{"id":3938,"date":"2026-01-03T23:57:44","date_gmt":"2026-01-03T23:57:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/epub-book.com\/download\/riftwar-cycle-16-krondor-tear-of-the-gods-feist-raymond-e\/"},"modified":"2026-01-03T23:57:44","modified_gmt":"2026-01-03T23:57:44","slug":"riftwar-cycle-16-krondor-tear-of-the-gods-feist-raymond-e","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/epub-book.com\/download\/riftwar-cycle-16-krondor-tear-of-the-gods-feist-raymond-e\/","title":{"rendered":"Riftwar Cycle 16 – Krondor: Tear of the Gods – Feist, Raymond E"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Book Preview<\/h3>\n
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\nPROLOGUE – Attack<\/span>
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\n<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nThe weather worsened.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nDark clouds roiled overhead as angry lightning flashed, piercing the night\u2019s blackness on all quarters. The lookout atop the highest mast of the ship <\/span>
\n
\nIshap\u2019s Dawn<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n thought he saw a flicker of movement in the distance and squinted against the murk. He tried to use his hand to shield his eyes as the salt spray and biting cold wind filled them with tears. He blinked them away and whatever movement he thought he had seen was gone.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nNight and the threat of storms had forced the lookout to spend a miserable watch aloft, against the unlikely chance the captain had drifted off course. It was hardly possible, considered the lookout, as the captain was a knowledgeable seaman, chosen for his skill at avoiding danger as much as any other quality. And he knew as well as any man how hazardous this passage was. The Temple held the cargo\u2019s value second to none, and rumors of possible raiders along the Quegan coast had dictated a hazardous tack near Widow\u2019s Point, a rocky area best avoided if possible. But <\/span>
\n
\nIshap\u2019s Dawn<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n was crewed by experienced sailors, who were now closely attentive to the captain\u2019s orders, and each was quick to respond, for every man aloft knew that, once upon the rocks at Widow\u2019s Point, no ship survived. Each man feared for his own life – that was only natural – but these men were chosen not only for their seamanship, but also for fealty to the Temple. And they all knew how precious their cargo was to the Temple.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nIn the hold below, eight monks of the Temple of Ishap in Krondor stood around a most holy artifact, the Tear of the Gods. A jewel of astonishing size, easily as long as a large man\u2019s arm and twice as thick, it was illuminated from within by a mystic light. Once every ten years a new Tear was formed in a hidden monastery in a tiny secret valley in the Grey Tower Mountains. When it was ready and most holy rites completed, a heavily armed caravan transported it to the nearest port in the Free Cities of Natal. There it was placed upon a ship and carried to Krondor. From there, the Tear and an escort of warrior monks, priests, and servants would continue on, eventually reaching Salador to then be taken by ship and transported to the mother Temple in Rillanon where it replaced the previous Tear, as its power waned.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nThe true nature and purpose of the sacred gem was known only to the highest ranking among those serving within the Temple, and the sailor high atop the main mast asked no questions. He trusted in the power of the gods and knew that he served a greater good. And he was being handsomely paid not to ask questions as much as to stand his watch.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nBut after two weeks of battling contrary winds and difficult seas, even the most pious man found the blue-white light which shone every night from below, and the monks\u2019 incessant chanting, nerve-wracking. The duration of the unseasonable winds and unexpected storms had some of the crew muttering about sorcery and dark magic. The lookout offered a silent prayer of thanks to Killian, Goddess of Nature and Sailors (and then added a short one to Eortis, who some said was the true God of the Sea) that come dawn they would reach their destination: Krondor. The Tear and its escort would quickly leave the city for the east, but the sailor would remain in Krondor, with his family. What he was being paid would allow him a long visit home.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nThe sailor above thought of his wife and two children, and he smiled briefly. His daughter was now old enough to help her mother around the kitchen and with her baby brother, and a third child was due soon. As he had a hundred times before, the sailor vowed he\u2019d find other work near home, so he could spend more time with his family.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nHe was pulled from his reverie by another flicker of movement toward shore. Light from the ship painted the storm-tossed combers and he could sense the rhythm of the sea. Something had just broken the rhythm. He peered through the murk, trying to pierce the gloom by strength of will, to see if they might be drifting too close to the rocks.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n


<\/p>\n

