Steven Erikson - Midnight Tides (Malazan Book of the Fallen, Book 5)

M idnight
T ides

A FTER DECADES OF INTERNECINE WARFARE, the tribes of the Tiste Edur have at last united under the Warlock King of the Hiroth. There is peace, but it has been exacted at a terrible price: a pact made with a hidden power whose motives are at best suspect, at worst deadly.

To the south, the expansionist kingdom of Lether, eager to fulfill its long-prophesied renaissance as an empire reborn, has enslaved with rapacious hunger all its less civilized neighbors. All, that is, save onethe Tiste Edur. And it must be only a matter of time before they, too, fall either beneath the suffocating weight of gold or by slaughter at the edge of a sword. Or so destiny has decreed.

Yet as the two sides gather for a pivotal treaty neither truly wants, ancient forces are awakening. For the impending struggle between these two peoples is but a pale reflection of a far more profound, primal battlea confrontation charged with the still-raw wound of an old betrayal and the craving for revenge at its seething heart.

Midnight
Tides

Tor Books by Steven Erikson

Gardens of the Moon

Deadhouse Gates

Memories of Ice

House of Chains

STEVEN ERIKSON

A T ALE OF
T HE M ALAZAN
B OOK OF T HE F ALLEN

A TOM DOHERTY ASSOCIATES BOOK
NEW YORK

This is a work of fiction. All the characters and events portrayed in this novel are either fictitious or are used fictitiously.

MIDNIGHT TIDES: A TALE OF THE MALAZAN BOOK OF THE FALLEN

Copyright 2004 by Steven Erikson

Originally published in Great Britain in 2004 by Bantam Press, a division of Transworld Publishers.

All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book, or portions thereof, in any form.

Maps by Neil Gower

A Tor Book
Published by Tom Doherty Associates, LLC
175 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY 10010

www.tor.com

Tor is a registered trademark of Tom Doherty Associates, LLC.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Erikson, Steven.

Midnight tides : a tale of the Malazan book of the fallen / Steven Erikson. 1st U.S. ed.

p. cm.

A Tom Doherty Associates Book.

ISBN-13: 978-0-765-31005-7 (hardcover)

ISBN-10: 0-765-31005-8 (hardcover)

ISBN-13: 978-0-765-31651-6 (tpb.)

ISBN-10: 0-765-31651-X (tpb.)

I. Title.

PR9199.4.E745M53 2006
823.92dc22

2006050937

First U.S. Edition: April 2007

Printed in the United States of America

0 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

T o
C HRISTOPHER P OROZNY

Deepest appreciation to the old crew, Rick, Chris and Mark, for the advance comments on this novel. And to Courtney, Cam and David Keck for their friendship. Thanks as always to Clare and Bowen, to Simon Taylor and his compatriots at Trans-world; to Steve Donaldson, Ross and Perry,- Peter and Nicky Crowther, Patrick Walsh and Howard Morhaim. And to the staff at Tonys Bar Italia for this, the second novel fuelled by their coffee.

The Tifte Edur

Tomad Sengar, patriarch of the Sengar Bloodline

Uruth, matriarch of the Sengar Bloodline

Fear Sengar, Eldest Son, Weapons Master of the Tribes

Trull Sengar, Second Son

Binadas Sengar, Third Son

Rhulad Sengar, Fourth and Youngest Son

Mayen, Fears Betrothed

Hannan Mosag, Warlock King of the Six Tribes Confederacy

Theradas Buhn, Eldest Son of the Buhn Bloodline

Midik Buhn, Second Son

Badar, an unblooded

Rethal, a warrior

Canarth, a warrior

Choram Irard, an unblooded

Kholb Harat, an unblooded

Matra Brith, an unblooded

Lethrii Slaves Among the Tifte Edur

Udinaas

Feather Witch

Hulad

Virrick

The Letherii

I N THE P ALACE

Ezgara Diskanar, King of Letheras

Janall, Queen of Letheras

Quillas Diskanar, Prince and Heir

Unnutal Hebaz, Preda (Commander) of Letherii army

Brys Beddict, Finadd (Captain) and Kings Champion, youngest of the Beddict brothers

Moroch Nevath, a Finadd bodyguard to Prince Quillas Diskanar

Kuru Qan, Ceda (Sorceror) to the King

Nisall, the Kings First Concubine

Turudal Brizad, The Queens First Consort

Nifadas, First Eunuch

Gerun Eberict, Finadd in the Royal Guard

Triban Gnol, Chancellor

Laerdas, a mage in the Princes retinue

I N THE N ORTH

Buruk the Pale, a merchant in the north

Seren Pedac, Acquitor for Buruk the Pale

Hull Beddict, Sentinel in the north, eldest among the Beddict brothers

Nekal Bara, a sorceress

Arahathan, a mage

Enedictal, a mage

Yan Tovis (Twilight), Atri-Preda at Fent Reach

I N THE C ITY OF L ETHERAS

Tehol Beddict, a citizen in the capital, middle among the Beddict brothers

Hejun, an employee of Tehol

Rissarh, an employee of Tehol

Shand, an employee of Tehol

Chalas, a watchman

Biri, a merchant

Huldo, an establishment proprietor

Bugg, Tehols servant

Ublala Pung, a criminal

Harlest, a household guard

Ormly, Champion Rat Catcher

Rucket, Chief Investigator, Rat Catchers Guild

Bubyrd, Rat Catchers Guild

Glisten, Rat Catchers Guild

Ruby, Rat Catchers Guild

Onyx, Rat Catchers Guild

Scint, Rat Catchers Guild

Kettle, a child

Shurq Elalle, a thief

Selush, a Dresser of the Dead

Padderunt, assistant to Selush

Urul, chief server in Huldos

Inchers, a citizen

Hulbat, a citizen

Turble, a citizen

Unn, a half-blood indigent

Delisp, Matron of the Temple Brothel

Prist, a gardener

Strong Rail, a cut-throat

Green Pig, an infamous mage of old