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Leo A. Frankowski COPERNICK’S REBELLION

This is for Elaine Bowen, my ever perfect lieutenant.

Prologue

AN OLD sergeant downed his third pot of wine, belched, and explained to the young private, “Kid, it’s like this. You see something needs doing, go ahead and do it. Don’t ask nobody’s permission, because they’ll tell you no. Officers got their positions to protect and they can’t get into no trouble if nothing happens.

“Just go ahead and do it. Then if it turns out right, you’re a hero. And if it goes wrong, you won’t get into much trouble because everybody knows you’re just a dumb trooper anyway.”

—Quoted from a dubious Cuniform Text, Ca. 3900 B.C.