“Still think she didn’t betray us?”
And when Gansukh didn’t reply, Alchiq chuckled and began dressing the rabbits. “They’ll lead us to it,” he said. “And when we find the Spirit Banner, you can do whatever you like.”
HERE ENDS THE MONGOLIAD: BOOK THREE
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
ERIK BEAR
Thanks to my family, to my friends, and to everyone who’s fought alongside me on this book both metaphorically and literally. Thanks to all the other writers, especially Mark, for working harder than any one person should. Thanks to my dad and my grandpa, for guiding me down the path of writing.
GREG BEAR
It’s been terrific working with all of these fine writers, clashing steel in the mornings under Neal’s guidance, then quaffing coffee and breakfasting out of pink boxes of muffins while plotting at a mad pace... watching Mark outline and organize chapters on our blackboard while Joe and Cooper paced and swung and flashed their blades, shooting ideas back and forth with Neal across our writers’ table, talking across the continent with Nicole (and wickedly offering her virtual muffins), collaborating with son Erik on both fight strategies and chapters... while we all ventured on foot and horseback through untold carnage and across wide plains of rippling grass, straight into the fabulous territories of Harold Lamb, Talbot Mundy, and Robert E. Howard. Thanks to all for the amazing experience!
JOSEPH BRASSEY
To Neal Stephenson, who gave me my shot, I hope I’ve made you proud. To Mark Teppo, who beat my prose with a stick until it was pretty. To Greg, Erik, Cooper, Nicole, and everyone else at Subutai. To Tinker, who taught me to always add violence and put my feet on the path. To Ken and Rob at Fort Lewis, for opening my mind to new possibilities. To my lovely wife and my patient parents, who have always supported me. To my little sister and every friend I’ve had along the way who believed this could happen. Dreams come true. This is for you.
NICOLE GALLAND
Much gratitude to Mark, Neal, Greg, Cooper, Joe, and Erik for the lively trip we’ve all taken together—especially for keeping the Skype signal open over the miles, even with all those crickets. A special thank-you to Liz Darhansoff. And a nod to everyone involved in the brief, ineffable existence of E. D. DeBirmingham.
COOPER MOO
Heartfelt thanks to my family for their support: my wife, Mary; our children Keagan, Connor, and Haven; and my parents, Jan and Greg Moo. A debt of gratitude is owed every member of the writing team, particularly Neal for his leadership and Mark for his editorial guidance. I raise a bowl of airag to you all!
NEAL STEPHENSON
Thanks to Mark Teppo, the centripetal force.
MARK TEPPO
This project began when someone asked that eternal question that every storyteller loves to hear: “So what happened next?” I don’t think any of us realized the full scope of what Foreworld would be (and it is still very much in its infancy), but I am exceptionally grateful to have had this creative team—Erik, Greg, Cooper, Nicole, Joseph, and Neal—during this journey. I’d also like to thank Karen Laur, Jason Norgaar, and Neal Von Flue for the character portraits they provided, as well as the entire mongoliad.com community that ventured into the shiny future with us. Jeremy Bornstein and Lenny Raymond took care of us in that eternally unrecognized way that infrastructure people do; thank you, gentlemen. Fleetwood Robbins provided a keen editorial eye, offering a great perspective on the final arrangement of these words. Also, a nod to Emm, whose constant and unflagging support matters. So very much.
Tinker Pierce, Gus Trim, and Guy Windsor provided a great deal of useful insight and instruction as to the western martial arts. Additionally, Ellis Amdur and Aaron Fields offered fantastic commentary on all matters relating to the martial arts of thirteenth-century Japan. These five gentlemen are true scholars in their fields, and any creative license taken with the arts they study is entirely our own.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Neal Stephenson is primarily a fiction author and has received several awards for his works in speculative fiction. His more popular books include Snow Crash, The Diamond Age, Cryptonomicon, The Baroque Cycle, and Anathem.
Greg Bear is the author of more than thirty books, spanning the thriller, science fiction, and fantasy genres, including Blood Music, Eon, The Forge of God, Darwin’s Radio, City at the End of Time, and Hull Zero Three. His books have won numerous international prizes, have been translated into more than twenty-two languages, and have sold millions of copies worldwide.