Playwright John Guare came up with the phrase "six degrees of separation" -- four words to describe the phenomenon of a shrinking world where any random two people can discover a link through a chain of acquaintances. This story suggests a route through physical connections from a homeless British woman to the President of the United States. But beware - this isn't a light fantasy. The links on this chain are rusty and loose - and they hurt those who are joined by them.
A Dryad Story Many will tell you of the mystical quality of trees. Trees, individually and collectively, often have a magical ability to confer calm and refreshment. Return to the Woodland Folk as outsiders encounter them...
Jonas decides to stay for a while in the Italian factory he inherited from his father, and to start work on a symphony. The women there never cease to astonish him. If you have not read, or do not remember, "To Inherit a Factory", you are warmly recommended to read that story first.
A story based on one of my favorite TV shows. Ethan is shocked to find his fantasies coming to life, as he meets the three "Charmed Ones" -- in the flesh!!
Jim was having a little bit of a hard time. He had been divorced for a while and had no new love on the horizon. Then he lost his job. Jim was a survivor. He started his own business, then he met Bonnie.
A Coldwater County Story Rather than send the man to the state hospital, which is what I should have done, given his suicidal behavior, instead I chose a more self-indulgent course. As the police began to suspect my complicity, I cursed myself for my arrogance.
A Swarm Cycle Story
The process of pickups and extractions had been long known, but one woman with the heart of a true warrior had not stumbled on one during the first few years. Now the Confederacy Marines have shown in and told her its time to go to the stars.