The Nightrunner Series is a multi-part series of heroic fantasy novels by American writer Lynn Flewelling . It currently contains seven novels and a collection of related short stories.
113-622: 'Nightrunning' refers to espionage , the principal occupation of the series' two protagonists, Seregil and Alec. The books also explores sexuality and gender roles, presenting a world where bi- and homosexuality are as accepted as heterosexuality , as well as a realm (Skala) which is ruled by Queens rather than Kings, and in whose army women warriors have a major role. The series has been published by Bantam Spectra and Del Rey Books . Both companies are owned by Random House, Inc . A prequel trilogy titled The Tamir Triad , written by Flewelling, takes place centuries beforehand. Seregil rescues Alec,
226-416: A Watcher, one of the spies under his command. In Stalking Darkness , Nysander requests (indeed demands and orders) Seregil to kill him—as that is the only way to finally destroy the evil Helm. After this he appears twice more in visions to offer guidance. Thero is a wizard who was Nysander's apprentice after Seregil. At first he and Seregil are bitter rivals, but become more respectful of each other after
339-458: A baby daughter, the first known case of a wizard having a child (made possible by a magical dragon biting Thero). A powerful Wizard of the Third Oreska and once Nysander's love interest, and his soul mate, despite her being celibate and him taking other women as lovers. After Nysander's death, she takes over Thero's apprenticeship. Mother of Klia and Phoria and Queen of Skala at the beginning of
452-531: A clever means of killing the Emperor without entering the room where he slept – all these means having been available in medieval times. The locked-room genre also appears in children's detective fiction, although the crime committed is usually less severe than murder. One notable author is Enid Blyton , who wrote several juvenile detective series, often featuring seemingly impossible crimes that her young amateur detectives set out to solve. The Hardy Boys novel While
565-628: A combination of the two." However, espionage and intelligence can be linked. According to the MI5 website, "foreign intelligence officers acting in the UK under diplomatic cover may enjoy immunity from prosecution. Such persons can only be tried for spying (or, indeed, any criminal offence) if diplomatic immunity is waived beforehand. Those officers operating without diplomatic cover have no such immunity from prosecution". There are also laws surrounding government and organisational intelligence and surveillance. Generally,
678-420: A competent tactician and fighter. Falling in love with Thero (and vice versa), she succeeds in convincing him to consummate their unprecedented love. Having no design on the throne, she does not use the occasion of being in command of the victorious army after Queen Phoria's death in battle to seize power for herself. Rather, she orderly hands power to her young niece Elani, Phoria's designated heir. Designated at
791-661: A disguised spy and a disguised escaper. It is permissible for these groups to wear enemy uniforms or civilian clothes in order to facilitate their escape back to friendly lines so long as they do not attack enemy forces, collect military intelligence, or engage in similar military operations while so disguised. Soldiers who are wearing enemy uniforms or civilian clothes simply for the sake of warmth along with other purposes rather than engaging in espionage or similar military operations while so attired are also excluded from being treated as unlawful combatants. Saboteurs are treated as spies as they too wear disguises behind enemy lines for
904-476: A few comic book impossible crimes seem to draw on the "weird menace" tradition of the pulps. However, celebrated writers such as G. K. Chesterton , Arthur Conan Doyle , Clayton Rawson , and Sax Rohmer have also had their works adapted to comic book form. In 1934, Dashiell Hammett created the comic strip Secret Agent X9 , illustrated by Alex Raymond , which contained a locked-room episode. One American comic book series that made good use of locked-room mysteries
1017-549: A locked room crime is that the perpetrator is a dangerous, supernatural entity capable of defying the laws of nature by walking through walls or vanishing into thin air. The need for a rational explanation for the crime is what drives the protagonist to look beyond these appearances and solve the puzzle. Edgar Allan Poe 's " The Murders in the Rue Morgue " (1841) is generally considered the first locked-room mystery. However, Robert Adey credits Sheridan Le Fanu for "A Passage in
1130-432: A man who allegedly shot himself in a sealed bunker when he had crippling arthritis in his hands, how a woman was shot in a sealed room with no gun and without the window being opened or broken, how a dead body could have vanished from a locked room when the only door was in full view of someone else, etc. In the 21st century, examples of popular detective series novels that include locked-room type puzzles are The Girl with
1243-654: A noble in Skalan court; the Rhíminee Cat, a burglar for nobles of the Skalan court in Luck in the Shadows . Seregil is a skilled lover and has had numerous sexual relations with both men and women—though with a clear preference for men. However, he did not find real love until meeting Alec. Alec is the son of Amasa and Ireya ä Shaar, He is a ya'shel because of his mother's Hâzadrielfaie blood and his father's human blood. A boy of sixteen at
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#17328692879511356-491: A poor orphaned hunter mistakenly arrested for spying. After hiring Alec to guide him through the Northern Lands, Seregil notes Alec's quick learning ability and fast hands, and offers him a job as his apprentice. Alec, though wary of Seregil at first due to his suspicion that Seregil is a thief or spy, accepts the offer. They fall into a mystery that involves the fast deterioration of Seregil's mind and sanity, and Alec must find
1469-651: A prison sentence until his death in 2023. Espionage laws are also used to prosecute non-spies. In the United States, the Espionage Act of 1917 was used against socialist politician Eugene V. Debs (at that time the Act had much stricter guidelines and amongst other things banned speech against military recruiting). The law was later used to suppress publication of periodicals, for example of Father Coughlin in World War II . In
