Beneath Ceaseless Skies #385, June 29, 2023
“Disassembling Light” by Kel Coleman
“By the Far Salt Lake” by Portia Elan
Reviewed by Kevin P Hallett
The 385th issue of Beneath Ceaseless Skies has two short stories.
“Disassembling Light” by Kel Coleman
Terse is visited by a young woman seeking to be his apprentice in this short fantasy. Terse is old and needs an apprentice, but he has turned away many applicants because they weren’t tough or capable enough to take over his craft of creating living assemblages. Maybe this aspirant will be different.
As usual, he examines the candidate’s sample assemblage that must have taken her seasons to create. He tests her boldness, originality, and openness to critical feedback. She’s doing so well, Terse wonders if he can learn from her. Then she falters at the very end of his trial of her character. It’s the same place where he failed all those years ago when he applied to be an apprentice to the previous master creator.
This well-crafted story pulled the reader into its mysteries. The twisted ending will leave that reader pondering ‘what just happened.’
“By the Far Salt Lake” by Portia Elan
In this short fantasy, her rabbi father taught her there was an angel for every person, animal, or object on earth. For her father, it was a story, but she lived it. When her father passed, and she was alone, she found herself communing with the angel of her shawl. The angel promised to help her, turning away a young man seeking to marry her.
When the daughter hears of a rabbi seeking a housemaid who can read, the angel of a toy horse provides her with supplies and a mule to help get her there. However, she decides to follow a different path when she arrives at the salt lake where the rabbi lives.
This quiet character-centric story made for an engaging read.
You can follow Kevin P Hallett’s writing on www.kevinphallett.com. There are links there to join his mailing list for a weekly newsletter on the recent release of his fourth novel, The Four Crowns.