Six Heirs

by Pierre Grimbert

  Fairs also take place in the other large Lorelien cities, Bénélia, Lermian, and Pont. Here the fairs enjoy a relative local success, but they remain insignificant in comparison to the capital’s fairs.

  The Louvelle–River marking the border between the Baronies and the Lower Kingdoms.

  Lower Kingdoms–Case dependently, this term designates either the territories stretching south of the Louvelle or the land collectively formed by these same territories and the Baronies.

  Margolin–A medium-sized rodent. Adults can grow up to two feet long. There are several species: the copper, the screamer, and the glutton, among others.

  Margolins are well-known in the south and central areas of the Upper Kingdoms, and thrive just as well on the plains as in the forests or along riverbanks. Generally considered to be pests because of their rapid proliferation, their occasional aggression, and their unpleasant-tasting flesh, they are sought after only for their skins, which artisans use for all sorts of furs, bags, and leathers.

  Maz–Honorary title used primarily by the cult of Eurydis, but other religions have borrowed the title as well.

  The title can only be transferred—with exactly one exception—from a Maz to one of his or her novices who, as shown by work and devotion, deserves the position. The Grand Temple must approve the transmission, which takes effect either immediately or at the death of the granter, depending on the arrangement. A rule forbids any Maz from passing on his or her title to a family member.

  The one exception involves the spontaneous “elevation” of a novice as a thank you for a service deemed particularly noteworthy. The title is often bestowed posthumously—and therefore cannot be transmitted—as a sign of gratitude for a lifetime of service to the cult. The Emaz reserve the exclusive power to elevate novices in this way.

  The tangible advantages of a Maz are not defined, for they vary greatly according to the particular priest’s “career.” Some have many responsibilities in the cult’s main temples, others are entrusted with the occasional apprenticeship of a few novices, and still others are never called upon.

  The number of living Maz is unknown, except by the archivists of the Grand Temple, who keep a continuous count. Many priests in foreign lands grant themselves the title without actually earning it, which doesn’t help the estimates. But legend has it that the Maz were originally only 338, as many as there are days in the year; similarly, there are as many Emaz as there are dékades.

  Mèche–A small river that is completely contained within the borders of the Kaul Matriarchy, whose capital sits on her banks. A tributary of the Gisland River.

  Milliday–A unit of time of Goranese origin representing one-tenth of a centiday: approximately one minute and twenty-six earthly seconds. Most people consider it useless to measure anything that takes less than a milliday; however, the unit is itself fractioned into “divisions,” representing about eight seconds, and then “beats,” which are less than a second.

  Mishra–The cult of Mishra is at least as old as the Great Sohonne Arch. She was the Goranese people’s chief goddess before the Ithare army finally overcame Goran’s defenses, sometime during the eighth Eon. She reclaimed her role as chief goddess of the Goranese after the Ithares completely abandoned their warrior ways for religion. In the period that followed, the city of Goran progressively became the empire of Goran, then the Grand Empire, and Mishra’s cult developed at the same time.

  Mishra is the Goddess of Just Causes and of Freedom. Anyone outside of Goran can appropriate her. And so it has happened that the people conquered by the Grand Empire have called upon the goddess for help, just as their conquerors did.

  She has no known divine parentage; a few theologians present her as Hamsa’s sister. There are very few Grand Temples dedicated to her—apart from Goran’s impressive Freedom Palace, of course—but there are many followers who individually revere miniature idols of the goddess or her symbol, the bear.

  Moralist–The moralist priests use the writings and narratives from all religions and combine them to find the morals that are most common and important: pity, tolerance, knowledge, honesty, respect, justice, etc.

  They are often teachers and philosophers who humbly limit their task to the education of a small community. The most recognized of moralist cults is that of the goddess Eurydis.

  Niab–A Kauli term. The niab is a deep-sea fish that only comes to the surface at night. Kaulien fishermen use a large dark-colored cloth to lure the fish by stretching it out on the surface of the water between several boats, thereby fabricating artificial darkness. Then all they have to do is dive in and “pick” them like fruit, since the fish enters into a state of drowsiness near the surface.

  From this, the term “niab” is used as an insult for someone who is gullible, or acts without thinking.

  Odrel–Divinity whose cult is widespread in the Upper Kingdoms. According to legend, Odrel is the second son of Echora and Olibar.

  After a lifetime of work, a single Odrel priest managed to assemble more than five hundred stories that centered on the god of Sadness, as he is sometimes called. None of the stories finish well. The most famous story by far is the one that tells of Odrel’s complicated love affair with a shepherdess. It ends with the dramatic death of the woman and their three children, and Odrel’s agonizing realization that he can’t follow them into death, the only thing in the world beyond his reach.

