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Great Kings' War



Cover art by Alan Gutierrez
 



ORDER Paperback

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.

Revised Edition
Publishing History
Ace Books / March 1985
Baen Free Library / September 2004

For information address: Pequod Press
P.O. Box 3474, Northridge, CA 91328
PequodPressPub@aol.com

To contact the authors or for more information on Kalvan and H. Beam Piper works see: www.Hostigos.com
or e-mail otherwhen@aol.com

ISBN: 0-937912-03-4

Copyright © 1985 by Roland Green and John F. Carr

Revised Edition Copyright © 2004 by Roland Green and John F. Carr

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

A Baen Books Original
Baen Publishing Enterprises
P.O. Box 1403
Riverdale, NY 10471
http://www.baen.com

Electronic version by WebWrights
http://www.webwrights.com


To the memory of H. Beam Piper,
and his Paratime/Aryan-Transpacific hideaway.

 

 

"FIRE!"

The first Hostigi volley tore into the Ktemnoi front rank as if they were a battery of artillery guns firing case shot. A great cheer rose up from the Hostigi ranks. The second volley and third were almost as devastating; the fourth less so. Still the Ktemnoi squares held. Now the musketeers were supposed to sling their weapons and fall back; instead many picked up the pikes of the wounded or dead, while others drew their swords and held their places.

"Pikes advance. CHARGE!"

As Xykos began to run toward the Sacred Square straight ahead, he was amazed at how quickly the Ktemnoi rear ranks moved forward to replace their fallen comrades. It was an admirable display of courage. He would make a toast to Galzar after he buried their bones. The remaining Ktemnoi musketeers fired a last ragged volley at almost point-blank range, then fell back, leaving the billmen to take the Hostigi charge.

There was a cry from ten thousand throats—

"KILL THE DEMON SPAWN!"

The billmen began their charge.

The Hostigi reply came—

"DOWN STYPHON!"

The two armies collided with such a shock that the first two Hostigi ranks disappeared before Xykos' eyes. He was eight ranks deep into what had once been the Ktemnoi line before he came to a stop with his thirty-six inch pike head buried halfway to the end of its iron head into a billman's hip. He dropped the pike and drew the two-handed sword Boarsbane from its scabbard across his back. He had the sword blade out in time to parry a blow from a billhead. His next stroke sent the edge through the billman's shoulder, splitting him down to his tripes.

"My friend Beam Piper would have liked this book."
—Jerry Pournelle

"GREAT KINGS' WAR is a lot of fun, a fine adventure story in the tradition of the original H. Beam Piper works."
—Poul Anderson

"Kalvan of Otherwhen goes resoundingly to battle once more in skilled hands."
—Gordon R. Dickson

"We both enjoyed the book very much. When is the sequel coming out?"
—Robert Adams and Andre Norton

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