The Stone of Farewell (Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn, #2)

by Tad Williams

as in the religious pictures of the Hayholt’s chapel, a great tree stood, arms rising to heaven. This tree was white and smooth as Harcha marble. Prince Josua hung upon it head down, like Usires Aedon Himself in His suffering. A shadowy figure stood before Josua, driving nails into him with a great, gray hammer. Josua did not speak or cry out, but his followers all around were moaning. The prince’s eyes were wide with patient suffering, like the carved face of Usires that had hung on the wall of Simon’s boyhood home in the servant’s quarters. Simon could not bear to see any more. He thrust himself through into the tapestry itself and ran at the shadow-figure. As he ran, he felt a weighty something dangling in his hand. He lifted his arm to swing it, but the murky thing reached up and caught his hand, pulling Simon’s weapon away. He had been holding a black hammer. But for its color, it was the twin of the gray. “Better,” the thing said. It hefted the ebony mallet in its other shadowy hand and began once more to drive nails. This time Josua screamed with each blow, screamed and screamed . . .