The Dark Tower (The Dark Tower, #7)

by Stephen King

“A man who can’t bear to share his habits is a man who needs to quit them.”

‘Why must you hurt me, when I love you so? When I can do nothing else nor want to, for love made me and fed me and—’”

and kept me in better days? Why will you cut me, and disfigure my face, and fill me with woe? I have only loved you for your beauty as you once loved me for mine in the days before the world moved on. Now you scar me with nails and put burning drops of quicksilver in my nose; you have set the animals on me, so you have, and they have eaten of my softest parts. Around me the can-toi gather and there’s no peace from their laughter. Yet still I love you and would serve you and even bring the magic again, if you would allow me, for that is how my heart was cast when I rose from the Prim. And once I was strong as well as beautiful, but now my strength is almost gone.’”

‘If the torture were to stop now, I might still recover—if never my looks, then at least my strength—’”

and my kes. But another week . . . or maybe five days . . . or even three . . . and it will be too late. Even if the torture stops, I’ll die. And you’ll die too, for when love leaves the world, all hearts are still.

Tell them of my love and tell them of my pain and tell them of my hope, which still lives. For this is all I have and all I am and all I ask.’

“Time flies, knells call, life passes, so hear my prayer. “Birth is nothing but death begun, so hear my prayer. “Death is speechless, so hear my speech.”

“This is Jake, who served his ka and his tet. Say true. “May the forgiving glance of S’mana heal his heart. Say please. “May the arms of Gan raise him from the darkness of this earth. Say please. “Surround him, Gan, with light. “Fill him, Chloe, with strength. “If he is thirsty, give him water in the clearing. “If he is hungry, give him food in the clearing. “May his life on this earth and the pain of his passing become as a dream to his waking soul, and let his eyes fall upon every lovely sight; let him find the friends that were lost to him, and let every one whose name he calls call his in return. “This is Jake, who lived well, loved his own, and died as ka would have it. “Each man owes a death. This is Jake. Give him peace.”

the body was far smaller than the heart it had held.