Signs of Change

By Jonathan Edward Feinstein

It has been twelve years since Gaenor, Artur and their comrades saved the World. Now a new catastrophe looms when the Southlands band together and begin a religious crusade against their neighbors, using new terror weapons unlike any used in the past. The Southlands were previously considered primitive and backwards, but now it is the rest of the World scrambling to keep up and Gaenor, Artur and their friends find themselves in the middle of it all.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Jul 2, 2016
• ISBN: 9781365233623

Book preview

Signs of Change

Signs of Change

Gaenor’s Prophecy – Book 1

by

Jonathan Edward Feinstein

Copyright © 2016 by Jonathan E. Feinstein

All Rights Reserved

No part of this publication may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the written permission of the publisher. For information regarding permission, write to Megafilk Press, Jonathan E. Feinstein, 923 Drift Road, Westport, MA 02790

Cover art:    Clipped from Desert on the Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge a public domain image supplied by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in 2015 and available on Public-Domain-image.com.

ISBN:  978-1-365-23362-3

Stories by Jonathan Edward Feinstein

Gaenor’s Quest

The Red Light of Dawn

The Black Clouds of Noon

The Rainbow of Dusk

The Cold Clear Skies of Midnight

Gaenor’s Prophecy

Signs of Change

Corrected Visions (Forthcoming)

The Maiyim Stories:

The Maiyim Tetralogy

World of Water

Men of the Earth

Island of Fire

Gods of the Air

Three Stories of Maiyim

A Deadly Union

An Interesting Title

A Shattered Family

Ars Nova Magica (and related side stories)

The Maiyim Bourne

The Staff of Aritos

A Promising Career

A Fine Adventure

The Tears of Methis

Freshman Orientation

The Book of Candle

Dry Dock

Ars Scientiaque Magicae

Unexpected Reactions

Hypothetical Notions

Theoretical Bases

   Lift Off!

Required Components

Experimental Proofs

Desired Results

The Terralano Venture

Agree to Disagree

By the Light of the Silvery Moons

There Goes the Neighborhood

Down Time, Ltd.

Down Time

Taking Time

Time Out

Show Time!

Double Time

A Plethora of Deities

Downhill All the Way

In the Sky with Diamonds

The Seed

The Tree

Tempting the Fates

Teasing the Furies

Inspiring the Muses

Dancing with the Sphinx: Waltz

Dancing with the Sphinx: Tango

Dancing with the Sphinx: Foxtrot

Chasing Rainbows

The Care and Feeding of Your Elder God (Forthcoming)

The Wayfarers

A Land without Borders

A World without a Name

A Nation without Maps

A Country without Unity

A Continent without Form

An Ocean without Charts

An Empire without Order

An Island without a Shore (Forthcoming)

The Pirates of Pangaea

An Accidental Alliance

The Unscheduled Mission

A Planned Improvisation

The Forced Alternative

Other Stories

Elf Alert!

A Study in Ethnology

Off on a Tangent

Author’s Foreword

I’d like to say I’ve had a lot of requests to write a sequel series to Gaenor’s Quest. That would imply I get a lot of fan letters and have tons of readers. That would be nice. However, I don’t kid myself about that sort of thing. I do not receive a lot of e-mail from readers, just a letter here and there, so I am under no illusions as to my popularity.

However, it is truthful to say I have had requests to write a second series involving my heroine, Gaenor of Narmouth. In fact, Gaenor’s Quest has garnered more such requests than anything else I have written with the exception of the first book of The Terralano Venture, Agree to Disagree. Also I received a very nice rejection letter from Del Rey Books for Book One of the first series; The Red Light of Dawn, in which one of the editors there discussed the story at length. While that was not a sale, I did take it as a sort of Pyrrhic victory as Del Rey was famous for never sending personal rejections. Indeed, every other rejection I got from them was a standard form,,, Dear Author… Thanks but no thanks…

It took me a long time to get around to honoring those requests. The main reason for that was that I did not have any firm idea as to what a second series would involve.

I did have one scene in my head, which happens in the first section of this story and I had a name for the series, Gaenor’s Prophecy.  That came out of some vague inferences made in the second book of the series, The Black Clouds of Noon, when the Queen of Kimn said something about a prophecy and implied that Gaenor and Cornellya might be related to it. That does not last long, especially after Gaenor and Cornellya are openly skeptical, but while it had absolutely nothing to do with the rest of the story (I think I might have had plans to tie it in, but never did for some reason), it gave me a hook on this second series.

