Fledgling

by Octavia E. Butler

“Alice Rappaport?”

“Harold Westfall?”

“Kira Nicolau.”

“Ion Andrei?”

how could they see me as so impaired? Maybe they needed to see me that way.

“Walter Nagy?”

We are, every one of us, vulnerable to the fires that consumed Shori’s families.”

“Elizabeth Akhmatova?”

because the decision was not unanimous, their punishment must be other than death.

the penalty, by written law, is the dissolution of the Silk family.

peace for a period of at least three hundred years from today.”

“The penalty for refusing to accept your sentence or for breaking your word once you’ve given it is immediate death—

Haha

The sons would be taken from their fathers but not from the humans who were closest to them.

But if the penalty is so small, then I should be able to do to you what you did to me. Which of your symbionts shall I take?”

Good point. A hand for a life.

Haha. Probably not a simile.

They dared me to taste the coffee,

Haha

Haha

Haha - Wright

Haha

Haha

pretty sure

Haha - sometimes “pretty sure” results in death by miscalculation.

I know you were afraid Katharine was going to shoot one of us.”

It’s been three nights.

Haha - and Hayden just doesn’t want her to be top of the class.

Her sister Sophia accepted the judgment on behalf of the Dahlman family. Preston says that means we won’t have to worry about them coming after us.”

Haha

Nice

Theodora was avenged and the rest of my symbionts were safe.

What about my mothers and sisters, my father and brothers? What about my memory?

I would restore what could be restored.

I would have lived to have more if these to read. Maybe some good writer will take to the mantle?

and rightly