RAYMOND E. FEIST
Rage of a Demon King
Book Three of the Serpentwar Saga
Copyright
HarperVoyager An Imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers 1 London Bridge Street London SE1 9GF
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First published in Great Britain by Voyager 1997
Copyright © Raymond E. Feist 1997
The Author asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work
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For Stephen A. Abrams,
who knows more about Midkemia than I do
Table of Contents
Cover
Title Page
Copyright
Dedication
Character List
Book Three: The Mad Gods Tale
Prologue
Chapter One: Krondor
Chapter Two: Warning
Chapter Three: Queg
Chapter Four: Relationships
Chapter Five: Elvandar
Chapter Six: Infiltration
Chapter Seven: Schemes
Chapter Eight: Evolution
Chapter Nine: Plots
Chapter Ten: Dedication
Chapter Eleven: Alarm
Chapter Twelve: Midsummer
Chapter Thirteen: Improvisation
Chapter Fourteen: Betrayal
Chapter Fifteen: Onslaught
Chapter Sixteen: Battles
Chapter Seventeen: Destruction
Chapter Eighteen: Delay
Chapter Nineteen: Catastrophe
Chapter Twenty: Decisions
Chapter Twenty-One: Escalation
Chapter Twenty-Two: Ravensburg
Chapter Twenty-Three: Retreat
Chapter Twenty-Four: Darkmoor
Chapter Twenty-Five: Revelations
Chapter Twenty-Six: Confrontation
Chapter Twenty-Seven: Truth
Chapter Twenty-Eight: Rebirth
Epilogue
Keep Reading
Continue the Adventure
Acknowledgments
About the Author
By The Same Author
About the Publisher
Character List
Acaila leader of the eldar, in the Elf Queens court
Aglaranna Elf Queen in Elvandar, wife of Tomas, mother of Calin and Calis
Akee Hidati hillman
Alfred Corporal from Darkmoor
Andrew priest of Ban-Ath in Krondor
Anthony magician at Crydee
Avery, Abigail daughter of Roo and Karli
Avery, Duncan cousin to Roo
Avery, Helmut son to Roo and Karli
Avery, Karli wife of Roo, mother of Abigail and Helmut
Avery, Rupert Roo young merchant of Krondor, son of Tom Avery
Borric King of the Isles, twin brother to Prince Erland, father of Prince Patrick
Brook First Officer, Royal Dragon
Calin elf heir to the throne of Elvandar, half-brother to Calis, son of Aglaranna and King Aidan
Calis The Eagle of Krondor, special agent of the Prince of Krondor, Duke of the Court, son of Aglaranna and Tomas, half-brother to Calin
Chalmes ruling magician at Stardock
dLyes, Robert magician from Stardock
de Beswick Captain in Kings Army
de Savona, Luis former soldier, assistant to Roo
Dolgan King of the dwarves of the west
Dominic Abbot of Ishapian Abbey at Sarth
Dubois, Henri poisoner from Bas-Tyra
Duga mercenary Captain from Novindus
Duko General in the Emerald Queens Army
Dunstan, Brian the Sagacious Man, leader of the Mockers, used to be known as Lysle Rigger
Erland brother to the King and Prince Nicholas, uncle to Prince Patrick
Esterbrook, Jacob wealthy merchant of Krondor, father of Sylvia
Esterbrook, Sylvia Jacobs daughter
Fadawah General commanding the Emerald Queens Army
Freida Eriks mother, wife of Nathan
Galain elf in Elvandar
Gamina adopted daughter of Pug and sister of William, wife of James, mother of Arutha
Garret Corporal in Eriks Company
Graves, Katherine Kitty girl thief in Krondor
Greylock, Owen Captain in Princes service, later General
Gunther Nathans apprentice
Hammond Lieutenant in Kings Army
Hanam Loremaster of the Saaur
Harper Sergeant in Eriks Company
Jacoby, Helen widow of Randolph Jacoby, mother of Nataly and Willem
James Duke of Krondor, father to Arutha, grandfather to James and Dash
Jameson, Arutha Lord Vencar, Baron of the Princes Court and son of Duke James
Jameson, Dashel Dash younger son of Arutha, grandson of James
Jameson, James Jimmy elder son of Arutha, grandson of James
Kaleid ruling magician at Stardock
Livia Daughter of Lord Vasarius
Marcus Duke of Crydee, cousin to Prince Patrick, son of Martin
Martin former Duke of Crydee, great uncle to Prince Patrick, father of Marcus
Milo owner of the Inn of the Pintail in Ravensburg, father of Rosalyn
Miranda magician and ally of Calis and Pug
