“What happened!?” I asked, pulling my hand from Lee’s. The pain in my knee was gone. The smell was still there, but fading fast, like a dream. It was familiar, almost identifiable, then gone.
“Beats me,” Lee said. “Figures all gone.” He was shaking his PalmPC.
“It’s over,” I said. But what? What was over?
I looked at the clock. 9:56. I heard a booming. There was Parker, sticking his big ugly head through the open door. “Have to close up, Dr. Lee,” he said.
Behind him was Pell.
Parker left; Pell came in and closed the door. “What happened?” he asked in a loud whisper. “Did you get it?”
Lee shrugged. “Guess not,” he said.
“What do you mean, ‘guess not?’ ”
“Excuse me, Dr. Lee,” said Parker, opening the door again. “Gotta close up.”
“Outa here,” said Lee, standing up. I stood up beside him. I was still dizzy. My knees felt funny.
“No luck? Damn,” said Pell. “I thought this was a done deal. All checked out.”
“Not such critter,” said Lee, gathering up his stuff. “Algorithm not work, always possible. Probably most probable. Or see-tomorrow algorithm too good, pull too far, all way to End of Time. Or work right, which pull through multiverse, then larger slice, eck-cetera.”
“The End of Time,” Pell said. “I guess if you’d been to the End of Time you would know it, right?”
“Guess so,” said Lee, dropping his PalmPC into his cowhide briefcase. I was surprised to see that the pattern I had thought was formulas was actually cattle brands.
“So much for Dear Abbey,” said Pell. “And too bad, too. I thought it was a neat idea, even though I never really thought it would work. So what was it like? Did you just sit there and swing?”
“It wasn’t like anything,” I said. A neat idea?
“Then why are you guys both looking so sad, like you just lost your best friend?”
“You don’t want to know,” said Cole. “Where’s Flo?”
“Don’t ask.” Pell looked smug. I wanted to slug him, but no, I didn’t. Instead I helped him and Lee shove the glider into the corner behind the piano, one side at a time. It was heavy and of course it had no wheels.
“Thanks!” said Lee as Parker locked the door behind us. In the parking lot, I borrowed Lee’s phone. I winced when I heard my voice on my machine. I had never before realized how cold my own voice sounded.
“You have reached . . . leave a message if you insist.”
I dialed in the access code.
“You have TWO messages.”
Two? The first was from Helen. “Surprise. You will find the dog still there. At the last minute the new home crapped out. Sorry but I have a plane to catch and you two deserve each other.” No goodbye, no farewell, no adieu.
The second was from Helen as well. “Oh, and fuck you.”
I had to smile. Helen would be disappointed to know that I was, actually, glad to have somebody waiting for me at home. Lee’s phone was a throwaway and I had apparently used the last call, because when I handed it back to him, he tossed it into the trash.
There was a piece of paper in my pocket. I unfolded it. Somebody’s math homework, spattered with . . . was that blood? Had to be. I folded it back up.
I felt sad but I didn’t know why. Dear Abbey? Helen? It was something less tangible but more personal than either. All I knew was, I felt like being alone.
Pell was astride his BMW, warming it up. Lee was waiting in his car but I declined a ride. A Prius glides off as silently as a ghost. My feet in the leaves were pleasantly loud, all the way home.
I felt apprehensive as I opened the door; Helen is known for her unpleasant surprises. But what greeted me was neither a surprise nor unpleasant.
“Rover! Hello boy! Glad to see me? Yes, you are!”
I went into the bathroom and peed, thinking, for some reason, of seals. Then I unfolded the blood-spattered paper and burned it, carefully, holding first one corner and then another, and flushed the ashes down the toilet. Good security habits die hard.
HONOURABLE MENTIONS
2003
Daniel Abraham, “An Amicable Divorce,” The Dark.
–––, “Pagliacci’s Divorce,” F&SF, December.
––– & Susan Fry, “The Bird of Paradise,” Asimov’s, June.
Brian W. Aldiss, “The Hibernators,” Asimov’s, October/November.
Martha J. Allard, “Dust,” Talebones 27.
Lee Allred, “Our Gunther Likes to Dig,” Asimov’s, July.
Barth Anderson, “The Apocalypse According to Olaf,” Asimov’s, May.
–––, “The Mystery of Our Baraboo Lands,” Polyphony 3.
Lou Antonelli, “Silence Is Golden,” Revolution SF, August 14.
Eleanor Arnason, “Big Ugly Mama and the Zk,” Asimov’s, September.
Catherine Asaro, “Walk in Silence,” Analog, April.
Neal Asher, “The Thrake,” Hadrosaur Tales 16.
