John F. Carr - Great Kings War

Great Kings' War

Table of Contents

PROLOGUE

WINTER

ONE

TWO

THREE

FOUR

FIVE

SIX

SEVEN

EIGHT

NINE

TEN

ELEVEN

TWELVE

THIRTEEN

FOURTEEN

FIFTEEN

SIXTEEN

SEVENTEEN

EIGHTEEN

NINETEEN

TWENTY

TWENTY-ONE

TWENTY-TWO

TWENTY-THREE

TWENTY-FOUR

TWENTY-FIVE

TWENTY-SIX

TWENTY-SEVEN

TWENTY-EIGHT

TWENTY-NINE

THIRTY

THIRTY-ONE

GREAT KINGS' WAR

Roland Green and John F. Carr

This is a work of fiction. All the characters and events portrayed in this book are fictional, and any

resemblance to real people or incidents is purely coincidental.

Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html

Baen Publishing Enterprises

P.O. Box 1403

Riverdale, NY 10471

www.baen.com

ISBN No.: 0-937912-03-4

Cover art by Alan Gutierrez

Revised Edition

Ace Books / March 1985

Baen Free Library / September 2004

For information address: Pequod Press

P.O. Box 3474, Northridge, CA 91328

PequodPressPub@aol.com

To contact the authors or for more information on Kalvan and H. Beam Piper works see:

www.Hostigos.com

or e-mailotherwhen@aol.com

Electronic version by WebWrights

http://www.webwrights.com

To the memory of H. Beam Piper,

and his Paratime/Aryan-Transpacific hideaway.

"FIRE!"

The first Hostigi volley tore into the Ktemnoi front rank as if they were a battery of artillery guns firing

case shot. A great cheer rose up from the Hostigi ranks. The second volley and third were almost as

devastating; the fourth less so. Still the Ktemnoi squares held. Now the musketeers were supposed to

sling their weapons and fall back; instead many picked up the pikes of the wounded or dead, while

others drew their swords and held their places.

"Pikes advance. CHARGE!"

As Xykos began to run toward the Sacred Square straight ahead, he was amazed at how quickly the

Ktemnoi rear ranks moved forward to replace their fallen comrades. It was an admirable display of

courage. He would make a toast to Galzar after he buried their bones. The remaining Ktemnoi

musketeers fired a last ragged volley at almost point-blank range, then fell back, leaving the billmen to

take the Hostigi charge.

There was a cry from ten thousand throats—

Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html

"KILL THE DEMON SPAWN!"

The billmen began their charge.

The Hostigi reply came—

"DOWN STYPHON!"

The two armies collided with such a shock that the first two Hostigi ranks disappeared before Xykos'

eyes. He was eight ranks deep into what had once been the Ktemnoi line before he came to a stop with

his thirty-six inch pike head buried halfway to the end of its iron head into a billman's hip. He dropped the

pike and drew the two-handed sword Boarsbane from its scabbard across his back. He had the sword

blade out in time to parry a blow from a billhead. His next stroke sent the edge through the billman's

shoulder, splitting him down to his tripes.

"My friend Beam Piper would have liked this book."

—Jerry Pournelle

"GREAT KINGS' WAR is a lot of fun, a fine adventure story in the tradition of the original H. Beam

Piper works."

—Poul Anderson

"Kalvan of Otherwhen goes resoundingly to battle once more in skilled hands."

—Gordon R. Dickson

"We both enjoyed the book very much. When is the sequel coming out?"

—Robert Adams and Andre Norton

PROLOGUE

After her visit with her Graduate Advisor, Danar Sirna was still in a state of shock as she rode the

gravlift down to the 40thFloor of Dhergabar University Tower where the large assembly halls were

situated. Her Advisor had dropped a bombshell, as he put it; he was a well-known expert on Fourth

Level, Europo-American—specializing, she thought wryly, in clichés.

Still, Sirna had just received the dream posting of the decade; she'd been assigned to the Kalvan Study

Team as the only undergraduate!

