Maker of Fire

Emily, Healing Shrine, Cold season, 3rd rot., 10th day

The hand-in-hand ceremony for Arma and Oysumi was the first wedding I attended on Erdos. It was typical for the “tie-em-up” style of hand-fasting that was popular with the flower-power hippies in the 1960s and then moved into the neo-pagan communities twenty years later.

The visual impact of the color symbolism surprised me. My brain knew about the whole color thing, but it didn't erupt into a revelation until I saw it. Friends of the bride wore yellow. Friends of the groom wore blue. The bride and groom both wore green, which is what you get when you mix blue and yellow together.

The ceremony was a riot of color, given that thirteen high priestesses came in their robes of office. Of course, all the high priestesses within flying distance attended because Arma was a high priestess' daughter. There were at least thirty regular priestess healers, all in yellow. Arma had found quite a few friends since she arrived in Aybhas. She had carved out a niche for herself at the chapel shrine hospital for Coyn, where Lisaykos had already placed her in a senior position.

Over half of the groom's guests wore hoods. Some of those in hoods also wore blue head eye masks. I assumed they were wraiths who needed to keep their faces hidden. I was startled when I noticed one person in a hood without an eye mask. The face that peered out was that of Ilsabess of Erhonsay. She saw me looking at her and winked. Then she moved out of my line of sight and I didn't spot her again. I wondered how she learned about the wedding and who had established contact with her and her exiled war mages.

Around a hundred Cosm filled the enclosed Well of Mugash. The ceremony took place in front of the shrine's great crystal. Four of us were allowed to sit for the hand-in-hand rite. Tom and I shared the Throne of Judgment while the Holy Mieth and the Honored Kayseo sat on either side of us. Everyone else stood.

Rakkalbos, as the High Priestess of Surd, officiated, which means that she led Arma and Oysumi through the brief ceremony. The words were nice: "As Surd ties one hand to another, your lives, too, are now tied together." She tied their right hands together in fancy decorative knots with a black and orange cord. "Now you will find rest, for you will be a comfort to each other. Now you will feel no rain, for you will be shelter to each other. Now you will feel no cold, for each of you will be warmth to the other. Now you will feel no more loneliness, for each of you will be companion to the other. Now you are one family of both you and your children to come. Soon you will go to your first bed together, to enter into the days of your togetherness. May they be long and filled with daughters and sons. Now share your wine with your other half and be whole. Swallow your truth and be wed.”

In the end, Arma sipped from Oysumi's bowl of wine while Oysumi sipped from hers. As soon as they both swallowed, they were hitched. When the ceremony was over, the crowd inside the Well of Mugash started to move toward where the wedding feast was being held, in the great hall in the basement. The Holy Mieth finally looked at peace now that her pregnant daughter Arma was married. As a wedding present, Lisaykos gave Arma and Oysumi the use of the house three down from the top of Snob Hill, which was conveniently next door to the house used by the wraiths who provided my security detail.

My one regret about sneaking away was that Oyyuth was there. I didn't realize she knew Oysumi, but she arrived dressed in blue on Irhessa's arm. It would have been nice just to chat with her and introduce her to Tom. As it was, we waved from across the Well of Mugash. She was already downstairs by the time Tom and I exited the Well.

Tom and I were on Asgotl heading for Omexkel before the next bell rang.

Emily, Building Shrine, Cold season, 3rd rot., 10th day to 4th rot., 3rd day

“I have gotten so spoiled,” I leaned back and smelled the aroma of the tea. The kitchen help, a teenager called Royfo, brought it in from the kitchen. I couldn't remember the last time I made tea or food for myself.

“When living on the other side of the Great Cracks, my empty stomach would wake me, and I would have to eat whatever was leftover from the night before. I often went hungry if I had bad luck hunting or fishing. After the glass furnace accident, the Queen took me to the Healing shrine, and I haven't cooked anything or gone hungry since."

“Well,” Tom said, “subsistence hunting and gathering might explain why you’re so thin. You could stand to gain a few pounds. Did you know that I can feel all of your ribs?”

I had to work hard not to react. I refrained from experimenting if I could still land a decent gut punch on his well-muscled abdomen. He was bigger than his former self, and I was smaller. I estimated that he was at least twice my weight, which meant I was on the losing side of the momentum equation if I tried to punch him in the gut.

