Queen of Kings (51 page)

Gratitude as well to my two house-leopards. They don't care if they are thanked, but I wrote this book with their particular cat assistance, and the lions and tigers are based on them.

Finally, most important, gratitude and adoration to Robert Schenkkan, my favorite person in the universe, my beloved, my dearest one. You read this book at least seven times, lent me your bookshelves, picked me up when I was yowling, fed me dinner, poured me bourbon, kissed me, cheered me on, discussed and discussed, gave me your whole stunning heart, and every day made me so proud to be yours. People ask me all the time how I manage to be married to another writer, and the answer is that the other writer is you. You are so brilliant, so giving, and so the perfect man for me. This book, with all its magic, monsters, treasures, and eternal love affairs, is dedicated to you for a damn good reason, just as I am.
Te teneo.

MARIA DAHVANA HEADLEY is a MacDowell Colony Fellow whose writing has appeared in
The New York Times
,
Elle
,
The Washington Post
, and other publications. She is the author of the memoir
The Year of Yes
(2007), which has been translated into nine languages. She lives in Seattle. Learn more at
www.mariadahvanaheadley.com
or
www.cleopatraqueenofkings.com
.