Beneath Ceaseless Skies #409, June 13, 2024
“Under the Reaching Tree” by Jonathan Louis Duckworth
“An Uncanny Patch and Uncanny Hole: The Final Account from the Records of Ptaten, Imperial Surveyor” by Cara Masten DiGirolamo
Reviewed by Victoria Silverwolf
Two stories featuring protagonists who discover ways into other times and places appear in this issue.
In “Under the Reaching Tree” by Jonathan Louis Duckworth, a young woman about to settle into an arranged marriage journeys to an isolated spot where she spent much time as a child. She encounters an older woman there, and they continue to meet occasionally. The protagonist learns that her new friend is from another time. The discovery leads to an important choice that will change the rest of her life.
Although clearly set in a fantasy world, with frequent references to imaginary animals and even the ghost of an unborn child, much of this supernatural content is irrelevant. Only the shift in time is vital to the plot. The characters are fully developed, including the husband, who might have been a stereotypical abusive spouse but who also reveals a gentler side.
The author has a habit of using created words in place of ordinary ones, such as “moonbellied” for “pregnant.” The intent may be to create an exotic setting, but this technique comes across as an affectation.
Set in ancient Egypt, “An Uncanny Patch and Uncanny Hole: The Final Account from the Records of Ptaten, Imperial Surveyor” by Cara Masten DiGirolamo is narrated by the Pharaoh’s cartographer. He discovers a place by the Nile where anything that enters disappears. He recalls losing a friend to a similar phenomenon in the sea near Crete. The cruel Pharaoh commands him to explore the area, from which no one has ever returned.
The author creates a convincing portrait of the time and place. The premise is intriguing, but the story ends before clearing up any of the mysteries it creates. The resulting work seems more like the first chapter of a novel than a complete short story.
Victoria Silverwolf has never been to Egypt.