Viper Snake Quotes

Bryce shouldered the canvas bag, surveying the Viper Queen. “Nice outfit.” The serpentine shifter smiled, revealing bright white teeth—and canines that were slightly too elongated. And slightly too thin. “Nice bodyguard.” Bryce shrugged as those snake’s eyes dragged over every inch of Hunt. “Nothing going on upstairs, but everything happening where it counts.

You think this is some sort of comedy going on here?” Collins gave him his tough stare. A little red spark flared in Barabas’s eyes. “Excuse me.” He struck with preternatural quickness and yanked a five-foot snake from the counter, an inch away from Tsoi’s elbow. Tsoi jumped, clearing half the room in a single bound. The snake body flailed in my lawyer’s fist. Barabas jerked the snake to his mouth and bit its neck. “Jesus Christ!” Collins took a step back. Tsoi clamped her hand over her mouth. Barabas spat the head onto the counter. “Pit viper—my favorite. Where were we? Ah, yes. You were trying to intimidate me. I apologize for the interruption. Please, resume your staring.

I'd rather meander through a pit of vipers than love one more person, but since I'm on the subject of snakes, we all know one, or are one.

Zippers are primal and modern at the very same time. On the one hand, your zipper is primitive and reptilian, on the other mechanical and slick. A zipper is where the Industrial Revolution meets the Cobra Cult, don't you think? Ahh. Little alligators of ecstasy, that's what zippers are. Sexy, too. Now your button, a button is prim and persnickety. There's somethin' Victorian about a row o' buttons. But a zipper, why a zipper is the very snake at the gate of Eden, waitin' to escort a true believer into the Garden. Faith, I should be sewin' more zippers into me garments, for I have many erogenous zones that require speedy access. Mmm, old zipper creeper, hanging head down like the carcass of a lizard; the phantom viper that we shun in daytime and communicate with at night.

There are many dangerous serpents in India-the cobra, the boa, the python, water snakes, vipers, king cobras, and even some that fly.” That didn’t sound good at all. “What do you mean fly?” “Well, technically, they don’t really fly. They just glide to other trees, like the flying squirrel.” I sank lower in my seat and frowned. “What an exceptional variety of poisonous reptiles you have here.

They aren’t knights in shining armour, no, they are the villains in the dark, with brooding eyes and beast-like tendencies. I never needed a knight. I needed a body to stand with me in the dark, and these snakes? They do.

Somehow, the notion that Professor Moriarty had parents - might have been a child - never sat right. A viper is a snake straight from the egg. I couldn't help but picture little Jamie as a balding midget in a sailor suit, spying Cook and the baker's boy rolling in the flour on the kitchen table through his toy telescope, and blackmailing them for extra buns.

Even snakes fear other snakes,

It’s all true.” Venom’s hair lifted up in the wind coming through his open window, his profile so astonishingly perfect that her breath caught for a second. “I’m deadlier than the deadliest snake in the world, with the ability to impact strong immortals. But you’re not too far behind.” “Try being used as a chew toy by an insane archangel,” Holly said with a grim smile. “It does wonders for your poison, I hear.

A prickle of porcupines, a cackle of hyenas, a pounce of cats, a slither of snakes. But it’s a nest of vipers, a quiver of cobras, and a rhumba of rattlesnakes. They also have a parliament of owls and a congress of baboons, which I find insulting to baboons myself.

A lamb? More like a viper.” “Or a garden snake,

Sometimes, I forget they are murderers, killers, and snakes. Sometimes, I don’t care.

Vipers, brother. Even snakes fear other snakes,

Jararaca” his father said. It was a pit viper, one of the most venomous snakes in the Americas. (A jararaca bite will cause a person to bleed from the eyes and become, as a biologist put it, “a corpse piece by piece.”)

