Out now in paper and Kindle formats - a Fantasy/Science Fiction hybrid and the start of a new series.
The Sky Wheel
Book One of the Rogue Star Series
Long fascinated by the movements of the twelve bodies in the sky, powerful statesman Liege Jyrus Syroon has tracked them for more than twenty years. However, he finds himself conflicted when Lennis Maifa, a young, renegade scientist, seeks refuge in his house for heresy.
Maifa is eager to study Syroon’s measurements in the hope of uncovering proof for his outrageous theories: that their planet is not the center of the universe. What is more, their world and sun are retreating from what Maifa calls “the Sky Wheel” galaxy.
Enthralled by the young man’s ideas, Syroon shelters Maifa from Eminence Aranka, an Inquisitor determined to repress the young man’s discoveries.
When Syroon's blind but high-spirited daughter falls in love with Maifa, Syroon cannot escape a direct confrontation with Aranka, which threatens to result in religious war.
The Sky Wheel- Excerpt
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Scholar Fendrite arrived shortly before noon the next day with a young man in tow whom Jyrus had never met before. The young man had a small bundle slung around his shoulder and struggled with the weight of a big, oblong wooden box he was carrying. Jyrus welcomed the old scholar and his student into the dining room.
“Scholar Fendrite, I’m glad to see you.”
“Liege Syroon, thank you so much for your time and kindness.” Fendrite bowed deeply. The student behind him bowed so deeply, he almost doubled over.
Jyrus nodded at the old scholar. Well, he wasn’t that old, only a few years older than him. But Jyrus thought the long gray beard and hair made the scholar look much older. Jyrus hated beards and wore his gray hair short.
He watched the student putting the large box as gently onto the floor as if it contained raw eggs.
“What’s in that?” Jyrus asked.
“Oh, the contents of that box require some explanation. I will come to that shortly. Please allow me to be so bold as to introduce this young man to you, My Liege,” Fendrite said.
Jyrus estimated the young man’s age to be twenty. His clothes were poor and well worn but clean. His ash-blond, short hair bristled wildly on his head. His face was clean-shaven and his green eyes sparkled with intelligence and fire. Jyrus sighed inwardly, wishing his son’s dull eyes had even a little bit of that sparkle in them.
“Quite unusual, Fendrite. You aren’t in the habit of introducing your students to me.”
“Please forgive my boldness, My Liege, but this young man here is an exception. His name is Lennis Maifa and he comes from Kolander. Until recently, he studied under Scholar Episkos.”
“It is a great honor to meet you, My Liege,” Lennis said and bowed to the verge of losing balance.
“Welcome to my home. Scholar Episkos? Hasn’t he vanished in the depths of Eminence Aranka’s dungeons?”
“He has, My Liege,” Fendrite said grimly.
“I am intrigued, Fendrite. Sit down. You too, Maifa. Olgin?”
“Yes, My Liege?” Olgin emerged from behind the door to the dining room.
“We need another dish, for our young student here.”
“Of course, My Liege.”
Fendrite bowed once more. “Thank you.”
Jyrus sat down at his usual place, the head of the table, and indicated for Fendrite to sit to his right and Maifa next to his teacher. After the servants brought an extra dish, Jyrus sent them away.
“I heard only rumors about Episkos. What do you know, Fendrite?” Jyrus asked.
Although the servants had left, Fendrite chose to whisper. “His Eminence Aranka had him arrested for suspicion of heresy, had him tortured, and got a ‘confession’ out of him. The poor man suffers from rheumatism and I don’t doubt that Aranka used that against him. Since he confessed and renounced the Devil, he was spared the death penalty, but he will hardly survive the winter in the Inquisition’s dungeons. He was expelled from his university. His students either denounced Episkos or have fled Kolander like Lennis here.”
Jyrus’s stomach knotted into a fat, growling ball. Aranka, that hideous, slimy snake with the piercing voice--one wrong word in his presence and the way led straight into the dungeon. And now Episkos had become his victim. Such a fine scholar; such a shame. Jyrus never had the honor to meet Episkos, but he had read several of his papers on the twelve heavenly bodies. Now, most likely, he would never meet the man.
“Go on, Scholar.” Jyrus nodded at Fendrite.
“The Inquisition destroyed Episkos’s office and all his papers, research and instruments. Lennis, here, managed to save only one piece, the instrument inside the box over there. I have been a lifelong friend of Episkos. Lennis knew that and fled to Shilas to seek my help. But Aranka is aware that I am Episkos’s friend. He is on his way here. A mere day before Lennis’s arrival, I learned that he is scheduled to visit me in two days. I cannot keep this instrument, nor Lennis, under my roof until Aranka is finished with his investigation of my university. In my despair I could think of no one but you, My Liege. You have always been a friend of the sciences. You are a researcher yourself, and it is no secret that you are not a friend of Aranka.”
Jyrus could do nothing but stare at the scholar. What Fendrite had done--and what he asked of Jyrus--was unprecedented. Tempting, and yet... too dangerous. As Jyrus did not say anything, Fendrite continued with a quavering voice.
“I know I should not ask this of you and yet I do... If you could shelter Lennis for a few days and keep the instrument... that would be a greater service to science than anyone has ever done. I cannot store the instrument at the university. If it were found there, ever, I would suffer the same fate as Episkos. I don’t believe that Aranka would look for the instrument on your property, My Liege. First of all, you are the Liege. Second, he will be focused on the university. And he doesn’t know that we are friends. Even if he did, he wouldn’t assume that I would be so bold as to ask for your help, My Liege.”
A heavy silence settled over the dining room. Instinctively, Jyrus reached for his glass of wine but it was still empty. Fendrite jumped to his feet, took the wine decanter that stood on the table and poured Jyrus a glass with trembling fingers, almost spilling some.
“I am a bit overwhelmed, Fendrite. I don’t know what to say,” Jyrus said.
“Yes, My Liege.” The old scholar bowed respectfully. The tip of his beard dropped into the decanter he still held.
“Let’s eat first.”
“Yes, My Liege. Thank you.”
Fendrite put the decanter down and hastily wiped his beard.
Jyrus called for the servants and they rushed in to do their work.
Jyrus stared at his plate until it was filled, then spooned up his soup in dreadful silence. He studied the student, whose cheeks were glowing red. The young man held his spoon with his whole hand like a peasant, and yet his hand trembled so much that he had trouble eating. Possibly he had not sat at the table of a Liege before, and the Inquisition was after him, thus his fears were doubled. Fendrite knotted his bushy eyebrows in worry. Jyrus could smell the sour sweat of fear that engulfed both.
And what about himself? He had never done anything to seriously offend Aranka. As yet. Opposing Aranka was foolish, but the thought did have a certain appeal. It would certainly be an interesting battle. A Liege against an Eminence. State against Church...
Jyrus engaged Fendrite in small talk about the university. Lennis’s face turned an even deeper crimson as they spoke and Jyrus feared the young man might throw up on the table.
After lunch was finished, Jyrus sent for Olgin.
“Olgin, have that box taken to my study for the moment.”
“Yes, My Liege.” Olgin bowed.
Jyrus turned to Fendrite. “Let’s go into the salon.”
“Thank you, My Liege,” Fendrite said, bowing several times. The old scholar was doing a lot of bowing that day.
Historical fantasy? Science Fiction? A bit of both? Find out more about Julius's new novel.
Out now in paper and Kindle formats.
The Sky Wheel
Book One of the Rogue Star Series
Copyright 2015 Homepage of SF and F Author Julius R. Jones. All rights reserved.