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TheHandOfOberonbyRogerZelaznyChapter1Abrightflashofinsight,tomatchthatpeculiarsun...Thereitwas....Displayedwithinthatlight,athingIhadonlyseenself-illuminatedindarknessupuntilthen:thePattern,thegreatPatternofAmbercastuponanovalshelfbeneath/aboveastrangesky-sea....AndIknew,perhapsbythatwithinmewhichboundus,thatthishadtobetherealone.WhichmeantthatthePatterninAmberwasbutitsfirstshadow.Whichmeant-WhichmeantthatAmberitselfwasnotcarriedoverintoplacesbeyondtherealmofAmber,Rebma,andTir-naNog’th.Meaning,then,thatthisplacetowhichwehadcomewas,bythelawof  precedenceandconfiguration,therealAmber.IturnedtoasmilingGanelon,hisbeardandwildhairmolteninthemercilesslight.“Howdidyouknow?”Iaskedhim.“YouknowIamaverygoodguesser,Corwin,”hereplied,“andIrecalleverythingyouevertoldmeabouthowthingsworkinAmber:howitsshadowandthoseofyourstrugglesarecastacrosstheworlds.Ioftenwondered,inthinkingoftheblackroad,whetheranythingcouldhavecastsuchashadowintoAmberitself.AndIimaginedthatsuchasomethingwouldhavetobeextremelybasic, powerful,andsecret.”Hegesturedatthescenebeforeus.“Likethat.”“Continue,”Isaid.Hisexpressionchangedandheshrugged.“SotherehadtobealayerofrealitydeeperthanyourAmber,”heexplained,“wherethedirtywork wasdone.Yourpatronbeastledustowhatseemstobesuchaplace,andthatblotonthePatternlookstobethedirtywork.Youagreed.”Inodded.“Itwasyourperceptivenessratherthantheconclusionitselfwhichstunnedmeso,”Isaid.“Youbeatmetoit,”admittedRandom,offtomyright,“butthefeelinghasfounditswayintomyintestines-toputitdelicately.Idobelievethatsomehowthatisthebasisofourworlddownthere.”“Anoutsidercansometimesseethingsbetterthanonewhoispartofthem,”Ganelonoffered.Randomglancedatmeandreturnedhisattentiontothespectacle.“Doyouthinkthingswillchangeanymore,”heasked,“ifwegodownforacloserlook?”“Onlyonewaytofindout,”Isaid.
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“Singlefile,then,”Randomagreed.“I’lllead.”“Allright.”Randomguidedhismounttotheright,theleft,theright,inalongseriesofswitchbackswhichziggedusandzaggedusacrossmostofthefaceofthewall.Continuingintheorderwehadmaintainedallday,IfollowedhimandGaneloncamelast.“Seemsstableenoughnow,”Randomcalledback.“Sofar,”Isaid.“Somesortofopeningintherocksbelow.”Ileanedforward.Therewasacavemouthbacktotheright,onlevelwiththeovalplain.Itssituationwassuchthatithadbeenhiddenfromsightwhenwehadoccupiedourhigherposition.“Wepassfairlynearit,”Isaid.“-quickly,cautiously,andsilently,”Randomadded,drawinghisblade.IunsheathedGrayswandir,andoneturnbackabovemeGanelondrewhisownweapon.Wedidnotpasstheopening,butturnedleftwardoncemorebeforewecametoit.Wemovedwithintenorfifteenfeetofit,however,andIdetectedanunpleasantodorwhichIcouldnotidentify.Thehorsesmusthavedoneabetterjobofit,though,orbeenpessimistsbynature,becausetheyflattenedtheirears,widenedtheirnostrils,andmadealarmednoiseswhileturningagainstthereins.Theycalmed,however,assoonaswehadmadetheturnandbegunmovingawayonceagain.TheydidnotsufferarelapseuntilwereachedtheendofourdescentandmovedtoapproachthedamagedPattern.Theyrefusedtogonearit.Randomdismounted.Headvancedtotheedgeofthedesign,pausedandstared.Afteratime,hespokewithoutlookingback.“Itfollowsthatthedamagewasdeliberate,”hesaid,“fromeverythingelsethatweknow.”“Itseemstofollow,”Isaid.“Itisalsoobviousthatwewerebroughthereforareason.”“I’dsayso.”“ThenitdoesnottaketoomuchimaginationtoconcludethatourpurposeforbeinghereistodeterminehowthePatternwasdamagedandwhatmightbedonetorepairit.”“Possibly.Whatisyourdiagnosis?”“Nothingyet.”Hemovedalongtheperimeterofthefigure,offtotherightwherethesmear-effectbegan.Iresheathedmybladeandpreparedtodismount.Ganelonreachedoverandtookholdofmyshoulder.“Icanmakeitmyself-“Ibegan.But,“Corwin,”hesaid,ignoringmywords,“theredoesappeartobeasmallirregularityouttoward
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themiddleofthePattern.Itdoesnotlooklikesomethingthatbelongs...”“Where?”HepointedandIfollowedthegesture.Therewassomeforeignobjectnearthecenter.Astick?Astone?Astraybitofpaper...?Itwasimpossibletotellfromthisdistance.“Iseeit,”Isaid.WedismountedandheadedtowardRandom,whobythenwascrouchedattheextremerightofthefigure,examiningthediscoloration.“Ganelon’sspottedsomethingouttowardthecenter,”Isaid.Randomnodded.“I’venoticedit,”hereplied.“Iwasjusttryingtodecideonthebestwaytoheadoutforabetter look.IdonotrelishthenotionofwalkingabrokenPattern.Ontheotherhand,IwaswonderingwhatIwouldbelayingmyselfopentoifItriedheadinginacrosstheblackenedarea.Whatdoyouthink?”“WalkingwhatthereisofthePatternwouldtakesometime,”Isaid,“iftheresistanceisonparwithwhatitisathome.Also,wehavebeentaughtthatitisdeathtostrayfromit-andthissetupwouldforcemetoleaveitwhenIreachtheblot.Ontheotherhand,asyousay,Imightbealertingour enemiesbytreadingontheblack.So-““Soneitherofyouisgoingtodoit,”Ganeloninterrupted.“Iam.”Then,withoutwaitingforareply,hetookarunningleapintotheblacksector,racedalongittowardthecenter,pausedlongenoughtopickupsomesmallobject,turnedandheadedback.Momentslater,hestoodbeforeus.“Thatwasariskythingtodo,”Randomsaid.Henodded.“ButyoutwowouldstillbedebatingitifIhadn’t.”Heraisedhishandandextendedit.“Now,whatdoyoumakeofthis?”Hewasholdingadagger.Impaledonitwasarectangleofstainedpasteboard.Itookthemfromhim.“LookslikeaTrump,”Randomsaid.“Yes.”Iworkedthecardloose,smootheddownthetornsections.ThemanIregardeduponitwashalf familiar-meaningofcoursethathewasalsohalfstrange.Light,straighthair,atriflesharp-featured,asmallsmile,somewhatslightofbuild.Ishookmyhead.“Idonotknowhim,”Isaid.
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Stormwind

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reply07 / 04 / 2009
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