The enemy is typically depicted as a dangerous octopus, a vicious dragon, a multiheaded hydra, a giant venomous tarantula, or an engulfing Leviathan. Other frequently used symbols include vicious predatory felines or birds, monstrous sharks, and ominous snakes, particularly vipers and boa constrictors. Scenes depicting strangulation or crushing, ominous whirlpools, and treacherous quicksands also abound in pictures from the time of wars, revolutions, and political crises. The juxtaposition of paintings from non-ordinary states of consciousness that depict perinatal experiences with the historical pictorial documentation collected by Lloyd de Mause and Sam Keen offer strong evidence for the perinatal roots of human violence.

The snake's lack of peace on the outside was because of his own lack of peace on the inside…..Spurgeon goes on to equate this viper o people whose irritation is utterly unreasonable. They don't have peace on the inside, therefore it probably won't be possible for them to live with a consistency of peace on the outside.

THE STAGE: The stage is empty, and you watch as the figure of Medusa steps into the gas-light. Her body is dressed in a crimson traversed by the golden branches of willow trees, colour and light held into shape by sharp black borders. Lifting languidly her hands, she reaches towards you. Her emerald vipers, in the cohesive movements of unseen mechanisms, weave loops about her head. Music is beginning, and from the shadows off-stage the narrator speaks. “Medusa had a beautiful name and a lovely voice, though no one cared to listen; seeking only the gaze of those famous eyes.” Perseus walks onto the stage, cloaked as though he were the blazing sun. Now what you have to understand is his voice – it is like nothing you could tie down. It feels peaceful to hear it, to see him flow into the song with his fine, clear looks and his finer, clearer voice. Is the head quite forgotten? Not quite but the horror exists alongside the beauty and they flow like twin rivers, and neither is able to wash the other from you.

Why is Cole trying? He’s not the friendliest human we have.” Caleb rolled his eyes like the answer should have been obvious. “No, but he’s a reptile. Surely they can, like, recognize their own kind or something?” “Of course,” I snickered. “How silly of me. Do you want me to try? I actually like snakes. They’re cool creatures.” Caleb looked aghast. “Kitty Kat... they have no ears!

From the waist up, she was a humanoid female with snakes for hair. (If that sounds familiar, it’s because the hairdo really caught on with other monsters later.) From the waist down, she was a four-legged dragon. Thousands of vipers sprouted from her legs like grass skirts. Her waist was ringed with the heads of fifty hideous beasts—bears, boars, wombats, you name it—always snapping and snarling and trying to eat Kampê’s shirt. Large, dark reptilian wings grew from her shoulder blades. Her scorpionlike tail swished back and forth, dripping venom. Basically, Kampê didn’t get invited on many dates.

Sometimes the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are presented as a hunting expeditions (“As British close in on Basra, Iraqis scurry away”; “Terror hunt snares twenty-five”; and “Net closes around Bin Laden”) with enemy bases as animal nests (“Pakistanis give up on lair of Osama”; “Terror nest in Fallujah is attacked”) from which the prey must be driven out (“Why Bin Laden is so difficult to smoke out”; “America’s new dilemma: how to smoke Bin Laden out from caves”). We need to trap the animal (“Trap may net Taliban chief”; “FBI terror sting nets mosque leaders”) and lock it in a cage (“Even locked in a cage, Saddam poses serious danger”). Sometimes the enemy is a ravening predator (“Chained beast—shackled Saddam dragged to court”), or a monster (“The terrorism monster”; “Of monsters and Muslims”), while at other times he is a pesky rodent (“Americans cleared out rat’s nest in Afghanistan”; “Hussein’s rat hole”), a venomous snake (“The viper awaits”; “Former Arab power is ‘poisonous snake’”), an insect (“Iraqi forces find ‘hornet’s nest’ in Fallujah”; “Operation desert pest”; “Terrorists, like rats and cockroaches, skulk in the dark”), or even a disease organism (“Al Qaeda mutating like a virus”; “Only Muslim leaders can remove spreading cancer of Islamic terrorism”). In any case, they reproduce at an alarming rate (“Iraq breeding suicide killers”; “Continent a breeding ground for radical Islam”).

