Endgame
Page 41
“That’ll be good, for a change.” Lucien steered around the garage and across the Main House yard, down the cliff road to the beach. Then the vehicle shuddered and they were out over the water, whitecaps lapping and seabirds swooping low.
Jani looked at the beach in her rearview and saw figures walking along the water’s edge. Meva. Dathim. A few other Thalassans. She lowered her window, stuck her hand out and waved. Meva watched for a moment. Realized who it was and waved back, punching Dathim in the arm until he and the rest of the group started waving as well.
Jani kept waving as they grew smaller and smaller. Until they were bright specks in the distance. Until they were gone.
Acknowledgments
The list of people who have helped me over the course of this book, and this series, began long and over the years has grown ever longer. In particular, many thanks are due Katharine Eliska Kimbriel, who started as a teacher and became a friend. Elizabeth Moon, who took me under her wing at my very first science fiction convention—Intersection ‘95 Glasgow (yes, I know—first con was a Worldcon—what was I thinking?)—and made me feel welcome. Joshua Bilmes, who believed in the series and sold it. First readers Dave Godwin and Dave Klecha, for their input and expertise. Berry Kercheval, Melanie Miller Fletcher, Julia Blackshear Kosatka, Tom Hise, and Doranna Durgin, and the rest of my online gang, for support online and in emails, for listening to my wails. Julie Czerneda, for reading the Endgame draft and for that one phone call that helped so much. Diana Gill, my editor since the beginning, for her patience, and because she always asked the deceptively simple question that turned the tale on its ear and helped make it better.
And finally, to Mom and Dad, who I know are watching.
About the Author
KRISTINE SMITH is the author of Code of Conduct, Rules of Conflict, Law of Survival, and Contact Imminent. She works as a process development scientist for a large pharmaceutical manufacturer and lives in northern Illinois.
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PRAISE FOR THE JANI KILIAN NOVELS OF KRISTINE SMITH
“A fine new voice in the field of science fiction.”
Nebula Award-winning author Catherine Asaro
“Perilously fascinating…impressive and entertaining.”
Locus
“A taut, suspenseful, believable exploration of what happens when alien and human passions collide, seen through the lens of one of science fiction’s most remarkable protagonists.”
Julie Czerneda, author of Hidden in Sight
“Smith balances…taut mystery with vivid characters and a complex, ever-evolving plot…. Sure to appeal to readers who appreciate well-drawn characters and sophisticated milieus.”
Publishers Weekly
“Remarkable…extraordinarily solid…complex and deftly shaded…with vivid, memorable characters—a universe of power politics, commercial and political espionage, and personal and interpersonal relationships.”
Elizabeth Moon
“Deep intrigue, richly diverse characters, and a plot entangled enough to delight—Kristine Smith supercedes herself with each new book.”
Janny Wurts
By Kristine Smith
ENDGAME
CONTACT IMMINENT
CODE OF CONDUCT
RULES OF CONFLICT
LAW OF SURVIVAL
Copyright
This book is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents, and dialogue are drawn from the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
ENDGAME. Copyright © 2007 by Kristine Smith. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.
EPub © Edition NOVEMBER 2008 ISBN: 9780061979408
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