Sonami said, “Venerable One, do you believe in the power of the fortunes?”
“Of course, child. They are what guides us and shapes the Slack.”
The child nodded. “The fortunes didn’t give Mother twins for no reason. That means that if there’s a plan, she’s not the one controlling it. And that does make me feel better.” A small, brief smile overtook their face. “Perhaps this is for the best.”
The Head Abbot blinked. This child, features still cushioned by the fat of innocence, spoke with the quiet confidence many took a lifetime to achieve. He had always suspected they were extraordinary, and not just because of their proficiency with slackcraft. When Sonami had first approached him with a desire to be admitted to the monastery, he had thought that with the right guidance, the child might one day grow up to take his place as Head Abbot, with all the secrets tied to that office.
Now none of them would ever know. That version of the future had been sealed off from them.
“Perhaps this is for the best,” he agreed.
About the Author
Photograph by Nicholas Lee
JY YANG is a lapsed journalist, a former practicing scientist, and a master of hermitry. A queer, nonbinary, postcolonial intersectional feminist, they have over two dozen pieces of short fiction published in places including Uncanny Magazine, Lightspeed, Strange Horizons, and Tor.com. They live in Singapore, edit fiction at Epigram Books, and have a master’s degree in creative writing from the University of East Anglia. Find out more about them and their work at jyyang.com, and follow them on Twitter: @halleluyang.
You can sign up for email updates here.
Thank you for buying this Tor.com ebook.
To receive special offers, bonus content, and info on new releases and other great reads, sign up for our newsletters.
For email updates on the author, click here.
TOR•COM
Science fiction. Fantasy. The universe. And related subjects.
*
More than just a publisher's website, Tor.com is a venue for original fiction, comics, and discussion of the entire field of SF and fantasy, in all media and from all sources. Visit our site today—and join the conversation yourself.
Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright Notice
Dedication
MAP
Acknowledgments
PART ONE
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
ACT TWO
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
ACT THREE
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Excerpt
About the Author
Copyright Page
This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novella are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
THE RED THREADS OF FORTUNE
Copyright © 2017 by JY Yang
All rights reserved.
Cover illustration by Yuko Shimizu
Cover design by Christine Foltzer
Map by Serena Maylon
Edited by Carl Engle-Laird
A Tor.com Book
Published by Tom Doherty Associates
175 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY 10010
www.tor.com
Tor® is a registered trademark ofMacmillan Publishing Group, LLC.
ISBN 978-0-7653-9538-2 (ebook)
ISBN 978-0-7653-9539-9 (trade paperback)
Our eBooks may be purchased in bulk for promotional, educational, or business use. Please contact the Macmillan Corporate and Premium Sales Department at 1-800-221-7945, ext. 5442, or by e-mail at MacmillanSpecialMarkets@macmillan.com.