Authors: David Weber,Linda Evans
"His horses and his sword are going home, Chief," he said. "And you and his platoon are taking them."
"Yes, Sir." Chan Braikal's voice was husky again.
"Tell them for us, Chief." Chan Skrithik looked into the Marine's eyes. "Tell them all. This fort, the cemetery, it's ours. He bought it for us, and no one and nothing will ever take it away from us again."
Andrin Calirath sat on her bedroom window seat, staring out into the moon-soaked gardens of Calirath Palace, and wept.
Her tears were nearly silent, and she sat very still, watching the moonlight waver through them. She wept for the brother she would never see again. She wept for her parents, who would never again see their son. She wept for all the other mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, and daughters who would never see their loved ones again.
And she wept for herself.
In the cold, still hours of the night, it was hard. She was only seventeen, and knowing that what she must do would save thousands, possibly even millions of lives-even agreeing to do what she must do-was cold and bitter compensation for the destruction of her own life. She was frightened, and despite her youth, she had few illusions about what sort of marriage Chava Busar and his sons had in mind for her.
She knew her strengths, knew the strength of her parents' love, how fiercely they would strive to protect her. Yet in the end, no one could protect her from the cold, merciless demands of the Calirath destiny. At best, it would be a marriage without love, without tenderness. And at worst-
She folded her arms, trying to wrap them around herself, not because she was physically cold, but because of the chill deep inside.
She was going to spend her entire life married to the son of her father's worst enemy. Her children would be the grandchildren of her family's most deadly foe. She could already feel the ice closing in, already sense the way the years to come would wound and maim her spirit, and she wished-wished with all her heart-that there could be some escape. That Shalana could somehow find that single, small scrap of mercy for her. Could let her somehow evade this last, bitter measure of duty and responsibility.
But Shalana wouldn't. She couldn't. "I stand between." How many Caliraths had given themselves to that simple, three-word promise over the millennia? Janaki had given his life to that promise, and Andrin could do no less than sacrifice her life to it, as well.
"Sho warak, Janaki," she whispered. "Sho warak. Sleep, Janaki. Sleep until we all wake once more. I love you."
She put her head down on the back of the padded window seat and let her tears soak into the upholstery.
She never knew how long she wept into the window seat's satin before, with absolutely no warning, her bedroom door opened, spilling lamplight into the darkened room. She jerked upright, spinning towards the brightness, but her angry rebuke for whoever had dared to intrude upon her died unspoken.
Lady Merissa Vankhal stood in the doorway, silhouetted against the light. There was a chair just outside the door behind her, one which hadn't been there when Andrin went to bed, with a blanket tossed untidily across it, and Lady Merissa herself was clad in a silken sleep robe over her night dress, devoid of the least trace of make-up, her hair all awry. Andrin had never seen-never imagined-her fussy, propriety-obsessed chief lady-in-waiting in such disarray, and she wondered what fresh cosmic disaster could have driven Lady Merissa to her bedroom in such a state.
Yet before she could even start to frame the question, Lady Merissa crossed the bedroom to her and, to her utter astonishment, Andrin found herself enfolded in a tight embrace.
"Oh, my love," Merissa whispered in her ear. "Oh, my poor love. I didn't hear you-I didn't know."
Andrin felt herself beginning to crumble in that totally unexpected, immensely comforting embrace.
Lady Merissa sat down on the window seat beside her, and a corner of Andrin's brain wondered just how ridiculous they looked. She was a foot taller than Lady Merissa, yet Merissa cradled her as if she were a child, and Andrin abandoned herself to the comfort of that touch.
"There, love," Merissa murmured, stroking her back while she sobbed. "There, love."
Andrin clung to her, as if the fussy, fluffy, irritating lady-in-waiting were the last solid rock in her universe, for that was precisely what Lady Merissa had become.
And then someone knocked gently on the bedroom door.
Andrin stiffened, and Lady Merissa's spine straightened with an almost audible snap.
"Really!" she huffed. "Is this a grand imperial princess' bedroom, or is it the waiting room down at the local train station?!"
She set Andrin aside gently, then came to her feet, straightening her robe, and stalked across the enormous bedroom towards the door, muttering as she went.
"Can't leave the poor girl in peace," Andrin heard floating malevolently back from her remorselessly advancing lady-in-waiting. "Middle of the night, for goodness sake! Coming bursting in on her, keeping her awake at all hours! I'll give you a piece of my mind, just wait and see if I-!"
Lady Merissa reached the door and yanked it open. A Palace maid stood there, hands folded anxiously, and the poor young woman ought by rights to have burst spontaneously into flame under Lady Merissa's fiery glare.
"Well?" Merissa snapped at her luckless victim.
