Sipar – The God, who represents death, peace, love, land, the cold of winter.
Spanner – A Traveler who can cover great distance in a short period of time with the use of a sextant.
Spirecount – A measure of time equal to counting to one hundred. So named because all spires in all the sanctuaries of the Two have one hundred stairs. There are one hundred spirecounts in a bell.
Tencount – A measure of time equal to counting to ten.
Tincture – An addictive and narcotic spirit used by Seers (Magi) to enable their talents for divination, perception, and remembrance.
Tirribin – Also known as time demons, they appear as children, beautiful, but smelling faintly of rot and decay. They are deadly, preying on humans and consuming their years. They have an understanding of time that goes far beyond that of humans, even Walkers. But they can be distracted by riddles.
Traveler – Often a native of the Sisters or Sipar’s Labyrinth, trained on Trevynisle, and assigned to a noble court, s/he can be a Crosser, Spanner, or Walker. A Traveler expresses his/her talent through the use of a Bound device (aperture for a Crosser, sextant for a Spanner, chronofor for a Walker). Travelers using these traditional devices must Travel unclothed and unburdened by any objects save the devices themselves.
Trey – A triangular silver coin equal in value to ten brass quads.
Tri-aperture – A Bound, golden device resembling an aperture, but constructed in three circlets that intersect to form a wedge. Three Crossers, standing in a triangular formation, can move themselves and any people standing in the space defined by their positions through matter, so long as one of the people within the triangle is also a Crosser bearing a traditional aperture. Crossers Traveling by tri-aperture can be clothed and can bear objects in addition to their bound devices.
Tri-devices – Bound, golden devices developed in the 630s and used by Travelers. They enable groups of Travelers to Span or Cross together, fully clothed and bearing objects, including weapons. There are tri-apertures and tri-sextants. There are, as of yet, no tri-chronofors.
Tri-sextant – A Bound, golden device resembling a sextant, but constructed with three arcs. Three Spanners, standing in a triangular formation, can transport themselves and any people standing in the space defined by their positions, so long as one of the people within the triangle is also a Spanner bearing a traditional sextant. Spanners Traveling by tri-sextant can be clothed and can bear objects in addition to their bound devices.
Turn – A measure of time equal to thirty days and corresponding to the cycle of the moon.
Two, The – Kheraya and Sipar, the Goddess and God, worshipped in some isles or cities in tandem, and in others individually.
Walker – A Traveler who can move through time with the use of a chronofor. For each day a Walker moves backward or forward through time, s/he ages a corresponding day.
The Year (Each season is equal to three turns; each turn is equal to thirty days):
Spring:
(Kheraya’s Emergence – Equinox, Goddess’s day, first day of the year. Powerful, sensual day and night.)
Kheraya’s Stirring – Storms and wind, the first hint of life’s return
Kheraya’s Waking – Warm, rainy, peaceful, plantings begin in the northern isles
Kheraya’s Ascent – Warmer, blooming, resplendent, plantings begin in the southern isles
Summer:
(Kheraya Ascendent – Summer Solstice, a day of feasts, celebration, gift-giving)
Kheraya’s Descent – Hot, dry, northern crops begin to come in
Kheraya’s Fading – Hot, stormy, southern crops begin to come in
Kheraya’s Settling – Hot, languid days
Autumn:
(Sipar’s Emergence – Equinox, God’s day, the pivot of the year. Powerful, sensual day and night.)
Sipar’s Stirring – Stormy, windy, harvest begins in the southern isles
Sipar’s Waking – Cool, clear, harvest begins in the northern isles
Sipar’s Ascent – End of harvest, leaves changing, resplendent
Winter:
(Sipar Ascendent – Winter Solstice, a day of fasting, contemplation)
Sipar’s Descent – Cold, snows begin in southern isles
Sipar’s Fading – Cold, storms and snow in northern isles
Sipar’s Settling – Cold, quiet, shortest days.
Acknowledgments
Writing this book challenged me, perhaps more than any other I’ve worked on. And so, predictably, I have many people to thank.
Faith Hunter endured many angst-filled phone conversations as I struggled with early drafts, and helped me brainstorm a key section during a memorable drive to ConCarolinas. Toni Weiskopf generously took time out of a Saturday at a convention to speak with me about the book and its broader themes. Misty Massey offered helpful feedback on the opening pages, and A J Hartley joined me for conversations over beers and dinners that contributed more to my work than he could ever know.
My dear friends in the original Rivendell Writer’s Group – Laura Willis, Virginia Craighill, Megan Roberts, April Alvarez, and Patrick Dean – offered invaluable critiques on several chapters. Thanks as well to Carmen Toussaint, Director of the Rivendell Writers’ Colony in Sewanee, Tennessee, for supporting our group and allowing us access to that magnificent venue.
Thanks also to my sensitivity readers Kia Goins and Kimberly Richardson, whose comments were extremely helpful.
Lucienne Diver, friend and agent extraordinaire, offered me a thorough and incisive critique of the first completed draft of this novel. She identified issues I had missed and pushed me to take chances from which I had shied away. Her input improved the book tremendously. Plus, you know, she sold it.
I am so grateful to the wonderful people at Angry Robot: Marc Gascoigne, Phil Jourdan, Penny Reeve, Mike Underwood, and Nick Tyler. Their enthusiasm for the story and willingness to work with me on any number of issues have made this first venture together a pleasure.
Finally, and as always, my deepest gratitude goes to my wife, Nancy, and our daughters, Alex and Erin. This book is about magic and time travel, intrigue and suspense. But at root, when everything else is stripped away, it’s about family. Much like real life for the fortunate among us. I am blessed to have these three brilliant, beautiful, loving women in my world.
About the Author
D B Jackson is the award-winning author of more than twenty books and as many short stories, spanning historical fiction, epic fantasy, contemporary fantasy, and the occasional media tie-in. His novels have been translated into more than a dozen languages. He has a Masters degree and PhD in US history, and briefly considered a career in academia. He wisely thought better of it. He and his family live in the mountains of Appalachia.
dbjackson-author.com • twitter.com/dbjacksonauthor
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Judgment day
An Angry Robot paperback original 2018
Copyright © D B Jackson 2018
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UK ISBN 978 0 85766 791 5
US ISBN 978 0 85766 791 5
EBook ISBN 978 0 85766 792 2
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ISBN: 978-0-85766-792-2
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