The Mammoth Book of Best New Science Fiction: 23rd Annual Collection (126 page)

“Little Lord Vishnu,” she whispered. “Preserve us.”

I picked myself up from the marble. I dusted off the ash of the dark goddess. I walked to the edge of the temple, blinking up into the light of the real sun. I had an idea where to go to do what I had to do. Varanasi, the City of Siva, the seat of the great Jyotirlinga. How might I support myself, with nothing but the dhoti around my loins? Then I caught a sudden movement: on a window ledge on the first floor of one of the many shops that leaned in close to the temple, a cat was edging out along a waterpipe in pursuit of a bird. And I had an idea that filled me with laughter.

So here it is, here it is: at long last. The great trick, the grand Finale of the Magnificent Vishnu’s Celestial Cat Circus. The wire walk. You will never, ever have seen anything like this before, unless of course you’ve been to a certain Kali Temple . . . See, here are the two wires. And here is our star performer. Yes, white Kalki gets his chance to shine at last. Up he goes on to the podium and . . . drum roll. Well, you’ll have to provide the drum roll yourself.

Kalki! Kalki, beautiful white Kalki: do your trick!

And there he goes, carefully sliding one paw, then another out across the two wires, tail moving to keep him in balance, the whole trembling to his muscular control. Go on Kalki . . . Walking the wire. What a cat! And the final jump on to the further podium and I scoop him up to my chest and shout applause! Applause for my lovely cats! I let Kalki down and the rest of the cats run to join him, running their endless circle of fur and tails around the rope ring. Matsya, Kurma, Narasimha and Varaha; Varana, Pashurama and Rama; Krishna, Buddha and last but not least, Kalki.

I turn in the rising dawn light to savour the applause of my audience. And my cats, save your biggest cheer for Matsya, Kurma, Narasimha, Varaha, Varana, Pashurama, Rama, Krishna, Buddha and Kalki who have performed for your pleasure? And me? Just an impresario, a ringmaster: a storyteller. The light is up now and I will detain you no longer for you have your work and I have a place to go and I think now you know where that is and what I must do there. I may not succeed. I may die. I cannot see Shiv giving up without a fight. So please, will you do one thing for me? My cats. Would you look after them for me? You don’t have to feed them or anything like that, just take them. Let them go, they can look after themselves. It’s where I got them from in the first place. They’ll be happy on a farm, in the country. Lots to hunt and kill. You might even be able to make a bit of money from them. I mean, performing cats, who ever heard of a thing like that? It’s actually much easier than you think. Meat does it, every time. There, I’ve given away the trick. Be good to them. Well, I’ll be off then.

I push the boat out into the river, run into the dawn-bright water and hop in. It rocks gently. It is a glorious morning; the Jyotirlinga ahead can hold no comparison to the sun. I touch my fingers to my forehead, to the tilak Lakshmi put there in a small salutation to the sun. Then I put my back to the narrow oars and head out into the stream.

HONORABLE MENTIONS

2009

Daniel Abraham, “Belfour and Meriwether in the Adventure of the Emperor’s Vengeance,”
Postscripts
19.

_____, “The Best Monkey,”
Solaris Book of SF 3.

_____, “The Curandero and the Swede,”
F&SF
, March.

_____, “The Pretender’s Tourney,”
Eclipse Three.

Jim Aikin, “Leaving the Station,”
Asimov’s
, December.

Tim Akers, “A Soul Stitched to Iron,”
Solaris Book of SF 3.

Neal Asher, “Shell Game,”
New Space Opera 2.

Kage Baker, “Are You Afflicted with Dragons?,”
The Dragon Book.

_____, “The Green Bird,”
Songs of the Dying Earth.

_____, “The Women of Nell Gwynne’s,”
Subterranean Press.

Peter M. Ball, “Horn,”
Twelfth Planet Press.

