The Round Table (Space Lore Book 3) (39 page)

**

Vere had overseen the construction of the round table, but she never actually observed one of its sessions. Instead, she walked out into the fields of Aromath the Solemn each day, where leaders from around the galaxy had united with her in defeating Mowbray, the same fields she and Galen had walked across together so many times as children.

Children told their parents they often saw her crossing from one hilltop to another. A herder saw her walking toward the caves. A farmer reported having seen her enter the same cavern where she had faced the Green Knight many years earlier. Each of these people insisted they saw her talking to herself or to someone they couldn’t see.

Day after day, she walked out into the fields and disappeared into the labyrinth of rocks and moss that she had explored as a child. When she didn’t return to the capital one evening, Traskk and Pistol and everyone else who knew her figured she had decided to camp there overnight. When she didn’t return the next day or the day after that, the reptile and the android went in search of her.

She was never seen again, but neither were her remains ever found in the cave or anywhere else. She had simply vanished.

Some people whispered that, after years of searching for him, she had finally found Galen again. Others said she had followed the same path as Mortimous and many others before her.

A year after she was last seen, the people of Edsall Dark finally accepted that Vere was never coming back. At the same time, they began referring to her by her full name, the name by which she would forever be remembered: Vere the Enlightened.

Because that was her word.

The adventure will continue…

Coming in 2017: The next Space Lore trilogy

In the mean time, why not try a different kind of story?

Inspired by current events — ‘1984’ for the 21
^st
century — Dystopian like you’ve never read before

The Theta Timeline
and
The Theta Prophecy
are a combination of time travel, tyrannical government, and a nightmarish future.
 
At times eloquent, funny, satirical, and infuriating, these are not only Dietzel's most powerful books, they are as important as any dystopian vision created to date.

Purchase your copy today at:
 
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Acknowledgments

As always, I am indebted to many people for their support: Jodie McFadden, for her constant encouragement and optimism; Matt Butterweck, for his eagle eye and his comments on the story; my parents and brother for their support; and everyone on GoodReads and in the BJJ and MMA communities who read my other novels and recommended them to their friends. That is the only way that books like mine have the chance to be successful, and I’m eternally grateful for their support.

I would also like to thank all of the artists who were willing to devote their time and creative energy to designing the characters and places described in this book. Ever since I first saw Ralph McQuarrie’s sketches for the aliens and ships in the original Star Wars trilogy, I’ve wanted to create a world where artists could bring to life the concepts described throughout the adventure. Thank you to Tim, Zaina, Mike, and Grosnez for doing just that.

Want to receive updates on my future books and get some great freebies? Sign up for my newsletter at:
http://chrisdietzel.com/mailing_list/

About the Author

Chris graduated from Western Maryland College (McDaniel College). He currently lives in Florida. His dream is to write the same kind of stories that have inspired him over the years.

His others novels have become Amazon Science Fiction Best Sellers, been featured on the
Authors on the Air
radio network, and been required reading at the university level.

About the Artists

Tim Barton
– Tim is a digital artist known for his stunning and colorful space artwork. He does his work in Adobe Photoshop and creates 3D scenes in Terragen. His full gallery of artwork can be viewed at
http://www.cosmicspark.deviantart.com.

Mike Peluso –
Mike has been drawing and sketching for decades. He specializes in ink designs, primarily featuring animated characters and settings as well as comic book layouts. =

Grosnez
– Grosnez is a concept artist from France. He was a traditional painter before becoming a self-taught digital illustrator. His website is:
https://www.artstation.com/artist/grosnez

Zaina.A
– Zaina is a self-taught artist and illustrator who specializes in fantastic and magical characters. She was born on Mauritius Island and is fluent in five languages. Her website is:
http://www.zaina.space