Now that 1952 was giving way to 1953, it still did…but then again, it didn’t. Leon would be starting kindergarten pretty soon. If you were a grown-up watching it all happen in front of you, wasn’t the gap from modeling clay and crayons to cap and gown little more than the blink of an eye? It seemed that way to Aaron.
He lit one more in his endless stream of Chesterfields. Right now, he could be glad that the war was over, and that it hadn’t come close enough to him to do anything worse than break a couple of windows at his house and scare the bejesus out of him. Millions of people across America and Europe and Russia and China weren’t so lucky. He had plenty of blessings to count.
He went into the kitchen and got himself another beer. When he came out, Herschel Weissman asked him, “So what’ll you be up to in 1953?”
Aaron coughed a couple of times before he answered. The cigarettes weren’t good for his wind, but he liked them too much to quit. “Sorry, boss,” he said. “Main thing I hope for next year is to buy a house instead of renting. I’ve got enough gelt for the down payment. I’ve looked on weekends for a while. They’re building a nice tract in Hawthorne, down near the airport, on what used to be a fig orchard. I may see if we can swing one of those.”
“Good luck,” Weissman said. “That’s a long way to and from work, though.”
“I’ll manage. Gas doesn’t cost that much,” Aaron said.
Ruth tapped him on the arm. “Hon, let’s get Leon to sleep.”
“Okay.” They settled Leon on Olivia’s bed, right next to a big stuffed poodle. He might fall asleep, or he might not. As long as he didn’t throw a tired tantrum and louse up the party, Aaron wouldn’t worry about it tonight.
As the midnight hour neared, Marvin banged on a wine glass with a fork till everybody quieted down and looked his way. “I’ve got a toast, folks,” he said loudly. His face was flushed and sweaty; he’d been pouring it down. “A toast,” he repeated. “Here’s to a peaceful 1953! Here’s to hoping we’ve learned enough to never, ever, ever use A-bombs again, no matter what!”
“Alevai omayn!” Aaron said. Everybody drank to Marvin’s toast: his family, Aaron and his family, his boss, the would-be hot-dog entrepreneurs and their ladies. Everybody. Aaron pushed his way through the crowd to his brother’s side and set his hands on Marvin’s shoulders. “You did good there,” he told him. “I didn’t know you had it in you.”
“Thanks a bunch,” Marvin said. “But I’m not gonna let you get me down, not tonight I’m not.”
It was too bad that Guy Lombardo and his orchestra were on Eastern Time, not Pacific. The old year had gone in New York City almost three hours ago. No dropping the crystal ball in Times Square this year, though. Times Square still wasn’t up to it. Marvin counted down the seconds on his expensive Swiss watch. “Happy New Year!” he shouted. “Happy 1953!”
Aaron got his first kiss of the new year from Ruth. “Happy 1953!” he said, and lit another Chesterfield.
The Guns of the South
THE WORLDWAR SAGA
Worldwar: In the Balance
Worldwar: Tilting the Balance
Worldwar: Upsetting the Balance
Worldwar: Striking the Balance
COLONIZATION
Colonization: Second Act
Colonization: Down to Earth
Colonization: Aftershocks
Homeward Bound
THE VIDESSOS CYCLE
Volume One:
The Misplaced Legion
An Emperor for the Legion
Volume Two:
The Legion of Videssos
Swords of the Legion
THE TALE OF KRISPOS
Krispos Rising
Krispos of Videssos
Krispos the Emperor
A World of Difference
Departures
How Few Remain
THE GREAT WAR
The Great War: American Front
The Great War: Walk in Hell
The Great War: Breakthroughs
AMERICAN EMPIRE
American Empire: Blood and Iron
American Empire: The Center Cannot Hold
American Empire: The Victorious Opposition
SETTLING ACCOUNTS
Settling Accounts: Return Engagement
Settling Accounts: Drive to the East
Settling Accounts: The Grapple
Settling Accounts: In at the Death
Every Inch a King
The Man with the Iron Heart
THE WAR THAT CAME EARLY
The War That Came Early: Hitler’s War
The War That Came Early: West and East
The War That Came Early: The Big Switch
The War That Came Early: Coup d’Etat
The War That Came Early: Two Fronts
The War That Came Early: Last Orders
THE HOT WAR
Bombs Away
Fallout
Armistice
HARRY TURTLEDOVE is the award-winning author of the alternate-history works The Man with the Iron Heart, The Guns of the South, and How Few Remain (winner of the Sidewise Award for Best Novel); the War That Came Early novels: Hitler’s War, West and East, The Big Switch, Coup d’Etat, Two Fronts, and Last Orders; the Worldwar saga: In the Balance, Tilting the Balance, Upsetting the Balance, and Striking the Balance; the Colonization books: Second Contact, Down to Earth, and Aftershocks; the Great War epics: American Front, Walk in Hell, and Breakthroughs; the American Empire novels: Blood & Iron, The Center Cannot Hold, and Victorious Opposition; and the Settling Accounts series: Return Engagement, Drive to the East, The Grapple, and In at the Death. Turtledove is married to fellow novelist Laura Frankos. They have three daughters—Alison, Rachel, and Rebecca—and two granddaughters, Cordelia Turtledove Katayanagi and Phoebe Quinn Turtledove Katayanagi.
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