Nakor the Isalani gambler, magic user, friend of Calis and Pug
Nathan blacksmith at the Inn of the Pintail in Ravensburg, former master of Erik, married to Freida
Nicholas Admiral of the Western Fleet, Prince of the Royal Family, uncle to Prince Patrick
Patrick Prince of Krondor, son of Prince Erland, nephew to the King and Prince Nicholas
Pug magician, Duke of Stardock, cousin to the King, father to Gamina and William
Reeves Captain of Royal Dragon
Rosalyn Milos daughter, wife of Rudolph, mother of Gerd
Rudolph baker in Ravensburg, husband of Rosalyn, stepfather to Gerd
Shati, Jadow Sergeant in Eriks Company
Sho Pi former companion of Erik and Roos, student of Nakors
Subai Captain of the Royal Krondorian Pathfinders
Tithulta Pantathian High Priest
Tomas Warleader of Elvandar, husband of Aglaranna, father of Calis, inheritor of the powers of Ashen-Shugar
Vasarius Quengan noble and merchant
von Darkmoor, Erik soldier in Caliss Crimson Eagles
von Darkmoor, Gerd son of Rosalyn and Stefan von Darkmoor, nephew to Erik
von Darkmoor, Manfred Baron of Darkmoor, half-brother to Erik
von Darkmoor, Mathilda Baroness of Darkmoor, mother to Manfred
Vykor, Karole Admiral of the Kings Eastern Fleet
William Knight-Marshal of Krondor, Pugs son and Gaminas adopted brother, uncle to Jimmy and Dash
Book Three The Mad Gods Tale
We are the music makers,
We are the dreamers of dreams,
Wandering by lone sea-breakers,
And sitting by desolate streams;
World-losers and world-forsakers,
On whom the pale moon gleams:
We are the movers and shakers
Of the world for ever, it seems.
Arthur William Edgar OShaughnessy
Ode, st. 1
Prologue Breakthrough
The wall shimmered.
In what had once been the throne room of Jarwa, last Sha-shahan of the Seven Nations of the Saaur, the thirty-foot-high wall of stones opposite the empty seat of power seemed to waver, then vanish as a black void appeared. Nightmare creatures gathered, things of terrible fangs and poisonous claws. Some wore the faces of dead animals, while others were humanlike in aspect. Some bore proud wings, antlers, or bulls horns. All were beings of massive muscle and evil intent, dark magic and murderous nature. Yet all in the hall remained motionless, terrified of that which was appearing on the other side of the newly created gateway. Demons who stood as tall as trees crouched low trying not to be seen.
Immense energy was required to open a gate, and for years the demons had been thwarted by the accursed priests of the distant city of Ahsart. Only when the mad High Priest unsealed the portal, admitting the first demon to deny his city to the conquering host of the Saaur, was the barrier breached.
Now the world of Shila lay in tatters, the remaining life reduced to lowly creatures at the sea bottom, lichen clinging to rocks in crevices upon distant mountain peaks, and tiny creatures that scuttled under rocks to avoid detection. Anything larger than the smallest insect had been devoured. Hunger now gripped the demon host, and again they returned to their ancient habit of feeding upon one another. But internecine conflict was put aside among the elite of the host as a new gate from the Fifth Circle to Shila was completed, opening the way for the supreme ruler of the demon realm to communicate.
The demon without a name stood at the edge of those summoned to this once-grand hall. He peeked out from behind a stone column, lest he call attention to himself. He had captured a unique soul and had been harboring it, using it, becoming cunning and dangerous. For unlike most of his brethren, he had discovered guile worked better than confrontation in gaining valuable life force and intelligence. He still showed the proper mix of fear and danger to those directly above him, enough fear so they judged him under their sway, yet dangerous enough for them to avoid attempting to consume him. It was a perilous pose, and had he made one misstep, calling attention to his uniqueness, those captains nearby would have destroyed him utterly, for his mind was turning alien and was now self-aware enough to be a threat to all of them.