At 42, Gus Rosenthal is in a place of security, importance, recognition—in short, the
perfect time to dig up that toy soldier that he buried in his back yard 30 years ago with the
knowledge that doing so will take him back to that time to be an influence on an angry,
bullied 12-year-old Gus.
My thoughts were of myself: I’m coming to save you. I’m coming, Gus. You won’t hurt
any more. . . you’ll never hurt.
DEBUT
“One Life, Furnished in Early Poverty,” in Orbit 8, edited by Damon Knight (G.
P. Putnam’s Sons, December 1970).
VARIANTS
Debut. “One Life, Furnished in Early Poverty,” in Orbit 8, edited by Damon Knight (G. P. Putnam’s Sons, December 1970).
My thoughts were of myself: I’m coming to save you. I’m coming, Gus. You won’t hurt
any more. . . you’ll never hurt.
1 English variant