Stormcastle: And Other Fun Games With Cards And Dice by Jeromy Henry	Alien Fruit by Harris Tobias	CHRONON--Time Travel by Harris Tobias	The Dreaming Fire by Jeromy Henry

In Their Tongue

by Jessica Baumgartner

Ahoooo! The loud deep howl sounded along with the chorus of crickets and cicadas in the Babbit’s back yard.

“She’s at it again,” Lynn sighed to her husband.

He went out onto the porch to scold their beloved pet again but stopped himself. For a moment Zach just stood and watched as the furry brown head of their hound Willow was thrown back, ears flopping in the breeze while her call reached far and wide. It was a beautiful sound whatever it meant.

“Alright, that’s enough,” he said as he walked up and patted her head.

By this point the children had come out to enjoy the show. They loved their dog’s everyday ritual. No matter how their parents tried to discourage it, they both knew that Willow wasn’t howling for no reason. She had a message, one that had to be sent out every night before bed. Despite not fully understanding the exact language of their pet, somehow the kids knew that whatever Willow was saying kept them safe. They looked to the sky with wonder as it began to darken.

Far beyond the clouds, past the moon in all its glory, beyond the stars and onto a planet unknown to human life on Earth; a communication center picked up the dog’s call with their traveling transmitters. They once again sent a signal to warn their battle ships: The fierce Willow and her population hold their position again. We must wait to attack. Eventually we’ll learn their weakness, but until then move onto the next inhabited planet.

Read more stories by this author

Transdimensional Blues by Raymond Coulombe	A Felony of Birds by Harris Tobias	Hold The Anchovies by Harris Tobias	Lockdown by Timothy O. Goyette

Quantum Museletter! Be the first to know when new stories and artwork have arrived. Subscribe to Quantum Museletter by filling out the following form. Enter the code above to verify entry: Your email address: Your name (optional):