Lord Kalvan, the former Pennsylvania State trooper Calvin Morrison, had been picked up on a

transtemporal conveyor accidentally and been dropped off on Aryan Transpacific, Styphon's House

Subsector where he'd created enough of a stir to spin off an entirely new time-line, identified almost

immediately by the Paratime Police. Suddenly, for the first time in history, the University had an

opportunity to study and observe a new time-line from the exact moment of divarication.

And Sirna was going to be there.

Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html

She was an undergraduate specializing on Fourth Level Studies, with an emphasis on

Alexandria-Macedonia, Ptolemaic Subsector History, which was about as far away from life on First

Level as she could find. After a disastrous marriage, she was literally retreating from reality, as her

Mentalist had put it, when she'd informed him that she intended to return to the University of Dhergabar

and work on her Scholar Degree.

Sirna's scholastic scores were high, but not exemplary, so it had come as a shock to her, and her

advisor, to learn that she had gotten this dream assignment to the Kalvan Study Team. It could easily

translate into a career in Outtime Studies or a chair in Aryan Transpacific. Still, there were thousands of

more deserving graduate students at the University and she couldn't come up with any reason that she, of

all people, had been selected.

After the pseudo-grav cushioned the drop, Sirna got out of the lift and stepped on the nearest slideway

toward the Main Assembly Hall—the University's largest lecture hall. Danthor Dras, the Dean of

Aryan-Transpacific and one of the most respected, and feared, scholars at the University, was going to

speak on the history of Styphon's House Subsector. Dras focused interest on any topic he covered, but

this time media interest in the displaced former Pennsylvania State Trooper was attracting serious news

and broadcast attention all on its own.

The lecture hall was almost filled and Sirna was forced to sit at the back, near the main entranceway.

She had just settled into her form-fitting seat, when Danthor Dras strode up to the lectern, newsies trailing

behind like jackals after a big cat. Dras' hair flowed back from his leonine countenance like silver wings,

giving him the look of a successful Fourth Level politician or preacher. As he cleared his throat, the noisy

Dhergabar University lecture room fell silent.

"I've been invited here to address the Kalvan Study Teams and interested observers," Danthor Dras

smiled to acknowledge the crowd, which spilled out into the hallways of the large lecture room, as well as

the millions of viewers watching his three-dimensional image on all the major networks.

"As most of you know, I've spent more than fifty years researching Fourth Level, Aryan-Transpacific, as

part of my research on theocracies and their effects on political and economic structures. And, let me say

this," Danthor Dras grinned widely, "this outfit is the nastiest bunch of religious frauds and out-and-out

crooks it's been my pleasure to study."

The switch from dry lecture to informality had the desired effect and the crowd responded

enthusiastically.

The wall sized visiscreen behind Scholar Danthor came to life showing a Styphon's House temple-farm

slave pen filled with skin-and-bone wretches eating slop out of animal troughs before switching to a scene

where white robed priests were wielding whips on slaves, wearing nothing but tattered shirts and

trousers, hauling rocks in what appeared to be near-freezing weather. Next the display featured a room

full of yellow and black robed high priests eating at a table laden with food and delicacies, while being

entertained by musicians and scantily clad dancers. Then the scene changed to a burning village assaulted

by armored men with red capes and silver armor wielding some kind of long bladed poleax. A black

robed upperpriest pointed to a group of comely young women who were led away in chains, while their

neighbors were burned out of their houses. Any who tried to defend themselves were hacked to death.

One man attempted to run away and was shot by a primitive pistol the length of a small carbine.

"Rather than bore you with too many details," Dras continued, "let me give you Styphon's House history

in capsule form. Some five hundred years ago the 'god' Styphon was a minor deity, a healer god, among

a much larger pantheon, with only a few half-hearted followers on the primitive Aryan-Transpacific

Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html

Sector. The dominant gods among the Zarthani, as this group of the Sanskrit-speaking Indo-Aryan

settlers called themselves, were Allfather Dralm—the usual wise all-knowing father god figure, Yirtta

Allmother, the female goddess of fertility and Galzar Wolfhead, god of war.