–––, “Watchcrab,” The Agony Column.
Nigel Atkinson, “A Mouse in the Walls of the Lesser Redoubt,” The Night Lands, Vol 1.
Robin Aurelian, “Foreign Exchange,” F&SF, September.
Kage Baker, “The Angel in the Darkness,” Golden Gryphon Press.
–––, “The Briscian Saint,” Realms of Fantasy, August.
–––, “The Empress of Mars,” Asimov’s, July.
–––, “A Night on the Barbary Coast,” The Silver Gryphon.
–––, “Nightmare Mountain,” Stars.
Nathan Ballingrud, “You Go Where It Takes You,” SCI FICTION, 7/13.
James Barclay, “Light Stealer,” PS Publishing.
Steven Barnes, “Heartspace,” Mojo: Conjure Stories.
Neal Barrett, Jr., “Hard Times,” Asimov’s, April.
–––, “Kwantum Babes,” The Silver Gryphon.
Laird Barron, “Old Virginia,” F&SF, February.
William Barton, “The Man Who Counts,” SCI FICTION, 5/28.
Christopher Barzak, “The Drowned Mermaid,” Realms of Fantasy, June.
Michael Bateman, “Freefall,” Asimov’s, February.
–––, “Mortal Engines,” Asimov’s, December.
Stephen Baxter, “All in a Blaze,” Stars.
–––, “Breeding Ground,” Asimov’s, February.
–––, “The Chop Line,” Asimov’s, December.
–––, “Conurbation 2473,” Live Without a Net.
–––, “The Great Game,” Asimov’s, March.
–––, “Touching Centauri,” Asimov’s, August.
Greg Beatty, “Midnight at the Ichnologist’s Ball,” SCI FICTION, 1/8.
Chris Beckett, “Monsters,” Interzone, February.
M. Shayne Bell, “Rachel,” Men Writing Science Fiction as Women.
Gregory Benford, “The Hydrogen Wall,” Asimov’s, October/November.
–––, “Naturals”, Interzone, September.
–––, “On the Edge”, Stars.
Bret Bertholf, “Alfred Bester Is Alive and Well and Living in Winterset, Iowa,” F&SF, September.
Ilsa J. Bick, “In the Blood,” SCI FICTION, 4/16.
–––, “The Woman in the Cherry Red Convertible by the Platinum Sea,” SCI FICTION, 10/15.
Michael Bishop, “Andalusian Triptych, 1962,” Polyphony 2.
–––, “The Door Gunner,” The Silver Gryphon.
Terry Bisson, “Almost Home,” F&SF, October/November.
–––, “Come Dance With Me,” Stars.
–––, “Greetings,” SCI FICTION, 9/25.
Maya Kaathryn Bonhoff, “Distance,” Analog, February.
Ben Bova, “Monster Slayer,” Absolute Magnitude, Fall.
–––, “Son of the Flying Dutchman,” Analog, June.
Scott Bradfield, “Doggy Love,” F&SF, August.
David Brin, “A Professor at Harvard,” Analog, July/August.
/> Eric Brown, “The Frozen Woman,” Interzone, July/August.
–––, “Liketsuwan,” The Third Alternative, Spring.
–––, “The Wisdom of the Dead,” Interzone, February.
Nigel Brown, “Annunity Clinic,” Interzone, April.
Simon Brown, “Waiting at Golgotha,” Agog! Terrific Tales.
Tobias S. Buckell, “In the Heart of Kalikuata,” Men Writing Science Fiction as Women.
Chris Bunch, “One Last Look at a Half Moon,” Albedo One, #25.
–––, “This Sporting Life,” Absolute Magnitude, Fall.
Chris Butler, “The Smart Mindfield,” Interzone, January.
Octavia E. Butler, “Amnesty,” SCI FICTION, 1/22.
–––, “The Book of Martha,” SCI FICTION, 5/21.
Richard Butner, “Ash City Stomp,” Trampoline.
–––, “Drifting,” Say . . . What Time Is It?
Orson Scott Card, “In the Dragon’s House,” The Dragon Quintet.
–––, “The Yazoo Queen,” Legends II.
James L. Cambias, “Train of Events,” F&SF, January.
Jeff Carlson, “Interrupt,” Strange Horizons, January 13.
Siobhan Carroll, “Morning in the House of Death,” On Spec, Summer.
Jay Caselberg, “Harvest Rain,” Interzone, May.
Susan Casper, “Old Photographs,” Stars.
Adam-Troy Castro, “The Tangled Strings of the Marionettes,” F&SF, July.
Robert R. Chase, “Unseen,” Analog, October.
Eric Choi, “A Man’s Place,” Space Inc.