\nKnute said, \u201cThe blue light coming from that ship gives me a bad feeling, Captain.\u201d<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nThe man Knute addressed towered over him as he looked down. At six foot eight inches tall he dwarfed those around him. His massive shoulders and arms lay exposed by the black leather cuirass he favored, though he had added a pair of shoulder pads studded with steel spikes – a prize taken off the corpse of one of Queg\u2019s more renowned gladiators. The exposed skin displayed dozens of reminders of battles fought, traces of old wounds intersecting one another. A scar that ran from forehead to jawbone through his right eye, which was milky white, marked his face. But his left seemed to glow with an evil red light from within and Knute knew that eye missed little.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nSave for the spikes on his shoulders, his armor was plain and serviceable, well oiled and cared for, but displaying patches and repairs. An amulet hung around his neck, bronze but darkened by more than time and neglect, stained by ancient and black arts. The red gem set in its middle pulsed with a faint inner light of its own as Bear said, \u201cWorry about keeping us off the rocks, pilot. It\u2019s the only reason I keep you alive.\u201d Turning to the rear of the ship, he spoke softly, but his voice carried to the stern. \u201cNow!\u201d<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nA sailor at the rear spoke down to those in the hold below, \u201cForward!\u201d and the hortator raised one hand, and then brought its heel down on the drum between his knees.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nAt the sound of the first beat, the slaves chained to their seats raised their oars and on the second beat they lowered them and pulled as one. The word had been passed, but the Master of Slaves who walked between the banks of oars repeated it. \u201cSilently, my darlings! I\u2019ll kill the first of you who makes a sound above a whisper!\u201d<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nThe ship, a Quegan patrol galley seized in a raid the year before, inched forward, picking up speed. At the prow, Knute crouched, intently scanning the water before him. He had positioned the ship so it would come straight at the target, but there was one turn that still needed to be made to port – not difficult if one reckoned the timing correctly, but dangerous nevertheless. Suddenly Knute turned and said, \u201cNow, hard to port!\u201d<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nBear turned and relayed the order and the helmsman turned the ship. A moment later Knute ordered the rudder amidships, and the galley began to cut through the water.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nKnute\u2019s gaze lingered on Bear for a moment, and then he returned his attention to the ship they were about to take. Knute had never been so frightened in his life. He was a born pirate, a dock-rat from Port Natal who had worked his way up from being an ordinary seaman to being one of the best pilots in the Bitter Sea. He knew every rock, shoal, reef, and tide pool between Ylith and Krondor, and westward to the Straits of Darkness, and along the coast of the Free Cities. And it was that knowledge that had kept him alive more than forty years while braver, stronger, and more intelligent men had died.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nKnute felt Bear standing behind him. He had worked for the enormous pirate before, once taking Quegan prize ships as they returned from raids along the Keshian coast. Another time he had served with Bear as a privateer, under marque from the Governor of Durbin, plundering Kingdom ships.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nFor the last four years Knute had run his own gang, scavengers picking over wrecks drawn upon the rocks by false lights here at Widow\u2019s Point. It had been the knowledge of the rocks and how to negotiate them that had brought him back into Bear\u2019s service. The odd trader named Sidi, who came to the Widow\u2019s Point area every year or so, had asked him to find a ruthless man, one who would not shirk from a dangerous mission and who had no aversion to killing. Knute had spent a year tracking down Bear and had sent him word that there was a job of great risk and greater reward waiting. Bear had answered and had come to meet with Sidi. Knute had figured he\u2019d either take a fee for putting the two men in touch, or he might work a split with Bear in exchange for use of his men and his ship. But from that point where Knute had brought Bear to meet with Sidi, on the beach at Widow\u2019s Point, everything had changed. Instead of working for himself, Knute was now again working as Bear\u2019s galley-pilot and first mate – Knute\u2019s own ship, a nimble little coaster, had been sunk to drive home Bear\u2019s terms: riches to Knute and his men if they joined him. If they refused, the alternative was simple: death.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nKnute glanced at the strange blue light dancing upon the water as they drew down upon the Ishapian ship. The little man\u2019s heart beat with enough force to make him fear it would somehow break loose from within. He gripped the wooden rail tightly as he called for a meaningless course correction; the need to shout diverted into a sharp command.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nKnute knew he was likely to die tonight. Since Bear had expropriated Knute\u2019s crew, it had simply been a matter of time. The man Knute had known along the Keshian coast had been bad enough, but something had changed Bear, made him far blacker a soul than before. He had always been a man of few scruples, but there had been an economy in his business, a reluctance to waste time with needless killing and destruction, even if he was otherwise unfazed by it. Now Bear seemed to relish it. Two men in Knute\u2019s crew had died lingering, painful deaths for minor transgressions. Bear had watched until they had died. The gem in his amulet had shone brightly then, and Bear\u2019s one good eye seemed alight with the same fire.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nBear had made one thing clear above all else: this mission\u2019s goal was to take a holy relic from the Ishapians and any man who interfered with that mission would die. But he had also promised that the crew could keep all the rest of the Ishapian treasure for themselves.