Welcome to Stories from Among the Stars.

You're listening to The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Clune, narrated by Daniel Henning.

1.

Oh dear, Linus Baker said, wiping the sweat from his brow. This is most unusual. That was an

understatement. He watched in rapt wonder as an 11-year-old girl named Daisy levitated blocks of

wood high above her head. The blocks spun in slow, concentric circles.

Daisy frowned in concentration. The tip of her tongue stuck out between her teeth. It went on for a

good minute before the blocks slowly lowered to the floor. Her level of control was astounding.

I see, Linus said, furiously scribbling on his pad of paper.

They were in the master's office, a tidy room with government-issued brown carpet and old furniture.

The walls were lined with terrible paintings of lemurs in various poses.

The master had showed them off proudly, telling Linus

painting was her passion, and that if she hadn't become the master of this specific orphanage,

she'd be traveling with a circus as a lemur trainer, or even have opened up a gallery to share her

artwork with the world. Linus believed the world was better off with the paintings staying in this room,

but he kept the thought to himself.

He wasn't there to engage in amateur art criticism.

And how often do you, you know, make things float?

The master of the orphanage, a squat woman with frizzy hair, stepped forward.

Oh, not often at all, she said quickly.

She wrung her hands, eyes darting back and forth.

Perhaps once or twice a year?

...