"Beg pardon, Lady Merissa!" the maid said quickly. "I wouldn't ever have disturbed Her Grand Imperial Highness, not ever! But they insisted."
"Who insisted, girl?" Lady Merissa demanded. "And what could possibly be so important that it couldn't wait until morning?"
"I'm sure I don't know what's important, My Lady!" the maid said. "But it's Privy Voice Yanamar and Voice Kinlafia. They say they have to talk to Her Grand Imperial Highness right away!"
Glossary
Aeravas-a Sharonian city in Harkala; located in approximately the same place as Shiraz, Iran.
Alathia: one of the provinces of the Ternathian Empire, it is the trans-temporal analog of Italy.
Andara-the Arcanan equivalent of the continent of North America. Andara is the home of the warrior kingdoms of the Andarans and provides the backbone of the Union of Arcana's military.
Arau Mountains-the Sharonian equivalent of the Yoblonovy Khrebet mountain range east of Lake Baikal.
Arcana-the home universe and Earth of the Union of Arcana. Its physics are based on "magic."
Arpathia-the Sharonian equivalent of the area stretching from the Caspian Sea through the Siberian tundra north of Mongolia to the Pacific Ocean. While there is no united government for this region, it is often referred to as the Septentrion, which is a trade union developed by the septs (see Septs and Septentrion, below).
Aruncas of the Sword-the Uromathian god of war.
Baranal-literally, "protector" in old Andaran. A baranal is the individual responsible for protecting a shardon (see below).
Barkesh-a city in Sharona located at the approximate trans-temporal site of Barcelona, Spain.
Bergahl-the dominant deity of the Order of Bergahl. Bergahl is a god of both war and justice. His order is a militant one, which has traditionally provided the judges and law enforcement mechanism in the Kingdom of Othmaliz.
Bergahl's Comforters-an ironic nickname for Berghal's Dagger (see nelow).
Bergahl's Dagger-a highly militant cult within the Order of Bergahl. The Dagger was officially disbanded over a hundred years ago.
Bernith Island-the Sharonian analog of the island of Great Britain.
Bernith Channel-the Sharonian analog of the English Channel.
Bernithian Highlands-the Sharonian analog of Scotland.
Bison-the steam-powered tractor portion of the Ternathian Army's experimental mechanized transport.
Blade of Ibral-the Sharonian analog of the Gallipoli Peninsula.
blood debt-an ancient Ransaran concept of justice based on the principle of "an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth." It also has personal conotations of vengeance, but has been renounced by modern Ransarans as a barbaric and horrific basis for true justice. The term is sometimes still used as a slang phrase to describe a highly personal form of redress for wrongful actions.
blood vendetta-Shurkhali blood vendetta is triggered when a massive miscarriage of justice leads to someone's death. Shaylar Nargra-Kolmayr's apparent murder by Arcanans triggers a blood vendetta reaction in every Shurkhali alive.
Bolakin, Queens of-the queens who collectively rule the ten Bolakini city-states which control the southern short of the Mbisi Sea.
Bolakini Strait-the Sharonian analog of the Strait of Gibraltar.
Book of the Double-Three-the holy book of the Church of the Double Triads, the imperial religion of Ternathia.
Book of Secrets-one of the two seminal holy books of the Mythalan shakira caste.
Book of the Shakira-one of the two seminal holy books of the Mythalan shakira caste.
Calirath-the imperial dynasty of Ternathia. The Caliraths have ruled Ternathia for more than four millennia.
Celaryon II-King of Ancient Ternathia who negotiated the treaty which bound Ternathia and Farnalia as allies in the year 203 of the Ternathian calendar.
Central Bank of Mythal-the largest, wealthiest, and most powerful of the Mythalan banks. The CBM, unlike the private Mythalan banks, is directly subject to government supervision, and a full third of the seats on its Board of Directors are held by government appointees.
Cerakondian Mountains-the Sharonian equivalent of the Altai Mountains.
Cetacean Institute/Shurkahli Aquatic Realms Embassy: the Sharonian research institute and embassy founded and operated by Shaylar's mother, Thalassar Kolmayr-Brintal, who is a cetacean translator. Similar embassies serve the sentient great apes and higher primates of Ricathia (Africa), Uromathia (Asia), and New Farnal (South America, with its New World monkeys).
Chairifon-the Sharonian equivalent of the Eurasian supercontinent.
Chalar-an Arcanan maritime Empire, based on the island of Chalar (Cuba) and dominating the Chalaran Sea (Caribbean Sea) and Gulf of Hilmar (Gulf of Mexico). Chalar is the dominant naval power of Arcana.
