Jack Blank and the End of Infinity (31 page)

I have to thank my mom and dad for the inspiration they gave me, probably without ever knowing it. Let’s face it, using an orphan as your main character in a book like this is pretty common, but for me Jack’s story is very personal because my dad was an orphan. He was raised by his foster family, which was not a term that was ever used in my house. He was raised by his
family
. My mom and dad taught me what that word really meant, and I learned early on that it was about a lot more than blood. On top of that, I have to say that my dad is a lot like Jack in that he has zero “quit” in him. Jack was named for my son, but there is a lot of my dad in there too.

Speaking of my kids, I want to thank my two boys for keeping me young, keeping me crazy, and keeping me laughing every day.

No acknowledgments page would be complete without mention of my agent, Chris Richman, who was the first person to take a chance on Jack Blank. Thanks again, Chris.

Then there is my brilliant editor, Liesa Abrams, whose faith and support allowed me to tell this whole story, and whose keen insights helped me make it the best it could be. Thank you, Liesa!

Additional thanks is owed to Annie Berger, whose input on the later drafts of this book was invaluable. Thank you to Stephanie Evans Biggins, the tireless copyeditor who catches all my mistakes and makes my words talk real good. Also to Karin Paprocki, the talented art director, and Owen Richardson, the amazing artist responsible for this book’s cover. Thanks to Bethany Buck, Mara Anastas, Paul Crichton, Anna McKean, and everyone at Aladdin. Please forgive me if I’m leaving anyone out! (I’m sure that I am.)

Finally, I want to thank you, the reader, one more time. Thanks for buying into Jack’s story and sticking around to see how it turned out. I hope you were satisfied with the end . . . for now, anyway. You’re all invited to join me on the next adventure. When that will be, I can’t say, but some time in the near future. Like Stendeval always tells Jack, “The future isn’t written.”

Don’t worry, I’m writing as fast as I can.

This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real locales are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

An imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division

1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020
www.SimonandSchuster.com

First Aladdin hardcover edition August 2012

Copyright © 2012 by Matt Myklusch

All rights reserved, including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form.

ALADDIN is a trademark of Simon & Schuster, Inc., and related logo is a registered trademark of Simon & Schuster, Inc.

The Simon & Schuster Speakers Bureau can bring authors to your live event. For more information or to book an event contact the Simon & Schuster Speakers Bureau at 1-866-248-3049 or visit our website at
www.simonspeakers.com
.

Designed by Karin Paprocki and Karina Granda

The text of this book was set in Goudy Old Style Regular.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Myklusch, Matt.

The end of infinity / by Matt Myklusch. — 1st Aladdin hardcover ed.

p. cm. — (A Jack Blank adventure; bk. 3)

Summary: “Ever since Jack Blank learned that he came from the amazing country of the Imagine Nation, he’s known that his fate could go down two very different paths—he could either be the greatest hero the world has ever known, or its greatest villain. Now the final battle is here, and it’s time for Jack to discover the direction of his destiny.”—Provided by publisher.

ISBN 978-1-4169-9567-8

ISBN 978-1-4169-9569-2 (eBook)

[1. Superheroes—Fiction. 2. Adventure and adventurers—Fiction. 3. Virus diseases—Fiction. 4. Identity—Fiction. 5. Fantasy.] I. Title.

PZ7.M994End 2012     [Fic]—dc23     2012000861