Petticoat Lane By Matt Spencer

[TaoPhoenix]

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[Lester Curtis]

Lyrical prose! Odd, how well it works with the grisly subject matter. And I can't figure out if the merchant is a good guy or a bad guy. Either way, he's not someone you'd be well off to trifle with.

Thought-provoking tale. What does one do with certain kinds of power? The merchant is undeniably coercive, and speaks in ambitious terms, yet he has -- cleaned up the streets, in a way.

[Robert_Moriyama]

Lyrical prose! Odd, how well it works with the grisly subject matter. And I can't figure out if the merchant is a good guy or a bad guy. Either way, he's not someone you'd be well off to trifle with.

Thought-provoking tale. What does one do with certain kinds of power? The merchant is undeniably coercive, and speaks in ambitious terms, yet he has -- cleaned up the streets, in a way.

Interesting that the only survivor from the street gang (and that with the merchant's intervention) was the boy worried about his younger siblings... The merchant let greed and general thuggishness take its course with the others. Of course we do not know what tasks he may set for Cole in the future -- he may be revealed as truly evil. (Petticoat Lane is, I think, part of or related to a novel Mr. Spencer is working on (or he may have finished it by now).)

Thank you very much, gentlemen! These and other questions concerning this odd merchant fellow shall be answered in due course. In the meantime, he also makes a brief appearance in this novel - http://www.amazon.com/Cult-Stars-Frederick-Hawthorne-ebook/dp/B009HB1BA6/ref=sr_1_1_title_1_kin?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1356221941&sr=1-1&keywords=Cult+of+the+Stars - which provides further ample clues. There's also a fellow in the short story Have Some Dragon's Blood - available in the collection Shadow Ballads - who may or may not be him.

A properly nasty bit of work. I thought I had fallen into one of the darker neighborhoods of Discworld and there discovered a malevolent version of John Brunner's "Traveler in Black".
My only complaint ... and it isn't much more than a dust-mote ... was the incorrect use of the word "role" (instead of "roll").

Huh, y'know, my best friend is a HUGE Discworld fan, and the guy in this story is her favorite of my characters (he turns up semi-regularly here and there). Interesting!

Huh, y'know, my best friend is a HUGE Discworld fan, and the guy in this story is her favorite of my characters (he turns up semi-regularly here and there). Interesting!

Matt,

Why don't you join us in the flash challenge this month. Go to the Fun and Games folder and look up Fenruary's challenge topic and read the rules. You've got over 2 weeks to write a 1,000 word story and we would all enjoy your company.

Oh, I think I just might be able to whip up somethin' tasty

Matt,

I've been meaning to tell you how much I enjoyed this story. Wow! This Artifactition character of yours is incredible and a nice twist on the whole timeless wizard/mysterious dark persona theme. I saw some comments comparing your work to Discworld, and while I can definitely see that, it made me think a little more of Steven Erickson.

In addition, I was glad to see you mentioned in the "Best of" issue as well. I think they could have put both "The Crystal Ghost" and "Petticoat Lane" in there, as both are great stuff!

Keep up the good work -- I can't wait to see where you take this character next!

DAMN, Jay, thanks! That made my morning. Steven Erikson reads to me like George R.R. Martin on shrooms, so a comparison thereto makes me smile all over the place.

Well sir, I meant every word! Reminds me a lot of Erikson, and a little bit of R. Scott Bakker, as well. Great stuff! Can't wait to read the next one.