by Scott McKay
But the story behind this exchange was beginning to fascinate her. If General Dees was sending the Udar headman, who the rumors said was named Ago’an, back to his troops as part of some strategic scheme, she was highly curious as to what it could be. Anything that would ultimately result in bad things happening to the enemy, she’d approve of. But after her ordeal, what she craved were details of those bad things. She didn’t particularly like discovering that about herself, but so be it, she thought.
“What dark strategy, Rob?”
“I don’t have the whole story,” he said, “but based on what I’ve picked up over the last couple of days and then finding out about this exchange, here’s my speculation.”
Sarah was engrossed now. She could tell Aunt Rebecca was, too. The children, Ethan and Hannah, didn’t really look like they cared.
“All right, so here it is,” Rob explained. “Nine days ago, the day after everybody spent the night here right after your rescue, I was at the train station and I saw some soldiers carrying a box off a locomotive car which looked like it had been sealed in wax, and they were wearing hoods, goggles and gloves like you’d see in an infirmary when a patient has one of those highly-infectious diseases. You know what I mean?”
Sarah and Rebecca nodded.
“Then I heard they had this Ago’an and they interrogated him for hours, but he wouldn’t say anything. But suddenly, the rumor was that he’d broken, and they were sending him home. That was right before the alarm went out that the Udar were heading to attack Trenory. Remember?”
“That was…eight days ago?” Sarah said, calculating a timeline.
“I think it was eight days ago,” Rebecca said. “In fact, I know it was, because Patrick and Alice were here that night for dinner, and the word had just gone out about Trenory, and Patrick wouldn’t say a word.”
“And then the next day he and I bought that property in the morning, and he bought that house just afterward,” Rob said, “and right after that, he said he had a mission and he was leaving, but wouldn’t say where.”
“It was right around then when the streets got in an uproar about how none of the Udar would be hung,” Sarah noted.
“Right,” Rob said. “So, Adelaide leaves six days ago. Now it comes back with Matthew and the others from the prisoner exchange. That’s the timeframe for a trip back and forth to Strongstead.”
“Right,” Sarah said, motioning for him to go on.
“Three days, the time to get there, is the timeframe for the Blue Pox to turn deadly. And I’ll bet that’s what was in that sealed box that came off the train.”
“Wow,” said Sarah.
She figured Rob might be right that sending them one of their own people who was infected with the Blue Pox was what Commander Baker was up to. The Blue Pox, she reasoned, could well be a superweapon of sorts against the savages. Especially given what she had seen of the Udar and how they lived.
The Blue Pox was very deadly, but what was known about it was that you contracted it by handling things people infected with it handled. Or if you exchanged bodily fluids with somebody who had it.
And the Udar shared everything. They didn’t have private property. They didn’t even, outside of special circumstances, have monogamous sex lives. So, if somebody had the Blue Pox they’d be eating and drinking out of communal plates and cups and they’d be having sex with different people, or even multiple different people, every night.
That disease would spread like wildfire in an Udar camp, she reasoned.
“I think that’s it, Rob,” she said. “And if you’re right, it’s brilliant.”
Rebecca piped up. “You’re saying they infected this Ago’an and then sent him back as a carrier of the Blue Pox?”
“That’s what I think happened, Aunt Rebecca,” Rob said.
“Oh, that’s awful,” she spat.
“Aunt!” Sarah said. “How can you say it’s awful?”
“Because it is,” she responded. “It’s murder. It’s not the Blessed Path at all.”
“It’s resistance,” Rob said. “We’re in a war. They’re attacking us. We’re justified in fighting them any way we can, and if they die of the Blue Pox on the other side of the Tweade that’s as blessed a result as we could imagine.”
“I hate it,” Rebecca said. “I understand why the General would do it, and getting Matthew back home safe is worth anything to me. But it’s awful.”
Rob’s nostrils flared for a moment, but then he stood and walked to Rebecca’s chair. He took her hand and kissed it. “You’re a kind heart, Aunt Rebecca,” he said. “That’s why we love you.”
She smiled at him.
“Should we put on our formal best to greet your brother, then?” she asked.
And Sarah knew she wouldn’t get her day of rest tomorrow after all.