1582-483: A prisoner of war. This provision does not apply to citizens who committed treason against their own country or co-belligerents of that country and may be captured and prosecuted at any place or any time regardless whether he rejoined the military to which he belongs or not or during or after the war. The ones that are excluded from being treated as spies while behind enemy lines are escaping prisoners of war and downed airmen as international law distinguishes between
1695-456: A situation whereby an intruder could not have left; for example the original literal "locked room": a murder victim found in a windowless room locked from the inside at the time of discovery. Following other conventions of classic detective fiction, the reader is normally presented with the puzzle and all of the clues , and is encouraged to solve the mystery before the solution is revealed in a dramatic climax . The prima facie impression from
1808-605: A strange, alchemically created creature—the prophesied "child of no woman". Its moon-white skin and frightening powers make it a danger to all whom Seregil and Alec come into contact with, leaving them no choice but to learn more about Sebrahn's true nature. But what then? With the help of old friends and Seregil's clan, the pair sets out to discover the truth about this living homunculus —a journey that can lead only to danger... or death. For Seregil's old nemesis Ulan í Sathil of Virèsse and Alec's own long-lost kin (Hâzadrielfaie) are after them, intent on possessing both Sebrahn and Alec. On
1921-582: A theory of espionage foreshadowing modern police-state methods. During the American Revolution , Nathan Hale and Benedict Arnold achieved their fame as spies, and there was considerable use of spies on both sides during the American Civil War . Though not a spy himself, George Washington was America's first spymaster, utilizing espionage tactics against the British. In the 20th century, at
2034-399: A treaty is ruined. At the same time, Seregil must readjust himself to the country he was exiled from more than thirty years previously. A collection of short stories, including the story of how Seregil, Nysander, and Micum all meet. Seregil and Alec are kidnapped by Zengati slave traders and bought by a Plenimaran alchemist. Using Alec's unique blood as a half-Northerner, half-hâzadriëlfaie,
2147-504: A way to save his new teacher and friend. Alec manages to deliver Seregil into the hands of Nysander, a wizard of Skala, but the mystery only deepens. At the same time, a traitorous plot against the Queen seems to be unfolding, and Seregil must solve it quickly before he is found guilty of treason himself. The seemingly harmless wooden disc that nearly caused Seregil's death and loss of sanity in Luck in
2260-414: A young age to be heir to the throne of Queen Phoria. Her mother—and heir apparent—Aralain, was considered unsuitable to lead. Intensively trained by her aunt in both war and statecraft, she rises to the throne at the age of sixteen, following her aunt's death in battle. She proves a capable and sensitive ruler; developing a strong friendship with Alec, due especially to their shared passion for archery. Nyal
2373-462: Is Mike W. Barr's Maze Agency . John Dickson Carr , who also wrote as Carter Dickson, was known as "master of the locked-room mystery". His 1935 novel The Hollow Man (US title: The Three Coffins ) was in 1981 voted the best locked-room mystery novel of all time by 17 authors and reviewers, although Carr himself names Leroux's The Mystery of the Yellow Room as his favorite. (Leroux's novel
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#17328692879512486-443: Is a gifted amateur detective who uses pure brainpower to solve his cases. The French writer Paul Halter , who wrote over 30 novels, almost exclusively in the locked-room genre, has been described as the natural successor to John Dickson Carr . Although strongly influenced by Carr and Agatha Christie , he has a unique writing style featuring original plots and puzzles. A collection of ten of his short stories, entitled The Night of
2599-476: Is a preferred murder method. Despite the gore, most norms of the classic detective fiction novel are strictly followed. Umberto Eco , in his 2000 novel Baudolino , takes the locked-room theme into medieval times. The book's plot suggests that Holy Roman Emperor Frederick I had not drowned in a river, as history records, but died mysteriously at night while a guest at the castle of a sinister Armenian noble. The book features various suspects, each of whom had
2712-440: Is also employed for an individual who is not an illegal agent, but is an ordinary citizen who is "relocated", for example, a "protected witness". Nevertheless, such a non-agent very likely will also have a case officer who will act as a controller. As in most, if not all synthetic identity schemes, for whatever purpose (illegal or legal), the assistance of a controller is required. Spies may also be used to spread disinformation in
2825-410: Is always directed at the most secret operations of a target country. National and terrorist organizations and other groups are also targeted. This is because governments want to retrieve information that they can use to be proactive in protecting their nation from potential terrorist attacks. Communications both are necessary to espionage and clandestine operations , and also a great vulnerability when
2938-450: Is an Commander in the Queen's Horse Guard. She is held in high regard by Commander Klia and the officers under her. A major love interest of hers is Nyal in Traitor's Moon —later her husband. She is skilled with a bow, a sword, close quarters combat and tracking, and is a devious tactician, as she learned from her father. She becomes a Watcher in Traitor's Moon . Second oldest daughter of
3051-420: Is called an espionage agent or spy . Any individual or spy ring (a cooperating group of spies), in the service of a government , company , criminal organization , or independent operation, can commit espionage. The practice is clandestine , as it is by definition unwelcome. In some circumstances, it may be a legal tool of law enforcement and in others, it may be illegal and punishable by law. Espionage
3164-443: Is considered espionage. Many HUMINT activities, such as prisoner interrogation , reports from military reconnaissance patrols and from diplomats, etc., are not considered espionage. Espionage is the disclosure of sensitive information (classified) to people who are not cleared for that information or access to that sensitive information. Unlike other forms of intelligence collection disciplines , espionage usually involves accessing