"This all changed when one of the priests of a small temple who called themselves Styphon's House was

mixing a batch of primitive chemical compounds that pass for medicine on this backward Sector. When

he mixed his ingredients and put them under a flame—they went BAM!"

His voice boomed through the room, echoing this primal moment.

"So it was that gunpowder, or fireseed as they called it, was born on Aryan-Transpacific. This

underpriest was smart enough to keep his discovery a secret, contacted his boss and suddenly the

'Fireseed Mystery' was born. Styphon's House has used this knowledge to turn Styphon's House from a

minor cult to the dominant religious institution on a new branch of Fourth Level, Aryan-Transpacific,

fittingly named Styphon's House Subsector.

"By withholding fireseed, Styphon's House has been able to make and break nobles, princes and kings.

Since 'fireseed' is doled out, usually in small quantities, to favored allies, Styphon's own coffers have

swelled with hundreds of years of accumulation of precious metals. Styphon's House has used their

accumulation of wealth to dominate the primitive banking system, inter-kingdom trade and keep

technological innovation to a minimum. If they hear of any invention or discovery that threatens their

monopoly they buy it. If the inventor is uncooperative, they arrange to have him killed and continue on

with business as usual.

"Now, this is where it gets interesting," Dras said, with a knowing wink to his audience. Even Sirna felt

herself leaning forward in her seat. "One of the characteristics that almost all outtime religions share is that

the followers actually believe—despite all contrary evidence—that their deity is real. As real as this

lectern!" Danthor said, pounding on it for emphasis. "Typically, in the majority of temples, churches and

ashrams, the priests are the most fervent believers in their supposed gods and goddesses. True, all

religions have doubters and lapsed believers among them, but the average priest believes his god or gods

are the true gods, or One God—only the competitions' deities are fakes!

"Yes, as hard as it is for us to believe, most of these outtimers really truly believe the drivel they're fed,

which is what makes them so damn dangerous, giving rise to religious persecutions and wars—the

nastiest wars of all. There's nothing holier than killing your neighbor for the benefit of his soul, or to keep

him safe from heresy.

"In a large number of pre-industrial societies, the priests have a monopoly on centralized record keeping

and accumulation of wealth. In many cases, the result is a theocracy, even if not in name. With the power

of the state behind them, these 'theocracies,' having a monopoly on the 'truth' and a pipeline to the deity,

accumulate a lot of economic assets, be that property, precious metals or symbolic currency.

"However, there are very few religious organizations founded on a sham miracle, which theyknow to be

a natural event, such as Styphon's House. Not surprisingly, Styphon's priesthood has taken full advantage

of the economic opportunities their monopoly on fireseed allows—all in the name of their deity, of

course."

Dras paused to wink at the camera recording the event. There was a smatter of nervous laughter.

"In this area,' Danthor continued, "Styphon's House is both refreshingly and appallingly dishonest! The

Temple Upperpriests and Archpriests of Styphon's House are out-and-out crooks and make no

Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html

apologies for it."

Just like us, thought Sirna with uncharacteristic cynicism, as we Home Timeliners rob uncountable

time-lines of their resources for our own use. Only we apologize for it—to ourselves—all the time!

"Styphon's House's first temples were in Hos-Ktemnos and, ever since the Fireseed Mystery was

discovered, they have used their discovery to turn their formerly minor deity into the dominant god figure

within the southern kingdoms of Hos-Ktemnos and, to a lesser degree, Hos-Bletha."

Danthor Dras paused to whip out a concealed yellow robe, which he quickly donned before his

audience. His countenance underwent a complete metamorphosis, taking on a feral cast as, right before

their eyes, he actually became a Styphon's House Highpriest. Many of the assembled academics moved

back in their seats or hissed audibly. Sirna was certain Danthor's unsuspected acting talent was a major

part of his success as an outtime researcher and media phenomenon.

