The Punishment, Part 2
The black wolf nodded. "very good, fannar." he paused, then smiled a little.
The Ambassador
_See how we measure feelings from a distance... See how we measure people into zero... -- October Project, "Be My Hero"_ The footman opened the rear passenger door of the stretch limousine, and I made a particularly graceful exit courtesy of the...
Epilog -- Famous Last Words
That was more than two years ago now. Much has changed since then, and I thought that I should tell you what's happened. Darkstar informs me that this is called "breaking the fourth wall." That's a construct of narrative, he says. Truthfully, my...
Leaving Starhold
I woke slowly to a sweet, soft, hazy quiet. Sunday mornings have a particular quietness about them. Unless I'm on a case that can't wait (not many of those, contrary to television cop shows), my alarm is off, no church to go to, no friends for brunch....
A Single Candle, Part 2
"That sounds as close to impossible as makes no odds." "You're friggin' well told." As a rule, Dr. Newton Augustus Gutenberg did not use such language. This was, he thought, an occasion to break any number of rules. His experience in Chase's quarters...
A Single Candle, Part 3
"Are you going to tell me now?" "What, and spoil dinner?" Newton offered a rueful smile as he looked over the happy ruins of the dinner that the two of them had shared in Chase's quarters. The coyote had done them proud, with his...
A Single Candle, Part 4
They ended up in Chase's quarters, for reasons of proximity to the lab, size of the room, and the availability of chilled bottled water. Newton had rarely felt more parched in all his life, and he was grateful to the coyote for reminding him not to...
Pillow Talk
"I have spoken with three of them," I said reading aloud, "Hausman, Farrow, and Yerkes - and I expect to see Kalmus tomorrow. They all profess belief in Blount's innocence, which is gratifying but not helpful. I not only profess it, I am committed to...
The Laputan Factor 01
Quote: **TOP SECRET - "PERSEUS" (EYES ONLY)** **PERSONNEL:** O'Connell, Night. _Profile:_ Programming genius, project head - revolutionary VR technology. _Location:_Vacation resort, downtime reward for exceptional work. _Status:_ Recovering from...
Richard Cory
He always smelled of sex, whether his own or someone else's mixed with his own. I guess he couldn't help it, if I'm being honest - how many maned, long-furred, melanistic tigers are there in the world, much less one so perfectly lean and hard-muscled...
The Punishment, Part 3
The great black wolf was no less imposing for not wearing the black leather greatcoat that kevin remembered from that terrible night.
Because You Have Wings
He always asked for me. I told myself I never really knew why. For the most part, I'm just an old black bear who can do his job well, no one particularly memorable. I like to think that I give my clients something special, even if it's not a "happy...