_____, “To Dream of Stars: An Astronomer’s Lament,”
Apex Magazine
, October.

Elliott Bangs, “This Must Be the Place,”
Strange Horizons
, 2/2
.

John Barnes, “The Lost Princess Man,”
New Space Opera 2.

_____, “Things Undone,”
JBU
, December.

Kelly Barnhill, “Open the Door and the Light Pours Through,”
Clockwork Phoenix 2.

Laird Barron, “Catch Hell,”
Lovecraft Unbound.

_____, “Strappado,”
Poe.

William Barton, “The Sea of Dreams,”
Asimov’s
, October/November.

Christopher Barzak, “The Ghost Hunter’s Beautiful Daughter,”
Asimov’s
, October/November.

Stephen Baxter, “Artifacts,”
Solaris Book of SF 3.

_____, “Earth II,”
Asimov’s
, July.

_____, “Formidable Caress,”
Analog
, December.

_____, “Kelvin 2.0,”
New Scientist
, 16 September.

_____, “The Phoebean Egg,”
Postscripts
20/21.

_____, “Starfall,”
PS Publishing.

_____, “Tempest 43,”
We Think, Therefore We Are.

_____, “The Unblinking Eye,”
Other Earths.

Peter S. Beagle, “Oakland Dragon Blues,”
The Dragon Book.

_____, “Slight of Hand,”
Eclipse Three.

_____, “Up the Down Beanstalk: A Wife Remembers,”
Troll’s Eye View.

_____, “Vanishing,”
OSC’sIMShow
, March.

Elizabeth Bear, “The Horrid Glory of Its Wings,” Tor.com.

_____, “Snow Dragons,”
Subterranean
, Summer.

_____, “Swell,”
Eclipse Three.

Chris Beckett, “Atomic Truth,”
Asimov’s
, April/May.

_____, “The Famous Cave Paintings on Isolus 9,”
Postscripts
19.

Gregory Benford, “Paradise Afternoon,” Flurb 8.

Judith Berman, “Pelago,”
Asimov’s
, February.

Beth Bernobich, “Ars Memoriae,”
PS Publishing.

Terry Bisson, “Corona CenturionTM FAQ,”
F&SF
, June/July.

James Blaylock, “The Dry Spell,”
Subterranean
, Winter.

Michael Blumlein, “California Burning,”
Asimov’s
, August.

Leah Bobet, “The Parable of the Shower,”
Lone Star Stories
, 1 June.

_____, “Six,” Clockwork
Phoenix 2.

Desirina Boskovich, “Celadon,”
Clarkesworld
, January.

Richard Bowes, “I Needs Must Part, the Policeman Said,”
F&SF
, October/November.

_____, “The Office of Doom,”
Lovecraft Unbound.

Marie Brennan, “Letter Found in a Chest Belonging to the Marquis de Monsseraille,

Following the Death of That Worthy Individual,”
Abyss & Apex 29.

_____, “Once a Goddess,”
Clockwork Phoenix 2.

Damien Broderick, “Flowers of Asphodel,”
Asimov’s
, October/November.

_____, “The Qualia Engine,”
Asimov’s
, August.

_____, “The Ruined Queen of Harvest World,” Tor.com.

Keith Brooke, “Sweats,”
We Think, Therefore We Are.

Eric Brown, “Cold Testing,”
Asimov’s
, June.

_____, “Gilbert and Edward on Mars,”
PS Publishing.

_____, “Salvage Rites,”
We Think, Therefore We Are.

_____, “Starship Fall,”
NewCon Press.

Rachel Manija Brown, “River of Heaven,”
Strange Horizons
, 6/29.

Chaz Brunchley, “White Skies,”
When It Changed.

Tobias S. Bucknell, “Placa Del Fuego,”
Clarkesworld 34.

Karl Bunker, “Murder,”
Abyss & Apex
29.

Stephanie Burgis, “True Names,”
Strange Horizons
, 11/9.

Chris Butler, “The Festival of Tethselem,”
Interzone
224.

