Through the Darkness
THROUGH THE
DARKNESS
TOR BOOKS BY HARRY TURTLEDOVE
The Two Georges (by Richard Dreyfuss and Harry Turtledove)
Household Gods (by Judith Tarr and Harry Turtledove)
Between the Rivers
Into the Darkness
Darkness Descending
Through the Darkness
Rulers of the Darkness
THROUGH THE
DARKNESS
HARRY TURTLEDOVE
NOTE: If you purchased this book without a cover you should be aware that this book is stolen property. It was reported as “unsold and destroyed” to the publisher, and neither the author nor the publisher has received any payment for this “stripped book.”
This is a work of fiction. All the characters and events portrayed in this book are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
THROUGH THE DARKNESS
Copyright © 2001 by Harry Turtledove
All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book, or portions thereof, in any form.
Edited by Patrick Nielsen Hayden
A Tor Book
Published by Tom Doherty Associates, LLC
175 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY 10010
www.tor.com
Tor® is a registered trademark of Tom Doherty Associates, LLC.
ISBN 0-812-58919-X
EAN 978-0-812-58919-1
Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 00-048833
First edition: March 2002
First mass market edition: April 2002
Printed in the United States of America
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Dramatis Personae
(denotes viewpoint character)
ALGARVE
Almonio
Constable outside Gromheort, in Forthweg
Balastro
Algarvian minister to Zuwayza
Bembo*
Constable outside Gromheort, in Forthweg
Borso
General of dragonfliers near Trapani
Casmiro
Colonel; count; master sniper in Sulingen
Domiziano
Captain of dragonfliers in Sabrino’s wing
Evodio
Constable outside Gromheort, in Forthweg
Folvo
Soldier in Sulingen
Fronesia
Sabrino’s mistress
Gismonda
Sabrino’s wife
Gradasso
Captain; Lurcanio’s aide in Priekule
Iroldo
Comptroller of publications in Priekule
Ivone
Grand duke; Algarvian governor in Priekule
Lurcanio
Colonel on occupation duty in Priekule
Mainardo
Mezentio’s brother, named King of Jelgava
Mezentio
King of Algarve
Mosco
Lurcanio’s former aide, now fighting in Unkerlant
Oraste
Constable outside Gromheort, in Forthweg
Orosio
Captain of dragonfliers in Sabrino’s wing
Panfilo
Sergeant in southern Unkerlant
Pesaro
Constabulary sergeant outside Gromheort, in Forthweg
Raniero
Mezentio’s cousin, named King of Grelz
Sabrino*
Colonel of dragonfliers in the land of the Ice People
Spinello
Major in southern Unkerlant
Trasone*
Footsoldier in southern Unkerlant
Vasto
Colonel of dragonfliers near Trapani
Zerbino
Marquis; brigadier in the land of the Ice People
FORTHWEG
Brivibas
Vanai’s grandfather; a scholar in Oyngestun
Ceorl
Trainee in Plegmund’s Brigade; ruffian
Conberge
Leofsig and Ealstan’s sister
Ealstan*
Forthwegian in Eoforwic, the capital; Vanai’s husband
Elfryth
Leofsig and Ealstan’s mother
Ethelhelm
Half-Kaunian Forthwegian singer and drummer
Felgilde
Leofsig’s former girlfriend in Gromheort
Grimbald
Jeweler’s son; Conberge’s boyfriend in Gromheort
Hengist
Hestan’s brother in Gromheort
Hestan
Bookkeeper in Gromheort; Leofsig and Ealstan’s father
Leofsig*
Laborer in Gromheort; Ealstan’s brother
Pernavai
Vatsyunas’ wife; escaped near Pavilosta in Valmiera
Plegmund
The most glorious king in Forthweg’s history
Sidroc
Leofsig and Ealstan’s cousin; Hengist’s son
Vanai*
Kaunian in Eoforwic, the capital; Ealstan’s wife
Vatsyunas
Dentist; Kaunian; escaped near Pavilosta in Valmiera
Waleran
Corporal in Plegmund’s Brigade
Werferth
Sergeant in Plegmund’s Brigade
Wiglaf
Trainee in Plegmund’s Brigade
GYONGYOS
Arpad
Ekrekek—ruler—of Gyongyos
Benczur
Soldier fighting in western Unkerlant
Borsos
Dowser on the island of Obuda
Farkas
Colonel of mages in western Unkerlant
Istvan*
Sergeant in western Unkerlant
Kun
Corporal in western Unkerlant; former mage’s apprentice
Szonyi
Footsoldier in western Unkerlant
Tivadar
