Sign of chaos

He led the way down the back stair and turned left at its foot. We moved on past the kitchen and followed another hallway which turned off toward the rear. As we did, I heard some rattling sounds from up ahead. I glanced at Bill, who nodded.

«That's what I heard earlier,» he told me, «when I was passing by. That's why I took a walk up this way. Everything around here makes me curious.»

I nodded, understanding the feeling. Especially when I knew that the sounds were coming from the main armory. Benedict stood in the midst of activity, peering at his thumbnail through a rifle barrel. He looked up immediately and our eyes met. Perhaps a dozen men moved about him, carrying weapons, cleaning weapons, stacking weapons.

«I thought you were in Kashfa,» I said.

«Was,» he replied.

I gave him a chance to continue, but nothing was forthcoming. Benedict has never been noted for loquacity.

«Looks like you're getting ready for something close to home,» I remarked, knowing that gunpowder was useless here and that the special ammo we had only worked in the area of Amber and certain adjacent kingdoms.

«Always best to be safe,» he said.

«Would you care to elaborate on that?» I asked.

«Not now,» he answered, a reply twice as long as I'd anticipated and holding out hope of future enlightenment.

«Should we all be digging in?» I asked: «Fortifying the town? Arming ourselves? Raising-»

«It won't come to that,» he said. «Just go on about your business.»

«But-»

He turned away. I'd a feeling the conversation was over. I was sure of it when he ignored my next several questions. I shrugged and turned back to Bill.

«Let's go eat,» I said.

As we walked back up the hall, Bill said softly, «Any idea what it means?»

«Dalt's in the neighborhood,» I told him.

«Benedict was in Begma with Random. Dalt could be causing trouble there.»

«I've a feeling he's nearer.»

«If Dalt were to capture Random…»

«Impossible,» I said, feeling a slight chill at the idea. «Random can trump back here anytime he wants. No. When I talked about defending Amber, and Benedict said, `It won't come to that,' I got the impression he was talking about something close at hand. Something he feels he can control.»

«I see what you mean,» he agreed. «But then he told you not to bother fortifying.»

«If Benedict feels we don't need to fortify, then we don't need to fortify.»

«Waltz and drink champagne while the cannons boom?»

«If Benedict says it's okay.»

«You really trust that guy. What would you do without him?»

«Be more nervous,» I said.

He shook his head. «Excuse me,» he said. «I'm not used to being acquainted with legends.»

«You don't believe me?»

«I shouldn't believe you, but I do believe you. That's the trouble.» He was silent as we turned the corner and headed back toward the stair. Then he added, «It was that way whenever I was around your father, too.»

«Bill,» I said, as we began to climb. «You knew my dad back before he regained his memory, when he was just plain old Carl Corey. Maybe I've been going about this thing wrong. Is there anything you can recall about that phase of his life which might explain where he is now?»

He halted a moment and looked at me.

«Don't think I haven't thought about that angle, Merle. Many a time I've wondered whether he might have been involved in something as Corey that he'd have felt obliged to follow through on once his business here was finished. But he was a very secretive man, even in that incarnation. Paradoxical, too. He'd done a lot of hitches in a lot of different varieties of military, which seems logical enough. But he sometimes wrote music, which goes against that hard-ass image.»

«He'd lived a long time. He'd learned a lot, felt lot.»

«Exactly, and that's what makes it hard to guess why he might have been involved in. Once or twice when he'd had a few drinks he'd mention people in the arts and sciences I'd never have guessed him to be acquainted with. He was never just plain Carl Corey. He had a few centuries worth of Earth memory when I knew him. That makes for a character too complex to be easily predictable. I just don't know what he might have gone back to - if he went back.»

We continued on up the stairway. Why did I feel that Bill knew more than he was telling me?

I heard music as we neared the dining room, and when we entered, Llewella gave me a nasty look. I saw that food was being kept warm at a serving table off against the far wall, and no one was seated yet. People stood about talking, drinks in hand, and most of them glanced in our direction as we entered. Three musicians were playing, off to my right. The dining table was to my left, near the big window in the south wall, providing a glorious view across the town below. It was still snowing lightly, casting a spectral veil over the entire bright prospect.

Llewella approached quickly.

«You've kept everybody waiting,» she whispered. «Where's the girl?»

«Coral?»

«Who else?»

«I'm not sure where she's gotten off to,» I said. «We parted company a couple of hours ago.»

«Well, is she coming or isn't she?»