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nWhen he heard that, Knute had begun to make a plan.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nKnute had insisted upon several practice sorties, claiming that the tides and rocks here were treacherous enough in the daylight – at night a thousand calamities could befall the unprepared. Bear had grudgingly acquiesced to the plea. What Knute had hoped would happen did: the crew learned to take orders from him once Bear gave over command of the ship. Bear\u2019s crew was made up of thugs, bullies, and murderers, including one cannibal, but they weren\u2019t terribly intelligent.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nKnute\u2019s was a daring plan, and dangerous, and he needed more than a little luck. He glanced back and saw Bear\u2019s eyes fixed on the blue light of the Ishapian ship as they bore down on it. One quick glance from face to face of his own six men was all Knute could afford, and then he turned back to the Ishapian ship.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nHe gauged his distance and the motion, then turned and shouted past Bear, \u201cOne point to port! Ramming speed!\u201d<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nBear echoed the command, \u201cRamming speed!\u201d Then he shouted, \u201cCatapults! Ready!\u201d<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nFlames appeared as torches were quickly lit, and then those torches were put to large bundles of skins full of Quegan Fire oil. They burst into flame and the catapult officer shouted, \u201cReady, Captain!\u201d<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nBear\u2019s deep voice rumbled as he gave the order: \u201cFire!\u201d<\/span>\n<\/p>\n


<\/p>\n

\nThe lookout squinted against the wind-driven salt spray. He was certain he saw something shoreward. Suddenly a flame appeared. Then a second. For a moment size and distance were difficult to judge, but the sailor quickly realized with a surge of fear that two large balls of fire sped toward the ship.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nAngry orange-red flames sizzled and cracked as the first missile arced overhead, missing the lookout by mere yards. As the fireball shot past, he could feel the searing heat.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\u201cAttack!\u201d he shouted at the top of his lungs. He knew full well the entire night watch had seen the fiery missiles; nonetheless it was his task to alert the crew.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nThe second fireball struck mid-decks, hitting the com-panionway that ran from below to the foredeck, and an unfortunate priest of Ishap was consumed in the sticky flames. He screamed in agony and confusion as he died.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nThe sailor knew that if they were being boarded, staying aloft was not a good idea. He swung from the crow\u2019s nest and slid down a stay sheet to the deck below as another ball of flame appeared in the sky, arcing down to strike the foredeck.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nAs his bare feet touched the wooden planks, another sailor who shouted, \u201cQuegan raiders!\u201d handed him a sword and buckler shield.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nThe thudding of a hortator\u2019s drum echoed across the waves. Suddenly the night came alive with noise and cries.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nFrom out of the gloom a ship reared, lifted high by a huge swell, and the two sailors could see the massive serrated iron ram extending from the galley\u2019s prow. Once it slammed into its victim\u2019s hull, its teeth would hold the rammed ship close, until the signal was given for the galley slaves to reverse their stroke. By backing water, the galley would tear a massive hole in <\/span>
\n
\nIshap\u2019s Dawn\u2019s<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n side, quickly sending her to the bottom.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nFor an instant the lookout feared he would never see his children or wife again, and hastily uttered a prayer to whatever gods listened that his family be cared for. Then he resolved to fight, for if the sailors could hold the raiders at the gunwale until the priests emerged from below, their magic might drive off the attackers.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nThe ship heaved and the sound of tearing wood and shrieking men filled the night as the raider crashed into the Ishapian ship. The lookout and his companions were thrown to the deck.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nAs the lookout rolled away from the spreading fire, he saw two hands gripping the ship\u2019s gunwale. The lookout gained his feet as a dark-skinned pirate cleared the side of the ship, and boarded with a leap to the deck, others following.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nThe first pirate carried a huge sword, curved and weighted, and he grinned like a man possessed. The lookout hurried toward him, his sword and shield at the ready. The pirate\u2019s hair hung in oiled locks that glistened in the light from the flames. His wide eyes reflected the orange firelight, which gave him a demonic cast. Then he smiled and the lookout faltered, as the filed pointed teeth revealed the man to be a cannibal from the Shaskahan Islands.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nThen the lookout\u2019s eyes widened as he saw another figure rear up behind the first.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nIt was the last thing the lookout saw, as the first pirate swung his sword and impaled the hapless man, who stood rooted in terror at the sight before him. With his dying breath, he gasped, \u201cBear.\u201d<\/span>\n<\/p>\n


