Jack of Harts

December 7, 1941 – a date which will live in infamy – the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan. The United States was at peace with that Nation and, at the solicitation of Japan, was still in conversation with its Government and its Emperor looking toward the maintenance of peace in the Pacific. Indeed, one hour after Japanese air squadrons had commenced bombing in the American Island of Oahu, the Japanese Ambassador to the United States and his colleague delivered to our Secretary of State a formal reply to a recent American message. And while this reply stated that it seemed useless to continue the existing diplomatic negotiations, it contained no threat or hint of war or of armed attack.

I just received a promotional cover for Space Cowboys 404: Cow Not Found. Raconteur Press will be publishing it soon so be on the lookout if you are interested. They are a young publisher that has made a big splash selling numerous short story anthologies, each one aimed at a different market, and they are going like gangbusters. Over a dozen authors contributed stories to this anthology, and I will now join the hallowed ranks of those who contribute to a work but are not famous enough to have their name on the cover, so are known as “And More.” This is my first published story since Mom started her final fight with Cancer. The world has changed. I feel scary good. Haven’t done this in a while, and when I ask the magic 8-ball what comes next it says… not found.

An Arnam can be hard to recognize in summer due to their colorful outfits, especially at night when their skin blends into the darkness. But in wintertime on most human worlds, they are usually much easier to see. Their bodies are designed to swim down into the coldest, deepest parts of lakes or oceans without needing extra insulation, and surface temperatures below zero don’t bother them at all. They will wear the same frilly dress or light business suit in the depths of a dark winter night in the middle of a blizzard as they will on a sunny summer day. They don’t need insulated coats or gloves. And their brightly-colored clothes stand out when everything around them is some shade of white snow.