No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer, who may quote brief passages in a review. Published in 2005 by Random House Canada, a division of Random House of Canada Limited, in the United Kingdom by Century and in the United States by St. Martin's Press. Distributed in Canada by Random House of Canada Limited. www.randomhouse.ca Random House Canada and colophon are trademarks. Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication Gray, John, 1946– White stone day / John MacLachlan Gray. ISBN 0–679–31174–2 I. Title. PS8563.R411W45 2005 C813'.54 C2005–904916–2 Printed and bound in the United States of America 1098765432 1 For Beverlee I have a fairy by my side Which says 1 must not sleep, When once in pain 1 loudly cried It said 'You must not weep.' If, full of mirth, I smile and grin, It says 'You must not laugh'; When once I wished to drink some gin, It said 'You must not quaff.' 'What may I do?' at length I cried, Tired of the painful task.
