Runemarks
Authors: Joanne Harris
CONTENTS
There was a Seer who foretold the End of All Things…
Never trust an Oracle.
I speak of a mighty Ash that stands.
Its name is Yggdrasil.
Not kings, but historians rule the world.
And there shall come a Scarlet Horse…
The dead know everything, but they don’t give a damn.
What is it that the slave dreams?
The slave dreams of being the master.
To Anouchka
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
My heartfelt thanks go to the faithful warriors who stood by my side throughout all the adventures and misadventures that have befallen this book. To Jennifer and Penny Luithlen; to Peter Robinson; to Christian, who read it first; to Philippa Dickinson; to my fantastic editors, Nancy Siscoe and Sue Cook; to Melissa Nelson for the jacket design; and to Judith Haut and Noreen Marchisi for publicity. To my P.A., Anne, who runs my life; to Mark, who runs the Web site; and to Kevin, who runs everything else. Most of all, I am grateful to my daughter, Anouchka, who pestered me constantly for four years until I finished this story to her complete satisfaction….
CHARACTERS
VILLAGERS
Maddy Smith
, a village witch
Jed Smith
, a smith
Mae Smith
, a brainless beauty
Adam Scattergood
, a bully
Mrs. Scattergood
, an innkeeper
Dorian Scattergood
, the black sheep of the family
Crazy Nan Fey
, a midwife; reputed to be imaginative
Nat Parson
, a parson
Ethelberta Parson
, his wife
Torval Bishop
, his immediate superior
Matt Law
, a lawman
DEVOTEES OF THE ORDER
Examiner Number 4421974
, Examiner of the Order
Magister Number 73838
, Magister of the Order
Magister Number 369
, Magister Emeritus of the Order
Magister Number 262
, Magister of the Order
Magister Number 23
, Magister of the Order
GODS
(
VANIR
)
Skadi
, of the Ice People, bride of Njörd, the Huntress; goddess of destruction; principal enemy of Loki
Bragi
, god of poetry and song; has no reason to love Loki
Idun
, his wife, goddess of youth and plenty; was once abducted by Loki and handed over to the Ice People
Freyja
, goddess of desire; once mortally insulted by Loki
Frey
, the Reaper, her brother; no friend to Loki
Heimdall
, golden-toothed sentinel of the gods; hates Loki
Njörd
, sea god, once married to Skadi but now separated due to irreconcilable differences; agrees with her on a single subject—dislike of Loki
GODS
(
ÆSIR
—
SEER-FOLK
)
Odin
, chief of the Æsir, blood brother of—and ultimately betrayed by—Loki
Frigg
, his wife; lost her son because of Loki
Thor
, the Thunderer, son of Odin; has more than one bone to pick with Loki
Sif
, his wife; once went bald because of Loki
Týr
, god of war; lost his hand because of Loki
Balder
, son of Frigg; died because of Loki
Loki
OTHERS
Sugar-and-Sack
, a goblin
Hel
, Mistress of the Underworld
Surt
, ruler of World Beyond, Guardian of the Black Fortress
Jormungand
, the World Serpent
Fat Lizzy
, a potbellied sow
The Nameless
RUNES OF THE ELDER SCRIPT
Fé:
Wealth, cattle, property, success
Úr:
Strength, the Mighty Ox
Thuris:
Thor’s rune, the Thorny One, victory
Ós:
the Seer-folk, the Æsir
Raedo:
the Journeyman, the Outlands
Kaen:
Wildfire, Chaos, World Beyond
Hagall:
Hail, the Destroyer, Netherworld
Naudr:
the Binder, the Underworld, distress, need, Death
Isa:
Ice
Ár:
Plenty, fruitfulness
ýr:
the Protector, the Fundament
Sól:
summer, the sun
Týr:
the Warrior
Bjarkán:
Vision, revelation, dream