Si Wang-mu has grown accustomed to many strange things since leaving her parents’ household to work and study in the household of her lady -

But, it has to be admitted, none of those strange things involve suddenly being in an unfamilar kitchen, when you were discussing spatial geometry with your lady ( Read more... )

He hits the ground hard; it is impossible to tell quite where he's fallen from, but it's far enough to knock the wind out of him for a few moments ( Read more... )

(a figure. he's dressed in black, immaculate: high black shoes, black trousers, black shirt with a high collar and buttons at the cuffs and up the front. black buttons. his hair matches, curly as it is. his eyes are dark and serious. clipped on the shirt is a small card. the most important things on the card are the long black band along the bottom ( Read more... )

Fletcher is desperately, desperately homesick. He wants Downbelow, and he wants Pell, and he wants Finity’s End and his cousins, and Melody and Patch. Something familiar, anything familiar. Hell, at this point he could go for the familiar aggravation of legal letters in his mail ( Read more... )

It's a tall figure that makes itself known, finally, tall and broad-shouldered and presumably male -- presumably, being, as he is, sleek dark fur all over; neither human nor simian, though with somewhat the look of both. He wears little but a brightly colored kilt and a good deal of flashy jewellery, gold chains at the neck, gold rings in the ( Read more... )

"To anyone who has children or plans to have children, I have a question: WHY? What do you want them for?"

Near the bulletin board, a small table has been set up. There's a stack of papers, a plastic cup full of pens, a box with a slot in the top, and an attractively printed sign.

SURVEY

All residents are invited to take part in a short demographic survey. Answers will remain confidential except to typists.

( The survey )

Any day now the Mansion will be blanketed in snow and festooned with icicles, right on schedule; but for the moment, the lawns are still bare, the wind brisk but not bitter, the air bracing. Conveniently, because something seems to be going on ( Read more... )

"--Grant ( Read more... )

I don't know about anywhere else, but back in Kansas we had a rule that on Thanksgiving everyone had to say what they were thankful for or they didn't get to come to dinner ( Read more... )