conversations.from: human
conversations.value: a description for a book titled Black Unicorn about Award, Fantasy, British with the genre: Children's Books, Science Fiction & Fantasy
conversations.from: assistant
conversations.value: the author is a winner of the British Fantasy Award, the SF Chronicle Award, and a two time winner of the World Fantasy Award.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: the first three paragraphs for this book
conversations.from: assistant
conversations.value: Black Unicorn
  The first thing Tanaquil saw almost every morning on wakingwas her mother's face. But that was because a painting of Tanaquil's mother, the sorceress Jaive, hung opposite the bed. The paintingof Jaive had a great bush of scarlet hair in which various jewels,plants, implements, and mice and other small animals she used inher researches were caught. "Good morning, Mother," said Tanaquil to the picture, and the picture vigorously answered:"Rise with the sun, salute the day!" As it always did. Since it was anyway usually midmorning when Tanaquil woke up, the greet ing was completely unsuitable.
  Once the business with the picture was over, Tanaquil gotout of bed and went to see what had been left for her breakfast. Sometimes nothing had. Today there were some pieces of cold toasted bread without any butter, an orange, and green herbal teain a glass. Tanaquil tried the tea, then peeled the orange cau tiously. As she split the segments a bird flew out.
  Tanaquil glanced and saw one of the peeves was sitting onthe roof below her window. It was about the size of a large cat,with thick brown fur over a barrel-shaped body and short muscu lar legs. It gripped with three paws and with the fourth scratcheditself busily. It had a long dainty muzzle, a bushy tail, and ears that would go up in points, although just now they floppeddown. In its big yellow eyes was an urgent look.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: five more paragraphs
conversations.from: assistant
conversations.value: When she reached the door, the peeve struggling beside her,trying to make plain its needs— "Bird! Bird!"—Tanaquil knocked once more, and this door flew wide.
  The Artisans' Hall—it was labelled in gold lettering on thewall facing the door, above another gold hammer and chisel,some gold saws, braces, measures, and other stuff—was exactlysquare, washed with black, and lit by torches. On black chairsaround it sat thirty men whom Tanaquil took for officers or superiors of the guild. And facing the door, beneath the lettering,was a man who must be Vush, for his chair was the largest, and afearsome beard escaped beneath the mask he wore. Every man inthe room was masked. The masks were all the same, bronze visors with panes of black glass at the eyes. Meant to create asinister impression of uninvolved ruthlessness, the masks had succeeded. Tanaquil wavered between scorn and extreme uneasi ness. And catching her mood, the peeve crouched, speechless andbristling, at her feet.
  One of the masked men, thin and bony, cranked to his feet.Sourly, he said, "Vush the Master has proposed that I do so. I'll therefore pay the silver for the boy Tanaquil, which he will thenowe me as a debt, plus interest to me of one half-weight ofbronze, all cash to be returned to me during the next year, beforenext year's Festival of the Blessing." He sat down.
  A loud murmur came from the room, and she picked outanother of the masks saying, "I told you, it's that girl I heard ofwith the animal that talks."
  Vush cleared his throat, and the hall was silenced. He said, "Too late. It has been decided." And then he thundered: "Bring forth the Fish of Judgement."
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: the last five paragraphs
conversations.from: assistant
conversations.value: But the peeve had climbed down the patient, scornful forelegof the camel, and was digging in the dusty earth. It lifted up itspointed face from the darkness and announced in victory: "Foundit. Found a bone."
  It's the year 1340. You have traveled back to the age of the knights. A squire has just accused you of being a sorcerer. You must prove yourself in a duel with quarterstaves, but you've never used them before. You can try to defend yourself or escape through the angry crowd. Your decision can lead you to safety or leave you stranded in time!
  THE DREAM CHRONICLES envisions a potential future for humankind as security keeps trumping individual freedom. It is a warning and a celebration of the human spirit. It is adventure on the high seas of space: pirates and slavers and huge governments are in hot pursuit of the Dreamers; The ENTREPREN TRADERS (who control all interplanetary commerce and the life-extension drug Kiltrin) watch carefully, aware that stability is the greatest asset their business has and these Dreamers are a new chaotic reality in the galaxy; and then there is the ever powerful S3 with its head offices in New Omaha Beach on planet Earth—scheming, spinning the webs of its ancient spy master CYRUS MALONEY III.
  With each new encounter the intrepid dreamers learn more about their abilities and seek out more of their kind. But the galaxy is a dangerous place. Everyone they meet could be a member of S3, could turn them in for the huge rewards offered for them by the REBEL COLONIES or the UNITED DOMINION OF PLANETS. Even the pirates from whom they took the starship are in hot pursuit.
  But before the young adventurers is the possibility of glory. Of completion. Of dreams. Of human kind's shared destiny.