Broaddum did not translate, and instead looked blankly at Ago’an.
“You tell him, boy,” Ago’an said.
The old man asked Broaddum a question, and Broaddum answered it. The old man then stood and approached Ago’an.
Ago’an noticed, as the old man came toward him calmly, that he was much more substantial than he had appeared sitting in the dark. He was tall, much taller than Ago’an, and despite being twenty years or so older, he had maintained an athletic, muscular physique. This man looked as though he could hold his own in a fight.
And he proved it, landing a hard punch to Ago’an’s left temple which toppled his chair and sent him crashing to the floor.
Two Profaner soldiers hurriedly stood the chair back up, and then the old man delivered another blow. This time Ago’an’s nose exploded with the force of the uppercut. In all his years in combat he had never experienced so much pain.
“He would like to know if he has your attention,” Broaddum said, as the old man glowered at him, ready to strike again.
Ago’an nodded, gasping for breath.
“What is the disposition of the Udar force?”
He smiled, blood pouring down from his abused nostrils.
“This is a poor question,” he told Broaddum. “Our force is everywhere. Everywhere. When it comes it will overwhelm your womanish defenses.”
“Where will the first attack come?”
Ago’an shook his head. “No. I will not tell you.”
The old man then unsheathed his knife, a fearsome instrument longer and sharper even than a well-made Udar Izwei. Standing behind Ago’an, he traced a thin line across the Udar’s chest with the tip of that knife, opening the skin from his left armpit to his right. The old man looked down on him and spoke to him in the gibberish Profaner tongue.
“He says he knows what material the Udar use to make their clothing,” Broaddum translated. “He knows that it is human skin. He says perhaps he will make clothing from your skin, and you may watch him do it.”
Ago’an looked at Broaddum, who looked back at him blankly. He looked up at the old man, who smiled as he brought the knife, dripping as it was with his blood, down to his chest for a second time. The tip met his wound just a bit above his sternum.
“Trenory,” he said, quickly. “The place you call Trenory. And the port you call Azuria.”
Ago’an knew he had just committed a great dishonor. But by now, he rationalized, it would be too late for the enemy to stop the invasion to come. He was not prepared to be skinned alive, and this man menacing him looked serious enough to carry out his threat.
“The Ardenian officers at Strongstead that you kept as prisoners while maintaining your ruse that the citadel had not fallen,” Broaddum said, “are they still alive?”
“Yes,” Ago’an answered, “though they have no further value now that you know Gana’fali has been retaken. They will be brought to Qor Udar and sacrificed on the steps of the Great Ziggurat of Ur’akeen.”
“They will not,” Broaddum said. “They will be traded to Ardenia.”
“Traded?” Ago’an snorted. “For what?”
“For you.”
“You would trade me for six children of no account?” Ago’an laughed. “Fools, you are. By all means, let us make this trade.”
Broaddum looked at the old man and nodded. He pushed paper and a pen-brush at Ago’an. Ago’an’s right arm was freed.
“Sign this note ordering the exchange,” Broaddum said. Ago’an saw that it was written in Udar rune.
He signed the paper, and his hands were bound again. Broaddum and the old man departed, and then his captors dragged him into another room.
Waiting for him there were two men wearing heavy hoods and gloves with glasses over their eyes. He was bound to a chair and his captors left the room. After re-setting his nose and packing it with gauze, the two men produced cloths they dabbed in a green mixture from a bowl and proceeded to clean the wound on his chest, setting it newly afire in pain.
He was then tightly bandaged. One of the men knocked on the door of the room and his captors, now similarly wearing hoods and gloves with glasses over their eyes, arrived to bring him back to his cage.
Broaddum was there, with the old man and the captain of the ship he’d been hauled aboard when taken six days before. Bay-ker, Ago’an remembered he was called.
“We are taking you back aboard the Adelaide,” Broaddum said. “Your people have signaled over the teletext that they will accept the exchange. We depart at once for Strongstead.”
“I shall return here soon enough,” Ago’an said, “at the head of one million men to crush your defenses as I did at Gana’fali.”
“Of course you will,” mocked the old man, in perfect Udar. “Of course you will.”
