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Wild Cards
George Raymond Richard Martin
The return of the famous shared-world superhero books created and edited by George R. R. Martin, author of A Song of Ice and FireFor decades, George R.R. Martin – bestselling author of A Song of Ice and Fire – has collaborated with an ever-shifting ensemble of science fiction and fantasy icons to create the amazing Wild Cards universe.In the aftermath of World War II, the Earth’s population was devastated by a terrifying alien virus. Those who survived were changed for ever. Some, known as Jokers, were cursed with bizarre mental and physical deformities; others, granted superhuman abilities, are known as Aces.Wild Cards tells the stories of this world.
Copyright (#u268e13c0-96ba-586b-8ac7-bd34c3b161e3)
HarperVoyager
An imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd
1 London Bridge Street
London SE1 9GF
www.harpercollins.co.uk (http://www.harpercollins.co.uk)
First published by HarperCollinsPublishers 2018
Copyright © George R.R. Martin and the Wild Cards Trust 2018
See Copyright Acknowledgements page for further copyright information
Cover images © Shutterstock.com (http://www.Shutterstock.com) 2018
Cover design by Mike Topping © HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd 2018
George R.R. Martin and the Wild Cards Trust 2018 assert the moral right to be identified as the authors of this work.
A catalogue copy of this book is available from the British Library.
This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.
All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins.
Source ISBN: 9780008285197
Ebook Edition © October 2018 ISBN: 9780008239626
Version: 2019-05-07
Dedication (#u268e13c0-96ba-586b-8ac7-bd34c3b161e3)
To Pat Rogers
the one who escaped
(we all miss you)
Contents
Title Page (#u415ecad8-9d1a-5231-a602-3064d351e671)
Copyright
Dedication
Copyright Acknowledgments (#uc18b0963-e0c9-5f49-946b-0f081eab0871)
Texas Hold ’Em
Bubbles and the Band Trip by Caroline Spector: Prologue
Tuesday
Bubbles and the Band Trip: Part 1
The Secret Life of Rubberband by Max Gladstone: Part 1
Bubbles and the Band Trip: Part 2
The Secret Life of Rubberband: Part 2
Bubbles and the Band Trip: Part 3
Jade Blossom’s Brew by William F. Wu
Bubbles and the Band Trip: Part 4
Wednesday
Bubbles and the Band Trip: Part 5
Beats, Bugs, and Boys by Diana Rowland: Part 1
The Secret Life of Rubberband: Part 3
Beats, Bugs, and Boys: Part 2
The Secret Life of Rubberband: Part 4
Bubbles and the Band Trip: Part 6
Beats, Bugs, and Boys: Part 3
The Secret Life of Rubberband: Part 5
Bubbles and the Band Trip: Part 7
The Secret Life of Rubberband: Part 6
Beats, Bugs, and Boys: Part 4
Thursday
Bubbles and the Band Trip: Part 8
Dust and the Darkness by Victor Milán: Part 1
Bubbles and the Band Trip: Part 9
The Secret Life of Rubberband: Part 7
Dust and the Darkness: Part 2
Bubbles and the Band Trip: Part 10
Dust and the Darkness: Part 3
Is Nobody Going to San Antone? by Walton Simons
Dust and the Darkness: Part 4
Friday
Bubbles and the Band Trip: Part 11
Drop City by David Anthony Durham
Saturday
Bubbles and the Band Trip: Part 12 (#litres_trial_promo)
Sunday
Bubbles and the Band Trip: Part 13 (#litres_trial_promo)
The Wild Cards Universe
About the Publisher
Copyright Acknowledgments (#u268e13c0-96ba-586b-8ac7-bd34c3b161e3)
‘Bubbles and the Band Trip’ copyright © 2018 by Caroline Spector
‘The Secret Life of Rubberband’ copyright © 2018 by Max Gladstone
‘Jade Blossom’s Brew’ copyright © 2018 by William F. Wu
‘Beats, Bugs, and Boys’ copyright © 2018 by Diana Rowland
‘Is Nobody Going to San Antone?’ copyright © 2018 by Walton Simons
‘Dust and the Darkness’ copyright © 2018 by Victor Milán
‘Drop City’ copyright © 2018 by David Anthony Durham
Texas Hold ’Em (#u268e13c0-96ba-586b-8ac7-bd34c3b161e3)
The most popular poker variant in casinos. Two hole cards are dealt facedown to each player. Then five community cards are dealt faceup in three rounds: the flop, the turn, and the river. Each player seeks to make the best five-card hand from the combination of the community cards and his own hole cards.
Bubbles and the Band Trip (#u268e13c0-96ba-586b-8ac7-bd34c3b161e3)
by Caroline Spector (#u268e13c0-96ba-586b-8ac7-bd34c3b161e3)
Prologue (#u268e13c0-96ba-586b-8ac7-bd34c3b161e3)
“WHAT DO YOU MEAN, you need a chaperone for the band trip?” Michelle didn’t like where this conversation was going.
Adesina kept packing her electric bass. It was a sweet StingRay 5 with double humbuckers. That it was done up with a purple sparkle finish was the icing on the cake according to Adesina. Michelle had been learning about the whole jazz band thing from her daughter for the past year and a half, but she always felt a step behind. And the humbucker thing was just baffling to her.
“Sean’s mother was supposed to go, but then she came down with the flu and now we need another chaperone. Besides, Wally’s going to be there,” Adesina replied, as if her mother filling in as chaperone was the most natural thing in the world. “Oh, and so is Mr. Ruttiger, you know, the school counselor. Remember, you met him at the open house. He was on season two of American Hero. They called him Rubberband. He’s all stretchy.”
Michelle felt a coil of fear in her gut. “I can’t,” she sputtered. “I have … things … aren’t there other mothers who can fill in?”
Adesina flicked the latches on her case closed. “Jeez, Mom,” she said as she put her sheet music into a folder. “It’s just five days in San Antonio with a bunch of band nerds. It’s not saving the world.”
Michelle watched in dismay, knowing this was a battle she’d already lost.
(#ulink_c5d4deb4-03b2-5ca0-aff4-46a71f7de67b)
Bubbles and the Band Trip (#ulink_b3c1fd3a-bb11-5024-82f6-e7c7d8d66fb7)
Part 1 (#ulink_b3c1fd3a-bb11-5024-82f6-e7c7d8d66fb7)
THE BRAKES GAVE A farty hiss as the bus pulled up in front of the Gunter Hotel. Michelle sighed with relief. Being cooped up with her daughter and the rest of the Xavier Desmond High School Jazz Band for eighteen hours straight was about as much fun as she could stand. The kids sometimes called themselves the Jokertown Mob, but mostly just the Mob to keep it short.
“Ms. Pond!” Peter called from the back of the bus. Peter was the band’s trumpet player. He called himself Segway because his legs were fused together and he moved by rolling around on keratin wheels. “Can we get out now?” Michelle guessed she wasn’t the only one ready for a break from the enforced confinement.
“In a second, Peter,” she said. “Let me see where we’re supposed to check in first, so we don’t have to lug the instruments and suitcases all over the place.”
The driver opened the bifold door and Michelle stepped out into the beautiful, cool San Antonio spring morning.
And discovered she was in a little slice of hell.
Coming at her was a group of about twenty people carrying an array of placards that read: SPAWN OF SATAN! FREAKS! JOKERS ARE SUBHUMANS! JOKERS ARE WICKED ABOMINOTIONS: PROV. 15:9!
Michelle strode toward them. They kept coming at her. At her and the bus full of her kids.
Bastards.