End Of Part One
AUTHOR’S NOTE
I’m doing something a bit different with Perdition than I did with Animus, the first book in the Tales of Ardenia series, and this is something of an experiment. I hope the reader will indulge me, if not find the whole thing an enjoyable departure from the norm.
As you can see, the conflict between the Ardenians and the Udar is an epic one, and there are many individual stories within this grand tale. It makes for Perdition to be quite a long book, nearly 900 pages’ worth.
As a reader myself, 900 pages, or even 1,000 pages, isn’t daunting. If I’m engrossed by the story I can plow through that length and more, and some of the best books I’ve read were that long. In a genre of an epic story, like for example Ken Follett’s Kingsbridge series or George R.R. Martin’s Game of Thrones books, nothing less than that length will do sometimes.
But I recognize lots of people simply won’t have the time to plow through a long book like that even with the whole world forced to take a time out thanks to the coronavirus event (which will hopefully be over long before the Tales of Ardenia series is discovered).
Accordingly, this is the first of four parts in which Perdition will unfold. Part Two is set for release in early May 2020, Part Three in late May and Part Four in June, at which time the paperback version of Perdition containing all four parts will be due for release and, hopefully, the audiobook of the whole thing as well.
The trend appears to be toward more serialized novels to take advantage of modern audiences’ attention spans and preferences, and with the increasing role of self-published books and digital reading platforms, it makes sense. What you have here is a response to that trend.
Feel free to let us know whether it’s something you’d like to see repeated in the future books of the Tales of Ardenia series on our Tales of Ardenia Facebook page. And check there and at the Tales of Ardenia website for updates on future installments. Thanks for reading!
Scott McKay
April 8, 2020
APPENDIX
GLOSSARY, PRONUNCIATION GUIDE AND CHARACTERS
Places and Things
Udar
Afan'di (Uh-FAWN-dee) - a home camp of the Udar
Algarem (ALL-guh-remm) – five very powerful women serving Palace Keepers at the Ikotai Palace in the Udar capital Qor Udar.
Aniwa'di (AHN-ee-WAD-dee) - an hallucinogenic cactus which grows in Uris Udar; used to make the intoxicating marwai liquor
Anur (Uh-NOOR) - a mobile military camp; the basic unit of Udar society
Avoy (Uh-VOY) - An Udar exclamation meaning "Now!"
Azmeri (Uhz-MERRY) - a sacrifice to the Udar god Ur'akeen
Ba’kalo (Buh-KAH-low) – An Udar halberd
Enafan'di (In-a-FAWN-dee) - an Udar religious law holding that no Udar warrior should ever die a peaceful death outside his Afan'di, or home camp.
Gana'fali (GANN-a-FAHL-ee) - a shoreline on the Leopold Bay coast on which the Ardenian fortress of Strongstead was built. The Udar consider the shore a sacred place.
Gazol (Ga-ZOLL) – An Udar curved sword; like a cutlass, but with a skinnier blade
Gibor (Gee-BORR) -
a berry similar to belladonna, though less toxic; which grows in Uris Udar; used to make the intoxicating marwai liquor
Iabos (EE-ah-BOSE) – the shore along the Gulf of Udar near the mouth of the river Ur’akeen.
Ikotai (Ick-uh-TYE) – the grand hall of the Evatuan Palace in the Udar capital in which the country’s king, or sa’halet, holds court.
In’gur (Inn-GOOR) – According to Udar prophecy, a ruler in control of the entire Great Continent
Izwei (IZZway) – An Udar fighting knife, consisting of a two-sided blade with thick barbs on each side
Javeen (Jah-VEEN) - an Ardenian woman held as a concubine by an Udar Anur
Kawes'kin (COW-us-KEEN) - an Udar tradition in which battles and disputes are decided through single combat
Kayesthu (KIE-ess-THOO) – an Udar traditional celebration involving a great deal of sexual activity and alcoholic spirits, held upon the return of a long-absent member of an Anur.
Lepon'hin (Luh-pun-HEEN) - the Udar name for The Throat, the isthmus dividing the two lands
Marwai (MARR-wye) - an intoxicating Udar liquor made from gibor berries similar to belladonna and aniwa'di, a hallucinogenic cactus; its effects include making its user quite docile
Qur Udar (KOOR-OO-DAR) - the capital city of Uris Udar
Rochat (Ro-KOTT) - An Udar command meaning "Submit!"
