Authors: Raymond E. Feist
A Crown Imperiled (51 page)
Around the world the call repeats, and dragons in hiding among humans answer, and within minutes, it is echoed and answered and repeated. From distant mountains, and deep caverns, isolated beaches and lonely valleys, dragons rise.
In a vast cavern below an abandoned city, the greatest dragon of all lifts her head and listens. Around her robed figures wait, for this is the time of the nexus, the cusp of all things and now comes days of uncertainty.
Slowly she lowers her bejewelled head and closes her eyes, and her companions turn to guard the now slumbering Oracle of Aal, for she has come to the end of the future. This is when time itself will change, and even the most powerful seer in the history of the universe cannot see what tomorrow will bring.
As is always the case, I must begin with thanks to the original mothers and fathers of Midkemia, who generously gave me permission to use their playground; I trust I haven’t abused it too much.
As always to Jonathan Matson, my thanks for being more than a business partner, but a friend of the very best kind, one who puts up with you with humor and affection just because that’s the kind of person he is.
To the brilliant ladies at HarperCollins, on both sides of The Pond, for making me look good.
I would like to take a moment to thank all of you who have written me over the years, to tell me something I wrote made you think, helped you solve a problem, or endure a trial, or gave you comfort. It is my intent only to entertain, but if I somehow move you beyond that point, it is an unexpected blessing and I thank you for letting me know.
Lastly, to my kids who keep me tuned into what is really important in life and make so many things that otherwise would confound me bearable.
Raymond E. Feist
San Diego, CA
New York Times
bestselling author
RAYMOND E. FEIST’s
previous novels include the Chaoswar Saga (
A Kingdom Besieged
), the Demonwar Saga (
Rides a Dread Legion
and
At the Gates of Darkness
), the Darkwar Saga (
Flight of the Nighthawks, Into a Dark Realm
, and
Wrath of a Mad God
); the Conclave of Shadows (
Talon of the Silver Hawk, King of Foxes
, and
Exile’s Return
); the Riftwar Legacy (
Krondor: The Betrayal, Krondor: The Assassins
, and
Krondor: Tear of the Gods
); the Serpentwar Saga (
Shadow of a Dark Queen, Rise of a Merchant Prince, Rage of a Demon King
, and
Shards of a Broken Crown
); the Riftwar Saga (
Magician, Silverthorn
, and
A Darkness at Sethanon
);
Faerie Tale
;
The Prince of the Blood
; and
The King’s Buccaneer
. He lives in San Diego, California.
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T
HE
C
HAOSWAR
S
AGA
A Kingdom Besieged
T
HE
D
EMONWAR
S
AGA
Rides a Dread Legion
At the Gates of Darkness
T
HE
D
ARKWAR
S
AGA
Flight of the Nighthawks
Into a Dark Realm
Wrath of a Mad God
C
ONCLAVE OF
S
HADOWS
Talon of the Silver Hawk
King of Foxes
Exile’s Return
L
EGENDS OF THE
R
IFTWAR
Honored Enemy
(with William R. Forstchen)
Murder in LaMut
(with Joel Rosenberg)
Jimmy the Hand
(with S. M. Stirling)
T
HE
R
IFTWAR
L
EGACY
Krondor: The Betrayal
Krondor: The Assassins
Krondor: Tear of the Gods
T
HE
S
ERPENTWAR
S
AGA
Shadow of a Dark Queen
Rise of the Merchant Prince
Rage of a Demon King
Shards of a Broken Crown
T
HE
E
MPIRE
T
RILOGY
(with Janny Wurts)
Daughter of Empire
Servant of Empire
Mistress of Empire
K
RONDOR’S
S
ONS
Prince of the Blood
The King’s Buccaneer
T
HE
R
IFTWAR
S
AGA
Magician
Silverthorn
A Darkness at Sethanon
O
THER
T
ITLES
Faerie Tale
Map designed by Ralph M. Askren, D.V.M.
COVER DESIGN BY RICHARD AQUAN
COVER ILLUSTRATION BY STEVE STONE
This book is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents, and dialogue are drawn from the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
A CROWN IMPERILED.
Copyright © 2012 by Raymond E. Feist. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.
Published in Great Britain in 2012 by Harper
Voyager
, an imprint of HarperCollins
Publishers
, London.
FIRST U.S. EDITION
ISBN 978-0-06-146841-4
EPub Edition © APRIL 2012 ISBN: 9780062100825
VERSION 10192012
12 13 14 15 16
OV/RRD
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
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