Council of Fire Read online

  Table of Contents

  Maps

  Cast of Characters

  Prologue

  Part I: Transit Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Part II: Awakening Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Part III: Concentration Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Part IV: Orientation Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  Chapter 38

  Chapter 39

  Chapter 40

  Part V: Ascent Chapter 41

  Chapter 42

  Chapter 43

  Chapter 44

  Chapter 45

  Chapter 46

  Chapter 47

  Chapter 48

  Chapter 49

  Chapter 50

  Chapter 51

  Chapter 52

  Chapter 53

  Part VI: Determination Chapter 54

  Chapter 55

  Chapter 56

  Chapter 57

  Chapter 58

  Chapter 59

  Chapter 60

  Chapter 61

  Chapter 62

  Chapter 63

  Part VII: Salutation Chapter 64

  Chapter 65

  Chapter 66

  Council of Fire

  Eric Flint and Walter Hunt

  NEW ENTRY IN THE DRAGON AWARD–WINNING ARCANE AMERICA SERIES from New York Times best-selling alternate history master Eric Flint.

  The passage of Halley’s Comet in 1759 is catastrophic. The comet appears to strike the Earth, sundering the New World from the Old. A chain of mountains rises in the Mid-Atlantic. No ship from the Old World arrives in America. No ship from the New World can find a passage to the Old—and most who try simply disappear.

  The comet has also unleashed magic forces, which soon spread everywhere. Slaves begin using powers derived from African witchcraft, bringing monsters from that continent into the New World. The native tribes begin doing the same. Some European settlers devise ways to couple Old World technology with sorcery.

  Kraken in the Atlantic, revenants in Jamaica, Dry Hands and Floating Heads in the Hudson valley, African ogres and worse set loose in the streets of New York. Magic of all kinds, emerging everywhere, most of it poorly if at all controlled.

  The powerful Iroquois Confederacy disintegrates. The Onondaga Council Fire is extinguished; the Seneca and Cayuga follow their own shaman and war leader, and the Mohawks ally with the English.

  For their part, the English and the French in North America, who had been on the brink of war when the Sundering came, now have to contemplate what would once have been unthinkable. They must not simply forge a military alliance against the rising dark powers but may even have to unite politically behind the young English prince Edward, now the only person of royal blood left in the terrifying world created by the Sundering.

  THE ARCANE AMERICA SERIES

  Uncharted by Kevin J. Anderson & Sarah A. Hoyt

  Council of Fire by Eric Flint & Walter H. Hunt

  Ben Franklin: Wizard for Hire by Peter J. Wacks and Eytan Kollin (forthcoming)

  BAEN BOOKS BY ERIC FLINT

  THE RING OF FIRE SERIES: 1632 • 1633 with David Weber • 1634: The Baltic War with David Weber • 1634: The Galileo Affair with Andrew Dennis • 1634: The Bavarian Crisis with Virginia DeMarce • 1635: The Ram Rebellion with Virginia DeMarce et al • 1635: The Cannon Law with Andrew Dennis • 1635: The Dreeson Incident with Virginia DeMarce • 1635: The Eastern Front • 1636: The Papal Stakes with Charles E. Gannon • 1636: The Saxon Uprising • 1636: The Kremlin Games with Gorg Huff & Paula Goodlett • 1636: The Devil’s Opera with David Carrico • 1636: Commander Cantrell in the West Indies with Charles E. Gannon • 1636: The Viennese Waltz with Gorg Huff & Paula Goodlett • 1636: The Cardinal Virtues with Walter Hunt • 1635: A Parcel of Rogues with Andrew Dennis • 1636: The Ottoman Onslaught • 1636: Mission to the Mughals with Griffin Barber • 1637: The Polish Maelstrom by Eric Flint •1636: The China Venture by Eric Flint & Iver P. Cooper • Ring of Fire I-V • Grantville Gazette I-VIII

  The Assiti Shards series: Time Spike with Marilyn Kosmatka • The Alexander Inheritance with Gorg Huff & Paula Goodlett

  With Alistair Kimble: Iron Angels

  With Dave Freer: Rats, Bats & Vats • The Rats, The Bats & the Ugly • Pyramid Power • Pyramid Scheme • Slow Train to Arcturus

