In celebration of the release of THE VERY BEST OF KATE ELLIOTT, we are sharing story excerpts from the collection.

Today’s preview comes from “Making the World Live Again.”

Likea creature out of the old stories, caught between earth and sky, Eilistood with mud coating her feet and the sun rising at her back over
the endless tidal flats and marshlands.

“‘Hiai!
Hiai!’” she sang. “‘Before the first grass grew out of the
mud, before the first tree grew from the ground, before people
sprouted from the earth, before the first house was built, before the
first village came to be, before the first city was made, the sea
existed, nothing else. Then Eridu was built.’” Mud splashed her
ankles as she danced. “When I’m a woman, I’m going to travel to
Eridu and see the big temple for myself!”

“If
you don’t get back in the boat,” said her brother, “we’ll get
home late. Then the only place you’ll
be going is to dredge the old canal with the
slaves.”

“And
I’ll take the dates with me!” she retorted, laughing.

“Not
if you don’t get in the boat!”

For more on THE VERY BEST OF KATE ELLIOTT, visit the Tachyon page.

Cover art by Julie Dillon.

Design by Elizabeth Story.