What's in a name? that which we call a rose/By any other name would smell as sweet.' In other words, the essence of an object does not change depending on it's name. This is a common misconception not unlike the 'world is flat' belief. By verbally identifying an object, by giving it a name, we alter it. And at the same time we prevent it from changing. A name is like a forked stick that we use to hold a snake on the ground." Portnov imitated using a forked branch to press down an imaginary viper. "By the way, consider this: the contradictory nature of a statement almost certainly proves its legitimacy... Come in." [...] "May I continue? Thank you. However, there is also another misconception-by which a name automatically defines the properties of an object. Here is a pen." He tossed up and caught a dark-blue pen with a white top. "If I give it the name of... an earthworm, will it slither?" Second years, Group A, maintained a tense silence. No one wanted to risk an answer. "It will not." Portnov let the pen fall on his desk. "Because this given piece of plastic has nothing in common with the process and events that we are talking about, that we spend time studying... between dance parties and dealing with gastrointestinal problems. Besides, when I say 'give a name,' I do not imply any of the languages that are commonly used by any of the living persons. I am talking about Speech, which you will begin to study during your third year. Some of you may start earlier.

Saw-Scaled Viper     Alternative Names: Echis, Carpet viper, Little Indian viper Where in the world? Africa, Middle East, Central Asia and Indian subcontinent Habitat: Desert, fields, towns and cities Common prey: Lizards, frogs, scorpions, centipedes and large insects Size: 40 to 60 cm (15 to 23 inches) Lifespan: 25 to 30 years Conservation status: Not classified   Description: The saw-scaled viper or carpet viper may be a small snake, only able to grow as long as 60 centimeters or a little less than two feet, but it is considered one of the deadliest snakes in the world. In fact, some scientists say that wherever this snake is found, it is responsible for about 80% of human deaths from snake bites.   There are three main reasons why the saw-scaled viper is so deadly. Firstly it is the saw-scaled viper’s aggressive behavior. It has a nasty temper and is easily provoked.   Secondly, it has a very quick strike, which when combined with a very defensive attitude, can be lethal to humans living nearby. The saw-scaled viper strikes so quickly that even the distinctive sawing sound it makes with its scales when agitated is not warning enough.   Thirdly, the saw-scaled viper’s venom is highly toxic to humans, with the venom from the females being two times more toxic than the venom from the male snakes. Its venom destroys red blood cells and the walls of the arteries, so within 24 hours, the victim can die of heart failure. There is an anti-venom available, and as long as this is administered very shortly after the bite, the victim can be saved.   Like other snakes, the saw-scaled viper’s diet consists of small animals like mice and lizards, as well as large insects. It hunts at night, hiding behind rocks and when it sees its prey, it coils and launches itself quickly and with accuracy, often biting its prey at the first attempt. The bite kills the prey within seconds, making it easy for the viper to drag it away or eat it on the spot.   Visit IPFactly.com to see footage of the saw scaled viper in action (Be Aware: your method of reading this kindle book may not support video)

Do not gaze at wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup, when it goes down smoothly! In the end it bites like a snake and poisons like a viper. Your eyes will see strange sights and your mind imagine confusing things. You will be like one sleeping on the high seas, lying on top of the rigging. ‘They hit me’ you will say ‘but I’m not hurt! They beat me, but I don’t feel it! When will I wake up so I can find another drink?’” Proverbs 23:31-35

Vipers [10w] To a snake, a pit of vipers means party time!

