Hill House, Publishers: "About Face" (2003)—An Excerpt from THE CAT'S PAJAMAS: Stories + 5 by Ray Bradbury

The five new stories in THE CAT'S PAJAMAS: Stories + 5 are classic Ray Bradbury tales, with twists, turns, and surprises, filled with the joy that we experience through the simple act of living—and shadowed by the darkness that waits for us just around the corner.

   My long silence caused her to smile gently. "I can almost read your mind."
   "Read it then," I said, laughing quietly.
   "You were thinking the plastic surgeon's turned out a fine specimen."
   "No," I said. "I forget the surgeons and only see a fine face belonging to someone I haven't seen in a while. Has it been a good year?"
   She leaned back in her chair. "How does my year look to you?"
   "I hesitate to say."
   "Try to say it anyway."
   I studied her features for a long moment. "This is the face of a woman who should be happy, a woman who had a happy New Year twelve months ago, all champagne and caviar, but now looks unhappy."
   "Yes. Terribly unhappy."
   She looked at me for a long moment, hesitantly, "This is ridiculous, I know, but first, before I do anything else, I want to thank you again for the last year, no matter what I say next."
   "It was nothing."
   She leaned forward. "But now I've come about two things."
   "And what would that be?"
   "Because of my new income during the last year I've saved quite some money. So now I want you to call your surgeons for a second operation."
   "A second?" I said. "You've already been well improved."
   "No, I want to go back."
   "What?"
   "I want your surgeons to change my face back as it was last year."

Hill House edition of THE CAT'S PAJAMAS: Stories + 5 by Ray Bradbury

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