Horsey Teeth

In “Deadly Confrontation,” June’s story in the December 2025 issue of Black Sheep: Unique Tales of Terror and Wonder, Katerina, beloved by everyone, is brutally murdered in her perfumery. Miriam’s only clue comes from the victim’s best friend, Delia:

“I heard something. Someone downstairs in her shop. A thud of heavy boots. I didn’t know whether to hide under her bed or tear down the back stairs. When the pounding stopped, I ran to the window, but the crowd had already swallowed him up. And now I’m terrified he’ll come back for me.”

“Who, Delia? Who are you afraid of?”

She folded her arms across her chest while a shudder rolled through her. In a constricted voice, she said, “Fadil” as beads of sweat pearled above her upper lip. “Listen, if you want, I can point him out to you—but from a distance. He’s a roustabout. Egyptian with horsey teeth. Eats in The Lizard’s Tail.”

Horses, ponies, and donkeys are herbivores with specialized teeth to enable them to process forage efficiently throughout their lives. Like us, horses get two sets of teeth: baby (deciduous) teeth and permanent teeth. Likewise, their teeth have various shapes to perform various functions. Some of their teeth, however, continue to erupt as the surface is worn through grazing.

So, Fadil didn’t really have a horse’s teeth, but his were prominent enough for Miriam to recognize him in The Lizard’s Tail. To find out more, just click here.