*Before he knew what had happened, the rat snake had been hit in the eye with some kind of liquid. The lidless eyes began to burn horribly, and it was all he could do to keep from falling off the stump. He writhed and rolled on the top of the stump, trying to ease the burning or at least forget it. The snake didn't give a thought to the fairy it had been chasing...but surely, what thret could a fairy be to a big rat snake like himself?*