Paladin of Souls (Curse of Chalion) Read online

  Paladin

  of

  Souls

  Lois McMaster Bujold

  DEDICATION

  For Sylvia Kelso,

  syntax wrangler and

  Ista partisan first class

  CONTENTS

  Dedication

  HarperCollins E-book Extras

  The Keys to Chalion:

  A Dictionary of People, Places, and Things

  Chalion Miscellany

  Chapter One

  Ista leaned forward between the crenellations atop…

  Chapter Two

  Ista sat in her mother’s rose arbor, twisting a fine…

  Chapter Three

  Ista spent the early morning sorting through…

  Chapter Four

  The next day’s riding began early and ran long…

  Chapter Five

  They lingered two more days in Casilchas, waiting…

  Chapter Six

  Liss was the first to get control of her mount and …

  Chapter Seven

  Ista stood in her stirrups, wrapped her dry tongue…

  Chapter Eight

  In the face of this thundering conviction…

  Chapter Nine

  Ista clung to ferda’s elbow as he escorted her across…

  Chapter Ten

  Flanked by two smiling ladies-in-waiting, the young…

  Chapter Eleven

  Cattilara’s ladies wrapped ista in a graceful, gauzy…

  Chapter Twelve

  The room was lighter than she’d seen it in her vision…

  Chapter Thirteen

  The sun was barely over the horizon when lady…

  Chapter Fourteen

  Arhys’s smile grew fixed and wary. he regarded…

  Chapter Fifteen

  A pall was cast over porifors that evening. the castle’s…

  Chapter Sixteen

  Ista hurried under the archway into the entry court…

  Chapter Seventeen

  Foix, disquiet in his eyes, leaned his elbows on the…

  Chapter Eighteen

  Liss was brushing out Ista’s hair before bed, a task…

  Chapter Nineteen

  In the forecourt, ista was startled by the horse liss…

  Chapter Twenty

  A low moan broke from goram’s lips as he crouched…

  Chapter Twenty-one

  Cattilara’s chamber had much the same air…

  Chapter Twenty-two

  They crossed the court of the flowers and climbed…

  Chapter Twenty-three

  It was close to midnight before lord arhys went to…

  Chapter Twenty-four

  Ista’s aching legs pushed her up the narrow…

  Chapter Twenty-five

  Ista had just finished washing, or at least, cleaning…

  Chapter Twenty-six

  A wave of light passed along the deep violet cord be…

  Chapter Twenty-seven

  Lord dy baocia and ser dy ferrej led the rush to ista’s…

  Chapter Twenty-eight

  Arhys’s funeral took place the next morning…

  About the Author

  Books by Lois McMaster Bujold

  Copyright

  About the Publisher

  E-BOOK EXTRA

  The Keys to Chalion:

  A Dictionary of People, Places, and Things

  Note: the descriptions in this document contain spoilers for various plot points in The Curse of Chalion and Paladin of Souls by Lois McMaster Bujold. If you have not read the entirety of both books and do not wish to see such spoilers, you should stop reading now.

  PRONUNCIATION KEY

  ch = ch as in church

  g = g as in girl

  zh = s as in pleasure

  oh = o as in go

  aa = a as in as, or cat

  ah = a as in father

  are = air

  ar = are

  au = ou as in out

  DEFINITIONS

  Acolyte: An intermediate rank of members of a holy order, above a dedicat and below a divine.

  Ajelo dy: (ah-ZHEH-lo, dee) Family of minor relatives of the provincars of Baocia.

  Annaliss of Labran: (AH-nah-liss) Courier for the Chancellery of Chalion. Black hair, of medium height, 18 years old. Daughter of the holder of a small estate near Teneret.

  Arbanos, Illvin dy: (ar-BAHN-ohs, ILL-vin dee) Master of horse for and half brother of Arhys dy Lutez. High forehead, frosted dark long hair worn in the Roknari style, dark eyes. Speaks Roknari fluently. About 39 years old.

  Arbanos, Ser dy: (ar-BAHN-ohs, dee) The late castle warder of Porifors for Arvol dy Lutez. His mother was Roknari.

