The Relic Guild (51 page)

Acknowledgements

When you get handed a ticket to the Biggest and Best Ride, you come to realise there are a lot of people who deserve your eternal gratitude. I would like to thank:

Mum and Dad for the life they gave me; Dot and Norm for the start they gave me (and sadness too that Dot never got to see the release of this book). My test readers: Kellie and Katy (the Almost Girls), Geoff, and my main man Trusty Mike. My agent John Berlyne for his perseverance and for unlocking the door I’d been banging on for the last ten years; and my marvellous editor Marcus Gipps who made me feel so welcome and special when I found the courage to walk through that door – this also goes for Gillian, Simon and Jen, along with the rest of the amazing Gollancz team.

Keith, Lesley, Helen and Kelly, the students I studied with and the students I taught. The T-Dog for keeping the faith, Stefan Fergus for his seal of approval, Miss Grumpy Bear (who doesn’t scare me at all), and the staff of the Rendezvous Bar & Bistro for keeping me plied with coffee while I wrote a large chunk of this story. And my wonderful daughter Marney, whose birth disrupted the writing of this book, and who is still too young to read about the adventures of her namesake.

To each and every one of you, my thanks.

This book is dedicated to Jack, my wife and best friend, who supported me while I stood in line for the Biggest and Best Ride, and put up with my every shade and mood. I love you.

Copyright

A Gollancz eBook

Copyright © Edward Cox 2014

All rights reserved
.

The right of Edward Cox to be identified as the
author of this work has been asserted by him in
accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

First
published in Great Britain in 2014 by

Gollancz

The Orion
Publishing Group Ltd

Orion House

5 Upper Saint Martin’s
Lane

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WC2H 9EA

An Hachette UK Company

This eBook
first published in 2014 by Gollancz.

A CIP catalogue record
for this book is available from the British Library.

ISBN
978 1 473 200326

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