Acknowledgments

This story came to me—whoosh!—like a falling star, between bites of a strawberry, at tea with friends.

I am fortunate in knowing writers. Thanks, above all and as ever, to Sonya Taaffe, from whose marvellous Kit I kindled mine; and to Tili Sokolov and Lila Garrott. They saw him streak across the sky, called out, and caught him falling.

Many thanks to my percipient close readers: Sonya and Lila, first and last; Tili, who wrote the text for hypertext; Faye Ringel, who (as ever) inked the thorns; and Catherine Rockwood, latest but not least of the Sirenaics, who saw this story finished “to the naile.”

I am twice fortunate to work with Small Beer Press, who asked me for another Ben. As you see, they’ve turned him out exquisitely. My thrice-delighted thanks to Kathleen Jennings for her Great and Lesser Bears.