Anthony, Piers - Kelvin 04 - Orc's Opal PDF
Preview Anthony, Piers - Kelvin 04 - Orc's Opal
Orc's Opal Piers Anthony and Robert E. Margroff Kelvin of Rud, book 4 CONTENTS INTRODUCTION CHARACTERS PROLOGUE Chapter 1. To Another World Chapter 2. Megapolis Chapter 3. MegaCon Chapter 4. Children's Suite Chapter 5. Changing Time Chapter 6. Adventuring Chapter 7. Growing Magic Chapter 8. Flight Chapter 9. Disruption Chapter 10. Ophal Chapter 11. Zady Chapter 12. Castle Chapter 13. Castle Break Chapter 14. Little Fish Chapter 15. Brudalous Chapter 16. Lester Chapter 17. Opal Chapter 18. Dragon's Tail Chapter 19. Ultimatum Chapter 20. New Boots Chapter 21. Godparent Chapter 22. War Chapter 23. Kid Stuff Chapter 24. War's End Chapter 25. Glow's Return EPILOGUE INTRODUCTION This is the fourth novel in a fantasy series in which the inhabitants of alternate worlds are distinguished by the shape of their ears. In the first novel, Dragon's Gold, young roundeared Kelvin and his pointeared little tomboy sister Jon managed to kill a golden-scaled dragon and later save the kingdom of Rud and their father John Knight from the clutches of evil, seductive queen Zoanna. In the process, Kelvin found love with roundeared Heln, and Jon with Lester Crumb. In the sequel, Serpent's Silver, Kelvin's half-brother Kian discovered an alternate world where most folk were roundeared, but it wasn't John Knight's world of origin, Earth. Some folk had flop ears, and many folk were similar to those of the pointeared world, except that their characters were reversed. Here good king Rufurt was evil king Rowforth, and evil queen Zoanna was good queen Zanaan. Instead of golden-scaled dragons there were silver-skinned serpents. Again the forces of evil were finally thwarted—but the mysterious Prophecy of Mouvar had not yet ran its full course. In the third novel, Chimaera's Copper, evil queen Zoanna teamed with evil king Rowforth to cross frames and take over Kelvin's home frame while Kelvin was away. Heln's developing baby was enchanted to become a chimaera, but the adult chimaera Mervania provided magic to fission the monster into three just before birth: a boy and a girl and a dragon. Zoanna was defeated and killed, and things settled more or less down again. This fourth novel opens about six years later. Because the large number of characters carrying over from the prior novels may be confusing, this introduction is followed by a listing of the characters, approximately in the order of their first appearance or mention. They will be identified in the text, and some background provided, but that may not be enough. When you encounter one you don't recognize, flip to this list. Meanwhile, if you have ever wondered exactly what a fantasy convention is like, this novel will show you. There will be one more novel to complete the prophecy: Mouvar's Magic. So don't throw away the prior volumes, unless you happen to like fumbling through a summary like this to get your bearings. One of the interesting things about those prior volumes is that through a fluke of magic the cover intended for this book, Orc's Opal, appeared instead on the hardcover edition of Serpent's Silver, two novels ago. So those who experience a mysterious déjà vu when reading the scene in Chapter 8 about Charles and Merlain and the great flying dragon-bird need be mystified no more; it simply means they made the mistake of reading these novels in order, in hardcover. Those who read Dragon's Gold in hardcover were in a different frame, because in this frame it was an original paperback. CHARACTERS Mouvar—fabled Roundear who made the Prophecy and set up a chain of scientific transporters linking the frames Zady—ugly, evil old witch, Zoanna's aunt Queen Zoanna—beautiful, evil former queen of Rud, now dead Professor Devale—demon sorcerer and educator with a taste for beauty and mischief Chimaera—monster with three heads: Mervania, Mertin, and Grumpus Kelvin Knight Hackleberry—the unlikely hero of the Prophecy, and thus of all the novels of this series. Son of John Knight, but his surname was changed when his mother married Hal