After grinning wickedly, Dras resumed his talk. "In an effort to infiltrate Styphon's House, I set up a

cover as an Hos-Blethan temple Highpriest. Part of my background was passing myself off as a son of a

noble family, who had come to religion in his middle years. The Zarthani are unduly impressed with titles

and birth pedigree."

The room was filled with titters since many of the Home Timeliners, outside of the University, responded

the same way to outdated patents of nobility.

"Since the majority of Zarthani, including the priesthood, are illiterate, I was able to advance rapidly

through the Temple hierarchy. After a few years at the Temple of Hos-Bletha in Bletha City, I was able

to obtain a transfer to the Holy City of Balph, which is to Styphon's House much as Memphis is on

Fourth Level Alexandria Macedonian, or the Vatican is on Europo-American, Plantagenet Subsector.

My reading abilities got me a spot in the Archives, which—trust me—is not a popular posting with most

of Styphon's Highpriests. The corruption and influence peddling in Balph, to make a good First Level

analogy, is best compared to the Management Party's machinations in our own Executive Council!"

The audience roared. Management Party, which everyone considered the Paratime Police's political

mouthpiece, had been in control of the Executive Council since the Mystic Wars some four thousand

years ago. Management Party—and therefore the Paratime Police—was considered by most academics

to be the major obstacle to serious outtime research. Sirna wasn't convinced that the Paratime Police

were doing anything more than their job as mandated by the Paratime Code since, as a collective body,

the University had about as much vested self-interest as Styphon's House. That 'view' of hers had long

been a major area of contention between her and her former husband.

"The Archpriest of the Archives was a half-blind highpriest of some eighty years and he was pleased to

at long last find what he saw as a successor. In the Archives, most assistants leave as soon as they can

buy, bribe or blackmail their way to a better position within the Temple hierarchy. After a short period of

administrative work, I was promoted to his assistant and allowed access the High Temple of Balph

Archives, a treasure trove of ancient parchments and documents. After a number of years in the

Archives, I was able to put together a complete history of Styphon's House—not that I'll go into that

here."

There was an audible sigh of relief throughout the room. These were all academics and they understood

how much time a complete history briefing might involve.

Sirna noticed wryly that Danthor did manage to add a plug for his new book. "However, I will mention

Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html

that the new edition of my history on Styphon's House,Gunpowder Theocracy ,is now available from

the Dhergabar University Press."

Danthor made a dramatic cough before starting again, "The actual priestly apothecary who invented the

fireseed formula is forgotten. However, while searching through the Temple Archives, I found a statue of

the priest who discovered its lethal potential. In the beginning Styphon's House used fireseed to create

explosions of colored gas and light to awe the locals. Then Highpriest Trythos discovered, while making

primitive fireworks, that fireseed, when used inside a tube with a fuse, could propel a stone a significant

distance.

"It was Highpriest Trythos who contrived the first primitive handgun—a metal tube cradled in a wooden

stock which shot a stone pellet." Dras reached down and picked up a golden statue, which he then took

to the first row of seats and handed to one of the professors. "Trythos was pronounced as the first

Styphon's Own Voice and devised the Inner Circle of Archpriests as a means to protect the Fireseed

Mystery. This is Trythos' image recorded in gold. The statue bears a striking resemblance to Styphon's

Great Image in the Great Temple at Balph, made several decades after his death, where the Inner Circle

of Styphon's House meets. Styphon's true believers see this as proof that Styphon himself was the author

of the first handgun.

"Please pass it to your neighbor after you've had a look at it," he admonished the professor who

appeared mesmerized by the statue.