It was a bit of a challenge trying to write these characters after such a long hiatus, but I think it worked out pretty well, Hopefully, you all will agree,

Jonathan E. Feinstein

Westport, MA

June 10,2016

Prologue – Es

King Rorric of Gostrina was not the sort of man who was used to waiting on another’s convenience, but in the case of his wife, Queen Mirie, he had the patience of a saint. Especially now, when every moment with her was so precious. However, there was no alternative but to wait here in the hallway outside her private chambers.

Your Majesty, a palace servant informed him respectfully, Her Majesty is ready for you now.

Thank you, Rorric replied absently and walked quickly into the queen’s suite. The air in here had been freshened, he noted. It certainly had not smelled as good the last time he had visited, just a few hours earlier. Not that the smell of disease had been topmost on his mind. All that Rorric could concentrate on was spending every free moment with his wife for so long as he could. There was a chair beside her bed as always and, noticing his wife seemed to be sleeping again, he sat down on it quietly.

Queen Mirie did not look good at all. The cancer had been eating her from within and despite his wishes and hopes, the king knew she would not last much longer. It was a dreadful sickness for which there was no known cure whether it be medical or magical. As he frequently did, Rorric pondered why that was and once again vowed silently to endow the University in the hope of finding a cure. Then Her Majesty’s eyes opened. I am sorry, dear, she told Rorric. I had not meant to fall asleep on you.

It is no matter, Rorric replied, adding as he frequently did, my dearest friend.

Mirie smiled. We did not marry for love, dear heart, she reminisced, but it came to us in time, didn’t it? Love is an imperfect subject and goes where it will regardless of one’s rank and status. You and I are so fortunate that it chose to attend us. Rorric nodded silently. What more could he add to that?

After a long pause, Mirie spoke again, I had a dream last night.

What did you dream? Rorric asked.

Just the news of the day, Mirie admitted. Nothing extraordinary, I think. This is just my way of thinking, especially now. The riots, my dear. We must do something about them, our dear realm is being torn apart.

I know, Rorric agreed. The issue of women’s suffrage. So many of the priests tell me the holy word of Nauo is against such equality.

The Archpriest is not so hidebound, Mirie reminded him, "and I do believe you will find the Archpriestess will tell you that the holy word of Hinna is just the opposite. I do not believe the gods have ever said that one gender should rank above the other. That is something only we foolish mortals could have invented.

Our Mishandan cousins have the right idea, Mirie went on. King Paulen and Queen Ibbet instructed their Parliament to grant women the right to vote, to own land and, in fact, do anything under the law that men can.

And Mishanda is the only northern realm that has not faced this crisis, Rorric agreed. There have been protests on this count even in Cilbe and the Thimdra States, but only in our Gostrina have there been riots for the sake of the rights of women.

It is not the women who are rioting by and large, Mirie told him. It is the men and their attempts to bully the women into submission. Such behavior is rude and unseemly, to say the very least and not in keeping with the teachings of the Church of Gostrina, is it? She did not wait for Rorric to reply. I heard that Lady Karenie of Es has been arrested again.

That was in the report last night, Rorric agreed."

Why do our police always arrest the women, but not the men? Mirie asked.

Some men have been arrested, Rorric reminded her.

Some, Mirie agreed, but those were the worst examples and were arrested for physical assaults on others. Why is the charge, ‘Inciting to riot’ only leveled at women. From what I understand, the women are attempting to demonstrate peacefully. It is the men, opposing them who start the fights.

Not all men oppose women’s suffrage, Rorric reminded her. Our male subjects are evenly split on the matter. Those in favor frequently get involved by defending the women, but yes, I do believe it is time and past time we settled the matter. Gostrina has too many other problems to be caught up in this issue. The Southlanders have been more aggressive this past half year. Something is stirring them up, but I do not know what. Perhaps it is because so many of their subjects are escaping to live in Gostrina.

Perhaps, Mirie agreed, but let us not get distracted. At this moment our greatest issue is the establishment of equal rights for all honest subjects of the realm. Promise me you will resolve the issue. Promise me that our women will need never fight for their rights again.

We are not sure we can promise that, Rorric replied, slipping into the regal mode of address, but we do promise, I promise you, my queen, that we will do everything humanly possible. I must, however, work with the priests of Nauo and for the most part it is the members of the Holy College of High Priests who are most opposed.

