The thought of a forgiving god must bring some comfort. [He means this genuinely; sometimes it seems it would be pleasant to find comfort in a god, instead of wondering what they want of you, why you weren't allowed to die.] As to the curses... [(he frowns, never sure of how much of these stories to dismiss)] They're the sort of stories people tell to frighten children, aye? The rat cook killed a king's son and served the boy to the king in a pie. The gods were angry because the cook killed a guest under his own roof, someone he shouldn't have harmed. So they turned him into a big white rat to walk the halls of the Nightfort forever.
[He shrugs, and finishes,]
Sounds foolish, but the same nurse who told me those stories told me others that have turned out to be true. I think the real curse on a man who breaks guest right is that no man will trust him again -- he is known as an oathbreaker and a -- well, a murderer outside of the ordinary sort. [His expression is growing pinched again.] -- I am sorry. One such man killed my brother -- years ago.
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The thought of a forgiving god must bring some comfort. [He means this genuinely; sometimes it seems it would be pleasant to find comfort in a god, instead of wondering what they want of you, why you weren't allowed to die.] As to the curses... [(he frowns, never sure of how much of these stories to dismiss)] They're the sort of stories people tell to frighten children, aye? The rat cook killed a king's son and served the boy to the king in a pie. The gods were angry because the cook killed a guest under his own roof, someone he shouldn't have harmed. So they turned him into a big white rat to walk the halls of the Nightfort forever.
[He shrugs, and finishes,]
Sounds foolish, but the same nurse who told me those stories told me others that have turned out to be true. I think the real curse on a man who breaks guest right is that no man will trust him again -- he is known as an oathbreaker and a -- well, a murderer outside of the ordinary sort. [His expression is growing pinched again.] -- I am sorry. One such man killed my brother -- years ago.