The Wooden Prince (36 page)

MECHANIPILLAR
. A mode of transportation used in the
Venetian Empire
. The mechanipillar is an alchemical machine composed of carriages connected in a line and propelled by a number of mechanical legs.

MOONLIT COURT, THE
.
Prester John
's palace in
Abaton
. The Moonlit Court contains many magical wonders, although most are unknown outside Abaton, as few humans have ever visited.

NAIAD.
A long, serpentlike, nonsentient water
elemental
with hard, transparent scales. Their scales are often used to strengthen fabrics or create flexible frames for fabrics, such as for
airmen
's wings, or for naiad curtains, which can hold back water to create indoor tanks for
undines
.

PIXIE
. A minuscule, nonsentient air
elemental
that becomes luminous when it feeds on air.

PIXIE BULB
. A type of lamp found throughout the
humanlands
, but originally designed by early
alchemists
in the
Venetian Empire
. The glass bulb is filled with
pixies
, which glow as they consume the air pumped into the bulbs.

PRESTER JOHN
. The immortal magician-king of
Abaton
. Although little is known of Prester John's origins, the source of his long life and magical powers is credited to the
Ancientmost Pearl
. He is commonly referred to as His Immortal Lordship by his subjects.

PYGMY
. An amorphous, nonsentient earth
elemental
. Pygmies are hard to distinguish individually as they often cluster together and even split apart into nearly featureless blobs.

SALAMANDER
. A lizardlike, nonsentient fire
elemental
that feeds on burning wood and other flammable objects and can regrow severed limbs. Salamanders are used occasionally by highly gifted
alchemists
to perform
alchemy
without a humanoid
elemental
assistant.

SENTRIES
. Large, armored
automa
that function as guards throughout the
Venetian Empire
.

SEVEN-LEAGUE BOOTS
. Magical footwear, more commonly found outside the
Venetian Empire
, that allows the wearer to travel great distances with each step. Despite the name, such boots are rarely powerful enough to cover seven leagues, and easily malfunction with dangerous consequences. Seven-league boots were first introduced to the
humanlands
of northern Europe by
sylphs
belonging to the
Abatonian diaspora
.

SYLPH
. One of the four races of humanoid
elementals
of
Abaton
. Sylphs are air
elementals
and exhibit magical powers over the air. Having no wings, sylphs cannot fly. Due to their weightlessness and control over wind, however, many sylphs are able to glide short distances.

TRANSMUTATION, THE LAWS OF
. The process of integrating the various
elemental
powers to change something into a different state or to give an object qualities it did not possess before.

UNDINE
. One of the four races of humanoid
elementals
of
Abaton
. Undines are water
elementals
and exhibit magical powers over water. Since they are unable to leave the water, they are rarely encountered away from bodies of water unless they are being held in tanks or chambers separated by
naiad
curtains.

VENETIAN EMPIRE, THE
. Currently the foremost empire in the
humanlands
, Venice was historically overshadowed by its larger neighbors, including the Byzantine Empire and the pope's Holy Roman Empire. After trade began with
Abaton,
however, Venetian
alchemists
began designing war machines and
automa
technology using Abatonian
elemental
magic. The empire grew in wealth and military might, soon conquering the entire Italian peninsula and eventually coming to control nearly all the Mediterranean Sea. Many human kingdoms around the world (most prominently the Sultanate of Zanzibar and the Aztec Confederation) have pledged allegiance to Venice under threat of conquest. The Venetian Empire is ruled by an emperor who is given the title of
doge
.

Just as my Pinocchio discovers that we are profoundly shaped by the people around us, so too was this story. My boundless gratitude goes out to many….

To my editor, Rotem Moscovich, whose amazing instincts and special alchemy brought out the beating heart of
The Wooden Prince
. Also to Julie Moody, Karen Sherman, Maria Elias, Dina Sherman, and the rest of my extraordinary team at Disney Hyperion.

To my agents, Josh and Tracey Adams, for their enduring support and unwavering enthusiasm.

To my first readers, who always guide my stories in ever better directions: Jennifer Harrod, J.J. Johnson, and Stephen Messer. Also to the writers, teachers, and friends who lent their creative advice and generous support: Tom Angleberger, Tom Carr, Andrew S. Chilton, Alan Gratz, Greg Hanson, Lois Pipkin, Carrie Ryan, Amy Kurtz Skelding, Sharon Wheeler, and the wonderful Carolinas kid lit community.

To my family—Bemises, Butchers, Bauldrees, Byes, and Gorelys—for being my best cheerleaders.

To all the loyal and passionate fans—you know who you are!—who have been clamoring for new books.

Most of all, thank you to my wife, Amy Gorely, and daughter, Rose. Whether we are wandering beside the canals of Venice or relaxing at home in Hillsborough, every day is a glorious adventure.

John Claude Bemis
is an award-winning author, musician, and educator. His novels include
The Prince Who Fell from the Sky
and the Clockwork Dark trilogy:
The Nine Pound Hammer
,
The Wolf Tree
, and
The White City
. John was chosen as North Carolina's Piedmont Laureate for Children's Literature. He lives with his wife and daughter in Hillsborough, North Carolina. Visit him online at
johnclaudebemis.com
.