TimeofContempt

TIME OF CONTEMPT A NDRZEJ S APKOWSKI Translated by David French GOLLANCZ LONDON CONTENTS Cover Title Page Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three Chapter Four Chapter Five Chapter Six Chapter Seven Endnotes Also By Andrzej Sapkowski Copyright CHAPTER ONE Blood on your hands, Falka, Blood on your dress. Burn, burn, Falka, and die, Die in agony for your crimes! Vedymins, called witchers among the Nordlings (q.v.), a mysterious and elite caste of warriorpriests, probably an offshoot of the druids (q.v.). In the folk consciousness, they are endowed with magical powers and superhuman abilities; v. were said to fight evil spirits, monsters and all manner of dark forces. In reality, since they were unparalleled in their ability to wield weapons, v. were used by the rulers of the north in the tribal fighting they waged with each other. In combat v. fell into a trance, brought on, it is believed, by autohypnosis or intoxicating substances, and fought with pure energy, being utterly invulnerable to pain or even grave wounds, which reinforced the superstitions about their superhuman powers. The theory, according to which v. were sa......