The Ghost Brigades Part 26

"He did," Sagan said.

"He said he knew me, but I didn't really remember him," Zoe said.

"He did know you, but it's hard to explain," Sagan said. "I'll explain it to you when you're older."

Zoe looked at the tombstone again. "All the people who knew me have gone away," she said, in a small, singsong voice. "All my people are gone."

Sagan got down on her knees behind Zoe and gave her a small but fierce hug. "I'm so sorry, Zoe."

"I know," Zoe said. "I'm sorry too. I miss Daddy and Mommy and I even miss Mr. Jared a little, even though I didn't know him very much."

"I know they miss you too," Sagan said. She came around to face Zoe. "Listen, Zoe, soon I'm going to be going to a colony, where I'm going to live. If you want, you can come with me."

"Will it just be you and me?" Zoe said.

"Well, you and me and a man I love very much," Sagan said.

"Will I like him?" Zoe asked.

"I think so," Sagan said. "I like him, and I like you, so it stands to reason you would like each other. You, me, and him."

"Like a family," Zoe said.

"Yes, like a family," Sagan said. "Very much like one."

"But I already have a daddy and a mommy," Zoe said.

"I know, Zoe," said Sagan. "I would never want you to forget them, ever. John and I would just be the two grown-ups who will be very lucky to get to live with you."

"John," Zoe said. "John and Jane. John and Jane and Zoe."

"John and Jane and Zoe," Sagan repeated.

"John and Jane and Zoe," Zoe said, standing up and moving to the rhythms of the names. "John and Jane and Zoe. John and Jane and Zoe! I like that," Zoe said.

"I like it too," Sagan said.

"Well, okay then," Zoe said. "And now I'm hungry."

Sagan laughed. "Well then, let's get you something to eat."

"Okay," Zoe said. "Let me say bye-bye to Mommy and Daddy." She ran to the headstone and planted a kiss on it. "I love you," she said, and then raced back to Sagan, and took her hand. "I'm ready. Let's eat."

"Okay," Sagan said. "What would you like?"

"What do we have?" Zoe said.

"There are lots of choices," Sagan said. "Pick one."

"All right," Zoe said. "I'm very very good at making choices, you know." good at making choices, you know."

"Well," Sagan said, hugging the girl close. "I'm so very glad to hear it."

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS.

First off, to everyone who thinks writing a sequel should be easy because you've already created the universe: Bwa ha ha ha ha ha ha! Heh. No.

With that in mind, allow me to first acknowledge my editor, Patrick Nielsen Hayden, for occasionally dropping me a casual e-mail to let me know much he was looking forward to reading the next chapter, rather than strangling me dead, which he probably should have done and may may yet do, because now he's gotten the entire ma.n.u.script and there's no penalty in doing so (unless he wants another book). yet do, because now he's gotten the entire ma.n.u.script and there's no penalty in doing so (unless he wants another book).

Other absolutely magnificent Tor people who deserve love and/or chocolates: Teresa Nielsen Hayden, Liz Gorinsky, Irene Gallo, the dearly departed Fiona Lee (she's alive, just in China), Dot Lin and Tom Doherty. However, as a general rule, everyone who works at Tor deserves love and/or chocolates, and I'm not just saying that because I've made them suffer by blowing deadlines. Well, maybe a bit. But it doesn't make it any less true true. Thanks also to Rich Klin, for truly heroic copyediting.

Admit it: You think the cover rocks. Well, it's true, it does, and we all have John Harris to thank for that.

Thanks as ever to Ethan Ellenberg, my agent, whose judicious wrangling of contracts is a sight to behold.

One of the reasons that The Ghost Brigades The Ghost Brigades exists is that the first book in the series, exists is that the first book in the series, Old Man's War, Old Man's War, was fortunate enough to have been praised online by folks whose taste in books is trusted by their readers. I thank all of them and add special thanks to Glenn Reynolds, Cory Doctorow, Stephen Green, Stephen Bainbridge and Eugene Volokh. If you ever wondered if online word of mouth worked, by the way: Oh, my, was fortunate enough to have been praised online by folks whose taste in books is trusted by their readers. I thank all of them and add special thanks to Glenn Reynolds, Cory Doctorow, Stephen Green, Stephen Bainbridge and Eugene Volokh. If you ever wondered if online word of mouth worked, by the way: Oh, my, yes yes.

If you're wondering why particular things in the book seem so good, the short answer is because I've seen them work in other books and said, "What an excellent thing. I think I'll steal that." Writers from whom I've consciously stolen include Nick Sagan (his consciousness transference idea, used to excellent effect in Edenborn Edenborn), Scott Westerfeld (whose awesome s.p.a.ce battles in The Risen Empire The Risen Empire and and The Killing of Worlds The Killing of Worlds will make you weep with joy) and David Brin, whose concept of "Uplift" (see: will make you weep with joy) and David Brin, whose concept of "Uplift" (see: The Uplift War The Uplift War) gets a quick ping. Thanks also to the various SF/F authors I namecheck throughout the book.

As ever, Regan Avery served indispensably as my reader of first resort. Every writer should have a Regan. But you can't have Regan Avery. She's mine mine. Grrrrrrrrrrr.

Chad Brink mailed me a copy of one of my books to sign, and it took me several months to return it to him. In fact, I may still have it here. I figure putting him in the acknowledgments of this book makes up for being a bad book-mailer-backer. Also, clearly, you should not mail your books to me to sign. It's not you, it's me.

Deven Desai, Natasha Kordus, Kevin Stampfl, Mykal Burns, Daniel Mainz, Justine Larbalestier, Lauren McLaughlin, Andrew Woffinden, Charlie Stross, Bill Schafer, Karen Meisner, Anne KG Murphy, Cian Chang, Kristy Gaitten, John Anderson, Stephen Bennett, Erin Barbee, Joe Rybicki, and many others whom I can't remember because it's 4:30 in the morning but you know who you are, I love you all and wish to have your babies. Twins, even.

Lastly and not leastly, a moment to thank Kristine and Athena Scalzi for being as patient with me as they could possibly be in the writing of this book. The writing of this book was particularly trying for Athena, who at one point turned to her mother and declared, "Daddy's become boring boring." Well, sweetheart, I promise to be less boring from now on, starting right this very instant.

OTHER NOVELS BY JOHN SCALZI.

Agent to the Stars

Old Man's War

The Android's Dream (forthcoming) (forthcoming)