The wooden box promises to make Dale the life of any party or social gathering, 1001 tricks, gags and illusions. The Queen of Hearts Deluxe, The Dancing Ball, The Invisible Empress, simple tricks with exotic names. He wears a velvet top hat and carries around a white-tipped wand, and people call him Magician.

When Dale vanishes a coin for his sister Sonia and materializes it from behind her ear, she grabs her ear frantically and knocks the quarter into a heating vent. She rocks her wheelchair back and forth and Dale has to clamp onto the handles to keep her from tipping over.

multimedia

“Believe” by Katherine Sparrow, read by Ann Leckie. Content courtesy of PodCastle.

multimedia

Dear Father:

If you are reading this, Dariael murdered me.

Though I am not your favorite daughter, you also know I’m not the type of sixteen-year-old to feign suicide for sympathy. For the moment, I ask only that you believe in my abilities as a threadkeeper. If my sorcery works, you can save me in your universe. If you’re too busy to follow my instructions, you’ll never see me again…

multimedia