Sa'halet (Suh-HALL-it) - the title given to the Udar king; also the high priest of the Udar religion, who communicates with the god Ur'akeen through dreams and visions
Ur'akeen (Oo-rah-KEEN) - The Udar god
Var'asha (Varr-ASH-uh) - an Udar headman of an Anur tribe
Vitau'hi (Vee-TAU-hye) - the dreaded Blood Raptor, a giant predatory bird thought to be extinct which kills its victims in an especially gruesome way
Ardenia and others
Alvedorne – a fabulously wealthy city, pop., 2,200,000, located on the Great Mountain Lake in western Ardenia. Alvedorne, the third-largest city in the nation, is the headquarters of the Thorne Enterprises conglomerate
Azuria – a medium-sized (pop. 75,000) city along the Sunset Sea coast where Butch Henry and John Forling are from
Barley Point – a small city (pop. 3,000) located along the river Tweade
Battleford – a small city (pop. 8,000) located along the river Tweade
Belgarden – a large (pop. 1,500,000) city along the Morgan River and a Peace Party stronghold known for political corruption. Belgarden is Ardenia’s fourth-largest city
Benchford Armory – the maker of an inferior military rifle
Blue Pox – a dread highly-infectious hemorrhagic viral plague used as a bioweapon
Bergod (Berr-GOAD) - a port in the nation of Thosia.
Carmody Farm – the site of the First Airfighter Squadron’s home base north of Trenory
Cavol (Kuh-VOLL) - a nation across the Great Sea; the home of the infamous Mottled Men
Divinate (Duh-VINE-et) Academy- the most prestigious religious school in Ardenia
Deciran - the unit of Ardenian currency, based on the value of 1/10th of an ounce of gold
Dulsey – the maker of an inferior chain gun
Dunnansport – a small city (pop. 5,000) located at the mouth of the river Tweade
Faith Supernal - the national religion in Ardenia
Fort Bountiful – one of six forts near the Udar border and three located in The Throat
Fort Claire – one of six forts near the Udar border, eventually retaken by Will Forling’s 11th Cavalry Division
Fort Harrow – one of six forts near the Udar border, located in The Throat
Fort Murtaugh – one of six forts near the Udar border, located on the Sunset Sea
Fort Stuart – the Ardenian military stronghold in Dunnan’s Claim and the eventual home of the First Airship Squadron
Fort Walder – one of six forts near the Udar border, located in The Throat
Gray Demons – the name given to Reese Bloodworth’s counterintelligence unit by the Udar
Lord of All - the deity worshipped in Ardenia according to the Faith Supernal
Mountaineer – the maker of a hunting rifle used by the military as a substitute for the inferior Benchford
Peace Party - the dominant political party in Ardenia, holding the large majority of Delegate seats in the Parliament
Port Excelsior – a large (pop. 2,500,000) city on the eastern seaboard of Ardenia, the second-largest city in the nation
Port William – a large (pop. 300,000) city at the mouth of the Sornan River
Principia – the capital city (pop. 6,000,000) of Ardenia, located at the mouth of the Morgan River
Prosperitans - one of two opposition parties in Ardenia. When the former majority party the Party of Enterprise split apart, Prosperitans and Terrorialists became competing opposition factions to the Peace Party.
Resinan (Rez-ZINN-un) - principal city of Leria
Societam (So-SY-et-um) - The legislative seat of Ardenia, akin to the U.S. Capitol. The Ardenian parliament, composed of delegates, meets at the Societam.
Sounder Company – a maker of airships headquartered in Trentham
Strongstead - a massive Ardenian fortress located on the coast of Leopold Bay, on a shoreline the Udar call Gana'fali. Thought impregnable.
Sunrise Temple - one of Principia's most prominent institutions dedicated to worship of the Lord of All and provision of social aid; located in the mostly-poor Ackerton District on the east side of the capital city.
Territorialists - one of two opposition parties in Ardenia. When the former majority party the Party of Enterprise split apart, Prosperitans and Terrorialists became competing opposition factions to the Peace Party.
