GIVEN SOMETHING AS ESSENTIAL AND ubiquitous as fatberry-oil, it was perhaps unsurprising how little thought people gave to its source and acquisition. Anyone in need of stove- and/or lamp-fuel could obtain it for themselves with little effort by mashing the…
Category: Writing
My own serious stuff; the craft itself; those who inspire me in it; the art of reading.
Prosatio Silban and the Idol Cook
IT IS THE HARDEST THING in the world – any world – to escape a cage of one’s own making. And yet … Prosatio Silban strode through the swinging doors of Pelvhi’s Chopping-House and made straight for the long bar…
Prosatio Silban and the Sobering Desolation
(A sequel to the preceding story.) SOMETIMES, NOTHING CAN MAKE ONE feel younger than a good quest. “It is called the Wellspring of Lost Years,” said the Siddis with a characteristic smirk. “And one sip from its dancing waters will…
Prosatio Silban and the Sentinel’s Game
(First of two parts.) SKIRTING THE AZURE VOID IS not for the timid, and while Prosatio Silban did not possess that trait in great measure he did on occasion come close to experiencing it. “Easy, Onward,” he clucked to his…
Unfinished Business (Introduction to The Cook For Any Price Volume II: More Commonwell Tales)
(The first of so-far-more-than-twenty new stories for a planned sequel anthology, beginning thus …) PROSATIO SILBAN LEANED FORWARD IN his folding chair, placed his elbows on the drop-down dining counter, put his head in his hands, closed his eyes, and…
Prosatio Silban and the Fine Print
(With gratitude to Ann Clark.) THERE ARE FEW THINGS WORSE for dedicated professionals than enduring their own uselessness. Well, perhaps one or two … Prosatio Silban looked out through his galleywagon’s open doors and contemplated the heavy rain falling on…
Dining Companion (A Prosatio Silban Tale)
ONE MAN’S FRIEND IS ANOTHER man’s meal – or so Prosatio Silban discovered on an ill-starred expedition to nowhere. The cook had made enough recent coin catering to Pormaris’ wealthy that he could let his dray-beast, Onward, choose their course…
Prosatio Silban and the Ambiguous Twins
SOME SAY THAT IT IS not necessarily impossible to unite divided factions. But when the parties involved base their very identities on the division, matters can become a bit sticky. With a silent prayer of gratitude to Ayeklet, Goddess of…
Humble Pie (A Prosatio Silban Tale)
PROSATIO SILBAN PLACED THE LADEN fork in his mouth, deposited its contents, removed the utensil, and commenced chewing. I have lost count of how many servings I’ve eaten, he thought. It’s a wonder this hasn’t sickened me yet. He smiled…
Meetin’ and Greetin’
MY PUBLISHER ADVISES ME THUS: “…[W]rite a blog post that you’ve published an in-depth Q&A interview … and invite your blog readers to comment on your blog and suggest additional questions they’d like to see answered in your interview (and…
Prosatio Silban and the Tourist Trap
MOST DEVOTEES OF HOPMON, GOD of the Ever-Filling Purse, were honest souls. However, woe betide any who encountered their seeming opposites. Prosatio Silban was sweaty, thirsty, and famished. The dust of the ostensibly endless road filled every visible wrinkle and…
Prosatio Silban and the Leg Up
THE NAME “EVERFAIRE” DESCRIBED THE village perfectly. It was a centuried and perpetual trading-center on the border dividing the lands and villages of epicurean Pormaris from those administered by cosmopolitan Soharis, and its shops, inns, and taverns never closed. Some…