The Changeling

by Victor LaValle

Each had journeyed from far-flung lands to find one another in Queens. Neither could’ve guessed the wildness that falling in love would unleash.

Together. A pair of survivors. It seemed so unlikely—all the life that had led them here—as improbable as myth.

to go my whole life thinking I just didn’t matter. I don’t know what kind of situation he was in at the time, I don’t even know if the man is still alive, but I don’t think he could have been all that different from me. And I’m so happy with you already, little man. If I was trapped on Saturn, I’d still find a way to send a message and let you know you were loved.”

History isn’t a tale told once, it’s a series of revisions.

can be heroes,’ ” Patrice said. “But heroes like us don’t get to make mistakes.”

The magic of the world had been revealed. All the deceptions were gone. To believe in only the practical, the rational, the realistic was a kind of glamour as well. But he couldn’t enjoy the illusion of order anymore. Monsters aren’t real until you meet one.

The world is full of glamour, especially when it obscures the suffering of the weak.