Captain; company commander in western Unkerlant
ICE PEOPLE
Jeush
Shaman on the austral continent
JELGAVA
Ausra
Talsu’s sister in Skrunda
Bishu
Student in Kugu’s class in classical Kaunian
Donalitu
King of Jelgava; in exile in Lagoas
Dzirnavu
Talsu’s regimental commander; deceased
Gailisa
Grocer’s daughter in Skrunda; Talsu’s girlfriend
Kugu
Silversmith in Skrunda; teacher of classical Kaunian
Laitsina
Talsu’s mother in Skrunda
Talsu*
Tailor’s son in Skrunda
Traku
Tailor in Skrunda; Talsu’s father
KUUSAMO
Alkio
Theoretical sorcerer; Raahe’s husband
Bento
Mage in Jelgava
Elimaki
Pekka’s sister
Heikki
Sorcery Department chair at Kajaani City College
Ilmarinen
Elderly theoretical sorcerer in Yliharma
Jauhainen
One of the Seven Princes of Kuusamo
Juhani
Physician in Yliharma
Leino
Mage in Kajaani; Pekka’s husband
Moisio
Lord; Kuusaman minister to Unkerlant in Cottbus
Olavin
Elimaki’s husband; Pekka’s brother-in-law
Pekka*
Theoretical sorcerer in Kajaani
Piilis
Theoretical sorcerer
Raahe
Theoretical sorcerer; Alkio’s wife
Siuntio
Elderly theoretical sorcer
er in Yliharma
Tauvo
Dragonflier in the land of the Ice People
Uto
Pekka’s son
Lagoas
Affonso
Second-rank mage in the land of the Ice People
Brinco
Grandmaster Pinhiero’s secretary
Fernao*
First-rank mage in the land of the Ice People
Gusmao
Count; Lagoan minister to Unkerlant in Cottbus
Janira
Balio’s daughter by a Lagoan woman
Peixoto
Colonel in Setubal
Pinhiero
Grandmaster of the Lagoan Guild of Mages
Vitor
King of Lagoas
ORTAH
Ahinadab
King of Ortah
Hadadezer
Ortaho minister to Zuwayza
SIBIU
Balio
Sibian fisherman settled in Setubal, in Lagoas
Brindzu
Cornelu’s daughter
Cornelu*
Leviathan-rider in exile, serving in Lagoan navy
Costache
Cornelu’s wife
UNKERLANT
Addanz
Archmage of Unkerlant
Alboin
Young soldier south of Aspang
Aldrian
Young soldier in Sulingen
Annore
Garivald’s wife
Canel
Major general on south bank of Wolter River
Chariulf
Colonel; master sniper in Sulingen
Friam
Captain who entered Sulingen
Garivald*
Musician and resistance fighter west of Herborn
Hawart
Captain south of Aspang
Herka
Waddo’s wife in Zossen
Kyot
Swemmel’s twin brother; deceased
Leudast*
Sergeant south of Aspang
Melot
Major in Sulingen
Merovec
Marshal Rathar’s adjutant
Munderic
Resistance leader west of Herborn
Obilot
Woman resistance fighter west of Herborn
Rathar*
Marshal of Unkerlant in Cottbus
Recared
Lieutenant northwest of Sulingen
Rual
Villager from Pirmasens; collaborator
Sadoc
Resistance fighter west of Herborn; would-be mage
Swemmel
King of Unkerlant
Vatran
General in southern Unkerlant
Waddo
Firstman of Zossen, Garivald’s home village in Grelz
Ysolt
Woman cook by Sulingen
VALMIERA
Bauska
Krasta’s maidservant in Priekule
“Butcher”
Resistance fighter in Ventspils; a nom de guerre
“Cordwainer”
Resistance fighter in Ventspils; a nom de guerre
Enkuru
Former count near Pavilosta; deceased; Simanu’s father
Gainibu
King of Valmiera
Krasta*
Marchioness in Priekule
Maironiu
Resistance fighter outside Pavilosta
Malya
Bauska’s daughter by an Algarvian
Merkela
Resistance fighter outside Pavilosta; Skarnu’s lover
“Painter”
Resistance fighter in Ventspils; a nom de guerre
Raunu
Resistance fighter outside Pavilosta; former sergeant
Simanu
Former count near Pavilosta; deceased Enkuru’s son
Skarnu*
Marquis; resistance fighter outside Pavilosta
Valnu
Viscount in Priekule
“Zarasai”
Resistance fighter—a nom de guerre
YANINA
Broumidis
Colonel of dragonfliers in the land of the Ice People
Caratzas
Lieutenant colonel of dragonfliers on the austral continent
Iskakis
Yaninan minister to Zuwayza
Tsavellas
King of Yanina
ZUWAYZA
Goscinnio
Portraitist of Algarvian blood in Bishah
Hajjaj*
Zuwayzi foreign minister in Bishah, the capital
Ifanji
Captain in Bishah
Ikhshid
Commanding general in Bishah
Mehdawi
One of Hajjaj’s house servants
Mustanjid
“Prince” collaborating with Unkerlant
Qutuz
Hajjaj’s secretary