3277-548: Is considered permissible as many nations recognize the inevitability of opposing sides seeking intelligence each about the dispositions of the other. To make the mission easier and successful, combatants wear disguises to conceal their true identity from the enemy while penetrating enemy lines for intelligence gathering. However, if they are caught behind enemy lines in disguises, they are not entitled to prisoner-of-war status and subject to prosecution and punishment—including execution . The Hague Convention of 1907 addresses
3390-472: Is described as kind and eccentric. Thero is his apprentice—Nysander being disappointed with Thero's often cold and arrogant attitude, but nevertheless regards him as having great potential (which in fact would be realized only after Nysander's death). He was the first to befriend Seregil after his exile from Aurënen and offered him an apprenticeship at the Orëska House. When that did not work, he hired him as
3503-571: Is found to be involved in extensive secret dealings with the Plenimarans, including a tacit complicity with the enslavement of Aurënfaie from other clans—while striving to ransom and repatriate enslaved members of his own clan. He is described as cunning, ruthless and devoted to his clan's welfare. He dies in Riga at the end of The White Road , Seregil and Alec deciding not to reveal what they know of his dark deeds. The Khirnari of Gedre. Knew Seregil when he
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3616-417: Is introduced as the interpreter for the Skalan soldiers who are assigned as Klia's royal guard in her visit to Aurënen in Traitor's Moon . He is a traveler of many lands, knowing many languages and understanding the customs and cultures of many people. He is a capable fighter and is a soldier when needed. He becomes a love interest of Beka 's in Traitor's Moon , eventually her husband and fellow-fighter in
3729-399: Is more common usage. A case officer or Special Agent , who may have diplomatic status (i.e., official cover or non-official cover ), supports and directs the human collector. Cut-outs are couriers who do not know the agent or case officer but transfer messages. A safe house is a refuge for spies. Spies often seek to obtain secret information from another source. In larger networks,
3842-484: Is officially no longer a member of the clan, Adzriel offers him (and Alec) a warm welcome in his ancestral home. Ulan í Sathil is the khirnari of the Virèsse clan. Until the events of Traitor's Moon , his clan held monopoly over trade with Skala and as a result holds a grudge against Seregil and Alec for enabling the opening of Gedre. He is 270 years old and suffers from a sickness of the lungs and severe arthritis . He
3955-405: Is often part of an institutional effort by a government or commercial concern. However, the term tends to be associated with state spying on potential or actual enemies for military purposes. Spying involving corporations is known as industrial espionage . One way to gather data and information about a targeted organization is by infiltrating its ranks. Spies can then return information such as
4068-534: Is the person who does the spying. They may be a citizen of a country recruited by that country to spy on another; a citizen of a country recruited by that country to carry out false flag assignments disrupting his own country; a citizen of one country who is recruited by a second country to spy on or work against his own country or a third country, and more. In popular usage, this term is sometimes confused with an intelligence officer , intelligence operative , or case officer who recruits and handles agents. Among
4181-687: Is very much distinct from espionage, and is not illegal in the UK, providing that the organisations of individuals are registered, often with the ICO, and are acting within the restrictions of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA). 'Intelligence' is considered legally as "information of all sorts gathered by a government or organisation to guide its decisions. It includes information that may be both public and private, obtained from much different public or secret sources. It could consist entirely of information from either publicly available or secret sources, or be
4294-607: The American Zone of occupied Germany . The U.S. codification of enemy spies is Article 106 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice . This provides a mandatory death sentence if a person captured in the act is proven to be "lurking as a spy or acting as a spy in or about any place, vessel, or aircraft, within the control or jurisdiction of any of the armed forces, or in or about any shipyard, any manufacturing or industrial plant, or any other place or institution engaged in work in aid of
4407-941: The Bible , and the Amarna letters . Espionage was also prevalent in the Greco-Roman world , when spies employed illiterate subjects in civil services . The thesis that espionage and intelligence has a central role in war as well as peace was first advanced in The Art of War and in the Arthashastra . In the Middle Ages European states excelled at what has later been termed counter- subversion when Catholic inquisitions were staged to annihilate heresy . Inquisitions were marked by centrally organised mass interrogations and detailed record keeping. Western espionage changed fundamentally during
4520-738: The Office of Strategic Services was founded by Gen. William J. Donovan . However, the British system was the keystone of Allied intelligence. Numerous resistance groups such as the Austrian Maier -Messner Group, the French Resistance , the Witte Brigade , Milorg and the Polish Home Army worked against Nazi Germany and provided the Allied secret services with information that was very important for
4633-637: The Uniform Code of Military Justice . The United States, like most nations, conducts espionage against other nations, under the control of the National Clandestine Service . Britain's espionage activities are controlled by the Secret Intelligence Service . Source: A spy is a person employed to seek out top secret information from a source. Within the United States Intelligence Community , " asset "
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4746-648: The Vietnam War . Some Islamic countries, including Libya , Iran and Syria , have highly developed operations as well. SAVAK , the secret police of the Pahlavi dynasty , was particularly feared by Iranian dissidents before the 1979 Iranian Revolution . Today, spy agencies target the illegal drug trade and terrorists as well as state actors. Intelligence services value certain intelligence collection techniques over others. The former Soviet Union, for example, preferred human sources over research in open sources , while