Chalgyn Consortium: survey company that employs Jathmar Nargra amp; Shaylar Nargra-Kolmayr. The Chalgyn Consortium is an independent survey company based in Shurkhal.
chan-"veteran" in Ternathian. This is an honorific indicating someone who is currently or has been a member of the Ternathian military.
Chinthai-a Sharonian breed of horses very similar to Percherons.
Commandery-the Arcanan equivalent of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Conclave: The formal multi-nation crisis-management organization established when the first portal opened in Sharona. Its members are the heads of state of every sovereign nation in Sharona and, on paper, Sharona's new, independent colony universes.
Cratak Mountains-the Arcanan equivalent of the Sierra Nevada Mountains.
Crown of fire-the Sharonian term for our own volcanically active "ring of fire" in the Pacific.
Daggerstone-a sarkolis crystal used to store short-range combat spells. Maximum range is no more than twenty feet, and they are impossible to conceal from any Gifted person, but they can store antipersonnel spells of great power.
Dalazan River-the Sharonian analogue of the Amazon River.
Daykassian-the premier Arpathian breed of cavalry horse. Very similar to the Turkoman.
Delkrath Mountains-a mountain range in Delkrathia Province; the Sharonian equivalent of the Santa de Guararrma Mountains of Spain.
Delkrathia Province-a province of the Ternathian Empire north of Narhath and east of Teramandor; it consist of the equivalent of central Spain, from just south of Madrid to the Bay of Biscay.
Dosaru-the Uromathian god of justice. Also known as "Dosaru of the Watching Eyes" and "Dosaru of the Scales."
Ekros-an Arcanian demon; the equivalent of our own Demon Murphy.
Elath-an Andaran kingdom whose territory covers roughly the area of the United States as far west as Kansas and Nebraska and extends as far north as Newfoundland.
Emergency Voice Network-a planet-wide network of Voices capable of linking all Sharonian heads of state in a real-time conference.
Emergency Transportation System-a Sharona-wide teleportation system capable of transporting very small groups of passengers. The ETS is designed for the emergency use of heads of state and diplomats in time-critical crises.
Emperor Edvar Mountains-the Sharonian equivalent of the Pyrenees Mountains.
Empress Wailyana II-Wailyana Calirath, Empress of Ternathian, 4172-4207. Generally referred to as Wailyana the Great.
Eniath-a technically Uromathian Kingdom in the eastern region of the equivalent of Mongolia. A land renowned for its falcons, its people are as much Arpathian as Uromathian and not particularly fond of the Empire of Uromathia.
Eraythas Mountains-the Sharonian analogue of the Cantabrian Mountains along the Biscay Coast of Spain.
Ermandia: a province of the Ternathian Empire, corresponding to Austria Erthain the Great-semi-legendary founder of the House of Calirath and the Ternathian Empire.
Esferia-the Sharonian analog of Cuba.
Estafel-the capital city of the Ternathian Empire.
Evanos Ocean-the Arcanan name for the Pacific Ocean.
Faltharia-a republic in New Ternath, located in the general vicinity of the Great Lakes. The homeland of Jathmar Nargra.
Farnalia-the Sharonian equivalent of the Scandinavian peninsula.
Farnalian Sea-the Sharonian equivalent of the Baltic Sea.
Farnalian Empire-a Sharonian empire stretching from its home Farnalia across the northern periphery of the Sharonian equivalent of Europe to the equivalent of the Sea of Japan.
Farshal-a Hilmaran Kingdom in Arcana whose territory includes the equivalent of Guyana, Surinam, and French Guiana.
Finger Sea-the Sharonian analog of the Red Sea.
Firsoma-Uromathian goddess of wisdom and fate. Also known as "Firsoma of the Shears" and "The Cutter."
Fist of Bolakin-the Sharonian analog of the Rock of Gibraltar.
Flicker-a Talented Sharonian capable of teleporting, or "Flicking," relatively small objects over long distances with considerable precision.
Flight-an Arcanan Air Force formation consisting of four combat dragons, organized into two pairs of wingmen.
Fort Brithik-Sharonian portal fort in the universe of Thermyn, covering the outbound portal to New Uromath. Located roughly on the trans-temporal site of Lincoln, Nebraska.
Fort Ghartoun-formerly Fort Raylthar, Sharonian portal fort in the universe of Thermyn, covering the inbound portal from Failcham. Located roughly on the trans-temporal site of Carson City, Nevada.
Fort Losaltha-the Sharonian portal fortress protecting the entry portal of the Salym Universe. Located approximately at the trans-temporal site of Barcelona, Spain.
Fort Mosanik-Sharnonian portal fort in the universe of Karys, covering the outbound portal to Failcham. Located roughly on the trans-temporal site of Astana, Kazakhstan.
Fort Rycharn-the Arcanan coastal enclave in the universe of Gharys, serving the swamp portal to Hell's Gate. Located roughly on the trans-temporal site of Belem. Brazil.
