Storm at the Edge of Time (19 page)

Once, long ages ago, in the wild Orkney Islands, a desperate wizard stood alone against the Darkness, his only protection three magical staffs. But when at last his foes overwhelmed him, the wizard was slain and the three staffs lost. Now a young girl, Jamie, has come to the Orkneys, secretly longing for magic and adventure, never guessing that she is that long-dead wizard's descendant—or that his spirit still survives. Drawn to an ancient stone circle through his power, she meets two other unlikely heroes. Arni, a boy of the Viking age, aches to prove himself a mighty skald, a bard. And Tyaak, a boy from the distant future who is only half human, longs to show his people that despite his mixed blood he is still someone of worth.

Cast together by the wizard's powerful will, Jamie, Arni, and Tyaak are stunned to learn that only they, young and inexperienced though they are, have a chance of finding and reuniting the lost staffs of Power. They set out on a perilous journey across the boundaries of Time. But the Forces of Darkness are already after them. The three young people have only their wits and an unpredictable bit of magic to help them against a whole army of terrible foes. Whether they like it or not, Jamie, Arni, and Tyaak have been chosen as heroes. They must learn to truly be heroes, and quickly—or Time is going to run out for them.

Pamela F. Service
is the author of over a dozen science fiction and fantasy novels, including
Stinker from Space and Winter of Magic's Return.
She lives in Bloomington, Indiana, with her husband and daughter.

Jacket illustration by Dennis Nolan

Jacket design by Duane Stapp

Walker and Company

435 Hudson Street

New York, NY 10014

Printed in the U.S.A.

Copyright © 1994 by Pamela F. Service

All rights reserved
You may not copy, distribute, transmit, reproduce or otherwise make available this publication (or any part of it) in any form, or by any means (including without limitation electronic, digital, optical, mechanical, photocopying, printing, recording or otherwise), without the prior written permission of the publisher. Any person who does any unauthorised act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages

First published in the United States of America in 1994
by Walker Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing, Inc.
E-book edition published in March 2013
www.bloomsbury.com

For information about permission to reproduce selections from this book, write to
Permissions, Bloomsbury Children's Books, 175 Fifth Avenue,
New York, New York 10011
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Service, Pamela F.
Storm at the edge of time / Pamela F. Service.
p. cm.
I. Title.
PS3569.E737S76   1994
813'.54—dc20        93-50816
CIP

eISBN: 978 0 8027 3557 7 (e-book)