Five Decembers

by James Kestrel

He was depending on something that itself depended on another person’s free will. And he couldn’t watch her all day, and head off second thoughts before she had them. They just had to trust each other. Which was exactly as it should be, but it was dangerous all the same.

“At a state dinner, a diplomat swallows any dish. Without choking.”

“There are plenty of us. Our voices weren’t heard. We were speaking reasonably. They were waving swords and shouting. It wasn’t an even contest.”