House of chains free download

This eBook is copyright material and must not be copied, reproduced, transferred, distributed, leased, licensed or publicly performed or used in any way except as specifically permitted in writing by the publishers, as allowed under the terms and conditions under which it was purchased or as strictly permitted by applicable copyright law Any unauthorised distribution or use of this text may be a direct infringement of the author's and publisher's rights and those responsible may be liable in law accordingly ISBN 9781409092421 Version 1.0 www.randomhouse.co.uk Steven Erikson is an archaeologist and anthropologist and a graduate of the Iowa Writers' Workshop The first six novels in his Malazan Book of the Fallen sequence – Gardens of the Moon, Deadhouse Gates, Memories of Ice, House of Chains, Midnight Tides and The Bonehunters – have met with widespread international acclaim and established him as a major voice in the world of fantasy fiction The thrilling seventh instalment in this remarkable story, Reaper's Gale, is now available from Bantam Press Steven Erikson lives in Canada www.rbooks.co.uk/stevenerikson Acclaim for Steven Erikson's The Malazan Book of the Fallen: 'Steven Erikson is an extraordinary writer My advice to anyone who might listen to me is: treat yourself' Stephen R Donaldson 'Give me the evocation of a rich, complex and yet ultimately unknowable other world, with a compelling suggestion of intricate history and mythology and lore Give me mystery amid the grand narrative Give me the world in which every sea hides a crumbled Atlantis, every ruin has a tale to tell, every broken blade is a silent legacy of struggles unknown Give me in other words, the fantasy work of Steven Erikson a master of lost and forgotten epochs, a weaver of ancient epics' Salon.com 'I stand slack-jawed in awe of The Malayan Book of the Fallen This masterwork of the imagination may be the high watermark of epic fantasy' Glen Cook 'Truly epic in scope, Erikson has no peer when it comes to action and imagination, and joins the ranks of Tolkien and Donaldson in his mythic vision and perhaps then goes one better' SF Site 'Rare is the writer who so fluidly combines a sense of mythic power and depth of world with fully realized characters and thrilling action, but Steven Erikson manages it spectacularly' Michael A Stackpole 'Like the archaeologist that he is, Erikson continues to delve into the history and ruins of the Malazan Empire, in the process revealing unforeseen riches and annals that defy expectation this is true myth in the making, a drawing upon fantasy to recreate histories and legends as rich as any found within our culture' Interzone 'Gripping, fast-moving, delightfully dark Erikson brings a punchy, mesmerizing writing style into the genre of epic fantasy, making an indelible impression Utterly engrossing' Elizabeth Hayden 'Everything we have come to expect from this most excellent of fantasy writers; huge in scope, vast in implication and immensely, utterly entertaining' alienonline 'One of the most promising new writers of the past few years, he has more than proved his right to A-list status' Bookseller 'Erikson's strengths are his grown-up characters and his ability to create a world every bit as intricate and messy as our own' J V Jones 'An author who never disappoints on delivering stunning and hard-edged fantasy is Steven Erikson a master of modern fantasy' WBQ magazine 'Wondrous voyages, demons and gods abound dense and complex ultimately rewarding' Locus 'Erikson is able to create a world that is both absorbing on a human level and full of magical sublimity A wonderfully grand conception splendidly written fiendishly readable' Adam Roberts 'A multi-layered tale of magic and war, loyalty