“Stop,” Laure said. His speech was as flat as hers. “I see what you’re at. You are about to report that your chromosome study proved the matter. My kind of people and hers can’t reproduce with each other.”

“Correct,” Jaccavrie said.

Laure shook himself, as if he were cold. He continued to look at the glowing fog. “You can’t call them nonhuman on that account.”

“A question of semantics. Hardly an important one. Except for the fact that Kirkasanters apparently are under an instinctual compulsion to have children.”

“I know,” Laure said.

And after a time: “Good thing, really. They’re a high-class breed. We could use a lot of them.”

“Your own genes are above average,” Jaccavrie said.

“Maybe. What of it?”

Her voice turned alive again. “I’d like to have grandchildren,” she said wistfully.

Laure laughed. “All right,” he said. “No doubt one day you will.” The laughter was somewhat of a victory.

Want to read more?

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Coming soon! — More ebooks and more NESFA Press hardcovers.

Superlative SF currently available from the NESFA Press in hardcover format

The Collected Short Works of Poul Anderson: (Six volumes)

1. Call Me Joe

2. The Queen of Air and Darkness

3. The Saturn Game

4. Admiralty

5. Door to Anywhere

6. A Bicycle Build for Brew

The Collected Stories of Roger Zelazny: (Six volumes)

1. Threshold

2. Power & Light

3. This Mortal Mountain

4. Last Exit to Babylon

5. Nine Black Doves

6. The Road to Amber

Early works by Lois McMaster Bujold:

Shards of Honor

Barrayar

The Warrior's Apprentice

The Vor Game

Ethan of Athos

Brothers in Arms

Falling Free

Borders of Infinity

Other interesting and popular works:

The Rediscovery of Man: The Complete Short SF of Cordwainer Smith

Norstrilia by Cordwainer Smith

Ingathering: The Complete People Stories of Zenna Henderson

Silverlock by John Myers Myers

War and Space by Lester del Rey

Robots and Magic by Lester del Rey

Flights of Eagles by James Blish

Works of Art by James Blish

Magic Mirrors by John Bellairs

Expecting Beowulf by Tom Holt (trade paper)

Years in the Making by L. Sprague de Camp

The Mathematics of Magic by L. Sprague de Camp & Fletcher Pratt

From These Ashes by Fredric Brown

A New Dawn: The Don A. Stuart Stories of John W. Campbell, Jr.

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