The Blackthorn Key

To my editor at Aladdin, Liesa “Batgirl” Abrams, and to Mara Anastas, Mary Marotta, Jon Anderson, Katherine Devendorf, Karin Paprocki, Julie Doebler, Emma Sector, Jodie Hockensmith, Michael Selleck, Gary Urda, Christina Pecorale and the entire champion sales team, Lucille Rettino, Carolyn Swerdloff, Michelle Leo, and Stephanie Voros.

To my editor at Puffin UK, Ben “Temple Raider” Horslen, and to Francesca Dow, Wendy Shakespeare, Jacqui McDonough, Hannah Maloco, Carolyn McGlone, and all of Puffin’s fine purveyors of adventure.

To my compatriots at Simon & Schuster Canada, on the job and off: Kevin Hanson, Shara Alexa, Michelle Blackwell, Amy Cormier, Amy Jacobson, Lorraine Kelly, Brendan May, David Millar, Nancy Purcell, Felicia Quon, Andrea Seto, Martha Sharpe, and Rita Silva.

To all the publishers around the world who have embraced The Blackthorn Key.

To the friendly folks at the Latin Discussion Forum, especially Pacis puella; and to Terry Bailey and to Alma for their help in further translation. Any errors remaining are my own.

And finally, most of all, to you, dear reader, for whom this story was told. Thank you for giving Christopher a home.