Medicine for the Dead

by Arianne Thompson

  ei’Krah – the native language of the a’Krah people. Body parts are often referred to as subordinate entities with their own opinions (e.g. ‘Is your stomach unhappy with his dinner?’) These days, most swearing is done in Marín.

  Eiya’Krah, the – the ancestral lands of the a’Krah people, whose eastern border is the All-Year River. Mostly mountainous, high desert terrain.

  Eldest – the most reverend elders of the a’Krah.

  Elim – full name Appaloosa Elim: a marbled mule who belongs to the Calvert family. He is remarkable for his size, his knack with horses, and the palm-sized brown patch over his left eye. He speaks Ardish with a Brave accent.

  Emboucheaux – ‘mouth-of-the-river people’; a nation of freshwater mereaux.

  Entrechat – in ballet, a short, leg-crossing lunge up from the bottom. One of the Many in Prince Jeté’s cohort; a scout with a thoughtful disposition.

  Etascado River – the river in which Island Town sits; currently the border between Eaden and native territory. Its water is drinkable, but tastes unpleasantly of salt.

  Etascado Territory – the former name for a large area of land west of the Etascado River, first taken by Eadan settlers and now surrendered back to native control. Much of it is now a nearly-uninhabited wasteland.

  Étoile-a-Sept – in ballet, a seven-pointed star made from the spread legs of seven dancers. Formerly Mother of the house that bore her name; now deceased. Losange is her daughter.

  Faro – the dandily-dressed clerk at La Saciadería, and sometimes called its maître d’hôtel. Gave Sil more than he bargained for.

  Feeds-the-Fire – one of Twoblood’s four deputies; an Ohoti Woru, with more earnestness than sense.

  Few, the – fertile ‘royal’ mereaux. Males, or princes, are selected for metamorphosis from among the Many, and usually married off to other houses. Princesses are born female, and remain with their own house. Compared to the Many, the Few are much larger, more water-bound, and reliant on sign language to communicate. See ‘voice’.

  First Man of Island Town – the title of Island Town’s governor. Currently held by Sut Hara, often called ‘the Azahi’.

  Flamant-Rose – in ballet, extending one leg vertically from the water. One of the Many in Prince Jeté’s cohort; a small, gifted geologist with a shy demeanor.

  Fours – an unhappy man, currently running a livery and secondhand-goods store in Island Town. One of the Azahi’s two remaining ambassadors, and Día’s foster-father.

  Fraichais – first language of the Emboucheaux; the spoken alternative to freshwater sign language.

  Fuseau – in ballet, a spindle-like twirling motion. One of the Many in Prince Jeté’s cohort; a serious, responsible mereau who serves as the prince’s voice.

  Gracious Maiden – Yapita, holy mother of the Pohapi.

  Hakai – one of the two ihi’ghiva who serves Huitsak, temporarily on loan to Vuchak and Weisei. He speaks Ardish, Marín, and ei’Krah.

  Hap’piki Dos Puertas – a cheerful young man of the Ikwei; one of the daylight citizens of Island Town. He does not translate his given name.

  Hell’s Acre – a small town in Washburn County, on the Bravery. Elim’s hometown.

  Henry Bon – a bounty hunter from the eastern bayous. Speaks with a Fondois accent.

  Hops-the-Stone – a matron of the Ikwei; one of the daylight citizens of Island Town. A renowned seamstress.

  Huitsak – the master of the Island Town a’Krah, formally titled ‘maga-kin’, and sometimes called the ‘king’ of La Saciadería. In size, strength, and intellect, he is overwhelming.

  Ikwei – a native people renowned for their hardiness. They are children of Kweyaa, the Lady of the House, and are gifted with exceptional stamina and endurance.

  Il On Échappe – written by Emboucheaux cartographers to mark unknown places; the inland equivalent of ‘Here There Be Dragons’.

  Irsah – the famously fleet-footed children of Aiyasah, the Deer Woman.

  Island Town – the modern name for Sixes.

  Jack Timson – a bar owner in Hell’s Acre, somewhat controversial for affording non-alcoholic service to children and slaves.

  Jeté – in ballet, a leap, usually from land to water. A newly-matured prince of the House of Losange, anxious to find a courting gift for Mother Opéra.

  Joconde – a prince from the House of Melisant who died under mysterious circumstances soon after his marriage to Opéra.

  La Saciadería – the great hotel at the northern end of Island Town. Sells enjoyments of every kind.

  ‘Lady’ Jane Calvert – Boss Calvert’s wife, an older woman of considerable education.

  Lady of the House – Kweyaa, holy mother of the Ikwei.

  Lavat – an a’Krah and a night citizen of Island Town; he runs the Moon Quarter’s lime kiln.

  Leslie Fields – a Hell’s Acre resident and veteran soldier haunted by his memories. Usually found drinking heavily at Jack Timson’s bar.