4859-441: The death penalty . Venice became obsessed with espionage because successful international trade demanded that the city-state could protect its trade secrets . Under Queen Elizabeth I of England ( r. 1558–1603 ), Francis Walsingham ( c. 1532–1590) was appointed foreign secretary and intelligence chief. The novelist and journalist Daniel Defoe (died 1731) not only spied for the British government, but also developed
4972-566: The psychological thrillers which brought them international fame, two of which were adapted for the screen as Vertigo ( 1954 novel ; 1958 film) and Diabolique (1955 film). The most prolific writer during the period immediately following the Golden Age was Japanese: Akimitsu Takagi wrote almost 30 locked-room mysteries, starting in 1949 and continuing to his death in 1995. A number have been translated into English. In Robert van Gulik 's mystery novel The Chinese Maze Murders (1951), one of
5085-469: The 1930s often contained impossible crime tales, dubbed weird menace , in which a series of supernatural or science-fiction type events is eventually explained rationally. Notable practitioners of the period were Fredric Brown , Paul Chadwick and, to a certain extent, Cornell Woolrich , although these writers tended to rarely use the Private Eye protagonists that many associate with pulp fiction. Quite
5198-544: The 1947 National Security Act created the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to coordinate intelligence and the National Security Agency for research into codes and electronic communication. In addition to these, the United States has 13 other intelligence gathering agencies; most of the U.S. expenditures for intelligence gathering are budgeted to various Defense Dept. agencies and their programs. Under
5311-496: The Cavish family, she is interested in knowledge and literature. With Lord Seregil's help, she becomes an initiate studying at Illior's temple in Skala. Youngest daughter of the Cavish family, she is the most "ladylike" and interested in marriage and running a home and the court, out of all the sisters. After her older sisters leave home, she helps her mother with Luthas and Gherin and running
5424-466: The Clock Ticked was (originally) about a locked and isolated room where a man seeks privacy, but receives mysterious threatening messages there. The messages are delivered by a mechanical device lowered into the room through a chimney. King Ottokar's Sceptre (1938–1939) is the only Tintin adventure that is a locked-room mystery. No homicide is involved; rather the crime is the disappearance of
5537-650: The Hague Convention of 1907, these Germans were classified as spies and tried by a military tribunal in Washington D.C. On August 3, 1942, all eight were found guilty and sentenced to death. Five days later, six were executed by electric chair at the District of Columbia jail. Two who had given evidence against the others had their sentences reduced by President Franklin D. Roosevelt to prison terms. In 1948, they were released by President Harry S. Truman and deported to
5650-466: The Orëska grounds is constantly in a sunny summer state through magical means. When Nysander was alive, he inhabited one of the towers, using up several rooms and floors, along with his apprentice Thero and his servant Wethis. Espionage Espionage , spying , or intelligence gathering is the act of obtaining secret or confidential information ( intelligence ). A person who commits espionage
5763-411: The Plenimarans. Rhíminee has strong defenses, to ensure that this would not happen again, and in some earlier wars they were severely tested. There are the double walls forming a ring around the city, plentiful supplies ready for the possibility of a siege, and streets designed for defense against any attacker who might breach the outer defences. Rhíminee also has a sophisticated sewage system—a lesson from
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#17328692879515876-640: The Renaissance when Italian city-states installed resident ambassadors in capital cities to collect intelligence. Renaissance Venice became so obsessed with espionage that the Council of Ten , which was nominally responsible for security , did not even allow the doge to consult government archives freely. In 1481 the Council of Ten barred all Venetian government officials from making contact with ambassadors or foreigners. Those revealing official secrets could face
5989-700: The Secret History of an Irish Countess" (1838), which was published three years before Poe's "Rue Morgue". Other early locked-room mysteries include Israel Zangwill 's The Big Bow Mystery (1892); " The Adventure of the Speckled Band " (1892) and " The Adventure of the Empty House " (1903), two Sherlock Holmes stories by Arthur Conan Doyle ; " The Problem of Cell 13 " (1905) by Jacques Futrelle , featuring "The Thinking Machine" Augustus S. F. X. Van Dusen ; and Le Mystère de la Chambre Jaune ( The Mystery of
6102-407: The Shadows is revealed to be part of a broken, evil helm belonging to the 'Eater of Death', a forsaken god named Seriamaius. A plan to retrieve all the pieces of the helm is attempted by a Plenimaran, Mardus, who wishes to use it to conquer Skala and Mycena and rule over the three lands. A prophecy long foretold takes place, and Seregil has to kill his mentor, Nysander, in order to destroy the helm. In
6215-848: The Soviet Union for the CIA, was shot down and captured. During the Cold War, many Soviet intelligence officials defected to the West, including Gen. Walter Krivitsky , Victor Kravchenko , Vladimir Petrov , Peter Deriabin, Pawel Monat and Oleg Penkovsky of the GRU . Among Western officials who defected to the Soviet Union are Guy Burgess and Donald D. Maclean of Great Britain in 1951, Otto John of West Germany in 1954, William H. Martin and Bernon F. Mitchell , U.S. cryptographers, in 1960, and Harold (Kim) Philby of Great Britain in 1962. U.S. acknowledgment of its U-2 flights and
6328-617: The Third Orëska House, it is commonly referred to simply as ″the Orëska″ and is the home of all wizards. Though some choose not to live there, like Magyana who travels a lot, most do, choosing to be among their own kind, with all the resources and amenities that are provided. It has many libraries and rooms filled with books in numerous languages, a vault of ancient and magical artifacts, state-of-the-art baths and rooms for master wizards, their students, apprentices and servants. The garden within
