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Volume 1 of the ChroMagic Series

Key to Chroma

Volume 2 of the ChroMagic Series

(Forthcoming)

Key to Destiny

Volume 3 of the ChroMagic Series

(Forthcoming)

Other Titles by Piers Anthony

Macroscope

Pornucopia

The Magic Fart

Conversation With An Ogre

Piers Anthony 3

KEY TO HAVOCKEY TO HAVOC

Piers AnthonyPiers Anthony

Volume 1 of the ChroMagic SeriesVolume 1 of the ChroMagic Series 4 Key to Havoc

Key to Havoc, copyright © 2003 by Piers Anthony Jacob This work has never appeared in print before.

All rights reserved under the International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblence to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

A Mundania Press Production

Mundania Press LLC

6470A Glenway Avenue, #109

Cincinnati, Ohio 45211-5222

To order additional copies of this book, contact:

Cover Art by Ariana Overton

Cover Figures by Linnea Sinclair

Book Design and Layout by Daniel J. Reitz, Sr.

Production and Promotion by Bob Sanders

Edited by Mary E. Reitz and Audra A. F. Brooks

ISBN: 1-59426-000-1

First eBook Edition · May 2003

Library of Congress Catalog Card Number 2003103070

Production by Mundania Press LLC

Printed in the United States of America

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Piers Anthony 5

Chapter 1--Dragon ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... . .

7

Chapter 2--Exam ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

51

Chapter 3--King... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... . .

96

Chapter 4--Mystery ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 145

Chapter 5--Crises ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

196

Chapter 6--Temple... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

Chapter 7--Minstrel ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 319

Chapter 8--Cult ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

381

Chapter 9--Golem ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 435

Chapter 10--Glamor ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... . . 493

Author's Note ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... .

543

About the Author ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... .

548

ContentsContents

6 Key to Havoc

Piers Anthony 7

Chapter 1: DragonChapter 1: Dragon

he boy made his way swiftly but carefully through the forest, stepping in patterns reminiscent of a game. He had a staff as tall as he was, that he used to push aside some ferns and fronds. Sometimes he braced on it for short pole vaults. It was as though there was a path that only he could see, and that it was vital that he follow it exactly, lest there be some terrible