  Losange – in ballet, a diamond shape formed by two or more dancers. Daughter of Étoile-a-Sept, and now Mother of the house that bears her name.

  Loving – the proper term of address for a grave bride, e.g. ‘Loving Día’.

  Lovoka – a native tribe, one of the Great Nations. Sometimes called the People of the Wolf. They originally ranged far across the Bravery, and have been feared and hated by its white settlers.

  Maia – children of Ten-Maia, the Corn Woman.

  Many, the – collective term for ordinary or asexual mereaux. The Many account for over 90% of all mereaux, and with some painful alterations, they can pass for human. See also ‘Few’.

  Marhuk – also called Grandfather Crow, holy father of the a’Krah. Weisei is one of his sons; Dulei is a grandson.

  Marín – a trade language, and the international standard for business. Native to the saltwater mereaux known as the Castamarín.

  Marsanne – one of the Few, and Mother of the house that bears her name. Shea is one of her biological children, though she now officially belongs to the House of Opéra.

  Melisant – one of the Few, and Mother to the house that bears her name. Fours is one of her biological children, though he officially belongs to the House of Opéra.

  Merin-Ka – the great canyon city of the Ohoti Lala. Its fall is spoken of with horror on both sides of the border.

  Merrily ‘Merry’ Calvert – the elder of the Calvert family’s two daughters. She has since married and moved to Calder City.

  Molly Boone – Elim’s horse, a bay mare of considerable size.

  Mother of Mountains, the – a sacred mountain situated near the eastern border of the Eiya’Krah. Atali’Kah, the ancestral capital of the a’Krah people, sits near its peak.

  Nillen ‘Nillie’ Halfwick – Sil’s sister, and Will’s twin. She has an exceptional talent for ice-making.

  Northman – the common name for a ‘pedigreed’ white person from the far east. Some retain a talent for freezing or chilling items, but generations of breeding for talent have left them diminished in size and health.

  O-San – the Silver Bear, holy mother of the Washchaw. Piety pleases her, as do defenders of the weak.

  Oda-Dini – a Washchaw farmer who lives several miles west of Island Town.

  Ohoti Lala – children of Grandfather Coyote, and one of the three builder nations. A great many of them were killed in the siege of Merin-Ka.

  Ohoti Woru – children of Grandfather Coyote, and one of the three builder nations. Outsiders sometimes have difficulty distinguishing them by sex.

  Ohoti Yoma – children of Grandfather Coyote, and one of the three builder nations. Their fortified mesa city, Cloud Town, is the only one to have successfully resisted an Eadan siege.

  Opéra – one of the Few, and Mother of the house that bears her name. The Etascado River, and by extension Island Town, is part of her domain.

  Ondine – in ballet, a small, undulating wave made by multiple dancers. A young princess of the House of L
osange, enjoying her first trip away from her mother’s manse in the company of her older siblings.

  Osho-Dacha – an Ara-Naure boy, young enough to still be called by his baby-name.

  Penitence – the majority religion of the Eaden Federacy. It has many denominations, but all are based on belief in one true God. Its adherents are called Penitents.

  Penny Caracola – an Ikwei man, and one of the few Penitent citizens of Island Town.

  Pipat – an older widow of the a’Krah and a night citizen of Island Town; formerly Vuchak’s girlfriend.

  Pirouet – in ballet, an about-face turning motion. One of the Many in Prince Jeté’s cohort; an engineer too homesick to eat.

  Plié – in ballet, a deep squat that usually precedes a lunge from the bottom. One of the Many in Prince Jeté’s cohort; a digger with a wild, playful disposition.

  Pohapi – a dispersed native tribe. They were the children of the Gracious Maiden, renowned for their powers of divination.

  Porté – in ballet, a maneuver in which one dancer hoists another out of the water. One of the Many in Prince Jeté’s cohort; a stevedore with a kind, cheerful disposition.

  Second Man of Island Town – the title of Island Town’s second-in-command; a sheriff of sorts. Currently held by Twoblood.

  Set-Seti – a native tribe, renowned for their gift of mind-reading. Children of the Twilight Twins, Dawn and Dusk.

  Shea – a ‘human liaison’ in service to the House of Opéra. She worked as a maid and hostess at La Saciadería in Island Town, but her efforts to rescue/steal Elim ended with her being shot by Opéra herself on suspicion of treason. Her vision is terrible, and the bullet in her lung isn’t doing her any favors either.

  Sibyl – in the Penitent faith, the Sibyl is the originator of evil, and mother of demons. Her seduction of the First Man introduced suffering to the world.

  Silflec ‘Sil’ Halfwick – a sickly young Northman burning with ambition. Learned the hard way not to trust the apparent kindness of strangers.

  Sixes – the former (Eadan) name for Island Town.

