Мор - ученик смерти

           ’There’sthehiringfairatSheepridgenextweek. Yousethimasaprentice,see,andhisnewmaster’llhavethejobofknockinghimintoshape.’Tisthelaw.Gethimindentured,and’tisbinding.’ 

           Lezeklookedacrossthefieldathisson,whowasexaminingarock. 

           ’Iwouldn’twantanythingtohappentohim,mind,’hesaiddoubtfully.’We’requitefondofhim,hismotherandme.Yougetusedtopeople.’ 

           ’It’dbeforhisowngood,you’llsee.Makeamanofhim.’ 

           ’Ah.Well.There’scertainlyplentyofrawmaterial,’sighedLezek. 

           *** 

           Mortwasgettinginterestedintherock.Ithadcurlyshellsinit,relicsoftheearlydaysoftheworldwhentheCreatorhadmadecreaturesoutofstone,no-oneknewwhy. 

           Mortwasinterestedinlotsofthings.Whypeople’steethfittedtogethersoneatly,forexample.He’dgiventhatonealotofthought. Thentherewasthepuzzleofwhythesuncameoutduringtheday,insteadofatnightwhenthelightwouldcomeinuseful.Heknewthestandardexplanation,whichsomehowdidn’tseemsatisfying. 

           Inshort,Mortwasoneofthosepeoplewhoaremoredangerousthanabagfullofrattlesnakes.Hewasdeterminedtodiscovertheunderlyinglogicbehindtheuniverse. 

           Whichwasgoingtobehard,becausetherewasn’tone.TheCreatorhadalotofremarkablygoodideaswhenheputtheworldtogether, butmakingitunderstandablehadn’tbeenoneofthem.