THE END
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I’ll preface this with an author’s note, which is to say I spent a very long time contemplating the transition between a would-be author of fiction and the actual thing (though perhaps that is too pretentious; I leave it to the reader to judge whether the transition is complete). When I finally did sit down to write Animus, it was with the encouragement of a few friends who share my feeling that too few of us who believe in values and principles tending to the traditional actually participate in the generation of cultural and artistic content. I spent twenty years thinking that I’d write a novel at some point, and when I did sit down to do it I managed to crank out the first draft of this book – 165 pages’ worth – in only eight days. I’m still trying to contain my regret in not venturing forth as an author sooner.
Among those who helped push me over the edge into this path I’d like to single out two; Chris Treadaway and Eric Skrmetta, who were most persuasive in encouraging me to light the fuse on this project. Chris and Eric also read early drafts of Animus and offered valuable insights, for which I also must thank them.
They weren’t alone. Thanks go out also to Ron and Susan McKay, my parents, who read each draft and helped guide the story along by pointing our plot holes and good ideas, Millard Mule and Claire McCrary for their encouragement and input, Mark Mainous for contributing technical expertise on matters medical, and Kurt Schlichter for his inspiration and advice. And to Hugh Howey, whose author blog was invaluable as I began this process.
Thanks also to Carol Butler for assistance in providing edits for grammar, punctuation, sentence structure and readability. This book went from a daydream to a finished product in just more than three months largely because I was able to focus on the plot and story with the knowledge she would help to clean up the messes made along the way. And to Kevin Gallagher, whose voiceover for the audiobook version of Animus is a masterpiece.
Thanks, of course, to David Caruso and Kortney Cleveland for their work on graphic design. David took the description of the C-1 cavalry fighting knife in the book and turned it into that monster you see on the cover, and in so doing might have created a miniature marketing sensation. If you’re interested in owning one, check out our website at http://talesofardenia.com and watch for updates.
And finally, thanks to all the others that have helped me along the way to make it possible for me to write this book, and to those who deserve it I deeply apologize for having omitted a specific mention of your name.
Scott McKay
September 17, 2019
GLOSSARY, PRONUNCIATION GUIDE AND CHARACTERS
Places and things
Udar
Afan'di (Uh-FAWN-dee) - a home camp of the Udar
Aniwa'di (AHN-ee-WAD-dee) - an hallucinogenic cactus which grows in Uris Udar; used to make the intoxicating marwai liquor
Anur (Uh-NOOR) - a mobile military camp; the basic unit of Udar society
Avoy (Uh-VOY) - An Udar exclamation meaning "Now!"
Azmeri (Uhz-MERRY) - a sacrifice to the Udar god Ur'akeen
Ba’kalo (Buh-KAH-low) – An Udar halberd
Enafan'di (In-a-FAWN-dee) - an Udar
religious law holding that no Udar warrior should ever die a peaceful death outside his Afan'di, or home camp.
Gana'fali (GANN-a-FAHL-ee) - a shoreline on the Leopold Bay coast on which the Ardenian fortress of Strongstead was built. The Udar consider the shore a sacred place.
Gazol (Ga-ZOLL) – An Udar curved sword; like a cutlass, but with a skinnier blade
Gibor (Gee-BORR) - a berry similar to belladonna, though less toxic; which grows in Uris Udar; used to make the intoxicating marwai liquor
Izwei (IZZway) – An Udar fighting knife, consisting of a two-sided blade with thick barbs on each side
Javeen (Jah-VEEN) - an Ardenian woman held as a concubine by an Udar Anur
Kawes'kin (COW-us-KEEN) - an Udar tradition in which battles and disputes are decided through single combat
Lepon'hin (Luh-pun-HEEN) - the Udar name for The Throat, the isthmus dividing the two lands
Marwai (MARR-wye) - an intoxicating Udar liquor made from gibor berries similar to belladonna and aniwa'di, a hallucinogenic cactus; its effects include making its user quite docile
Qur Udar (KOOR-OO-DAR) - the capital city of Uris Udar
Rochat (Ro-KOTT) - An Udar command meaning "Submit!"
Sa'halet (Suh-HALL-it) - the title given to the Udar king; also the high priest of the Udar religion, who communicates with the god Ur'akeen through dreams and visions
Ur'akeen (Oo-rah-KEEN) - The Udar god
Var'asha (Varr-ASH-uh) - an Udar headman of an Anur tribe
Vitau'hi (Vee-TAU-hye) - the dreaded Blood Raptor, a giant predatory bird thought to be extinct which kills its victims in an especially gruesome way
Ardenia and others
Bergod (Berr-GOAD) - a port in the nation of Thosia.
