Carpet People
I wrote that in the days when I thought fantasy was all battles and kings. Now I'm inclined to think that the real concerns of fantasy ought to be about not having battles and doing without kings. (CP)
They called themselves the Munrungs. It meant The People, or the True Human Beings. It's what most people call themselves, to begin with. And then one day the tribe meets some other people, and gives them a name like The Other People or, if it's not been a good day, The Enemy. If only they'd thing up a name like Some More True Human Beings, it'd save a lot of trouble later on. (CP)
On the fifth day the Governor of the town called all the tribal chieftains to an audience in the market square, to hear their grievances. He didn’t always do anything about them, but at least they got heard, and he nodded a lot, and everyone felt better about it at least until they got home. This is politics. (CP)
... they lived peacefully and avoided having much to do with history, which tends to get people killed. (CP)
'He’s a man of few words, and he doesn’t know what either of them mean,’ people said, but not when he was within hearing. (CP)
The Munrungs didn't have gods. Life was complicated enough as it was. (CP)
'Never mind about the stories. They're just metaphors.'
'Interesting lies,' translated Bane. (CP)
They didn't have any gods themselves but were generally polite about those belonging to other people. (CP)
'... I wish that the people who sing about the deeds of heroes would think about the people who have to clear up after them.' (CP)
'That's not medicine. That's just a way of keeping people amused while they're ill.' (CP)
'If you don’t look after knowledge, it goes away.' (CP)
'Are they intelligent?’ said Snibril.
‘Together they are. Individually, they’re stupid. Hah! The opposite of us, really.' (CP)
Never believe what you hear in songs. They put in any old thing if they think it sounds better. (CP)
Snibril took each of them by the shoulder. 'Anyway,' he said, 'just because you're sworn enemies doesn't mean you can't be friends, does it?' (CP)
There was the silence made by something frightened in fear of its life. There was the silence made by small creatures, being still. There was the silence made by big creatures, waiting to pounce on small creatures. Sometimes there was the silence made by no one being there. And then there was a very sharp, hot kind of silence made by someone there - watching. (CP)
'When they're standing right in front of you, kings are a kind of speech impediment.' (CP)
Nearly as bad as discovering all your worst fears are coming true, Snibril thought, is finding out that they're not. (CP)
'Nothing’s the matter,’ he said, in what he hoped was a voice full of leadership. ‘Come on, lads. Last one in’s a-’
‘Never mind about the last one,’ muttered a voice somewhere towards the back of the group. ‘We want to see what happens to the first one. (CP)
Always choose a bigger enemy. It makes him easier to hit. (CP)
If he concentrated, he could just hear Pismire playing the fluteharp; it was easy to tell, even with all the other instruments in the Deftmenes' own band, by the way the notes went all over the place without ever hitting the tune. Pismire always said there were some things you should care about enough to do badly. (CP)
... he didn’t believe in supernatural monsters. He shivered. He hoped they didn’t believe in him. (CP)
Most armies are in fact run by their sergeants - the officers are there just to give things a bit of tone and prevent warfare becoming a mere lower-class brawl. (CP)
'If we keep together and test every step, we should be safe,' came Brocando's unsteady voice. 'There's four of us. What would dare attack us?'
'Lot's of things.'
'Apart from them.' (CP)
'They're our mortal enemies,' said Brocando.
'I thought the Dumii were your mortal enemies,' said Pismire.
'We like to have several mortal enemies at a time,' said Brocando. 'Just in case we run out.' (CP)
'Whose side are they on?' Said Brocando.
'Sides? Their own, I suppose, just like everyone else.' (CP)
A Deftmene stood up. 'Will there be fighting against impossible odds?' he said.
'Probably,' said Snibril.
'Right! Count us in!' A lot of Deftmene nodded. Another one said: And will we get a chance to fight to the death?'
'You might get a chance to fight to the enemy's death,' said Snibril.
'Is that any good?'
'Better.' (CP)
'We live and learn. I always thought that was the best time,’ said Brocando. (CP)
'Sounds a bit unbelievable to me,’ said Glurk.
‘Oh, yes. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t true.' (CP)
'Nothing has to happen. You can let things happen. But that’s not the same.' (CP)
The Deftmenes are mad and the Dumii are sane, thought Snibril, and that's just the same as being made except that it's quieter. (CP)
'Waiting is the worst part,' said Pismire.
