent him on a mission to deliver the behemoth to Babylon in order to nurture a favorable trade pact. Hazael nodded in agreement. "Certainly, you must fulfill the charge that Minos has given you. However, he did not select an ordinary soldier or a narrow-minded businessman to lead this venture. Rather he bestowed the duty upon a scholar, because he anticipated that there was much he did not know in the East and would have need of a mind able to make reasoned adjustments on the fly."

written while listening to:  Urs Leimgruber & Joëlle Léandre - Air Vol. 2, disc 1 (Creative Works Records, CD CW1076, 2024, Switzerland, cdx3, discogs.com)

October 7, 2025
The destination of the king's argument was clear to Djedi-Khnet but he did not lend him any aid in reaching it. Hazael continued at his own pace, describing how a robust treaty with Babylon could only be sustained by a similarly strong alliance with the powers through which the goods would travel. His meaning could not be mistaken. The king waited for the Minoan ambassador to offer the behemoth of his own accord, and he would graciously accept. What gave the Egyptian pause was a mental image of Melite, floating in the canal beside the beast.

written while listening to:  Susan Alcorn, Norman Adams & Tim Crofts - Live May 6, 2017 (suddenlyLISTEN Music, no catalog #, 2019, Canada, digital files, discogs.com)

October 8, 2025
King Hazael yet persisted in his attempt to gain possession of the behemoth. He claimed to know the ruler of Babylon, Ninurta-apla-X, who was a vassal-lord, subservient to the Assyrian Empire. "His hold on the throne is weak. His descendants will not follow in his line. Any deal you strike with him will be short-lived. You need an intermediary in a position of strength, who can manage affairs regardless of the figurehead upon the throne in Babylon." Hazael spoke as if the stability of his own reign and the inevitability of his dynasty was beyond doubt.

written while listening to:  Ivo Perelman & Tyshawn Sorey - Parallel Aesthetics, disc 1 (Fundacja Słuchaj!, FSR 01|2025, 2025, Poland, cdx2, discogs.com)

October 9, 2025
Djedi-Khnet was dismissed from the company of King Hazael without ceding control of the behemoth but with an invitation to return on the following morn for breakfast, when their conversation would resume. He briskly wove through the throng gathered along the canal and from the bank ordered Melite to return to camp. Sensing the severity in his tone, she began to swim downriver. After a pause, in which he allowed for the possibility of one more vegetable offering being cast into the canal, Theopompos disappointedly followed.

written while listening to:  Joe McPhee & Tomeka Reid - Let Our Rejoicing Rise (Corbett vs. Dempsey, CvsDLP008, 2022, United States, lp, discogs.com)

October 10, 2025
At camp, Djedi-Khnet could not face Melite, for there seemed no alternative but to surrender the behemoth to Hazael. To make matters worse, many of the king's arguments were valid. A good relationship with Aram-Damascus was essential to allow Babylonian goods to reach the coast. Besides, Minos had ordered him to unload the beast on a royal buffoon. Certainly Hazael fit the description. He stood in camp and stared at the Athenian woman, picking parasites from the rolls of flesh on the beast's neck. When she looked up, her gaze met his. He turned away, resolving to find another solution to this conundrum.

written while listening to:  John Butcher + 13 - Fluid Fixations (Weight of Wax, WoW 06, 2024, United Kingdom, cd, discogs.com)

October 11, 2025
On the next morning, Djedi-Khnet's reticence to voluntarily bow to the king's unspoken wishes was met with a show of annoyance. Hazael repeated his arguments from the day before then irritably barked at the servants that the perfectly good wine they had brought was soured. A second cup with new wine was dashed to the floor in disgust. The king then resorted to threats, noting that it was unlikely for the Minoan caravan to reach Babylon without his aid. "My Lord," said Djedi-Khnet, "allow me return to camp to ponder the wisdom in your words."

written while listening to:  Wadada Leo Smith & Bill Laswell - Sacred Ceremonies, disc 2 (TUM Records, TUM BOX 003, 2021, Finland, cdx3, discogs.com)

