I suppose you could call me...Soot," said the thing. "Yes...Soot. I have breathed it, lived in it, and eaten it for so long that it is a fitting name." "Eaten it?" asked Suzy. "Why eat soot?" "Boredom," said Soot.

May I say that I approve of a piece that tries to remake the entire puzzle?

Sometimes it is easier to see the light when you stand partly in the darkness.

Who or what are you? Besides insufferably rude?

For all my longer works (i.e. the novels) I write chapter outlines so I can have the pleasure of departing from them later on.

Well met, Mistress Lirael. This ragamuffin, as your servant so aptly described him, is His Highness Prince Sameth, the Abhorsen-in-Waiting. Hence the bells. But on to more serious matters. Could you please rescue us? Prince Sameth's personal vessel is not quite what I'm used to, and he is eager to catch me a fish before my morning nap.

I love you," he whispered. "I hope you don't mind.