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Island in the Sea of
Time by SM Stirling
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Many thanks to the people of Nantucket, and none of the
characters in this book are intended to represent any individuals
living or dead! Thanks also to the United States Coast Guard,
which responded nobly to the ignorant inquisitiveness of the
author. All errors, mistakes, lapses of taste, and infelicities of
expression are purely mine. Admiration and thanks also to the
archaeologists and historians who piece together the past of our
species from shards and the equivalent of landfill.

Particular thanks on-island to Tracy and Swede Plaut; to
Randy Lee of Windshadow Engineering; to Wendy and Randy
Hudson of Cisco Brewers (who make a great pale ale); to Harvey
Young, the friendly (common) native Nantucketer (less common)
at Young's Bicycles; to the Bartletts of Ocean View Farm; to
Mimi Beman of Mitchell's Book Corner; and to many, many
others.

Thanks also to Chief Petty Officer James for the tour and
answering an afternoon of questions on his lovely ship!

And to John Barnes for dialectical (in both senses of the word)
help; to Poul Anderson for catching a couple of embarrassing
errors; to Heather Alexander for the use of her beautiful Harvest
Season; to Laura Anne Oilman, for really editing; and to Walter
John Williams for the manuals.

CHAPTER ONE
 March, 1998 A.D.

Ian Arnstein stepped off the ferry gangway and hefted his
bags. Nantucket on a foggy March evening was chilly enough to
make him thankful he'd worn the heavier overcoat; Southern
Californian habits could betray you, here on the coast of New
England. Thirty-odd miles off the coast. The summer houses
built out over the water were still shuttered, and most of the
shops were closedтАФtourist season wouldn't really start until
Daffodil Weekend in late April, when the population began to
climb from seven thousand to sixty. He was a tourist of sorts
himself, even though he came here regularly; to the locals he was