<\/p>\n

\nBear glanced around the deck. Massive hands flexed in anticipation as he spoke. His voice seemed to rumble from deep within as he said, \u201cYou know what I\u2019m after; everything else is yours for the taking!\u201d<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nKnute leaped from the raider\u2019s craft to stand at Bear\u2019s side. \u201cWe hit \u2018em hard, so you don\u2019t have much time!\u201d he shouted to the crew. As Knute had hoped, Bear\u2019s men rushed to kill the Ishapian sailors, while Knute signaled to the handful from his old crew, who headed toward the hatches and the cargo nets.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nAn Ishapian monk, climbing up the aft companionway to answer the alarm, saw the pirates spreading out in a half-circle around him. His brothers followed after. For a moment, both sides stood motionless, as they measured one another.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nBear stepped forward and in a voice like grinding stones said to the first monk, \u201cYou there! Bring me the Tear and I\u2019ll kill you quickly.\u201d<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nThe monk\u2019s hands came up and moved rapidly in a mystic pattern while enchanting a prayer to summon magic. The other monks took up fighting stances behind him.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nA bolt of white energy flashed at Bear, but vanished harmlessly just inches before him as the ship heeled over and started to dip at the bow. With a scornful laugh, Bear said, \u201cYour magic means nothing to me!\u201d<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nWith surprising speed for a man his size, Bear lashed out with his sword. The monk, still recovering from the shock of his magic\u2019s impotence, stood helpless as Bear ran him through as if cutting a melon with a kitchen knife. The pirates let loose a roar of triumph and fell upon the other monks.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nThe monks, though empty-handed and outnumbered, were all trained in the art of open-handed fighting. In the end they could not stand up to pole weapons and swords, knives and crossbows, but they delayed the pirates long enough that the forecastle was already underwater before Bear could reach the companionway leading below decks.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nLike a rat through a sewer grating, Knute was past Bear and down the companionway. Bear came second, the others behind.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\u201cWe\u2019ve got no time!\u201d shouted Knute, looking around the aft crew quarters; from the abundant religious items in view, he judged this area had been given over to the monks for their personal use. Knute could hear water rushing into the hole below the forecastle. Knute knew ships; eventually a bulkhead between the forecastle and the main cargo hold would give way and then the ship would go down like a rock.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nA small wooden chest sitting in the corner caught his eye and he made straight for it, while Bear moved to a large door that led back to the captain\u2019s cabin. Movement was becoming more difficult as the deck was now tilting, and walking up its slick surface was tricky. More than one pirate fell, landing hard upon the wooden planks.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nKnute opened the small chest, revealing enough gems to keep him in luxury for the rest of his life. Like moths to a flame, several raiders turned toward the booty. Knute motioned to two other pirates close by and said, \u201cIf you want a copper for all this slaughter, get up on deck, help open the hatch, and lower the cargo net!\u201d<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nBoth men hesitated, then looked to where Bear struggled to open the door. They glanced at one another, then did as Knute instructed. Knute knew they would find two of his men already at the hatch and would fall in to help. If Knute\u2019s plan were to work, everyone would have to do his part without realizing that the order of things on the ship had changed.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nKnute unlatched a trapdoor in the middle of the deck, and let it swing open, revealing the companionway leading down into the cargo hold. As he stepped through the opening toward the treasure below, the ship started to take on water, and he knew she was fated to go down quickly by the bow. He and his men would have to move fast.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nBear was smashing himself uphill against a door that obviously had some sort of mystic lock upon it, for it hardly moved under his tremendous bulk. Knute cast a quick glance backward and saw the wood near the hinges splintering. As he lowered himself into the hold, Knute looked down. He knew that there was enough treasure below to make every man aboard a king, for the odd man named Sidi who had told Bear about this ship had said that ten years\u2019 worth of Temple wealth from the Far Coast and Free Cities would accompany the magic item Bear was to bring him.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nKnute regretted having met Sidi; when he had first met him, he had no idea the so-called trader trafficked in the magic arts. Once he had discovered the truth, it was too late. And Knute was certain there was far more to Sidi than was obvious; Sidi had given Bear his magic amulet, the one that he refused to remove, day or night. Knute had always stayed away from magic, temple, wizard, or witch. He had a nose for it and it made him fearful, and no man in his experience reeked of it like Sidi, and there was nothing tender about that reek.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nThe cargo hatch above moved, and a voice shouted downward, \u201cKnute?