15
— Меня зовут… — начала она.
— Мама, — улыбнулся мальчик.
— Точно?
И он рассмеялся одной из их старых, любимых шуток. Конечно, она была его мамой и ни в каком другом имени из его уст не нуждалась. Они по-прежнему оставались вдвоем, действуя как один. Среди деревьев-небоскребов жили и другие одиночки. Но времена стояли сравнительно сытые, и между монстрами не было серьезных конфликтов. Не возникало и союзов. Сотрудничество сопровождалось требованиями, и местные монстры не видели надобности объединяться даже на день.
— Хочу историю, — сказал малыш.
Они сидели в темноте под шкурой улита, слушая, как барабанит и стекает в раскисшую почву дождь.
— Ладно, — ответила мать.
— А о чем? — спросил он нетерпеливо.
— Об острове.
— Об отце?
— Что — об отце?
— Хочу послушать, как он тебя спас и выходил… пока не… — его неокрепший голос умолк, сменившись привычным печальным молчанием.
— Наверное, в другой раз.
— Тогда о чем?
Она обняла своего крепкого малютку-монстра и стиснула так, что больно стало обоим. Чуть погодя сказала:
— Я расскажу тебе о звездах, и о вселенной за звездами, и о нашем великом роде, и о чудесах, которые можно узреть только мысленным взором…
“Weep for Day,” by Indrapramit Das. Copyright © 2012 by Dell Magazines. First published in Asimov’s Science Fiction, August 2012. Reprinted by permission of the author.
“The Man,” by Paul McAuley. Copyright © 2012 by Paul McAuley. First published electronically in Arc 1. 2. Reprinted by permission of the author.
“The Stars Do Not Lie,” by Jay Lake. Copyright © 2012 by Dell Magazines. First published in Asimov’s Science Fiction, October/November 2012. Reprinted by permission of the author.
“The Memcordist,” by Lavie Tidhar. Copyright © 2012 by Lavie Tidhar. First published electronically on Eclipse Online, December. Reprinted by permission of the author.
“The Girl-Thing Who Went Out for Sushi,” by Pat Cadigan. Copyright © 2012 by Pat Cadigan. First published in Edge of Infinity (Solaris), edited by Jonathan Strahan. Reprinted by permission of the author.
“Holmes Sherlock,” by Eleanor Arnason. Copyright © 2012 by Eleanor Arnason. First published electronically on Eclipse Online, November. Reprinted by permission of the author.
“Nightfall on the Peak of Eternal Light,” by Richard A. Lovett and William Gleason. Copyright © 2012 by Dell Magazines. First published in Analog Science Fiction and Science Fact, July/August 2012. Reprinted by permission of the authors.
“Close Encounters,” by Andy Duncan. Copyright © 2012 by Andy Duncan. First published in The Pottawatomie Giant and Other Stories (PS Publishing), by Andy Duncan.
“The Finite Canvas,” by Brit Mandelo. Copyright © 2012 by Brit Mandelo. First published electronically on Tor. com, December 5. Reprinted by permission of the author.
“Steamgothic,” by Sean McMullen. Copyright © 2012 by Interzone. First published in Interzone 241. Reprinted by permission of the author.
“In the House of Aryaman, a Lonely Signal Burns,” by Elizabeth Bear. Copyright © 2012 by Dell Magazines. First published in Asimov’s Science Fiction, January 2012. Reprinted by permission of the author.
“Macy Minnot’s Last Christmas on Dione, Ring Racing, Fiddler’s Green, The Potter’s Garden,” by Paul McAuley. Copyright © 2012 by Paul McAuley. First published in Edge of Infinity (Solaris), edited by Jonathan Strahan. Reprinted by permission of the author.
“Twenty Lights to ‘The Land of Snow,’ ” by Michael Bishop. Copyright © 2012 by Michael Bishop. First published in Going Interstellar (Baen), edited by Les Johnson and Jack McDevitt. Reprinted by permission of the author.
“Astrophilia,” by Carrie Vaughn. Copyright © 2012 by Carrie Vaughn. First published electronically on Clarkesworld, July 2012. Reprinted by permission of the author.
“What Did Tessimond Tell You?” by Adam Roberts. Copyright © 2012 by Adam Roberts. First published electronically in Solaris Rising 1. 5 (Solaris), edited by Ian Whates. Reprinted by permission of the author.
“Old Paint,” by Megan Lindholm. Copyright © 2012 by Dell Magazines. First published in Asimov’s Science Fiction, July 2012. Reprinted by permission of the author.
“Chitai Heiki Koronbin,” by David Moles. Copyright © 2012 by David Moles. First published in The Future is Japanese (Haikasoru), edited by Nick Mamatas and Masumi Washington. Reprinted by permission of the author.
“Katabasis,” by Robert Reed. Copyright © 2012 by Spilogale, Inc. First published in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, November/December 2012. Reprinted by permission of the author.
“The Water Thief,” by Alastair Reynolds. Copyright © 2012 by Alastair Reynolds. First published electronically in Arc 1. 1. Reprinted by permission of the author.
“Nightside on Callisto,” by Linda Nagata. Copyright © 2012 by Linda Nagata. First published electronically on Lightspeed, May 2012. Reprinted by permission of the author.
“Under the Eaves,” by Lavie Tidhar. Copyright © 2012 by Lavie Tidhar. First published in Robots: The Recent A. I. (Prime), edited by Rich Horton and Sean Wallace. Reprinted by permission of the author.
“Sudden, Broken, and Unexpected,” by Steven Popkes. Copyright © 2012 by Dell Magazines. First published in Asimov’s Science Fiction, December 2012. Reprinted by permission of the author.
“Fireborn,” by Robert Charles Wilson. Copyright © 2012 by Robert Charles Wilson. First appeared in Rip-Off! (Audible), edited by Gardner Dozois. Reprinted by permission of the author.
"Ruminations in an Alien Tongue,” by Vandana Singh. Copyright © 2012 by Vandana Singh. First published electronically on Lightspeed, April, 2012. Reprinted by permission of the author.
“Tvche and the Ants,” by Hannu Rajaniemi. Copyright © 2012 by Hannu Rajaniemi. First published in Edge of Infinity (Solaris), edited by Jonathan Strahan. Reprinted by permission of the author.
“The Wreck of the ‘Charles Dexter Ward,’ ” by Sarah Monette and Elizabeth Bear. First presented on Drabblecast 2012.
“Invisible Men,” by Christopher Barzak. Copyright © 2012 by Christopher Barzak. First published electronically on Eclipse Online, December. Reprinted by permission of the author.
“Ship's Brother,” by Aliette de Bodard. Copyright © 2012 by Interzone. First published in Interzone 241. Reprinted by permission of the author.
“Eater-of-Bone,” by Robert Reed. Copyright © 2012 by Robert Reed. First published in Eater-of-Bone and Other Stories (PS Publishing), by Robert Reed. Reprinted by permission of the author.
notes