James H. Cobb, “Faith on Ice,” Future Wars.
Matt Colcorn, “The Brutal Shadow,” Interzone, April.
Brenda Cooper, “Linda’s Dragon,” Analog, July/August.
Nat Coward, “By Hand or by Brain,” Interzone, January.
Albert E. Cowdrey, “Danny’s Inferno,” F&SF, December.
–––, “The Dog Movie,” F&SF, April.
–––, “Grey Star,” F&SF, January.
Robert Cox, “Rambling with Rose,” Andromeda Spaceways, Oct/Nov.
Ian Creasey, “Demonstration Day,” Oceans of the Mind IX.
–––, “Successful Delocation,” Neo-Opsis.
Don D’Ammassa, “Curing Agent,” Asimov’s, July.
–––, “A Good Offense,” Analog, May.
Jack Dann, “The Hanging,” Polyphony 2.
––– “Rings Around the Moon,” Polyphony 3.
–––, “Summer,” Men Writing Science Fiction as Women.
Brett Davidson, “Imago,” The Night Lands, Vol 1.
–––, “Little Watcher,” Interzone, January.
Steve de Beer, “Profit Motive,” Aurealis 31.
Stephen Dedman, “Acquired Tastes,” Andromeda Spaceways, Oct/Nov.
–––, “Desiree,” Oceans of the Mind X.
–––, “Mortal Nature,” Andromeda Spaceways, August/September.
A. M. Dellamonica, “The Children of Port Allain,” On Spec, Summer.
–––, “Cooking Creole,” Mojo: Conjure Stories.
Nick DiChario, “Zolo and the Jelly Ship,” Men Writing Science Fiction as Women.
Paul Di Filippo, “A Monument to After-Thought Unveiled,” Interzone, November/December.
–––, “Bare Market,” Interzone, January.
–––, “Clouds and Cold Fires,” Live Without a Net.
–––, “Seeing Is Believing,” F&SF, April.
–––, “What’s Up, Tiger Lily?,” The Silver Gryphon.
Cory Doctorow, “Liberation Spectrum,” Salon, January 16.
–––, “Nimby and the Dimension Hoppers,” Asimov’s, June.
–––, “Truncat,” Salon, August 8.
––– & Charles Stross, “Flowers From Alice,” New Voices in Science Fiction.
Tananarive Due, “Trial Day,” Mojo: Conjure Stories.
Terry Dowling, “One Thing About the Night,” The Dark.
Gardner Dozois, “Fairy Tale,” SCI FICTION, 1/15.
Diane Duane, “Hopper Painting,” Stars.
Brendan Duffy, “Louder Echo,” Agog! Terrific Tales.
Andy Duncan, “Daddy Mention and the Monday Skull,” Mojo: Conjure Stories.
–––, “The Haw River Trolley,” The Silver Gryphon.
J. R. Dunn, “For Keeps,” SCI FICTION, 3/5.
Greg Van Eekhout, “In the Late December,” Strange Horizons, 12/22.
Scott Edelman, “Together Forever at the End of the World,” Men Writing Science Fiction as Women.
Harlan Ellison, “Goodbye to All That,” McSweeney’s Mammoth Treasury of Thrilling Tales.
Carol Emshwiller, “Boys,” SCI FICTION, 1/28.
–––, “The General,” McSweeney’s Mammoth Treasury of Thrilling Tales.
–––, “Repository,” F&SF, July.
S. Evans, “Indra’s Rice,” Strange Horizons, 10/20.
Gregory Feeley, “False Vacuum,” Beyond the Last Star.
Sheila Finch, “Reach,” F&SF, February.
Charles Coleman Finlay, “A Game of Chicken,” F&SF, February.
–––, “For Want of a Nail,” F&SF, March
–––, “Wild Thing,” F&SF, July.
Eliot Fintushel, “The Grass and the Trees,” Asimov’s, February.
–––, “Kukla Boogie Moon,” Lady Churchill’s Rosebud Wristlet, November.
Karen Fishler, “Miko,” The Third Alternative, Autumn.
Michael F. Flynn, “3rd Corinthians,” Analog, June.
–––, “Still Coming Ashore,” Analog, July/August.
Jeffrey Ford, “The Beautiful Gelreesh,” Album Zutique.
–––, “Coffins on the River,” Polyphony 3.
–––, “The Empire of Ice Cream,” SCI FICTION, 2/26.
–––, “Present From the Past,” The Silver Gryphon.
–––, “The Trentino Kid,” The Dark.
–––, “The Yellow Chamber,” Trampoline.
Karen Joy Fowler, “King Rat,” Trampoline.
–––, “Private Grave 9,” McSweeney’s Mammoth Treasury of Thrilling Tales.
