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Paula Volsky
The Luck of Relian Kru
This book is an Ace original edition, and has never been previously published.


THE LUCK OF RELIAN KRU
An Ace Book / published by arrangement with the author
PRINTING HISTORY
Ace edition/June 1987




All rights reserved.
Copyright © 1987 by Paula Volsky.
Cover art by James Warhola.
This book may not be reproduced in whole or in part,
by mimeograph or any other means, without permission.
For information address: The Berkley Publishing Group,
200 Madison Avenue, New York, New York 10.016.
ISBN. 0-441-83.816-2




Ace Books are published by The Berkley Publishing Group,
200 Madison Avenue, New York, New York 10.016.
The name „Ace“ and the „A“ logo
are trademarks belonging to
Charter Communications, Inc.
PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
To Aline Volsky, with love.
„My young gentleman was born under an unlucky star. That’s a fact,“ the lackey Trince announced. „Or else he’s the
victim of a curse. It’s one or t’other, without a doubt. Poor Master Relian!“ He took a swig of ale. His broad, shrewd
face bore an expression of regret.
„A curse?“ one of the young cookmaids echoed in flattering wonder. „Your master is accursed? Really?“
„It’s true, sweetheart, every word. Master Relian must be the unluckiest man alive. Fate’s plaything, that’s what he
is.“
„Oh, what’s Fate done to him?“
„Nearly everything. But mat’s a long story. I’m only a visitor here in Neraunce and I wouldn’t want to impose on
me patience and hospitality of you good folk,“ Trince replied with spurious modesty. He took another swallow of ale
and covertly studied his audience of fellow-servants. His inborn showman’s instinct assured him that they were
hooked, each and every one of them.
The servants sat around a wooden table in the kitchen of Gornilardo, the famous Dhreve of Neraunce. The warm,
low-ceilinged room was circular in shape – a common feature of the regional architecture. The natives were wont to
inhabit round stone towers of dizzying altitude. It was claimed that these structures represented a visual embodiment
of the Neraunci quest for spiritual enlightenment. A more realistic explanation might have cited Gornilardo’s quest for
personal glory, but such excessive accuracy was customarily eschewed. The palace of the Dhreve consisted of no less
than fifteen towers of varied height joined by omate aerial walkways of extraordinary beauty and insubstantiality. At
the top of the Mauve/Garnet Tower was the suite of rooms occupied by the Divine Vhanaizha, Gornilardo’s current