leo4life/algoml_bookcorpus_49_50p · Datasets at Hugging Face

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certain slabs luminesced under the influence of some sort of duster spell craft not yet accessible to me .
i knew that , because i tried to make some glow , without success .
down in these catacombs i felt confined and anxious in a way that had never afflicted me in root , even though its tunnels were no less narrow or deep .
the matrix of roots was so loose and malleable , there was no sense of confinement as long as you werent stuck in a pod .
the tunnels here felt like shafts in a coal mine by comparison .
unlike root , there would be no taking shortcuts between them .
these are the upper spaces .
any chamber with a skylight or courtyard is not safe from the horus .
keep that in mind if it ever comes around .
i didnt realize you can have the damn thing come to you .
i thought you had to chase it .
it goes everywhere in this land every square inch .
it doesnt come here often , but eventually it will come .
the souls who enter it where do go ?
nowhere , said taro .
lady an says it exists to recycle failed souls .
tears them into pieces .
shuffles the deck .
reassembles them .
deals out a new hand .
creating new spirits .
hoping for better luck next time .
so youre saying , by being here were failures ?
in someones eyes , yes .
to the seraphim or the powers-that-be .
i dont believe so .
i was meant to be here .
rifugio is my place , my people .
i am happier here than i ever was in life .
we came to a hollow the size of a small auditorium , illuminated by a shaft to the surface , supplemented by glowing benches of stone that circled the room .
the floor was crowded with gray folks , mostly with eyes closed .
their scales were sparse if they had any at all .
this is the newbie chamber , said taro .
so to speak .
some of the folks there have been here a long time .
theyre slow learners .
what are they learning ?
songs ?
yes , the song cycle , whispered taro .
sixteen songs , over and over with the same steady tempo .
if you want to be part of this community .
you must learn .
everything we do is based on the song cycles .
we have no sun , no moon , no day or night .
only the songs .
singing is how we tell time .
its how we stay together as a community .
yeah , well ...
i have to warn you .
im pretty tone deaf .
i even got kicked out of a church choir when i was nine .
im horrible at remembering lyrics .
no matter .
youll have plenty of time to learn .
everyone learns eventually .
even the slow ones .
in the newbie chamber they sing out loud half the time .
that way you get to hear the patterns and words and in between you practice staying in synch .
the room was still .
not a hum or a murmur broke the silence .
how come i dont hear any the occupants erupted in full-throated song , bellowing out a wandering melody in an unrecognizable language .
most droned in unison , but a few lonely voices added harmony here and there about the room .
taro joined them .
i just looked on , feeling awkward .
it went on for some time , the loose threads pulling together until everyone was in tune and in synch .
and then the room went silent again .
that was rainsong , said taro .
it is almost done .
riversong will soon begin .
what language was that ?
pan , we call it .
proto-anatolian , according to lady an .
its a dead language the language of the dead of the deeps .
used only for the song cycle .
no one comes here knowing it .
we all have to learn from scratch we went in and found a spot on the floor , not too far from the entry .
okay .
what do we do now ?
patience , said taro .
riversong will begin soon .
you will hear the first verse out loud .
dont worry about the words .
concentrate on the sound and pattern .
*** the silence and dimness lulled me into a trance .
i had managed to keep my claustrophobia in check , aided by the cavernous room .
my mind wandered back to vermont , wondering how the girls were doing , hoping wendell was letting our holiday continue .
everyone around me had closed their eyes and let out their breath .
i could feel that something had changed in the room .
i looked over at taro .
he nodded to me .
held up three fingers .
two .
one .
out of nothing , a wall of thunderous vowels rose all around and immersed me in sound before falling away .
and then again , it came like a wave .
riversong began in fits and starts like that , almost like the beginnings of a rain storm , in spare , complicated syncopation .
after a while , the notes coalesced and began to flow into a weird , trickling melody .
i could almost hear cascades running over ledges .
forget understanding the words .
i dont think my mouth was even capable of articulating the sounds these people were making .

