Smoke Mirrors: Neil Gaiman

I saw her do it. I saw her close the flesh of her breast once more. I saw the purple scar begin to fade.

Her prince looked briefly concerned, but he put his arm around her nonetheless, and they stood, side by side, and they waited.

And she stayed cold, and the bloom of death remained on her lips, and his lust was not diminished in any way.

They told me they would marry and the kingdoms would indeed be joined. They told me that I would be with them on their wedding day.

It is starting to get hot in here.

They have told the people bad things about me; a little truth to add savour to the dish, but mixed with many lies.

I was bound and kept in a tiny stone cell beneath the palace, and I remained there through the autumn. Today they fetched me out of the cell; they stripped the rags from me, and washed the filth from me, and then they shaved my head and my loins, and they rubbed my skin with goose-grease.

The snow was falling as they carried me-two men at each hand, two men at each leg-utterly exposed," and spread-eagled and cold, through the midwinter crowds, and brought me to this kiln.

My stepdaughter stood there with her prince. She watched me, in my indignity, but she said nothing.

As they thrust me inside» jeering and chaffing as they did so, I saw one snowflake land upon her white cheek, and remain there without melting.

They closed the kiln door behind me. It is getting hotter in here, and outside they are singing and cheering and banging on the sides of the kiln.

She was not laughing, or jeering, or talking. She did not sneer at me or turn away. She looked at me, though; and for a moment I saw myself reflected in her eyes.

I will not scream. I will not give them that satisfaction. They will have my body, but my soul and my story are my own, and will die with me.

The goose-grease begins to melt and glisten upon my skin. I shall make no sound at all. I shall think no more on this.

I shall think instead of the snowflake on her cheek.

I think of her hair as black as coal, her lips, redder than blood, her skin, snow-white.

« ^

Stardust

Neverwhere

Good Omens (with Terry Pratchett)

For Children

The Day I Swapped My Dad for Two Goldfish (illustrated by Dave McKean)

Angels amp; Visitations, A Miscellany

Preludes amp; Nocturnes

The Doll's House

Dream Country

Season of Mists

A Game of You

Fables and Reflections

Brief Lives

Worlds' End

The Kindly Ones

The Wake

Violent Cases

Signal to Noise

Mr Punch

Death

The High Cost of Living The Time of Your Life

Sandman: The Dream Hunters (with Yoshitaka Amano)

The Books of Magic

Miracleman: The Golden Age

Black Orchid

Don't Panic!

Ghastly Beyond Belief (with Kim Newman)

The Sandman: Book of Dreams (with Ed Kramer)

Now We Are Sick (with Steve Jones)