Page 19 - Folio Only

because, you know, all the fire in the world is inside the egg; the whole
universe, cooking. Inside the egg, I can see from one end of the universe to the
other. I can touch it, all of it. It’s magnificent really. Sometimes I don’t want
to come out; I just want to stay inside where everything is safe; everything is
there; everything is waiting to be born again, to have another go at it and
maybe correct a mistake or two. And oh, the glorious anticipation of making
things warmer! Inside a stove, in a hearth, or heating up some soup or cooking
some legs of mutton for you! Such pleasure I give you humans. How I love to
watch you watch me flicker! We love staring at each other, Fire and humans.
Nothing like it. You all gathered in a ring around me in an open campfire,
telling stories, singing songs, preserving myths. Yes. Yes, that part is glorious.
But there’s the pain of burning. It frightens me. I remember it, even from a
thousand years ago, and two thousand, and three. Seven thousand years ago,
that was the worst one! There was a kiln involved that year, I can’t quite
remember why, but the heat was unbearable. Enough to melt iron! Each time
I think I won’t survive it. I’d rather gnaw off my own legs than feel the pain of
being on fire. It’s why I put it off this time. I’m a coward. I don’t want to do it
again. Though I know I must.”

“Well, I couldn’t anyway,” said Amelia.

“Couldn’t what?”

“Set you on fire. Nothing will burn anymore. You’ve seen that.”

“It’s because of me. I grew too old. Now I’m too weak. I can’t burn
anything. I’m sorry. It’s not until I’m reborn that I can do you any good.”

“But -- if you can’t burn anything until after you’re born again from
ashes, how can you burn you?”

“I’m Fire. I just need you to get me started. I can take it from there.”

“But I need -- fire to start fire.”

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