certain slabs luminesced under the influence of some sort of duster spell craft not yet accessible to me .

i knew that , because i tried to make some glow , without success .

down in these catacombs i felt confined and anxious in a way that had never afflicted me in root , even though its tunnels were no less narrow or deep .

the matrix of roots was so loose and malleable , there was no sense of confinement as long as you werent stuck in a pod .

the tunnels here felt like shafts in a coal mine by comparison .

unlike root , there would be no taking shortcuts between them .

these are the upper spaces .

any chamber with a skylight or courtyard is not safe from the horus .

keep that in mind if it ever comes around .

i didnt realize you can have the damn thing come to you .

i thought you had to chase it .

it goes everywhere in this land every square inch .

it doesnt come here often , but eventually it will come .

the souls who enter it where do go ?

nowhere , said taro .

lady an says it exists to recycle failed souls .

tears them into pieces .

shuffles the deck .

reassembles them .

deals out a new hand .

creating new spirits .

hoping for better luck next time .

so youre saying , by being here were failures ?

in someones eyes , yes .

to the seraphim or the powers-that-be .

i dont believe so .

i was meant to be here .

rifugio is my place , my people .

i am happier here than i ever was in life .

we came to a hollow the size of a small auditorium , illuminated by a shaft to the surface , supplemented by glowing benches of stone that circled the room .

the floor was crowded with gray folks , mostly with eyes closed .

their scales were sparse if they had any at all .

this is the newbie chamber , said taro .

so to speak .

some of the folks there have been here a long time .

theyre slow learners .

what are they learning ?

songs ?

yes , the song cycle , whispered taro .

sixteen songs , over and over with the same steady tempo .

if you want to be part of this community .

you must learn .

everything we do is based on the song cycles .

we have no sun , no moon , no day or night .

only the songs .

singing is how we tell time .

its how we stay together as a community .

yeah , well ...

i have to warn you .

im pretty tone deaf .

i even got kicked out of a church choir when i was nine .

im horrible at remembering lyrics .

no matter .

youll have plenty of time to learn .

everyone learns eventually .

even the slow ones .

in the newbie chamber they sing out loud half the time .

that way you get to hear the patterns and words and in between you practice staying in synch .

the room was still .

not a hum or a murmur broke the silence .

how come i dont hear any the occupants erupted in full-throated song , bellowing out a wandering melody in an unrecognizable language .

most droned in unison , but a few lonely voices added harmony here and there about the room .

taro joined them .

i just looked on , feeling awkward .

it went on for some time , the loose threads pulling together until everyone was in tune and in synch .

and then the room went silent again .

that was rainsong , said taro .

it is almost done .

riversong will soon begin .

what language was that ?

pan , we call it .

proto-anatolian , according to lady an .

its a dead language the language of the dead of the deeps .

used only for the song cycle .

no one comes here knowing it .

we all have to learn from scratch we went in and found a spot on the floor , not too far from the entry .

okay .

what do we do now ?

patience , said taro .

riversong will begin soon .

you will hear the first verse out loud .

dont worry about the words .

concentrate on the sound and pattern .

*** the silence and dimness lulled me into a trance .

i had managed to keep my claustrophobia in check , aided by the cavernous room .

my mind wandered back to vermont , wondering how the girls were doing , hoping wendell was letting our holiday continue .

everyone around me had closed their eyes and let out their breath .

i could feel that something had changed in the room .

i looked over at taro .

he nodded to me .

held up three fingers .

two .

one .

out of nothing , a wall of thunderous vowels rose all around and immersed me in sound before falling away .

and then again , it came like a wave .

riversong began in fits and starts like that , almost like the beginnings of a rain storm , in spare , complicated syncopation .

after a while , the notes coalesced and began to flow into a weird , trickling melody .

i could almost hear cascades running over ledges .

forget understanding the words .

i dont think my mouth was even capable of articulating the sounds these people were making .