and betrayal Complexly drawn characters occupy a richly detailed world in this panoramic saga' Library Journal 'Epic in every sense of the word Erikson shows a masterful control of an immense plot the worlds of mortals and gods meet in what is a truly aweinspiring clash' Enigma House of Chains A Tale of the Malazan Book of the Fallen STEVEN ERIKSON Table of Contents Title Page Dedication Acknowledgements Maps DRAMATIS PERSONAE Prologue BOOK ONE: FACES IN THE ROCK CHAPTER ONE CHAPTER TWO CHAPTER THREE CHAPTER FOUR BOOK TWO: COLD IRON CHAPTER FIVE CHAPTER SIX CHAPTER SEVEN CHAPTER EIGHT CHAPTER NINE CHAPTER TEN CHAPTER ELEVEN BOOK THREE: SOMETHING BREACHES CHAPTER TWELVE CHAPTER THIRTEEN CHAPTER FOURTEEN CHAPTER FIFTEEN CHAPTER SIXTEEN CHAPTER SEVENTEEN BOOK FOUR: HOUSE OF CHAINS CHAPTER EIGHTEEN CHAPTER NINETEEN CHAPTER TWENTY CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX Epilogue Glossary For Mark Paxton MacRae, for the KO punch This one's all yours, my friend ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The author wishes to thank his cadre of readers, Chris Porozny, Richard Jones, David Keck and Mark Paxton MacRae Clare and Bowen as always Simon Taylor and the crew at Transworld And the terrific (and patient) staff at Tony's Bar Italia: Erica, Steve, Jesse, Dan, Ron, Orville, Rhimpy, Rhea, Cam, James, Konrad, Darren, Rusty, Phil, Todd, Marnie, Chris, Leah, Ada, Kevin, Jake, Jamie, Graeme and the two Doms Thanks also to Darren Nash (for the yeast always rises) and Peter Crowther to achieve something something she herself had no chance, no opportunity, to achieve Thus, she named the waif after herself.' 'And what is she to me, Cotillion?' 'You are being obstinate, I think The wrong question.' 'Oh, then tell me what is the right question.' 'What are you to her?' Cutter grimaced 'The child approaches in the company of another woman, a very remarkable one, as you – and she – will come to see And with a priest, sworn now to Treach From him, you will learn much of worth Finally, a demon travels with these three humans For the time being ' 'Where are they going? Why stop here, as Iskaral's guests?' 'Why, to collect you, Cutter.' 'I don't understand.' 'Symmetry, lad, is a power unto itself It is the expression, if you will, of nature's striving for balance I charge you with protecting Felisin's life To accompany them on their long, and dangerous, journey.' 'How epic of you.' 'I think not,' Cotillion snapped Silence, for a time, during which Cutter regretted his comment Finally, the Daru sighed 'I hear horses And Pust in one of his nauseating diatribes.' Cotillion said nothing 'Very well,' Cutter said 'This Felisin abused, you said Those ones are hard to get to To befriend, I mean Their scars stay fresh and fierce with pain —' 'Her adopted mother did well, given her own scars Be glad, lad, that she is the daughter, not the mother And, in your worst moments, think of how Baudin felt.' 'Baudin The elder Felisin's guardian?' 'Yes.' 'All right,' Cutter said 'It will do.' 'What will?' 'This path It will do.' He hesitated, then said, 'Cotillion This notion of balance Something has occurred to me—' Cotillion's eyes silenced him, shocked him with their unveiling of sorrow of remorse The patron of assassins nodded 'From her to you Aye.' 'Did she see that, you think?' 'All too clearly, I'm afraid.' Cutter stared out the window 'I loved her, you know I still do.' 