  Archdivine: The person with highest and central administrative responsibility for a region of the Temple, including all the orders operating therein; in Chalion, there is one for each province, and their seat is normally in the provincial capital. Compare to divine.

  Archipelago: See Roknar Archipelago.

  Baocia: (bay-OH-see-ah) Centralmost province of Chalion. Cities: Valenda, Taryoon. The Baocian guard wears green and black.

  Baocia, Provincar of: Ruler of the province of Baocia in Chalion, son of the dowager Provincara, and uncle to Royesse Iselle.

  Bastard: One of the five gods in Quintarian theology, but regarded as a demon in Quadrene theology. The Bastard is the god of balance, of all disasters out of season, of bastard children and orphans, of executioners and many other dirty jobs, and the god of odd loves, such as sodomy. The Bastard was begotten by a demon on the Lady of Summer. Acolytes wear white; rat and crow are sacred animals in Chalion, gull is sacred in Ibra.

  Bastard’s Day: An intercalary holiday, inserted every two years after Mother’s Midsummer, to prevent the calendar precessing from alignment with the seasons.

  Bastard’s Teeth: A mountain range between Ibra and Chalion.

  Beetim: (BEE-tim) Huntsman for the dowager Provincara of Baocia.

  Behar: (beh-HAR) Brajaran poet, author of the classic verse romance The Legend of the Green Tree.

  Bergon, Royse: (berg-on) Second son of the Fox of Ibra (and a child of his Darthacan second wife), who became the heir after the death of his rebellious older brother. Tall, brown hair tinged with reddish highlights. Childhood nickname used by his mother was Danni. He was kidnapped by his older brother and sold to the Roknari galleys, and was saved by Cazaril from being raped by the oar-master.

  Betriz: (bee-TREZ) See Ferrej, Betriz dy.

  blocks-and-dodges: Game played with a carved board and colored marbles.

  Bonneret, Learned: (BON-ur-RET) Royina Iselle’s private secretary, a divine of the Father. A neat dark-haired fellow about 30 years old.

  Borasnen: (bor-AAS-nen) One of the Roknari princedoms, located between Jokona and Vardo and north of Chalion at Gotorget. Capital city is the port of Visping.

  Brajar: (brah-ZHAR) Country to the east of Chalion, a royacy; language spoken is Ibran. Brajar has good ports.

  Brajar, Roya of: Ruler of Brajar. “An aging drunkard who sports with his court ladies.”

  Brauda: (Ser dy - BROW-dah, dee) A member of the pilgrimage party that Ista encounters. A dedicat of the Son, an older man travelling with his son.

  Brother: See Son of Autumn.

  Cabon, Learned Chivar dy: (CAB-un, SHIH-var dee) A divine of the Bastard. An obese young ma
n, cousin to dy Yarrin.

  Cabon, Ser Odlin dy: (CAB-un, sehr ODD-lin dee) - Father of Chivar dy Cabon, died at the battle at Dalus.

  Cardegoss: (KAR-de-goss, rhymes with boss) City of Chalion; favored seat of the royas of Chalion. The city has seven gates.

  Caria of Palma: (CARE-ih-ah) A member of the pilgrimage party that Ista encounters. The widow of a saddler; gossipy, stout, and red-faced.

  Caribastos: (care-ih-BAAS-tos) A province of Chalion. Borders Tolnoxo and the Roknari princedom of Jokona.

  Casilchas: (CAAS-ill-chas) A sleepy town in Baocia. A school of the Order of the Bastard, including a fine library, is located there.

  Castillar: (CAAS-till-lahr) Title of nobility in Chalion, below march and above ser, roughly equivalent to an earl or baron.

  Castillara: (caas-till-LAHR-ah) Wife of a castillar, or a female castillar.

