Michael Rudell, a great reader/matchmaker, just as much as he is a great lawyer. I’m lucky enough to be represented by that rare thing, an agency full of people who would all be fantastic desert island companions: David Gernert, whose raucous laughter, endless appetite for pages, and raconteur-ing rock the publishing world. Stephanie Cabot, with her dry wit, warmth, and excellent classics geekiness. Rebecca Gardner, for bright ideas and Greek food, along with Will Roberts for foreign rights. My editor, Erika Imranyi, for buying and editing this great big, wild monster of a book, along with Brian Tart and everyone at Dutton for supporting its journey from scribbles into actuality. John Power and Steve Twersky, ongoing believers and accountants, which is saying something. Lisa Bankoff, who out of pure goodness said nice things about Queen of Kings all over town. Simon Taylor, who got spectacularly giddy over this book and then bought it for the UK marketplace. All the other foreign editors, who got this book and bought it.

Let it be said publicly: Without all the friends who contributed willing ears, belief, and alcohol, this novel would not have gotten written. I’d been working for several years on another book, which I backburnered when I got the first tiny, mad kernel of the idea for Queen of Kings. I owe thanks to all the people who not only listened to me shriek about the travails of that other project for years but who encouraged me to write this one, after all the hours they’d spent patiently comforting me through something else.

Don’t think you’re done comforting me, friends, Romans, countrymen. This is a trilogy.

I couldn’t be more fortunate if I had a magic lamp and a million wishes. Thanks to: Zay Amsbury, Mark Bemesderfer, Chris Bolin, Stesha Brandon, Ed Brubaker and Melanie Tomlin, Tom Bryant, Matt Cheney, Thea Cooper, Kate Czajkowski, Laura Dave, Caitlin DiMotta and Duffy Boudreau, Kelley Eskridge and Nicola Griffith, Lance Horne, Dayna S. Kalleres, Greg Kalleres, Hallie Deaktor Kapner, Doug Kearney, Jay Kirk, Park Krausen, Joe Knezevich, Josh Kilmer-Purcell, Thomas Kohnstamm and Tábata Silva, Erik Larson, Hana Lass, Ben McKenzie, Jenny Mercein, Michaela Murphy, Ruth McKee and Brian K. Vaughan, Samantha Temple Neukom, Leslie and Mark Olson, Rebecca Olson, Amanda Palmer, Matthew Power and Jessica Benko, Steven Rinella, Kim Scott, Sxip Shirey, Jennie Shortridge, Ed Skoog, Garth Stein, and Danielle Trussoni.

The extraordinary Martin Epstein (who should certainly also appear in the friend category), Deloss Brown, and Carol Rocamora at NYU all took my brain and filled it with classics, Shakespeare, and spectacular choruses, back when I was twenty years old. Things had to shake around for a while, but I’m quite sure this book is in part the result of their groundwork. As for my personal Library of Alexandria, many highlights are mentioned in the Historical Notes and Chorus sectors, but Jonathan Carroll, Angela Carter, Michael Chabon, Isak Dinesen, Rikki Ducornet, Neil Gaiman, Mark Helprin, Stephen King, Madeleine L’Engle, Ursula K. Le Guin, George R. R. Martin, China Miéville, and Peter Straub deserve special mention for writing books that continue to blow my mind and remake it. All their (diverse) writing informs mine. Go read their books. You will not regret it. And: I must thank one band most especially for this book. I’ve never been a metal fan. Ever. But as I wrote Queen of Kings, I discovered Iron Maiden. This book was written to a soundtrack of equal parts The Mountain Goats, The National, Iron Maiden, and Stevie Nicks’s “Gold Dust Woman.” There it is.

My family have all been victimized by crazed midnight phone calls in which I recite speeches by Cicero and restructure a book they haven’t yet read. Once again, I’m wildly lucky, both in the people I’m related to and in the people I married into. Huge love and gratitude to Adriane Headley, Mark Headley and Meghan Koch, Molly Headley and Idir Benkaci, the Lumpkin family, the Moulton family, and the Headley family, my son, Joshua Schenkkan, and my daughter, Sarah Schenkkan (Guys, you’re upgraded. You’re my stepkids, yeah, but you’re my family, and I claim you), the Schenkkan/Rothgeb family. And the chorus of shades: my grandparents R. Dwayne and Marguerite Moulton, and my dad, Mark Bryan Headley. I miss you. I wish you could each have a copy of this book.

Gratitude as well to my two house-leopards. They don’t care if they are thanked, but I wrote this book with their particular cat assistance, and the lions and tigers are based on them.

Finally, most important, gratitude and adoration to Robert Schenkkan, my favorite person in the universe, my beloved, my dearest one. You read this book at least seven times, lent me your bookshelves, picked me up when I was yowling, fed me dinner, poured me bourbon, kissed me, cheered me on, discussed and discussed, gave me your whole stunning heart, and every day made me so proud to be yours. People ask me all the time how I manage to be married to another writer, and the answer is that the other writer is you. You are so brilliant, so giving, and so the perfect man for me. This book, with all its magic, monsters, treasures, and eternal love affairs, is dedicated to you for a damn good reason, just as I am. Te teneo.