The Autumn

Fernando is content with his profession. A man of law and retribution, he keeps the peace in Valencia as best he can, though his temper can get the better of him, and his desires are even more troublesome. His faith and his duty keep him honest and forthright. The order of his city dissolves when a galleon from the New World crashes on the beach, bringing with it a bizarre treasure and a strange Moor named Khalid. Khalid's preternatural claims of an impending apocalypse defy any logic or mercy, as a plague known as the Delirium erupts in Valencia, killing all it touches. Fernando, among the few survivors, finds himself hating and admiring Khalid for his god-like wisdom. He craves the order Khalid can bring in the wake of destruction, but Fernando's unsettling memories and fleeting nightmares won't let him submit to Khalid's prophecies of the World to Come, no matter how true they prove to be. But Khalid knows all of Fernando's secrets, too... and through his deepest desires, Fernando might be persuaded.