What a devilish problem. We used to be the same height, but now, I wasn’t big enough to win at roughhousing anymore. I realized I needed to formulate new tactics for dealing with Tom, or I would be a constant victim of being tackled and tickled. I wondered if the back of his neck was still a ticklish spot.

“Yeah,” I made sure I sounded like I wasn’t too concerned about being underweight. "I had some problems getting the weight back on after being sick last year. I was sick for a long time. It took six rotations before I could walk on my own and two seasons after that to get back to a semblance of my former fitness.”

“There were all sorts of rumors about what happened," Tom took a swallow of tea. "I like the taste of this stuff, all smoky-like." He put his beaker down, "What really happened? The most extreme version was that the Queen killed you, and Mugash brought you back to life, making you and the High Priestess of Mugash revelators while she was at it. That was hot gossip at the Villa, but our sources about the Queen are very good since she's our supposed owner."

“Well, that’s what happened,” I said. “The Queen lost her temper at my goofing off with aeronautics while on Asgolt’s back. She and Asgotl argued. He got snippy. She blew her stack, lost control, and killed both Asgotl and me."

“How do you know it was Mugash that revived you?”

“I talked to her. She was the fifth god I talked with. That sounds really out there, doesn’t it?” Neither of us had been much for religion when we had met on Earth. I had no idea how he had adapted to the real existence of gods on Erdos.

“The whole god thing is way out there,” he shrugged, “but I can’t deny that the gods here are real and actually do things. I never imagined that one would give me some kind of blessing that a mage could detect. I was shocked that Galt talked to me in Aybhas yesterday. Stuff like this isn’t supposed to happen to an ordinary guy like me. So what are the gods like?” He looked bothered when he asked that.

“Huh.” I wasn’t entirely sure how I felt about the gods at the moment. I would dine with Galt at the drop of his fedora, but I still didn't want to see Tiki or Mugash the Thoughtless. "For the most part, I wish I had never met a god. I haven't had a moment of peace since, and if I could find a way to quit this prophet gig, I would.”

That kicked the floodgates open for me. All the stress from being made a prophet, the discomfort of living with Cosm, and a lifetime of loneliness all came pouring out. Tom was a saint. He listened as I told my whole tale to another person for the first time. I couldn’t stop myself. Never before had there been someone who could understand what I had lived through up to now. As I was talking, I realized just how much I needed this shoulder to cry on. I fell asleep while still talking, even as he held me in his arms that first night in Omexkel.

I woke the next morning alone in my own bed. Tom had tucked me in and then spread out a sleeping pad and bedroll in the same room that Royfo slept in. He slept in Royfo’s room for two nights. He was such a perfect gentleman. He had been that way in our previous life too. It was one of the things that I had always loved about him.

I discovered that Tom was having problems being with me. "Have you even hit puberty yet, Em?" he asked over morn repast. "I feel like I'm a predator in a sixth-grade classroom, preying on little girls."

“I believe I’m around 16 or 17, Tom,” I explained. “No one is going to arrest you for statutory rape.”

“And I worry about hurting you,” he said in a little voice, afraid of what he had to say. “You’re smaller than what I’m used to. I’m a lot bigger than when we were an item on Earth. I’m worried. I’m not sure what I should do.”

“Then don’t do anything,” I reasoned. “Take your time. Who said we had to rush? I’m sure I didn’t. Besides, I’m tougher than I look. Pass me the bacon, please?”

We talked the whole day. He was horrified by the tale of the illegal breeding farm. He was upset when I admitted I had nightmares and waking flashbacks. My tale of making metals and chemicals fascinated him, starting with rocks, pee, and bat guano. He wanted to visit my valley to see the pegmatite and magnetite veins – and the hot spring.

In turn, he filled my ears with growing up in a Coyn orphanage and training school. The priestesses of Surd recognized his intelligence as a boy and taught him reading, writing, and arithmetic. They didn't sell him until they found the right owner, afraid he would be wasted as a farmhand.

He lucked out the day Aylem Nonkin showed up looking for talented Coyn for her newly-acquired Villa holding. He confessed that the Queen terrified him, even after working for her for almost two decades. I could empathize with that.

I was floored to learn that Tom was a well-known grumble player before the Queen gave him a divine. Because he traveled on the Queen's business, he played at the various Surd Halls up and down the southern half of the kingdom to provide music for dancing. Now that he had a divine, he played for both singing and dancing.