\u201d<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\u201cLower away!\u201d commanded the little thief.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nThe cargo net descended and Knute quickly released it. \u201cGet down here!\u201d he shouted as he spread the large net across the center of the deck. \u201cWe\u2019re taking on water fast!\u201d<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nFour sailors slid down ropes and started moving the heavy cargo chests to the center of the net. \u201cGet the small one first!\u201d instructed Knute. \u201cThey\u2019ll be gems. Worth more than gold, pound for pound.\u201d<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nThe sailors were driven by two goals: greed and fear of Bear. The massive captain was smashing through the door above with inhuman strength, and everyone in the crew knew as well as Knute that Bear was becoming more violent by the day. Even his own crew now feared to be noticed by Bear.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nOne of the men paused to listen to the fiendish shout as Bear finally smashed through the door. A half-dozen pirates, finished with butchering the ship\u2019s crew, descended the ropes from the deck above and looked questioningly at the pilot. Knute said, \u201cThe captain said everything else was ours for the taking if he got that damn stone the priests were guarding. You going to let all this sink?\u201d<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nThey shook their heads and set to, working in pairs to move the larger chests and sacks into the nets, although Knute could see the doubt on their faces. But they hurried and got most of the booty in the net and tied it off.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\u201cHaul away!\u201d Knute shouted to the men above.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nPirates grabbed small chests and sacks and attempted to get back to the forward ladder. The ship was now heading down by the bow, picking up speed and rocking slightly from side to side. \u201cTell them to back water!\u201d shouted Knute, as he negotiated the ladder to the upper deck, clutching the small wooden chest as a mother would a baby. He saw a brilliant light coming through the captain\u2019s cabin door and his eyes widened. Bear stood outlined against the glare, obviously struggling through the water as if engaged with a foe of some kind. \u201cGet out!\u201d shouted Knute. \u201cYou\u2019re going to drown!\u201d Not that Knute would shed a tear if that happened, but if Bear somehow came to his senses and made good his escape, Knute wanted to appear convincing in his role as loyal and concerned pilot.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nKnute hurried to the gunwale and nimbly leaped atop it. Glancing at those behind him who were sliding across the deck, trying for the boat below, he called, \u201cHurry!\u201d The galley was backing away, and water rushed quickly into the hull of the Ishapian ship. Knute knew that, had he not given the order to back the galley, the weight of the dying ship might have pulled its bow under the waves.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nA longboat bobbed on the water a few yards below and he muttered, \u201cBy the gods, I\u2019ve gotta get out of this business.\u201d<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nHe glanced upward and saw the cargo boom with the net loaded with treasure being lowered to the deck of the galley. With a quick prayer to every god he could remember, Knute leaped from the sinking ship, hitting the water while he clutched the small chest with all his might. Weight pulled him downward and he struggled, and finally his head broke the surface as voices echoed across the water. With his free arm he struck out for the longboat, reaching it quickly. Strong hands reached over the side and pulled him aboard.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\u201cThe ship sinks!\u201d men yelled as they leaped from the deck into the foam.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\u201cLeave the rest!\u201d shouted a man holding what appeared to be a large sack of gold coins. He hit the water, and after a minute his head broke the surface. He struggled mightily to get the sack aboard Knute\u2019s boat.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n. \u201cNo! Noooo!\u201d came Bear\u2019s anguished cry from the bowels of the sinking ship as Knute helped the pirate aboard the boat.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\u201cSounds like the boss is having a problem,\u201d said the drenched pirate.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\u201cRow,\u201d instructed Knute. The sailor complied and Knute looked over his shoulder. \u201cWhatever the boss\u2019s problems, they\u2019re no longer ours.\u201d<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\u201cYou going to leave him?\u201d said one of Knute\u2019s men.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\u201cLet\u2019s see if that cursed amulet keeps him alive on the bottom of the sea.\u201d<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nOne of the pirates grinned. Like the rest of his brethren he had been obedient out of fear as much as any loyalty to Bear. \u201cIf it does, he\u2019s going to kill you, Knute.\u201d<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\u201cHe\u2019s got to find me first,\u201d said the wily pilot. \u201cI\u2019ve sailed with that murdering lunatic three times, which is two too many. You\u2019ve been his slaves long enough. Now it\u2019s our turn to live the high life!\u201d<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nThe pirates rowed. One of Bear\u2019s crew said, \u201cIf he does make it out alive, he\u2019ll find others to follow him, you know that? Why shouldn\u2019t I cut your throat now and gain his favor?