lastkingsamazon (51 page)

I downed a big gulp of beer, smiled back at the gap toothed old soldier who was sitting quietly, sipping his own beer and eying me speculatively.

“
So,” I said, “that's good then.”

THE END

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Author's Notes

Sumto's story is taken up in book two of The Price of Freedom (which I have taken to thinking of as Freedom's Fool), as he moves deeper into the north and gets into even more trouble. The Key To The Grave ties up a few loose ends but isn't the end of things by any means; the tale is taken up in The Invisible Hand. Books IV and V are roughly planned out but please don't ask me when they will be available, as I don't know. Soon. Probably.

In The Last King's Amulet I have Sumto make reference to the iron law of bureaucracy. I take the phrase directly from Pournelle's Iron Law Of Bureaucracy, a principle that is well worth being aware of and one which applies in our own world, and always has.

It won't have escaped anyone's notice that I have created the city as though the Ancient Roman Republic had developed in a fantasy world, nor that I have taken liberties with that political and social structure. The most obvious is the title of King, a proconsular office that gives little power to it's bearer; the title is maintained as reminder of the perils of concentrating power in the hands of one individual, and that is why no significant power is given with the title. The King is a title to be avoided, a joke, a position of ridicule, maintained for that purpose. Admittedly, only the King has authority to propose a change to the constitution - but must do so standing on a chair with a noose tied around his neck; in the moment of his declaration of the intended change, anyone can walk up to him and kick the chair away. Or it may be that the most obvious difference is the degree of freedom afforded to individual Patrician of Plebian nobility, whom I have collectively called patrons as private citizens, or Patrons to denote those who hold or have held office. It can get confusing, but Roman politics was confusing, confusing enough so that some of the writers of the time flat out got things wrong. Sumto's own understanding is sometimes flawed, and his memory isn't perfect. It should be remembered that he himself has not held high office, and so has not had to deal with these things directly; also that he wasn't paying much attention when these matters were explained to him. My best advice is not to worry about it. He certainly doesn't.

I have been asked about maps. Actually, I have been nagged about maps. Well, the truth is that I only have a few sketch maps for my own use. There are big blank areas because I only have a vague idea of what is there, and that will last until Sumto actually goes and has a look. At some point there will be a map worth sharing, and as soon as that is the case I will start including it.

The Price of Freedom Sequence

The Last King’s Amulet (Book One of The Price of Freedom)

The Key To The Grave (Book Two of The Price of Freedom)

The Invisible Hand (Book Three of The Price of Freedom) Available August 2011

Endgame: Aftermath – a revolutionary post-apocalyptic fantasy role-playing game

Prison of Power - A stand alone fantasy novel

The Key To The Grave (Book Two of The Price of Freedom)

In this book we see Sumto’s earlier sardonic wit and hedonism ripen into a mature and well reasoned pragmatism as his irresponsible preference for the easy way out is replaced by a warrior’s commitment to values beyond one’s own immediate self-interest. In this sequel, Sumto’s amorality is replaced with a moral awareness and his innate cleverness is morphed into a richly nuanced intellectualism and wisdom. I especially enjoyed how Sumto respected and then came to deeply love Jocasta and, in the end, found it remarkable that after fighting so savagely for her he had the wisdom and reserve to allow her to claim a far different destiny than the one his own dream envisioned.
- Maureen Gill

Other Works

Prison of Power is a far more traditional fantasy novel, so please do not expect the same style or content as the above work. Take a look, by all means, and even buy it if you feel so inclined; but be warned, it isn't the same kind of book at all. Also, I feel it is only fair to point out that I do not - at this time - intend to write any more in this world and there should be a second volume... I know, it's a problem, but Sumto's story needs to be told and I can't spare the time. Sorry.

Endgame: Aftermath is an experiment, a role-playing game where character generation happens during play. A shift in thinking and a good deal of input is required by anyone who wants to run this kind of game. I originally intended to develop the game further but other work has taken priority. I'm leaving it available for now. If you like experimental RPG's then you will find enough ideas developed far enough for you to use them.

Chris Northern's random ramblings can sometimes be found at forwardviewmirror.blogspot.com

I glady answer questions to the best of my ability, email me here: [email protected]