Woe to you, egotistical hypocrites! You are full of greed and self-indulgence. Everything you do is done for appearances: You make pompous speeches and grandstand before these TV cameras. You demand the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats wherever you go. You love to be greeted in your districts and have everyone call you “Senator” or “Congressman.” On the outside you appear to people as righteous, but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness! You say you want to clean up Washington, but as soon as you get here you become twice as much a son of hell as the one you replaced! Woe to you, makers of the law, you hypocrites! You do not practice what you preach. You put heavy burdens on the citizens, but then opt out of your own laws! Woe to you, federal fools! You take an oath to support and defend the Constitution, but then you nullify the Constitution by allowing judges to make up their own laws. Woe to you, blind hypocrites! You say that if you had lived in the days of the Founding Fathers, you never would have taken part with them in slavery. You say you never would have agreed that slaves were the property of their masters but would have insisted that they were human beings with unalienable rights. But you testify against yourselves because today you say that unborn children are the property of their mothers and have no rights at all! Upon you will come all the righteous blood that has been shed in this country. You snakes! You brood of vipers! You have left this great chamber desolate! How will you escape being condemned to hell!

She and Dora are good friends, aren't they? They used to be, as far as I remember." "They used to be; that's what makes them all the more bitter now. Each feels that she has nursed a viper in her bosom. Nothing fans the flame of human resentment so much as the discovery that one's bosom has been utilized as a snake sanatorium.

The most elaborate way of delivering venom has been evolved by yet another family of snakes, the vipers. These include, as well as several different species of viper, such feared creatures as the bushmaster, the fer-de-lance, puff adders and rattlesnakes. The fangs of a king cobra are little more than a centimetre in length. The Gaboon viper (Bitis gabonica), by contrast, which is less than a third of the king cobra’s size, has fangs four times longer. They are so big that if they were fixed in their sockets the snake would be unable to shut its mouth. But they have hinges at their base so that they can fold back and lie, each sheathed in a scabbard of mucous membranes, along the roof of the mouth. Furthermore, a viper can control every element in the movement of its fangs. It can open its mouth until its gape is effectively 180 degrees wide and not even erect its fangs. It can also bite without discharging any venom. And it can bring each fang forwards separately or together. The fangs themselves are shed every six to ten weeks and replaced with new ones that appear alongside the old.

No, my little bird is more like a snake than she realises, but she’s spent so much time amongst prey, she doesn’t know how to be a predator. I’m going to show her. I’m going to break her free and let all those emotions out. I’m going to make her a Viper.

Religious people masquerading as Holy and Superior to others But Jesus calls them hypocrites, snakes and vipers, whitewashed tombs.

I needed a body to stand with me in the dark, and these snakes? They do.

The pillars were covered in representations of serpents, most of which were winged. Others were half human or half Grigori; a woman’s torso rising from a thick ophidian coil; a man with twin snakes for legs whose gaping maw devoured a child with a viper’s head.

I never needed a knight. I needed a body to stand with me in the dark, and these snakes? They do.

To bite a witch beside a path, Some vipers did contrive. The snakes all perished one by one, The witch is still alive.

You saw what I’ve done, Mom!!” bragged the child. “What was that creature anyway?!” “It was a snake, a venomous one, the Arabian-horned viper,” replied the mother, shaking in fear from what just happened. “You were lucky it was a young one,” “A snake, huh?!! Well, he got what he deserved,” said the fawn. “You called me brave and hero, so will you name me Shuja’ or Batal ?” “Neither,” said the mother, pulling her son into a hug, “I’ll call you Nader,” Nader means rare, one of a kind.

Steele calls me the viper—but he’s the snake.

Dear Steele, Once a snake, always a snake. Enjoy your new roommate. Love, Viper

It would take me years to understand this, but the understanding began in that church hallway, that a good person is a temporary and imaginary creature, as make-believe as unicorns and fire-breathing cows, because the best of us are often the worst, full of proud and viperous snakes, believing ourselves gods. The dragons did not just live in history and myth. They lived inside me.

Then she started beating the shit out of your car, screaming something about snakes and assholes,” Diesel offers wistfully, almost dreamily. I did? Wait, Ryder’s car? Oh fuck.

I will find and use them against the Vipers. I will kill them, cut off the head of the snake.