\u201d<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\u201cBecause you\u2019re greedy, like me. If you cut my throat, you\u2019ll never get that galley safely out of these rocks. Besides, even if Bear lives, it\u2019ll be too late,\u201d said Knute. \u2018We\u2019ll all be safely gone.\u201d<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nThey reached the galley and quickly climbed aboard, other longboats and a few swimmers reaching the ship at the same time. The ship creaked as the longboats were hoisted aboard. Men scrambled up ropes while others lowered nets to haul the riches taken from the Ishapian ship. The crew moved with an efficiency rarely seen, spurred on by equal shares of avarice and the fear that Bear would suddenly appear. Finally they lashed the cargo to the center deck and Knute said, \u201cGet underway!\u201d<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\u201cWhere are we going?\u201d asked one of the pirates who had rowed Knute to the galley.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\u201cTo a rendezvous down the coast. I\u2019ve got some men waiting for us who will offload this cargo, then we row this galley out to sea and sink it.\u201d<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\u201cWhy?\u201d asked another man as the crew gathered around Knute.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\u201cWhy?\u201d echoed Knute. \u201cI\u2019ll tell you why, fool. That ship we took was the property of the Temple of Ishap. In a few days the entire world is going to be looking for the men who sank it. Bear\u2019s got that ward against priests, but we don\u2019t. We\u2019ll divide up our shares and go our separate ways, tonight!\u201d<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\u201cSounds good,\u201d said one of the sailors.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\u201cThen get to the oars! The slaves are half dead and I want us split up and every man on his own by sunrise!\u201d shouted Knute.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nJust then, Bear\u2019s voice cut through the storm. \u201cIt\u2019s mine!! I had it in my hands!\u201d<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nAll eyes turned to the sinking ship, and against a lightning flash they could see Bear standing at the rail. Slowly, he climbed atop it, shook his fist as the retreating galley, and leaped into the water.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nLike a spur to a horse, the sight of Bear plunging into the water as if to swim after them caused the sailors to spring to action. Below, the hortator\u2019s drum began to sound as slaves were unchained and pushed aside by frantic pirates. Knute paused a moment to look where Bear had stood outlined against the lightning flashes. For an instant Knute could have sworn Bear\u2019s eye had been glowing red.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nKnute shuddered and turned his mind away from Bear. The man was terrible in his anger and his strength was unmatched, but even Bear wouldn\u2019t be able to storm into the Prince\u2019s city and find Knute.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nKnute smiled. The men waiting for him were expecting a ship full of riches and a dead crew. Poisoned wine and ale waited below, and Knute would pass it out minutes before reaching the rendezvous. By the time the cargo was offloaded and aboard the wagons, every pirate and slave below would be a corpse. His own men would also be departed, but that was an unfortunate circumstance he couldn\u2019t avoid. Besides, it meant more for him and those driving the wagons.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nAll his life he had waited for an opportunity like this and he was going to be ruthless in taking advantage of it. None of these men would lift a finger to help Knute, he knew, if his life was at risk, so what did he owe them? Honor among thieves might exist with the Mockers, where the Upright Man\u2019s bashers ensured honorable behavior, but on a ship like Bear\u2019s, the rule was strictly survival by strength, or by wits.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nKnute shouted orders and the ship heeled over as it turned against the waves, striking for a safer course away from the rocks of Widow\u2019s Point. Soon the ship was clear of the last of the underwater rocks, and the rowers struck a steady pace. The little pilot moved to the stern of the galley and looked over the fantail. In a brief flash, for an instant, he thought he saw something in the water. It was a swimmer, following after the ship with a powerful stroke.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nKnute\u2019s eyes strained as he peered through the darkness, but nothing more was glimpsed of the swimmer. He rubbed his eyes. It must be the excitement, he thought, the chance to at last be rich and out from under the heel of men like Bear.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nTurning his mind to the future, he again grinned. He had made deals before. He would pay off the wagoners, have them killed if necessary, and by the time he reached Krondor, every silver coin, every golden chain, every sparkling gem would be his.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\u201cWhere are we going?\u201d asked a pirate.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n
\n\u201cCaptain,\u201d<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n said Knute.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\u201cWhere are we going, <\/span>
\n
