Three Slices

Table of Contents

Title Page

Authors’ Notes

Also by Kevin Hearne

Also by Delilah S. Dawson

Also by Chuck Wendig

A Prelude to War

Not My Circus, Not My Monkeys

Interlude: Swallow

Copyright Notice

I can’t recall precisely
where
I heard that tyromancy was actually a thing, but methinks it was during the summer of 2012. As soon as I knew it existed I knew I had to write about it, the way some people have to climb mountains or crack safes once they see them. And if I could find another couple of authors brave enough to do it, maybe we could produce the world’s first tyromancy-themed anthology. So my quest began and now here is the spiffy MacGuffin: THREE SLICES, or rather three stories where somebody along the way predicts the future via the coagulation of cheese. I couldn’t be more thrilled to share this volume with Delilah S. Dawson and Chuck Wendig, authors whose work I admire and humans I am proud to call my friends.

And I am super-mega-turbo-chuffed that Galen Dara agreed to illustrate this for us as well. All three of us are huge fans of her work and she makes us geek out.

My novella,
A Prelude to War
, is a vital part of the Iron Druid Chronicles—fans of the series should consider it IDC 7.5. For that reason it might not be the ideal introduction to my work; if you like to read series in order then please begin with
Hounded,
book 1.

Many thanks to my Metal Editor, Tricia Narwani, for her usual sterling insights, and to Richard Shealy for copy edits.

Hope you enjoy!

When Kevin Hearne says, “Hey, do you want to do an anthology?” you say YES. And when you find out it's about tyromancy, and that Chuck Wendig is also involved and that Galen Dara is doing the art, you know you made the right decision. That's my life philosophy: Always say yes to cheese.

When I asked my readers what they'd most like in a short story, the unanimous answer was MORE CRIMINY, which is why this is my first Blud story from a man's perspective. But you don't need to have read the books to enjoy it, and I hope you'll consider it a welcoming introduction to the dark, dangerous, whimsical world of Sang, where tyromancy fits in perfectly.

So thank you, Kevin and Chuck, for squishing my story between your words like the buttercream in a birthday cake. Thanks to Tricia and Shecky for embettering that story and for Galen to bringing together my favorite things in her illustration: vampire horses, blood, and dangerous chicks with lassoes. And thank you, dear reader, for joining us in this mad world of cheese and prognostication.

It was only a matter of time before we played straight down the middle and decided to aim for the popular crowd and write a series of novellas based on tyromancy. All the cool kids are doing it. JK Rowling. Stephen King. Pat Rothfuss. We are nothing if not bandwagoneers, and we want a slice (get it? Slice?) of that sweet, sweet cheese-reader money.

Which means, most of all, I need to thank you readers for reading this in the first place. Deciding to take a risk on
yet another
tyromancy cheese-story collection is kind of you. And I know we all appreciate it.

Big ups too to my fellow anthology mates here—Delilah S. Dawson and Kevin Hearne are that rare combination of
incredibly nice
and
incredibly talented
, and so it is my distinct privilege to be here with them now.

Also, thanks to Shecky for the copy-edits, Tricia for the big edits, and Galen Dara who remains one of my favorite artists working in SFF today.