The Hand Of Oberon

I refrained from saying the things that I might. I had thought them just another part of Dara's story, for she had so twisted the truth in other areas. She had mentioned the Tecys to me as if she knew them, as if she had stayed with them - all with Benedict's knowledge. The moment did not seem appropriate, however, to tell him of my previous night's vision in Tir-na Nog'th and the things it had indicated concerning his relationship to the girl. I had not yet had sufficient time to ponder the matter and all that it implied.

Random stood, paced, paused near the ledge, his back to us, fingers knotted behind him. After a moment, he turned and stalked back.

«How can we get in touch with the Tecys?» he asked Benedict.

«No way,» said Benedict, «except to go and see them.»

Random turned to me.

«Corwin, I need a horse. You say that Star's been through a number of hellrides…»

«He's had a busy morning.»

«It wasn't that strenuous. It was mostly fright, and he seems okay now. May I borrow him?»

Before I could answer, he turned toward Benedict.

«You'll take me, won't you?» he said.

Benedict hesitated.

«I do not know what more there is to learn -» he began.

«Anything! Anything at all they might remember-possibly something that did not really seem important at the time but is now, knowing what we know.»

Benedict looked to me. I nodded.

«He can ride Star, if you are willing to take him.»

«All right,» Benedict said, getting to his feet. «I'll fetch my mount.»

He turned and headed off toward the place where the great striped beast was tethered.

«Thanks, Corwin,» Random said.

«I'll let you do me a favor in return.»

«What?»

«Let me borrow Martin's Trump.»

«What for?»

«An idea just hit me. It is too complicated to get into if you want to get moving. No harm should come of it, though.»

He chewed his lip.

«Okay. I want it back when you are done with it.»

«Of course.»

«Will it help find him?»

«Maybe.»

He passed me the card.

«You heading back to the palace now?» he asked.

«Yes.»

«Would you tell Vialle what has happened and where I have gone? She worries.»

«Sure. I'll do that.»

«I'll take good care of Star.»

«I know that. Good luck.»

«Thanks.»

I rode Firedrake. Ganelon walked. He had insisted. We followed the route I had taken in pursuing Dara on the day of the battle. Along with recent developments, that is probably what made me think of her again. I dusted off my feelings and examined them carefully. I realized then that despite the games she had played with me, the killings she had doubtless been privy or party to, and her stated designs upon the realm, I was still attracted to her by something more than curiosity. I was not really surprised to discover this. Things had looked pretty much the same the last time I had pulled a surprise inspection in the emotional barracks. I wondered then how much of truth there might have been to my final vision of the previous night, wherein her possible line of descent from Benedict had been stated. There was indeed a physical resemblance, and I was more than half-convinced. In the ghost city, of course, the shade of Benedict had conceded as much, raising his new, strange arm in her defense…

«What's funny?» Ganelon asked, from where he strode to my left.

«The arm,» I said, «that came to me from Tir-na Nog'th-I had worried over some hidden import, some unforeseen force of destiny to the thing, coming as it had into our world from that place of mystery and dream. Yet it did not even last the day. Nothing remained when the Pattern destroyed lago. The entire evening's visions come to nothing.»

Ganelon cleared his throat.

«Well, it wasn't exactly the way you seem to think,» he said.

«What do you mean?»

«That arm device was not in Iago's saddlebag. Random stowed it in your bag. That's where the food was, and after we had eaten he returned the utensils to where they had been in his own bag, but not the arm. There was no space.»

«Oh,» I said. «Then -»

Ganelon nodded. «- So he has it with him now,» he finished.

«The arm and Benedict both. Damn! I've small liking for that thing. It tried to kill me. No one has ever been attacked in Tir-na Nog'th before.»

«But Benedict, Benedict's okay. He's on our side, even if you have some differences at the moment. Right?»

I did not answer him.

He reached up and took Firedrake's reins, drawing him to a halt. He stared up then, studying my face.

«Corwin, what happened up there, anyway? What did you learn?»

I hesitated. In truth, what had I learned in the city in the sky? No one was certain as to the mechanism behind the visions of Tir-na Nog'th. It could well be, as we have sometimes suspected, that the place simply served to objectify one's unspoken fears and desires, mixing them perhaps with unconscious guesswork. Sharing conclusions and reasonably based conjectures was one thing. Suspicions engendered by something unknown were likely better retained than given currency. Still, that arm was solid enough…

«I told you,» I said, «that I had knocked that arm off the ghost of Benedict. Obviously, we were fighting.»