I was dismayed that he hadn't done any artwork before paper became available. Now that he had paper, he drew portraits of people to use for trade in the underground Coyn economy. I was happy that he could now do his beloved art again.

We made the Cosm at the Building Shrine nervous when we borrowed an ice auger and went ice fishing for our dinner. Cosm are too big to go out on the ice on rivers. They are wary of ice on lakes too. Even when lake ice is thick enough to support their weight, they still break through the thinner ice beside the shore. Cosm and ice are not a happy mix.

Huhoti showed up on the river bank and set up a chair to watch us fish. She nagged me when we finished about staying safe even though I gave her six big trout.

The Coyn master artificers took Tom and Twee to the local Coyn drinking spot they favored on that second evening at the Building Shrine. I hung out with Huhoti at her house rather than spend the evening alone. All three of her children were off as trainees at other shrines, so it was just me, her, and her husband who worked for Lord Voymas. We played cards and talked about our plans to make the electrolysis tank.

I found out the next day that Masters Aduda, Boi, and Koifu spent the evening grilling Tom, ensuring he was good enough for me and would treat me according to their high standards. I felt sorry for poor Tom. He wilted a little more each day with how everyone kept looking him over like they were my parents, and he was a new boyfriend showing up for our first date. Even Huhoti and Raoleer cornered him for a little chat on day three in Omexkel.

Frankly, I was close to packing our bags and finding another hiding place so Tom could get some peace. He was looking rather worn after having his life turned upside down. Then Aylem showed up.

Aylem, Building Shrine, Cold season, 4th rot., 3rd day

The problem with Emily's little house on the grounds of the Building Shrine was that it was little, and I wasn't. I couldn't fit through the door because my hips were too wide. I didn’t even bother walking to the house in the canyon with all the Coyn residences. Unless there was a fire or a medical emergency, Cosm rarely entered that canyon since everything there was scaled for Coyn. I would stick out badly if I tried to visit, and I certainly couldn't go inside. The best I could manage would be to sit on the porch, except the porch was probably covered with snow right now.

My solution was to mindcast Asgotl, who had his own shelter at the side of Emily’s house, and ask him to bring Emily and Py’oask to Raoleer’s residence, where I had taken over one of her downstairs sitting rooms set up with floor cushions for Cosm and chairs for Coyn.

I arrived just after the fifth bell. Asgotl conveyed that Emily was with the Revered Huhoti at the foundry playing with iron, but Py’oask was at home resting. Within minutes, Asgotl flew Py’oask across the grounds of the shrine to Raoleer’s residence.

Py’oask looked weary when he made his obeisance. Given what the last rotation had been like for him, his fatigue didn’t surprise me. I waited for him to pick a chair and sit before I started talking.

When he looked as comfortable as he could manage, I began: “So, Revered One, do you prefer should I call you Py’oask or Tom?” I didn’t miss the flinch when I used the honorific.

“Py’oask,” he frowned, “but only because it will cause less confusion.”

“What will Emily use?”

“She’ll probably use Tom, but that’s okay. Emily can call me whatever she wants. She’s entitled.”

"I see, Revered One," I used the honorific again to see if he flinched again. He didn't flinch, but he did twitch and scowl. "I see you're not comfortable with the title."

“Oh gods!” he grimaced. “I will never get used to being called that. I’m just an ordinary guy and a slave to most Cosm. I’m at the bottom of the food chain. It just feels wrong.”

“Do you understand why Galt gave you a blessing?”

“Emily said it was probably to protect me, which makes no sense at all to me. How can a title protect me? It’s just words, isn’t it?”

“To anyone with magic, the blessing is a visible manifestation in your aura, as plain to see as your red hair. It’s not just words, Py’oask. Emily is likely correct that Galt did it to protect you. No one who reveres the gods will harm you now. Galt has claimed you. Harming you might result in Galt appearing in his aspect as the Tempest of Wrath. He has already done so twice this year when two of his high priestesses were attacked. A blessing by Galt is powerful protection. I'm guessing he did it because you are important to Emily, and Galt is quite fond of Emily.”

Py’oask looked like he had eaten something sour, “So my only value in this life is to keep Emily happy? Do I not have any worth of my own?”