It took several minutes to reach her row, but Sirna found the small gold statue to be very heavy and

cold, but vibrant with a life force all its own. The work was vaguely Babylonian, reminding Sirna of some

of the stonework she had observed from Fourth Level Babylonian Hegemony, Assyrian Subsector that

she had studied in her Empires Frozen in Time class. The beard was long and braided; whoever had

made the mold—probably using the lost wax method—was a talented artist. The face looked almost

real; there was an arrogant sneer to the tiny lips—probably made after Trythos was elevated to the top of

the Temple hierarchy. All the Archpriests she'd seen on spool had shared the same look of innate

superiority.

Once everyone had been given the opportunity to examine the idol, Danthor continued, "Styphon's

House was quick to exploit their new discovery. To the Zarthani of that time, it was a fearsome unearthly

weapon from the gods. Styphon's House used that superstitious awe to destroy their enemies and reward

their allies.

"The rest, as they say, is history. It took Styphon's House a century to go from mealed fireseed to

corned, or black powder, and another century and a half to evolve the firing mechanism from the early

matchlock handguns to flintlocks. Firearm technology has remained in a state of stasis ever since as

Styphon's House can discern no advantage to making their weapons more efficient. In fact, there's

evidence they've held back the evolution of firearms, such as cast cannon with flintlock mechanisms, to

keep the military forces from developing more effective arms. Through their control of military

technology, as well as the supply and dispensation of fireseed, Styphon's House has been able to keep

the majority of the inter-kingdom conflicts small and contained, preventing any decisive wars that might

establish peace and lessen the Great Kingdoms' dependence upon Styphon's House.

"The Temple Archives do not contain any documents regarding Styphon's divine beliefs or revelations at

all; in fact, there's a conspicuous lack of normal priestly records of revelations and devotions in the

Temple Archives. Other than Styphon's Way, a series of homilies that pass for divine revelation, there

appears to be a conspiracy of silence over the whole issue of Styphon's godhood—except when it

comes to Styphon's oracle. As I already mentioned, in the Great Temple of Balph resides the other

Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html

'miracle' of Styphon's House, Styphon's Great Image"

Danthor paused and dramatically smacked his lectern for emphasis. "This is no small statue, either; it

rises up over three stories and is bathed in enough gold to feed the Five Kingdoms for an entire year!

When the Temple faces a problem, the righteous flock to the Great Temple, where the Golden Image, on

rare occasions, 'speaks' to the multitude. It's the usual primitive voice amplification with articulated joints

at the jaw. The 'secret' of Styphon's Great Image is so well guarded that only the head of the Temple and

the highpriests who rule the Great Temple and all its worldly possessions know that it's a fraud.

"Styphon's Own Voice is the head of the Styphon's House and is presumed—like the Pope on most

Europo-American time-lines—to speak for their god and rule the Temple. In actuality, Styphon's Voice

is typically a figurehead chosen to represent the interests of the Inner Circle of Archpriests, a closely

connected group of thirty-six Archpriests which includes the highpriest of each Great Kingdom High

Temples of Styphon."

Dras turned to the visiscreen and they were shown the innermost chamber of the Great Temple where a

dozen yellow-robed Archpriests were surrounded by kneeling pensioners and penitents. "Only on rare

occasions will Styphon's Own Image will speak to the multitude. These believers are attending the great

idol in the hopes that Styphon's Golden Image will speak and answer their questions—believe me, they

pay a lot for the privilege of waiting.

"The current Styphon's Own Voice, His Divinity Sesklos, was an activist until the past year when Lord

Kalvan's rapid military successes discredited his leadership." The visiscreen showed a wizened old man

with a beaked nose and ice-gray eyes dressed in a red robe. "For the past decade, Sesklos has been

promoting his handpicked successor, Archpriest Anaxthenes who has now emerged as Speaker and the

dominant member of the Inner Circle. On the Kalvan Control time-lines it is presumed that Anaxthenes

will follow Sesklos as Styphon's Voice.

