It's very hard to describe the sound of a wooden baseball bat hitting the base of a stop sign, especially when the metal has been wrapped in a pillow to muffle the noise. It isn't a clang. There's no resonance, and I firmly believe that the word "clang" applies only to sounds that can echo. It ...

"I thought it was supposed to be bigger." "Well how should I know? This is what the guy at the shop gave me. It's not like I ever saw one before." The two boys stared down at the black rectangle on the table, breathing in musty basement air. Marty, the older one, was twelve; Chester, his ...

"There's a storm coming," Leaphorn said, and moved to close the shutters. Zhang removed his ear-buds and glanced up from his monitor, looking out the window. Beijing looked as clear as ever. He dismissed Leaphorn's prediction with a wave of his hand, rose, and proceeded to make tea. Zhang ...

“What’s your business?” yelled Marie from the gate tower, pointing her rifle at the small caravan below. A man emerged from the covered wagon holding a wool hat in his hand. He was gaunt, his bones pulling hard against his leather skin. “Ma’m we were hoping we might have a word ...