Editing Narcissus (section)

====The Worshipful Guild of Mirror-Fishers====

Mirror-fishing is the art of pulling forth wonders and prodigies from deep out of the Other Side. It is an expensive undertaking – the only reliable lure is mirrorfruit from a crystal tree – and the results are essentially random. Most of the time, mirror-fishing only brings forth dross, the flotsam and jetsam of the mirror-world. Occasionally mirror entities are hauled forth, usually irritated and hostile. Rarely they bring out unique and magical things that mirror-fishers call “ephemera,” which make gambling on the expense and risk worthwhile.

Mirror-fishers use flawless glass mirrors, which must be large enough to pass whatever they bring forth. Their lures are reels of steel wire or woven steel cord on mechanical wheels and ratchets. Their lures are always baited with mirrorfruit. Mirror-fishers will cast many baited lures into mirrors at once – success takes time, and even then the results may be dubious. The lured mirror must be watched at all times. If unobserved, the mirror returns to being a mirror, the line is severed and the bait is lost. Apprentices are given the task of watching baited mirrors.

-- by Kakita Kojiro