Stories include: Slaughter house -- Trespass -- The wedding -- Wet straw -- Being -- The conquerer -- From Jack Finney -- The curious child -- Dear diary -- Descent -- The doll that does everything -- The man who made the world -- The test -- The traveller -- When day is dun -- Dance of the dead -- The funeral -- Miss Stardust -- One for the books -- Pattern for survival -- From George Clayton Johnson -- A flourish of strumpets -- A splendid source -- Steel -- A visit to Santa Claus -- The children of Noah -- The holiday man -- Lemmings -- Old haunts -- The distributor -- The edge.