I owe a special debt to James D. Jones (U.S. Navy, retired), my math tutor—patient, good-humored, and an expert on fractals and chaos theory; Moshe Waldoks and Meir Sendor, who created a sanctuary in which I could explore the questions that frame this novel; my agent Eve Bridburg, who not only found the project a home but pushed me to revise until a story emerged that was equal to my intention. Without her critical eye, this would have been a very different book. Doug Starr commented on numerous drafts, often seeing possibilities I overlooked. He is a tough and loyal critic, a good friend, and a coach for all seasons. Arthur Golden commented on drafts and has long been generous with his advice. Todd Shuster showered an unknown author with the sort of close editorial attention that has made the Zachary, Shuster, Harmsworth Literary Agency a standout. All these efforts would have come to naught were it not for Marty and Judy Shepard, publishers of The Permanent Press. They have welcomed me and shown extraordinary enthusiasm for All Cry Chaos.