"Py'oask," I tried to sound as gentle as possible, "being the person most suited to support the Prophet of the Third Age is a position of great honor and merit. Every mage I know will envy you for fulfilling that role. History will preserve and honor your name. There are few tasks greater than the one that has fallen to you.” I watched his sour expression transition to a scowl. “Do you have a problem with Emily’s preeminent position? Is this an Earth problem, in that women were usually subordinate to men?”

“No. Well, maybe," he conceded softly, looking at the floor. "I haven't thought it through. It's all so new to me. Things are happening too fast. I feel like I don’t have any foundation anymore. I don’t even know what I’m supposed to do now.” He looked up at me, suddenly startled, "Why am I telling you this, Great One?"

“Because you’re reacting to large changes in your life that you have no control over and because I asked you. By the way, when we're in private, just call me Aylem or Jane if you prefer."

“Jane?” Py’oask looked bewildered.

“Jane Paxton. That was my name in Coventry, where I grew up. In my head, deep down inside, I’m just an ordinary gal going to trade school to be a bookkeeper.”

The poor little guy was gobsmacked when I said that. I might have laughed at his expression if he wasn't so unsettled.

“Py’oask, given the amount of nervousness you’re trying to hide, I suspect you think of me as the overgrown over-powered Queen of Foskos, wielder of dread magics, vanquisher of armies, and destroyer of cities. I know you’re wary of me. Almost everyone is. I wish I could tell you I'm harmless, but that would be a lie. But I don't mean anyone harm unless they're attacking Foskos or embezzling taxes. I can't change the way the gods made me in this life. I wish I wasn’t like this, but I am. It makes it hard to make friends when everyone is scared of me.”

“Gods,” Py’oask shook his head, trying to make sense of everything.

“So back to your question of what you're supposed to do now that you have a god's blessing," I continued. "That's why I came to speak with you. I would be happy if I could get you back on the job at the Villa. Over the last rotation, the whole shipping, storage, and delivery end of the brewery business has turned to chaos without you. I could use you back at your old job, or at the very least, can you train someone to replace you?"

“Huh?” His astounded expression told me all I needed to know.

"Just because you have a connection to Emily doesn't mean you can't have your own life, Py'oask," I pointed out. "I suspect the gods intend for you and Emily to reestablish a relationship. A blessing from Galt doesn't make sense otherwise. But there is nothing that dictates that you can't have your own life and profession separate from hers. Being a couple doesn‘t mean that you have to be glued at the hips.

“Py'oask, if you gape any wider, I might have to fix a dislocated jaw, which could be painful," I couldn't stop myself from grinning. The handful of interactions I had had with Py'oask in the past had shown him to be calm, organized, and a good staff manager. He was reliable and competent. He was also known to be a ladies’ man but impossible to nail down into a relationship, much to the frustration of several Coyn women at the Villa. To see a man known for having it all together in a state of falling apart struck me as amusing.

“It’s not funny!” he snapped, yelling at me.

Without thinking, I reached out, touched him on the shoulder, and cast the charm of peace. I watched him deflate, slumping in the chair. "I apologize," I made sure I sounded as sincere as I could manage. "Your expression struck me as amusing for a moment, but I forgot that everything going on around you has turned your world upside down. That was thoughtless of me. How are you feeling? That was a charm of peace I cast. You looked like you could use it."

“Well, it did clear my head a bit,” he looked and frowned at me. “It's bad enough being a Coyn, always under the heel of Cosm. Even if it brings me all these benefits, why do I feel like being blessed by a god is worse than that?"

“There are limits to what the Cosm can do," I explained, guessing what the problem was. "Even I have limits, Py'oask; however, the gods have no limits and can do whatever they want with us. There are some among the gods that terrify me, Py’oask. Yes, being touched by Galt means that the Fated Shrine will provide for you for the rest of your life if that's what you want. You will never lack food or comfort ever again. I don't know if that is compensation enough for you to become a tool in the hands of a god.

“I believe Galt intends for you and Emily to get back together, Py'oask. It's probably why you were born with all of your old memories from Earth intact. That doesn't mean that you can't pursue your own goals at the same time," I pointed out. "I know that Emily is about to be submerged in mekaner heaven as she and the Revered Huhoti attempt to make lye. Once Emily gets sunk into a project, it is difficult to drag her away. She might not even notice if you snuck off to the Villa to fix the mess made by your absence.”

“No, no, no, no, no, Great One...”