6441-594: The United States and some other jurisdictions can only occur if they take up arms or aids the enemy against their own country during wartime), or even executed, as the Rosenbergs were. For example, when Aldrich Ames handed a stack of dossiers of U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) agents in the Eastern Bloc to his KGB-officer "handler", the KGB "rolled up" several networks, and at least ten people were secretly shot. When Ames
6554-437: The United States has tended to emphasize technological methods such as SIGINT and IMINT . In the Soviet Union, both political ( KGB ) and military intelligence ( GRU ) officers were judged by the number of agents they recruited. Espionage agents are usually trained experts in a targeted field so they can differentiate mundane information from targets of value to their own organizational development. Correct identification of
6667-571: The Wolf , has been translated into English. The Japanese writer Soji Shimada has been writing impossible crime stories since 1981. The first, The Tokyo Zodiac Murders (1981), and the second, Murder in the Crooked House (1982), are the only ones to have been translated into English. The themes of the Japanese novels are far more grisly and violent than those of the more genteel Anglo-Saxons. Dismemberment
6780-635: The Yellow Room ), written in 1907 by French journalist and author Gaston Leroux . G. K. Chesterton 's Father Brown stories, beginning in 1911, often featured locked-room mysteries. In the 1920s and 1930s, many authors wrote locked-room mysteries, such as S. S. Van Dine in The Canary Murder Case (1927), Ellery Queen in The Chinese Orange Mystery (1934), and Freeman Wills Crofts in such novels as Sudden Death and The End of Andrew Harrison (1938). Pulp magazines in
6893-421: The adversary has sophisticated SIGINT detection and interception capability. Spies rely on COVCOM or covert communication through technically advanced spy devices. Agents must also transfer money securely. Reportedly Canada is losing $ 12 billion and German companies are estimated to be losing about €50 billion ($ 87 billion) and 30,000 jobs to industrial espionage every year. In espionage jargon, an "agent"
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#17328692879517006-428: The age of maturity. He is described as medium height and fair-skinned with grey eyes and dark brown hair. After being seduced by Ilar í Sontir into breaking atui during a treaty and accidentally killing a man, he is exiled to Skala by the rhui'auros request where he becomes a Watcher, a spy in the queen's service. As a Watcher, he has many personas: Aren Windover, a bard known in the north; Lord Seregil of Rhíminee,
7119-551: The alchemist intends to create a creature called a rhekaro, who appears to be a young child and yet is decidedly inhuman. Seregil eventually escapes with Alec and Sebrahn, while coming to terms with his own past as he reunites with a former lover and enemy. Having escaped death and slavery in Plenimar, Seregil and Alec want nothing more than to go back to their nightrunning life in Rhíminee. Instead, they find themselves saddled with Sebrahn,
7232-404: The bad sewage of the earlier capital which had been nicknamed "Stinking Ero". In peacetime, Rhíminee is a major trading port through which enormous wealth passes daily. This wealth is divided unequally—there is an enormous disparity between the rich quarters at the northern part and the slums to the south; Alec and Seregill are at home in both, with some preference for the poorer areas. Technically
7345-641: The beginning of the series, he is described as being very like Seregil in size, not tall, slender, blond and blue-eyed.< Because of his looks and his conservative Dalnan upbringing, he is generally perceived as naive and innocent, though he shows great intelligence and cunning over the books. He is captured and thrown in prison where he meets Seregil. After Seregil helps him escape he contracts Alec to guide him to Wolde. Impressed by Alec's talent and intelligence, he asks Alec to be his apprentice and learn "the acquisition of goods and information". A master swordsman and dear friend of Seregil who met Seregil years before
7458-483: The best of times, the royal court at Rhíminee is a serpents' nest of intrigue, but with the war against Plenimar dragging on interminably, treason simmers just below the surface. And that is not all that poses a threat: A mysterious plague is spreading through the crowded streets of the city, striking young and old alike. Now, as panic mounts and the body count rises, secrets emerge. And, as Seregil and Alec are about to learn, conspiracies and plagues have one thing in common:
7571-564: The body involved should be issued with some form of warrant or permission from the government and should be enacting their procedures in the interest of protecting national security or the safety of public citizens. Those carrying out intelligence missions should act within not only RIPA but also the Data Protection Act and Human Rights Act. However, there are spy equipment laws and legal requirements around intelligence methods that vary for each form of intelligence enacted. In war, espionage
7684-562: The cases solved by Judge Dee is an example of the locked-room subgenre. The genre continued into the 1970s and beyond. Bill Pronzini 's Nameless Detective novels feature locked-room puzzles. The most prolific creator of impossible crimes is Edward D. Hoch , whose short stories feature a detective, Dr. Sam Hawthorne, whose main role is as a country physician. The majority of Hoch stories feature impossible crimes; one appeared in EQMM every month from May 1973 through January 2008. Hoch's protagonist
7797-436: The cure can be as deadly as the disease. The last novel in the series. The governor of the sacred island of Kouros and his wife have been killed inside a locked and guarded room . The sole witnesses to the crime—guards who broke down the door, hearing the screams from within—have gone mad with terror, babbling about ghosts... and things worse than ghosts. Dispatched to Kouros by the queen, master spies Alec and Seregil find all
7910-639: The early 21st century, the act was used to prosecute whistleblowers such as Thomas Andrews Drake , John Kiriakou , and Edward Snowden , as well as officials who communicated with journalists for innocuous reasons, such as Stephen Jin-Woo Kim . As of 2012 , India and Pakistan were holding several hundred prisoners of each other's country for minor violations like trespass or visa overstay, often with accusations of espionage attached. Some of these include cases where Pakistan and India both deny citizenship to these people, leaving them stateless . The BBC reported in 2012 on one such case, that of Mohammed Idrees, who
