In his favorite secret spot, a little boy meets Christian who tells the boy how he wanted to be a toymaker but instead had to be a ship pilot because of his special talents to see a bit into the future and the past. Now, Christian waits for the machine that he loved to return for him, and while he waits he builds kites, including one that moves a bit into the future and the past.
Well, you see, most kites fly in the three dimensions that we’re familiar with in our world, but some kites flyu in four or even five dimensions and go a little bit outward and a little bit inward into time.

Variants

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  1. “Christian” by Ian McDonald, in Asimov’s Science Fiction, October 1984.
    2. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . written by Ian McDonald