“Hey neighbor. You okay?” Jimmy called from his front door.

“Yeah, sure, why?”

“Thought the cold had gotten to you. You were frozen to the spot there for a minute.”

“Just thinking.” God, I’m such a liar.

“I’ll be out to help in a minute,” Jimmy said.

“No, it’s okay.” Her protest was too late. Jimmy had closed the door on her words and would be dressed and out with his shovel in a couple of minutes. Not that she minded the help, but she needed time to think and he’d chatter as they worked disrupting her thoughts.

Back in the house twenty minutes later, M settled on the sofa, wrapped an afghan around her legs and sipped a Baileys. Mustafa? Fatma? François? Did they exist? She would have liked to chalk it up to imagination, or dreams, or even hallucinations, but the wound on her leg from the machete four days ago—was it only four days?—served as a grim reminder of the reality of her travels.

The television was muted. She wanted to think, but she also needed to see the news. François had taken pictures. What would she do if her face filled the screen? She’d be recognized. It was one thing to explain away a momentary lapse of attention, a foreign word or two coming out of her mouth, but news of her blasting out to the world would be a whole other story.

And that was another thing. How could she be in Raftan, messing about in their affairs and be here at the same time? She took another sip of the Bailey’s. The warmth of the liqueur spread through her and she felt herself relaxing.

There she was on the screen. She sat bolt upright. Yes, it was her. François’ pictures captured her perfectly, damn it.  

Em’s life is hijacked by alien gods. Armed with the superpowers they give her, she’s supposed to fix the world’s problems. Trouble is, Yves, the alien controlling her, is a newbie and lousy at communication. He can’t figure out how to let her know she won’t be hurt as she barges into jungle battles and courtrooms filled with armed soldiers, and faces Taliban-like zealots, defeating them all.

Yves manipulates the media to maintain constant attention on Em and her exploits. The world falls in love with this “madam of miracles.” Em doesn’t quite see it that way. She agonizes over the impact of her actions and whether or not what she is doing is right.

Em is not the only one confused and in agony. Coming from the sterile world of the gods, Yves succumbs to human emotions. Jealousy takes over as he watches Em and her lover.

How will Em decide whether or not she wants this sci-fi life that’s been thrust on her? Can she ever really go back to a normal life? And Yves?  Will he risk everything for his love of Em?