# S410: JAMESES By [Andrew Shanahan](https://paragraph.com/@shanahan) · 2023-04-20 --- The seventh instance of James appeared to the right of the third instance and blocked the creatures lunge. The eighth appeared at the gates and held what looked like the amulet and the scarab covering the dagger. The first four James had by this point circled behind the monster and with one at each claw they pulled with all their might and managed to expose the beast’s tender belly. The eighth James pulled back his arm and flung the amulet to the original James, who ducked his head slightly and dextrously managed to loop the amulet’s necklace over his head. His hand came up as the dagger arrived and he caught it and unsheathed it in one swoop. Aware of the strain of the rest of his selves, he smoothly drove the dagger into the centre of the foul creature’s heart. Or at least where he imagined the heart might be. The dagger was swallowed nearly to the hilt of the handle and James felt the connection between amulet and dagger as the magical force from the amulet kept the crablike animals own protective spells in check and allowed the prosaic blade to bleed the fucker out. It twitched like a jumpy leg and James watched the eyes on the end of the stalks blink and blink, until they became milky and still. Collectively, the Jameses fell onto their backsides and exhaled with relief. Something within the crab gave up and it emitted a jet of wind that flubbed with a musical trill. James Three started to laugh and soon they were all chuckling identically. Gradually, the multiple Jameses got to their feet and assessed their wounds and scratches. It appeared that James two was dead with a pincer wound to the neck that had bled voluminously, but otherwise they had escaped unscathed. James One looked around the various instances of himself. “Thanks guys, I couldn’t have done it without you. Without me. You know what I mean.” “No problem,” James Eight replied. “What’s next?” “Well, the crab king is dead, I’m going to carry on with the quest,” James One said flatly. “Oh, ok.” “Was that not what you were thinking? Sorry? I’m confused.” “No, no, it’s ok,” James Four replied, seemingly speaking for all of the newly-summoned James’ “We – well I – just thought that we might get involved?” “Oh right, I see,” James One said. “No, that’s not how I’d seen this. I don’t know though - I’m new to summoning. Is that not normal?” \*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\* S410 stands for Starter for 10 and it’s a daily live-writing meditation that I do in 10 minutes. Each piece I write teaches me something. Sometimes what it teaches me is that I suck. Other times it opens up an entire universe. Each S410 is a 1/1 original. Owners of S410 pieces will have access to a range of benefits, from story airdrops, special performances and even the opportunity to be killed in my longer fiction works. --- *Originally published on [Andrew Shanahan](https://paragraph.com/@shanahan/s410-jameses)*