  With Mercedes Lackey & Dave Freer: The Shadow of the Lion • This Rough Magic • Much Fall of Blood • Burdens of the Dead • Sorceress of Karres

  With David Drake: The Tyrant (General series)

  The Belisarius Series with David Drake: An Oblique Approach • In the Heart of Darkness • Belisarius I: Thunder at Dawn (omnibus) • Destiny’s Shield • Fortune’s Stroke • Belisarius II: Storm at Noontide (omnibus) • The Tide of Victory • The Dance of Time • Belisarius III: The Flames of Sunset (omnibus)

  Joe’s World series: The Philosophical Strangler • Forward the Mage

  (with Richard Roach)

  Mother of Demons

  With David Weber: Crown of Slaves • Torch of Freedom • Cauldron of Ghosts

  The Jao Empire Series: The Course of Empire with K.D. Wentworth • Crucible of Empire with K.D. Wentworth • The Span of Empire with David Carrico

  With Ryk E. Spoor: Boundary • Threshold • Portal • Castaway Planet • Castaway Odyssey • Castaway Resolution (forthcoming)

  With Mike Resnick: The Gods of Sagittarius

  Edited by Eric Flint: The World Turned Upside Down (with David Drake & Jim Baen) • The Best of Jim Baen’s Universe I–II

  Eric Flint Story Collections: Worlds 1• Worlds 2

  Books by Walter H. Hunt

  The Dark Wing • The Dark Path • The Dark Ascent •

  The Dark Crusade • A Song In Stone • Elements of Mind •Harmony In Light •

  1636: The Cardinal Virtues (with Eric Flint) • Council of Fire (with Eric Flint)

  Council of Fire

  This is a work of fiction. All the characters and events portrayed in this book are fictional, and any resemblance to real people or incidents is purely coincidental.

  Copyright © 2019 by Eric Flint & Walter H. Hunt

  A Baen Book

  Baen Publishing Enterprises

  P.O. Box 1403

  Riverdale, NY 10471

  www.baen.com

  ISBN: 978-1-9821-2415-1

  eISBN: 978-1-62579-741-4

  Cover art by Tom Kidd

  Maps by Michael Knopp

  First Baen printing, November 2019

  Distributed by Simon & Schuster

  1230 Avenue of the Americas

  New York, NY 10020

  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

  Names: Flint, Eric, author. | Hunt, Walter H., author.

  Title: Council of fire / Eric Flint & Walter H. Hunt.

  Description: Riverdale : Baen Publishing
Enterprises, 2019. | Series: The

  Arcane America series

  Identifiers: LCCN 2019029168 | ISBN 9781982124151 (hardcover)

  Subjects: GSAFD: Alternative histories (Fiction) | Fantasy

  Classification: LCC PS3556.L548 C67 2019 | DDC 813/.54—dc23

  LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2019029168

  Printed in the United States of America

  10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

  Electronic Version by Baen Books

  www.baen.com

  Dedications

  Walter: I would like to dedicate this book to my wife Lisa, who has helped me see with new eyes.

  Eric: Well, I was planning to dedicate this book to hideous gruesome monsters, who fill the pages of the novel and are such a never-ending comfort and delight to scribblers, but . . .

  In light of Walter’s dedication, it seems more fitting (not to mention prudent) to dedicate this book to my wife Lucille, who has also helped me see with new eyes.

  (As for you, hideous gruesome monsters, suck it up and stop whining. You’re supposed to be monsters, not crybabies. I’ll dedicate something else to you. In the fullness of time.)

  Cast of Characters

  The number in parentheses is the first chapter in which the character appears. Historical characters are in bold. Fictional characters are in bold italic.

