Most problems can be solved with patience. The rest require a perfectly timed cup of tea and a very stubborn gardener.
At sixty-four, former mortician Mary has settled into a peaceful routine on a terraformed colony: pruning her roses and keeping a watchful eye on her neighbor. Boris grows impeccable daffodils and possesses a terrifyingly calm demeanor. Mary is fairly certain he's a retired hitman. Boris has never confirmed this. He has also never denied it.
Their quiet cul-de-sac gets a jolt of energy when a clueless neighbor agrees to host an intergalactic exchange student. Twelve-year-old Xela looks like a human child, but hails from a proud, warrior-scholar species. For her midterm project, she is required to survive a ritual assassination attempt by her homeworld’s elite guard.
When alien warriors begin trampling the local petunias, Xela is thrilled. Mary and Boris are less amused. Unwilling to see the flower beds ruined—or let the sweet girl fail her class—the two retirees quietly step in to teach the visitors some neighborhood etiquette.
A cozy sci-fi tale about found family, intergalactic misunderstandings, and the increasingly complicated pursuit of peace and quiet.
Genre: Science Fiction
At sixty-four, former mortician Mary has settled into a peaceful routine on a terraformed colony: pruning her roses and keeping a watchful eye on her neighbor. Boris grows impeccable daffodils and possesses a terrifyingly calm demeanor. Mary is fairly certain he's a retired hitman. Boris has never confirmed this. He has also never denied it.
Their quiet cul-de-sac gets a jolt of energy when a clueless neighbor agrees to host an intergalactic exchange student. Twelve-year-old Xela looks like a human child, but hails from a proud, warrior-scholar species. For her midterm project, she is required to survive a ritual assassination attempt by her homeworld’s elite guard.
When alien warriors begin trampling the local petunias, Xela is thrilled. Mary and Boris are less amused. Unwilling to see the flower beds ruined—or let the sweet girl fail her class—the two retirees quietly step in to teach the visitors some neighborhood etiquette.
A cozy sci-fi tale about found family, intergalactic misunderstandings, and the increasingly complicated pursuit of peace and quiet.
Genre: Science Fiction
Used availability for Jon Kiln's Rosemary