'So you not wonder why she has left.' He shook his head, unable to fight back the tears any more 'No, Cotillion,' he whispered 'I don't.' The ancient coast road long behind him, Karsa Orlong guided Havok northward along the shore of the new inland sea Rain clouds over the murky water to the east, but the wind was pushing them away He studied the sky for a moment, then reined in on a slight rise studded with boulders and slipped down from the horse's back Walking over to a large, flat-topped rock, the Teblor unslung his sword and set it point downward against a nearby boulder, then sat He drew off his pack and rummaged in an outside pocket for some salted bhederin, dried fruit, and goat cheese Staring out over the water, he ate When he was done, he loosened the pack's straps and dragged out the broken remains of the T'lan Imass He held it up so that 'Siballe's withered face looked out upon the rippling waves 'Tell me,' Karsa said, 'what you see?' 'My past.' A moment of silence, then, 'All that I have lost ' The Teblor released his grip and the partial corpse collapsed into a cloud of dust Karsa found his waterskin and drank deep Then he stared down at 'Siballe 'You once said that if you were thrown into the sea, your soul would be freed That oblivion would come to you Is this true?' 'Yes.' With one hand he lifted her from the ground, rose and walked to the sea's edge 'Wait! Teblor, wait! I not understand!' Karsa's expression soured 'When I began this journey, I was young I believed in one thing I believed in glory I know now, 'Siballe, that glory is nothing Nothing This is what I now understand.' 'What else you now understand, Karsa Orlong?' 'Not much Just one other thing The same cannot be said for mercy.' He raised her higher, then swung her body outward It struck the water in the shallows And dissolved into a muddy bloom, which the waves then swept away Karsa swung about Faced his sword of stone He then smiled 'Yes I am Karsa Orlong of the Uryd, a Teblor Witness, my brothers One day I will be worthy to lead such as you Witness.' Sword once more slung on his back, Havok once more solid beneath him, the Toblakai rode from the shoreline West, into the wastes EPILOGUE And now here I sit, on my brow a circlet of fire, and this kingdom I rule is naught but the host of my life's recollections, unruly subjects, so eager for insurrection, to usurp the aged man from his charred throne and raise up younger versions one by one The Crown of Years Fisher kel Tat By any standards, she was a grim woman Onrack the Broken watched her stand in the centre of the chamber and cast a harsh, appraising eye upon the disposition of her young killers The grimace that twisted her handsome features suggested that she found nothing awry Her gaze fell at last upon the Tiste Edur, Trull Sengar, and the grimace shifted into a scowl 'Must we watch our backs as well, with you here?' Seated on the hewn floor, his back to an equally rough wall, Trull Sengar shrugged 'I see no easy way of convincing you that I am worthy of your trust, Minala Apart from weaving for you my lengthy and rather unpleasant story.' 'Spare me,' she growled, then strode from the room Trull Sengar glanced over at Onrack and grinned 'No-one wants to hear it Well, I am not surprised Nor am I even stung It is a rather squalid tale—' 'I will hear your story,' Onrack replied Near the entrance, Ibra Gholan's neck creaked as the T'lan Imass looked back over one shoulder to regard Onrack for a moment, before returning to his position guarding the approach Trull Sengar barked a laugh 'This is ideal for an unskilled weaver of tales My audience comprises a score of children who not understand my native tongue, and three expressionless and indifferent undead By tale's end, only I will be weeping likely for all the wrong reasons.' Monok Ochem, who was standing three paces back from Ibra Gholan, slowly pivoted until the bonecaster faced Onrack 'You have felt it, then, Broken One And so you seek distraction.' Onrack said nothing 'Felt what?' Trull Sengar asked 'She is destroyed The woman who gave Onrack her heart in the time before the Ritual The woman to whom he avowed his own heart only to steal it back In many ways, she was destroyed then, already begun on her long journey to oblivion Do you deny that, Onrack?' 