THREE BROTHERS ⋅ A NEW GOD ⋅ CITY OF SALT ⋅ LAKE OF DREAMS ⋅ SUSPENDED! ⋅ THE TWO STREETS ⋅ ON THE EDGE OF THE MARSHS ⋅ BLACKSUN ⋅ DEMON ⋅ GAZELLE ⋅ THE HARDRIIM ⋅ RIDER ⋅ THE FLYER ⋅ ARABIAN NIGHTS ⋅ THE EMPTY MIRROR ⋅ THE SOLDIER ⋅ THE BICYCLE ⋅ THE CROCODILE ⋅ THE THREE TRAVELERS ⋅ OCEANSONG ⋅ THE FLUTE ⋅ THE TREE ⋅ THE TOWER

The sacred pomegranate grows upon the topmost branches of the exquisitely rare century oak, a tree that flowers but once over the course of its entire life. And what few trees there are grow only within the sacred grove at the top of the highest hill, guarded by a ferocious demon. The flavor of this fruit is sweet beyond comprehension. No man who has heard of the sacred pomegranate will leave even the most satisfying of meals without wondering - “Ah! The sacred pomegranate! How flavorful it must be, to make all this seem like ashes in comparison!” The actual eater of the pomegranate is in a far greater predicament, for in contrast to it, no other food seems appealing, or even edible. But so few specimens of the sacred fruit ripen in a man’s lifetime that no one has tasted more than the thinnest sliver. Even if one was so fortunate as to be granted free access to the tree, its scant supply would soon doom the eater to starvation. One day a young maiden arrived in the valley below the high hill. So lovely was her dark hair that she could seduce demons by the radiance of her lustrous mane. For a mere glance at it, the demon of the sacred grove thought the pomegranate a small price to pay. Thought he: I shall give her the fruit; she will taste it, pine for it, and then starve; and I shall put her head upon the topmost branch of a century oak, so that I might forever gaze upon her beautiful hair. But the maiden anticipated this plan and feared her fate if she should taste the sacred pomegranate. So she took the deadly fruit to a wandering gazelle she had befriended and offered it to him. The gazelle, who understood nothing of the sacred and the profane, ate the delicious fruit with joy and saw no reason not to continue eating coarser foods afterward. As week after week passed, the maiden remained in fine health and the demon realized that his plan had failed. “Her appetite is as robust as before! Perhaps the fruit I gave her was too small, perhaps it was overripe!” He gave her fruit after fruit, but to no avail. Finally he said to himself, “I must see what she is doing with the sacred pomegranate.” Thus was her plan detected. The demon was angry. “Cursed maid! The crop of one thousand years did I waste on this foolish gazelle!” He howled and howled, bent on her destruction. But the gazelle then spoke: “Demon, do you not see the service that this girl has performed on your behalf? For if you could possess her tantalizing hair, would you again take pleasure in your fruit? And when the hairs drop out and shrivel, would you not be overcome with woe? Do you not see that her pretty young head is as delicate an illusion as the sacred pomegranate - and therefore just as dangerous? See how she cares for you, demon, though you care for no one!” -home-