Stan Nicholls: The Diamond Isle

Book Three of The Dreamtime

The story so far…

The known world’s magical system was created long ago by extinct race the Founders, though the quality of their sorcery was infinitely more powerful.

Magic serves as technology, an instrument of repression and even legal tender. It defines social status. Its many manifestations, commonly referred to as glamours, include fake lifeforms.

Opposing empires Gath Tampoor and Rintarah are the dominant civilisations, each jealously nurturing their far-flung protectorates. Bhealfa, an island state, has been a colony of both empires at various times, and is currently under Gath Tampoor. Its ruler in name only, Prince Melyobar, believes death to be an animate being, and his sworn enemy. The Prince has created a magic-fuelled floating palace that is literally never still in its attempt to elude the Reaper. It falls to Gath Tampoorian Imperial Envoy Andar Talgorian to struggle with Melyobar’s delusions and ensure that the colonialists’ wishes are imposed.

But the empires are not unopposed. A resistance movement has grown in response to their brutality and injustice. This insurgency is countered principally by the secretive paladin clans, an immensely powerful militaristic network bound by blood membership. Noted for their cynicism, the clans see no contradiction in contracting their services to both Gath Tampoor and Rintarah. The clans’ High Chief, Ivak Bastorran, is adept at viciousness. Though his efforts pale beside the cruelty of Devlor Bastorran, his nephew and rival for the leadership.

Reeth Caldason is a thorn in their side. He is a member of the shrinking Qalochian diaspora, his people having suffered bigotry and pogroms. One of the few to survive the massacre of his tribe, Caldason seeks revenge. For decades he has also searched for a cure to a mysterious ailment that pitches him into berserk rages and subjects him to vivid, bizarre visions.

Caldason befriends orphan Kutch Pirathon, a young sorcerer’s apprentice shocked by Reeth’s antipathy towards the magic his culture sees as perfectly normal. The pair encounter radical politician Dulian Karr, who proves to be one of the leading lights in the Resistance. Karr suggests that Covenant, an outlaw order of unlicensed magicians, might have the knowledge to lift the ills plaguing Caldason. His offer to put him in touch with Covenant leads to Reeth and Kutch ultimately joining with the insurgents.

Serrah Ardacris, employed by the notorious Council for Internal Security, captains what is essentially a government death squad targeting bandit gangs in Gath Tampoor’s capital. When the reckless son of an important official dies on her watch, Serrah is blamed and pressured to confess. And her superiors are not above using the pain of the loss of Serrah’s daughter, Eithne, to get what they want. Eithne died at just fifteen from an overdose of ramp, a powerful, illegal narcotic. On the point of breaking, Serrah is rescued by a Resistance cell, and manages to escape to Bhealfa.

For all their might, the empires do not rule quite everywhere. The barbarous northern wastes are largely untouched by them. A dominion of savagery and tribal leaders, the wastes have recently thrown up a particularly powerful warlord. Zerreiss, known to his followers as the Man Who Fell From the Sun, possesses a strange power that aids his conquest of increasing tracts of land.

Qalochian Tanalvah Lahn, a state-certified prostitute, has worked in the brothels of Rintarah all her life. But when defending herself against a client who murdered her best friend, Tanalvah unwittingly kills the man. Fearing retribution, she gathers her friend’s two young children and flees to Bhealfa. Once there, they are aided by pacifist Kinsel Rukanis, a celebrated classical singer who supports the Resistance. They in turn meet Serrah, who defends them against government agents, killing several in the process. Kinsel introduces Tanalvah and Serrah to the Resistance.

Reeth Caldason, Kutch Pirathon and Dulian Karr make contact with Phoenix, the head of Covenant, who uses a fragment of Founder knowledge to change his appearance at will. They also meet Quinn Disgleirio, of the Fellowship of the Righteous Blade, a long-moribund martial order that has been revived to fight for Bhealfa’s independence.

The Resistance, Covenant and the Blade Fellowship form the United Revolutionary Council. Karr reveals that the Council’s aim is the establishment of a free state.

Caldason is found to be partially immortal, and his ageing process has been greatly slowed down. He has no idea why he should be in this condition. Covenant believes that the Founders left a hoard of knowledge called the Source. No one knows what form the Source takes, but it’s traditionally associated with the legend of the Clepsydra, said to be a device for marking off the eons to the Day of Destruction.

The Source could provide the Resistance with a powerful weapon against the empires, and Caldason with a cure. He determines to find it, but is constantly frustrated by events.

Kutch also has a strange, unsuspected attribute. He possesses the incredibly rare spotter talent. Spotters can look beyond the falsity of magic and distinguish illusion from reality. Phoenix offers to coach the boy in the proper use of the skill. But Kutch soon finds himself sharing Caldason’s terrifying visions.

Kinsel and Tanalvah become lovers, and set up house with the children. But Tanalvah worries that Kinsel runs too many risks through his Resistance work. A concern that proves all too real when Devlor Bastorran identifies them as Resistance fellow travellers.

Prince Melyobar plots to massacre the entire population of Bhealfa. His plan is to isolate death, and deprive the entity of the masses to hide in.

Battling her unresolved feelings about the death of her daughter, and taken aback by a temple prophecy, Serrah attempts suicide.

Resistance activity brings down ever greater repression. The paladins are given their head and exploit the leeway with brutal excess.

The location of the planned rebel state is chosen, and at first seems bizarre to many. Batariss, universally known as the Diamond Isle, is a run-down pleasure island. Its owner is one-time pirate Zahgadiah Darrok, who travels on a magically impelled flying dish, having lost his legs to a piratical rival. Darrok agrees to sell the island for a large quantity of government gold, which the Resistance has to steal.

Tanalvah persuades Kinsel to stage a free concert for the poor. But during the event Devlor Bastorran, accompanied by newly recruited aide Lahon Meakin, arrests the singer. Accused of treason, Kinsel will face trial.

As part of his personal campaign against Caldason, Devlor employs assassin Aphri Kordenza to kill him. The female symbiote, also known as a meld, carries her own male twin, a glamour called Aphrim, inside herself. But Aphrim is capable of emerging and having an independent existence.

The waters around the Diamond Isle are infested with pirates, including the infamous Kingdom Vance, the man who deprived Darrok of his legs. It falls to the Resistance to combat this new menace.

As Kinsel goes on trial, Tanalvah discovers she’s pregnant. And Serrah is horrified to learn that Commissioner Laffon, head of the Council for Internal Security, and the man who tortured her, has come to Bhealfa to attend the hearing. The trial is a propaganda circus, and Kinsel is inevitably found guilty. He’s consigned to the galleys, as a slave rower. In effect, it’s a sentence of death.

As the warlord Zerreiss increases his sphere of influence, both empires begin to pay serious attention to him. A concern they share is that he could unite with the Resistance against them, bringing into play his still mysterious power.