Drake helped create the audience for mercenary military science fiction with his bestselling “Hammer’s Slammers” books. Drake graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Iowa, majoring in history (with honors) and Latin. His stint at Duke University Law School was interrupted for two years by the U.S. Army, where he served as an enlisted interrogator with the 11th Armored Cavalry in Vietnam and Cambodia. Drake has a wife, a son, and various pets.

Illustration by Gary Ruddell

Cover design by Carol Russo Design

Hardcover

This is a work of fiction. All the characters and events portrayed in this book are fictional, and any resemblance to real people or incidents is purely coincidental.

First printing, July 2001

Distributed by Simon & Schuster

1230 Avenue of the Americas

New York, NY 10020

Printed in the United States of America ISBN: 0-671-31996-5

Copyright © 2001 by Eric Flint & David Drake

All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form.

A Baen Books Original

Baen Publishing Enterprises

P.O. Box 1403

Riverdale, NY 10471

http://www.baen.com

Production by Windhaven Press

Auburn, NH

Electronic version by WebWrights

http://www.webwrights.com ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

As this series has progressed, a number of people have provided us with assistance in one manner or another. It's time to thank them:

Conrad Chu

Judith Lasker

Joe Nefflen

Pam "Pogo" Poggiani

Richard Roach

Mike Spehar

Ralph and Marilyn Tacoma

Detlef Zander

. . . and probably several others I've forgotten to mention, for which my apologies in advance.