Above, us, in the dark shadows of the outer solar system, there is the shape of something unknown, something unspeakable. It waits, it bides its time, and as the days of summer grow longer, so does its voice grow louder.<br><br>On the quiet island of Sarah Ann in the Pacific Ocean, home of the renowned Firmament Foundation, awkward teenager Eirian Calohan has come in search of the mystery of their father's recent demise. Instead, they are confronted with the stark contrast between languid life on the tiny island and an unspeakable cosmic horror.<br><br>Together with their new friends, they set out to unravel the truth surrounding the death of their father and to also uncover just what it is that the Foundation has reached out to in the dark eternal night of the distant void.

All Cats Are Beautiful

“Make sure you don’t fall asleep on the sofa again,” she said at last, hesitated, and then added, “I love you.”


A moment passed, then came the click of the line disconnecting on the other end, and she returned the phone to its cradle.


Was it worth it, she asked herself; was coming back here after all this time, really worth it?


She thought bitterly of her less than acrimonious divorce, thought of the bitter words exchanged, the lengthy and protracted dispute between her and her ex-husband, and she wondered where he was now, how he was spending that money, and then, again, she thought of Poppy, and she tried to quell such ugly feelings, if only for her sake.


It had been good once, she reminded herself, and then, it had not.


She shook her head, returning to her computer and the lengthy list of emails that decorated the screen, and, with a deep sigh, began the arduous business of cleaning up after her father.  5


Chapter 10