“How do you know these things?
Who are you Theta?
Who are you really?”
-- Ob to the Lord Angle Theta

     The last of them went down – cleaved in half by Theta’s falchion. Geysers of blood gushed everywhere as the Duke’s guards charged into the room. A butchery of flowing blood and spilled entrails. Several corpses soiled the exotic carpet, some still twitching as such are wont to do. The dead wore the Duke’s livery, confusing the guards. The Duke’s guest – a hulking foreign knight stood beside the bed. Nightshirt drenched red as was his face and pants. Bloodied falchion in his left hand. His expression best described as annoyed; his aspect calm. He stood unmoving, staring at the guards with his piercing blue eyes. They all stood there still as the Duke and his personal bodyguards came dashing down the hall to the apartment’s entrance. The guards made way.
     Harringgold’s mouth dropped as he entered and took in the sight.
     “Are these yours?” said Theta, pointing to the dead with his right hand.
     “I cannot tell,” said the Duke.
     He motioned to the guards who adjusted the corpses so their faces could be viewed.
     “This one has been in my employee some five years,” said the Duke, pointing to a decapitated head at the foot of the bed.
     “This one has worked as a guard for a few months I think, perhaps a year. The other four I do not recognize.”
     “Nor do I,” said the guard captain.
     “Search the bodies,” said Theta, still standing tensed. The Duke nodded to the guards who then began to search.
     “Looking for what?” said the Duke.
     “A tattoo; a scar, a strange coin, or some such token.”
     After some minutes. “Two bear the mark of the Black Hand on their shoulders.”
     “Paid assassins,” said the Duke.
     “These others all wore a gold coin hung from chains about their necks.”
     “Put them down on the bed,” said Theta, as he strapped on his sword belt and wiped the blade on the sheets, then sheathed it. He briefly looked at the coins, wrapped them in cloth and pocketed them.
     “I’ll need another room,” said Theta.
     “Of course,” said the Duke, seemingly surprised at the request.
     “One with a bath, and some bandages, and a few guards at the door that you can trust more than these.”
     “You’ll have it. I don’t know what to say, this should never have happened in my fortress.”
     "You are right, it should not have,” said Theta, giving the Duke an ice-cold stare.
     “I’ll stand watch myself,” said the guard captain, “with you permission Lord Harringgold.”
      Harringgold nodded.
     Servants led Theta to another room, two floors up. Ob appeared along the way.
     “The bastards won’t stop coming,” said Ob. “Once The Hand has a contract, they never give up. Not never. They took five years to track down old Par Tandar, down in Minco – he was hiding out as a cobbler – but they got him – hung his head from a lamppost right in front of the tower of the Arcane. Not one witness. Theta, your only chance is to head for the hills and not stop until you’re back home – in wherever it is youse hail from.”
     “I’ll deal with the assassins as need be – but it will not be by running.

**
Author's Note:
I hope that you have enjoyed the excerpt above from the story 'The Fallen Angle.'  The complete story is available in a Kindle Edition from Amazon.com and an eBook Edition from Mobipocket.  It is also available along with the story 'The Gateway' in Trade Paperback (and Kindle) under the title of 'Harbinger of Doom', which is available from Amazon.com.  See below for a summary of reviews about Harbinger of Doom.

Mr. Thater's books can be purchased from Amazon.com.  Mr. Thater's Amazon.com profile page, which includes a complete listing of his books can be accessed here:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/pdp/profile/AJWXN33RB5VA1

If you're outside the United States and can't purchase from Amazon.com, you can purchase Mr. Thater's Trade Paperback books directly from the Publisher using these links:
Harbinger of Doom (1st Edition):   http://www.createspace.com/3334712
Harbinger of Doom (2nd Edition):  http://www.createspace.com/3342167

 What readers are saying about Harbinger of Doom by Glenn Thater:

--- Glenn Thater's "Harbinger of Doom", set in a world of men, gnomes, elves, and wizards, asks a tough question: what if we've got it all wrong? What if the God we follow turned bad, and the one we call the Devil is really a maligned angel on a quest to rid the world of evil? So goes Thater's tale, and he tells it in a voice as pretentious as Tolkein's. His world is called Midgaard, its capital called Lomion. Thater populates Midgaard with knights, a young-man-turned-king, a belligerent gnome, a couple scardey-cat wizards, Sir Gabriel, and Lord Angle Theta, the Harbinger of Doom. ...what fascinated me was the clever idea that Azathoth/Odin/God's heart turned black, and the one we know as the Bogeyman is really the one who is trying to save us. What a twist, and what an imagination!