Saadun
Colonel in Najran
Shazli
King of Zuwayza
Tewfik
Hajjaj’s majordomo
Uderzo
Florist of Algarvian blood in Bishah
THROUGH THE
DARKNESS
One
Ealstan was still shaky on his feet. The young Forth-wegian gauged how sick he’d been by how long he was taking to get better. He also gauged how sick he’d been by the medicine with which Vanai had helped him break his fever.
When his wits came back, he scolded her: “You went out. You shouldn’t have done that. You shouldn’t have taken the chance. The Algarvians might have grabbed you and . . .” He didn’t want to go on.
Vanai glared at him. Her gray-blue eyes flashed. People said Kaunians didn’t get so excited as Forthwegians. Living with Vanai had proved to Ealstan that people didn’t know what they were talking about. “What should I have done?” she demanded. “Stayed here and watched you die and then tried to go out?”
“I wasn’t going to die.” But Ealstan’s comeback wasn’t so persuasive as he would have wanted, even to himself. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d been so sick. When he looked at himself in the mirror, he saw how the flesh had melted from his swarthy, hook-nosed face. Circles almost as dark as his eyes lay under them.
“Anyhow, it worked out all right,” Vanai said. “I went out, I found an apothecary, I got what you needed, and I came back. Nothing else happened.”
“No?” Ealstan said, and now she had trouble meeting his gaze. He pointed at her. “What was it? How bad was it?”
“Nothing else happened,” she repeated, and slamming doors and falling bars were in her voice. A long time before, when they’d first got to know each other, he’d decided he would be wise not to ask her what she’d gone through in Oyngestun. This was liable to be another time when trying to force truth from her would do more harm than good.
“Let it go, then,” he said with a weary nod. He was still weary all the time. He was so weary, a couple of days could go by without his having any interest in making love. Before he got sick, he wouldn’t have believed such a thing possible.
But, weary or not, he had to go out to buy food, for the cupboards in the flat were nearly empty. If he didn’t go out, Vanai would have to. She’d done it once. He didn’t want her to have to do it twice, not when the redheaded occupiers of Forthweg had made her kind fair game.
Moving like a man four times his age, he walked to the market square to buy beans and dried peas and barley and lentils. As long as he and Vanai had enough of those, they wouldn’t starve. The trouble was, he couldn’t carry so much as he had before, either. That meant he had to make two trips to bring back the food he should have been able to take in one. By the time he finally got through, he felt ready for the knacker’s yard.
Vanai fixed him a cup of mint tea. After he’d drunk it, she half dragged him to the bedroom, peeled his shoes off him, and made him lie down. He hoped she would lie down beside him, or on top of him, or however she chose. Instead,
she said, “Go to sleep.”
He did. When he woke, he felt much more like himself. By then, Vanai did lie curled beside him. Her mouth had fallen open; she was snoring a little. He looked over at her and smiled. She didn’t just know what he wanted. She knew what he needed, too, and that was liable to be more important.
A couple of days later, he started going out and about through Eoforwic, seeing the people for whom he cast accounts. He discovered he’d lost a couple of them to other bookkeepers: inevitable, he supposed, when he hadn’t been able to let them know why he wasn’t showing up. That he’d kept as many clients as he had pleased him very much.
Ethelhelm the singer and drummer wasn’t in his flat when Ealstan came to call. The doorman for the building said, “The gentleman has taken his band on tour, sir. He did give me an envelope to give you if you returned while he and his colleagues were away.”