Without End

By Kristine Kathryn Rusch

When Dylan's wife, Geneva, dies, Dylan refuses to believe it. Not because he believes in ghosts, but because he believes in science. Geneva, a physicist, believed humans could overcome the perception of linear time. If her theories hold true, Dylan can change his perceptions and Geneva will live again. He has nothing to lose, and Geneva to gain.

"Rusch writes humanist SF. Her lead characters (most notably the wife/brilliant physicist in "Without End") exhibit lively intellects spurred on by keen imaginations, and are capable of both compassion and love. Such complex natures can lead to emotional suffering, but also to Rusch's special version of the "happy ending"—a transcendence of grief, guilt, sometimes even mortality…"—Locus

• Language: English
• Publisher: WMG Publishing
• Release date: Jan 29, 2019
• ISBN: 9781386590354

Kristine Kathryn Rusch

USA Today bestselling author Kristine Kathryn Rusch writes in almost every genre. Generally, she uses her real name (Rusch) for most of her writing. Under that name, she publishes bestselling science fiction and fantasy, award-winning mysteries, acclaimed mainstream fiction, controversial nonfiction, and the occasional romance. Her novels have made bestseller lists around the world and her short fiction has appeared in eighteen best of the year collections. She has won more than twenty-five awards for her fiction, including the Hugo, Le Prix Imaginales, the Asimov’s Readers Choice award, and the Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine Readers Choice Award. Publications from The Chicago Tribune to Booklist have included her Kris Nelscott mystery novels in their top-ten-best mystery novels of the year. The Nelscott books have received nominations for almost every award in the mystery field, including the best novel Edgar Award, and the Shamus Award. She writes goofy romance novels as award-winner Kristine Grayson, romantic suspense as Kristine Dexter, and futuristic sf as Kris DeLake.  She also edits. Beginning with work at the innovative publishing company, Pulphouse, followed by her award-winning tenure at The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, she took fifteen years off before returning to editing with the original anthology series Fiction River, published by WMG Publishing. She acts as series editor with her husband, writer Dean Wesley Smith, and edits at least two anthologies in the series per year on her own. To keep up with everything she does, go to kriswrites.com and sign up for her newsletter. To track her many pen names and series, see their individual websites (krisnelscott.com, kristinegrayson.com, krisdelake.com, retrievalartist.com, divingintothewreck.com). She lives and occasionally sleeps in Oregon.

Book preview

Without End

WITHOUT END

KRISTINE KATHRYN RUSCH

WMG Publishing

CONTENTS

Without End

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Also by Kristine Kathryn Rusch

About the Author

WITHOUT END

The sun, high in the hot August afternoon, sent short shadows across the neatly trimmed grass. A small clump of people huddled in a semicircle, close but not touching. The coffin, in the center, sat on a platform covering the empty hole.

Dylan placed a rose on the black lacquer surface, and stepped back. A moment, frozen in time and space.

A hand clutched his shoulder. Firm grip, meant as reassurance. He turned. Ross nodded to him, mouth a thin line.

She was a good woman, Ross whispered.

Dylan nodded. The minister was speaking, but he didn’t care about the words, even though the rest of the group strained forward.

She would have found this silly, Dylan said, and then stopped. Ross’s expression had changed from one of sympathy to something else—confusion? Disapproval? Dylan didn’t know, and didn’t really want to find out. Outside he was calm. Inside he felt fragile, as if his entire body was formed of the thinnest crystal. One wrong look, a movement, a shadow on the grass, would shatter him into a thousand pieces.

A thousand pieces. Shards, scattered on the kitchen floor. Geneva, crouched over them, like a cat about to pounce. Look, Dylan, she said. To us, a glass shattered forever. But to the universe, possibilities. A thousand possibilities.

He stared at the black box. He could picture Geneva inside as she had looked the night before: black hair cascading on the satin; skin too white; eyes closed in imitation sleep. Geneva had never been so still.

He wondered what she would say if she stood beside him, her hand light on his arm, the summer sun kissing her hair.

For just a moment, trapped in space and time.

Stars twinkled over the ocean. Dylan stood on the damp sand, Geneva beside him, her hand wrapped in his and tucked in his pocket—the only warm thing on the chilly beach. Occasionally the wind would brush a strand of her hair across his face.