I hate cats. If I ever made a list of things I despise, cats would win second place. Immediately below them would be the croupiers who carry themselves like the Pope. And when such a croupier is wearing a shirt embroidered with tiny black cats, then there’s only one thing to do on a sixteen....

And Simurgh, the Bird King, the benevolent soul, felt pity for the gray-haired child… Ferdowsi, Shaknameh We’re going to save the world today. By “we” I mean Lenka, Zhorik, Vas-Vas (his real name is Alpamys, but “Vas-Vas” suits him better), and me, Dum-Dum....

“Where are we going?” I asked, sprawling out in one of the departure lounge’s couches. The couch was analog, solid, covered with animal leather. Maybe it was supposed to impress visiting principals, or accustom us to stiff, non-ergonomic steel springs. It even smelled like curing oil....

Unavailable. Unavailable. All the ingredients Shoshana had special-ordered were unavailable. “But I placed that order weeks ago!” “I’m sorry, but there’s nothing I can do,” the station quartermaster said. “The war in the Celosian System has messed up our supply lines....

When he docked in the airlock the lights flickered for just a second or two before they came back alive. The station’s soothing mechanical voice said, “Increased sunspot activity affecting shipping routes until—” Nugget didn’t bother listening to the rest of it....

It is said to be the most exquisite delicacy in the world—why else would the Emperor himself demand it while lying on his deathbed? As the shuttle whistled and slowed while entering the thick atmosphere of planet Yan, Ding Jie instinctively shrank his neck backward....