We all know what it means to be lost, to be alone, Little Bird, but together? Together, we’re stronger. We shed that life, like a snake sheds its skin—” “And became the Vipers,” she finishes, sighing. “Fuck, why did you tell me? It makes it harder to hate you.

You’re right. I want to hate you, but honestly, I’m hurt. Hurt my dad could give me away so easily. I shouldn’t be surprised, but I guess I always wanted to see the good in him. Then you came and gave me people to aim that hate at, but I see it too. The ghosts in your eyes, they match mine… and I hate that more. Because it means…” Her words trail off, voice quiet. “It means you’re like us.” I nod, looking over my shoulder at her. “A snake.

Oh, you wanna see something?” he asks me, wiggling his eyebrows. “I don’t know… do I? If it’s your cock, babe, I’ve seen it, and as nice as it is, I would rather just eat the sausage on my plate,” I quip. “No… that will be later. Once you see this, you are bound to jump me.” He laughs as he gets to his feet. I look over just in time to see him rip off his shirt. “D, your abs are nice—” I start, but freeze at the new ink on his chest. I don’t even get distracted by the muscular torso of the crazy man like normal. He stands there proudly, puffing up, with that insane smile on his lips, while all I can do is gawk. There, on his chest, right over his heart, is a bird. The bird sits on his pec, perched on a coiled viper. They both look so lifelike, I ache to touch them to see if they’re real. The bird is standing there, so brave and unafraid of the snake, its beak held high, and the snake? It’s wrapped around it, not restraining it… keeping it. Me and him. The crazy bastard got a tattoo of us over his heart. “Like it, Little Bird?” he asks, and he suddenly seems nervous. “I’m guessing that’s me… and you?” “Course.” He grins. “My little bird, right over my heart.” “I-“ I swallow again. “I love it.

I used to fear this man so much, he haunted my every step, but now my Vipers do, replacing him. How can I fear this-this broken man, when I have seen the evil the world has to offer and the snakes that fill my bed? He is weak. He is pathetic. This place is nothing but a house, and he is nothing but a man. Me? I’m a fucking snake, baby.

Did you really think you could steal from us? Did you think you could dupe the snakes?

Together, we’re stronger. We shed that life, like a snake sheds its skin—” “And became the Vipers,

I know it, I see it. They want me here, all apart from Garrett. Yeah, they’re criminals, but half the people I know are. Yes, they can be cold, evil bastards, and this… this relationship didn’t start off in the best way. But what ever does in real life? They aren’t knights in shining armour, no, they are the villains in the dark, with brooding eyes and beast-like tendencies. I never needed a knight. I needed a body to stand with me in the dark, and these snakes? They do.

She’s stunning, all soft creamy skin coated in scars and tattoos, thick thighs, full breasts, and a snake gleaming in her belly button. I almost come there and then.

Don’t even fucking think about it. You bring your little snake near me, and I’ll cut it off.” “Little snake? Do I need to remind you how big it is?

It’s some of his skin peeled away where the scar is, and underneath it are moving snake coils, like his skin was flayed away to reveal the viper underneath. Diesel’s details make it look so much better, and there’s no dick. I figured Garrett was too brave for that shit.

It turns out we could get into a lot of trouble. I seem to have started a prank war among the Vipers, but these criminals don’t fill water balloons with flour or hide fake snakes somewhere. No, they play it for fucking real. It’s crazy, and I can’t help but laugh as we mess with Kenzo’s car. We decided to spray paint it, which I’m betting is worth millions. I draw dicks on it, because why not, and so does Diesel. Garrett helps, and we all giggle like kids as we do it. For Ryder, we head to his office which is below the apartment. Diesel suggests a grenade under his chair, but we luckily manage to veto that idea. I really want to ask where he got the grenade, but honestly, it doesn’t even surprise me. Instead, we do something equally as crazy. We buy a brothel in his name.

