From Killing Grounds, the eighth Kate Shugak novel:

“She was mean to Mom.”

“I know, but–“

“It’ll only make her wet the bed, Laverne, don’t be such a baby.  You get her hand out from under the covers, I’ll fill the pan with water.”

“Lauren!  Caitlin!  I’ve told you before, do not be drawn to the dark side of the Force.  A Jedi knight does not these things.”

She drifted, lost on a sea with no shore, although every now and then she heard the surf, and within it, the sounds of different voices.

“Katya, you know we are here.  We stay here and wait for you to come back.  Young lady with sword, you stab me again, I sacrifice you to Raven for a good silver run.”

“Wake up, lover.  You and me, we got some unfinished business on the bank of that damn creek.”

An anxious whine, a cold nose pressed to her cheek, and she was almost tempted to rise to the surface.  Almost.

“Goddam you, girl, get your ass outta that goddam bed.  The fish hawks give us a period and canneries come up with a semi-decent price and the fish are humping each other up the goddam river.  I’m supposed to take delivery of the whole friggen fleet all by my goddam self?”

“Kate, um, they say I’m supposed to talk to you.”  A pause.  “You look out cold to me, but here goes.  We’re taking you in shifts.”  Another pause.  “You’re shift work, Kate.”  A snicker.  “I get the first shift, Auntie Joy gets the second, Dad gets the third, and like that until you wake up.  Anyway, I’m first.  Remember those Heinlein books you gave me last fall?  I brought Between Planets with me, and I’m going to read it to you.”  He cleared his throat and began the tale of the planetless boy, and Kate listened, drowsy, drifting.

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