Wintersmith

"It was for a year in this world, but it only seemed like a few days there…except that the weeks passed like centuries. It was so…dull, I could hardly remember anything after a while. Not my name, not the feel of sunshine, not the taste of real food."

"Aye, we ken that—we helped tae rescue ye. Ye niver say thanks, but ye wuz oot o' yer skull the whole time, so we didna take offense."

"Then allow me to thank you now, Mr. Anybody."

"Dinna mention it. Anytime. Happy tae oblige."

"She had pets that fed you dreams until you died of hunger. I hate things that try to take away what you are. I want to kill those things, Mr. Anybody. I want to kill all of them. When you take away memories, you take away the person. Everything they are."

"'Tis a fine ambition ye've got there," said Rob. "But we ha' got a wee job tae do, ye ken. Aw crivens, this is whut happens when things get sloppy an' bogles take over."

There was a big pile of bones on the path. They were certainly animal bones, and the rotting collars and lengths of rusted chain were another clue.

"Three big dogs?" said Roland.

"One verra big dog wi' three heads," said Rob Anybody. "Verra popular in underworlds, that breed. Can bite right through a man's throat. Three times!" he added with relish. "But put three doggy biscuits in a row on the groond, an' the puir wee thing sits there strainin' an' whinin' all day. It's a wee laff, I'm tellin' ye!" He kicked at the bones. "Aye, time wuz when places like this had some pers'nality. Look, see what they've done here, too."

Farther along the path was what was probably a demon. It had a horrible face, with so many fangs that some of them must have been just for show. There were wings, too, but they couldn't possibly have lifted it. It had found a piece of mirror, and every few seconds it took a peep into it and shuddered.

"Mr. Anybody," said Roland, "is there anything down here that this sword I'm carrying could kill?"

"Ah, no. No' kill," said Rob Anybody. "No' bogles. No' as such. It's no' a magic sword, see?"

"Then why am I dragging it along?"

"'Cuz ye are a Hero. Who ever heard o'a Hero wi'oot a sword?"

Roland tugged the sword out of its scabbard. It was heavy and not at all like the flying, darting silver thing that he'd imagined in front of the mirror. It was more like a metal club with an edge.

He gripped it in both hands and managed to hurl it out into the middle of the slow, dark river.

Just before it hit the water, a white arm rose and caught it. The hand waved the sword a couple of times and then disappeared with it under the water.

"Was that supposed to happen?" he asked.

"A man throwin' his sword awa'?" yelled Rob. "No! Ye're no' supposed tae bung a guid sword intae the drinkie!"

"No, I mean the hand," said Roland. "It just—"

"Ach, they turn up sometimes." Rob Anybody waved a hand as if midstream underwater sword jugglers were an everyday occurrence. "But ye've got no weapon noo!"

"You said swords can't hurt bogles!"

"Aye, but it's the look o' the thing, okay?" said Rob, hurrying on.

"But not having a sword should make me more heroic, right?" said Roland, as the rest of the Feegles trotted after them.

"Technic'ly, aye," said Rob Anybody reluctantly. "But mebbe also more deid."

"Besides, I have a Plan," said Roland.

"Ye have a Plan?" said Rob.

"Yes. I mean aye."

"Writted doon?"

"I've only just thought of—" Roland stopped. The ever-shifting shadows had parted, and a big cave lay ahead.

In the center of it, surrounding what looked like a rock slab, was a dim yellow glow. There was a small figure lying on the slab.

"Here we are," said Rob Anybody. "That wasna so bad, aye?"

Roland blinked. Hundreds of bogles were clustered around the slab, but at a distance, as if they were not keen on going any closer.

"I can see…someone lying down," he said.

"That's Summer herself," said Rob. "We have tae be canny aboot this."

"Canny?"

"Like…careful," said Rob helpfully. "Goddesses can be a wee bit tricky. Verra image conscious."

"Don't we just…you know, grab her and run?" said Roland.

"Oh, aye, we'll end up doin' somethin' like that," said Rob. "But you, mister, will have tae be the one tae kiss her first. You okay wi' that?"

Roland looked a bit strained, but he said: "Yes…er, fine."

"The ladies expect it, ye ken," Rob went on.

"And then we run for it?" said Roland hopefully.

"Aye, 'cuz probably that's when the bogles will try an' stop us gettin' awa.' It's people leavin' that they don't like. Off ye go, laddie."

I've got a Plan, thought Roland, walking toward the slab. And I'll concentrate on it so that I don't think about the fact that I'm walking through a crowd of scribbly monsters that are only there if I blink and my eyes are watering. What's in my head is real to them, right?

I'm going to blink, I'm going to blink, I'm going to…

…blink. It was over in a moment, but the shudder went on for a lot longer. They had been everywhere, and every toothy mouth was looking at him. It should not be possible to look with teeth.