Trumps of doom

As we made our way down the creek, I told him of last night's note and this evening's rendezvous. I also told him my feelings about exposing him to stray shots, or intended ones.

«It may not be that serious,» he began.

«My mind's made up, Bill. I hate to cut things short when I haven't seen you for so long, but I hadn't counted on all this trouble. And if I go away you know that it will, too.

«Probably so, but…»

We continued in this vein for a while as we followed the watercourse. Then we finally dropped the matter as settled and returned to a fruitless rehashing of my puzzles. As we walked I looked back occasionally but did not see anyone behind us. I did hear a few sounds within the brush on the opposite bank at infrequent intervals, but it could easily have been an animal disturbed by our voices.

We had hiked for over an hour when I had the premonitory feeling that someone was picking up my Trump. I froze.

Bill halted and turned toward me.

«What -»

I raised my hand.

«Long distance call,» I said.

A moment later I felt the first movement of contact. I also heard the noise in the bushes again, across the water.

«Merlin.»

It was Random's voice, calling to me. A few seconds later I saw him, seated at a desk in the library of Amber.

«Yes?» I answered.

The image came into solidity, assumed full reality, as if I were looking through an archway into an adjacent room. At the same time, I still possessed my vision of the rest of my surroundings, though it was growing more and more peripheral by the moment. For example, I saw Gearge Hansen start up from among the bushes across the creek, staring at me.

«I want you back in Amber right away,» Random stated. George began to move forward, splashing down into the water.

Random raised his hand, extended it. «Come on through,» he said.

By now my outline must have begun shimmering, and I heard George cry out, «Stop! Wait! I have to come with -»

I reached out and grasped Bill's shoulder.

«I can't leave you with this nut,» I said. «Come on!» With my other hand I clasped Random's.

«Okay,» I said, moving forward. «Stop!» George cried.

«The hell you say,» I replied, and we left him to clasp a rainbow.

CHAPTER 7

Random looked startled as the two of us came through into the library. He rose to his feet, which still left him shorter than either of us, and he shifted his attention to Bill.

«Merlin, who's this?» he asked.

«Your attorney, Bill Roth,» I said. «You've always dealt with him through agents in the past. I thought you might like to -»

Bill began dropping to one knee, «Your Majesty,» on his lips, but Random caught him by the shoulders.

«Cut the crap,» he said. «We're not in Court.» He clasped his hand, then said, «Call me Random. I've always intended to thank you personally for the work you did on that treaty. Never got around to it, though. Good to meet you.»

I'd never seen Bill at a loss for words before, but he just stared, at Random, at the room, out of the window at a distant tower.

Finally, «It's real…» I heard him whisper moments later.

«Did I not see someone springing toward you?» Random said to me, running a hand through his unruly brown hair. «And surely your last words back there were not addressed to me?»

«We were having a little problem,» I answered. «That's the real reason I brought Bill along. You see, someone's been trying to kill me, and -»

Random raised his hand. «Spare me the details for the moment. I'll need them all later, but - but let it be later. There is more nastiness than usual afoot at the moment, and yours may well be a part of it. But I've got to breathe a bit.»

It was only then that some deepened lines in his naturally youthful face registered and I began to realize that he was under a strain.

«What's the matter?» I asked.

«Caine is dead. Murdered,» he replied. «This morning.»

«How did it happen?»

«He was off in Shadow Deiga - a distant port with which we have commerce. He was with Gerard, to renegotiate an old trade agreement. He was shot, through the heart. Died instantly.»

«Did they catch the bowman?»

«Bowman, hell! It was a rifleman, on a rooftop. And he got away.»

«I thought gunpowder didn't work around here.» He made a quick palms up gesture.

«Deiga may be far enough off in Shadow for it to work. Nobody here can remember ever testing any there. For that matter, though, your father once came up with a compound that worked here.»

«True. I'd almost forgotten.»

«Anyway, the funeral is tomorrow -»

«Bill! Merlin!»

My aunt Flora - who had turned down Rossetti's offers, one of them being to model for him - had entered the room. Tall, slim and burnished, she hurried forward and kissed Bill on the cheek. I had never seen him blush before. She repeated the act for me, too, but I was less moved, recalling that she had once been my father's warden.

«When did you get in?» Her voice was lovely, too.

«Just now,» I said.

She immediately linked arms with both of us and attempted to lead us off.

«We have so much to talk about,» she began.

«Flora!» This from Random.

«Yes, brother?»