   ---- Dennis Batchelder, Author of Soul Identity

(Reposted from Goodreads.com)

--- An amazing tale of swords, sorcerers, and more!...In the foreword, Thater has introduced the legend of Angle Theta. He is a character that has been cited in a number of ancient writings, and is the stuff legends are made of. ... Thater's writing has you in the heat of the battle, and leaves you wanting more of this epic story. ...[Angle Theta] reminds me a little of Moorcock's Lord Elric of Melnibone, who struggles with issues in the fight of good and evil. Cannot wait to read more of this saga from Glenn G. Thater. For those of us who love to read of demons and dragons, knights in armor and legends of long ago. 

--- "Ellen in Atlanta", Amazon Top 500 Reviewer

(Reposted from Amazon.com)

--- …now I have something I can reread over and over again. Harbinger of Doom has just shattered everything I knew of the epic fantasy realm and created a sub genre all of its own. With a masterful craft of writing with sly wit you are pulled into an epic tale of dark portions. If you are like me, you will scream at the book, and several characters in certain parts as they become like kin folk. The characters own the pages, the story never disappoints, and thank God for this author! In addition, if you are a Brian Lumley fan, I would suggest you give this book a try. A must for fantasy fans!  

--- "PoetryLover"

(Reposted from Amazon.com)

--- I find Mr. Thater's book, Harbinger of Doom, to be an excellent foray into dark story adventure, … good story, good action. Excellent flow of the story line to hold the attention. Overall very well done.  

--- Jacamo Peterson, Author of "A Hard Place: A Sergeant's Tale"

(Reposted from Amazon.com)

--- At its core, Harbinger of Doom is a story of heroes and villains and explores the nature of good and evil, of religion and even politics. But this is no four color comic book world, it's a land where the good guys can die, and where it's not always clear who is the hero and who is the villain....   

--- "P. Martucci"

(Reposted from Amazon.com)

--- This is a complex but highly entertaining swords and sorcery story, reminiscent of the pulp novels of Robert E. Howard, but with more depth and undercurrents to the plot. Thater's character `Lord Angle Theta' is an almost larger than life hero like Howard's Conan or Kull. And although he's perhaps their equal in brawn, he's far their better in brains. The other characters are all memorable and interesting, especially the grumpy gnome called Ob….

--- "Fantasy Fan"

(Reposted from Amazon.com)

--- Harbinger of Doom by Glenn Thater is what this genre of literature is all about!...I truly did not put the book down! 

--- “Greg M.”

(Reposted from Amazon.com)

 --- Who can resisit a good sword and sorcery book? Not me. I thoroughly enjoyed reading Harbinger of Doom. It plunges you into a magic fog right at the start, and the action never stops! Fast-paced and exciting, it's a page turner.  The characters are interesting folk. I loved the twist of the weak-kneed wizard, and the gnome was highly entertaining. I also smiled at the references a true sci-fi fan would appreciate. Clever nods to Dr. Who and Star Trek, to name but two! There are dark secrets and many mysteries in this tale of good vs. evil. I hope it continues!

--- “Susan Jane”

 (Reposted from Amazon.com)

 --- …It took me by surprise because I had never heard of this author and was blown away by how exciting this story and the characters were from the get go. I literally could not put this book down once I started reading it. ...It has all the adventure and excitement of the Star Wars Saga but set in a different world of endless time.    

--- "Mythical Books Aficionado"

(Reposted from Amazon.com)

--- …Thater takes his fantasy and places it inside your brain. I wasn't reading a book, I was standing in the middle of the action, looking to pick up a sword and jump in…

--- "George T"

(Reposted from Amazon.com)

--- My New Favorite Book. Ok, that's saying a lot, but this book is just that good. The author doesn't just spit out a story here - he's crafted every line and word - there's a rhythm to the way it reads; both the exposition and the dialog. It draws you in; providing a more immersive experience than you'd expect in fantasy fiction. The depth of the world, and the complexity of the characters, and an underlying ambiguity as to who's really the hero and who's really the villain make this story a true standout. I liked it so much, I actually read it twice - and found that on the second read I picked up all sorts of subtleties and nuances that I'd missed on the first go round.   

--- "Connie Brady"

(Reposted from Amazon.com)