солнце/земля Контрастные термины, используемые в культуре лиганти для различных целей. Солнечные часы длятся с 6 утра до 6 вечера; земные — с 6 вечера до 6 утра. Солнечные — это правые руки, а земные — левые. Солнечные и земные часы означают «по часовой стрелке» и «против часовой стрелки, — или, когда речь идет о людях, — мужчина, рожденный женщиной» или «женщина, рожденная мужчиной.

Шзорса: Чтец колоды узоров.

Трикат Нумен, связанный с цифрой 3 в нуминатрии. Олицетворяет стабильность, семью, сообщество, завершенность, жесткость и примирение.

Туат: Нумен, связанный с 2 в нуминатрии. Олицетворяет другого, двойственность, общение, связь, оппозицию и край инскриптора.

Тирант Кайус Сифиньо, также называемый Кайус Рекс. Он был полководцем Лиганти, завоевавшим весь Врасцан, но, согласно легенде, его дальнейшее распространение было остановлено тем, что он поддался своим разнообразным желаниям. Считавшийся неубиваемым, Тирант был якобы убит венерической болезнью. Его смерть празднуется в Ночь колоколов.

Униат Нумен, связанный с 1 в нуминатрии. Олицетворяет тело, самосознание, просветление, сдерживание и мел инскриптора.

Бдение Основная сила, обеспечивающая закон и приказ в Надежре, прозванная «соколами» в честь своей эмблемы. Отдельное от армии города-государства, Бдение охраняет порядок в самом городе под руководством верховного главнокомандующего, подчиняющегося Каэрулету. Их штаб-квартира находится в Аэрии.

Врасцан: название региона и свободной конфедерации городов-государств, в которую ранее входила Надежра.

Источник Ажераиса: святое место, вокруг которого был основан город Надежра. Источник существует внутри Сна Ажераиса и проявляется в мире бодрствования только во время Великого Сна. Испив его воды, можно обрести истинное понимание узора.

Зиемец: (псевд. зиемич) Главы врасценских кланов, также называемые «старейшинами кланов. — Каждый из них носит титул, взятый из названия своего клана: Аношкинич, Дворнич, Киралич, Мешарич, Стрецкойч, Варадич и (ранее) Ижраньич.

extras

meet the author

John Scalzi

M. A. CARRICK is the joint pen name of Marie Brennan (author of the Memoirs of Lady Trent) and Alyc Helms (author of the Adventures of Mr. Mystic). The two met in 2000 on an archaeological dig in Wales and Ireland, including a stint in the town of Carrickmacross, and have built their friendship through two decades of anthropology, writing, and gaming. They live in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Find out more about M. A. Carrick and other Orbit authors by registering for the free monthly newsletter at orbitbooks.net.

if you enjoyed

LABYRINTH'S HEART

look out for

THE PHOENIX KING

The Ravence Trilogy: Book One

by

Aparna Verma

In a kingdom where flames hold magic and the desert hides secrets, an ancient prophecy comes for an assassin, a princess, and a king. But none are ready to face destiny — and the choices they make could burn the world.

For Elena Aadya Ravence, fire is yearning. She longs to feel worthy of her Phoenix god, of her ancestors who transformed the barren dunes of Sayon into a thriving kingdom. But though she knows the ways and wiles of the desert better than she knows her own skin, the secrets of the Eternal Fire elude her. And without them, she'll never be accepted as queen.

For Leo Malhari Ravence, fire is control. He is not ready to give up his crown — there's still too much work to be done to ensure his legacy remains untarnished, his family protected. But power comes with a price, and he'll wage war with the heavens themselves to keep from paying it.

For Yassen Knight, fire is redemption. He dreams of shedding his past as one of Sayon's most deadly assassins, of laying to rest the ghosts of those he has lost. If joining the court of flame and serving the royal Ravence family — the very people he once swore to eliminate — will earn him that, he'll do it no matter what they ask of him.

But the Phoenix watches over all, and the fire has a will of its own. It will come for all three, will come for Sayon itself… and they must either find a way to withstand the blaze or burn to ash.

CHAPTER 1 Yassen

The king said to his people, “We are the chosen.”

And the people responded, “Chosen by whom?”

— from chapter 37 of The Great History of Sayon

To be forgiven, one must be burned. That's what the Ravani said. They were fanatics and fire worshippers, but they were his people. And he would finally be returning home.

Yassen held on to the railing of the hoverboat as it skimmed over the waves. He held on with his left arm, his right limp by his side. Around him, the world was dark, but the horizon began to purple with the faint glimmers of dawn. Soon, the sun would rise, and the twin moons of Sayon would lie down to rest. Soon, he would arrive at Rysanti, the Brass City. And soon, he would find his way back to the desert that had forsaken him.

Yassen withdrew a holopod from his jacket and pressed it open with his thumb. A small holo materialized with a message:

Look for the bull.

He closed the holo, the smell of salt and brine filling his lungs.

The bull. It was nothing close to the Phoenix of Ravence, but then again, Samson liked to be subtle. Yassen wondered if he would be at the port to greet him.

A large wave tossed the boat, but Yassen did not lose his balance. Weeks at sea and suns of combat had taught him how to keep his ground. A cool wind licked his sleeve, and he felt a whisper of pain skitter down his right wrist. He grimaced. His skin was already beginning to redden.

After the Arohassin had pulled him half-conscious from the sea, Yassen had thought, in the delirium of pain, that he would be free. If not in this life, then in death. But the Arohassin had yanked him back from the brink. Treated his burns and saved his arm. Said that he was lucky to be alive while whispering among themselves when they thought he could not hear: “Yassen Knight is no longer of use.”

Yassen pulled down his sleeve. It was no matter. He was used to running.

As the hoverboat neared the harbor, the fog along the coastline began to evaporate. Slowly, Yassen saw the tall spires of the Brass City cut through the grey heavens. Skyscrapers of slate and steel from the mines of Sona glimmered in the early dawn as hovertrains weaved through the air, carrying the day laborers. Neon lights flickered within the metal jungle, and a silver bridge snaked through the entire city, connecting the outer rings to the wealthy, affluent center. Yassen squinted as the sun crested the horizon. Suddenly, its light hit the harbor, and the Brass City shone with a blinding intensity.

Yassen quickly clipped on his visor, a fiber sheath that covered his entire face. He closed his eyes for a moment, allowing them to readjust before opening them again. The city stared back at him in subdued colors.

Queen Rydia, one of the first queens of Jantar, had wanted to ward off Enuu, the evil eye, so she had fashioned her port city out of unforgiving metal. If Yassen wasn't careful, the brass could blind him.

The other passengers came up to deck, pulling on half visors that covered their eyes. Yassen tightened his visor and wrapped a scarf around his neck. Most people could not recognize him — none of the passengers even knew of his name — but he could not take any chances. Samson had made it clear that he wanted no one to know of this meeting.