\nCaptain?<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n Knute repeated, coolly.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nThe pirate shrugged, as if it didn\u2019t matter, and said, \u201cWhere are we going, Captain? How far down the coast are your men?\u201d<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nKnute grinned, knowing that this man – like every other man in the crew – would happily let him play at command up to the minute they\u2019d cut his throat if they thought he would make them rich. He played along. \u201cWe\u2019re meeting a gang at the beach north of Fishtown, outside of Krondor.\u201d<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\u201cFishtown it is!\u201d said the man, quickly adding, \u201cCaptain!\u201d<\/span>\n<\/p>\n


<\/p>\n

\nThroughout the night the crew rowed, and when dawn was less than two hours away, Knute called one of his most trusted crewmen over. \u201cHow are things?\u201d<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\u201cBear\u2019s men are nervous, but they\u2019re not smart enough to plan anything if they think they might lose out on what we\u2019ve taken. But they\u2019re still jumpy. You don\u2019t cross someone like Bear and sleep soundly.\u201d<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nKnute nodded, then said, \u201cIf everything\u2019s secure, there\u2019s some wine and ale below. Break it out.\u201d<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\u201cAye, Captain,\u201d said the man, his grin widening. \u201cA celebration, eh? That will take the edge off.\u201d<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nKnute returned the grin, but said nothing.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nWithin minutes the noise of celebration emanated from below. For hours all Knute had heard was an ominous silence punctuated by the sound of rhythmic rowing, oars groaning in their oarlocks, wood creaking as the hull flexed, and the rattle of tackle and blocks in the rigging. Now the murmur of voices arose, some joking, others surprised, as men made the rounds of the rowing benches with casks and cups.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nOne of the pirates looked at Knute across the deck and Knute shouted, \u201cSee that those aloft go below for a quick drink! I\u2019ll take the helm!\u201d<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nThe pirate nodded, then shouted aloft as Knute made his way to the stern of the ship. He said to the helmsman, \u201cGo get something to drink. I\u2019ll take her in.\u201d<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\u201cGoing to beach her, Captain?\u201d<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nKnute nodded. \u201cWe\u2019re coming in a bit after low tide. She\u2019s heavy as a pregnant sow with all this booty. Once we offload, when high tide comes in, she\u2019ll lift right off the beach and we can back her out.\u201d<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nThe man nodded. He was familiar with the area near Fishtown; the beaches were gentle and Knute\u2019s plan made sense.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nKnute had chosen a slow-acting poison. As he took the helm, he calculated that he\u2019d be coming into the beach by the time the first men began to pass out. With luck, those still alive would assume their companions were insensible from drink. With even more luck, the wagoners he had hired out of Krondor wouldn\u2019t have to cut any throats. They were teamsters working for a flat fee, not bully boys.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nKnute had piled one lie atop another. The wagoners thought he was working for the Upright Man of Krondor, the leader of the Guild of Thieves. Knute knew that without that lie he would never control them once they saw the wealth he was bringing into the city. If the teamsters didn\u2019t believe a dread power stood behind Knute, he\u2019d be as dead as the rest of the crew come morning.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nThe sound of the water changed, and in the distance Knute could hear breakers rolling into the beach. He hardly needed to look to know where he was.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nOne of the pirates came staggering up the companionway from below and spoke. His speech was slurred. \u201cCaptain, what\u2019s in this ale? The boys are passin\u2019 . . .\u201d Knute smiled at the seaman, a young thug of perhaps eighteen years. The lad pitched forward. A few voices from below shouted up to the deck, but their words were muffled, and quiet soon descended.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nThe oars had fallen silent and now came the most dangerous part of Knute\u2019s plan. He lashed down his tiller, sprang to the ratlines and climbed aloft. Alone he lowered one small sail, shimmied down a sheet, and tied off. That little sail was all he had to keep him from turning broad to the waves and being smashed upon the beach.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nAs he reached the tiller, a hand descended upon Knute\u2019s shoulder, spinning him around. He was confronted by a leering grin of sharpened teeth as dark eyes studied him. \u201cShaskahan don\u2019t drink ale, little man.\u201d<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nKnute froze. He let his hand slip to a dagger in his belt but waited to see what the cannibal would do next. The man was motionless. \u201cDon\u2019t drink ale,\u201d he repeated.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\u201cI\u2019ll give you half the gold,\u201d Knute whispered.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\u201cI take all of it,\u201d said the cannibal, as he drew out his large belt knife. \u201cAnd then I eat you.\u201d<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nKnute leaped backward and drew his own knife. He knew that he was no match for the veteran killer, but he was fighting for his life and the biggest trove of riches he would ever see. He waited, praying for a few more moments.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nThe cannibal said again, \u201cShaskahan don\u2019t drink ale.