In our time, Benjamin Franklin helped Thomas Paine emigrate to the colonies, where the two helped shape the creation of the United States of America. But what if Paine had never made it to the colonies? What fate would he have met if he remained in England? In this alternate history story by Sidewise Award-winner Kristine Kathryn Rusch, Paine learns that one person can make a tremendous difference—but not necessarily the difference he expects. "Rusch is a great storyteller." —RT Book Reviews