"One of the true believers, Archpriest Roxthar, has attracted our attention because he's become a pivotal

player within the Inner Circle on Kalvan's Time-Line. However, this is not the case on the Kalvan

Control time-lines where Roxthar is viewed as a crackpot by the other Archpriests of the Inner Circle

and his harangues on Styphon's Divinity are greeted with derision. Only on Kalvan's Time-Line has

Archpriest Roxthar become one of the major power centers or created his Office of Holy Investigation,

to seek out Kalvan fostered heresy within Styphon's House. Thus, it is now evident that Archpriest

Roxthar's rise on Kalvan's Time-Line is a direct response to the threat Kalvan poses to Temple's

continued existence."

A beefy professor with a red face shouted: "Next you'll be telling us you are a supporter of the Great

Man in History theory!"

Danthor cocked his head, ran his fingers through his hair, looking thoughtful. "It's still too soon to draw

any definitive conclusion, but I will admit the evidence is pointing in that direction."

Sirna couldn't have been more surprised if the Scholar had admitted to friendship with Verkan Vall,

membership in the Management Party or relations with a barnyard animal! The red faced professor and

the rest of the audience were shocked into silence. Was what she was witnessing possible—a tenured

University Professor rising above his prejudices and the group consensus of the Dhergabar herd?

Danthor acted as if the interruption had not occurred, continuing on with his talk. "Now before we get

any further into Styphon's divinity, let me inform you that Styphon and his prime competitors—Dralm,

Galzar and Yirtta—are not the only gods on Aryan Transpacific, Styphon's House Subsector. The

Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html

original Indo-Aryan invaders, who called themselves the 'Zarthani,' a contraction of 'za-aryan-thani'

meaning in their language 'the noble people,' brought with them some twenty-five to thirty gods and

goddesses. Many of these 'original' deities have since disappeared from popular consciousness as their

worshippers have declined and are nowremembered only in curses, old sagas, legends and yarns. These

days there are only twelve True Gods and four Demons—five if you count Styphon as a Demon as many

of Dralm's worshippers do. Although some of the so-called True Gods, like Phydros, God of Wine and

Music, and Lytris, the Weather Goddess who is worshipped primarily by sailors, have a small or select

constituency.

"As I mentioned previously, the primary Trinity—before Styphon's prominence—was Allfather Dralm,

Yirtta Allmother and Galzar Wolfshead, the God of War. Dralm is the all-knowing, all-powerful Father

god, like Zeus, Jupiter and a host of others familiar to most Fourth Level Indo-Aryan scholars."

Heads bobbed up and down in agreement.

"Yirtta is the goddess of harvests and fertility and as such she has maintained her prominence within

Zarthani life and ritual, primarily among women who are more conservative about their gods. The Temple

of Yirtta Allmother is a very traditional and conservative temple, similar in many aspects to the Roman

goddess Vesta and her cult.

"Galzar God of War has seen no diminution of status with the passage of time; if anything, as Dralm's

influence has waned, Galzar—with the constant internecine warfare and proliferation of mercenary

units—has grown over the years. The Uncle Wolfs, the priest of Galzar, have even taken over many of

the healing duties of older gods, including Styphon.

"Dralm's position among the gods has dropped dramatically, particularly, within the last hundred years,

as Styphon's influence has increased in the Northern Kingdoms, principally among the gentry and the

upper classes. The Styphoni do not consider Appalon, Dralm's son, the Patron of gamblers and gaming,

a True God. Whereas the followers of Dralm add Lyklos, the Trickster, who has a powerful cult in the

Middle Kingdoms, to their pantheon instead of Styphon.

"As Styphon's House's political and economic power grows, the worship of Styphon has spread its way

through the upper strata of society, whereas Dralm is in danger of becoming almost exclusively the god of

peasants and artisans. Styphon's House with its tithing and manure collection continues to be unpopular

among the lower classes, except in Hos-Ktemnos where his worship is firmly rooted after four hundred

years of priestly tyranny.

"As I've demonstrated, Styphon's House has used their 'fireseed' miracle to awe the unsophisticated and

manipulate the politics of the Five Kingdoms, the dominant ruling states on Aryan Transpacific.