\u201d Knute saw the man\u2019s legs begin to shake as he took a step forward. Suddenly the man was on his knees, his eyes going blank. Then he fell face forward. Knute cautiously knelt next to the man and examined him. He sheathed his knife as he leaned close to the cannibal\u2019s face, sniffed once, then stood.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\u201cYou don\u2019t drink ale, you murdering whore\u2019s son, but you do drink brandy.\u201d<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nWith a laugh Knute unlashed the tiller as the ship swept forward into breakers. He pointed it like an arrow at a long, flat run of beach and as the ship plowed prow first into the sand, he saw the three large wagons sitting atop the bluffs. Six men who\u2019d been sitting on the shore leapt to their feet as the ship ground to a halt in the sand. Knute had ordered the wagons not be brought down to the cove, for once loaded they\u2019d be sunk to their hubs in sand. The teamsters would have to cart all the gold up the small bluff to the wagons. It would be hard, sweaty work.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nNo sooner had the ship stopped moving than Knute was shouting orders. The six wagoners hurried forward, while Knute pulled his knife. He was going to ensure no one below recovered from too little poison, then he was going to get that treasure to Krondor.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nThere was one man in the world he knew he could trust and that man would help him hide all these riches. Then Knute would celebrate, get drunk, pick a fight, and get himself thrown into jail. Let Bear come for him, thought Knute, if by some miracle he had survived. Let the crazed animal of a pirate try to reach him in the bowels of the city\u2019s stoutest jail, surrounded by the city watch. That would never happen – at the very least Bear would be captured by the city guards; more likely he\u2019d be killed. Once Knute knew for certain Bear\u2019s fate, he could bargain for his own life. For he was the only man who knew where the Ishapian ship had gone down. He could lead the Prince\u2019s men and a representative of the Wreckers\u2019 Guild to the site, where the Wreckers\u2019 Guild\u2019s mage could raise the ship and they could offload whatever trinket it was that Bear had been after. Then he\u2019d be a free man while Bear rotted in the Prince\u2019s dungeon or hung from the gibbet or rested at the bottom of the sea. And let everyone think the rest of the treasure went down with the pirate ship in the deep water trench just a mile offshore.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nKnute congratulated himself on his masterful plan, and set about his grisly work, as the wagoners from Krondor climbed aboard to offload \u201cthe Upright Man\u2019s treasure.\u201d<\/span>\n<\/p>\n


<\/p>\n

\nMiles away as the dawn broke, a solitary figured emerged from the breakers. His massive frame hung with clothing tattered and soaked from hours in the brine. He had tossed aside his weapons to lighten himself for a long swim. One good eye surveyed the rocks and he calculated where he had come ashore. With dry sand under his now bare feet, the huge pirate let out a scream of primal rage.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\u201cKnute!\u201d he shouted at the sky. \u201cBy the dark god I\u2019ll hunt you down and have your liver on a stick. But first you\u2019ll tell me where the Tear of the Gods is!\u201d<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\nKnowing that he had to find weapons and a new pair of boots, Bear turned northward, toward the secret temple at Widow\u2019s Peak and the village of Haldon\u2019s Head. There he would find some men to serve him and with their help they would track down Knute and the others. Every member of his crew who had betrayed him would die a slow, agonizing death. Again Bear let out a bellow of rage. As the echoes died against the windswept rocks, he squared his shoulders and began walking.<\/span>\n<\/p>\n


<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n

Read the full book by downloading it below.<\/p>\n

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Book Preview PROLOGUE – Attack The weather worsened. Dark clouds roiled overhead as angry lightning flashed, piercing the night\u2019s blackness on all quarters. The lookout atop the highest mast of the ship Ishap\u2019s Dawn thought he saw a flicker of movement in the distance and squinted against the murk. He tried to use his hand … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3937,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[229],"class_list":["post-3938","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-raymond-e-feist"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/epub-book.com\/download\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3938","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/epub-book.com\/download\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/epub-book.com\/download\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/epub-book.com\/download\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/epub-book.com\/download\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3938"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/epub-book.com\/download\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3938\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/epub-book.com\/download\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3937"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/epub-book.com\/download\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3938"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/epub-book.com\/download\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3938"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/epub-book.com\/download\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3938"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}