'Bonecaster, I not.' 'Madness, of such ferocity as to defeat the Vow itself Like a camp dog that awakens one day with fever in its brain That snarls and kills in a frenzy Of course, we had no choice but to track her down, corner her And so shatter her, imprison her within eternal darkness Or so we thought Madness, then, to defy even us But now, oblivion has claimed her soul at last A violent, painful demise, but none the less ' Monok Ochem paused, then cocked its head 'Trull Sengar, you have not begun your tale, yet already you weep.' The Tiste Edur studied the bonecaster for a long moment, as the tears ran down his gaunt cheeks 'I weep, Monok Ochem, because he cannot.' The bonecaster faced Onrack once more 'Broken One, there are many things you deserve but this man is not among them.' He then turned away Onrack spoke 'Monok Ochem, you have travelled far from the mortal you once were, so far as to forget a host of truths, both pleasant and unpleasant The heart is neither given nor stolen The heart surrenders.' The bonecaster did not turn round 'That is a word without power to the T'lan Imass, Onrack the Broken.' 'You are wrong, Monok Ochem We simply changed the word to make it not only more palatable, but also to empower it With such eminence that it devoured our souls.' 'We did no such thing,' the bonecaster replied 'Onrack's right,' Trull Sengar sighed 'You did You called it the Ritual of Tellann.' Neither Monok Ochem nor Ibra Gholan spoke The Tiste Edur snorted 'And you've the nerve to call Onrack broken.' There was silence in the chamber then, for some time But Onrack's gaze remained fixed on Trull Sengar And he was, if he was anything, a creature capable of supreme patience To grieve is a gift best shared As a song is shared Deep in the caves, the drums beat Glorious echo to the herds whose thundering hoofs celebrate what it is to be alive, to run as one, to roll in life's rhythm This is how, in the cadence of our voice, we serve nature's greatest need Facing nature, we are the balance Ever the balance to chaos Eventually, his patience was rewarded As he knew it would be This ends the fourth tale of the Malazan Book of the Fallen GLOSSARY ASCENDANTS Anomander Rake: Son of Darkness Apsalar: Lady of Thieves Beru: Lord of Storms BRIDGEBURNERS Burn: The Sleeping Goddess Cotillion: The Rope, Patron of Assassins, High House Shadow Dessembrae: Lord of Tears Draconus: an Elder God and forger of the sword Dragnipur D'rek: The Worm of Autumn Fener: the Bereft Gedderone: Lady of Spring and Rebirth Hood: King of High House Death Jhess: Queen of Weaving K'rul: an Elder God of the Warrens Mael: an Elder God of the Seas Mowri: Lady of Beggars, Slaves and Serfs Nerruse: Lady of Calm Seas and Fair Winds Oponn: Twin Jesters of Chance Osserc/Osseric/Osric: Lord of the Sky Poliel: Mistress of Pestilence and Disease Queen of Dreams: Queen of High House Life Shadowthrone: Ammanas, King of High House Shadow Sister of Cold Nights: an Elder Goddess Soliel: Lady of Health The Azath: the Houses The Crippled God: The Chained One, Lord of High House of Chains The Deragoth: of the First Empire of Dessimbelackis The Seven Hounds of Darkness The Whirlwind Goddess Togg and Fanderay: The Wolves of Winter Treach/Trake: The Tiger of Summer and Lord of War THE GODS OF THE TEBLOR (The Seven Faces in the Rock) Urugal the Woven 'Siballe the Unfound Beroke Soft Voice Kahlb the Silent Hunter Thenik the Shattered Halad the Giant Imroth the Cruel ELDER PEOPLES Tiste Andii: Children of Darkness Tiste Edur: Children of Shadow Tiste Liosan: Children of Light T'lan Imass Eres/Eres'al Trell Jaghut Forkrul