  Starving God – a pejorative term for the god of the Penitent faith.

  Sundowner – an Eadan term for a native person of any nation.

  To’taka Marhuk – one of the a’Krah Eldest. He is responsible for pairing the children of Marhuk with their life-guardians, and overseeing their education. See ‘marka’ and ‘atodak’.

  Topple-Rock – a Set-Seti ferryman who works on the Etascado River. His gift for mind-reading comes in handy when deciding how much to charge.

  Tournant – in ballet, a spinning maneuver. One of the Many in Prince Jeté’s cohort; an exceptionally big dredger with a bullying attitude.

  Twoblood – the curiously-titled Second Man of Island Town. Remarkable for her fangs, freckles, and unshakable dedication to her job. In Eadan parlance, she would be called a ‘speckled’ mule.

  U’ru – the Dog Lady, holy mother of the Ara-Naure. She hasn’t been seen in over twenty years, and is widely considered dead or vanished. Shea is certain that spilling the blood of one of her children will call

  U’ru back to the world – see ‘Yashu-Diiwa’.

  Verses, the – holy poems of the Penitent faith, originally passed down through recitation.

  Vuchak – Weisei’s atodak, as loyal as he is frustrated. The unofficial leader of Dulei’s funeral party, desperate to maintain order and control. See ‘atodak’ and ‘a’Pue’.

  Walla-Dee – a Washchaw man who runs the Island Town forge.

  Washchaw – children of O-San, the Silver Bear. They are recognizable by their considerable height and build.

  Way-Waiting – an Ohoti Woru, and a businessman of some renown.

  Weisei – a cheerful, kind-hearted son of Marhuk; Dulei’s uncle, and the nominal leader of his nephew’s funeral party. His gifts have been diminished by his refusal to live as an adult.

  Wi-Chuck – one of Twoblood’s four deputies, a Washchaw of the Ant-Watching Clan. She is as judicious in authority as she is intimidating in size, and strictly observes the orthodoxies of her clan.

  Willen ‘Will’ Halfwick – Sil’s brother, and Nillie’s twin. He runs Halfwick Wholesale, and is much esteemed among Hell’s Acre’s residents.

  Winshin Marhuk – Dulei’s mother and Weisei’s sister, regarded among the a’Krah as a fearsome force of nature.

  Yaga Chini – a great natural cistern at the foot of a white mesa. It has been a popular oasis for centuries.

  Yashu-Diiwa – U’ru’s last-born child, long missing and presumed dead. Shea stole and then lost him in his infancy, and is now convinced that he has grown up to be the two-colored Eadan man, Elim.

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  THE FIRST BOOK, of course, is the miracle baby. It’s the long shot, the castle in the swamp standing tall after all its predecessors have burned, sunk, or burned and then sunk. It is subjected to years of the most critical scrutiny, repeatedly revised and rebuilt like a field-stripped shotgun, and only allowed into the world once its every part has been polished to a passionate, exacting luster.

  The second book is where the rubber meets the road. No time to seduce the Muse, now – no more creative hiatuses or months-long bouts of artisanal angst. Now there are deadlines, professional obligations to meet, and reader expectations to exceed. The difference between the first book and the second is the difference between a writer who wrote this one thing this one time, and an author who can plan, write, and produce on demand.

  To say that I had trouble making the transition would be a laughable understatement, if only I hadn’t spent so much time crying. So these are not so much ‘acknowledgments’ as ‘thanks-and-sorry-about-thats’, dedicated to the people who have heroically weathered all my hand-wringing, stress, insecurity, and atrocious neglect, and conspired to make this first year of publication the best year of my life. They include:

  Those who have donated their time (and patience, and unflagging enthusiasm):

  Mike Yates

  Sarah Carless

  Denise Dupont

  Dr. Kristen Coster

  ‘Rogue’ Dan Koboldt

  The DFW Writers Workshop

  and of course

  Carter, Shirley, and Allison Thompson

  Those who have contributed their particular talents:

  Jason Wells-Jensen

  constructed language architect

  Rosemary Freeman

  relentlessly cheerful equestrian

  C.M. Kosemen

  speculative biologist (fishman legitimizer)

  ‘Evil’ Dan Bensen

  bio-socio-linguistic madman and all-purpose idea-friend

  Sandy Thompson

  lifesaving page-proofer

  Kim Moravec

  mathematician, anachronism detector, molecular skeptic

  Taylor Koleber

  dauntless theologian (level 19)

  Michelle O’Neal

  forensic cadaverist

  David Goodner, Allen Crowley & Sally Hamilton

  map geniuses at large

  Gillis Björk

  world’s most patient cartographer

  Tomasz Jedruszek

  world’s most accommodating cover artist

  Jennie Goloboy

  agent, angel, professional bodhisattva

  Jonathan Oliver

  benevolent editorial overlord and patron saint of beer