The Paarfi romances are my favorite SKZB books. In fact, I'm slightly embarassed that I'm reading it and only want to say, "OMG, it's so bloody funny when Tazendra says 'I don't paint'" -- in fact, I want to say that about almost everything Tazendra & Paarfi say... especially the Bengloalafurd Ford bit. But I digress. In reading about all these long-lived Dragaerans, I started wondering about these things: Brust's characters are surrounded by longevity and death. Vlad -- assassin whose cronies are going to outlive him by centuries. Khaavren -- soldier who kills enemies without batting an eyelash, is alive 500 years before the Interregnum and still kicking it when Vlad shows up. Sethra -- about two days older than dirt, none the worse for wear, has probably rescued and killed more people than anyone else in Brust's world. Also -- can't read about poor doomed Tortaalik without reflecting that the e'Kieron line seems to be just as dangerous as decadent Phoenixes. The Interregnum is "Adron's Disaster." Kieron created a Sea of Chaos (I wonder if we'll ever get a close-up of THAT story). Did that kill Kieron? Is his demise recorded in either series? Will Aliera cause her own downfall too? Any thoughts, guys? nikki www.vipe.org "Well I slept in the holler of a dry creek bed and I tore out the buckets from a red Corvette Lionel and Dave and the Butcher made three you got to meet me by the knuckles of the skinnybone tree" --Tom Waits, "Sixteen Shells from a Thirty-ought Six"