Sign of chaos

He sighed. «I suppose there's some truth in that,» he admitted. «But she's as venal as most people. It's just a matter of finding the right price.»

«I can't see Amber buying someone off that way.»

«I can.»

«Not when that person is already a prisoner here.»

«That does complicate matters a little,» he acknowledged. «But I hardly think it's an insurmountable barrier. Not if she's more useful to you free than as a piece of furniture.»

«You've lost me,» I said. «What are you proposing?»

«Nothing yet. I'm just sounding you out.»

«Fair enough. But offhand, I can't see a situation such as you describe arising. More valuable to us free than a prisoner… I guess we'd go where the value lies: But these are just words.»

«Just trying to plant a seed or two while I work on it. What is your greatest concern right now?»

«Me? Personally? You really want to know?»

«You bet.»

«Okay. My mad brother Jurt has apparently allied himself with the sorcerer Mask back at the Keep. The two of them are out to get me. Jurt made an attempt just this afternoon, but I can see it's really a challenge from Mask. I'm going to take them on soon.»

«Hey, I didn't know you had a brother!»

«Half brother. I have a couple of others, too. But I can get along with them. Jurt's been after me for a long time.»

«That's really something. You never mentioned them.»

«We never talked family. Remember?»

«Yeah. But you've got me puzzled now. Who's this Mask? I seem to remember your mentioning him before. It's really Sharu Garrul, isn't it?»

I shook my head.

«When I brought your mother out of the citadel she left the company of a similarly stricken old guy with RINALDO carved on his leg. I was trading spells with Mask at the time.»

«Most strange,» Luke said. «Then he's a usurper. And he's the one slipped me the acid?»

«That seems most likely.»

«Then I have a score to settle with him, too - apart from what he did to my mother. How tough is Jurt?»

«Well, he's nasty. But he's kind of clumsy, too. At least, he's screwed up whenever we've, fought and left; a piece of himself behind.»

«He could also be learning from his mistakes, you know.»

«That's true. And he said something kind of cryptic today, now you mention it. He talked as if he were about to become very powerful.»

«Uh-oh,» Luke said. «Sounds as if this Mask is using him as a guinea pig.»

«For what?»

«The Fount of Power, man. There's a steady, pulsing source of pure energy inside the Citadel, you know. Inter-Shadow stuff. Comes from the four worlds jamming together there.»

«I know. I've seen it in action.»

«I've got a feeling that this Mask is still in the process of getting a handle on it.»

«He had a pretty good grip when we met.»

«Yeah, but there's more to it than plugging into a wall outlet. There are all sorts of subtleties he's probably just becoming aware of and exploring.»

«Such as?»

«Bathing a person in it will, if he's properly protected, do wonders for strength, stamina, and magical abilities. That part's easy for a person with some training to learn. I've been through it myself. But old Sharu's notes were in his lab, and there was something more in them - way of replacing part of the body with energy, really packing it in. Very dangerous. Easily fatal. But if it works you get something special, a kind of superman, a sort of living Trump.»

«I've heard that term before, Luke…»

«Probably,» he replied. «My father undertook the process, with himself as the subject-»

«That's it!» I said. «Corwin claimed that Brand had become some sort of living Trump. Made it almost impossible to nail him.»

Luke gritted his teeth.

«Sorry,» I said. «But that's where I heard about it. So that was the secret of Brand's power…»

Luke nodded.

«I get the impression this Mask thinks he knows how it was done and is getting ready to try it on your brother.»

«Shit!» I observed. «That's all I need. Jurt as a magical being or a natural force - or whatever the hell. This is serious. How much do you know about the process?»

«Oh, I know most of it, in theory. I wouldn't mess with it, though. I think it takes away something of your humanity. You don't much give a shit about other people or human values afterward. I think that's part of what happened to my father.»

What could I say? Maybe that part was true and maybe it wasn't. I was sure Luke wanted to believe in some external cause for his father's treachery. I knew I'd never contradict him on it, even if I learned differently. And so I laughed.

«With Jurt,» I said, «there'd be no way of telling the difference.»

Luke smiled. Then, «You could get dead going up against a guy like that, along with a sorcerer, on their own turf.»

«What choice have I got?» I asked. «They're after me. Better to move now. Jurt hasn't had the treatment yet. Does it take long?»

«Well, there are fairly elaborate preliminaries, but the subject doesn't have to be present for some of them. It all depends on how far along Mask is with the work.»

«I'd better move pretty fast then.»