Cavol (Kuh-VOLL) - a nation across the Great Sea; the home of the infamous Mottled Men
Divinate (Duh-VINE-et) Academy- the most prestigious religious school in Ardenia Deciran - the unit of Ardenian currency, based on the value of 1/10th of an ounce of gold
Faith Supernal - the national religion in Ardenia
Lord of All - the deity worshipped in Ardenia according to the Faith Supernal
Peace Party - the dominant political party in Ardenia, holding the large majority of Delegate seats in the Parliament
Prosperitans - one of two opposition parties in Ardenia. When the former majority party the Party of Enterprise split apart, Prosperitans and Terrorialists became competing opposition factions to the Peace Party.
Resinan (Rez-ZINN-un) - principal city of Leria
Societam (So-SY-et-um) - The legislative seat of Ardenia, akin to the U.S. Capitol. The Ardenian parliament, composed of delegates, meets at the Societam.
Strongstead - a massive Ardenian fortress located on the coast of Leopold Bay, on a shoreline the Udar call Gana'fali. Thought impregnable.
Sunrise Temple - one of Principia's most prominent institutions dedicated to worship of the Lord of All and provision of social aid; located in the mostly-poor Ackerton District on the east side of the capital city.
Territorialists - one of two opposition parties in Ardenia. When the former majority party the Party of Enterprise split apart, Prosperitans and Terrorialists became competing opposition factions to the Peace Party.
The Throat - a mountainous isthmus dividing the northern and southern portions of the Great Continent. Closing The Throat to the Udar is a national-security imperative the Ardenians have, according to critics, paid insufficient attention to.
Trenory (TRENN-or-ry) - The largest city in southwest Ardenia
Waldiver (WALL-div-ver) - a prominent finishing school for girls in Trenory
People
Ago'an (AH-go-AWN) - an Udar military commander, brother of the Udar king and in charge of the Udar invasion of Ardenia
Baker, Patrick - a naval commander and captain of the Ardenian naval ship Adelaide
Broadham, Joseph - translator on the Ardenian naval ship Adelaide, and son of famous Ardenian author Georgia Broadham
Cross, Preston - father of Sebastian Cross; the head of a super-rich Morgan River Valley family
Cross, Sebastian - a famous aviator who circumnavigated the planet in an airship; CEO of the Airbound Corporation, an airship line
Dees, Abraham - an Ardenian general, the head of the Army-Navy Office of Special Warfare
Edyene (Edd-YENN-ay) - an Udar female captured at sea by the Ardenian vessel Adelaide; she asked for and was granted permission to defect
Forling, William - the youngest son of John and Lillian Forling of Grayvern Farm in the Dunnan's Claim territory; a cadet at the Aldingham military academy
Gray, Ralph - a powerful Delegate of the Ardenian Parliament from Belgarden
Gregg, Madison - the Cross family solicitor and a powerful lobbyist at the Ardenian capitol
Gregory, Winston - a prominent Peace Party political boss from Belgarden
Gresham, Winford - an aviation engineer and Sebastian Cross' business partner in the Airbound Corporation airship line
Harms, Horace - a powerful Delegate to the Ardenian Parliament from the city of Belgarden
Irving, Boyd - an Ardenian Marine captain in charge of customs at the river port of Barley Point
Irving, Helen - sister of Boyd Irving and a resident of Barley Point
Latham, H.V. - an architect from Port William engaged to design an upgrade to Hilltop Farm
Naughton, Charlotte - wife of John Naughton, the commander of Ardenian forces at Strongstead; when captured by the Udar, her name was changed to Shori'zel
