Like all old cities, much of Port Naain is built on older bits of Port Naain. It’s claimed that in the Sump there are houses falling down because they’re built on the foundations of houses that fell down previously. Madam Cissie Rotherie is perhaps unique in my experience in that she managed to use what … More It was the wrong sort of dungeon
I have often wondered whether it is possible for us to do without bureaucracy. Some will tell you that we need a bureaucracy because it supplies the underpinnings of civilisation and without it; we would lapse back to barbarism and within a generation would be struggling to remember how to make fire. It is notable … More Mutt, dining with friends
There are an inordinately large number of people in Port Naain. A fair proportion of them are in possession of considerable quantities of money. Thus the city spawns numerous individuals whose sole reason for existence appears to be to trick others out of their money. To be fair, I prefer confidence tricksters to muggers, hoods, … More When is a swindle not a swindle?
Opinions of Butterford Eelwart are both contradictory and fiercely held. Some claim he is a genius whose talent for invention has been sadly curtailed by the carping of lesser minds. Others claim with equal vehemence that the man is a fool and ought to be locked up for his own safety. Within this second group … More The cutting edge of modern technology
If you walk out from the Old Esplanade and cross the sands of the Paraeba Estuary, you’ll come across what the shore combers call ‘the first hulk.’ Actually this is all that remains of that fine ship, the Dancing Queen. Or rather it’s the remains of the ship’s strong room. Now you might wonder how … More The wreck of the Dancing Queen
When it comes to literature, many of us have areas where we excel. There is something about a particular genre which enables us to sparkle without real effort. I freely confess that whilst I can achieve excellence in most fields, should you ask me to write a ‘misery memoir’ I would refuse with almost indecent … More The road to literary excellence
Seap Melthan was one of the greats. Let us not beat about the bush, few could match his vision and outstanding ability. He has left the city a number of works concomitant with his towering genius, including his house. Unusually for an artist, Seap was a man who could make money. Some inevitably claimed that … More Art for art’s sake
I confess I am rarely called upon to review books. One or two people have hinted that my reviews reveal the acerbic side of my character, a charge I vehemently deny. Others say that I have a tendency to dwell lovingly on my own exploits and somehow overlook the merits of the writer whose … More A book review
Tallis Steelyard 