ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I wish to thank Tor Books for asking me to write this novel, and Patrick Nielsen Hayden for editing it. As always, I am grateful to Kay McCauley, who is not only my literary agent but a dear friend.

Sharon Walbridge, Jim Winn, and Gary Meyer read and commented on an earlier, very different version of this story. When I decided to rewrite the novel from scratch, Jim Winn—brilliant pianist and composer, one of Entropy’s worthiest adversaries—gave me a profoundly helpful pep talk.

Gary Meyer, eagle-eyed editor and beloved husband, has read every word of every version of this book, multiple times.

Christina MacDonald did an excellent job of copyediting.

Danielle Mayabb is the original source of Rosemary’s metaphor of Christ as compass.

Todd Renwick of the University of Nevada, Reno Police Services, answered my questions about how the investigation into Melinda’s murder would be likely to proceed.

Eric Heidecker briefed me on the availability of junk food in Nixon, Nevada.

Liz Lasater, Sheila Young, Christian Lindke, Melissa Walton, Lucy Larsen, Teresa Poulson, and Nancy Espin—all better traveled than I—confirmed my description of the terrain between Reno and Klamath Falls.

Victor Montejo’s The Bird Who Cleans the World and Other Mayan Fables is a real book, and was an invaluable resource.

I am indebted to the University of Nevada, Reno, for the boon of a professional development leave from my teaching duties, during which I finished this book.

Thank you all. As always, all errors and infelicities are mine alone.