Hackleberry, and not changed back when she remarried John Knight. Heln Hackleberry—Kelvin's roundeared wife Charles—Kelvin and Heln's son, age six Dragon Horace—Charles and Merlain's sibling Helbah—old sorceress of Klingland and Kance: a good witch Katbah—Helbah's houcat (or "cat") familiar Lester "Les" Crumb—Jon's husband, son of Mor Crumb Jon—Kelvin's younger sister, whose ears are pointed Charley Lomax—neighbor, formerly one of the king's guards Cutie Lomax—Charley's cute kid sister Charlain Knight—Kelvin and Jon's mother, wife of John Knight John Knight—roundeared traveler from Earth, stranded in the magic realm, father of Kelvin, and of Kian, by Zoanna King Kildom—boy-king of Klingland King Kildee—boy-king of Kance Zatanas—evil magician, Zoanna's father, now dead Old Man Zed Yokes—river man who ferries others across water Whitestone—convention wizard Zudini—master illusionist and escape artist Zally—Zudini's daughter, majoring in pedimagic Fredrick—handsome young warlock, Zally's friend Brudalous—king of the orcs Glow—Charles' dream girl St. Helens—familiar name for Sean Reilly, Heln's father from Earth, once a soldier in John Knight's Earth platoon. Man—messed up Jon's loaf of bread Policeman—picks up Jon Desk Sergeant—recognizes the problem Toastmaster—of banquet where Helbah is feted Loopey—a drunk man in the form of a stargen Phenoblee—Brudalous's orc wife Phillip Blastmore—former boy-king of the kingdom of Aratex Morton "Mor" Crumb—former leader of a band that helped Kelvin Miss Pringle—attendant at children's suite Ebbernog—little fat boy King Rufurt—figurehead king of Kelvinia, a gentle and somewhat ineffective man Mosday—orc officer, a general under Brudalous Krassnose—resident orc wizard Dawn—the sunwitch, Glow's mother PROLOGUE Night The ugly old witch with beautiful warts on her face had an air about her. A bad air. It wasn't merely physical; it extended well into the supernatural realm and was almost artistic in its awfulness. Leaning there in the study on her artfully crooked stick, she could have stepped right from an ancient woodcut which had soaked in the foulest of sewers for a few centuries. Professor Devale rubbed his polished horns, wondering who she was and why she had come. She was obviously competent in sorcery, or she would not have found him here. "You do remember me, Professor?" Her voice grated like bone against gravestone. Her breath as she spoke staggered him. Her rheumy eyes cleared for a moment and glowed with the intensity of coals from a funeral pyre. He thought rapidly, searching his memory, annoyed that his precognitive ability was weaker than it should be. Let's see—several centuries ago a witch such as this had brought a really beautiful girl to him. A girl named Zoanna, and it hadn't been entirely her fault that she hadn't wanted to study, then. With beauty like that, she had been able to have her way without magic. Later Zoanna had learned the limits of beauty and had come to him for help, as they all came sooner or later. What a joy she had been, when she wanted his favor! He had known exactly what she was up to, and that she cared not a pennycent curse about him personally, and she had known he knew. That was the way he liked it: proper understanding. There could be much pleasure in a business romance. But Zoanna was gone now, destroyed in the frame of dragons by another type of witch and that witch's amateur helpers. Helpers such as Kelvin Knight Hackleberry, the claimed Roundear of Prophecy, and his mother and sister. The frames were in a sorry state when louts like these could interfere with the projects of legitimate practitioners of magic. Vengeance was in order for somebody. Yes, yes, and so this had to be Zoanna's old aunt, who was as vengeful a creature as he could remember. "Why of course I remember you, Zady," he said in his familiar manner. It wouldn't do to have anyone think he was other than completely sharp, and verging on omniscience. Especially a stinking crone like this! If she was so powerful, why didn't she make herself beautiful?
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