Andrew J. Offutt - Cormac 05 - Sword of the Gael

149 Pages·2016·0.86 MB·English

by  Offutt Andrew J

SWORD AND SORCERY IN THE TRADITION
OF ROBERT HOWARD’S CONAN!
“God of my ancestors! What—”
The night air was rent wide by a hellish wolf-yelling that rose from many throats,
and the moonlight outlined the forms of many dark, squatty men, with broad,
protruding foreheads and shocks of black hair that were bound with silver fillets.
“Picts,” Cormac snapped, brushing past Ceann. “They shriek when they attack;
it’s supposed to strike terror in the hearts of their prey, and render them stone-still
with fear!”
The next Pictish cry Ceann Ruadh heard was not a challenge to battle, but a
shriek of bloody death as Cormac’s Viking sword ripped the warrior open. The
short dark attacker went falling in a spray of blood from a wound that would empty
him in minutes; it was too huge for coagulation.
Sword against dagger, spear against shield, man against Pict... Ceann was sure
he and Cormac were outnumbered and underarmed. But even the most ferocious
Picts could not outfight
THE SWORD OF THE GAEL
The Cormac mac Art Series
THE MISTS OF DOOM by Andrew J. Offutt
THE TOWER OF DEATH by Andrew J. Offutt & Keith Taylor
WHEN DEATH BIRDS FLY by Andrew J. Offutt & Keith Taylor
TIGERS OF THE SEA by Robert E. Howard
THE SWORD OF THE GAEL by Andrew J. Offutt
THE UNDYING WIZARD by Andrew J. Offutt
THE SIGN OF THE MOONBOW by Andrew J. Offutt & Keith Taylor
War of the Gods on Earth Series by Andrew J. Offutt
THE IRON LORDS
SHADOW OUT OF HELL
THE LADY OF THE SNOWMIST
THE SWORD OF THE GAEL
“I have seen he palace of Connacht’s king, and served
a king in Leinster and another in Dalriada, and it’s the halls of
their keeps these feet have trod. Butthat man-raised
mountain would hold all of Leinster’s palac
...aye, and a tenth of the kingdom of King Gol
of Dalriada in Alba as well!”
So declared Cormac mac Art, exiled hero of Eirrin, when first
he saw the castle of the grim serpent-kings. But neither he
nor his giant comrade-at-arms, Wulfhere Skull-splitter, knew
that the twist of fate that had washed them onto that bleak
shore was the beginning of a strange and perilous adventure;
an adventure that took them back to the land of Eirrin, where
a proud princess battled an usurper for an ancient throne.
ROBERT E. HOWARD’S
OTHER GREAT HERO
CORMAC MAC ART
THE SWORD OF THE GAEL
An Ace Fantasy Book / published by arrangement with
the author
PRINTING HISTORY
Ace edition / April 1981
Third printing / May 1984
All rights reserved.
Copyright © 1975 by Andrew J. Offutt and Glenn Lord,
Executor for the Estate of Robert E. Howard
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, N. Y. 10016.
ISBN: 0-441-7943-3
Ace Fantasy Books are published by The Berkley Publishing Group.
200 Madison Avenue, New York, New York 10016.
PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Contents
For
wa
rd
On
e:
Th
e
Wr
ath
of
Ma
nan
nan
Ma
cLi
r
Tw
o:
Th
e
Ca
stle
of
Atl
ant
is
Th
ree
:
Vik
ing
s!
Fo
ur:
Cut
ha
Ath
eld
ane
—S
orc
ere
r
Fiv
e:
Th
e
Po
we
r of
Cut
ha
Ath
eld
ane

Six:
Tre
ach
ery
of
a
Kin
g
Sev
en:
“T
he
sea
is
ang
ry!
”
Eig
ht:
Bla
ck
Po
ol
of
Ho
rro
r
Nin
e:
Th
e
Em
era
ld
Isle

Te
n:
Pic
ts!
Ele
ven
: A
Wa
rri
or
Bo
rn
Tw
elv
e:
Th
e
Pri
nce
of
Mu
nst
er
Thi
rte
en:
Th
e
Ca
pit
al
of
Mu
nst
er
Fo
urt
een
:
Th
e
Kin
g
of
Mu
nst
er
Fift
een
:
Th
e
Hig
hw
ay
me
n
Six
tee
n:
To
the
Fai
r!
TH
E
GR
EA
T
FA
IR
Sev
ent
een
:
Ch
am
pio
n
of
Rat
h
Cu
mal

Eig
hte
en:
Th
e
Ch
am
pio
nsh
ip
of
Eir
rin
Nin
ete
en:
Co
rm
ac
ma
c
Art
!
Tw
ent
y:
Ass
em
bly
of
Kin
gs
Tw
ent
y-o
ne:
Th
e
Tes
ts
For
Hi
m
Wh
o
Wo
uld
Be
Of
Th
e
Fia
n