Eyebright

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Kemrin Animoht walked down Motomachi Street. He wasn’t really there.

He dodged the outstretched claws of a legless beggar, veered around a; puddle of vomit, hopped nimbly over a maggoty pile of something unidentifiable — but he didn’t really see any of Howlytown’s ugly sights. His mind was full of the dream episode he would record later that morning at Singh Louie’s studio. Already he could feel the cool embrace of the dream harness, could feel the dream pouring out of his head into the recorder.

That s why he didn’t notice the eyegougers sneaking up behind him.

He thought: Prince Velligon would escape from the dungeons under SilverGilt Keep, with the connivance of beautiful raven-haired Sualn. Yes, yes, and then: Velligon would gather his few faithful retainers for a desperate assault on the Iron Fortress of his evil brother, the Pretender Jam.

Kemrin laughed. With any luck, the battle would surge back and forth, neither side gaining decisive advantage — enough to keep Velligon’s fans happy for at least two or three more dream episodes — before Jam would go down to his inevitable, if temporary defeat. And Velligon would get to spend another hot night with delicious Sualn. Yes, that should please the fans, those quiet folk who lived safe lives within the Pale. They would taste the simpleminded adventures Kemrin imagined for them, and never notice the empty years sipping past.

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