Acknowledgments

by Dave Freer

This book owes a great deal to the advice of several people: Conrad Chu, for his tolerant explanations of technical aspects, our fellow author John Ringo for his input on military matters, and Aubrey Rautenbach for his patient advice on tractors and cropsprayers. I must also thank my longsuffering biologist/scientist peers, Drs. Ware, Wolber, Baker, Collins and Hawkes, for their help in solving the biological conundrums involved in building alien biosystems. Any errors are ours, not theirs. In addition to this, many of the great crowd at Baen's Bar (http://www.baen.com) helped with suggestions and snippets of information.

Two other people need especial thanks: my wife Barbara, and Kathy Holton, my proofreader. Between the two of them they turn my English into something readable, before I turn my pages over to Eric. Barbs also exercises enormous restraint and tolerance with a husband who lives in an alien world half the time.

Finally, I'd like to thank my friend and writing mentor, Eric (the Bear) Flint. Countless e-mail discussions, the chapters being passed to-and-fro, and not a few international calls, made this book—and also made it great fun to write. The constant sparking off each other produced a book I could never have written alone.

Dave Freer
Eshowe
KwaZulu-Natal
South Africa
November 11, 1999

Dramatis Personae

Hominidae

Chip, A Vat-grown conscript. A thing of rags and tatters. 

Ginny, A damsel of high degree; and a secret. 

Fitzhugh, The very model of a modern major. 

Rattae

Fal, Great of appetite. Small of martial rigor. 

Doll, A rattess of negotiable virtue.  

Phylla, A rattess. Though cattish of tongue. 

Melene, A rat-damsel of acumen, and a very attractive tail. 

Pistol, A rat-at-arms. One-eyed. 

Nym, A giant among rats; and mechanically bent. 

"Doc," A ratly philosopher and medic. 

Ariel, A rattess of fell repute. Fond of model majors. 

Battae

Bronstein, She-bat who must be obeyed. 

Siobhan, A fussy mother-bat. 

O'Niel, A plump bat; but a true soul. 

Behan, A loyal batty. 

Eamon, A large and dangerous bat. And disgruntled. 

Et Alia

Prof, Tutor to Ginny; remarkably like a sea urchin. 

Fluff, A galago, confused with Don Quixote. 

And a supporting cast of: one Jampad, various stalwarts, innumerable fools, and several million villainous Magh'.