Trickster's Queen

by Tamora Pierce

  Aly knew what he meant by it. He would simply recruit new people in the Isles, because that was his job. Smiling wickedly, she raised one eyebrow of her own.

  Back in their palace quarters, Nawat watched as Aly walked onto the veranda. The late-night air blew around her, molding her light nightgown to her body. “You will find ways to see them, and they to see you,” he called to her. “They are not lost to you, or you to them. They will always be your flock.”

  “I know,” Aly called, looking up at the sky. The sliver of the moon and the dots of the stars were as they had been in the months before the gods had waged their battle in the Divine Realms. Kyprioth had reclaimed his true throne in full, and Mithros and the Goddess were still searching for their shields. “I know. There's no reason we can't see each other, if we're discreet. Though we're going to be frightfully busy.”

  “There is much for us to do,” Nawat agreed. “But there must be time for fun as well. Fun, and sparklies, and nestlings, and all the other things that make life interesting. For example, you could make my life interesting right now, if you chose.”

  Aly laughed. “And where would you be if I didn't choose?” she asked, walking inside once more.

  Nawat smiled at her, the smile of a man who loved a woman. “Right here,” he said confidently. “I would wear you down.”

  Aly was drifting off to sleep when a familiar, crisp voice whispered in her ear, There's a girl. You get some rest. The Isles will give you all the interesting things you can stand. Kyprioth added, And so will I.

  GLOSSARY

  Ambririp: harbor on northern tip of Imahyn Island.

  arak: distilled palm-sap liquor.

  Azure Sea: body of water between Imahyn, Jerykun, Ikang, and Lombyn islands, known for its calm, bright blue waters.

  basilisk: immortal (cannot be killed by old age or disease), lizard-like creature, can be seven to nine feet tall, walks erect, is skilled with languages, possesses a shriek that can turn its targets to stone.

  Bazhir: collective name for the nomadic tribes of Tortall's Great Southern Desert.

  Birafu: estates on Tongkang belonging to Jimajen family, in rebellion.

  Black God, the: hooded and robed god of death, recognized as such throughout the Eastern and Southern Lands.

  blazebalm: sticky, paste-like substance that clings to everything it touches and burns very hot.

  Carthak: slaveholding empire that includes all of the Southern Lands, ancient and powerful, a storehouse of learning, sophistication, and culture. Its university was at one time without rival for teaching.

  Chain, the: network of rebel mages, mostly full and part-raka, spread throughout the Copper Isles, with members on every isle, including one posted especially close to the isle's royal governor. It has been in existence over one hundred years. Its present commanding mage is Ochobu Dodeka.

  Copper Isles: originally named the Kyprin Isles, once ruled by queens of the Haiming noble house, presently ruled by the Rittevon dynasty. The Isles form a slaveholding nation south and west of Tortall. The lowlands are hot, wet jungles; the highlands cold and rocky. Traditionally their ties are to Carthak rather than Tortall. Kyprin pirates often raid along the Tortallan coast. There is a strain of insanity in the Rittevon line. The Rittevons hold a grudge against Tortall (one of their princesses was killed there the day that Jonathan was crowned).

  Corus: capital city of Tortall, on the banks of the River Olorun. Corus is the home of the new royal university as well as the royal palace.

  darking: creature made in the Divine Realms that has evolved into an independent being; small, blob-like, able to manipulate shape, reproduce by splitting, capable of thought and learning; some reside in Dragonlands in Divine Realms, others have returned to Mortal Realms.

  Dawn Crow: male god of the crows.

  Dimari: eastern harbor town on the island of Lombyn.

  Divine Realms: home to the gods and to many immortals.

  Dockmarket: section of town defined by Dockmarket Street along wharves; open-air markets for food, spices, various products; includes warehouses, slave market.

  Downwind: poorer section of Rajmuat.

  duan: raka word for old man, boss.

  duani: raka word for old lady, boss.

  Eastern Lands: name used to refer to those lands north of the Great Inland Sea and east of the Emerald Ocean: Scanra, Tortall, Tyra, Tusaine, Galla, Maren, Sarain. Original home of the luarin nobility and kings of the Copper Isles.

  Ekallatum: one of the most ancient kingdoms in the history of the Southern Lands, now part of the Carthaki Empire.

