Species One
an excerpt

“And what about children? Where are the children?” Kaj Olafson’s voice trembled with keen loss. A small sob came from the Nandowiak’s corner, and Jamie bit down a comeback against the sentimentality. She approached the food shelf, attempting to conjure up a glass of whiskey with her stroking fingers, but was only rewarded with water, much to her annoyance. Perhaps her control of the black glass wasn’t as assured as she hoped.

“I don’t know what happened to the children,” she sighed.

“Good lord, that means HRH is gone!” Julian gasped.

“And the president,” Shamus offered quietly.

“The pope!” cried Varinka, startling Jamie.

“The Dalai Lama!” Jarvis threw into the mix, and suddenly the room was in a circuitous uproar as they threw out names, titles, leaders, personalities, celebrities, next-of-kin, some of which would not be missed, but all of them gone from the earth in one fell swoop. A keen wailing started up from Sandy, and Kaj hurried to comfort her when Jamie made no move. Even Varinka went to pat the Canadian mother awkwardly on the shoulder. Jamie’s annoyance hovered at throat level, nearly strangling her with unspoken vitriol.