296) The Salvation of Eden, Chapter 60 — Strictly business
“Maybe she’s a Prrriest,” Gorb suggested.
Reilly shrugged. “Yeah, I don’t know. She’s creepy anyway. I don't think any of them like her. They're polite and everything, like they…. What's that word called? When you sort of bow down to the other person and do what they want and they're in charge?”
“Grovel?” suggested Lenny.
“Being a doormat?” suggested Dominic.
“Being employed?” suggested Lenny.
“Being a kid?” asked Kohra.
“Life?” suggested Dominic, laughing.
“Defer?” Lenny guessed.
“Yeah! Defer! They defer to her, but they don't like her.”
“Was it really necessary for you to find that exact word?” Lenny asked.
Reilly stuck out her tongue. Lenny stuck hers out too, and Reilly wound up to punch her.
295) The Salvation of Eden, Chapter 59 — The Hidden Base
“Leave!!?” Devona choked it out like it caused her actual, physical pain to even contemplate the suggestion. “We practically just got here! We don't even know what this is all about! We haven't even seen the Hooded Man! We know little more about him than we did before! We can't just leave!”
294) The Salvation of Eden, Chapter 58 — Secret Tunnel
[Melkorn] was covered in blood, his axe spraying the walls like an insane painter, breaking backs, crushing skulls and severing bodies in a grotesque festival of death.
230) The Salvation of Eden, Chapter 55 -- Getting better at not falling down?
Melkorn was the perfect student, at least as far as effort and enthusiasm were concerned. No matter what happened, no matter how many times he fell, he never gave up, never got frustrated even. He just kept trying.
229) The Salvation of Eden, Chapter 54 -- The Sign-tific Process. And a horsey joke.
Melkorn was so happy, walking toward the barn with Reilly. People didn’t usually ask HIM to spend personal time with them like this.
227) The Salvation of Eden, Chapter 53 -- Chief Sign-tist
His mind was alive with ideas. This was the first time in his life that Melkorn had ever felt like this.
226) The Salvation of Eden, Chapter 52 -- Form is Emptiness; Emptiness is Form
She could see Grok’s smile in the dim light of the fire. “And this is important to you?”
“Yes it is.”
“Do you know why?”
“Yes, I do.” And I really don’t want to talk about it.
225) The Salvation of Eden, Chapter 51 -- A Horse, A Quest, A New Friend, and A Mysterious Villain
“It’s normal for my customers to insist on strict decorum, you might say.”
“They like to decorate stuff?” Reilly asked.
Grok laughed, “Well, I don’t know, Reilly! But I just meant that they expect me to have superlative discretion.'“
Reilly stared, blankly, still waiting for the explanation.
“They hold their cards close to their chests?” Dominic tried.
“You play cards with them?” Reilly asked, even more confused now.
224) The Salvation of Eden, Chapter 50 -- A rather strange party
“I cannot just say ‘yes’ or ‘no’ because it would lead you astray. Your questions are inaccurately framed, so any answer will likewise be inaccurate in its implications.”
Uhh…. People didn’t usually speak like this. Well, Lenny did sometimes, but not normal people.
223) The Salvation of Eden, Chapter 49 -- Reilly and Melkorn get promoted
“I’m Reilly! Reilly Tree-Child, and this is Melkorn the Mighty! He’s really strong! He beat up a mountain giant! He’s my friend!”
Melkorn grinned, placing one hand on top of Reilly’s head and petting, like she was a cat.
222) The Salvation of Eden -- Chapter 48) What if the Universe is nothing but dead matter, and sentience is an illusion? And...what if it isn't?
Without warning, Eyes opened inside her chest, like they were her very heart. Ancient, deathless Eyes. They looked right through her, like she was nothing, like air, completely transparent to their transcendent gaze.
220) The Salvation of Eden, Chapter 47 -- Melkorn the Mighty
When you step outside the little bubble of security you might be lucky enough to live in, the world Out There, where the monsters are, is completely indifferent. Unless it wants to eat you. People don’t realize how tenuous their existence is, and what lurks just beyond the border of The Known.
213) The Salvation of Eden, Chapter 45 -- Tricks and the Secret to Life
Little did they know it then, but this is the Secret of Life. Moving, learning, laughing, sharing, loving. It’s powerful magic available to any person, and it’s more than sufficient to keep evil from overtaking your mind.
212) The Salvation of Eden, Chapter 44 -- Melkorn and the unexpected solution to madness
Although none of them were aware of this subtle shifting in their minds, they were already slowly succumbing to the psychic poison of the Reapers, a demonic possession that crept into the unconscious so slowly there was no possibility of stopping against it, an unshakable, nihilistic emptiness rooted in the knowledge of a violent, fiery, inevitable End.
202) The Salvation of Eden, Chapter 35 -- On a Quest!
Lenny held up one finger. “I have two rules in life.” She looked at her finger. “Enjoy myself.” She raised a second finger. “Postpone dying for as long as I can.”
201) The Salvation of Eden, Chapter 34 -- The whole is greater than the sum of its parts
“Say no more,” she cooed. “For you girls, I have the perfect place. Down by the pond, on the far side of the woodshed, there’s lots of space, completely private. Help yourself to the wood and — have a good time!” In a thoughtfully-secretive whisper, she added, “Don’t worry. I won’t tell anyone.”
200) The Salvation of Eden, Chapter 33 -- Shameless flirting, and a great idea
Lenny and Reilly giggled. Devona’s glance would’ve peeled paint.
“Mah eyes brought y’here?” He tipped his hat. “Ah’d like to say that’s the first time Ah’ve heard that.”
199) The Salvation of Eden, Chapter 32 -- The Zhaalmohhrians
This noble Whiteling family can trace its bloodline directly back to the Founders, and even further back, they claim, before the Lost Age to the Age of Gods.
198) The Salvation of Eden, Chapter 31: The psychic, the library, and the clue
“Of course she’s nice and weird!” Devona half-shouted. “That’s her whole schtick, Lenny! It’s how she makes a living! Didn’t you ever learn about this? She probably started by asking you very generic things, like, ‘Hey young lady, do you like horses?’ or ‘Have you lost an important person in your life?’ or ‘Do you feel like people sometimes just don’t understand you?”
197) The Salvation of Eden, Chapter 30 -- Spicy rumours...and some drinking
“Shhhhh!” Kohra was embarassed, in so many different ways she didn’t even know what she was feeling in that moment. “You shouldn’t be…she’s not…just, shhhh!” She scowled as they continued making remarks about the kinds of things that happen in steamy-bath-houses.