  Emerald Ocean: body of water west of the Eastern and Southern Lands, containing the Yamani Islands and the Copper Isles, among others.

  Examples: Kyprin term for nobles and wealthy people who are executed by the Crown and displayed on posts as a warning to others.

  Fief Tameran: neighboring fiefdom to Pirate's Swoop.

  Flowergarden: district north and west of Downwind, contains lower-class residences, also district of brokers of domestic animals, fullers, tanners, blacksmiths.

  Gainel: god of dreams, with one foot in the Mortal Realms and one foot in the realms of Chaos.

  Galla: country to the north and east of Tortall, famous for its mountains and forests, with an ancient royal line. Daine was born there.

  Galodon: housing town for military and royal navy fortress and reserves.

  Gempang: island in the Copper Isles, across the Long Strait from Kypriang.

  Gift, the: human, academic magic, the use of which must be taught.

  Gigit: smallest coin of the Copper Isles: 10 copper gigits equal 1 silver gigit; 50 copper gigits (5 silver gigits) equal 1 copper lan; 1 copper gigit will buy a cup of tea, a bun, or an orange.

  Gray Palace: Eastern Lands–style castle built inside a separate wall on the palace grounds, to house the Rittevon family.

  Great Mother Goddess: chief goddess in the pantheon of the Eastern Lands, protector of women. Her symbol is the moon.

  Greater Fortress: citadel that guards the southeastern approach to Rajmuat harbor.

  griffin: feathered immortal with a cat-like body, wings, and a beak. Males grow to a height of six and a half to seven feet at the shoulder; females are slightly bigger. No one can tell lies in a griffin's vicinity (a range of about a hundred feet). Their young have bright orange feathers to make them more visible. If adult griffin parents sense that a human has handled their infant griffin, they will try to kill that human.

  Gunapi the Sunrose: raka warrior goddess of volcanoes, war, and molten rock.

  Haiming: name of the former ruling line of raka queens, supposedly wiped out during the Luarin Conquest, with members who survived in secret until the present.

  healer: health-care professional with varying degrees of education, magic, and skill.

  his realm's spies: network of a kingdom's agents, charged with gathering intelligence at home and abroad; spies in service to a particular country.

  Honeypot, the: worst of the Downwind slums.

  hostler: person who cares for horses: their feed, medicine, grooming, cleanliness, saddling.

  Human Era (H.E.): time period that begins 463 years prior to the present book, marking the exile of the immortals from the Mortal Realms.

  hurrok: immortal shaped like a horse with leathery bat wings, claws, and fangs.

  Ikang: island to the southwest of Lombyn (the northernmost island).

  Imahyn: island just northwest of the Long Strait and Gempang.

  Immortal: creatures from the Divine Realms who cannot get sick or grow old. They can be killed, but otherwise they live forever.

  Immortals War: short, vicious war fought in 452 H.E., named for the number of immortal creatures that fought, but also waged by Carthakis (rebels against the new emperor Kaddar), Copper Islanders, and Scanran raiders. These forces were defeated by the residents of the Eastern Lands, particularly Tortall, but recovery is slow.

  Jaguar Goddess: feral and bloody
goddess native to the Isles, overthrown by Mithros and the Great Mother Goddess during the Luarin Conquest and chained below the earth until she should be freed. Sister and sometime consort of Kyprioth, who also prefers that she stay chained.

  Jerykun Isle: smallest of the Isles, situated between Imahyn in the south and Ikang in the north. Virtually all of Jerykun is held between the Tomangs, who have grown rich from the trade in sunset butterflies (a source of precious blue dyes and magical ingredients), with smaller estates held by, among others, Sibigat House.

  Kanodang: prison to the northeast of the Downwind slums, over the ridge of the Kitafin mountains that runs between Rajmuat and the coast.

  King's Council: Tortallan monarch's private council, made up of those advisors he trusts the most.

  King's Guard: small contingent of soldiers/bodyguards responsible for the safety of the ruling monarch of the Copper Isles, presently led by Taybur Sibigat. Their armor is chain mail painted black.

  King's Watch: patrol group that polices the city, wears armor painted red.