  ENGLISH (and ENGLISH-accompanying)

  Absalom (b. 1725). Free black man, a chandler’s apprentice in New York. (39)

  Alexander, James (b. 1691). A lawyer and savant in New York. A Jacobite in his youth, he came to New York in the 1720s and became a loyal Whig. (35)

  Amherst, Jeffery, General. (b. 1717) Commander in chief of His Majesty’s Forces in North America. Led the attack on Louisbourg in 1758; intended to renew the campaign against Fort Carillon in 1759. (18)

  Baker, George (b. 1731). Lieutenant and acting commander of Magnanime, originally under the command of Sir William Howe. (8)

  Bartram, John (b. 1699). Perhaps the most famous botanist in North America; he traveled throughout the continent gathering samples and categorizing species. (21)

  Biggin, Josephus (?) Merchant factor, located at Bridgetown, Barbados. (11)

  Boscawen, Edward, Lord (b. 1711). Admiral of the White. Commander of Namur; en route to the Mediterranean at the time of the Sundering. (4)

  Coffey (b. 1742). A free black woman, living in New York. She is close friends with York. (39)

  Cotes, Thomas, Vice-Admiral of the Blue (b. 1712). Appointed to the Jamaica station in 1757; friends with Boscawen. (21)

  De Lancey, James (b. 1703). Governor of New York Colony; in full authority from 1753-55, and again since the departure of Sir Charles Hardy in 1757. A patroon, well connected in New York and English society. (35)

  Dunbar, William (b. 1718). Major in His Majesty’s service; commander of the 40th Infantry, aboard Magnanime. (8)

  Equiano, Oladuah (“Gustavus”) (b. 1745). Igbo. Slave, owned by Michael Pascal. Wrote a famous biography later in life, one of the earliest literate black men in America. (5)

  “Fayerweather,” Charlie. (Charles Evan Toombs) (b. 1723). Ship’s captain in the Caribbean. Originally from Salem, Mass. (13)

  Grant, Robert. (b. 1714). Merchant factor, under contract to the Royal Navy in Halifax. (8)

  Gridley, Richard (b. 1710). Commander of Massachusetts militia. Freemason. (42)

  Haldane, George, Hon. (b. 1722) Scotsman. Governor of Jamaica from 1756. (20)

  Hanover, Edward Augustus, later Duke of York and Albany and Earl of Ulster (b. 1739); Brother of George, Prince of Wales, and grandson of King George II. Officer in the Royal Navy since 1758. In the Navy he is called “Mr. Prince” or “Commander Prince.” (1)

  Hughes, Edward (b. 1720). Captain of Somerset. (6)

  Johnson, Sir William, Baronet (b. 1715) Superintendent of Indian Affairs for New York Colony. “Chief Big Business.” Molly Brant is his common-law wife. (6)

  Jupiter. (b. 1736) A slave blacksmith. (39)

  LaGèndiere, Catherine (b. 1737). Woman of gentle birth, daughter of a colleague of Messier. (11)

  Leacock (b. about 1730?) Able seaman, rigger aboard Namur. Scotsman. (4)

  MacArran, Kenneth (b. 1737). Subaltern in the 40th Regiment of Foot, stationed at Fort Pitt. (29)

  Marshal, William (b. 1724). First mate of Namur. (4)

  Messier, Charles (b. 1730). French astronomer, in the employ of M. Delisle, the French Royal Astronomer. Caught in the Sundering, comes aboard Namur. (11)

  Minerva (b. 1717). “Mercy.” A free black woman, living in New York. (39)

  O’Brien (b. about 1740?) Unrated seaman aboard Namur. (4)

  Pascal, Michael Henry (b. about 1725) Lieutenant aboard Namur. Owner of the slave Gustavus (Oladuah Equiano). (4)

  Perry, Francis (b. about 1720) Boatswain aboard Namur. Cornishman. (4)

  Pinfold, Charles (b. 1712) Governor of Barbados. A “placeman.” (11)

  Pownall, Thomas (b. 1722). Governor of Massachusetts Bay Colony. (9)

  Prideaux, John (b. 1718). Brigadier-General; fought at Dettingen with the 3rd Foot Guards. From 1758 commander of the 55th Regiment of Foot. Promoted to general after the Battle of Fort Niagara in 1758. (19)

  Revere, Paul (b. 1734). Silversmith, artillery officer. He served Massachusetts in the French and Indian war. (42)

  Ranford (b. about 1730?) Able seaman aboard Namur. (4)

