Summer in Orcus

by T. Kingfisher

“Are you frightened?” asked the old woman. “You should be, you know. I am as old as sinning and twice as dangerous. I drink my beer from the skulls of heroes.”

“Makes me uneasy, I mean,” but she thought cuts up my peace described the situation very well.

“It’s not as easy as that,” said Summer sadly. “I can’t stop myself from worrying.” “You’re human,” said Glorious. “Humans hoard up their fears as if the world might run out.” He huffed a laugh. “Still, you build cities with them—and towers and artworks and families and faiths. It seems to work for your people, even if it would not work for mine.”

“Saving a single wondrous thing is better than saving the world. For one thing, it’s more achievable. The world is never content to stay saved.”

“Because they would have forgiven me,” said Zultan. “Unbearable thought, isn’t it?”