Pleasance, Oliver - a politically-connected executive with Foreman Technologies of Belgarden
Rapan'na (RAH-PANN-NA) - commander of the Udar raid into Dunnan's Claim
Rawer, Jack - First Mate on the Ardenian naval ship Adelaide
Reeves, Marcus - an engineer in Principia on the forefront of military technology, working for Preston Cross
Stuart, David - brother of George Stuart; a wealthy businessman in Dunnansport and the head of the town's militia
Stuart, Ethan - the youngest of George and Judith Stuart's children
Stuart, George - a famous hero of Dunnan's War and the head of the wealthy Stuart family of Hilltop Farm in Dunnan's Claim
Stuart, Hannah - the youngest daughter of George and Judith Stuart
Stuart, Judith - wife of George Stuart
Stuart, Matthew - the oldest son of George and Judith Stuart; an officer at the Ardenian fortress of Strongstead
Stuart, Rebecca - wife of David Stuart
Stuart, Robert - the second-oldest child of George and Judith Stuart; a cadet at the Aldingham military academy
Stuart, Sarah - the oldest daughter and third-oldest child of George and Judith Stuart
Stuart, Tabitha - the middle daughter of George and Judith Stuart
Terhune, Alfred (Terr-HYOON) - the Ardenian cavalry commander at Barley Point
Ubel'la (Oo-BELL-la) - the Udar king
Vines, Mortimer - a powerful Delegate of the Ardenian Parliament from Belgarden
Wade, Alice - a wealthy widow in Dunnansport, and the fiancee of Patrick Baker
Well, Charles - an Ardenian Marine lieutenant from the naval ship Adelaide, attached to the rescue force
Table of Contents
PROLOGUE
ONE: Hilltop Farm – Morning (first day)
TWO: The Barley Point Road – Morning (first day)
THREE: In the South of Dunnan’s Claim – Noon (first day)
FOUR: Barley Point – Noon (first day)
FIVE: Dunnansport – Afternoon (First day)
SIX: Belgarden – Afternoon (First Day)
SEVEN: Port William – Afternoon (First Day)
EIGHT: The Camp – Evening (First Day)
NINE: Barley Point – Evening (First Day)
TEN: Pelgreen – Evening (First Day)
ELEVEN: Dunnansport – Evening (First Day)
TWELVE: Principia – Night (First Day)
THIRTEEN: Hillt
op Farm – Night (First Day)
FOURTEEN: South of Dunnansport – Early Morning (Second Day)
FIFTEEN: Elkstrand – Early Morning (Second Day)
SIXTEEN: The Camp – Early Morning (Second Day)
SEVENTEEN: Principia – Morning (Second Day)
EIGHTEEN: The Rendezvous – Morning (Second Day)
NINETEEN: Cotter’s Point – Morning (Second Day)
TWENTY: From The Camp, moving southwest – Morning (Second Day)
TWENTY ONE: On The Small Rise – Noon (Second Day)
TWENTY TWO: Principia – Afternoon (Second Day)
TWENTY THREE: Watkins Gulf – Noon (Second Day)
TWENTY FOUR: Principia – Afternoon (Second Day)
TWENTY FIVE: Sutton Hill – Noon (Second Day)
TWENTY SIX: West of Sutton Hill – Afternoon (Second Day)
TWENTY SEVEN: The Mouth of the Cave – Afternoon (Second Day)
TWENTY EIGHT: Sutton Hill – Afternoon (Second Day)
TWENTY NINE: Watkins Gulf – Evening (Second Day)
THIRTY: The Mouth of the Cave – Evening (Second Day)
THIRTY ONE: The Ridge – Night (Second Day)
THIRTY TWO: The Mouth of the Cave – Night (Second Day)
THIRTY THREE: The Ridge – Midnight (Second Day)
THIRTY FOUR: The Mouth of the Cave – Midnight (Second Day)
THIRTY FIVE: Along The Coast – Dawn (Third Day)
THIRTY SIX: Kawes’kin – Morning (Third Day)
THIRTY SEVEN: The Beach – Morning (Third Day)
THIRTY EIGHT: The Beach – Morning (Third Day)
THIRTY NINE: Belgrave Station – Early Morning (Third Day)
FORTY: Watkins Gulf – Noon (Third Day)
FORTY ONE: Dunnansport – Morning (Fourth Day)
FORTY TWO: Dunnansport – Morning (Fourth Day)
FORTY THREE: Dunnansport – Morning (Fourth Day)
FORTY FOUR: Dunnansport – Evening (Fourth Day)
FORTY FIVE: Dunnansport – Morning (Fifth Day)
FORTY SIX: Barley Point – Morning (Sixth Day)