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PROLOGUE:
HARBINGER
A flaht On an island in the wild Marra dark hair blows in the ind, salty froold circlet around her head and the golden edging to her long red robes—the robes of a Castle Queen
The Queen is not alone Beside her is an old , hite hair held back with an ExtraOrdinary Wizard headband He is resplendent in purple robes richly eykal symbols—this is the very first ExtraOrdinary Wizard, Hotep-Ra
The island on which they stand is an ancient Listening Place, and Hotep-Ra is Listening carefully As he stands statue-still, absorbed in so far away, his frown deepens “It is as I feared,” he whispers “They have discovered me at last”
The Queen does not understand Magyk, but she respects it because it once saved her daughter’s life She nods sadly She knows that this will take Hotep-Ra away from her forever
A flaht The Queen and Hotep-Ra are underground, and the light froht colu for a sy a dragon She places her hand on the circle and they wait The Queen sees Hotep-Ra twist the ring on his right index finger: a delicate gold dragon with its tail in itsis beautifully ht that colows in the shadows of his hand
And noith a deep, slow ru back to reveal a dark, wide space before them The Queen sether they step forward
The Queen holds up her lantern and its light illuminates a pair of brilliant white marble columns that rise up into the darkness They walk between the coluht with reds, yellohites and greens And then they are there The Queen hands her lantern to Hotep-Ra and he holds it high so that its light shines on the on Boat
The Dragon Boat’s hull is broad and sturdy, built for the sea, and recently Hotep-Ra has gilded it This—and the mast with its azure sail—is the inanion Tucked neatly alongside the hull are the dragon’s wings, shireen Her head and neck are the prow and her tail is the stern The half boat, half dragon lies in a deep sleep, alone in the darkness of an ancient underground te of the wall Drowsily she raises her head, arching her neck upward like that of a swan The Queen approaches the dragon quietly, careful not to alaron opens her eyes, she bows her head and the Queen loops her aron’s neck
Hotep-Ra hangs back He looks at his Dragon Boat, resting on thefor the water to rise and carry her away to distant lands Indeed, that hat he had planned for her, to take her on the last journey of his old age But now that his enemies have tracked hion Boat hidden safe below the ground, keeping her secrets froon Boat on Master Hotep-Ra does not knoho that will be, but he knows that one day he will meet him
The Queen proon Boat that she will return in a year to the day, but Hotep-Ra proon’s nose, then turns and walks quickly froether they watch the wall of hieroglyphs rumble closed once more
They walk slowly along the sandy passagehich takes thee of the island There, Hotep-Ra pulls off his Dragon Ring To the Queen’s a onto the sandy floor as if it were nothing to hi away
“But that’s your ring,” whispers the Queen, shocked
Hotep-Ra gives a weary smile “Not anymore,” he says
The Queen and the ExtraOrdinary Wizard return to the Castle, but Hotep-Ra does not leave right away He knows he is running the risk of drawing his enes he wishes to do in order to make the Castle and its Queen as safe as he can
Hotep-Ra Engenders protected Ways to allow the Queen to visit the Dragon Boat and other places that are special to her in safety He fills his Wizard Toith all the Magykal power he can spare and sets up a systehtest and best ExtraOrdinary Apprentices That way he believes that he will still get news of the Castle and will be able to give advice if needed He asks the Queen to visit his beloved Dragon Boat every MidSuon House as a place for the Dragon Boat to rest when one day it will be safe for her to come to the Castle
But Hotep-Ra has stayed too long