Melis: a Blade Maiden and one of Sümeya’s hand, daughter of King Yusam
Meliz: former dirt dog, Djaga’s mentor
Meryam: Queen of Qaimir; sister of the murdered Yasmine, aunt of the murdered Rehann; a powerful blood mage
merlon: on a battlement, the solid part between two crenels
Mihir Halim’ava al Kadri: son of the desert shaikh of the Kadri, Halim
mind’s flight: one of the 3 types of diaphanous stones; is said to bestow the gift of mind-reading when swallowed, though the imbiber dies rather quickly
Mirea: a kingdom north of Sharakhai and the Shangazi Desert
the Moonless Host: a/k/a Al’afwa Khadar; men and women of the twelve tribes that once ruled the entirety of the Shangazi Desert; sworn to fight the Kings
nahcolite: a carbonate mineral, naturally occurring sodium bicarbonate
Nalamae: the goddess who created the River Haddah in the Great Shangazi desert, the youngest of the desert gods
Navakahm: captain of the Silver Spears, Lord of the Guard
Nayyan: First Warden before Sümeya, daughter of King Azad, Sümeya’s one-time lover
Neylana: shaikh of Tribe Kenan
nigella seeds: a spice used in desert cuisine
Night Lily: a sleeping draught
Night’s Kiss: the blade the dark god, Goezhen, had granted to Husamettín on Beht Ihman
Nijin: a desert harbor
niqab: veil made of lightweight opaque fabric and leaves only the eyes uncovered
Nirendra: a slumlord lady, rents space in rooms
Old Khyrn Rellana’ala: judge from Tribe Rafik
Old Nur: a shipmate of Emre’s
Onondu: the trickster god, “God of the Endless Hills,” god of vengeance in Kundhun; father of the godling twins Hidi & Makuo
Ophir’s: the oldest standing brewery in Sharakhai
oryx: large antelope
Osman: owner of the pits, a retired pit fighter and a one-time lover of Çeda’s
oud: a kind of lute
Pelam: the master of games, the announcer for the gladiatorial bouts held in the pits
pennon: flag, pennant
physic: a medical doctor
prat: an incompetent or ineffectual person
Qaimir: a kingdom south of Sharakhai and the Shangazi Desert
qanun: musical instrument, a large zither
Quanlang: a province in Mirea
Queen Alansal: of Mirea
Quezada: one of Ramahd’s men
Rafa: Emre’s brother
Rafiro: one of Ramahd’s men
rahl: a unit of currency, gold coins stamped with the mark of the Kings
ral shahnad: “summer’s fire,” the distilled essence of a rare flower found only in the furthest reaches of Kundhun
Ramahd shan Amansir: of House Amansir; one of only 4 survivors of the Bloody Passage
Rasel: Scourge of the Black Veils; former wearer of River’s Daughter
rattlewings: see “açal”
The Reaping King: a/k/a King Sukru, one of the twelve; commands the asirim using a magical whip
rebab: musical instrument, a type of bowed string instrument
Red Crescent: a neighborhood near the quays of the western harbor
Rehann: Ramahd’s murdered daughter, Meryam’s niece
Rengin: footman on Matron Zohra’s estate
Rhia: goddess of dreams and ambition, the sister moon of the goddess Tulathan
River Haddah: created by the goddess Nalamae in the Great Shangazi desert
River’s Daughter: the name of Çeda’s sword
Roseridge: Çeda’s neighborhood
Ruan: half-Sharakhani man who works for Juvaan Xin-Lei
Rümayesh: a female ehrekh, one of the first made by Goezhen
Saadet ibn Sim: killer of Emre’s brother, Rafa; a Malasani bravo
Salahndi: the first day of the week in the desert calendar
Saliah Riverborn: a witch of the desert, the goddess Nalamae in disguise
Salmük: one of the tribes; a/k/a the Black Veils
saltstone: one of the 3 types of diaphanous stones; can be swallowed, but is more often sewn beneath the skin of the forehead. It slowly dissolves, bleeding away memories until none are left.
