The Scent of Rotting Roses

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CONTENTS o

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By Jay Lake

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Fiction

18 November 2002

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Poetry

High in Deuce Landing Keep,

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Before Paphos by Loretta Casteen 8 January 2007 It starts again. The baby begins to cough and choke. Locked Doors

overlooking the market, Queen Marie's by Stephanie Burgis Vizier twirled a perfect ivory rose with a fully doubled bloom. Martel could scarcely 1 January 2007 pay attention to the discussions, as his gaze You can never let anyone was fixed on the flower -- Madame suspect, his mother told him. Legras de St. Germaine, an old French That was the first rule she breed with a strong fragrance, long extinct taught him, and the last, before among the worlds of the Reunification. she left him here alone with It.

"The Queen's histories record the Terran Heroic Measures evacuation of this planet," the Vizier told his two off-world visitors. His by Matthew Johnson o Awards Anglo-Terran was excellent, almost 18 December 2006 standard, his voice high for such a o Banners broad-chested man. "They fled during the Pale as he was, it was hard to SUPPORT US Collapse like dogs in the night. Four centuries later, you come back to Eutychus believe he would never rise o Donate offering Reunification, as if we were lost from this bed. Even in the darkest times, she had never children crying for home." o Bookstore really feared for him; he had always been strong, so strong. o Merchandise "It is not that we consider you, um, children." Allis, their Speaker, always gave COMMUNITY the pitch this way -- her hesitant tone was Love Among the Talus part of the delivery. "Reunification brings by Elizabeth Bear o Forum trade, commerce, healthcare . . . many benefits you cannot derive alone. And we 11 December 2006 o Readers' are interested in your progress since the Choice Nilufer raised her eyes to his. Collapse. There are numerous . . . It was not what women did to agendas, in the Reunification." men, but she was a princess, Allis and Martel had tried repeatedly to and he was only a bandit. "I see the Queen. It seemed no one saw the want to be a Witch," she said. Queen but the Vizier. There wasn't a court "A Witch and not a Queen. I as such, either. Just this man, the world of wish to be not loved, but wise. Eutychus clenched in his pudgy fingers. Tell your bandit lord, if he can give me that, I might accept his The Vizier walked to the window gift." embrasure, glancing outward, slick black curls of hair swinging as he moved. "We Archived Fiction Dating back don't get back into the family unless Her to 9/1/00 Majesty brings something to the table, eh? No matter what remains lost to us otherwise." o

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The Scent of Rotting Roses

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Allis frowned, marring her flame-haired beauty. "That's not what the Charter of