Matteo Rosso Orsini
The Senator of Rome, Matteo Rosso Orsini is responsible for the safety of the citizens of Rome. This includes the cardinals of the Holy Roman Church, whom he must protect from the machinations of Frederick II, the Holy Roman Emperor.
Father Rodrigo Bendrito
A Roman Catholic priest, Father Rodrigo Bendrito is swept up in the Mongol invasion at the Battle of Mohi. He receives a visitation from God and undertakes a dangerous journey to bring his message to Rome.
Robert of Somercotes
An Englishman and one-time confessor of King Henry III, Robert of Somercotes is the cardinal deacon of Sant’Eustachio and one of the cardinals who participate in the papal election of 1241.
Sinibaldo Fieschi
Cardinal priest of Sant’Lorenzo in Lucina, Sinibaldo Fieschi is a well-educated canonical scholar and a shrewd negotiator in the complex realm of religious politics. He is the vice-chancellor of the Holy Roman Church and a key participant in the papal election of 1241.
Rainiero Capocci
The deacon of Sant’Maria in Cosmedin, Rainiero Capocci is a man of the people. His prodigious beard hides many secrets, and he is a participant in the papal election of 1241.
Giovanni Colonna
The cardinal priest of Sant’Prassede, Giovanni Colona has participated in papal elections since 1216. During his service as legate in Speyer, his faith was strenuously tested.
Vera
A skjalddis—Shield-Maiden—of Kiev, Vera commands the garrison that protects the city after the Mongol assault.
Benjamin
A Silk Road merchant, Benjamin has traded goods from Byzantium to China. His knowledge of the peoples of the steppes is invaluable to the Shield-Brethren party traveling east.
Andreas
A fiercely independent member of the Shield-Brethren, Andreas is a knight initiate of the Order, though his resistance to authority and his continued questioning of the adherence to the old ways has made him somewhat of a pariah within the Order.
Rutger
The quartermaster of Tyrshammar, Rutger accompanies the Shield-Brethren to the Circus of Swords at Legnica. After Feronantus’s departure, he becomes the master of the young recruits who stay behind to fight in the arena.
Hans
An orphan of Legnica, Hans is a member of the gang of street rats in Hünern. He befriends both Kim and Andreas, becoming the key conduit between the two sides of the conspiracy.
Father Pius
A devout Roman Catholic priest, Father Pius hopes to save souls in the wreckage of Hünern but finds himself embroiled in a feud between the Shield-Brethren and the Livonian Order.
Dietrich von Grüningen
The Heermeister of the Livonian Order, Dietrich von Grüningen seeks to restore his order’s maligned name. He has pledged his allegiance to Pope Gregory IX and the secret order that stands behind the Pope.
Kristaps
The First Sword of Fellin, Kristaps is a survivor of the battle of Schaulen, a black mark on the history of the Livonian Order.
Zugaikotsu no Yama
(“Zug”)
Onghwe Khan’s grand champion in the Circus of Swords, Zugaikotsu no Yama is a Nipponese ronin. His name means “Mountain of Skulls,” and he allows people to call him “Zug.” He does not speak of his past or his real name.
Kim Alcheon
Kim Alcheon hails from Korea and is the last of an order known as the Flower Knights. Along with Zug, he was captured by the Mongols in Byeokrando and has been a gladiator in Onghwe Khan’s circus ever since.
Acknowledgments
ERIK BEAR
Thanks to my family, to my friends, and to everyone who’s fought alongside me on this book both metaphorically and literally. Thanks to all the other writers, especially Mark, for working harder than any one person should. Thanks to my dad and my grandpa, for guiding me down the path of writing.
GREG BEAR
It’s been terrific working with all of these fine writers, clashing steel in the mornings under Neal’s guidance, then quaffing coffee and breakfasting out of pink boxes of muffins while plotting at a mad pace...watching Mark outline and organize chapters on our blackboard while Joe and Cooper paced and swung and flashed their blades, shooting ideas back and forth with Neal across our writers’ table, talking across the continent with Nicole (and wickedly offering her virtual muffins), collaborating with son Erik on both fight strategies and chapters...while we all ventured on foot and horse through untold carnage and across wide plains of rippling grass, straight into the fabulous territories of Harold Lamb, Talbot Mundy, and Robert E. Howard...Thanks to all for the amazing experience!
NICOLE GALLAND
Much gratitude to Mark, Neal, Greg, Cooper, Joe, and Erik for the lively trip we’ve all taken together—especially for keeping the Skype signal open over the miles, even with all those crickets. A special thank you to Liz Darhansoff. And a nod to everyone involved in the brief, ineffable existence of E. D. deBirmingham.
JOSEPH BRASSEY
To Neal Stephenson, who gave me my shot—I hope I’ve made you proud. To Mark Teppo, who beat my prose with a stick until it was pretty. To Greg, Erik, Cooper, Nicole, and everyone else at Subutai. To Tinker, who taught me to always add violence and put my feet on the path. To Ken and Rob at Fort Lewis, for opening my mind to new possibilities. To my lovely wife and my patient parents, who always supported me. To my little sister and every friend I’ve had along the way who believed this could happen. Dreams come true. This is for you.
COOPER MOO
Heartfelt thanks to my family for their support: my wife, Mary; our children, Keagan, Connor, and Haven; and my parents, Jan and Greg Moo. A debt of gratitude is owed every member of the writing team, particularly Neal for his leadership and Mark for his editorial guidance. I raise a bowl of airag to you all!
NEAL STEPHENSON
Thanks to Mark Teppo, the centripetal force.
MARK TEPPO