“Yes. No. Yes.”
“What have I missed?” says the person behind Doi.
Doi steps aside, and I see someone holding the rope pulling the round container, dressed in the high collar and sweeping cloak of the Pearl Famous uniform.
I look into this face that my heart knows so well but that I’m seeing for the first time.
I cannot speak.
There is no air.
There is no time.
There is no world beneath my skates.
Or I am tumbling through all of it.
He smiles, and the dimples flash in his cheeks.
“Joyful fortune to make your acquaintance,” he says. “I am called familial name Niu, personal name Hisashi.”
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I, Disciple Lien Henry, author of this worthless novel, commence 10,000 bows of obeisance at the skates of these benevolent and sagacious persons, without whose assistance my work would be even more miserable and completely without qualities:
Fifty bows to my kindergarten teacher, Sensei Madame Sally McEachen, for seeing a light in a child who was not from here and didn’t speak the language, and for surrounding that light with mirrors;
Fifty bows to each of my Clarion West instructors, Sensei Master George R. R. Martin, Sensei Master Chuck Palahniuk, and Sensei Madame Kelly Link, for enthusiasm and guidance regarding the material that would form the foundation for this novel and this world;
Fifty bows to Sensei Madame Sheila Williams, Supreme Editor at Asimov’s, for giving a new writer his first story publication and embracing the ungrateful daughters of Pearl Rehabilitative Colony;
Fifty bows to Sensei Madame Sarah L. Thomson for early editorial wisdom that showed me what the next level of skill looked like;
Fifty bows to my mother, Shio-Mei Lien, for all the stories;
Fifty bows to my father, Fong-Chi Lien, for extensive insight on Chinese and Taiwanese language and culture;
Fifty bows to Jerry Lee Davis for encouragement to pursue writing;
Fifty bows to Gray Adams for unconditional support;
Fifty bows to Warwick Sims for telling me that birthing Pearl was the most important thing I could be doing with my life;
Fifty bows to Lian Hearn and Rachel Swirsky for inspiration and early affirmation;
Fifty bows to Ken Liu and Stephin Merritt for help with names;
Fifty bows to Miriam Spitzer Franklin and Linda Nagle for the perspectives of vegetarian and vegan figure skaters;
One hundred bows to my sister Ann Lien for early feedback and lifelong, belief in me;
One hundred bows to all at ICM for the thousand-armed defense, including Master of Statutes Colin Graham, Foreign Kingdoms Ambassador Hana Murrell, Lieutenant General Number-One Berni Barta, and Lieutenant General Number-Two Tamara Kawar;
One hundred bows to Peasprout’s army at Houtu Famous House of Literature including Supreme and Final Sensei Madame Jean Feiwel, Supreme and Flawless Sensei Master Christian Trimmer, Publicity Mage Brittany Pearlman, Design Mage Carol Ly, Creativity Mage Patrick Collins, Artist of Superlative Characters Afu Chan, Artist of Surpassing Maps Elisabeth Alba, Production Mage Thomas Nau, Managing Mage Hayley Jozwiak, Copy Mage Erica Ferguson, Logogram Neatener Number One Andrea Curley, and Logogram Neatener Number Two Kayla Overbey for their skill and talent;
One hundred twelve bows to my Clarion West classmates, our workshop director Les Howle, our workshop administrator Neile Graham, and the entire Clarion West community for the most important and transformative experience of my life; and
Eight thousand eighty-eight bows to my agent, the Mighty and Wise Sensei Madame Tina Dubois Wexler, and my editor, the Sage and Venerable Sensei Madame Tiffany Liao. Thank you, dear Senseis, for nurturing, cultivating, and growing me. Peasprout might or might not change the world as she hopes, but you have already changed mine.
All hail! All hail! All hail!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Henry Lien is a 2012 graduate of Clarion West. His short fiction has appeared in publications like Asimov’s, earning several Nebula Award nominations. Born in Taiwan, Henry currently lives in Hollywood, California. Peasprout Chen is his debut novel.
Visit him at henrylien.com or sign up for email updates here.
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CONTENTS
Title Page
Copyright Notice
Epigraph
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Lucky
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Luckyteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Lucky
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-Two
Chapter Thirty-Three
Chapter Thirty-Lucky
Final Chapter
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Copyright
Text copyright © 2018 by Henry Lien. Illustrations copyright © 2018 by Afu Chan. Map copyright © 2018 by Elisabeth Alba.
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First hardcover edition 2018
eBook edition 2018
eISBN 9781250165701
