Working God's Mischief (70 page)

Before Lord Arnmigal could reply, Pella said, “Totally weird.” He stepped out of shadow into the moonlight, which had grown thin. “The weirdest.” Then, “Dad, the girls are here. As usual, after all the heavy lifting is over. They claim they need to see you.”

Startled, Lord Arnmigal turned, stared past Pinkus and his liquid companion. Vali and Lila looked embarrassed, put out with their brother, more grown-up than he remembered, and worried. Heris stood behind them. She eyed Hourli grimly. He figured that none of those three, schooled by the Ninth Unknown, would be deceived.

Heris looked like she had survived some hard times recently.

He sighed. Likely sooner than later he would pay for his latest poor choice involving an Ege sister—though it was not a choice he would unmake even if the magic candle had the power to turn back time.

He might show more care about avoiding the natural consequences, however.

“What is it, ladies?” Resigned and ignoring the baffled, fearful looks of people who
knew
those three could not possibly be out here, half a world away from home.

Lila and Vali glowered at Hourli. Heris talked about Hourlr, Asgrimmur Grimmsson, the Ninth Unknown, Korban Iron Eyes, the road to Eucereme, spicing all of it with targeted snippets from the life of Anna Mozilla, waiting quietly in Brothe.

Humming a Connecten rondelet celebrating romantic love, Aldi seated herself beside Lord Arnmigal, to his left, opposite Hourli, and leaned against him. She showed no consciousness whatsoever of the ferocious disapproval steaming darkly off every woman in sight, Hourli preeminent. She held er-Rashal al-Dhulquarnen's head in her lap, stroking its hairless scalp as though petting a cat. Song sung, she whispered to the dead sorcerer, issuing prophecies for a journey into Twilight. She finished with, “He'll find his shadow again. I will make that happen.”

 

About the Author

Glen Cook is the author of many novels of science fiction and fantasy, including the bestselling Black Company series. He lives in St. Louis, Missouri.

 

Tor Books by Glen Cook

T
HE
I
NSTRUMENTALITIES OF THE
N
IGHT

The Tyranny of the Night

Lord of the Silent Kingdom

Surrender to the Will of the Night

Working God's Mischief

An Ill Fate Marshalling

Reap the East Wind

The Swordbearer

The Tower of Fear

T
HE
B
LACK
C
OMPANY

The Black Company
(The First Chronicle)

Shadows Linger
(The Second Chronicle)

The White Rose
(The Third Chronicle)

Shadow Games
(The First Book of the South)

Dreams of Steel
(The Second Book of the South)

Chronicles of the Black Company

(comprising
The Black Company, Shadows Linger,
and
The White Rose
)

The Books of the South

(comprising
Shadow Games, Dreams of Steel,
and
The Silver Spike
)

Return of the Black Company

(comprising
Bleak Seasons
and
She Is the Darkness
)

The Silver Spike

Bleak Seasons
(Book One of Glittering Stone)

She Is the Darkness
(Book Two of Glittering Stone)

Water Sleeps
(Book Three of Glittering Stone)

Soldiers Live
(Book Four of Glittering Stone)

 

This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously.

WORKING GOD'S MISCHIEF

Copyright © 2014 by Glen Cook

All rights reserved.

Cover art by Raymond Swanland

A Tor Book

Published by Tom Doherty Associates, LLC

175 Fifth Avenue

New York, NY 10010

www.tor-forge.com

Tor
®
is a registered trademark of Tom Doherty Associates, LLC.

The Library of Congress has cataloged the print edition as follows:

Cook, Glen.

   Working God's mischief / Glen Cook.—First Edition.

         p. cm.—(Instrumentalities of the night; 4)

   “A Tom Doherty Associates book.”

   ISBN 978-0-7653-3420-6 (hardcover)

   ISBN 978-1-4668-0907-9 (e-book)

  1.  Imaginary wars and battles—Fiction.   2.  Brothers and sisters—Fiction.   3.  Good and evil—Fiction.   4.  Fantasy fiction, American.   I.  Title.

   PS3553.O5536I57 2014

   813'.54—dc23

2013028356

e-ISBN 9781466809079

First Edition: March 2014