Welcome to Stories from Among the Stars.

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

18.

It was raining heavily back in the city when he stepped off the train. He pulled his

coat tightly around him, squinting up at the metal gray sky. Calliope hissed as water began to

drip through the slats on the top of her crate. He picked up his suitcase and walked toward the

bus stop. The bus was late.

Of course it was.

He took off his coat and put it on top of Calliope's crate.

It did the job, for now.

He sneezed.

He hoped he wasn't getting sick.

That would be just his luck, wouldn't it?

Twenty minutes later, the bus came, tires sluice in water.

The doors slid open.

Linus was soaked as he stepped onto the bus.

Hello, he said to the driver.

The driver grunted in response as Linus struggled to swipe his pass.

The bus was mostly empty.

There was a man in the back, head pressed against the window, and a woman who eyed Linus

suspiciously.

He took a seat away from them.

...