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1 " The mountains she’d viewed in childhood as nurturing have now taken on a menacing quality. Their stippled surfaces—the dark of trees rising from a background of white—give the impression of something more mythic than geological. Leviathans hibernating in the open, ready to stir at any moment and swallow her whole. "
― Hank Quense , The King Who Disappeared
2 " Toward the back of the small property, Twentymile Creek flows through a ravine two to three feet deep and three times as wide. The waters of the creek, high and vigorous from recent rains, purl noisily around stones bearded with green moss and swatched with lichen. There she finds the body, stretched across the frothing stream. "
3 " He sits up, grasps his carbine, and sneaks quietly from the tent. Outside the wind flows briskly through the trees, the shushing sound it makes like an admonition to them all. "
4 " The same moment the hiker comes upon them, rounding the bend in the trail, Harlan knows the man will die. He takes no pleasure in the thought. So far as Harlan is aware, he has never met the man and has no quarrel with him. This stranger is simply an unexpected contingency. A loose thread that, once noticed, requires snipping. "
5 " He tips his cap forward over his face and inhales deeply of the moist air. It seems to Harlan that he can smell the whole of these mountains’ lives in that single breath. The gentle notes of wild herbs and grasses, of seedlings introducing themselves to the world. Also the thick and bittersweet must of leaf litter, felled trees, and decaying animals returning to the soil. "
6 " Finally, the sound fades and doesn’t return. Tsula sits alone in the quiet and the dark, shivering with such force that she fears her teeth might crack. "
7 " Tsula and Abbott spy the cabin in a clearing beyond the trees. It appears almost spectral through the gossamer mist—at first, just a hint of a shape. A blocky shadow rising from the ground. "
8 " Religion played a part in many people’s lives and the largest sect was Snotism. Snotists worshiped Gundar, the god who created the universe with a might sneeze after snorting His favorite recreational drug. Spittle flew through empty space and solidified into suns, planets and comets. "
9 " I am Bishop Connors of the Snotish Church. Where is the President?”“W . . . hat do you want to see him about?”“I don’t discuss church business with minions. Are you dead?”“I . . . ‘ve been dead for a long time.”“The Snotist Church has vowed to destroy abominations like you.”“Th . . . ank you for sharing that. "
10 " Sitting at his desk Remy filled out two forms and then played a few games of Tic-Tac-Toe against himself. Playing the “X’s”, he lost a seven game tournament four games to one. "
11 " Tell us, my dear,” Ansgar said. “What year is it?”“It’s 1536.”“That means . . . we were sealed up for 211 years,” Ansgar replied.“No wonder I need a beer,” Luc said. “That’s a long time to go without a drink. "
12 " The Troll Patrol was an institution unique to Dun Hythe. Long ago, the city leaders had recognized the need to control and direct the heavy wagon traffic that flowed to and from the port area. They organized a patrol of citizens for this purpose and all went well for a while. No one knows who allowed the first troll to join up, but word immediately spread throughout the troll community that one of their number had a paying job with unlimited donuts. Soon after that, every opening in the patrol attracted dozens of trolls who brazenly persuaded non-trolls to withdraw their applications. Within a few years, trolls had taken over the organization.Trolls proved to be particularly inept at traffic control. A member of the Troll Patrol could station himself in the middle of a deserted intersection and, within minutes, he would create a traffic-snarling mess. To keep the enraged wagon drivers under control, the trolls relied upon truncheons. A whack or two in the head always knocked a driver groggy and made him a lot less noisy. "
13 " Remy took a chair across from Jerado. A chess board and pieces sat in between them.“Are you sure you remember the moves?” Jerado looked forward to recouping his card game losses.“Y ..es. I . . . I practiced the moves in my office. I . . . I also read a scroll on playing the game.”“Then you won’t object to betting on the outcome of the game?”“N . . . o. H . . . ow much?”“Let’s bet a modest sum. Say, twenty-five silver?” Jerado pushed a stack of silver pennies into the middle.“A . . . ll right.” Remy pushed a similar stack forward.“I’’ll let you have the first move,” Jerado said.Remy moved a pawn forward to start the game.Five moves later, Remy said, “C . . . heckmate,” and scooped up the silver coins.Jerado sat stunned for a few moments. “Rematch.”After Remy won four more games — the last for seven gold pennies — Jerado said through clenched teeth, “That’s enough for tonight, Remy. I’m tired. "
14 " Kings and dukes tended to appoint wizards as their principal advisors, a practice that often proved catastrophically wrong. "
15 " Over time, it became apparent that no matter who ruled the country of Gundarland, the Godmother ruled the city of Dun Hythe. "
16 " Leticia believed in Snotism. Every morning she began the day with a prayer to the Great God, Gundar. Today was no different. While most of the heroes still slept, she recited the prayer, then took out a small vial and spilled a few grains of crushed pepper into her hand. Holding her palm under her nose, she snorted the pepper. A second later, she let go with an explosive sneeze. "
17 " Jerado heard a splash followed by the roar of an explosion. Bits of equipment, glass and wood splattered against the back of the chair. A large chunk of table whizzed past his head and smashed into the cave’s wall.Ears ringing, Jerado sighed and waited for what he knew would happen next.“M . . . master?”“Yes, Remy?”“C. . . Can you sew my hand back on my wrist?”“Remy, Remy, Remy. You know how I hate doing mundane chores.”“B . . . but I can’t clean up the mess with only one hand.”“That is true. All right, fetch a needle and thread and I’ll repair your hand.”“A . . . And I need a new tunic. This one is in tatter "
18 " The anti-aging spell he used every month kept him alive for the most part. Facially, he looked like a forty-five year old; physically, he was a wreck because the spell was defective. All his teeth had fallen out years ago and he now used a set of ill-fitting wooden dentures. He was bald and wore a cheap reddish-blonde wig that often slipped if he turned his head suddenly. It also had a tendency to take flight in a breeze. His knees were creaky and often ached, and his eyesight had deteriorated. "
19 " One day, Remy came across a proposal from Lithgow for a budget increase to re-equip an archer company with newly invented crossbows. Remy modified the requested budget amount by adding two zeroes to it and sent the proposal into Jerado for approval.The sounds of Jerado’s wooden dentures clattering across the desk was most satisfying to Remy. Soon after, Jerado sent Lithgow a strongly worded notice to leave the archers alone. "
20 " The bag also held an umbrella made of iron and cloth. In effect, the umbrella was a lightning rod. Whenever it rained, Remy’s job was to hold the umbrella over Jerado’s head. So far, Remy had been struck by lightning three times, while Jerado, protected by a spell, remained safe. "
