“You’ve got to admit she’s pretty.”
“Pretty rich, maybe.”
“Pretty good at gutting eels, too.”
Pima laughed and jabbed him in the ribs with an elbow. “What makes you think some lower-deck grease monkey has a chance with a girl like that?”
“Beats me.” Nailer glanced at Pima sidelong, then grinned. “Maybe I think I’ll just get lucky.”
“Oh yeah?” Pima grabbed him. “You think so?”
She tried to shove him into the sand, but Nailer ducked out of her grasp. He ran down the beach, laughing, and Pima chased after him.
Out on the bay, Dauntless continued its loading, surrounded by sunshine and waves. Beyond it, the blue sea stretched to the horizon, beckoning.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
EVEN THOUGH MY NAME is on Ship Breaker’s cover, I owe a number of people for their help and inspiration. The crew at Blue Heaven Writer’s Workshop: Greg van Eekhout, Sarah Prineas, Jenn Reese, Cat Valente, Sandra MacDonald, Deb Coates, Paul Melko, and Daryl Gregory all provided valuable insights, particularly my first readers Sarah Castle-who knows far too much about drowning in oil-and Tobias Buckell, who provided much technical inspiration. An additional and very special tip of the hat to Charles Coleman (C.C.) Finlay for creating Blue Heaven, and inviting me to be a part of his writing community. I doubt Ship Breaker would have come to exist without it. I also owe a huge debt of thanks to my wife, Anjula, who continues to support this writing madness, even when I have doubts. And finally, I have to thank my father, Tod Bacigalupi. He introduced me to the wonders of science fiction when I was a boy, and it has made all the difference.
Any mistakes, omissions, or failures in the book are mine alone.
Paolo Bacigalupi
