ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Thanks go this time:

To Ginjer Buchanan and her team at Ace/Berkley/Putnam/Penguin, with whom I’ve had a long and lucrative relationship, spanning several decades.

To the adept crew at the Jean Naggar Literary Agency.

To the Thursday gang in Cotten’s garage, who bang shins and thump ribs in an effort to learn Maha Guru Stevan Plinck’s improvement of the Javanese-based knife system Pukulan Pentjak Silat Sera Plinck, which continues to be the centerpiece of my martial arts training.

To master bladesmith Chuck Pippin, for the knife that Doc Tomas Wink carries for chores other than healing surgery.

To artist Ubin Li, who gave me a working image of Kay.

To the faithful readers of my two weblogs: the general one, at www.themanwhonevermissed.blogspot.com, and the more martial one, silatseraplinck.blogspot.com. You’re in the neighborhood? Drop by and sit a spell.

And to my space opera fans who have stuck with me all these years, a special thanks for your loyalty. Couldn’t have done it without you, folks.