Exordia

by Seth Dickinson

“There are seven great passions in the universe. Seven stories all of us share. They are known among the belunari and the eana, the shorinor and the iridine, the skylords and the coagula, and though all these peoples have evolved on scattered distant stars, they still know the same seven passions. Even the khai know them. Perhaps the khai most of all. “Preyjest is the story of the suit and the chase, as strong as the space between hunter and prey, between lover and beloved. The pursuing passion. “Prajna gleams alone, a solitary star. The passion of knowing for no sake. “Serendure is unconditional loyalty, trust that is abuse. The unbreakable passion. “Caryatasis grows when many change to follow one who doesn’t. The disciple’s passion. “Geashade is the falling knife, the love doomed to die, powerful in proportion to its pain. “Hesper is simple and it makes us warm. The comfort passion: like meeting a stranger, sharing one night, and going on stronger. “And rath, dear Clayton. Rath the clashing passion. Two stones beat against each other, chipping and cracking, hardening and sharpening. Maybe until one breaks. Maybe forever.”