Galaxy's Edge Magazine by Walter Jon Williams

Author:Walter Jon Williams [Robyn, Lezli]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: magazine, science fiction, Science Fiction & Fantasy, science fiction magazine
ISBN: 9781649730855
Publisher: Phoenix Pick
Published: 2021-03-01T00:00:00+00:00

Copyright © 2021 by Andrew Dykstal.

New York Times bestselling author Todd Johnson McCaffrey wrote his first science-fiction story when he was twelve. Since then he has published over two dozen novels and nearly twenty shorter works. He lives in Las Vegas. You can learn more about him at www.toddmccaffrey.org.

GOLDEN

by Todd McCaffrey

“How does this sound? ‘It can never be stressed sufficiently: to anger a dragon is to die. To steal a dragon’s gold is to die, to covet a dragon’s mate is to die. Death by dragon is swift but not painless, usually involving flames which can melt steel.’”

“I think you could have stopped with the first sentence, Daddy,” Golden said. “The rest are merely illustrations of how to anger a dragon.”

“And you forgot to mention challenging a dragon to a joust,” Elveth said.

“If I mention that then you’ll get fewer jousts and less gold,” Simon replied. “I thought the idea was to create more challenges.”

“The idea is to get more gold,” Elveth corrected testily. She smiled at her daughter, adding, “Golden isn’t getting younger and she’ll need a horde of her own.” Her smile faded as she added pointedly, “You’re certainly not getting any of mine.”

“Of course, Mother,” Golden said demurely. When Elveth wasn’t looking, she shot a pleading look toward her father who shrugged sympathetically.

“Your mother left you quite a nice pile, if I remember,” Simon said.

“That’s because I killed her,” Elveth reminded him waspishly. She flicked a finger at her daughter. “You’re not to get any ideas, little miss gold scales.”

“Yes, Mother,” Golden replied, dipping her head and avoiding eye contact. Elveth was the sort of mother who would literally rip your head off if she got too angry. Golden had seen it once and needed no reminders—in this she was like her mortal and human father.

In most other things she was the exact replica of her mother. Only where Elveth was a mottled copper color when a dragon, Golden was pure gold—hence her name. Even when born, she had a beautiful head of fine golden hair and there was no contention over her name.

“She is Golden because she is my gold child,” Elveth had said, and Simon had wisely kept silent, particularly as, according to his studies, he was the first human dragon-mate to survive through the rigors of a childbirth with a head still upon his shoulders.

Simon and Elveth had often conversed on their daughter’s coloring: Simon was convinced that it was protective in nature while Elveth held to the old dragon lore that color predicted flame.

“A pure gold like that will mark the hottest of fires,” Elveth had declared with much warranted maternal pride.

At the time, Golden had yet to have her first molt and was still clinging to the forlorn hope that she was not a dragon but, rather, a normal human child. She loved her father as fiercely as all girls—perhaps a bit more so because of her draconish heritage. Simon, because he loved his daughter, hoped that her wish would come true

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