Einstein Intersection Read online

  The sea receded and froth spiraled the sand.

  I thought for a while. “Yes. But not now.”

  “Green-eye will”—Spider mashed something into the sand with his foot—“wait, I suppose. And the Dove too. The Dove leads them in the dance, now, and won’t be so ready to forgive you for the choice you made.”

  “What was it?”

  “Between the real and—the rest.”

  “Which did I choose?”

  Spider pushed my shoulder, grinning. “Maybe you’ll know when you get back. Where you off to?” He started to turn.

  “Spider?”

  He looked back.

  “In my village there was a man who grew dissatisfied. So he left this world, worked for a while on the moon, on the outer planets, then on worlds that were stars and stars away. I might go there.”

  Spider nodded. “I did that once. It was all waiting for me when I got back.”

  “What’s it going to be like?”

  “It’s not going to be what you expect.” He grinned, then turned away.

  “It’s going to be . . . different?”

  He kept walking down the sand.

  As morning branded the sea, darkness fell away at the far side of the beach. I turned to follow it.

  —New York, Paris, Venice,

  Athens, Istanbul, London,

  Sept ’65–Nov ’66

  About the Authors

  Samuel R. Delany is best known as the author of science fiction and fantasy novels; his books have won Hugo and Nebula awards. In addition to his fiction, he has published many books of nonfiction, including semiotic studies of literature and a volume of memoirs. Delany is currently professor at Temple University.

  Neil Gaiman is best known for writing the series of graphic novels that comprise The Sandman, published in ten volumes by DC Comics. It is the recipient of more awards internationally than any other work written for the comics medium, including the World Fantasy Award, making it the only comic to have received an award intended for prose fiction. Having recently written the saga of Beowulf as a Hollywood movie, he is currently working on a short story collection and a new prose novel.

  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

  Delany, Samuel R.

  The Einstein intersection / Samuel R. Delany.

  p. cm.

  ISBN 0–8195–6336–6 (pbk. : alk. paper)

  I. Title.

  PS3554.E437E45 1998

  813′.54—dc21 97–44598