We can go on without her, we will survive, like always, but we are tamed snakes now, and without her, it will all be for nothing. I fell in love with her slowly. The first time she smiled at me. The first time I made her laugh, our first kiss, our first time together. When she fell asleep in my arms and held my hand at my mother’s grave. When she confided in me, trusted me. When she stopped flinching, when she started reaching for me. Trusted me. I fell a little more each time until, before I knew it, I was completely in love with her. I’m hers, but she’s not mine. Not fully. Her heart still reaches out to the city. To her old life. To her freedom beyond these walls. Nothing will replace that, no gift or love. She needs to be free. And I need her to not hate me. I couldn’t bear it.

Fucking animals. Stupid motherfucking snakes.” I smack her ass, and she yelps. “Unless you want me to fuck you in the middle of a board meeting, enough with the language, brat.

John 8:38–44, Jesus spoke to some of the Jewish people and leaders who opposed Him (per John 8:22,16 31,17 48,18 52,19 and 5720) and pointed out that they are of their father the devil. John the Baptist and Jesus both affirmed the leaders of the Jews (i.e., the scribes, Pharisees, and Sadducees) were a brood (i.e., offspring) of vipers and serpents (obviously not literally, but rather in a spiritual sense) in verses, such as Matthew 3:7,21 Matthew 12:34,22 Matthew 23:33,23 and Luke 3:7.24 Jesus even says they are of their father the devil in John 8:44.25 It’s interesting to note that of all the types of serpents currently in the world, the Bible repeatedly uses “a brood of VIPERS” to describe those lashing out at Christ. So, is it possible that the initial serpent in the Garden was actually a type of viper? We can’t know for certain, but it is something to consider; after all, vipers are among the most vicious types of snakes. Though not the most venomous, the aggressive Saw-scaled viper (also called Echis or Carpet viper) leads the way (by far) with the most human kills per year for snake bites.

It seems quite the trick to tell the friendly snakes from the other ones.' 'Ah,' Oak says. 'They're all friendly snakes until they bite you.

Concerned about something?” “I mislike this place,” Jack says. “Vipers nest,” Oak agrees. “It seems quite the trick to tell the friendly snakes from the other ones.” “Ah,” Oak says. “They’re all friendly snakes until they bite you.

She was a little white mouse hiding from an owl in a snake hole. And I was a whole pit of vipers.

Who has anguish? Who has sorrow?    Who is always fighting? Who is always complaining?    Who has unnecessary bruises? Who has bloodshot eyes? 29 ¿Quién tiene angustia? ¿Quién siente tristeza?    ¿Quién es el que siempre pelea? ¿Quién está siempre quejándose?    ¿Quién tiene moretones sin motivo? ¿Quién tiene los ojos rojos? 30 It is the one who spends long hours in the taverns,    trying out new drinks. 30 Es el que pasa muchas horas en las tabernas,    probando nuevos tragos. 31 Don’t gaze at the wine, seeing how red it is,    how it sparkles in the cup, how smoothly it goes down. 31 No te fijes en lo rojo que es el vino,    ni en cómo burbujea en la copa, ni en lo suave que se desliza. 32 For in the end it bites like a poisonous snake;    it stings like a viper. 32 Pues al final muerde como serpiente venenosa;    pica como una víbora. 33 You will see hallucinations,    and you will say crazy things. 33 Tendrás alucinaciones    y dirás disparates. 34 You will stagger like a sailor tossed at sea,    clinging to a swaying mast. 34 Te tambalearás como un marinero en alta mar,    aferrado a un mástil que se mueve. 35 And you will say, “They hit me, but I didn’t feel it.    I didn’t even know it when they beat me up.   When will I wake up    so I can look for another drink?” 35 Y entonces dirás: «Me golpearon pero no lo sentí.    Ni siquiera me di cuenta cuando me dieron la paliza.   ¿Cuándo despertaré    para ir en busca de otro trago?».

He knew Viper well. True to his name, the assassin was as slippery as a snake in the grass.

