Part 1 (1/2)

REALMS OF MAGIC.

by Brian Thomsen and J. Robert King.

CONTENTS.

PROLOGUE.

Brian Thomsen.

GUENHWYVAR.

R. A. Salvatore.

SMOKE POWDER AND MIRRORS.

Jeff Grubb.

THE MAGIC THIEF.

Mark Anthony.

THE QUIET PLACE.

Christie Golden.

THE EYE OF THE DRAGON.

Ed Greenwood.

EVERY DOG HIS DAY.

Dave Gross.

THE COMMON SPELL.

Kate Novak-Grubb.

THE FIRST MOONWELL.

Douglas Niles.

THE LUCK OF LLEWELLYN THE LOQUACIOUS.

Alien C. Kupfer.

TOO FAMILIAR.

David Cook.

RED AMBITION.

Jean Rabe.

THIEVES' REWARD.

Mary H. Herbert.

SKOFSWORDS.

William W. Connors.

THE WILD BUNCH.

Tom Dupree.

A WORM TOO SOFT.

J. Robert King.

GUNNE RUNNER.

Roger E. Moore.

THE DIRECT APPROACH.

Elaine Cunningham.

EPILOGUE.

PROLOGUE.

Tym Waterdeep Limited had been the publisher of Volothamp Geddarm ever since the day that the wandering rogue and the savvy entrepreneur had first struck a deal, each side convinced he had taken advantage of the other.

Many volumes later, Volo was justifiably known as the most famous traveler in all the Realms, and Justin Tym as Faerun's most successful publisher.In the intervening years, Volo had been handed off to numerous editors, each a bit more willing to take partial credit for the gazetteer's success, and it had been more than a few seasons since the great publisher and the n.o.ble rogue had had a ”face-to-face.” The recent dismissal of his last editor, coinciding with the master traveler's scheduled stopover in the City of Splendors, afforded an ample reason for a meeting between the two gentlemen.

As Volo remembered it, Justin had always been a late sleeper-no doubt a habit borne out of many nights of routinely wining and dining authors, agents, and booksellers (a practice the gazetteer wholeheartedly endorsed). So, needless to say, Volo was more than a little surprised to find a message at his accommodations moving their meeting up from the civilized hour of ”noonish” (with the tacit promise of a gratis lunch) to the unG.o.dly hour of market opening, thus necessitating an early morning call that proved most inconvenient for both himself and his hostess, Trixie. Still, Justin's advances did indeed finance his extravagant accommodations, and so, slightly bleary-eyed, and not entirely rested, Volo set off for his publisher's office.

The streets were br.i.m.m.i.n.g with eager merchants en route to trade, peddlers hawking their wares from makes.h.i.+ft mobile markets, and laborers trotting off to their common jobs. Volo did not envy any of his fellow commuters, and quietly resented Justin's subjecting him to Waterdeep's legendary early-morning rush hour. Still, bills had to be paid.

By this time tomorrow, with any luck, he would once again be flush with gelt and ready to enjoy the freedoms of the open road, where appointments were scheduled as ”when you get there,” and deadlines were set as ”when the ma.n.u.script is done.”

All told. Justin's advances were more than worth this temporary inconvenience.