Pat Cadigan, “Don’t Mention Madagascar,”
Eclipse Three.

_____, “Truth and Bone,”
Poe.

Paul Carlson, “Mirror Girl,”
Abyss & Apex, 32.

Michael Cassutt, “The Last Apostle,”
Asimov’s
, July.

Jason K. Chapman, “Brief Candle,”
Clarkesworld
, November.

_____, “The Singers of Rhodes,”
Panverse One.

Suzy McKee Charnas, “Lowland Sea,” Poe.

Robert R. Chase, “Five Thousand Light Years from Birdland,”
Asimov’s
, January.

Catherine Cheek, “Voice Like a Cello,”
Fantasy
, May.

J. Kathleen Cheney, “Early Winter, Near Jenli Village,”
Fantasy
, April.

Eric Choi, “Another’s Trea sure,”
Footsteps.

Geffrey W. Cole, “Teaching Bigfoot to Read,”
Clarkesworld
, January.

Glen Cook, “The Good Magician,”
Songs of the Dying Earth.

Brenda Cooper, “In Their Garden,”
Asimov’s
, September.

_____, “Sailors in a Sea of Suns,”
Footsteps.

Bruce Coville, “After the Third Kiss,”
The Dragon Book.

Albert E. Cowdrey, “Bandits of the Trace,” F&SF, October/November.

_____, “The Private Eye,”
F&SF
, August/September.

_____, “Seafarer’s Blood,”
F&SF
, January.

Dave Creek, “Zheng He and the Dragon,”
Analog
, January/February.

Ian Creasey, “Digging for Paradise,”
Realms of Fantasy
, August.

_____, “The Report of a Dubious Creature,”
OSCIMS
, November.

Benjamin Crowell, “A Large Bucket, and Accidental Godlike Mastery of Spacetime,”
Asimov’s
, December.

_____, “The Rising Waters,” Strange Horizons, 4 and 11 May.

Don D’Ammassa, “Duck and Cover,”
Analog
, July/August.

Dennis Danvers, “Healing Benjamin,”
Realms of Fantasy
, August.

Colin P. Davies, “The Certainty Principle,”
Asimov’s
, February.

Rebecca Day, “The Urn of Ravalos,”
OSC’sIMShow
, March.

Aliette de Bodard, “After the Fire,”
Apex Magazine
, November.

_____, “Dancing for the Monsoon,”
Abyss & Apex
, 30.

_____, “In the Age of Iron and Ashes,”
Beneath Ceaseless Skies
, 31 December.

_____, “Ys,” Interzone 222.

Paul Di Filippo, “The New Cyberiad,”
We Think, Therefore We Are.

_____, “Providence,”
Solaris Book of SF 3.

_____, “Yes We Have No Bananas,”
Eclipse Three.

Cory Doctorow, “To Go Boldly,”
New Space Opera 2.

Terry Dowling, “The Copsy Door,”
Songs of the Dying Earth.

_____, “The Library,” X6.

Brendan DuBois, “Illusions of Tranquility,”
F&SF
, October/November.

Alexandra Duncan, “Bad Matter,”
F&SF
, October/November.

Andy Duncan, “The Dragaman’s Bride,”
The Dragon Book.

_____, “The Night Cache,”
PS Publishing.

Scott Edleman, “Glitch,”
Solaris Book of SF 3.

_____, “The Only Wish Ever to Come True,”
Talebones
, Summer.

_____, “The World Breaks,”
Postscript
19.

Sarah L. Edwards, “Lady of the White-Spired City,”
Interzone
222
.

_____, “The Tinyman and Caroline,”
Beneath Ceaseless Skies
, 21 May.

Greg Egan, “Hot Rock,”
Crystal Nights.

Phyllis Eisenstein, “The Last Golden Thread,”
Songs of the Dying Earth.

Carol Emshwiller, “The Bird Paint er in Time of War,”
Asimov’s
, February.

