A Time of Exile - Katharine Kerr [204]
“Elyc? That’s not Elyc of Dai Aver, is it?”
“The very one. You know him?”
“Did once, a cursed long time ago now. If he hasn’t changed, he’s a decent sort, truly.”
“Well and good, then. In theory he’s charged with running the kingdom until Glyn’s eldest daughter marries and has an heir, but I doubt me if he’ll be able to impose order for that many years.”
“How old is the lass?” Maddyn said.
“Thirteen, just old enough to wed this year. Our prince will have to marry her, of course, and as soon as ever he can. I’ve no doubt that her mother will see reason if only we can get Maryn there. I’m told that everyone in the city lives in terror of anarchy.”
“Then no doubt they’ll welcome him with shouting and flowers in their hair,” Caradoc said. “Good.”
“Perhaps, but first we have to get him there. I suggest we leave on the morrow.”
Since Caradoc wanted to keep the plan as secret as possible, he and Maddyn told the other silver daggers that they were going to ride a raid on the Eldidd border to provide a distraction when the Marked Prince left for Cerrmor with his escort. No one thought to question the plan, which was a decent one in its way. In a chilly dawn Maryn and Nevyn made a great show of riding out with a hundred members of the King’s own guard and a wagon train filled with supplies and gifts for the Cerrmor lords. Ahead of them rode a herald holding the banner of Pyrdon. With them on the road went the king with an honor guard of his own—to escort them to the border, or so it was said. The Queen wept openly; silver horns blared; the assembled populace cheered the young prince and his splendid Wyrd. Only Maddyn and Caradoc knew that hidden among the silver daggers’ supplies were shabby clothes and armor for Maryn, and that those coffers of gifts were empty.
A TIME OF OMENS
BY KATHARINE KERR
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
KATHARINE KERR spent her childhood in a Great Lakes industrial city and her adolescence in a stereotypical corner of southern California, from whence she fled to the Bay Area just in time to join a number of the various Revolutions then in progress. Upon dropping out of dropping out, she got married and devoted herself to reading as many off-the-wall, obscure, and just plain peculiar books as she could get her hands on. As the logical result of such a life, she has now become a professional storyteller and an amateur skeptic, who regards all True Believers with a jaundiced eye, even those who true-believe in Science.
Kerr is the author of the Deverry series of historical fantasies; Polar City Blues; Resurrection; and the new series, The Dragon Mage, of which The Red Wyvern is the first volume.
This edition contains the complete text of
the original hardcover edition.
NOT ONE WORD HAS BEEN OMITTED.
All of the characters in this book are fictitious, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental
A TIME OF EXILE
A Bantam Spectra Book /published in association with Doubleday
PUBLISHING HISTORY
Doubleday edition published June 1991
Bantam Edition /July 1992
SPECTRA and the portrayal of a boxed “s” are trademarks of Bantam Books, a division of Random House, Inc.
All rights reserved.
Copyright © 1961 by Katharine Kerr.
Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 90-3894.
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