Ellie is on her way to visit her comatose mother when her sister sends her to repair physics. Each universe has skunkworks that generate the universe within it, making this multiverse a set of matryoshka dolls. The skunkworks that generate this universe have become faulty, and the physical constants suddenly… aren’t. In order to fix the skunkworks, to make physics self-consistent again, and to make the world work as it’s supposed to, Ellie will have to remember everything her mother has taught her. At the Publisher’s request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied

Winner of the 2014 Hugo Award for Best Short Story. In the near future water falls from the sky whenever someone lies (either a mist or a torrential flood depending on the intensity of the lie). This makes life difficult for Matt as he maneuvers the marriage question with his lover and how best to “come out” to his traditional Chinese parents. This short story was acquired for Tor.com by consulting editor Ann VanderMeer

«Вода, что падает на вас ниоткуда, когда вы лжёте — самая обычная, разве что очень чистая. Факт. Несколько недель назад, когда всё началось, я проверил сам. Все на Земле проверили. По крайней мере, все те, кто не чужд технике безопасности. Не стоит безосновательно полагать, что любая прозрачная жидкость — вода… О чём лгать, неважно. Жидкость всякий раз оказывается чистейшей дистиллированной водой»