Мор - ученик смерти

           Forexample,itwasoneofthefewplacesontheDiscwhereplantsproducedreannualvarieties. 

           Reannualsareplantsthatgrowbackwardsintime.Yousowtheseedthisyearandtheygrowlastyear. 

           Mort’sfamilyspecialisedindistillingthewinefromreannualgrapes.Thesewereverypowerfulandmuchsoughtafterbyfortune-tellers,sinceofcoursetheyenabledthemtoseethefuture. Theonlysnagwasthatyougotthehangoverthemorningbefore,andhadtodrinkalottogetoverit. 

           Reannualgrowerstendedtobebig,seriousmen,muchgiventointrospectionandcloseexaminationofthecalendar. Afarmerwhoneglectstosowordinaryseedsonlylosesthecrop,whereasanyonewhoforgetstosowseedsofacropthathasalreadybeenharvestedtwelvemonthsbeforerisksdisturbingtheentirefabricofcausality,nottomentionacuteembarrassment. 

           ItwasalsoacutelyembarrassingtoMort’sfamilythattheyoungestsonwasnotatallseriousandhadaboutthesametalentforhorticulturethatyouwouldfindinadeadstarfish. Itwasn’tthathewasunhelpful,buthehadthelandofvague,cheerfulhelpfulnessthatseriousmensoonlearntodread. Therewassomethinginfectious,possiblyevenfatal,aboutit. Hewastall,red-hairedandfreckled,withthesortofbodythatseemstobeonlymarginallyunderitsowner’scontrol;itappearedtohavebeenbuiltoutofknees. 

           Onthisparticulardayitwashurtlingacrossthehighfields,wavingitshandsandyelling.