The gentle reader will recall how we left our heroes (perhaps anti-heroes is a more apt term) locked in a fight with some of Qar's most aggressive and enthusiastic troops. Yet the reader must suspect by now that his motivation was not solely, or even principally, to destroy the Father of all Evil and his retinue, as likeable as it is demonic; that ( Read more... )

Contrary to popular thinking, true omnipotence doesn't exist, no matter how many of our great characters would have you believe otherwise.

For any entity-no matter how exalted and powerful-it is true that any of its abilities will only have a staying power if this ability is constantly exercised. But any creature that faces a task will almost ( Read more... )

The reader will recollect that Sir Winter, our anti-hero's erstwhile guardian and steward, jointly with his love interest the anti-hero's mother (said love was unrequited yet did make for a bizarre bond), were locked in a strange no man's land in Hell's Deep, whence there seemed to be no escape. But as Hell collapsed upon encounter with Francis ( Read more... )

It seems it has been fifteen years since I last wrote here, or, in any case, posted here what I had written elsewhere. Fifteen years is a long time. But then again, it is really not much. A lot has changed; but then again, a lot hasn't. Time has a peculiar quality about it: look at the daily grind closely, and the rising dust will overwhelm your ( Read more... )

Things changed in the wake of the Wave. Things will change again.

( Fishes, in Russian )

In my life I have many times encountered a strange and special type of women, those whom I might venture to call dowsers, or wanderers with divining rods ( Read more... )

We nearly had a very nice dinner recently. Nearly, but not quite. Perhaps it is for the better that in the end I dined alone. These improvised social occasions always tend to end in artificial agreements to stay connected or, worse still, in forced revelations on personal topics. Neither of which ever does any good--mark that. And yet, and yet...

( Read more... )

I walked in the vicinity of the Strand today. More of sauntered, actually. The day was sunny, air crisp, and the people remarkably few. I like walking. It is the only way to remain alone in a socially inoffensive manner. Nothing apart from walking really gives one a feeling of comfortable seclusion. However, I should warn you against walking if you ( Read more... )

I was reflecting recently on what I wrote in this diary some weeks ago, and realized I had admitted a gross simplification. I am now writing in haste.

Indeed, I said magic was about all those different things one could be, all the different engagements. Now I think, certainly magic encompasses far too many things to be so tartly classified. My ( Read more... )

To be a remnant of the old world is, I expect, always difficult. But to be a remnant in such a silly way, when nobody knows that this old world existed, and thus there’s no one to appreciate your exclusivity, is doubly strange and unsavoury ( Read more... )