Got Kindle? Free Story by Sergey and Marina Dyachenko.

Maureen at Aliens in This World gives us a heads up:

Marina and Sergey Dyachenko are prolific, award-winning Russian/Ukrainian fantasy/sf writers. Their novel The Scar is coming out in translation at the end of the month.

But right now, you can read a translation of their 1999 award-winning story “The Burned Tower” for free on the Kindle.

You never know where trouble’s waiting… and there are some beings out there that you shouldn’t give rides. But it may be even more dangerous to charge them something.