The Lazarus Gate (53 page)

‘There is no escape from the house of the dead,’ I muttered under my breath.

‘What was that, sir?’ Lieutenant Bertrand had entered the cellar, wondering what had got into his commander. I turned to him.

‘I said we should burn this place. Burn it to the ground.’

My heartfelt thanks are extended to my friend George Mann, for learnin’ me a thing or two and offering much support. Thanks also to former partner in crime Mat Ward, whose advice and patience have been invaluable. A secret handshake goes out to my very own clandestine club, the Diogenes (a.k.a. Andy, Dom, Gav, Adam, Max, and Sarah) for providing a wellspring of inspiration.

As this is a debut novel, it would be remiss not to thank my editor, Ali Nightingale, and my agent, Jamie Cowen, for taking a punt on me. Clearly two people of unimpeachable character, fortitude and astonishing good taste, I’m sure everyone can agree.

The greatest thanks, of course, are reserved for my lovely wife, Alison, not just for believing in
The Lazarus Gate
, but for putting up with my eccentric dildrams and whiff-whaff for so long and with such grace, even in the knowledge that it shall continue for the foreseeable. Or at least until I earn enough shillings to mend the time machine.

Mark A. Latham is a writer, editor, history nerd, frustrated grunge singer and amateur baker from Staffordshire, UK. A recent immigrant to rural Nottinghamshire, he lives in a very old house (sadly not haunted), and is still regarded in the village as a foreigner.

Formerly the editor of Games Workshop’s
White Dwarf
magazine, Mark dabbled in tabletop games design before becoming a full-time author of strange, fantastical and macabre tales, mostly set in the nineteenth century, a period for which his obsession knows no bounds.

Follow Mark on Twitter:
@aLostVictorian

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