Five Stars: Five Outstanding Tales from the early days of Stupefying Stories by Aaron Starr, Guy Stewart, Rebecca Roland, David Landrum, Ryan Jones
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Uzzal ran screaming into the house. Celianne slammed the door in the priest’s angry face. He roared commands at her.
Celianne spun as Uzzal’s feet plunged through the weak spot. He shrieked, his entire body slithering through the plastic floor.
The priest’s dark shadow slipped past the living room window. Celianne fell to her chest and reached down into the gaping hole, shouting, “ Bachchale ! Take my hand! Take it now!”
Uzzal grabbed hold of her and she hauled him up. He was wet from the waist down and sobbing. He wrapped his arms around her neck and she stood with him. He flung scratched and bleeding legs around her waist and she staggered to the deck door, slammed and bolted it just as the priest appeared. She dashed into Uzzal’s room with its hand-sized window close to the ceiling, slammed the door and sank to the floor with her back against it. She wrapped her arms around her son and closed her eyes, breathing in giant gulps of air as he leaned his head on her shoulder, sobbing.
Celianne listened for the sound of the priest breaking down her door, waited for him to come for her. She tried to hold her breath, hoping to hear a footfall that would let her know where he was, but she heard nothing. Uzzal’s weeping faded to hiccoughs, then to the steady breathing of sleep. Patting his back, she leaned her cheek against the tight curls of his hair. She watched the play of light across the room’s window as it fell into late-afternoon shadows.
What could she do? She snorted: Bill hadn’t wanted to tell her he had borrowed half-a-million Company credits! He was safe in the hospital while she fought off the creditor-Company man and vodoun priest! And because they’d kept everyone at arm’s length, never answered questions about their past, they had no friends.
She waited for night; got to her knees and laid Uzzal on his cot. He snuffled, rolled over and fell into a faint, boyish snore. She faced the door, touching the knob with one hand before turning it and going into the hall and the living room. Cold air welled up from the hole. The houseboat had a definite list.
She went to the front door and peered at the translucent window, but could see no shadows. The back wall of the house had no windows so she flung open the door, leaping to the fishing deck.
Below her feet, in its punt, was Fump. It looked up at her and said, “You are sinking.”
“I know.” She sighed, collapsing to the deck. “Uzzal fell through a weak spot in the floor. He may have cracked the hull when he hit it.” She held her breath then said, “Can you help me?”
Fump grumped. “What can I do about your sinking boat?”
“Would you dive under and see what happened?”
Fump didn’t say anything at first, merely stared at her over the water. “Will you do a small thing for me in return?”
“What could I do for you?”
The frogfolk turned its entire body to the left, then to the right. It did something with one eye so that it was able to look behind itself without turning. Fump said, “I can loose your fear of flying.”
She swallowed hard, suddenly terrified, but asked, “Why would you do that?”
“If you fly, you will leave and take the rest of the Humans with you, leaving us in peace.”
“You can’t teach me to do the kind of flying...”
He groaned, and then said, “When frogfolk change into fliers, they know only how to jump, swim, walk, eat and breed. But they must learn to fly to breed well. It is the work of the frogfolk to teach the breeders, so that they might fly far and make strong eggs. They are terrified when I begin, but I teach them anyway. I know how to loose their fear of flying. And I have helped other Humans before.”
Celianne stared at it.
If she could overcome her fears, there was a starship sitting in the center of Highest Baru Ekrasi right now. The port was tiny, so the ship was likely an independent, without corporate ties. Under a false name, she could sign on with them and send
Celianne spun as Uzzal’s feet plunged through the weak spot. He shrieked, his entire body slithering through the plastic floor.
The priest’s dark shadow slipped past the living room window. Celianne fell to her chest and reached down into the gaping hole, shouting, “ Bachchale ! Take my hand! Take it now!”
Uzzal grabbed hold of her and she hauled him up. He was wet from the waist down and sobbing. He wrapped his arms around her neck and she stood with him. He flung scratched and bleeding legs around her waist and she staggered to the deck door, slammed and bolted it just as the priest appeared. She dashed into Uzzal’s room with its hand-sized window close to the ceiling, slammed the door and sank to the floor with her back against it. She wrapped her arms around her son and closed her eyes, breathing in giant gulps of air as he leaned his head on her shoulder, sobbing.
Celianne listened for the sound of the priest breaking down her door, waited for him to come for her. She tried to hold her breath, hoping to hear a footfall that would let her know where he was, but she heard nothing. Uzzal’s weeping faded to hiccoughs, then to the steady breathing of sleep. Patting his back, she leaned her cheek against the tight curls of his hair. She watched the play of light across the room’s window as it fell into late-afternoon shadows.
What could she do? She snorted: Bill hadn’t wanted to tell her he had borrowed half-a-million Company credits! He was safe in the hospital while she fought off the creditor-Company man and vodoun priest! And because they’d kept everyone at arm’s length, never answered questions about their past, they had no friends.
She waited for night; got to her knees and laid Uzzal on his cot. He snuffled, rolled over and fell into a faint, boyish snore. She faced the door, touching the knob with one hand before turning it and going into the hall and the living room. Cold air welled up from the hole. The houseboat had a definite list.
She went to the front door and peered at the translucent window, but could see no shadows. The back wall of the house had no windows so she flung open the door, leaping to the fishing deck.
Below her feet, in its punt, was Fump. It looked up at her and said, “You are sinking.”
“I know.” She sighed, collapsing to the deck. “Uzzal fell through a weak spot in the floor. He may have cracked the hull when he hit it.” She held her breath then said, “Can you help me?”
Fump grumped. “What can I do about your sinking boat?”
“Would you dive under and see what happened?”
Fump didn’t say anything at first, merely stared at her over the water. “Will you do a small thing for me in return?”
“What could I do for you?”
The frogfolk turned its entire body to the left, then to the right. It did something with one eye so that it was able to look behind itself without turning. Fump said, “I can loose your fear of flying.”
She swallowed hard, suddenly terrified, but asked, “Why would you do that?”
“If you fly, you will leave and take the rest of the Humans with you, leaving us in peace.”
“You can’t teach me to do the kind of flying...”
He groaned, and then said, “When frogfolk change into fliers, they know only how to jump, swim, walk, eat and breed. But they must learn to fly to breed well. It is the work of the frogfolk to teach the breeders, so that they might fly far and make strong eggs. They are terrified when I begin, but I teach them anyway. I know how to loose their fear of flying. And I have helped other Humans before.”
Celianne stared at it.
If she could overcome her fears, there was a starship sitting in the center of Highest Baru Ekrasi right now. The port was tiny, so the ship was likely an independent, without corporate ties. Under a false name, she could sign on with them and send
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