Complication (34 page)

But I was glad that Vera never saw the letter. It would have brought her only unnecessary pain and further confusion in those final months of her life when she already had so much to contend with. And I was thankful her parents and Tomáš would never have to wrestle with such sad nonsense amidst their devastation. They deserved better, and I still felt there was a chance, after some time had passed and grief's deep wounds began to heal, to get to know them. Maybe one day I'd return to Prague, to that little mother and her claws. I still had my guidebook after all—
Prague Unbound—
which I'd retrieved from Stromovka Park hours before I left the city, finding it lying dry, unharmed, and waiting for me at the edge of the pond. Yes, I'd go when Tomáš was older, better able to understand the things I had to say. We'd walk those ancient streets and stroll by that slow-moving river, and I would tell him stories about his father. The funny ones, the good ones. There were a lot of those, and even as I sat there listening to the rain, I could feel them taking shape in my mind, waiting for their chance to be told.

M
any books were consumed and regurgitated in the making of this one, but I must make special mention of Angelo Maria Ripellino's fantastic
Magic Prague
, which I picked up on my honeymoon years ago and haven't truly put down since.

Thanks to my early readers, a hearty and insightful crew that included my parents (Dave and Cynda), my wife (Chee-Soo), along with Jim Nietz, Andy Laing, Natasha Laing, Serapio Baca, and Ashley and Carolyn Grayson. Thanks especially to Margaret Norwood for gently reminding me that sometimes less is more.

I also owe a huge debt of gratitude to filmmaker Arash Ayrom—sorry for making you hike up steep hills and through thorny brambles. Thanks also to Damian Odess-Gillett (the fastest-walking magician in Prague) for not only lending his acting talents, but also for being our location scout and an all-around good sport. I'm also very grateful to the incredible Flanna Sheridan for all her fine work and hospitality—next time, we'll get you good and bloody, I promise. Special thanks also to actors John Branch and Bria Lynn Massie, whose talents made me think I was really
standing in an old Czech secret police interrogation room instead of a freezing Portland garage.

Huge kudos go to my extraordinary editor, Dan Smetanka, who saw something in my misshapen manuscript no one else did and vastly improved the novel with six brilliant words. Working with you could not have been a better, more enjoyable experience. I'm also grateful for Charlie Winton, Laura Mazer, Liz Parker, Julia Kent, Kelly Winton, and everyone at Counterpoint and Soft Skull who helped along the way.

And finally, thanks to my agent Jason Allen Ashlock—without your belief, persistence, and vision, this book would never have seen the light of day.

Complication copyright © Isaac Adamson 2012

 

All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions.

 

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

 

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available.

 

eISBN : 978-1-593-76479-1

 

 

Soft Skull Press
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