Thief in the Night Read online

next Forlorn Hope!"

  A Forlorn Hope is a suicide mission, the first into an attack on a defended position, to open a crack that other troops can pour through. Very few soldiers survived, but there were always volunteers for them.

  "A soldier's answer, but I think not," said the King smiling. "I have negotiated with your commanding officer for your detachment, Corporal Russell."

  It took a moment for Andy to realise that the King was talking to him and had got his rank wrong.

  "You will spend the next six months as Master of Arms to the Princess, Corporal Russell, responsible for her training and expertise in all weapons. The appointment is pre-dated to yesterday." A rustle of conversation went round the hall.

  "Perhaps you should be aware that the Princess' Master at Arms is of course exempt from punishment should he hit her."

  --ooOoo--

  A message from the Author:

  I hope you have enjoyed Thief in the Night as an introduction to my writing and the world of Harrhein. May I invite you to visit www.harrhein.com where there will be news as I publish more works from the country of Harrhein, and you can follow the life of the Princess.

  Over the coming months, I plan to publish more short stories. Feeding the Dragon will introduce the reader to a remarkable young lady, Wu Gui, who is chosen by monks from a remote monastery to feed the Dragon. The Wagon Master is the life of a different sort of hero, a haulier in the Harrhein Army's Supply Corps, quite happy to remain in the shadows and not happy when he is required to show courage. The Octopus Hunt is set in the South Seas and is all about culture clash, a favourite subject!

  Late in the year 2014, In Search of Spice will be published. This is not a short story: with in excess of 150,000 words it ranks as a blockbuster. The seventeen year old Princess Asmara is forced to flee the Palace to avoid assassination, and enlists in disguise as an ordinary seaman on the Queen Rose. The first carrack to be built in Harrhein, it is on a voyage of exploration across the Eastern Ocean, looking for trading opportunities and the fabled Spice Islands. The crew hope to return with a cargo of pepper, cardamom and cloves which will make their fortune.

  This is not a coming of age novel. As you may have gathered already, the Princess is somewhat precocious. She came of age when she was fourteen.

  It is a novel of culture clash, of warfare, of magic, sex, love, fighting, politics and trade. High adventure. Extensive research has gone into this book, and I have endeavoured to be accurate in such diverse descriptions as how to warp a carrack out of dock; the kava ceremony; forming a shield wall and the politics of fourteenth century India.

  Writing In Search of Spice has been a lot of fun. I can't wait to write the sequel. But that will involve a lot of warfare based on that of fourteenth century India, and for that I need to spend time there going over old battlefields and talking to historians. I am trying to get my head around the many variations of Hinduism which I need to understand in order to create suitable religions.

  Of course I need In Search of Spice to be a success for that to happen, so I am releasing these short stories completely free of charge as a blatant teaser to ensure you like my writing style and will buy it when it comes out.

  Enjoy.

  Rex Sumner