8023-478: The events of Luck in the Shadows . At the beginning of the series he is in his forties. Already settled down with a family of three, later four children and a foster son, he does not always accompany Seregil on his adventures. Micum himself is a Watcher and father of Beka , Elsbet , Illia and Gherin . At the end of Stalking Darkness , he and his wife Kari adopt Luthas. She is the wife of Micum and mother of Beka, Elsbet, Illia, Gherin and later, Luthas. She runs
8136-512: The events of Stalking Darkness . Originally cold and arrogant, his character gradually changes and he strives to emulate the generous character of the dead Nysander. He becomes head of the Watchers after Nysander's death. He and Princess Klia fall in love with each other—the first ever relationship between a wizard and a member of the Skalan Royal family—and at the end of Shards of Time , they have
8249-509: The exchange of Francis Gary Powers for Rudolf Abel in 1962 implied the legitimacy of some espionage as an arm of foreign policy. China has a very cost-effective intelligence program that is especially effective in monitoring neighboring countries such as Mongolia , Russia and India . Smaller countries can also mount effective and focused espionage efforts. For instance, the Vietnamese communists had consistently superior intelligence during
8362-547: The excitement and danger they could want—and more. For an ancient evil has been awakened there, a great power that will not rest until it has escaped its prison and taken revenge on all that lives. And our heroes must find a way to stop it and save those they hold most dear... or die trying. Seregil is one of the protagonists and a full-blooded Aurënfaie. He is 57 at the beginning of the series, but looks 25 because of his people's long lifespan though according to him he would be not much older than Alec if human and has not yet reached
8475-467: The false name Khenir, blaming Seregil for his condition. Seeking revenge, he helped his master, Yakhobin , catch Seregil and Alec. Once under his possession, Ilar physically, psychologically and sexually abused Seregil. But later he helped Seregil and Alec escape when his master vowed to sell him back in the slave market. Found again by Ulan's men, he was taken back to Viresse in The White Road , where
8588-405: The farm and house at Watermead since Micum is almost always away. She used to have a rivalry with Seregil, since they were both in love with Micum at the same time, and since he used to arrive and steal Micum away on Watcher business for months at a time, but Micum chose her. Seregil is like a brother to Micum now, and Kari like a sister, or sometimes a mother. Eldest daughter of Micum and Kari, she
8701-636: The height of World War I , all great powers except the United States had elaborate civilian espionage systems, and all national military establishments had intelligence units. In order to protect the country against foreign agents, the U.S. Congress passed the Espionage Act of 1917 . Mata Hari , who obtained information for Germany by seducing French officials, was the most noted espionage agent of World War I. Prior to World War II , Germany and Imperial Japan established elaborate espionage nets. In 1942
8814-451: The household. She was named after Seregil's mother. In Casket of Souls , her life is in grave danger, and she is saved by her father and his companions with great effort and risk. Born at the end of Stalking Darkness , he is named by Seregil Gherin , which means 'early blessing' in Aurënfaie. Nysander is the last disciple and heir of Arkoniel and guardian of the necromancer Helm. He
8927-591: The intelligence reorganization of 2004, the director of national intelligence is responsible for overseeing and coordinating the activities and budgets of the U.S. intelligence agencies. In the Cold War , espionage cases included Alger Hiss , Whittaker Chambers and the Rosenberg Case. In 1952 the Communist Chinese captured two CIA agents and in 1960 Francis Gary Powers , flying a U-2 reconnaissance mission over
9040-467: The khirnari came to know of the story of the rhekaro. Ulan took him back to Plenimar to help him steal Yakhobin's books. Later Seregil tricked Ilar into giving him the location of the books but left him in Plenimar as revenge for what Ilar did to Alec. Adzriel ä Illia is Seregil 's oldest sister and has acted as a mother figure for him. After her father, she becomes the khirnari of the Bôkthersa. Though he
9153-485: The land could see a peace that lasted without threat. Under her rule, even though Aurenen were allies, the style of the Aurenfaie went out of fashion. She tried to alienate all things not Skalan, including magic, and saw it as doing more harm than good. Son of Idrilain, twin of Phoria, to whom he was devoted. Was Seregil's first lover after he was exiled to Skala. While the Skalan system of having only Queens excluded him from
9266-458: The last paragraphs of the book, Seregil, and Alec admit romantic feelings for one another. Seregil and Alec are sent to Aurënen, Seregil's homeland, with Princess Klia, in a Skalan delegation to ask for open ports, warriors and supplies in the deepening war between Skala and Plenimar, but the attempted murder of the Princess means trouble. Seregil and Alec must unravel the mystery before all chance of
9379-508: The more common practice is to recruit a person already trusted with access to sensitive information, sometimes a person with a well-prepared synthetic identity (cover background), called a legend in tradecraft , may attempt to infiltrate a target organization. These agents can be moles (who are recruited before they get access to secrets), defectors (who are recruited after they get access to secrets and leave their country) or defectors in place (who get access but do not leave). A legend
9492-451: The most common forms of agent are: Less common or lesser known forms of agent include: Espionage against a nation is a crime under the legal code of many nations. In the United States, it is covered by the Espionage Act of 1917 . The risks of espionage vary. A spy violating the host country's laws may be deported, imprisoned, or even executed. A spy violating its own country's laws can be imprisoned for espionage or/and treason (which in