  K'mir: brown-skinned nomadic horse tribes of Saraine, expert at guerrilla fighting against the Saren ruling class of lowland whites. Queen Thayet of Tortall is half K'mir on her mother's side and has been responsible for a migration of K'miri, who now work for the Tortallan Crown.

  kudarung: Kyprish (raka) term for winged horses.

  Kypriang: main island of the Copper Isles, holding the capital, Rajmuat, and its harbor. Location of the Plain of Sorrows, site of the last great defeat of the raka by the luarin.

  Kyprioth: Trickster, greatest of the trickster gods, former patron god of the Copper Isles, overthrown by his brother Mithros and his sister the Great Mother Goddess, now relegated in the Isles to rulership over the seas that surround them. Cousin to the Carthaki goddess the Graveyard Hag.

  lan: largest money coin in the Isles: 1 gold lan equals 10 silver lans; 1 silver lan equals 5 copper lans; 1 copper lan equals 5 silver gigits, or 50 copper gigits.

  Lesser Fortress: citadel that guards the eastern arm of Rajmuat harbor.

  Lombyn: northernmost island of the Copper Isles, home to the Tanair estates of Lady Saraiyu and Lady Dove Balitang, the legacy of their mother Sarugani. The location of the Turnshe Mountains, Kellaura Pass, Dimari town and harbor, and the villages of Tanair, Inti, and Pohon.

  Long Strait: narrow, tricky body of water between Kypriang and Gempang islands.

  luarin: raka term for the white-skinned invaders from the Eastern Lands, now used in the Isles to indicate anyone with white skin.

  mage: wizard, male or female.

  Malubesang: largest and most southern of the Copper Isles, notorious for streams that are home to meat-eating fish. Home to the most prosperous estates of the Isles, particularly those of Nomru House. The extended Fonfala family also has lands bordering the Nomru ones.

  Maren: large, powerful country east of Tusaine and Tyra; the grain basket of the Eastern Lands, with plenty of farms and trade.

  Market Town: pricier market district west of Dockmarket.

  Middle Town: district that is part residential for middle class, part shopping area, includes Rittevon Square.

  Midwinter Festival: seven-day holiday, centers around the longest night of the year and the sun's rebirth afterward. The beginning of the new year. Gifts are exchanged and feasts held.

  Mithros: chief god of the Tortallan pantheon, god of war and the law. His symbol is the sun.

  Moriji Cove: cove on the southern coast of Kypriang near Fonfala estates.

  network: group of spies or other persons who exchange information among themselves.

  pavilion: an outdoor structure that can be open on its sides, walled halfway up its sides, or fully walled in.

  Port Udayapur: port city-state on the northeast corner of the Great Inland Sea, entry gate to the mountains called the Roof of the World.

  Rajmuat: capital of the Copper Isles under both the raka and the luarin.

  raka: copper/brown-skinned natives of the Copper Isles, under the lordship of the luarin arrivals from the Eastern Lands for nearly three hundred years.

  Rittevon Guard: guard that covers the palace grounds and walls; combined sun and moon engraved on breastplates.

  Rittevon Lancers: light cavalry military force. They generally carry lances and swords as weapons.

  Rittevon's Lance: major street of Rajmuat and the palace, running through the center of Rajmuat and up through the Gate of Victory to the center of the palace enclosure. Ends in the palace street called the Golden Road.

  sarong: for women, a dress-like wrap-around garment that extends from under the arms to the calves. For men, a skirt-like wrap-around garment that can be kilted in the middle to make rough breeches.

  Scanra: country to the north of Tortall; wild, rocky, and cold, with very little land that can be farmed. Scanra's war with Tortall began in 460 H.E. (the events are covered in Lady Knight) and has moved into its third year, though Scanra is visibly weakening.

  scry: to look into the past, present, or future using magic and, sometimes, a bowl of water, a mirror, fire, or some other peering device.

  shape-shifter: someone who can take the shape of an animal or another human.

  Sight, the: aspect of the magical Gift that gives its holders certain advantages in matters of vision. It can be erratic, showing holders only lies, illness, magic, or future importance. In its fullest form, it can allow the holder to see clearly over distance, to see tiny things in sharp detail, and to detect illness, lies, godhood, magic, death, and other aspects of life.

  Sky: the crow goddess, consort of the Dawn Crow.

  slave broker: one who buys and sells slaves.