'No it isn't,' said Owlglass, who wasn't even being trusted to hold a sword. 'I expect that having long sharp swords stuck into you is the worst part.' (CP)
What you look at, you change. (CP)
They called themselves the Munrungs. It meant The People, or the True Human Beings. It's what most people call themselves, to begin with. And then one day the tribe meets some other people, and gives them a name like The Other People or, if it's not been a good day, The Enemy. If only they'd thing up a name like Some More True Human Beings, it'd save a lot of trouble later on. (CP)
On the fifth day the Governor of the town called all the tribal chieftains to an audience in the market square, to hear their grievances. He didn’t always do anything about them, but at least they got heard, and he nodded a lot, and everyone felt better about it at least until they got home. This is politics. (CP)
... they lived peacefully and avoided having much to do with history, which tends to get people killed. (CP)
'He’s a man of few words, and he doesn’t know what either of them mean,’ people said, but not when he was within hearing. (CP)
The Munrungs didn't have gods. Life was complicated enough as it was. (CP)
'Never mind about the stories. They're just metaphors.'
'Interesting lies,' translated Bane. (CP)
They didn't have any gods themselves but were generally polite about those belonging to other people. (CP)
'... I wish that the people who sing about the deeds of heroes would think about the people who have to clear up after them.' (CP)
'That's not medicine. That's just a way of keeping people amused while they're ill.' (CP)
'If you don’t look after knowledge, it goes away.' (CP)
'Are they intelligent?’ said Snibril.
‘Together they are. Individually, they’re stupid. Hah! The opposite of us, really.' (CP)
Never believe what you hear in songs. They put in any old thing if they think it sounds better. (CP)
Snibril took each of them by the shoulder. 'Anyway,' he said, 'just because you're sworn enemies doesn't mean you can't be friends, does it?' (CP)
There was the silence made by something frightened in fear of its life. There was the silence made by small creatures, being still. There was the silence made by big creatures, waiting to pounce on small creatures. Sometimes there was the silence made by no one being there. And then there was a very sharp, hot kind of silence made by someone there - watching. (CP)
'When they're standing right in front of you, kings are a kind of speech impediment.' (CP)
Nearly as bad as discovering all your worst fears are coming true, Snibril thought, is finding out that they're not. (CP)
'Nothing’s the matter,’ he said, in what he hoped was a voice full of leadership. ‘Come on, lads. Last one in’s a-’
‘Never mind about the last one,’ muttered a voice somewhere towards the back of the group. ‘We want to see what happens to the first one. (CP)
Always choose a bigger enemy. It makes him easier to hit. (CP)
If he concentrated, he could just hear Pismire playing the fluteharp; it was easy to tell, even with all the other instruments in the Deftmenes' own band, by the way the notes went all over the place without ever hitting the tune. Pismire always said there were some things you should care about enough to do badly. (CP)
... he didn’t believe in supernatural monsters. He shivered. He hoped they didn’t believe in him. (CP)
Most armies are in fact run by their sergeants - the officers are there just to give things a bit of tone and prevent warfare becoming a mere lower-class brawl. (CP)
'If we keep together and test every step, we should be safe,' came Brocando's unsteady voice. 'There's four of us. What would dare attack us?'
'Lot's of things.'
'Apart from them.' (CP)
'They're our mortal enemies,' said Brocando.
'I thought the Dumii were your mortal enemies,' said Pismire.
'We like to have several mortal enemies at a time,' said Brocando. 'Just in case we run out.' (CP)
'Whose side are they on?' Said Brocando.
'Sides? Their own, I suppose, just like everyone else.' (CP)
A Deftmene stood up. 'Will there be fighting against impossible odds?' he said.
'Probably,' said Snibril.
'Right! Count us in!' A lot of Deftmene nodded. Another one said: And will we get a chance to fight to the death?'
'You might get a chance to fight to the enemy's death,' said Snibril.
'Is that any good?'
'Better.' (CP)
'We live and learn. I always thought that was the best time,’ said Brocando. (CP)
'Sounds a bit unbelievable to me,’ said Glurk.
‘Oh, yes. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t true.' (CP)
'Nothing has to happen. You can let things happen. But that’s not the same.' (CP)
The Deftmenes are mad and the Dumii are sane, thought Snibril, and that's just the same as being made except that it's quieter. (CP)
'Waiting is the worst part,' said Pismire.
'No it isn't,' said Owlglass, who wasn't even being trusted to hold a sword. 'I expect that having long sharp swords stuck into you is the worst part.' (CP)
What you look at, you change. (CP)