  Cazaril, Castillar Lupe dy: (KAAZ-ah-rill, LOO-py dee) Protagonist of The Curse of Chalion, a former soldier, courtier, and scholar, most recently a galley slave of the Roknari. No longer holds the lands of Cazaril. Was a page in the household of the provincar of Baocia, rode courier for the provincar of Guarida, has been a soldier for the last seventeen years. Was made castle warder of Gotorget by March dy Jironal and held it nine months against besieging Roknari forces. Thirty-five years old but appears older, tall, graying beard, left hand is mangled, back has ropy scars from a severe flogging. Speaks and writes Darthacan and Roknari in addition to Ibran.

  Cembuer: (SEM-buer, slight dipthong with the ue) Young Ibran lord who accompanies Bergon on the trip to Chalion.

  Chalion: (CHAL-ee-on) A country, a royacy. The country is land-locked, and has mountain ranges to the north, south, and west. Language spoken is Ibran; symbol is a royal leopard rampant upon a stylized castle.

  Chalion, Orico dy: (CHAL-ee-on, OAR-ih-ko dee) See Orico.

  Clara, Mother: (CLARE-ah) One of the Mother’s midwives and an acolyte in Cardegoss, and a petty saint of the Mother. Her gift from the Mother allows her to aid healing at times. Middle-aged and dumpy.

  Dalus: (DAAL-us) Site of a battle in which Cazaril was a captain on the losing side.

  Danni: (DAAN-ee) Childhood nickname of Bergon, used by his mother.

  Daris: (DARE-his) Tongueless and thumbless undergroom in the Zangre, often serving Umegat. He is also a lay dedicat of the Bastard.

  Darthaca: DAR-tha-ka Country to the south and beyond the mountains from Chalion, with South Ibra between them. Language is Darthacan. Referred to as “Great Darthaca”.

  Daughter of Spring: One of the gods of the Quintarian and Quadrene religions, also called the Daughter or the Lady of Spring or the Sister. Colors are blue and white.

  [Note from LMB: I rather think, but haven’t had occasion to mention and therefore fix it yet, that the Daughter has something to do with general and/or early education, the sort most people do in the spring of their lives. Her theological point on the body in the five-point sign (or four point sign, if you are a Quadrene) is the forehead, after all. (Lois-Bujold Mailing List, 20 July 2002)]

  Daughter’s Day: A festival day for the Daughter of Spring on the first day of spring, the vernal equinox. A secondary festival for the Daughter is held at the middle of the season. Daughter’s Day events include collecting the quarterly gifts that will keep the temple running for three months. Household fires kept burning over the winter are extinguished, and a new fire is obtained at the temple.

  Daughter’s Order: See Order of the Daughter.

  death magic: A ritual which involves asking the Bastard to let one of his demons into the world, and then the demon returns with 2 souls — that of the asker and that of the one on whom the ritual is cast. Punishments for unsuccessfully attempting death magic are ferocious. Successful death magic is a miracle of justice.

  Dedicat: (DED-ih-caat) The lowest or beginning level of members of a holy order. Dedicats have made a higher level of commitment than lay dedicats.

  dedicat-commander: A lay dedicat or dedicat serving as an officer in a military order.

  Demi: (DEM-mee) Groom in the castle in Valenda.

  Deni: Groom in the castle at Valenda (typo for Demi).

  Divine: The highest rank of members of a holy order; almost always entails advanced schooling. A divine is expected to be a preacher and a teacher, as well as assuming other tasks in holy service, most commonly of supervision of a temple on the local level. Smaller or more rural temples may have to make do with leaders of lesser training and rank.

  Dondo: See Jironal, Dondo dy.

  dowager Provincara: See Provincara, the.

  Father of Winter: One of the gods of the Quintarian and Quadrene religions, also called the Father . Colors are black and gray; acolytes wear gray.

  Father’s Day: A festival day on the first day of winter, the winter solstice. A secondary festival for the Father is held at midwinter. Father’s Day events include collecting the quarterly gifts that will keep the temple running for three months.

  Father’s Feast: Feast held on the Father’s Day, typically with sacred music and dancing.

  Ferda: (FUR-da) See Gura, Ferda dy.

  Ferrej, Betriz dy: (fer-EZH, bee-TREZ dee) Daughter of Ser dy Ferrej, companion to Royesse Iselle. Brunette; nineteen years old.