Furthermore, Styphon's House has its own military of which there are two arms; the first being Styphon's

Own Guard. The Guard is an elite corps and very well paid; most are former mercenaries and are not

above doing the nastiest kind of deeds. Often times, they are poised behind unreliable troops with the

orders to execute anyone who retreats or runs from battle. They've earned the sobriquet the Red Hand

through their scrupulous attention to such orders.

"The second martial arm is the Order of the Zarthani Knights, who protect the western borders of

Hos-Bletha and Hos-Ktemnos, as well as act as a buffer between the Five Kingdoms and the Sastragath

and migrating nomads from the Sea of Grass. The Grand Master of the Order is also an Archpriest in the

Inner Circle, but like most military holy orders they have little participation in the day to day running of the

Temple. The Zarthani Knights are a formidable fighting force and the Grand Master rules more territory

than the largest Great Kingdom.

Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html

"Styphon's House's usual tactics are to encourage grudges and border disputes among the princedoms

of the Five Kingdoms, helping allied princes with ample supplies of fireseed, while withholding it from

their opponents and placing them under Styphon's Ban. The Ban is a very important tool since it not only

deprives that princedom under the Ban from purchasing fireseed from Styphon's House, but also carries

the threat of withholding fireseed to any other lord or prince who might be willing to sell his excess

powder to the proscribed lord. Without any other recourse to obtain fireseed for their smoothbores and

guns, the opponents of Styphoni supported armies are quickly dispatched. It's been a very successful

policy throughout Styphon's House Subsector, except on one time-line—Kalvan Prime.

"From all reports, with Lord Kalvan, Styphon's House ran up against someone from the outside who

knew the Fireseed Mystery and was not cowed by their wealth or military might. Kalvan is the former

Calvin Morrison, a Pennsylvania State Policeman, who was picked up as a transtemporal 'hitchhiker' on

a Fourth Level Europo-American time-line far advanced over Aryan Transpacific, both socially and

technologically."

There were snickers from the audience as they all were familiar with Hispano Colombian. The dominant

culture there was socially backward, but also explosively creative and technologically innovative. Lately,

the latest Hispano-Colombian music crazes and flat screenmovies had become very popular with the

masses on First Level—especially the proles.

"This Pennsylvania State trooper, after an interpenetration foul-up with another transtemporal conveyor,

was able to subdue his Paratime Police host and was dislodged from the conveyor onto Styphon's House

Subsector."

There was a murmur of appreciation for his feat. While most University professionals disliked the

Paratime Police and their over-zealous regulations concerning outtime travel, they did appreciate their

physical training and abilities.

Scholar Danthor stepped back from the podium and a 3-D image of a lanky Paratime Policeman in his

green uniform seated in front of a table appeared on the visiscreen. "Here is a recent interview of Araln

Folen, the Paratime Policeman who picked up Calvin Morrison and was being prepared for broadcast

on the Dhergabar morning news show,Newsworthy . This has never been released for public viewing."

Sirna wondered how Danthor was able to access internal Paratime Police documents.What would

Paratime Police Chief Verkan do if he knew?

The familiar voice of Yandar Yadd filled the hall. "So, Officer Araln, what were the circumstances of

your unexpected pick-up of Calvin Morrison?"

Araln looked sheepishly into the recording lens. "I had finished making a standard pick up on

Europo-American, Confederate States Subsector, and was returning to Fifth Level Police Terminal when

my conveyor merged transtemporal fields with another conveyor on an unscheduled jaunt to Third

Level."

"Then what happened?"

"When the two fields juxtaposed there was a opening created in the transtemporal field—"

"Hold on a minute, Officer Araln, not all of our listeners are familiar with Paratemporal jargon. Just what

is an opening in the time field?"

Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html

John F. Carr - Great Kings War

相关推荐

开通VIP享超值会员特权

作者详情

相关内容

热门标签

举报选择: