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PRINCEOFCHAOSTHEAMBERSERIES-BOOKTENRogerZelaznyISeeonecoronationandyou’veseenthemall.Soundscynicalandprobablyis,especiallywhenthe principalisyourbestfriendandhisqueen’syourinadvertentlover.Butthere’sgenerallya procession,withalotofslowmusic,anduncomfortable,colorfulgarb,incense,speeches,prayers,theringingofbells.Theyaretedious,generallyhot,andrequiringofoneaninsincereattention,asatweddings,commencements,andsecretinitiations.AndsoLukeandCoralbecamethesovereignsofKashfa,inthesamechurchwherewe’dfoughtalmost-but,unfortunately,notquite-tothedeathwithmymadbrotherJurtbutafewhoursbefore.AsAmber’sonlyrepresentativeattheevent-albeitof,technically,unofficialstatus-Iwasaccordedaringsidestandingplace,andeyeswereoftendriftingmyway.SoIhadtokeepalertandmouthappropriateresponses.WhileRandomwouldnotpermitformalstatustomypresenceattheceremony,Iknewhe’dbeirritatedifheheardthatmybehaviorwaslessthandiplomaticallysound.SoIwoundupwithhurtingfeet,astiffneck,andcolorfulgarmentssoakedwithsweat.That’sshow biz.Still,Iwouldn’thavehaditanyotherway.LukeandIgobackthroughsomeofthedamnedesttimes,andIcouldn’thelpbutthinkofthem-fromsword’spointtotrackmeets,fromartgalleriesandintoShadow-asIstoodthereswelteringandwonderingwhatwouldbecomeofhimnowheworeacrown.SuchanoccurrencehadchangedmyuncleRandomfromahappy-go-luckymusician,footlooseanddegenerate,intoasageandresponsiblemonarch-thoughI’veonlymyrelatives’reportswhenitcomestoknowingaboutthefirst.Ifoundmyselfhopingitwouldn’tmellowLukeoutallthatmuch.Still-again-LukewasaverydifferentpersonthanRandom,nottomentionagesyounger.Amazingwhatyearscando,though-orisitjustthenatureofevents?IrealizedmyselftobealotdifferentthanIhadbeennotsoverylongago,fromallthathadhappenedtomerecently.AlotdifferentthanI’dbeenyesterday,cometothinkofit.DuringtherecessionalCoralmanagedtopassmeanote,sayingthatshehadtoseeme,givingatimeandaplace,evenincludingasmallmap.Itprovedanapartmenttotherearofthepalace.Wemettherethateveningandwoundupspendingthenight.SheandLukehadbeenmarriedaskids,by proxy,Ilearnedthen,partofthediplomaticarrangementbetweenJasraandtheBegmans.Itdidn’tworkout,though-thediplomaticpart,thatis-andtherestkindoffellbythewayside.Theprincipalshadsortofforgottenaboutthemarriage,too,tillrecenteventsservedasareminder.Neitherhadseentheotherinyears.Still,therecordshowedthattheprincehadbeenmarried.Whileitwasanannullablething,shecouldalsobecrownedwithhim.IftherewereanythinginitforKashfa.Andtherewas:Eregnor.ABegmanqueenontheKashfanthronemighthelpsmoothoverthat particularrealestategab.Atleast,thathadbeenJasra’sthinking,Coraltoldme.AndLukehadbeenswayedbythis,particularlyintheabsenceoftheguaranteesfromAmberandthenow-defunctGoldenCircleTreaty.Iheldher.Shewasnotwell,despitewhatseemedanamazingpostoperativerecovery.Sheworea blackpatchoverherrighteyeandwasmorethanalittlereactiveshouldmyhandstraynearit-or evenifIlookedatitfortoolong.WhatmighthaveledDworkintoreplacethedamagedeyewiththe
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JewelofJudgment,Icouldnotevenguess.UnlesshesomehowconsideredherproofagainsttheforcesofthePatternandtheLogrusintheirattemptstorecoverit.Myexpertiseinthisarea,though,wasnonexistent.Havingfinallymetthediminutivemage,Ihadbecomeconvincedofhissanity-thoughthisfeelinginnowayservedtopenetratethoseenigmaticqualitiesthatancientwisementendtopossess.“Howdoesitfeel?”Iaskedher.“Verystrange,”shereplied.“Notpain-exactly.MorelikethewayaTrumpcontactfeels.Onlyit’swithmeallthetime,andI’mnotgoinganywhereortalkingtoanyone.It’sasifI’mstandinginsomesortofgateway.Forcesaremovingaboutme,throughme.”InaninstantIwasatthecenterthatwasthegayringwithitswheelofmany-spokedreddishmetal.Fromtheinside,here,itwaslikeagreatweb.Abrightstrandpulsedformyattention.Yes,itwasalinetoaverypotentforceindistantShadow,onethatmightbeusedforprobing.Carefully,Iextendedittowardthecoveredjewelsheworeinhereyesocket.Therewasnoimmediateresistance.Infact,IfeltnothingasIextendedthelineofpower.Animagecametomeofacurtainofflame,however.Pushingthroughthefieryveil,Ifeltmyextensionof inquiryslowing,slowing,halted.AndthereIhovered,asItwere,attheedgeofavoid.Thiswasnotthewayofattunement,asIunderstoodit,andIwasloathtoinvokethePattern,whichIunderstoodto beapartofit,whenemployingotherforces.Ipushedforwardandfeltaterriblecoldness,drainingtheenergiesIhadcalledupon.Still,itwasnotdrainingtheenergydirectlyfromme,onlyfromoneoftheforcesIcommanded.I pusheditfarther,andIbeheldafaintpatchoflightlikesomedistantnebula.Ithungagainsta backgroundthedeepredofportwine.Closerstill,anditresolveditselfintoaform-acomplex,threedimensionalconstruct,halffamiliar-whichmustbethepathwayonetakesinattuningoneselftotheJewel,frommyfather’sdescription.Allright,IwasinsidetheJewel.ShouldIessaytheinitiation?“Gonofurther,”cameanunfamiliarvoice,thoughIrealizedittobeCoralwhowasmakingthesounds.Sheseemedtohaveslippedintoatrancestate.“Youaredeniedthehigherinitiation.”Idrewbackonmyprobe,noteagerforanydemonstrationsthatmightcomemywayalongit.MyLogrussight,whichhadremainedwithmeconstantlysincerecenteventsinAmber,gavemeavisionofCoralnowfullyenfoldedandpenetratedbythehigherversionofthePattern.“Why?”Iaskedit.ButIwasriotvouchsafedareply.Coralgavealittlejerk,shookherself,andstaredatme.“Whathappened?”sheasked.“Youdozedoff,”Ireplied.“Nowonder.WhateverDworkindid,plustheday’sstress...”Sheyawnedandcollapsedbackonthebed.“Yes,”shebreathed,andthenshewasreallyasleep.Ipulledoffmybootsanddiscardedmyheaviergarments.Istretchedoutbesideheranddrewaquiltoverus.Iwastired,too,andIjustwantedsomeonetohold.HowlongIsleptIdonotknow.Iwastroubledbydark,swirlingdreams.Faces-human,animal,demonic,movedaboutme,noneofthembearingparticularlycheerfulexpressions.Forestsfelland burstintoflame,thegroundshookandsplit,thewatersofthesearoseingiganticwavesand
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assailedtheland,themoondrippedbloodandtherecameupagreatwailing.Somethingcalledmyname....Agreatwindrattledtheshutterstilltheyburstinward,dappingandbanging.Inmydream,acreatureenteredthenandcametocrouchatthefootofthebed,callingsoftlytome,overandover.Theroomseemedtobeshaking,andmymindwentbacktoCalifornia.Itseemedthatanearthquakewasin progress.Thewindrosefromashriektoaroar,andIheardcrashingsoundsfromwithout,asof treesfalling,towerstoppling....“Merlin,PrinceoftheHouseofSawall,PrinceofChaos,riseup,”itseemedtosay.Thenitgnasheditsfangsandbeganagain.AtthefourthorfifthrepetitionitstruckmethatImightnotbedreaming.Therewerescreamsfromsomewhereoutside,andsteadypulsesoflightningcameandwentagainstalmostmusicalrollsof thunder.IraisedaprotectiveshellbeforeImoved,beforeIopenedmyeyes.Thesoundswerereal,aswasthebrokenshutter.Sowasthecreatureatthefootofthebed.“Merlin,Merlin.Riseup,Merlin,”itsaidtome-itbeingalong-snouted,pointed-earedindividual,wellfangedandclawed,ofagreenish-silvercastofcomplexion,eyeslargeandshining,dampleatherywingsfoldedagainstitsleansides.Fromitsexpression,Icouldn’ttellwhetheritwassmilingorinpain.“Awaken,LordofChaos.”“Gryll,”Isaid,naminganoldfamilyservantfromtheCourts.“Aye,Lord,”itreplied.“Thesameastaughtyouthebonedancegame.”“I’llbedamned.”“Businessbeforepleasure,Lord.I’vefollowedtheblackthreadalongandhorridwaytocomecalling.”“Thethreadsdidn’treachthisfar,”Isaid,“withoutanawfullotofpush.Maybeevennotthen.Dotheynow?”“It’seasiernow,”hereplied.“Howso?”“HisMajestySwayvill,KingofChaos,sleepsthisnightwiththeancestorsofdarkness.Iwassenttofetchyoubackfortheceremonies.”“Now?”“Now.”“Yeah.Well,okay.Sure.Justletmegetmystufftogether.How’dithappen,anyhow?”Ipulledonmyboots,donnedtherestofmygarments,buckledonmyblade.“Iamnotprivytoanydetails.Ofcourse,itiscommonknowledgethathishealthwaspoor.”“Iwanttoleaveanote,”Isaid.
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Stormwind

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reply07 / 04 / 2009
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