  Ferrej, Ser dy: fer-EZH Castle warder for the dowager Provincara of Baocia, father of Betriz. Stoutish, middle-aged.

  Fivefold sacred gesture: Gesture of the Quintarian faith, performed when swearing an oath or calling down a blessing. The hand is touched to the forehead (Daughter, the mind), lip (Bastard, the tongue), navel (Mother, the womb), and groin (Father), then spread flat over the heart (Son). Quadrenes make a similar gesture at forehead, navel, groin, and heart with the thumb tucked beneath the palm, denying the fifth finger that is the Bastard’s.

  Foix dy Gura: (FOY dee GUR-ra) See Gura, Foix dy.

  Fonsa: (FAWN-sa) Roya of Chalion before Ias, known as Fonsa the Wise or, after his death, Fonsa the Fairly-Wise.

  Fonsa’s Tower: Round tower of the Zangre, where Fonsa worked death magic against the Golden General. The tower burned that night, and was bricked up and not repaired.

  Fox of Ibra, the: Roya of Ibra. Over 70, stringy, balding, formerly red hair is now a white fringe, vigorous.

  General of the [Daughter’s/Son’s] Order: Head of the Daughter’s Order or Son’s Order in Chalion. Lucrative and powerful positions, the Son’s more so than the Daughter’s.

  Golden General, the: A Roknari ruler who united all five Roknari princedoms then prepared to march south on Chalion, Ibra, and Brajar against the “Quintarian heretics”. Roya Fonsa of Chalion was granted death magic on him, but his unfulfilled destiny then cursed Chalion, specifically Fonsa’s heirs. Also known as the Lion of Roknar .

  Goram: (GORE-um) A groom in Porifors who cares for Lord Illvin. A former captive and slave of the Roknari.

  Gotorget: (GOH-tor-get) Fortress in the north of Chalion or in Roknar, which Cazaril held against besieging Roknari forces for nine months before being ordered to surrender to them. Commands the mountain passes that lead to Visping.

  Guarida: (gwa-REE-dah) A province of Chalion. Borders on the Roknari princedom once ruled by Olus.

  Guarida, Provincar of: Ruler of the province of Guarida. Cazaril rode courier for him and was in his train in a border war with Roknari prince Olus.

  Gura, Ferda dy: (GUR-ra, FUR-da dee) Cousin of Palli and older brother to Foix, lieutenant to Palli’s master of horse, a lay dedicat of the Daughter’s Order. Of middle height, wiry, an obvious rider as his legs are slightly bowed.

  Gura, Foix dy: (GUR-ra, FO
Y dee) Cousin of Palli, younger brother of Ferda, and a lay dedicat of the Daughter’s Order. Broad and muscular.

  Hamavik: (HAM-ah-vik) A town and fortress in the Roknari princedom of Jokona.

  Heron: (HEH-ron) A city and marchdom in Chalion, located between Taryoon and Cardegoss.

  Heron, Marchess dy: (HEH-ron) A noblewoman of Chalion.

  High Ones: Members of the Holy Family.

  Hixar, dy: (HIX-ar, dee) A captain of horse in service to Lord Dondo dy Jironal.

  Holy Family: The gods of Quintarian (and Quadrene, if the Bastard is omitted) theology. There are divines of the Holy Family, as well as divines of individual gods.

  Hueltar, Lady Tessa: (dy HWEL-tar) Cousin and companion to the Dowager Provincara of Baocia, a lay dedicat of the Temple.

  Huesta, March dy: (HWEST-ah) Wealthy brother-in-law and major supporter of the Provincar dy Baocia.

  Ias: (EYE-ass) Roya of Chalion prior to Orico, sixth and youngest son of Fonsa the Wise. Was known as Ias the Good. Dy Lutez was his closest advisor, and Ias died partially as a result of grief and guilt over dy Lutez’s death.

  Ias’s Tower: A square tower of the Zangre which dominates the courtyard, built by Roya Ias.

  Ibra: (IB-rah) Country to the west of Chalion, a royacy; language spoken is Ibran, though southernmost provinces speak Darthacan. City: Zagosur (port).