Mordant's Need by Stephen R. Donaldson
So the celebration went forward, full of music and orations, dancing and wine, vows and homage. On the Congery’s behalf, Master Barsonage rejected any unseemly ostentation for the Masters. For himself, however, he claimed the right to stand as Terisa’s father during the ceremony. Happy and fustian in a remarkably red robe, he accompanied Terisa through the formalities, and made speeches on her behalf, and generally behaved as if he were as proud as the Domne.
Thus the arch-Imager Terisa of Morgan and Adept Geraden of Domne were married like the princess and the hero in a fable: grandly (some said gloriously) surrounded by family and friends and honor and respect, in a world which they had helped bring to safety. She had lost her father’s wealth in order to gain her own power, and the enchantment which had held her was gone. And he had inherited something better than Cares or kingdoms, which was himself: his courage and his willing heart had come into their true birthright.
In the ceremony of marriage, they made a number of vows, all of which added up to the same thing: they promised to help each other hear horns.
Copyright
A Gollancz eBook
Copyright © Stephen R. Donaldson 1986, 1987
All rights reserved.
The right of Stephen R. Donaldson to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
This edition first published in Great Britain in 2007 by
Gollancz
The Orion Publishing Group Ltd
Orion House
5 Upper Saint Martin’s Lane
London, WC2H 9EA
An Hachette UK Company
This eBook first published in 2011 by Gollancz.
A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
ISBN 978 0 575 10848 6
All characters and events in this publication are fictitious and any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior permission in writing of the publisher, nor to be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published without a similar condition, including this condition, being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.
www.stephendonaldson.com
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Table of Contents
Also by Stephen R. Donaldson
The Mirror of her Dreams
Prologue: TERISA AND GERADEN
BOOK ONE
One: CALLING
Two: THE SOUND OF HORNS
Three: TRANSLATION
Four: THE OLD DODDERER
Five: WARDROBES FULL OF CLOTHES
Six: A FEW LESSONS
Seven: THE DUNGEONS OF ORISON
Eight: VARIOUS ENCOUNTERS
Nine: MASTER EREMIS AT PLAY
Ten: THE LAST ALEND AMBASSADOR
Eleven: A FEW DAYS WITH NOTHING TO DO
Twelve: WHAT MEN DO WITH WOMEN
Thirteen: FOLLY IN GOOD FAITH
BOOK TWO
Fourteen: OUT OF THE RUBBLE
Fifteen: ROMANTIC NOTIONS
Sixteen: WHO YOUR FRIENDS ARE
Seventeen: TERISA TAKES ACTION
Eighteen: A LITTLE CONVERSATION
Nineteen: THE ADVANTAGES OF AN EARLY THAW
Twenty: FAMILY MATTERS
Twenty-One: AT LEAST ONE PLOT DISCOVERED
Twenty-Two: QUESTIONS ABOUT BEING BESIEGED
Twenty-Three: ANTICIPATING DISASTER
Twenty-Four: THE BEGINNING OF THE END
Twenty-Five: MASTER EREMIS IN EARNEST
Twenty-Six: FRATRICIDE
A Man Rides Through
BOOK THREE
Twenty-Seven: THE PRINCE’S SIEGE
Twenty-Eight: A DAY OF TROUBLE
Twenty-Nine: TERISA HAS VISITORS
Thirty: ODD CHOICES
Thirty-One: HOP-BOARD
Thirty-Two: THE BENEFIT OF SONS
Thirty-Three: PEACE IN HOUSELDON
Thirty-Four: FRUSTRATED STATES
Thirty-Five: AN OLD ALLY OF THE KING
Thirty-Six: GATHERING SUPPORT
Thirty-Seven: POISED FOR VICTORY
Thirty-Eight: CONFLICT AT THE GATES
Thirty-Nine: THE FINAL PIECE OF BAIT
BOOK FOUR
Forty: THE LORD OF LAST RESORT
Forty-One: THE USES OF TALENT
Forty-Two: UNEXPECTED TRANSLATIONS
Forty-Three: THE ONLY REASONABLE THING TO DO
Forty-Four: MEN GO FORTH
Forty-Five: THE ALEND MONARCH’S GAMBLE
Forty-Six: A PLACE OF DEATH
Forty-Seven: ON THE VERGE
Forty-Eight: THE CONGERY AT WORK
Forty-Nine: THE KING’S LAST HOPES
Fifty: CAREFUL RISKS
Fifty-One: THE THINGS MEN DO WITH MIRRORS
Fifty-Two: NO MORE FIGHTING
Epilogue: CROWNING THE PIECES
Copyright
Table of Contents
Also by Stephen R. Donaldson
The Mirror of her Dreams
Prologue: TERISA AND GERADEN
BOOK ONE
One: CALLING
Two: THE SOUND OF HORNS
Three: TRANSLATION
Four: THE OLD DODDERER
Five: WARDROBES FULL OF CLOTHES
Six: A FEW LESSONS
Seven: THE DUNGEONS OF ORISON
Eight: VARIOUS ENCOUNTERS
Nine: MASTER EREMIS AT PLAY
Ten: THE LAST ALEND AMBASSADOR
Eleven: A FEW DAYS WITH NOTHING TO DO
Twelve: WHAT MEN DO WITH WOMEN
Thirteen: FOLLY IN GOOD FAITH
BOOK TWO
Fourteen: OUT OF THE RUBBLE
Fifteen: ROMANTIC NOTIONS
Sixteen: WHO YOUR FRIENDS ARE
Seventeen: TERISA TAKES ACTION
Eighteen: A LITTLE CONVERSATION
Nineteen: THE ADVANTAGES OF AN EARLY THAW
Twenty: FAMILY MATTERS
Twenty-One: AT LEAST ONE PLOT DISCOVERED
Twenty-Two: QUESTIONS ABOUT BEING BESIEGED
Twenty-Three: ANTICIPATING DISASTER
Twenty-Four: THE BEGINNING OF THE END
Twenty-Five: MASTER EREMIS IN EARNEST
Twenty-Six: FRATRICIDE
A Man Rides Through
BOOK THREE
Twenty-Seven: THE PRINCE’S SIEGE
Twenty-Eight: A DAY OF TROUBLE
Twenty-Nine: TERISA HAS VISITORS
Thirty: ODD CHOICES
Thirty-One: HOP-BOARD
Thirty-Two: THE BENEFIT OF SONS
Thirty-Three: PEACE IN HOUSELDON
Thirty-Four: FRUSTRATED STATES
Thirty-Five: AN OLD ALLY OF THE KING
Thirty-Six: GATHERING SUPPORT
Thirty-Seven: POISED FOR VICTORY
Thirty-Eight: CONFLICT AT THE GATES
Thirty-Nine: THE FINAL PIECE OF BAIT
BOOK FOUR
Forty: THE LORD OF LAST RESORT
Forty-One: THE USES OF TALENT
Forty-Two: UNEXPECTED TRANSLATIONS
Forty-Three: THE ONLY REASONABLE THING TO DO
Forty-Four: MEN GO FORTH
Forty-Five: THE ALEND MONARCH’S GAMBLE
Forty-Six: A PLACE OF DEATH
Forty-Seven: ON THE VERGE
Forty-Eight: THE CONGERY AT WORK
Forty-Nine: THE KING’S LAST HOPES
Fifty: CAREFUL RISKS
Fifty-One: THE THINGS MEN DO WITH MIRRORS
Fifty-Two: NO MORE FIGHTING
Epilogue: CROWNING THE PIECES
Copyright
Stephen R. Donaldson, Mordant's Need