When Pa left Pete in charge of his sisters on the farm overnight he stated only one rule: no talking to the Greens.

No need to spell that out, Pete thinks. Every child knows never to speak to the Greens. An easy rule to follow. The Greens keep to themselves.

Then a Green turns up in the yard with a strange object. The Green wants something. They refuse to leave until Pete figures it out.

And Pete always strives to be neighborly.

"Beingly Neighborly", a science fiction short story originally published in Analog magazine.

When Pa left Pete in charge of his sisters on the farm overnight he stated only one rule: no talking to the Greens.

No need to spell that out, Pete thinks. Every child knows never to speak to the Greens. An easy rule to follow. The Greens keep to themselves.

Then a Green turns up in the yard with a strange object. The Green wants something. They refuse to leave until Pete figures it out.

And Pete always strives to be neighborly.

"Beingly Neighborly", a science fiction short story originally published in Analog magazine.