Carl Fredericks, “The Spacemice Incident,” Analog, July/August.
Bruce Jay Friedman, “Protect Yourself at All Times,” F&SF, May.
Peter Friend, “The Alchemist,” Andromeda Spaceways, August/ September.
Gregory Frost, “The Prowl,” Mojo: Conjure Stories. Neil Gaiman, “Bitter Grounds,” Mojo: Conjure Stories. –––, “Closing Time,” McSweeney’s Mammoth Treasury of Thrilling Tales.
–––, “The Monarch of the Glen,” Legends II.
–––, “A Study in Emerald,” Shadows Over Baker Street.
R. Garcia y Robertson, “The Bone Witch,” F&SF, February.
–––, “Far Barbary,” The Silver Gryphon.
–––, “Killer of Children,” F&SF, December.
James Alan Gardner, “The Eightfold Career Path; or Invisible Duties,” Space Inc.
Tom Gerencer, “Intergalactic Refrigerator Repairmen Seldom Carry Cash,” New Voices in Science Fiction.
David Gerrold, “Digging in Gehenna,” Men Writing Science Fiction as Women.
–––, “Riding Janis,” Stars.
Greer Gilman, “A Crowd of Bone,” Trampoline.
Laura Anne Gilman, “Turnings,” Realms of Fantasy, August.
Alexander Glass, “From the Corner of My Eye,” Asimov’s, August.
–––, “The Nature of Stone,” The Third Alternative, Summer.
Molly Gloss, “Eating Ashes,” Lady Churchill’s Rosebud Wristlet 11.
Lisa Goldstein, “The Arts of Malediction,” Polyphony 2.
Kathleen Ann Goonan, “Angels and You Dogs,” SCI FICTION, 7/2.
Adrienne Gormley, “Custer’s Angel,” New Voices in Science Fiction.
Theodora Goss, “Professor Berkowitz Stands on the Threshold,” Polyphony 2.
Gavin
J. Grant, “You and Me,” Strange Horizons, 4/14.
John Grant, “No Solace for the Soul in Digitopia,” Live Without a Net.
Dominic Green, “Heavy Ice,” Interzone, March.
–––, “The Rule of Terror,” Interzone, May.
Gary Greenwood, “Jigsaw Men,” PS Publishing.
Jim Grimsley, “Perfect Pilgrim,” Asimov’s, February.
Jon Courteney Grimwood, “Breakfast at the Fir Tree Diner,” Interzone, April.
Sally Gwylan, “In the Icehouse,” Asimov’s, March.
Joe Haldeman, “Finding My Shadow,” Stars.
–––, “Four Short Novels,” F&SF, October/November.
–––, “Giza,” Asimov’s, March.
Charles L. Harness, “Faces,” Analog, December.
–––, “The Melkart Coin,” Weird Tales, Spring.
–––, “The Thalatta Thesis,” Imaginings.
James A. Hartley, “Nature’s Way,” Electric Velocipede, Fall.
Glen Hirshberg, “Dancing Men,” The Dark.
–––, “Flowers on Their Bridles, Hooves in the Air,” SCI FICTION, 8/6.
–––, “Shipwreck Beach,” Trampoline.
Robin Hobb, “Homecoming,” Legends II.
M. K. Hobson, “Daughter of the Monkey God,” SCI FICTION, 7/23.
Ernest Hogan, “Coyote Goes Hollywood,” Witpunk.
Martha A. Hood, “Give Them the Moon,” Interzone, September.
Rob Hood, “Lady of the Flies,” Oceans of the Mind X.
Sarah A. Hoyt, “Never Look Back,” Weird Tales, Winter.
–––, “Travelling, Travelling,” Analog, July/August.
Tanya Huff, “I Knew a Guy Once,” Space Inc.
David Hutchinson, “All the News, All the Time, from Everywhere,” Live Without a Net.
Janis Ian, “Prayerville,” Women Writing Science Fiction As Men.
–––, “Second Person Unmasked,” Stars.
Simon Ings, “Elephant,” Asimov’s, February.
Alex Irvine, “A Peaceable Man,” Unintended Consequences.
–––, “Gus Dreams of Biting the Mailman,” Trampoline.
–––, “Pictures from an Expedition,” F&SF, September.
–––, “Reformation,” Live Without a Net.
–––, “Shepherded by Galatea,” Asimov’s, March.
–––, “Vandoise and the Bone Monster,” F&SF, January.
–––, “The Uterus Garden,” Polyphony 2.
Sue Isle, “Witness of Blood,” Agog! Terrific Tales.
The Mammoth Book of Best New SF 17 Page 112
