The Fire In His Hands
Chapters (17)
Title page
The Fire In His Hands
Book One of the Dread Empire Series
Glen Cook
Copyright© Glen Cook 1984
Cover by Carl Lundgren
First Printing: January, 1984
This
ePub edition v1.0 by Dead^Man Jan, 2011
Once A Mighty Kingdom Reigned -- Now All Is Chaos And Darkness!
In the vast reaches of the desert, a young heretic escapes certain death and embarks on a mission of madness and glory. He is El Murid -- the Disciple -- who vows to bring order, prosperity and righteousness to the desert people of Hammad al Nakir.
But among the warriors, rebellion seethes as they plot to execute the justice of the desert on their evil leader. For after four long centuries, a sorcerer appears among them -- a savior destined to build a new Empire from the blood of their enemies!
Contents
Contents
Chapter One Making of a Messiah
Chapter Two Seeds of Hatred, Roots of War
Chapter Three A Minor Squabble in Another Land and Time
Chapter Four A Clash of Sabers
Chapter Five A Fortress in Shadow
Chapter Six Into Strange Kingdoms
Chapter Seven Wadi el Kuf
Chapter Eight The Castle Tenacious and Resolute
Chapter Nine Ripening Soldiers
Chapter Ten Salt Lake Encounter
Chapter Eleven Lightning Strikes
Chapter Twelve Nightworks
Chapter Thirteen Angel
Chapter Fourteen Stolen Dreams
Chapter Fifteen King Without a Throne
Chapter One
Chapter One
Making of a Messiah
The caravan crept across a stony wadi and meandered upward into the hills. The camels boredly tramped out their graceless steps, defining the milemarks of their lives. Twelve tired beasts and six weary men made up the small, exhausted caravan.
They were nearing the end of their route. After a rest at El Aquila they would recross the Sahel for more salt.
Nine watchers awaited them.
The camels now carried the sweet dates, emeralds of Jebal al Alf Dhulquarneni, and imperial relics coveted by the traders of Hellin Daimiel. The traders would purchase them with salt recovered from the distant western sea.
An elderly merchant named Sidi al Rhami mastered the caravan. He was captain of a family enterprise. His companions were brothers and cousins and sons. His youngest boy, Micah, just twelve, was making his first transit of the family route.
The watchers didnt care who they were.
Their captain assigned victims. His men stirred uncomfortably in the shimmering heat. The suns full might blasted down upon them. It was the hottest day in the hottest summer in living memory.
The camels plodded into the deathtrap defile.
The bandits leapt from the rocks. They howled like jackals.
Micah fell instantly, his skull cracked. His ears moaned with the force of the blow. He hardly had time to realize what was happening.
Everywhere the caravan had traveled men had remarked that it was a summer of evil. Never had the sun been so blistering, nor the oases so dry.