Gemma Files & Stephen J. Barringer, “each thing I show you is a piece of my death,”

Clockwork Phoenix 2.

Charles Coleman Finlay, “The Minuteman’s Watch,”
F&SF
, January.

_____, “The Texas Bake Sale,”
F&SF
, February.

Michael F. Flynn, “Where the Winds Are All Asleep,”
Analog
, October.

Jeffrey Ford, “The Coral Heart,”
Eclipse Three.

Eugie Foster, “Sinner, Baker, Fabulist, Priest; Red Mask, Black Mask, Gentleman, Beast,”

Interzone
220.

Karen Joy Fowler, “The Pelican Bar,”
Eclipse Three.

Ben Francisco, “Tio Gilberto and the Twenty-Seven Ghosts,”
Realms of Fantasy
, October.

Gregory Frost, “The Final Act,”
Poe.

Julie Frost, “Fortune of Soldiers,”
Cosmos
, April/May.

Adam Corbin Fusco, “Sails Above Greensea,”
Realms of Fantasy
, April.

Diana Gabaldon & Samuel Sykes, “Humane Killer,”
The Dragon Book.

Neil Gaiman, “An Invocation of Incuriosity,”
Songs of the Dying Earth.

R. Garcia y Robertson, “SinBad the Sand Sailor,”
Asimov’s
, July.

_____, “Wife-Stealing Time,” Asimov’s, October/November.

Harry Garfield, “Stratosphere,”
F&SF
, April/May.

Sara Genge, “As Women Fight,”
Asimov’s
, December.

David Gerrold, “Ganny Knits a Spaceship,”
Jim Baen’s Universe
, August.

Carolyn Ives Gilman, “Economancer,”
F&SF
, June/July.

Molly Gloss, “The Visited Man,”
Eclipse Three.

Ari Goelman, “Bird of Paradise,”
Talebones
, Summer.

Lisa Goldstein, “Away From Here,”
Asimov’s
, September.

Theodora Goss, “Ceilla’s Story,”
Other Earths.

_____, “The Puma,” Apex Magazine, March.

Steven Gould, “Bugs in the Arroyo,” Tor.com.

Eric Gregory, “Salt’s Father,”
Strange Horizons
, 8/3.

_____, “The Transmigration of Aishwarya Desai,”
Interzone
223.

Christopher Green, “A Hundredth Name,”
Abyss & Apex
, 31.

Dominic Green, “Coat of Many Colours,”
Interzone
223.

_____, “Glister,”
Interzone
223.

Robert Grossbach, “An Idea Whose Time Has Come,”
Analog
, October.

Eileen Gunn & Michael Swanwick, “The Armies of Elfland,”
Asimov’s
, April/May.

Paul Haines, “Wives,”
X6
.

Joe Haldeman, “Never Blood Enough,”
F&SF
, October/November.

Warren Hammond, “Carnival Night,”
Solaris Book of SF 3.

Elizabeth Hand, “The Far Shore,”
F&SF
, October/November.

_____, “The Return of the Fire Witch,”
Songs of the Dying Earth.

Alex Hardison, “Clouds in the Night,”
Flurb 7.

Gail Hareven, “The Slows,”
The New Yorker
, 7 May.

Andy Heizler, “The Broken Hourglass,”
Cosmos
, December/January.

Samantha Henderson, “Chandra’s Game,”
Lone Star Stories
, 1 Feburary.

_____, “East of Chula Vista,”
Abyss & Apex
29.

Howard V. Hendrix, “Monuments of Unageing Intellects,”
Analog
, June.

Trent Hergenradar, “Eskhara,”
Federations.

Glen Hirshberg, “The Pikesville Buffalo,”
Poe.

M.K. Hobson, “The Warlock and the Man of the Word,”
Postscripts
19.

Nina Kiriki Hoffman, “Pranks,”
Lone Star Stories
, June 1.

Cecelia Holland, “Dragon’s Deep,”
The Dragon Book.