  The priest-historian finishes his work with these words: “No one has experienced such misfortune as Odrel. It’s surely because of this that all the ill-fated, unlucky, and destitute; those who carry the burden of mourning, regrets, and of memories; those who have known injustice, despair, disgrace, misery, all of life’s trials; all have come, do come, and will come one day to seek comfort beside Odrel. He’s the only god capable of understanding them, because he’s the only one who himself inspires pity.”

  Old Country–Another name for the Romine Kingdom.

  Queen moon–A small, smooth seashell, almost perfectly round in shape. Precious because of its rarity, the shell exists as three known types: the white, the most common; the blue, less common; and finally, the multicolored, a rarity. At one time, the last two varieties were used as money in some isolated parts of the Kaul Matriarchy. Elders may still accept a few shells in a transaction.

  In fact, the seashell is still represented on every coin minted by the Treasury of the Matriarchy, and the Treasury adopted its name for its official currency, the queen, which exists in denominations of one, three, ten, thirty, and one hundred. The hundred-queen coins, as large as a hand, are not in general circulation, and are only used as a guarantee in transactions with the Matriarchy and other kingdoms.

  Ramgrith–Native of the Griteh Kingdom. Also the primary language of this kingdom.

  Ramzü–The language of the Züu.

  Terce–The terce is Lorelia’s official currency. There is a difference between the silver terce, which is most commonly used, and the gold terce, which is minted with an image of the king’s head. Gold terces are known to have a level of purity unrivaled by similar coins. The denomination of official currency is the tice; one silver terce is worth twelve tices.

  Theorists–A caste of priests devoted to all of the gods in general or, less frequently, to a few, or even just one. The theorists work to reveal the will of the gods through divine omens. Although the Grand Temples view them rather dimly, the royal courts and lords prize them, and they often act as astrologists and advisors.

  The Wise One–Name sometimes given to the goddess Eurydis.

  Three-Steps Guild–Name given to the circle of prostitutes in Lorelia. The name originates from the fact that this “business” used to be confined to the part of town known as the lower city. These merchants of charm were so numerous that the pimps, tired of arguments that frequently devolved into fights, finally gave each one of them a portion of the street measuring exactly three steps.

  Some pimps have held on to this tradition, even though the majority o
f prostitutes now gather in the harbor neighborhood, which is much larger.

  Upper Kingdoms–Term used to designate the group of kingdoms comprised of Lorelia, the Grand Empire of Goran, and the Ithare Kingdom, and sometimes Romine. In the Lower Kingdoms, however, the term is used to indicate all of the countries north of the Median Sea, meaning the kingdoms listed above, with the addition of the Kaul Matriarchy and Arkary.

  The Vélanèse River–A Lorelien river. The town of Pont was built at its headwaters.

  White Country–Another name for the Arkary Kingdom.

  Zuïa/Züu/Zü–Called the Goddess of Justice by her followers, Zuïa is the goddess of the Züu assassins. A single follower of Zuïa is called a Zü, with the plural form being Züu.

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  To Christophe “Jet” Vasseur, for drawing the map of an imaginary world and naming many characters.

  To Laurent Vitou, for his editing work, which was as effective as it was selfless.

  To Claire, the first reader of all my books, and a wise critic.

  To Stéphane and the warriors of the Mnémos clan, for their patience, professionalism, and encouragement.

  And finally to all the readers, parents, friends, and strangers who agreed to believe. This world is yours!

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  A native of France and a lifelong fantasy enthusiast who numbers Jack Vance, Fritz Leiber, and Michael Moorcock among his heroes, Pierre Grimbert has been awarded the Prix Ozone for best French-language fantasy novel and the Prix Julia Verlanger for best science fiction novel in any language. He is the author of thirteen widely admired novels of the Ji mythos, including the series The Secret of Ji, The Children of Ji, and The Guardians of Ji. He lives in northern France with his wife and two sons.

  ABOUT THE TRANSLATORS

  This is Matt and Eric’s first collaborative translation. They were both working as English teaching assistants in France when the project was born. As friends who share a passion for the French language and its literature, they are very excited to introduce Pierre Grimbert’s gripping Ji series to the English-speaking world.

  Matt has been losing himself in fantasy books for many years, but only discovered the wonders of the French language while studying at CU Boulder. These combined interests sparked his interest in the Ji series, which a friend in France described as the “best French fantasy.” He is pursuing a doctorate in ecology at Duke University in North Carolina.

  Eric received his bachelor’s degree in French from CU Boulder in 2010 and a certificate in applied literary translation from the University of Illinois in 2011. His first book-length translation, My Beautiful Bus by Jacques Jouet, was published in January 2013 by the Dalkey Archive Press. Eric teaches French at Aspen High School in Colorado.