Captain Gordala the gluttonous! Captain Gordala the fearless! Captain of the high seas! King of the World! He could hear the people chant over cannon blasts and smelled treasures over gun powder. Twenty days at sea and his thirst remained tightly fixed to his throat like his saber on …

  I saw the diner from a distance as I was coming down the highway I’d taken as a shortcut across the desert. It was the first sign of civilization I’d seen since leaving the Interstate, so I decided to stop and grab a bite to eat before moving on. …

  Evie knew this about the westernmost of the Great Lakes in winter. When the winds blew out of the north-northeast, Lake Superior’s ice surged up against the South Shore until it snapped with a crack like the opening of hell’s gate. The ice shoves, as newcomers to the region …