Ooh, is this the story that started turning into a novel? I remember nominating one for the IOW anthologies, then seeing an author disclaimer that this was evolving into more than a short story. I lost track of this one about 13 chapters in, not for lack of interest, but failure to organize my reading time. That, and not having the whole thing in hand, in one piece, in my Kindle. (Lazy, impatient me.) I love the character arcs, the surprise twists, the fantastic setting. You'll surely publish this as a novel, right? right??