"The name is Aylem, little man," I tapped him thrice on the top of his head as lightly as I could.

“Aylem…,” he looked like he was waiting to see if the world exploded.

“Much better,” I smiled to encourage him.

“Emily will notice if I leave,” he sighed. “She wants to drag me off to the foundry every day and runs into the house looking for me the moment she returns. She is hyper-aware of my existence right now.”

“Just talk to her about it,” I suggested. “Asgotl can take you in the morning to the Villa while she’s working with Huhoti and Raoleer. You can be back here in time for dinner. If you ask nicely, he might take you to all our warehouses. That would sort out the confusion with the wagon routes and the deliveries in just a day or two. That’s assuming I can talk you into helping me out here. We can sort out if you want to stay in my employment later, but if I could hire you for at least a rotation or two, it would be a big help.”

“But griffins don’t tolerate Coyn,” he protested. “They won’t even talk to people who don’t have magic.”

“Asgotl is not like other griffins,” I explained. “He takes Emily all over, just the two of them. I suspect he would be open to taking you places, too, if you asked. After all, all three of us have been waiting for you to join us. We are the only known reborn people currently living, just us four. You might not feel this way yet, but you are part of our little group. You are one of us. We all lived on Earth before. The gods of Erdos have touched us all. We have all been through what you're experiencing right now. You don't need to suffer alone, Py'oask. We're here if you need to talk. Or, in the case of Asgolt, he's available if you need to escape for a day or need to work down at the Villa."

“Gods,” his eyes were round as he tried to take it all in. Then he turned red as he contemplated his other worry.

“Did you know, Py’oask, that mages with strong mind magic can accidentally read feelings and thoughts passively?” I tried to look sympathetic.

“No. Say what?!” The red of the blush deepened. The fairness of his skin didn’t help.

"Now, usually, people in your situation would go a seek the advice of a healer," I worked hard not to smile because his embarrassment amused me. "On the Emily end of your dilemma, I will disclose that she has not matured normally. While she has manifested many of the physical changes of puberty, she has not established regular menstruation. We have been concerned about this since, without normalizing her monthly hormonal cycle, she may have infertility problems. Now that you're in the picture, we will need to address this if the two of you decide you want to pursue more intimate activities in the bedroom.

“Great fish face, Py’oask,” I failed because I couldn’t help but grin. “I’m trying hard not to tease you, but it’s difficult. I doubt you’ll run off to consult with your local healer about your concerns with initiating affairs with Emily. Might I suggest you seek out Lord Usruldes? He's another big guy with a very short wife. He is also a talented healer who the Healing Shrine acknowledges. On top of that, he's a good listener and a friendly and helpful soul. He's also one of Emily's closest friends, so he is interested in her happiness. If you want to have a guy-to-guy talk, he'd be the person I would send you to."

“Usruldes? Usruldes the Wraith? That guy all in black who appears and then disappears, like he did back in Aybhas?” Py’oask looked unsettled again.

“Is the charm of peace wearing off?” I asked. “It’s not healthy to recast it so soon.”

“No, no, it's still good," he waved a hand and shook his head. "It's just so much to take in all at once, like talking to you as if we were just folks instead of my being a bottom-feeder and you being the greatest mage in Foskos and the Queen. Now, you’re advising me to seek out the most feared assassin on Erdos for a friendly chat about guy stuff. It’s just so unbelievable.”

“Py'oask, while I would love to have you back at the Villa, you need to figure things out for yourself. You also should take all the time you want to sort things out for you and Emily. You’re making the most remarkable face. What’s wrong?”

He stared at me, quiet on the outside, but his mind was in turmoil, thoughts and anxieties crashing about inside his head. He stayed that way for several moments, then his head fell and he stared at his feet. "I used to know what she was thinking. We would finish each other's sentences. I always knew what to say to her. Now I feel like I don't understand her anymore. She's changed, and I don't know where I stand or what I should say to her."

“Py'oask, or Tom if you prefer, let me tell you something you don't know. I have never seen Emily smile at anyone like she does when she sees you. Her eyes light up when you walk up or sit next to her. When Lisaykos gave her the first letter you sent, did you know she wept?”

“She what?”

