“I have a theory,” said Amirantha.
“Let’s hear it,” said Jim, sitting back in his chair. His beard was starting to grow and Sandreena had no doubt by the time he was seen on the streets of Krondor the next day, he would be his disreputable-looking self. She might someday forgive him for the role he played in the most painful part of her past, but she’d never forget his hand in it.
Amirantha said, “Dahun was fleeing. He came here to hide.”
Pug and Magnus exchanged glances, and Gulamendis said, “That would explain a great deal.”
“Hiding from what?” asked Brandos. “I’ve faced enough demons in my day to know they’re hardly a shy lot.”
“That I don’t know,” admitted Amirantha.
“Perhaps those other Demon Kings?” suggested Laromendis.
“Perhaps,” said Pug, “but I doubt it. There’s something behind all of this, a deeper, darker cause of all the troubles that have visited this world since before any of us were born.” He let out a long sigh. “It will eventually make itself known to us, but until it does, we can only pride ourselves on this victory, wonder how long we have to enjoy the newly won peace, and prepare for the next attack.”
“You’re certain there will be one?” asked Sandreena.
“As certain as I am of anything,” said Pug.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
As always, I am indebted to those who created Midkemia and allowed me to use it. Without their creativity the world of Midkemia would be far less vivid. So, Steve A, Jon, Anita, Conan, Steve B, Bob, Rich, April, Ethan, and everyone else who contributed, my continued thanks.
Thanks to John Bunting and Ralph Askren for giving readers so much more access than I could possibly provide myself.
Thanks to two people who always give support and friendship, Richard Spahl and Ray McKnown. And thanks to Kim McKnown for battling through and keeping me smiling every time I see her.
I also, once again, thank Jonathan Matson not only for far more than wise counsel and his business acumen, but for an abiding friendship that I cherish.
Thanks to my mother, still, for being there.
Lastly, and most deeply, to my children for their love and beauty; they still drive me crazy while keeping me sane and I am loving the adults they’re turning into before my eyes.
About the Author
RAYMOND E. FEIST’s previous novels include the first volume in the Demonwar Saga, Rides a Dread Legion, 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.
www.RaymondFeistBooks.com
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ALSO BY RAYMOND E. FEIST
THE DEMONWAR SAGA
Rides a Dread Legion
THE DARKWAR SAGA
Flight of the Nighthawks
Into a Dark Realm
Wrath of a Mad God
CONCLAVE OF SHADOWS
Talon of the Silver Hawk
King of Foxes
Exile’s Return
LEGENDS OF THE RIFTWAR
Honored Enemy
(with William R. Forstchen)
Murder in LaMut
(with Joel Rosenberg)
Jimmy the Hand
(with S. M. Stirling)
THE RIFTWAR LEGACY
Krondor: The Betrayal
Krondor: The Assassins
Krondor: Tear of the Gods
THE SERPENTWAR SAGA
Shadow of a Dark Queen
Rise of a Merchant Prince
Rage of a Demon King
Shards of a Broken Crown
THE EMPIRE TRILOGY
(with Janny Wurts)
Daughter of the Empire
Servant of the Empire
Mistress of the Empire
KRONDOR’S SONS
Prince of the Blood
The King’s Buccaneer
Faerie Tale
THE RIFTWAR SAGA
Magician
Silverthorn
A Darkness at Sethanon
Credits
Jacket design by Richard Aquan
Jacket illustration by Steve Stone
Copyright
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.
AT THE GATES OF DARKNESS. Copyright © 2010 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 non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, 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.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data has been applied for.
EPub Edition © February 2010 ISBN: 978-0-06-199351-0
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