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  “To the flames.”

  I nodded.

  “Death takes many forms, Mr. Smithe.” Though she spoke to me, Audrey’s gaze was fixed on the green box.

  Thinking to safeguard both this Audrey and the box, I stood up. In that I was nearly too late. Audrey grasped it too; I had to snatch it from her.

  I triumphed, and reality reeled.

  BY GENE WOLFE FROM TOM DOHERTY ASSOCIATES

  THE WIZARD KNIGHT

  The Knight

  The Wizard

  THE BOOK OF THE SHORT SUN

  On Blue’s Waters

  In Green’s Jungles

  Return to the Whorl

  THE BOOK OF THE NEW SUN

  Shadow & Claw (comprising The Shadow of the Torturer and The Claw of the Conciliator)

  Sword & Citadel (comprising The Sword of the Lictor and The Citadel of the Autarch)

  THE BOOK OF THE LONG SUN

  Litany of the Long Sun (comprising Nightside of the Long Sun and Lake of the Long Sun)

  Epiphany of the Long Sun (comprising Caldé of the Long Sun and Exodus from the Long Sun)

  NOVELS

  The Fifth Head of Cerberus

  The Devil in a Forest

  Peace

  Free Live Free

  The Urth of the New Sun

  Latro in the Mist (comprising Soldier of the Mist and Soldier of Arete)

  Soldier of Sidon

  There Are Doors

  Castleview

  Pandora by Holly Hollander

  Pirate Freedom

  An Evil Guest

  The Sorcerer’s House

  Home Fires

  The Land Across

  A Borrowed Man

  Interlibrary Loan

  NOVELLAS

  The Death of Doctor Island

  Seven American Nights

  COLLECTIONS

  Endangered Species

  Storeys from the Old Hotel

  Castle of Days

  The Island of Doctor Death and Other Stories and Other Stories

  Strange Travelers

  Innocents Aboard

  Starwater Strains

  The Best of Gene Wolfe

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  GENE WOLFE (1931–2019) was a winner of the World Fantasy Award for Life Achievement, multiple winner of the Nebula Award and the World Fantasy Award, as well as the John W. Campbell Memorial Award, the British Fantasy Award, and the Prix Apollo. In 2007, he was inducted into the Science Fiction Hall of Fame. In 2013, he received the SFWA Grand Master Award. You can sign up for email updates here.

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  CONTENTS

  Title Page

  Copyright Notice

  1. From the Spice Grove Public Library

  2. What the Shirt Showed

  3. The House on Signal Hill

  4. Adah’s Story

  5. A Cold Tea Party

  6. From Library Custody

  7. Conversations

  8. To Lichholm

  9. The Only Village on Corpse Island

  10. The Cottage in the Cavern

  11. Jingle Bells

  12. Something You Do on a Boat

  13. The Cheap Detective

  14. Of the Continental Police

  15. Strangers in the House

  16. Among the Leaves

  17. Shelf Life Resumed

  18. Buck Baston

  19. At Home with the Heaths

  20. Night and Day

  21. A New Fevre

  22. Unburied Treasure

  By Gene Wolfe from Tom Doherty Associates

  About the Author

  Copyright

  This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

  INTERLIBRARY LOAN

  Copyright © 2020 by Gene Wolfe

  All rights reserved.

  Cover photograph by Getty Images

  Cover design by FORT

  A Tor Book

  Published by Tom Doherty Associates

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  New York, NY 10271

  www.tor-forge.com

  Tor® is a registered trademark of Macmillan Publishing Group, LLC.

  The Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available upon request.

  ISBN 978-1-250-24236-5 (hardcover)

  ISBN 978-1-250-24268-6 (ebook)

  eISBN 9781250242686

  Our ebooks may be purchased in bulk for promotional, educational, or business use. Please contact the Macmillan Corporate and Premium Sales Department at 1-800-221-7945, extension 5442, or by email at [email protected].

  First Edition: June 2020