The Throat - a mountainous isthmus dividing the northern and southern portions of the Great Continent. Closing The Throat to the Udar is a national-security imperative the Ardenians have, according to critics, paid insufficient attention to.
Thosia – a nation across the Great Sea and a trading partner of Ardenia
Thurman Rifle Company – the maker of the world’s best rifle, located in Trenory
Trenory (TRENN-or-ry) - The largest city in southwest Ardenia, pop. 200,000
Trunxton – the maker of the best chain gun in the world
Valoria – a large (pop. 400,000) city along the Castoria River north of Principia at which the Ardenian Army Officer College
Waldiver (WALL-div-ver) - a prominent finishing school for girls in Trenory
Willow Falls – a medium sized (pop. 125,000) city near the source of the Morgan River
People
Ago'an (AH-go-AWN) - an Udar military commander, brother of the Udar king and in charge of the Udar invasion of Ardenia
Aqor (AY-core) – the first sa’halet, or ruler, of all the Udar, whose prophecies are still influential in its governance some two thousand years later
Baker, Patrick - a naval commander and captain of the Ardenian naval ship Adelaide
Blake, Heather – a reporter for The Conciliator who becomes Abraham Dees’ love interest
Bloodworth, Reese – an Ardenian spy and counterintelligence operative
Blue, Milton – a cavalryman stationed in The Throat; Butch Henry’s initial platoon commander
Bradbury, Mark – a former race-car driver recruited to pioneer biplane flight; Bradbury commands the First Airfighter Squadron
Broadham, Joseph - translator on the Ardenian naval ship Adelaide, and son of famous Ardenian author Georgia Broadham
Crain, Bill – a cavalryman stationed with Butch Henry in The Throat
Cross, Preston - father of Sebastian Cross; the head of a super-rich Morgan River Valley family
Cross, Sebastian - a famous aviator who circumnavigated the planet in an airship; CEO of the Airbound Corporation, an airship line
Dees, Abraham - an Ardenian general, the head of the Army-Navy Office of Special Warfare
Dutton, Henry – a wealthy landowner and venture capitalist from the rich Morgan River Val
ley
Edyene (Edd-YENN-ay) - an Udar female captured at sea by the Ardenian vessel Adelaide; she asked for and was granted permission to defect
Fletcher, Veronica– eldest daughter of Adam Thorne
Forling, John – older brother of Will Forling; a mining magnate living in Azuria at the outbreak of war
Forling, William - the youngest son of John and Lillian Forling of Grayvern Farm in the Dunnan's Claim territory; a cavalry officer involved in the defense of Ft. Stuart and the retaking of Battleford
Gale, Dan – an Udar assassin, bombmaker, terrorist and spy
Gray, Ralph - a powerful Delegate of the Ardenian Parliament from Belgarden
Greene, Catherine – the president of Ardenia; a member of the Peace Party
Gregg, Madison - the Cross family solicitor and a powerful lobbyist at the Ardenian capitol
Gregory, Winston - a prominent Peace Party political boss from Belgarden
Gresham, Winford - an aviation engineer and Sebastian Cross' business partner in the Airbound Corporation airship line
Harms, Horace - a powerful Delegate to the Ardenian Parliament from the city of Belgarden
Hays, Samuel – an Ardenian inventor kidnapped and brought to Uris Udar to work on his invention of the wireless communications machine
Henry, Ann – mother of Butch Henry
Henry, Butch – a young cavalryman originally stationed at Ft. Walder in the Throat who becomes a hero at Strongstead
Irving, Boyd - an Ardenian Marine captain in charge of customs at the river port of Barley Point
Irving, Helen - sister of Boyd Irving and a resident of Barley Point
James, Paul – the cavalry captain in charge of Fort Harrow
Kyle, Bradley – an airship pilot in the Ardenian Air Force
Latham, H.V. - an architect from Port William engaged to design an upgrade to Hilltop Farm
La’ufa – An Udar scientist collaborating with the captured Ardenian inventor Samuel Hays on the development of the Udar wireless communications machine.
Mills, Michael – an airship pilot in the Ardenian Air Force
