The Shipbuilder of Bellfairie Read online

  He took the path up the bluff, the way that had been blocked to him so recently; relieved he didn’t have to negotiate a climb, surprised to find himself whistling as he rounded the final switchback, like a happy man on a pleasant stroll which, maybe he was.

  After all, look at it. Look at the great sea, and the sky dotted with seagulls. Look at the beautiful morning!

  He approached the cliff’s edge with care. He wanted to do this right. Satisfied, he opened the urn’s lid. What should he say? What could he say? He almost panicked until struck by inspiration.

  “Grief is a ship without a captain,” he sighed. “Oh, my captain.”

  He turned the urn over to shake out the ash which fell, just as he had hoped, in a swirl, towards the sea. When a gull called his name, he looked up, stunned by the bright light, closed his eyes, inhaled the perfume of oranges and thought—for just a moment—how perfect it all was, but the breeze strengthened to a gust that blew his hat off and, forgetting where he stood, he reached for it.

  Acknowledgements

  I would like to say a few words about rejection. The writer’s life is filled with it, and understanding this only makes things a little easier. What has helped me maneuver this spiky course has been the support of others.

  I will always remember that post Michael Kelly wrote about having just finished reading something he loved and, later, discovering it was my manuscript. The experience of being published by Undertow Publications, from Michael’s smart editorial comments to Carolyn Macdonell-Kelly’s expertise as a proof-reader, has been wonderful, the way I imagined publishing would be when I was young.

  Thank you, also, to Courtney Kelly for the interior design and typesetting, which is a pleasure to behold. You made my book beautiful.

  I am also deeply grateful to Tithi Luadthong for the art and Vince Haig for the design. If it wasn’t my own book, I would have bought it for the cover alone.

  Thank you, also, to the people who work for Rapido Books in Montreal where the book is printed. You have helped make this writer’s dream come true.

  When it came time for me to seek feedback for the draft of this story, I was very fortunate to know three readers in possession of the not-always-easy-to-maintain skill for critique without destruction. Thank you to Bill Bauerband, Andrew Marshall, and Sofia Samatar for your smart insight. You helped make it better.

  Although this book is not long, it did take years to write and that time was filled with friends and family who offered their support with tea and chocolate, long walks, talks, road trips, coffee shop chats, quilt shows and much appreciated patience when I spoke of “the novel I can’t really talk about because if I tell the story, I won’t write the story, but I think I figured out this issue that confused me and now it might work though of course that creates this other problem.” You were all so kind.

  Thank you, also, to Rietje Marie Angkuw for the wonderful (and kind of terrible) taxidermy details. You made Quark come alive.

  Finally, I want to thank you, the readers. I know your time is dear, and many factors might have called you away from Quark’s story. Thank you so much for choosing to stay.

  You might have noticed that my “few words” about rejection have become a few paragraphs about acceptance. This transformation happened because of all of you mentioned here. You made a difference in my life, and because of you I have learned that, while rejection is fleeting, stories last forever. (Find the ones who love.) Thank you.

  About the Author

  Before earning her MFA from Vermont College of Fine Arts, Mary Rickert worked as kindergarten teacher, coffee shop barista, Disneyland balloon vendor, and personnel assistant in Sequoia National Park. She is the winner of the Locus Award, Crawford Award, World Fantasy Award, and Shirley Jackson Award. She is a frequent contributor to The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction. Her short story, “Funeral Birds” is included in the anthology, When Things Get Dark: Stories Inspired by Shirley Jackson, published by Titan Books in the Fall of 2021. Her novella, Lucky Girl, How I Became a Horror Writer: A Krampus Story will be published by Tor.com in the Fall of 2022.