When I Was A Kid,

This Time It Had Been Magic. And It Didn't Stop Being Magic Just Because You Found Out How It Was Done.

It Was Sad Music. But It Waved Its Sadness Like A Battle Flag. It Said The Universe Had Done All It Could, But You Were Still Alive.

Wizards Don't Believe In Gods In The Same Way That Most People Don't Find It Necessary To Believe In, Say, Tables. They Know They're There, They Know They're There For A Purpose, They'd Probably Agree That They Have A Place In A Well-organised Universe, But They Wouldn't See The Point Of Believing, Of Going Around Saying "o Great Table, Without Whom We Are As Naught." Anyway, Either The Gods Are There Whether You Believe In Them Or Not, Or Exist Only As A Function Of The Belief, So Either Way You Might As Well Ignore The Whole Business And, As It Were, Eat Off Your Knees.

Around It Are Those Countries Which, According To History, Constitute The Civilised World Ie, A World That Can Support Historians

What I've Always Said Was, Hang In There, Let Me Write What I Want To Write, And You'll Probably Like It.