9605-612: The most prolific with 16 novels. Edgar Faure , who later to become Prime Minister of France, also wrote in the genre, but was not particularly successful. During the Golden Age of Detective Fiction , English-speaking writers dominated the genre, but after the 1940s there was a general waning of English-language output. French authors continued writing into the 1950s and early 1960s, notably Martin Meroy and Boileau-Narcejac , who joined forces to write several locked-room novels. They also co-authored
9718-437: The national defence with an intent, or reason to believe, that the information may be used to the injury of the United States or to the advantage of any foreign nation". Black's Law Dictionary (1990) defines espionage as: "... gathering, transmitting, or losing ... information related to the national defense ". Espionage is a violation of United States law, 18 U.S.C. §§ 792 – 798 and Article 106a of
9831-438: The organization can be complex with many methods to avoid detection, including clandestine cell systems . Often the players have never met. Case officers are stationed in foreign countries to recruit and supervise intelligence agents, who in turn spy on targets in the countries where they are assigned. A spy need not be a citizen of the target country and hence does not automatically commit treason when operating within it. While
9944-688: The organization in which they are planted, such as giving false reports about their country's military movements, or about a competing company's ability to bring a product to market. Spies may be given other roles that also require infiltration, such as sabotage . Many governments spy on their allies as well as their enemies, although they typically maintain a policy of not commenting on this. Governments also employ private companies to collect information on their behalf such as SCG International Risk , International Intelligence Limited and others. Many organizations, both national and non-national, conduct espionage operations. It should not be assumed that espionage
10057-447: The penalties for being caught are often severe. Espionage has been recognized as of importance in military affairs since ancient times. The oldest known classified document was a report made by a spy disguised as a diplomatic envoy in the court of King Hammurabi , who died in around 1750 BC. The ancient Egyptians had a developed secret service, and espionage is mentioned in the Iliad ,
10170-423: The penalty for espionage in many countries was execution. This was true right up until the era of World War II ; for example, Josef Jakobs was a Nazi spy who parachuted into Great Britain in 1941 and was executed for espionage. In modern times, many people convicted of espionage have been given penal sentences rather than execution. For example, Aldrich Hazen Ames is an American CIA analyst, turned KGB mole, who
10283-511: The place where the desired information is stored or accessing the people who know the information and will divulge it through some kind of subterfuge . There are exceptions to physical meetings, such as the Oslo Report , or the insistence of Robert Hanssen in never meeting the people who bought his information. The US defines espionage towards itself as "the act of obtaining, delivering, transmitting, communicating, or receiving information about
10396-513: The problems to tensions caused by the Kashmir conflict . Espionage is illegal in the UK under the National Security Act 2023 , which repealed prior Official Secrets Acts and creates three separate offences for espionage. A person is liable to be imprisoned for life for committing an offence under Section 1 of the Act, or 14 years for an offence under Sections 2 and 3 Government intelligence
10509-468: The prosecution of the war by the United States, or elsewhere". Locked-room mystery The " locked-room " or " impossible crime " mystery is a type of crime seen in crime and detective fiction . The crime in question, typically murder ("locked-room murder"), is committed in circumstances under which it appeared impossible for the perpetrator to enter the crime scene , commit the crime, and leave undetected. The crime in question typically involves
10622-476: The purpose of acquiring intelligence are not considered spies but are lawful combatants entitled to be treated as prisoners of war upon capture by the enemy. Article 30 states that a spy captured behind enemy lines may only be punished following a trial. However, Article 31 provides that if a spy successfully rejoined his own military and is then captured by the enemy as a lawful combatant, he cannot be punished for his previous acts of espionage and must be treated as
10735-500: The purpose of waging destruction on an enemy's vital targets in addition to intelligence gathering. For example, during World War II , eight German agents entered the U.S. in June 1942 as part of Operation Pastorius , a sabotage mission against U.S. economic targets. Two weeks later, all were arrested in civilian clothes by the FBI thanks to two German agents betraying the mission to the U.S. Under
10848-413: The royal sceptre, which is bound to have disastrous consequences for the king. The British TV series Jonathan Creek has a particular 'speciality' for locked-room-murder style mysteries. The eponymous protagonist, Jonathan Creek, designs magic tricks for stage magicians, and is often called on to solve cases where the most important element of the mystery is clearly how the crime was committed, such as
10961-413: The run and hunted, Alec and his friends must fight against time to accomplish their most personal mission ever. More than the dissolute noblemen they appear to be, Alec and Seregil are skillful spies, dedicated to serving queen and country. But when they stumble across evidence of a plot pitting Queen Phoria against Princess Klia, the two Nightrunners will find their loyalties torn as never before. Even at
11074-506: The series. Mortally wounded by a Plenimaran arrow, she holds on long enough to send Princess Klia on the vital mission to re-establish relations with Aurënen—since she does not trust Phoria, her eldest daughter and heir, to do it. Eldest Princess of Skala, inherited the throne after Idrilain's passing. She managed to push back the Plenimarians back into their homeland, but died on the threshold of victory. She wanted to conquer Plenimar so that
11187-473: The size and strength of enemy forces . They can also find dissidents within the organization and influence them to provide further information or to defect. In times of crisis, spies steal technology and sabotage the enemy in various ways. Counterintelligence is the practice of thwarting enemy espionage and intelligence-gathering. Almost all sovereign states have strict laws concerning espionage, including those who practice espionage in other countries, and
