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    The Man Behind the Curtain
    The Man Behind the Curtain
    The Man Behind the Curtain
    Ebook34 pages52 minutes

    The Man Behind the Curtain

    By Joseph Paul Haines

    ()

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    About this ebook

    "Moving and emotionally believable . . ." --Rich Horton, SF Site Reviews.

    "Strong work . . ." Gardner Dozois, THE YEAR'S BEST SCIENCE FICTION

    Originally published in Abyss & Apex magazine and reprinted in THE BEST OF ABYSS & APEX, VOLUME ONE, this story received an honorable mention from Gardner Dozois in THE YEAR'S BEST SCIENCE FICTION.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherGryffynperch Books
    Release dateApr 5, 2011
    ISBN9781458102317
    The Man Behind the Curtain
    Author

    Joseph Paul Haines

    Joseph Paul Haines was born in Canton, Ohio, into a family of eight children. He grew up in Ohio, West Virginia, California, and too many other places to count. His stories have appeared in a variety of magazines, including Interzone, Aeon, Abyss & Apex and his story, "Ten With a Flag," is forthcoming in John Joseph Adam's dystopian anthology, "Brave New Worlds." His fiction has been recognized multiple times with honorable mentions in various Year's Best anthologies and, together with Samantha Henderson, he edited the speculative war anthology, "From the Trenches." He lives in Colorado with his wife, Catherine, and Buddy the dog where he finds himself at the karaoke bar all too often. You can find him online at www.josephpaulhaines.com.

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      Book preview

      The Man Behind the Curtain - Joseph Paul Haines

      THE MAN BEHIND THE CURTAIN

      by

      JOSEPH PAUL HAINES

      SMASHWORDS EDITION

      * * * * *

      PUBLISHED BY:

      GRYFFYNPERCH BOOKS AT SMASHWORDS

      THE MAN BEHIND THE CURTAIN

      Copyright © 2007 by JOSEPH PAUL HAINES

      Original cover image used under creative commons license at http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en Original artwork by Fabian Bromann

      Smashwords Edition License Notes

      This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then you should return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the author's work.

      * * * * *

      The Man Behind the Curtain

      I once heard someone say that we create our own reality. Even quantum physicists were jumping on board that bandwagon, talking about the nature of thoughts and the impact they had on the physical world. If it's true, I've never seen it.

      Or maybe I just don't want to take credit for the reality I've created.

      That's possible. That's very possible.

      You'd think that if that was true though, some events in our life might match our expectations. Me? I was constantly being surprised. No. That's the wrong word. Disappointed is more accurate.

      Only four of us made it, out of eight. Half. Half her children showed up for her funeral. When I heard that she died, I imagined a rainy day. Two score or so mourners stood around her open grave all dressed in black like a coven of dark acolytes gathering round an altar, waiting to sacrifice their troubled memories into the cold earth beside her. Instead, there was a brief ceremony in a small room at the back of the funeral home. Four of her children, the minister, and three old women from her church attended.

      I didn't know the women, so I simply nodded my head when they offered their condolences. I hadn't seen Mother in about ten years. I lost contact with her and tried to find out where she was, but not too hard. I didn't want to find her, you see. I just wanted to have looked.

      You really don't want to find your abuser, no matter how much you love them.

      My wife, Monica, didn't want me to come to the funeral. We'd been having problems. They were my fault. When your

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