Ink, Iron, and Glass (Ink, Iron, and Glass #1)(95)
Leo knew what he’d done was unforgivable. His life in Pisa was gone now. Faraz and Porzia, Burak and the rest of the children—his surrogate siblings. Gia and Rosalinda, who had both been mothers to him in their own ways. Elsa. He could never go back to them.
Aris put a gentle hand on his arm. “It’s cold out here. Come inside with me, little brother.”
“In a minute.”
Aris nodded, acquiescing, and left Leo alone again with his thoughts. It was cold, but Leo welcomed the numbness of the wind against his face. He wished it could numb him all the way through to the ache buried in his chest.
He had stolen the editbook; he had robbed Elsa of her chosen agency as the protector of Earth. So it was his burden, now, to prevent the editbook from ever being used. Yes, he would have to stop Ricciotti. Somehow.
Leo took a deep breath, pulled open the access door, and stepped inside the train car like Heracles entering the underworld. It was time to face his family—once the source of all his joy, and of more grief than his heart could hold.
Time to face his father.
AUTHOR’S NOTE
The political conflicts presented in this book are based on real nineteenth-century conflicts, but this fictional history diverges significantly from the true events of Italian unification. In real life, Archimedes mirrors were never successfully deployed for military use. So Giuseppe Garibaldi—an actual Sardinian general—landed his ships without incident in Marsala in 1860 and then led a famously successful campaign against the Kingdom of Two Sicilies. His battles in the south were supported by the highly dissatisfied local populace, including the real-life Carbonari rebels.
Garibaldi was passionately devoted to the idea of a unified Italy, and he went on to pursue multiple campaigns in other regions. By 1871, the modern borders of what we now know as Italy were established. Garibaldi did have a son named Ricciotti, but he led an ordinary life, always in the shadow of a famous father. In this alternate history, I’ve posited that Giuseppe’s untimely death would not only have delayed unification by several decades, but also have a profound effect on his son.
Any similarities to real life are because Italian history is awesome; any inaccuracies are my own.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
First and foremost I have to thank my literary agent, Jennifer Azantian, for her unwavering enthusiasm and hard work bringing this project to fruition. I’m deeply grateful to the whole team at Imprint, but especially to my editor, Rhoda Belleza, and my publisher, Erin Stein, for helping to bring forth the best possible version of this manuscript. Thanks also to Natalie C. Sousa and the rest of the design team for transforming my words into such a beautiful physical object.
The support and critiques of my beta readers got me through the early drafts, so thanks to: Dan Campbell, Gwen Phua, Cynthia Tedore, Erin McKinney, and Athena DeGangi. More generally, I learned so much about the craft and business of writing from the Codex online writers’ group and from my Triangle area critique buddies, Dan, Kim, and Natania. I wouldn’t be where I am today without y’all.
Lastly, a shout-out to the local cafés of Durham, NC—especially Guglhupf and Mad Hatter—who kept me fed and caffeinated while I wrote this novel.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Gwendolyn Clare earned her BA in ecology, BS in geophysics, and a PhD in mycology. She is a New Englander transplanted to North Carolina where she cultivates a vegetable garden, tends a flock of backyard ducks, and practices martial arts. Ink, Iron, and Glass is her debut novel. You can sign up for email updates here.