October 12, 2025
Melite sensed the tension in the Egyptian as he bade her leave the river. Patting Theopompos, she promised to return momentarily. The wet fabric of her chiton clung to her body and she shivered in the cool autumn breeze. Djedi-Khnet retrieved her cloak and wrapped it around her. "The king of Aram-Damascus demands that I surrender the behemoth," he said without attempt at subterfuge. It took a moment for Melite to absorb the impact of his words. Her reaction was stoic but not surprising. The twisting of her fate had never lain within her control.

written while listening to:  Evan Parker - The Heraclitean Two-Step, etc., disc 4 (False Walls, fw16, 2024, United Kingdom, cdx4, discogs.com)

October 13, 2025
"It's a nice river," she said, "What is it called?" "The Barada," answered Djedi-Khnet. "It's deeper than the stream in the arena, I think he prefers it," said Melite. The Egyptian supposed that she attempted to find the silver lining in her predicament. What he did not fully grasp is that by sharing these words Melite forgave him for abandoning her. She did not want him to feel guilty for the outcome of matters that fell beyond his authority. Her selfless resignation disturbed the scholar much more than the temperamental outburst that he had feared.

written while listening to:  Alexandra Grimal & Giovanni Di Domenico - Shakkei (Relative Pitch Records, RPR1216, 2025, United States, cd, discogs.com)

October 14, 2025
"As we travel to Babylon," said Djedi-Khnet, "you will have some time to decide what you want to do next. You need not return to Crete." Melite shared a wan smile. "My friend," she said softly, "You know that I must stay with the behemoth." "But why?" he asked. A hundred reasons sprang to mind but only one she voiced, "I made a solemn vow to his mother." The scholar did not understand the maiden from the labyrinth. His feelings were hurt that she chose the company of a monster over him! As was her wont, she begged his pardon.

written while listening to:  John Welsh - Remember Still (Relative Pitch Records, RPRSS046, 2025, United States, cd, discogs.com)

October 15, 2025
As night fell, Melite lay beneath a blanket on the bank of the Barada. Theopompos snored gently beside her. "Babylon or Damascus," she said to the sleeping beast, "what difference does it make to us?" They would be the property of another king. One of them, prized for his rarity, would be well taken care of, despite the expense. The other, a common trinket, would demonstrate her value by caring for her companion. If, losing interest, the new king discarded them, they would remain together. She hoped that neither of their mothers ever learned of their trials.

written while listening to:  Steve Coleman and Five Elements - Live at the Village Vanguard Vol. I, disc 1 (Pi Recordings, PI76, 2018, United States, cdx2, discogs.com)

October 16, 2025
The scholar slept poorly, his dreams disturbed by the anxiety he felt at the prospect of leaving Melite in the hands of one such as Hazael. Waking in his tent, Djedi-Khnet chided himself for handling the affair so poorly. There had to be a counter stratagem to the king's demand. He contemplated uprooting the caravan and leaving abruptly, without announcement, early in the morning. He could surely find a guide through the desert along the way. His main worry lay in the slow pace of the behemoth. Any pursuit from Damascus would invariably overtake them.

written while listening to:  Han-earl Park, Lara Jones & Pat Thomas - Juno 3 (Ramble Records, RAM-163CD, 2023, Australia, cd, discogs.com)

October 17, 2025
Hazael had at his command many soldiers. Among this multitude, he summoned a pair renowned for their skill at swimming. He gave them their orders then sent them from the city, each bearing a large sack slung over their shoulder. They traveled a short distance south until they spied the Minoan camp. Before encountering the guard, the men left the road. They disrobed to their loincloths and slipped into the river. The contents of their bulky sacks drifted on the water like flotsam as the pair of swimmers surreptitiously glided downstream.

written while listening to:  Oliver Lake Quintet - Dedicated to Dolphy (Black Saint, 120 144-2, 1996, Italy, cd, discogs.com)

October 18, 2025
It was not unusual for Theopompos to stir during the night, leaving Melite's side for the comfortable buoyancy of the river. His kind boasted the uncanny ability to sleep underwater. Their bodies possessed an innate reflex, which prompted them, even while unconscious, to bob to the surface for the occasional breath. She heard the water lap against him as he entered the river and thought nothing more of it. She was inclined to let him enjoy his freedom in the moment since she did not know what constraints the future would bring.

written while listening to:  Chet Baker - Live, I Remember You (Circle Records, RK 23581/28, 1984, Germany, lp, discogs.com)