  Southern Lands: another name for the Carthaki Empire, which has conquered all of the independent nations that once were part of the continent south of the Great Inland Sea.

  Stormwing: immortal with a human head and chest and bird legs and wings, with steel feathers and claws. Stormwings have very sharp teeth, but use them only to add to the terror of their presence by tearing apart bodies. They live on human fear and have their own magic; their special province is the desecration of battlefield dead.

  Swan District: residential neighborhood for the newly rich, north and west of Dockmarket, Market Town, and Middle Town.

  Tanair: Lombyn Isle estates that form part of the inheritance of Lady Saraiyu and Lady Dove Balitang, granted to them by their mother, Sarugani Temaida. Estates include Tanair Castle and village and the villages of Inti and Pohon.

  Tongkang: island to the south of Gempang, between Gempang and Malubesang isles.

  Tortall: chief kingdom in which the Alanna, Daine, and Keladry books take place, between the Great Inland Sea and Scanra. Home to Alianne of Pirate's Swoop and her family.

  Tusaine: small country tucked between Tortall and Maren.

  Tyra: merchant republic on the Great Inland Sea between Tortall and Maren. Tyra is mostly swamp, and its people rely on trade and banking for income. Numair Salmalín was born there.

  Vassa River: river that forms a large part of the northeastern border between Scanra and Tortall.

  wild magic: magic that is part of the natural world. Unlike the human Gift, it cannot be drained or done away with; it is always present.

  wildmage: mage who deals in wild magic, the kind of magic that is part of nature. Daine Sarrasri is often called the Wildmage for her ability to communicate with animals, heal them, and shape-shift.

  Wind: Kyprioth's cousin, a god.

  Yamani Islands: island nation to the north and west of Tortall and the west of Scanra, ruled by an ancient line of emperors, whose claim to the throne comes from the goddess Yama.

  Yimosuat: capital of Gempang Island, known for its many temples.

  NOTES AND ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  Aly's story is a pair of books instead of a quartet thanks to J. K. Rowling (I haven't met her!), who taught adults that American kids will read thicker books, which means I don't need four books to tell a complete
story.

  My thanks, I think, also go to my beloved editrix, Mallory Loehr, who suggested both that I write about a spy and that I write a character who is laid-back and easygoing, not driven. One day I will find the proper manner in which to express my appreciation of an exercise that made a Moebius strip of me for the last three years. Sarai's fate is her idea as well. My gratitude also goes to my Australian editrix, Margrete Lamond, for her very provocative pointers on pomp and on the behavior of gods.

  Thanks as ever to the home team, those who gave me help with so many of the problems that cropped up in the Trickster books: my excellent Spouse-Creature, Tim Liebe, who gives me so many plot ideas and twists, and also supplies necessary photographs; my best friend Raquel Starace, fashion consultant on flattering colors for everyone who is not a fair-skinned redhead like me, and the progenetrix (through her discussions of making an inanimate object animate and her analysis of the differences between human and computer animation) of the darkings; my wonderful assistant, Sara Alan, for her proofreading and for her reassurances with regard to my feminist credentials as well as for her tolerance of major author flake-outs; my agent, Craig Tenney, he of the watchful eye and the sound advice; Peter Glassman at Books of Wonder for shoring up my faltering courage; and the excellent Christina Schulman and the National Aviary for crowned pigeons and tropical woods mood enhancement.

  I bow also to the Law & Order franchise, World Wrestling Entertainment, National Geographic's photographs of people around the world, and photographer Joyce Tenneson's Wise Women collection in thanks for their inspiration for a number of characters; to the novels of John Le Carré, particularly Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy and Smiley's People for insights into effective spycraft, as well as to the innumerable books by innumerable experts I have read on the art of guerrilla warfare.

  For musical inspiration I have turned to sources that may appear odd and unrelated, but aren't: Alan Lomax and the singers of his collection Negro Songs and Work Calls, performed by Southern blacks in the 1930s and 1940s; pianist Glenn Gould and his classic recordings of Bach's “Goldberg Variations”; composer Ottorino Respighi and his incredible “Pines of Rome,” of which I have at least three recorded versions with three different orchestras and conductors; and “Two Cries of Freedom: Gypsy Flamenco from the Prisons of Spain,” sung by José Serrano and Antonio “El Agujetas,” Reachout International Records, Inc.