Darkness; a sensation of falling—as if he were tumbling down a great hole, like Alice. He fell for a hundred years into darkness. Faces passed him, swimming out of the black, then each face was ripped up and away before he could touch it . . .
Abruptly, and without transition, he was not falling. Now he was in a cave, and he was no longer alone. Shadow stared into familiar eyes: huge, liquid black eyes. They blinked.
Under the earth: yes. He remembered this place. The stink of wet cow. Firelight flickered on the wet cave walls, illuminating the buffalo head, the man’s body, skin the color of brick clay.
“Can’t you people leave me be?” asked Shadow. “I just want to sleep.”
The buffalo man nodded, slowly. His lips did not move, but a voice in Shadow’s head said, “Where are you going, Shadow?”
“Cairo.”
“Why?”
“Where else have I got to go? It’s where Wednesday wants me to go. I drank his mead.” In Shadow’s dream, with the power of dream logic behind it, the obligation seemed unarguable: he drank Wednesday’s mead three times, and sealed the pact—what other choice of action did he have?
The buffalo-headed man reached a hand into the fire, stirring the embers and the broken branches into a blaze. “The storm is coming,” he said. Now there was ash on his hands, and he wiped it onto his hairless chest, leaving soot-black streaks.
“So you people keep telling me. Can I ask you a question?”
There was a pause. A fly settled on the furry forehead. The buffalo man flicked it away. “Ask.”
“Is this true? Are these people really gods? It’s all so . . .” He paused. Then he said, “impossible,” which was not exactly the word he had been going for but seemed to be the best he could do.
“What are gods?” asked the buffalo man.
“I don’t know,” said Shadow.
Warm dark brown musk, woodsmoke, and deep pools of labdanum.
twopeople007 –
Dried flower in a library. A fleeting scent, but a lovely one. Reminds me a little of Lady of Shalott, only drier and older. One of the notes went a little soapy on me, but that faded rapidly enough. A vague smell of sweetness lasted until the morning, though it was more like an afterimage than the main show.
x.ex.nihil0.x.8 –
Received this a holiday gift. Absolutely love it, has a very elegant, old fashioned scent and I get compliments all the time when wearing it.
It’s heavy and dusky, but not overwhelmingly so, and reminds me of an after-bath powder my grandmother used to have.
I don’t smell any licorice or anise at all on my skin with it, just soft perfume powder and a hint of a metal (?) I even run a bit through my hair after washing and the scent lasts very well, all day, both on skin and in hair.
Overall, an absolute 5 stars from me.
veggiegal4ever –
I received a sample of this with an order, put it on, and fell in love. At first whiff, it smells like old fashioned black licorice, then as it dries down, it becomes an ethereal cloud of unidentifiable faint flowers. This scent evokes to me something “Cathy” from Flowers in the Attic would wear. It is delicate, fragile, and there’s something almost haunting about it. I envision Cathy dancing alone in her tattered old leotard and tutu, gazing at her ghostly beauty in a dusty old Victorian full length mirror. There is also, at the very bottom, something strong and almost masculine as well, which makes this fragrance SO intangible! A man COULD probably wear this, as certain men can get away with Jean Paul Gaultier for men.
katietribe –
I’m really torn on this one. When first applied it smells like lightning (strong ozone and almost sour/sweet undertone) but after a few minutes it fades to licorice with hints of sweet smoke. Then fades sweeter. It only lasts a few hours on me, and I dislike the scent of the first stage, however it is a fun scent and I keep coming back to it.
thurzeler –
The sweetness and the absinthe make it smell like a sophisticated licorice candy. It’s wonderful, I just wish the anise would stay strong a little longer.
kittencult –
A fun, clean scent. Refreshing and green, but with a layer of sharp spice to keep it interesting.
xaglow –
This one smells like their lightning, but lighter and with a bit of sweetness. Another hit out of the park for one of BPAL’s rare cooler scents.