  Rogers, Robert, Major.(b. 1731). Frontiersman and colonial officer. Commander of “Rogers’ Rangers,” a “special forces” team. (19)

  Saunders, Sir Charles (b. 1713); Admiral, commander of Neptune. Given charge of the fleet sent to subdue Quebec in 1759. (1)

  Washington, George (b. 1732). Colonel of Virginia militia. This is just at the time of his marriage to Martha; thus, he is recently come into wealth. It is after he has helped set off the French and Indian War in 1754. (34)

  Wolfe, James (b. 1727). Colonel of regular troops at the taking of Louisbourg during the 1758 campaign, given overall command of the Quebec expedition in 1759. (1)

  York (b. 1743). Slave in New York, apprentice to a blacksmith along with Jupiter.(49)

  FRENCH

  Bigot, François (b. 1703). Intendant of New France. An intensely venal and corrupt man. (2)

  Briand, Jean-Olivier (b. 1715), Vicar-General in Québec for Pontbriand. (62)

  D’Egremont, Olivier (b. 1739). Third son of a minor nobleman, in New France to make his fortune. (17)

  “Georges.” A French deserter from Carillon. (3)

  Lévis, François-Gaston, Chevalier de (b. 1719). Second-in-command to Montcalm, army colonel. (2)

  Montcalm-Gozon, Louis-Joseph de, Marquis de Saint-Veran (“Marquis de Montcalm”) (b. 1712). Brigadier General, in command of all French troops in North America. (2)

  Pontbriand, Henri-Marie Dubreil de, (b. 1708) Archbishop of Québec. (62)

  Récher, Jean-Félix, Pére (b. 1734). Parish priest at Notre-Dame de Québec. (15)

  Vaudreuil, Pierre de Rigaud de, Marquis de (“Marquis de Vaudreuil”) (b.1698) Governor-General of New France. Top civil authority in the French colonies. (16)

  NATIVE AMERICAN

  Brant (b. 1710?) Mohawk chief, stepfather of Joseph Brant (Thayendanegea). (3)

  Brant, Joseph (Thayendanegea) (b. 1743) Mohawk warrior, Wolf Clan. (3)

  Brant, Molly (Degonwadonti) (b. 1736) Mohawk woman, common-law wife of Sir William Johnson. Sister of Joseph Brant. Wolf Clan of Mohawks; her father was from Turtle Clan. (6)

  Donehogawa (b. 1734) Cayuga warrior from Ichsua. Scout. Surrenders to Amherst’s army to provide information. (46)

  Fourth Sparrow (b. 1695) Onondaga wise woman. (33)

  Guyasuta (b. 1725). Seneca leader, relocated to the Ohio Country. (26)

  Kaintwakon (b. 1750) Brother of Sganyodaiyo. (26)

  Karaghiagdatie (b. 1700) Mohawk Wolf Clan sachem. Present at the Treaty of Five Nations in 1748 (26)

  Neani (birth date unknown) Clan-mothe
r of the Cayuga. (48)

  Osha (birth date unknown) Clan-mother of the Heron of the Oneida. (10)

  Red Vest. (b. 1710~) Seneca warrior. Related to Guyasuta. (14)

  Sganyodaiyo (Handsome Lake; pronounced “Kenyodaiyo”) (b. 1735) Son of Gahonneh, Turtle Clan, Seneca. Shaman. His brother is Kaintwakon. (26)

  Shingas (b. about 1720) “Half King” of the Delaware, relocated to Ohio. Allied to Guyasuta. (26)

  Skenadoa (b. 1706). “John Skenadoa.” Born a Susquehannock, adopted as an Oneida when he was a teenager, a chief by 1759. (10)

  Tacky (Takyi), (b. about 1730?) Leader of a rebellion on Jamaica. An Akan, from west Africa, enslaved several years before the rebellion. (21)

  Tadodaho (birth date unknown) Spiritual leader of the Iroquois Confederacy. (10)

  Tekarihoga (birth date unknown) Mohawk chief sachem. (3)

  Tiyanoga (b. about 1740) Mohawk warrior, named for the famous Tiyanoga (Hendrick). (3)