Samael: an alchemyst
Samaril: capital city of Malasan
Savadi: the seventh day of the week in the desert calendar, the busiest along the Trough
Sayabim: an old crone, a Matron at the House of the Blade Maidens, a sword trainer
scarab: a name for a member of the Moonless Host
schisandra: a woody vine harvested for its berries
the scriptorium: a kind of library
Sehid-Alaz: a King of Sharakhai sacrificed on Beht Ihman, cursed to become an asir
Şelal Ymine’ala al Rafik: shaikh of Tribe Rafik
selhesh: a term for dirt dog
Serpentine: a winding street in Sharakhai
Seyhan: a spice seller in the Roseridge spice market
a shade: a mission to ferry goods or messages from place to place in Sharakhai
shaikh: the leader of a desert tribe
the Shallows: slums
shamshir: curved sabre having one edge on the convex side
the Shangazi: the desert, a/k/a Great Shangazi, Great Desert, Great Mother
Sharakhai: a large desert metropolis, a/k/a the Amber Jewel
Sharakhan: the language spoken in Sharakhai and much of the desert
shinai: a slatted bamboo practice sword
Shining Spears: a nickname for the people of Tribe Masal
shisha: hookah
Sidehill: a neighborhood in Sharakhai, a nickname for Goldenhill
Silver Spears: the Kings’ guard, the city police
Sirina Jalih’ala al Kenan: Mala’s mother, a lover of King Mesut
sirwal trousers: loose trousers that hang to just below the knee
siyaf: term of respect for a master swordsman
song of blades: tahl selheshal; a/k/a sword dance
the Spear: a large street running from the western harbor to the gates of the House of Kings, “one of the busiest streets in Sharakhai”
Sümeya: First Warden, commander of the Blade Maidens, daughter of King Husamettín
Sun Palace: the lowest of the thirteen palaces on Tauriyat, once belonged to Sehid-Alaz
The Sunset Stone: a/k/a The Flame of Iri; a giant amethyst
Sunshearer: King Kiral’s sword
Surrahdi: the dead king of Malasan; a/k/a the Mad King of Malasan
Sweet Anna: a fragrant plant
Sword of the Willow: from Tribe Okan to the winner of Annam’s Traverse
sylval: unit of currency
tabbaq: a cured leaf, commonly smoked in a shisha
tahl selheshal: song of blades a/k/a sword dance
tamarisk: a tree
tanbur: a stringed instrument
Tariq Esad’ava: one of Osman’s street toughs, grew up with Çeda & Emre
Tauriyat: Mount Tauriyat, home to the House of Kings, Sharakhai’s thirteen palaces, and the House of Maidens
Tavahndi: the third day of the week in the desert calendar
the Tears of Tulathan: a/k/a Iri’s Four Sacred Stones (result of the breaking of the Sunset Stone)
Tehla: a baker, friend of Çeda; Davud’s sister
tessera, tesserae: tiles of a mosaic
Thaash: god of war
thawb: a common outer garment in the desert, consisting of a length of cloth that is sewn into a long loose skirt or draped around the body and fastened over one shoulder.