Again, dear heart, Mirie stopped him, you have forgotten the Holy College of the Priestesses of Hinna. Is not our worship of Hinna equal to that of Nauo? Just then a glint of sunlight off the gilt edge of the Great Pyramid of Nauo flashed in through the queen’s window. She smiled and told Rorric, We do not build pyramids to Hinna as we do to Nauo but are they not the king and queen of Heaven where they rule as equals?

Yes, they do and I see your point, Rorric agreed. As the gods live as equals in heaven so should we who live in the mortal world, but convincing the high priests of that. They are the Lords Spiritual and hold a fair number of Parliamentary votes.

Talk to Archpriest Danner, Mirie advised. He should be here soon. I asked for both him and Archpriestess Narithie.

So soon? Rorric asked. He understood immediately that Mirie foresaw her own end.

It has not been soon at all, dear heart, Mirie replied. And we have had twenty-five wonderful years together.

My dearest friend, Rorric shook his head. We have been married over thirty years.

Yes, Mirie smiled, but those first five… She let the thought trail off and waited for her husband to smile.

He did and agreed, Yes. Those first five, but if not for them, how could I ever have fallen in love with you?

The Queen died less than three hours later and the Royal Kingdom of Gostrina mourned. Out of respect, the women of Gostrina suspended their demonstrations and, in fact, did not plan their next protest until several days after the funeral. It was longer than necessary for the sake of decency, but once those protests resumed, the opposition did as well. As before, the constables tended to arrest only the women and ignore all but the most violent of their men involved in the riots. Frequently the men arrested were attempting to loot local merchants and not involved on either side of the suffrage debate.

Once again Lady Karenie of Es, the acknowledged leader of the protestors, was arrested on charges of inciting to riot and the more conservative High Priests of Nauo decided they should make an example of her, so while all her colleagues were released after paying their fines, Karenie was kept imprisoned.

In his grief, Rorric had paid little attention to Gostrina’s problems since the death of the queen even when reports of raids from the neighboring country of Pahn arrived with descriptions of new weapons that exploded and killed indiscriminately. It was only when an advisor, giving the king his daily briefing, mentioned the arrest and protracted detainment of Lady Karenie, did Rorric remember his promise to Mirie and only then did he realized he had been neglecting his most important duty.

Please have Lady Karenie escorted to the palace, Rorric instructed his chief aide. Also please invite Archpriest Danner, Archpriestess Narathie and the College of High Priests. Then he turned back to the man who had been briefing him. Now tell us again what has been happening here in Es.

The situation has become chaotic, sire, the man explained. "While many of your male subjects have been supporting the women in their struggle for the right to vote, still others have been doing what they can to suppress all attempts, including by physical intimidation. It is thought that certain members of the Lords Spiritual have been encouraging such bullying tactics, but there is no proof of that.

Your capital city is under a dusk-to-dawn curfew that is being enforced by the Royal Army, he went on, but this has meant pulling troops away from the Pahnese border which, of course leaves us increasingly vulnerable to raids in that quarter.

Yes, Rorric nodded. We must get our army back to defending our borders. Well, let’s see what happens when Lady Karenie arrives.

An hour later, the king was shocked to witness a battered and bruised woman being led roughly toward his throne in manacles. Members of the College of High Priests stood on either side of the throne room and loudly jeered and insulted the wretched-looking creature, who in spite of her condition was somehow able to hold herself proudly in place against the rising tide of abuse. Rorric instantly found respect for the woman and wondered if he could fare as well in her situation. He suspected he could not.

Silence! he shouted to the jeering priests. There will be courtesy and respect in our home at all times. What is this?

Your Majesty ordered that Lady Karenie of Es be brought before you, one of the courtiers reminded him. Several High priests called out insults toward Lady Karenie again.

Silence! the king roared again. "We are hereby invoking the Emergency Act. Our word is law for the duration and our word is that the next such outburst will be considered an act of treason.

Why is this woman being led in chains like a common prisoner? Rorric asked. We invited her to join us here in the palace. We requested her presence. We most certainly did not demand that she be thrown down before us in chains.

Your Majesty, one of the high priests stepped forward to explain, this woman was arrested for inciting to riot, numerous incidents of civil disobedience and may yet be charged with high treason.

She is pardoned, Rorric replied instantly. Meanwhile an alert guard had already rushed toward Lady Karenie and began unlocking her shackles. Our apologies, my lady. It was never our intention that you be treated so rudely.

I thank Your Majesty, Karenie replied, but I do not believe I am guilty of the crimes for which you just pardoned me.

Probably not, Rorric allowed, but our pardon covers all past indiscretions, just in case.

