Downbelow, the Inhabitants make music in the infrared, and I bathe my own inhabitants (those lower-case, the Humans) in subtle movements of warmth.
I wear my history, in the constant circulation of signals, in the minute dents in the hull; one does not travel through space or time and remain unmarked. In life, I wore the razor scar of the dueling-blade that laid open my face to the back-teeth. I did not flinch at my opponent’s blade, nor did I parry fast enough to entirely turn it aside.
It was an honorable scar, from a duel to the death. I was the one who walked away. Only later, I learned that was a useless way to settle an argument.
I wear the count of my dead, among them the one I slew in single combat.
***
From character interview with Naime the Shipwright, the oldest character in the cast.
Weekend Writing Warriors offers a selection of eight-sentence excerpts from many different writers. For the full selection, see here.
E. P. Beaumont 
I love the phrases you use: I wear my history … I wear the count of my dead. It makes the events they refer to seem so much more. The repetition makes them feel poetic. Excellent eight, thank you for sharing the,
Fantastic command of language and evocative prose. Awesome as ever!
Wow… Fantastic post! Nicely done. 🙂
Wow, this was almost poetic! Beautifully written. Thanks for sharing this excellent snippet!
I love the way you’ve expressed Naime’s history and also made me very curious about the swordfight in the long gone past. Always a wonderful excerpt from you! (And I’m always left wanting to read more…)
Intense and lyrical