The Hand Of Oberon

I sought, and was pleased not to discover, ranks of glowing riders setting forth or assembling upon that road. Unless another raiding party was already under way Amber was still temporarily safe. A number of things immediately troubled me, however. Mainly, if time did indeed behave as peculiarly in that place as Dara's possible origin indicated, then why had there not been another attack? They had certainly had ample time in which to recover and prepare for another assault. Had something occurred recently, by Amber's time, that is, to alter the nature of their strategy? If so, what? My weapons? Brand's recovery? Or something else? I wondered, too, how far Benedict's outposts reached. Certainly not this far, or I should have been informed. Had he ever been to this place? Had any of the others, within recent memory, stood where I had just stood, looking upon the Courts of Chaos, knowing something that I did not know? I resolved to question Brand and Benedict in this regard as soon as I returned.

All of which led me to wonder how time was behaving with me, at that moment. Better not to spend any more time here than I had to, I decided. I scanned the other Trumps I had removed from Dworkin's desk. While they were all of them interesting, I was familiar with none of the scenes depicted. I slipped my own case then and riffled through to Random's Trump. Perhaps he was the one who had tried to contact me earlier. I raised his card and regarded it.

Shortly, it swam before my eyes and I looked upon a blurred kaleidoscope of images, the impression of Random in their midst. Motion, and twisting perspectives…

«Random,» I said. «This is Corwin.»

I felt his mind, but there was no response from it. It struck me then that he was in the middle of a hellride, all his concentration bent on wrapping the stuff of Shadow about him. He could not respond without losing control. I blocked the Trump with my hand, breaking the contact.

I cut to Gerard's card. Moments later, there was contact. I stood.

«Corwin, where are you?» he inquired.

«At the end of the world,» I said. «I want to come home.»

«Come ahead.»

He extended his hand. I reached out and clasped it, stepped forward.

We were on the ground floor of the palace in Amber, in the sitting room to which we had all adjourned on the night of Brand's return. It seemed to be early morning. There was a fire going on the grate. No one else was present.

«I tried to reach you earlier,» he said. «I think Brand did, too. But I can't be sure.»

«How long have I been away?»

«Eight days,» he said.

«Glad I hurried. What's happening?»

«Nothing untoward,» he said. «I do not know what Brand wants. He kept asking for you, and I could not reach you. Finally, I gave him a deck and told him to see whether he could do any better. Apparently, he could not.»

«I was distracted,» I said, «and the time-flow differential was bad.»

He nodded.

«I have been avoiding him now that he is out of danger. He is in one of his black moods again, and he insists he can take care of himself. He is right, in that, and it is just as well.»

«Where is he now?»

«Back in his own quarters, and he was still there as of perhaps an hour ago - brooding.»

«Has he been out at all?»

«A few brief walks. But not for the past several days.»

«I guess I had best go see him then. Any word on Random?»

«Yes,» he said. «Benedict returned several days ago. He said they had found a number of leads concerning Random's son. He helped him check on a couple of them. One led further, but Benedict felt he had best not be away from Amber for too long, things being as uncertain as they are. So he left Random to continue the search on his own. He gained something in the venture, though. He came back sporting an artificial arm - a beautiful piece of work. He can do anything with it that he could before.»

«Really?» I said. «It sounds strangely familiar.»

He smiled, nodded.

«He told me you had brought it back for him from Tir-na Nog'th. In fact, he wants to speak with you about it as soon as possible.»

«I'll bet,» I said. «Where is he now?»

«At one of the outposts he has established along the black road. You would have to reach him by Trump.»

«Thanks,» I said. «Anything further on Julian or Fiona?»

He shook his head.

«All right,» I said, turning toward the door. «I guess I will go see Brand first.»

«I am curious to know what it is that he wants,» he said.

«I will remember that,» I told him. I left the room and headed for the stairs.

CHAPTER 7

I rapped on Brand's door.

«Come in, Corwin,» he said.