Water to Water by Karen A. Wyle - Book Tour + Giveaway
Water to Water
by Karen A. Wyle
Genre:
Science Fiction
Science Fiction
Two young Vushla questioned what everyone knew about death. What should
they do with the answer?
they do with the answer?
When the time comes for Vushla to die, they go into the ocean and are dissolved away. Or so
Terrill has always believed, and still believes after taking part in his father's final journey. But when he meets a young Vushlu who lives by the sea, Terrill must confront information that calls this
fundamental belief into question. Will the two of them discover the truth? And what should they do with what they find?
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Terrill should spend this time remembering
his father, calling up all the memories he wanted to preserve. What was his
earliest memory of Da?
His earliest memory of any kind . . . he
would have liked a more pleasant one. Someone had smacked his hand, on the
unarmored palm, for making some mess or other. But he couldn’t remember who had
done it. It wouldn’t have been Da, not for such a young child making a mess.
Ma, maybe, in a moment of exasperation. Or his uncle, visiting.
Terrill might have been a couple of years
older the time Da gave him a ride, telling him to put his arms around Da’s
torso and hold tight, Terrill’s baby legs splayed wide across Da’s broad back.
Da had put just a little bounce in his gait, enough to be thrilling, but not
enough to loosen Terrill’s clasped hands . . . .
What arose next was from a few years later,
but still from childhood. A hot day, the hottest so far that year, with the end
of the season seeming forever away. Da going from creek to creek to find the
coolest one, and pouring a bucket of almost-cold water all over Terrill,
Terrill gasping in pleasure and relief . . . .
Another memory, very different, almost as
far back: Terrill standing outside, watching the sky colors shift from day to
night, wondering if the sky looked the same everywhere, even in the far-off
cities where his older siblings wanted to go. He had turned to go back inside
and only then seen Da, walking back and forth, slowly, in the road a few paces
away, his shoulders slumped, a posture Terrill could not remember having seen
before. Something was wrong, and Terrill had no idea what it was. He had never
had the courage to ask about it.
He would never know.
Character Interview with Honnu
[NOTE: Honnu is a young Vushlu. His family are fisher folk
and live by the sea. This interview takes place around the time the story
begins, on the beach, in late afternoon. Honnu is cleaning a fishing boat.]
Q. Hello. I hope I’m not disturbing –
A. Watch out! I’m using seawater here.
Q. It’s splashing all over you. Isn’t that a problem?
A. Not with this suit on. [He gestures along his body.]
It’ll keep the water out for years and years yet.
Q. Do you have such suits for visitors? For rent, perhaps?
A. Sorry, no. They take a long time to make. We only get
them when we’re done growing, and then we keep them for a long time. Let me
just finish up here, and we can talk.
[a few minutes later]
All done! I have a few minutes before I go do chores.
Q. I gather you fish for a living.
A. That’s right.
Q. Do you like it?
A. [a slight pause] Pretty well. I like working with other
people. More when they appreciate my help, which they mostly do. Of course, I
like it better some days than others. In hot season, it’s cooler out on the
water than on land – though the suit does make me warmer than I’d be otherwise.
Cold season, that can get, well, cold, suit or no suit. And I get pretty tired
by the end of the day. But it’s better than being bored. [another pause] Not
that I’m never bored.
Q. Do you picture yourself doing anything different, later
in your life?
A. [scuffs a hind foot in the sand] I’d like to see more of
the world, someday, somehow. I hear stories – mainly from the Weesah peddler who
comes here – and I want to see for myself whether they’re true, and what other
stories might be out there waiting to be found.
[someone calls Honnu’s name from a nearby dwelling]
I’d better go. Chores, like I said. It was nice talking to
you. If you want to come with me, you could maybe stay for dinner. The peddler
brought sausages, and we’ll be having a campfire.
Karen A. Wyle was born a Connecticut Yankee, but eventually settled in
Bloomington, Indiana, home of Indiana University. She now considers
herself a Hoosier. Wyle's childhood ambition was to be the youngest
ever published novelist. While writing her first novel at age 10, she
was mortified to learn that some British upstart had beaten her to
the goal at age 9.
Bloomington, Indiana, home of Indiana University. She now considers
herself a Hoosier. Wyle's childhood ambition was to be the youngest
ever published novelist. While writing her first novel at age 10, she
was mortified to learn that some British upstart had beaten her to
the goal at age 9.
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2 Comments
I enjoyed reading the excerpt. Thanks for the opportunity
ReplyDeleteMy pleasure! -- and I'm glad you enjoyed the excerpt. (There are others, as well as some character interviews, on my blog, Looking Around, at http://looking-around.blogspot.com.
DeletePlease try not to spam posts with the same comments over and over again. Authors like seeing thoughtful comments about their books, not the same old, "I like the cover" or "sounds good" comments. While that is nice, putting some real thought and effort in is appreciated. Thank you.