Nice to know my misspent youth is forgiven, Karenie shrugged. Too bad I didn’t misspend it.

We are also extending pardon to your colleagues in the women’s suffrage movement, Rorric informed her, just in case some conscientious constable does not get the word. In any case we do believe that the time has come to recognize the female subjects of our realm are equal to the men in all ways under the law. We have, in fact, drafted a law to be presented to Parliament this day. He handed her a sheet of paper with some scribbled notes on it.

Your Majesty did this while waiting for me, didn’t you? Karenie accused him.

It helped to pass the time, Rorric admitted. I think it is concise and to the point. What do you think? Under the Emergency Act it is the law of the land even now, but will need parliamentary ratification once the emergency is over.

It is amazingly simple, Your Majesty, Karenie observed. I do wonder if it will remain that way once your Parliament gets its hands on it. She eyed several of the priests suspiciously. All of them, she knew, were members of the House of Lords.

It will be your job, my lady, to see that it remains true to the spirit of our wishes and those of our late and beloved Queen Mirie.

Me? Karenie asked, and how am I to accomplish that, sire?

Why as a member of our Parliament, of course, Rorric chuckled, signaling to one of the courtiers. The man came forward carrying a lord’s fur-trimmed robe of state. Stopping before the stunned Karenie, he held it up in a formal display, before handing it to the king.

The hall was filled with gasps and mutters of consternation, although somewhere from the very back of the hall Karenie thought she heard a low woman’s voice quietly saying, Yes! It might have been her imagination, though, and she did not have the luxury of turning her back on her monarch to find out. It was only then that she realized she was supposed to be kneeling and she hurriedly dropped to her knees.

Karenie had only been fed sporadically while imprisoned and some of the guards felt her presence in their realm gave them license to beat some sense into her, between dizziness and pain, her attempt at gracefully kneeling ended up with her falling face-first toward the cold palace floor. She did not actually hit the tiles, however. King Rorric saw her start to topple and rushed forward to catch her and assist her into a more dignified position. He then draped the robe about her shoulders and proclaimed, We hereby create you Baroness Karenie of Es, Lord for Life! and gave her the needed support to get back on to her own feet. We shall introduce you to the rest of the House of Lords later, but the Lords Spiritual will take note that this is now the law of the land.

Your Majesty! the same priest who had spoken up earlier began, is it wise to allow such a well-know troublemaker and criminal to be raised to… he faltered as Rorric glared at him and the other priests rapidly drifted away from his immediate vicinity.

Do not test our resolve, sir! the king warned him. It has long been our tradition that our Church and Government act in concert, but we do note that the two institutions remain separate in both Cilbe and Barbaria. During this crisis we have the power to summarily remove any lord from the Parliament or even the entire list of the Lords Spiritual if that pleases us. We suggest you do not make that option a pleasant one. We also declare that from this day forward, Archpriestess Narathie is a member of the Lords Spiritual as are the high priestesses of her order. Lady Karenie, I am certain you will find no shortage of allies.

The hall went silent as Karenie responded, Your Majesty, that does beg the question of just what does our religion have to say on the matter of a woman’s rights and privileges.

We thought it was your assertion that equal rights were compatible with the teachings of Nauo and Hinna, Rorric pointed out.

So I believe, Karenie nodded, but mine is a single voice among many and while I believe that, there seem to be some others here who just might not agree with me, sir.

Rorric turned toward a man standing among the priests of Nauo. Unlike the others who wore richly embroidered and gold-trimmed robes, he wore the simple blue robe of an initiate. Your Eminence, he addressed the Archpriest. What is the word of our Church?

Archpriest Danner stepped forward and replied, "Your Majesty, it has always been my belief that each man, each person, that is, must study the holy writings for him or herself and to be able to interpret them. However, it is possible that, before now, the Church should have provided more guidance to the people… and to certain priests in their attempts to interpret those writings. I shall soon convene a full Conclave of the High Priests and the High Priestesses in which we shall codify the commonly understood interpretations of the past and perhaps we shall also canonize out some of those as no longer being in keeping with the teachings of Nauo and Hinna. I could, of course, do that unilaterally, but have also preferred to work by consensus. As a matter of fact, Archpriestess Narathie and I have already begun this work. Some of our holy brothers may soon find their opinions are not substantiated by the teachings of the Church. It is our hope that they will see the wisdom of these changes, however.

Your Majesty and Lady Karenie, Danner concluded with a deep bow of respect to both, this is truly the beginning of a new age.

Part I – The Village

One

Two women rode inside the cabin of a self-propelled cart