11300-435: The status of wartime spies, specifically within "Laws and Customs of War on Land" (Hague IV); October 18, 1907: Chapter II Spies". Article 29 states that a person is considered a spy who, acts clandestinely or on false pretences, infiltrates enemy lines with the intention of acquiring intelligence about the enemy and communicate it to the belligerent during times of war. Soldiers who penetrate enemy lines in proper uniforms for
11413-545: The target at its execution is the sole purpose of the espionage operation. Broad areas of espionage targeting expertise include: Although the news media may speak of "spy satellites" and the like, espionage is not a synonym for all intelligence-gathering disciplines. It is a specific form of human source intelligence ( HUMINT ). Codebreaking ( cryptanalysis or COMINT ), aircraft or satellite photography ( IMINT ), and analysis of publicly available data sources ( OSINT ) are all intelligence gathering disciplines, but none of them
11526-475: The throne, he was appointed Viceregent, taking care of the Skalan home front while his mother and sister were busy on the front with Plenimar. One of the most powerful people in Skala. Klia is the only surviving child of Queen Idrilain and her last consort, the youngest princess of her generation. She is 23 years old at the beginning of the series. She is the Commander of the Queen's Horse Guard, respected by most as
11639-564: The war effort. Since the end of World War II , the activity of espionage has enlarged, much of it growing out of the Cold War between the United States and the former USSR . The Russian Empire and its successor, the Soviet Union , have had a long tradition of espionage ranging from the Okhrana to the KGB (Committee for State Security), which also acted as a secret police force. In the United States,
11752-493: The war with Plenimar. Ilar, also known as Khenir, was introduced in Shadows Return , although mentioned often in previous books. Seregil's first lover, Ilar seduced him at Ulan í Sathil 's bidding and manipulated him into breaking his clan's atui, when Seregil was 22 years old. As a consequence Seregil was exiled from Aurënen. After his escape, Ilar was caught by Ulan and sold into slavery in Plenimar. He spent 40 years under
11865-625: The west is the Oisiat Sea and Zangat. Significant Cities: Ero (former capital), Cirna, Ardinlee and Tes. The capital of Skala, it holds the Royal Palace, the Skalan Court and the Orëska. It is also where The Cockerel Inn and Wheel Street are located. Rhíminee was founded by Queen Tamir the Great (who was personally involved in the details of city planning) after the earlier capital Ero was destroyed by
11978-498: Was arrested by the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), he faced life in prison; his contact, who had diplomatic immunity , was declared persona non grata and taken to the airport. Ames' wife was threatened with life imprisonment if her husband did not cooperate; he did, and she was given a five-year sentence. Hugh Francis Redmond , a CIA officer in China, spent nineteen years in a Chinese prison for espionage—and died there—as he
12091-454: Was convicted of espionage in 1994; he is serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole in the high-security Allenwood U.S. Penitentiary . Ames was formerly a 31-year CIA counterintelligence officer and analyst who committed espionage against his country by spying for the Soviet Union and Russia . So far as it is known, Ames compromised the second-largest number of CIA agents, second only to Robert Hanssen , who also served
12204-629: Was created in Shadows Return by the Plenimaran alchemist Yhakobin for Ulan í Satil in hopes of distilling a healing elixir to prolong his life. He was created using Alec's Hâzadrielfaie blood, and as a result is only able to feed by drinking Hâzadrielfaie blood. Alec took him along when he escaped the alchemist's house. Later Alec let him be taken into the care of the Hâzadrielfaie in The White Road when he realised that could not continue his lifestyle and still care for Sebrahn. Another rhekaro, he
12317-411: Was held under Indian police control for approximately 13 years for overstaying his 15-day visa by 2–3 days after seeing his ill parents in 1999. Much of the 13 years were spent in prison waiting for a hearing, and more time was spent homeless or living with generous families. The Indian People's Union for Civil Liberties and Human Rights Law Network both decried his treatment. The BBC attributed some of
12430-504: Was made from the blood of Hâzadriël herself and has since hunted with the Ebrados by her wish. He is pale and silver-haired like Sebrahn, though he does not speak, and has wings. Capital: Rhíminee. Ruled by: Queen Idrilain, then Queen Phoria and finally Queen Elani. Location: To the north is the Inner Sea and Mycena, to the east is Plenimar and The Strait of Bal, to the south is Aurënen and to
12543-598: Was named third in that same poll; Hake Talbot 's Rim of the Pit (1944) was named second. ) Three other Carr/Dickson novels were in the top ten of the 1981 list: The Crooked Hinge (1938), The Judas Window (1938), and The Peacock Feather Murders (1937). In French, Pierre Boileau , Thomas Narcejac , Gaston Boca, Marcel Lanteaume, Pierre Véry , Noel Vindry, and the Belgian Stanislas-André Steeman were other important "impossible crime" writers, Vindry being
12656-691: Was operating without diplomatic cover and immunity. In United States law, treason, espionage, and spying are separate crimes. Treason and espionage have graduated punishment levels. The United States in World War I passed the Espionage Act of 1917. Over the years, many spies, such as the Soble spy ring , Robert Lee Johnson , the Rosenberg ring , Aldrich Hazen Ames , Robert Philip Hanssen , Jonathan Pollard , John Anthony Walker , James Hall III , and others have been prosecuted under this law. From ancient times,
12769-412: Was very young. Rekharos or tayan'gil (silver blood) are humanoid creatures created from the blood of the Hâzadrielfaie. They can heal, though no one except Sebrahn can speak or bring back the dead. A rhekaro, Sebrahn is described as very pale with silver-colored eyes and shining white hair. Because of his appearance, Alec named him moonlight in Aurënfaie. The prophesied child of no woman , Sebrahn
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