Fort Salby-Sharonian portal fort in the universe of Traisum, covering the outbound portal to Karys.
Located roughly on the trans-temporal site of the Sharonian city of Narshalla, or our own Medina, Saudi Arabia.
Fort Shaylar-Company Captain Halifu's portal fort in New Uromath.
Fort Talon-Arcanan fortress in Erthos located roughly on the transtemporal site of Ust Ilimsk, Siberia.
Fort Tharkoma-Sharonian portal fort in the universe of Salym covering be outbound portal to Traisum. Located roughly on the trans-temporal side of Sofia, Bulgaria.
Fort Wyvern-the Arcanan fortress and base in the universe of Gharys at the entry portal from the universe of Erthos. Located roughly on the trans-temporal site of Manzanilla, Cuba.
Gariyan VI-the Ternathian Emperor who began the phased withdrawal from the easternmost provinces of the Ternathian Empire.
Gariyan VII-the son of Gariyan VI; the last Ternathian Emperor to rule from Tajvana.
Garmoy, Sunhold of-a Sharonian dukedom in southeastern Uromathia. Roughly equivalent to the country of Laos.
Garouoma-a Sharonian city located on the Narhathan Peninsula; roughly equivalent to Cordoba, Spain.
Garsulthan-a Manisthuan word which translates roughly as "real politics." Its practitioners believe that all international relations ultimately rest upon the balance of military power and that morality and ethics must take second place to that reality when formulating foreign policy.
Gartasa Mountains-the Sharonian analogue of the Iberian Mountains in Spain, separating Teramandor from Delkrathia.
Garth Showma Institute-the Academy established by Magister Halathyn vos Dulainah at the site of Showma Falls in New Arcana. It is the second-largest magical academy anywhere and its prestige is rapidly overtaking that of the Mythal Falls Academy.
Garth Showma-a large and powerful duchy and city in the universe of New Arcana. Located at the Arcanan equivalent of Niagara Falls and the headquarters site of the Arcanan Army.
Garthan-the non-magic users of the Mythlan culture. They make up at least eighty percent of the Mythlan population but possess only extremely circumscribed legal rights.
Gerynth-a city in the southern portion of the Andaran Kingdom of Yanko roughly analogous to Durango, Mexico.
Gorhadyn Protocol-a Mythalan assassination technique.
Grand Ternathian Canal-the Sharonian equivalent of the Suez Canal.
Grocyra-the Sharonian equivalent of Siberia.
Grocyran Plain-the Sharonian equivalent of the West Siberian Plain.
Gulf of Shurkhal-the Sharonian equivalent of the Gulf of Aden.
Hammerfell Lake-the Arcanan equivalent of Lake Huron.
Harkala-the Sharonian equivalent of India. The ancient Harkalian Empire extended from India through Afghanistan and into Iran.
Hell's Gate-the Sharonian name assigned to the universe where their survey personnel first encountered the Arcanans. Later adopted by Arcana, as well.
High Commandery-the high command of the Union of Arcanan's Army. Essentially, the equivalent of the Pentagon and the Chiefs of Staff, rolled into one. Traditionally, the High Commandery is heavily dominated by a senior Andaran officers.
Hilmar-the Arcanan equivalent of South America.
Hinorean Empire-the smaller of the two empires which dominate Uromath. The Hinorean Empire includes the Sharonian equivalent of western India and Bangladesh, Burma, Thailand, the Philippines, and Malaysia.
Hook of Ricathia-the Sharonian equivalent of the southern side of the Strait of Gibraltar; the transtemporal equivalent of Morocco and Ceuta, Spain.
Horn of Ricathia-the Sharonian analogue of the Horn of Africa between the Gulf of Adenand the Indian Ocean.
Hummer-a magically enhanced bird developed from normal hummingbirds by Arcanan sorcerers as high-speed, highly aggressive "carrier pigeons."
Hurkaym-a small town/communications post located at the trans-temporal site of Palermo, Sicily, in the Salym Universe expressly as a Voice link between Fort Tharkoma and Fort Losaltha.
Hurlbane-a Ricathian deity associated with the Queens of Bolakin. She is a warrior goddess who protects the Bolakini (see Bolakin, Queens of), and her clergy have always been very influential in the Bolakini city-states. Hurlbane's High Priestess, for example, advised the Queens of Bolakin to ally withTernathia thousands of years ago.
Ibral Strait-the Sharonian equivalent of the Dardanelles Ibral's Blade-the Sharonian equivalent of the Gallipoli Peninsula.
Indelbu: Ternathian port city; the trans-temporal analogue of Belfast Inkara-the Arcanan equivalent of the island of Great Britain.