Guy Gavriel Kay - The Last Light of the Sun

GUY GAVRIEL KAY

The Last Light of the Sun

Copyright © Guy Gavriel Kay 2004

Guy Gavriel Kay asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins.

Source ISBN: 9780007342075

Ebook Edition © 2010 ISBN: 9780007352098

Version: 2016-10-14

for George Jonas

I have a tale for you: a stag bells;

winter pours summer has gone.

The wind is high, cold; the sun is low;

its course is short the sea is strong running.

The bracken is very red; its shape has been hidden.

The cry of the barnacle goose has become usual.

Cold has taken the wings of birds.

Season of ice; this is my tale.

—FROM THE LIBER HYMNORUM MANUSCRIPT

Contents

Cover

Title Page GUY GAVRIEL KAY The Last Light of the Sun

Copyright Copyright Copyright © Guy Gavriel Kay 2004 Guy Gavriel Kay asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins. Source ISBN: 9780007342075 Ebook Edition © 2010 ISBN: 9780007352098 Version: 2016-10-14

Dedication for George Jonas

Epigraph I have a tale for you: a stag bells; winter pours summer has gone. The wind is high, cold; the sun is low; its course is short the sea is strong running. The bracken is very red; its shape has been hidden. The cry of the barnacle goose has become usual. Cold has taken the wings of birds. Season of ice; this is my tale. —FROM THE LIBER HYMNORUM MANUSCRIPT

Characters: A Partial Listing Characters (A Partial Listing) The Anglcyn Aeldred, son of Gademar, King of the Anglcyn Elswith, his queen Osbert, son of Cuthwulf, Aeldred’s chamberlain Burgred, Earl of Denferth The Erlings Thorkell Einarson, “Red Thorkell,” exiled from Rabady Isle Frigga, his wife, daughter of Skadi Bern Thorkellson, his son Siv, Athira, his daughters Iord, seer of Rabady, at the women’s compound Anrid, a woman serving at the compound Halldr Thinshank, once governor of Rabady Isle, deceased Sturla Ulfarson “Sturla One-hand,” governor of Rabady Isle Thira, a prostitute in Jormsvik Kjarten Vidurson, ruling in Hlegest Siggur Volganson, “the Volgan,” deceased Ingemar Svidrirson, of Erlond, paying tribute to King Aeldred Hakon Ingemarson, his son The Cyngael Ceinion of Llywerth, high cleric of the Cyngael, “Cingalus” Dai ab Owyn, heir to Prince Owyn of Cadyr Alun ab Owyn, his brother Gryffeth ap Ludh, their cousin Brynn ap Hywll, of Brynnfell in Arberth (and other residences), “Erling’s Bane” Enid, his wife Rhiannon mer Brynn, his daughter Helda, Rania, Eirin, Rhiannon’s women Siawn, leader of Brynn’s fighting band Other Firaz ibn Bakir, merchant of Fezana, in the Khalifate of Al-Rassan

Part One Part One

Chapter I

Chapter II

Chapter III

Chapter IV

Chapter V

Part Two

Chapter VI

Chapter VII

Chapter VIII

Chapter IX

Chapter X

Chapter XI

Part Three

Chapter XII

Chapter XIII

Chapter XIV

Chapter XV

Chapter XVI

Chapter XVII

Acknowledgments

About the Author

Also by Guy Gavriel Kay

About the Publisher

Characters

(A Partial Listing)

The Anglcyn

Aeldred, son of Gademar, King of the Anglcyn

Elswith, his queen

Osbert, son of Cuthwulf, Aeldred’s chamberlain Burgred, Earl of Denferth

The Erlings

Thorkell Einarson, “Red Thorkell,” exiled from Rabady Isle

Frigga, his wife, daughter of Skadi

Bern Thorkellson, his son

Siv, Athira, his daughters

Iord, seer of Rabady, at the women’s compound

Anrid, a woman serving at the compound

Halldr Thinshank, once governor of Rabady Isle, deceased Sturla Ulfarson “Sturla One-hand,” governor of Rabady Isle

Thira, a prostitute in Jormsvik

Kjarten Vidurson, ruling in Hlegest

Siggur Volganson, “the Volgan,” deceased

Ingemar Svidrirson, of Erlond, paying tribute to King Aeldred

Hakon Ingemarson, his son

The Cyngael

Ceinion of Llywerth, high cleric of the Cyngael, “Cingalus”

Dai ab Owyn, heir to Prince Owyn of Cadyr

Alun ab Owyn, his brother

Gryffeth ap Ludh, their cousin

Brynn ap Hywll, of Brynnfell in Arberth (and other residences), “Erling’s Bane”

Enid, his wife

Rhiannon mer Brynn, his daughter

Helda, Rania, Eirin, Rhiannon’s women

Siawn, leader of Brynn’s fighting band

Other

Firaz ibn Bakir, merchant of Fezana, in the Khalifate of Al-Rassan

Part One

Chapter I

A horse, he came to understand, was missing.

Until it was found nothing could proceed. The island marketplace was crowded on this grey morning in spring. Large, armed, bearded men were very much present, but they were not here for trade. Not today. The market would not open, no matter how appealing the goods on a ship from the south might be.

He had arrived, clearly, at the wrong time.

Firaz ibn Bakir, merchant of Fezana, deliberately embodying in his brightly coloured silks (not nearly warm enough in the cutting wind) the glorious Khalifate of Al-Rassan, could not help but see this delay as yet another trial imposed upon him for transgressions in a less than virtuous life.

It was hard for a merchant to live virtuously. Partners demanded profit, and profit was difficult to come by if one piously ignored the needs—and opportunities—of the world of the flesh. The asceticism of a desert zealot was not, ibn Bakir had long since decided, for him.

At the same time, it would be entirely unfair to suggest that he lived a life of idleness and comfort. He had just endured (with such composure as Ashar and the holy stars had granted him) three storms on the very long sea journey north and then east, afflicted, as always at sea, by a stomach that heaved like the waves, and with the roundship handled precariously by a continuously drunken captain. Drinking was a profanation of the laws of Ashar, of course, but in this matter ibn Bakir was not, lamentably, in a position to take a vigorous moral stand.