the Thousand Territories of Kundhun: another name for Kundhun, one of the four kingdoms surrounding Sharak
hai
Tiller’s Row: a street in the Shallows, “one of the few with any businesses to speak of”
thwart: a seat in a rowboat
Tolovan: vizir of King Ihsan
Tribe Ebros: one of the twelve desert tribes; a/k/a the Standing Stones
Tribe Halarijan: one of the twelve desert tribes; a/k/a the White Trees
Tribe Kadri: one of the twelve desert tribes; a/k/a the Burning Hands
Tribe Kenan: one of the twelve desert tribes; a/k/a the Rushing Waters
Tribe Khiyanat: the name the thirteenth tribe chooses when they form anew; khiyanat means “betrayed” in the old tongue of the desert
Tribe Malakhed: the ancient name for the thirteenth tribe, abandoned when the tribe is reborn
Tribe Masal: one of the twelve desert tribes; a/k/a the Red Wind
Tribe Narazid: one of the twelve desert tribes; a/k/a the Bloody Manes
Tribe Okan: one of the twelve desert tribes; a/k/a the Black Wings
Tribe Rafik: one of the twelve desert tribes; a/k/a the Biting Shields
Tribe Salmük: one of the twelve desert tribes; a/k/a the Black Veils
Tribe Sema: one of the twelve desert tribes; a/k/a the Children of the Crescent Moons
Tribe Tulogal: Devorah and Leorah’s childhood tribe; a/k/a the Raining Stars
Tribe Ulmahir: one of the twelve desert tribes; a/k/a the Amber Blades
the Trough: the central and largest thoroughfare in Sharakhai, runs from the northern harbor, through the center of the city, and terminating at the southern harbor
Tsitsian: capital city of Mirea
Tsitsian Village: an immigrant neighborhood in Sharakhai
Tulathan: goddess of law and order, sister moon of the goddess Rhia
Vadram: Osman’s predecessor in the shading business
Vandraama Mountains: a mountain range bordering the desert
vetiver: the root of a grass that yields fragrant oil used in perfumery and as a medicinal
Lord Veşdi: Külaşan’s eldest living son; Master of Coin
vizir/vizira: a high official, minister of state
Wadi: Devorah’s borrowed stallion
Way of Jewels: location in the city
the Well: a neighborhood near the Shallows; Osman’s pits are there
western harbor: the smallest and seediest of the city’s four sandy harbors
the Wheel: the massive circle where four thoroughfares meet: the Spear, the Trough, Coffer Street, and Hazghad Road
White Wolf: Çeda’s moniker in the fighting pits of Sharakhai
Yael: mother of Devorah and Leorah
Yanca: Çeda and Emre’s neighbor in Roseridge
Yasmine: Meryam’s murdered sister, Ramahd’s wife and mother of Rehann
Yerinde: goddess of love and ambition; once stole Tulathan away “for love”
Yerinde’s Kiss: a honey collected from the rare stone bees’ nests; used as an aphrodisiac
Yerinde’s Snare: the convergence of a twisting web of streets; the most populous district in Sharakhai
Yosan Mahzun’ava: one of Tehla’s brothers
Zaïde: a Matron in service to the Kings; heals and takes Çeda into the House of Maidens
zilij: a board Çeda fashioned from skimwood, used as a conveyance to glide easily over sand
Acknowledgments
This book marks the beginning of the end, the start of the second half of this grand tale. Once again there are many people to thank. Extra helpings go out to Paul Genesse for knowing the right places to push, making sure I’m staying true to the story, and for all the brainstorming sessions we had to iron out the kinks in this book. To Renée Ann Torres and Femke Giesolf, thank you once again for reading the manuscript and sharing your thoughts. It’s especially valuable to have beta readers who know the story so well.
My publishers, DAW and Gollancz, and their teams deserve a hearty round of applause. To Betsy Wollheim, thank you for your guidance and your belief in the series. To Gillian Redfearn, thank you for your dreaded red pen and for forcing me to trim the story to its essence. To Marylou Capes-Platt, thank you once again for your keen eye. The copy editing stage can be brutal, but I’d much rather have that than release a book that’s not the best it can be. Only two tomes left until this grand tale is done! Thank you to everyone in the DAW and Gollancz production, marketing, sales, and back office support teams for seeing this book through to publication and beyond.
I am indebted to my agent, Russ Galen, not only for this book, but for helping to ensure that the full series will see the light of day. Many thanks to Danny Baror and Heather Baror-Shapiro as well for your tireless efforts in bringing this series to readers all over the world.
To the Shattered Sands fans out there, thank you for all the encouragement, the emails sharing your enthusiasm, and all the crowing about the books. I see it and I appreciate it. The series would be nowhere without you.
About the Author
Bradley P. Beaulieu is the author of the Lays of Anuskaya Trilogy and the Song of Shattered Sands series. His novels have garnered many accolades, including a Gemmell Morningstar Award nomination. He is also an L. Ron Hubbard Writers of the Future Award winner.
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Beneath the Twisted Trees Page 67