Assail K'Chain Che'Malle The Eleint The Barghast The Thelomen Toblakai The Teblor THE WARRENS Kurald Galain: The Elder Warren of Darkness Kurald Emurlahn: The Elder Warren of Shadow, the Shattered Warren Kurald Thyrllan: The Elder Warren of Light Omtose Phellack: The Elder Jaghut Warren of Ice Tellann: The Elder Imass Warren of Fire Starvald Demelain: The Eleint Warren Thyr: The Path of Light Denul: The Path of Healing Hood's Path: The Path of Death Serc: The Path of the Sky Meanas: The Path of Shadow and Illusion D'riss: The Path of the Earth Ruse: The Path of the Sea Rashan: The Path of Darkness Mockra: The Path of the Mind Telas: The Path of Fire THE DECK OF DRAGONS High House Life King Queen (Queen of Dreams) Champion Priest Herald Soldier Weaver High House Death King (Hood) Queen Knight (once Dassem Ultor, now Baudin) Magi Herald Soldier Spinner Mason Virgin High House Light King Queen Champion (Osseric) Priest Captain Soldier Seamstress Builder Maiden High House Dark King Queen Knight (Anomander Rake) Magi Captain Soldier Weaver Mason Wife High House Shadow King (Shadowthrone/Ammanas) Queen Assassin (The Rope/Cotillion) Magi Hound High House of Chains The King in Chains The Consort (Poliel?) Reaver (Kallor?) Knight (Toblakai) The Seven of the Dead Fires (The Unbound) Cripple Leper Fool Unaligned Oponn Obelisk (Burn) Crown Sceptre Orb Throne Chain Master of the Deck (Ganoes Paran) PLACES IN 'HOUSE OF CHAINS': SEVEN CITIES Aren: a Holy City Balahn: a small village north of Aren Ehrlitan: a Holy City north of Raraku Erougimon: a tel north of Aren G'danisban: a city east of Raraku Jhag Odhan: the wastes west of Seven Cities Lato Revae: a city west of Raraku Sarpachiya: a city west of Raraku Thalas River: west of Raraku The Oasis: Holy Desert Raraku The Whirlwind Warren Vathar Crossing: site of battle on Chain of Dogs Y'Ghatan: self-styled First Holy City GENABACKIS Culvern: a town Genabaris: a city Laederon Plateau Malybridge: a town Malyn Sea Malyntaeas: a city Ninsano Moat: a town Silver Lake Tanys: a town Drift Avalii: an island southwest of the continent of Quon Tali The Nascent: a flooded world Table of Contents House of Chains Table of Contents ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS DRAMATIS PERSONAE THE URYD TRIBE OF THE TEBLOR THE ADJUNCTS ARMY MARINES OF THE 9th COMPANY, 8th LEGION SELECTED HEAVY INFANTRY OF THE 9th COMPANY, 8th LEGION SELECTED MEDIUM INFANTRY OF THE 9th COMPANY, 8th LEGION OTHER SOLDIERS OF THE MALAZAN EMPIRE NATHII OTHERS ON GENABACRIS SHA'IR'S ARMY OF THE APOCALYPSE OTHERS PROLOGUE BOOK ONE FACES IN THE ROCK CHAPTER ONE CHAPTER TWO CHAPTER THREE CHAPTER FOUR BOOK TWO COLD IRON CHAPTER FIVE CHAPTER SIX CHAPTER SEVEN CHAPTER EIGHT CHAPTER NINE CHAPTER TEN CHAPTER ELEVEN BOOK THREE SOMETHING BREACHES CHAPTER TWELVE CHAPTER THIRTEEN CHAPTER FOURTEEN CHAPTER FIFTEEN CHAPTER SIXTEEN CHAPTER SEVENTEEN BOOK FOUR HOUSE OF CHAINS CHAPTER EIGHTEEN CHAPTER NINETEEN CHAPTER TWENTY CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX EPILOGUE GLOSSARY ASCENDANTS BRIDGEBURNERS THE GODS OF THE TEBLOR (The Seven Faces in the Rock) ELDER PEOPLES THE WARRENS THE DECK OF DRAGONS PLACES IN 'HOUSE OF CHAINS': ... and a graduate of the Iowa Writers' Workshop The first six novels in his Malazan Book of the Fallen sequence – Gardens of the Moon, Deadhouse Gates, Memories of Ice, House of Chains, Midnight... every sense of the word Erikson shows a masterful control of an immense plot the worlds of mortals and gods meet in what is a truly aweinspiring clash' Enigma House of Chains A Tale of the Malazan... legacy of struggles unknown Give me in other words, the fantasy work of Steven Erikson a master of lost and forgotten epochs, a weaver of ancient epics' Salon.com 'I stand slack-jawed in awe of