“In the few days you’ve been with her, Emily has settled down. She calmer. Something inside her is no longer on edge. And she smiles at you when she sees you again, after not being with you for a time. She doesn't do that to anyone else, except for maybe Kayseo haup Pinisla, who is her closest friend. She sees you, and her face lights up. It's amazing to watch. It makes me wish I could have found you a year and a half ago, for her sake. You are right. She probably has changed from the twenty-year-old you married when she was still a college student, back in another life. But given all the stories she told me about you, I think she has never stopped loving you.”

“Stories?” He looked worried.

“Especially the one when you got on the wrong train in Chicago and ended up stranded in Colorado. Emily had to drive out from New York City to rescue you, but you got picked up by some girls from Denver who...”

“No, please, you can stop there, Great One,” he threw his hands up. “That’s so embarrassing.”

“My point, little man,” I poked him gently in the gut, “is that Emily wants you, and she needs you. I might not be wrong in saying that you, young man, also need Emily. Why else did you take all those risks to try to reach her despite all her over-protective Cosm friends?"

“...” He looked so befuddled. I felt sorry for him. It didn't help that no one really knew him besides me, and I didn't know him well. For years, he had been just another talented Coyn I had rescued and employed.

Everyone who lived with or had dealings with Emily had been giving Py'oask a long, hard look to make sure he was good enough for our favorite little prophet. He was under too much scrutiny. It would be nice if the two of them could take a few rotations off to just spend time together, but that wasn't possible. Vassu wanted Emily needed to follow Twee back to his homeland of Sussbesschem. Did this mean that Tom should go with them?

We heard a commotion outside the door to the sitting room I borrowed. Then someone knocked. I recognized Emily’s knock pattern.

“Come,” I said and opened the door with my mind’s hand.

"Hey," Emily, in her cold-weather coat, bounced into the room with a mischievous grin, "what are you two doing here? I returned to the house but discovered you ran off to see Aylem, Tom. I came to show you something. I just made a successful spot weld! You have to come and see this!”

Huhoti followed Emily in and bowed an obeisance at me, "Great One, I didn't expect you to show up today. You should come too. We have the lightning machine working, and it's amazing. Emily just used it to weld a steel rod to a steel ingot. She saw them nearby, decided to try it, and it worked."

“How did you manage spot welding?” Py’oask looked amazed.

“You know we've been making a DC generator," Emily rolled her eyes. "I attached one of the electrode ends to a steel rod and touched it to an ingot. I had to fix the grounding arrangement to get it to work, but once I got the ground right, the contact between the two pieces of metals was joined by resistance welding."

“It's not as good as mating the metals with magic, but it's quite impressive regardless," said Huhoti, the foundry mekaner. "I can think of all sorts of possible applications."

“Emily, I thought you were trying to get the electrolysis tank running,” I protested.

“We are,” she gave me a long-suffering look. “The welding just was, well, something that presented itself, so I decided to try it. I got some graphite pieces too. Want to see if we can make an arc light?”

“Arc lights? Really?” Py’oask looked genuinely interested.

“Get your coat,” Emily started pulling him off the chair, “let’s go.”

"Alright, alright," he got up and, after grabbing his coat, gave me an apologetic look and chased Emily into the hallway.

“I need to follow them,” Huhoti shrugged and then laughed. “It isn’t safe to leave Emily unsupervised. You should come too, Great One. The lightning machine must be seen to be appreciated.”

Two Wraiths, East Canyon of the Building Shrine grounds, Cold season, 4th rot., night of the 3rd day

*I assume it’s another quiet evening? Anything I need to know about before you head off to bed?*

*No, everything is peaceful. There’s nothing going on here other than several hundred sleepy Coyn sleeping.*

*Any improvement on the romance situation?*

*The Great One didn’t let him sleep with the kitchen boy this evening.*

*Oh?*

*He started to head for the sleeping pad he set up and she stopped him.*

*Yes? And?*

*She asked him if her short and thin self was so physically repulsive that he wouldn’t even share a bed with her. That did what she wanted. They are currently both asleep in her bed.*

*Well, it’s about time he figured it out. If the prophet’s friends hadn’t taken the Revered One out last night to check him over, he might have gotten into that bed even sooner.*

*So, does the Revered Tom talk in his sleep?*

*Yes, and he says the strangest things. Some of it is in English. I wrote it down to show the Spider since he will know what it means.*

*Like what?*

*For example, a little while ago, he was muttering in his sleep that he wanted to buy something called girl scout cookies.*