The hole between this Red-tailed Bamboo Pit Viper's eye and nostril lets it "see" heat. Some snakes have pits between their eyes and nostrils. These pits allow the snake to sense heat. This is called infrared vision. They can find a mouse or frog for dinner even in total darkness.

As Loki shrank, his scarred face rippled, contorting with rage. Acid steamed in puddles all around him. I wonder if this was all the venom that Skadi's viper had dripped on him over the centuries, or if it was simply Loki's essence. Perhaps Sigyn had tried to shield Loki from the snake because she knew her husband was already full of poison.

There once was a kindly farmer who found a viper freezing on the ground in the snow. Please help me, the poor creature said, for I am too cold to live. The farmer took the viper and put it inside of his shirt, and the viper began to warm itself and come alive again. But upon coming alive, it bit the farmer most wretchedly, and as the farmer died, he asked the viper, but why? Why when I was so trusting of you? Because I am a viper, the snake replied. And one cannot expect kindness from evil.

Researchers have uncovered preliminary evidence suggesting an evolutionary link between snakes and some of our more advanced cognitive abilities. Our keen eyesight, our ability to distinguish primary colors, and the human brain’s capacity for fear may have evolved together over the course of millions of years to counter increasingly deadly snakes, they say, in a kind of “biological arms race” between primates and vipers.

That story I told you as we arrived? About the man who killed the former master of this castle and raped his wife? Did you think it a fairy tale? No, his blood runs in my veins. I was bred to do what I am doing now. Don't fault the viper for striking. It's what snakes do." Her lips trembled, but her eyes were dry, as if she'd already given up hope of persuading him and he did not mourn at all. Not at all. "The blood of that woman who was raped is in your veins, too, isn't it?" Oh, she knew where to hit. "Naturally. But I think it's less apparent, don't you? The story says she was dark and small." She shook her head. "So all that talk of right and wrong- that doesn't matter in the end to you at all?" He hesitated- just for the smallest fraction of a second- because he had always found the question of right and wrong rather fascinating. But then he smiled at her. "Only in the abstract.

At night I dream of snakes; vipers, of different colors Your face looks at me I am anti-social; cannot participate This is my stigma; inscribed as a snakebite I bear the crescent moon I also bear you, beloved As my living sign

…I was startled out of my concentration by the sound of malicious hissing. Waddling toward me with remarkable speed were two huge white geese, their heads thrust forward, mouths open like snakes with their tongues protruding, emitting a terrifying sound. I gave a low involuntary cry and began to backtrack toward my car, afraid to take my eyes off them. They covered the ground between us at a pace that forced me into a run. I barely reached my car before they caught up with me. I wrenched the door open and slammed it again with a panic I hadn't felt in years. I locked both doors, half expecting the viperous birds to batter at my windows until they gave way. For a moment they balanced, half lifted, wings flapping, black eyes bright with ill-will, their hissing faces even with mine. And then they lost interest and waddled off, honking and hissing, pecking savagely at the grass. Until that moment, it had never even occurred to me to include crazed geese among my fears, but they had suddenly shot straight to the top of the list along with worms and water bugs.

And as if blowing it up, flooding it, and keeping it behind the klyon wasn't enough, State Security special forces patrolled the area until 1989. Some locals say there was an additional 'live fence' of thousands of vipers specially bred for this purpose by Uzbeks along the southern Black Sea, under something called decree number 56. Why Uzbeks? Why vipers? Did decree 56 read: 'Let us fulfil the five-year snake plan in one year'?

I’m beginning to believe that one cannot move forward after learning that all of life’s foundations are deceit, fantasies, even outright lies, behind which crouches a truth recognized far too late, like a snake one steps on at a precise, predestined moment. A viper striking at one’s most vulnerable anatomy, delivering poison that assures a long, agonizing death. When a person feels life slip out from beneath him, he grabs for any hand that’s offered and, often, drags down the very person who extended the hand.