Redemption in Indigo

You must never tell people their own stories. They have no interest in them, or they think they can tell them better themselves. Give them a stranger's life, and then they're content.

All my tales are true, drawn from life, and a life story is not a tidy thing.

For some in my audience, a tale is like a riddle, to be solved at the end. To them I sail the best tales leave some riddles unanswered and some mysteries hidden. Get used to it. For others the tale is a way of living vicariously, enjoying the adventures of others without having to go one step beyond their sphere of comfort. To them I say, what's stopping you from getting on a ship and sailing halfway around the world? Tales are meant to be an inspiration, not a substitute.

I told you from the very beginning that it was a story about choices – wise choices, foolish choices, small yet momentous choices – for with choices come change, and with change comes opportunity , and both change and opportunity are the very cutting edge of the power of chaos. And yet as the undying ones know and the humans too often forget, even chaos cannot overcome the power of choice.

It is not the known danger that we most fear, the shark that patrols the bay, the lion that rules the savannah. It is the betrayal of what we trust and hold close to our hearts that is our undoing: the captain who staves in the boat, the king who sells his subjects into slavey, the child who murders the parent.

Names are very important for humans, aren't they? How do I translate for you the name of this town as it seems to me, the true name that tells of its history and people and lands and weather and . . . everything?

Everything teaches, everyone preaches, all have a gospel to sell! Better the one who is honest and open in declaring an agenda than the one who fools you into believing they are only spinning a pretty fancy for beauty's sake.

Anyone can cook, but the true talent belongs to those who are capable of gently ensnaring with their delicacies, winning compliance with the mere suggestion that there might not be any goodies for a caller who persisted in prying.

The will is usually in a hurry to get to the point of justification.

Once I was the strangest thing around here, the Sultan of Weird, but now the humans are outpacing the weird ones. Such is life.

It was a common characteristic among the warriors – no fear of death, and only pride for their scars, but little thought of all that could happen in between those two extremes.

One was skilled with the bow, the other with a blowpipe, and the points of their arrows and darts had been dipped in poison.

Beautiful women like Neila are not interested in competitors. Without a doubt she would prefer a man with the means to display her beauty to its best advantage over a man whose beauty rivalled hers.

But what is the purpose of punishment?’ He paused for a long while to consider this. It suddenly struck him that he was being tested. ‘To restore the one who has erred to the former position of trust and authority.

an unhelpful trait in any person who aims to sell snatches of empty air shaped around vowels and consonants,

Describe her to me.’ The Sisters looked at each other, and then Sister Jani answered, ‘She has courage. She has braved scorn and ridicule, which can tear the soul more viciously than vultures at a corpse. She has managed to keep her self-esteem intact.’ ‘She has compassion and discretion,’ added Sister Elen. ‘She does not pull down the weak, and the secrets of others are safe with her.’ ‘She has integrity,’ continued Sister Deian. ‘When she goes about doing what is right, she does not consider solely her own benefit.’ ‘She has the most beautiful dreams,’ concluded Sister Carmis on a wistful note.

Taran' was not a common name. It meant 'star' in the local language. Bini merely nodded, taking the strangeness of the name and dropping it into the bottomless pit of his nonchalance.

Then why did you waste time teaching me to spin five hundred different configurations of sugar spirals?' Paama scolded her, alarmed at this news. 'You should have been showing me how to fight him!' 'Set your mind at ease, Paama. It is not power that you should be concerned about. Power you already have. I have been teaching you control. Plus, they were delicious.

Paama looked at her, itching to ask more questions, but these were the ones she dared not have answered, so she wisely did not ask them.

Paama, there is very little that one can do when a foolish person chooses to think foolish things.

Indigo,’ his mother clarified. ‘Yes, I bet you would.’ He

He looked around for some way out of this difficulty and caught sight of a stick insect, commonly known as a godhorse. The

He smiled at his glass. It seemed to be in on the joke. It fed daring and plausibility to the tiny flame of rebellion growing in his heart. Rahid

His journey to Makendha would take only three days, but he had taken every precaution so as not to arrive haggard and starved out. Truth