“If it were, I’d be dead already,” I said. “If you’re right, it’s really between Sawall and Chanicut.”
“Wouldn’t it be funny, Merlin, if I were sticking with you because it’s the safest place to be just now?” he asked. “I’m sure our guards and assassins are better than Chanicut’s. Supposing I’m just waiting, saving my final effort till Tubble’s out of the way? Then, trusting me and all, you turn your back — Coronation!”
I looked at him. He was smiling, but he also seemed to be studying me.
I was about to say, “You can have it, without the trouble,” in a joking way. But I wondered just then: Even in jest, if it were a choice between the two of us… It occurred to me that if we were the only options, this was a circumstance under which I’d agree to take the throne. I’d resolved to give him the benefit of the doubt, to meet him more than halfway. But I couldn’t help it. For all his conciliatory talk and apparent cooperation, a lifelong habit is a hard thing to break. I couldn’t bring myself to trust him anymore than I had to.
“Tell it to the Logrus,” I said.
A look of fear — the widening of the eyes, the shifting of the gaze downward, a small forward tightening of the shoulders — then, “You really do have an understanding with it, don’t you?” he asked.
“There seems to be an understanding, but it only works one way,” I said.
“What do you mean?”
“I’m not about to help either side wreck our world.”
“Sounds like you’re prepared to double-cross the Logrus.”
I raised a finger to my lips.
“It must be your Amber blood,” he said then. “I’ve been told they’re all a little crazy.”
“Maybe so,” I said.
“Sounds like something your father would do.”
“What do you know of him?”
“You know, everybody has a favorite Amber story.”
“Nobody around here ever told any to me.”
“Of course not — considering.”
“Me being a half breed and all?” I said.
He shrugged. Then, “Well, yes.”
I pulled on my boots.
“Whatever you’re doing with that new Pattern,” he said, “it probably won’t make the old one too happy.”
“Doubtless you’re right,” I agreed.
“So you won’t be able to run to it for protection if the Logrus is after you.”
“I guess not.”
“…And if they’re both after you, the new one won’t be able to stand against them.”
“You think they’d really get together on anything?”
“Hard to say. You’re playing a wild game. I hope you know what you’re doing.”
“Me, too,” I said, rising. “My turn.”
I unwound the spikard at a level I’d never attempted before, and I got us there in a single jump.
Luke and Rinaldo were still talking. I could tell them apart by their garments. Corwin was nowhere in sight. Both waved as we made our appearance.
“How’s everything in the Courts?” Luke asked.
“Chaotic,” Jurt replied. “How long have we been away?”
“Six hours, I’d guess,” Rinaldo replied.
“No sign of Corwin?” I asked.
“No,” Luke said. “But in the meantime, we’ve worked out a deal with each other — and Rinaldo’s been in touch with the Pattern here. It will release him and continue his maintenance as soon as Corwin returns.”
“Regarding that…” Jurt said.
“Yes?” Rinaldo asked.”
“I’ll stay here and cover for Rinaldo while you go find the lady with the glass eye.”
“Why?” Rinaldo asked.
“Because you’ll do a better job together and I’ll feel a lot safer here than I would most other places.”
“I’d have to see whether that’s acceptable,” Rinaldo said.
“Do it,” said Jurt.
He moved off toward the Pattern. I searched the fog in all directions, hoping to see my father returning. Jurt studied the car, its radio now playing a Bruce Dunlap number from “Los Animales.”
“If your father comes back and relieves me,” Jurt said, “I’ll return to the funeral and make excuses for you if you’re not there. If you get back and I’m not there, you do the same. All right?”
“Yes,” I said, wisps of mist rising like smoke between us. “And whichever of us is free first and has something worth saying…”
“Yes,” he agreed. “I’ll come looking if you don’t get to me.”
“Didn’t happen to pick up my sword while you were back in the Courts, did you?” Luke asked.
“Didn’t have time,” Jurt replied.
“Next time you’re back, I wish you’d make time.”
“I will, I will,” Jurt said.
Rinaldo moved away from the Pattern, returned to us. “You’re hired,” he said to Jurt. “Come with me. There’s a spring I want to show you, and a store of food, some weapons.”
Luke turned and watched them move off to our left.
“I’m sorry,” he said softly, “but I still don’t trust him.
“Don’t be sorry. I don’t either. I’ve known him too long. But we have better reasons for trusting each other now than we’ve had for a long time.”
“I’m wondering whether it was wise to let him know where this Pattern is, and now to leave him alone with it.”
“I’m pretty sure the Pattern knows what it’s doing, and that it can take care of itself.”
He raised a pair of crossed fingers.
“I’d’ve argued against it,” he said, “save that I need my double.”
When they returned, a deejay’s baritone suddenly rolled forth, saying, “It all goes to show, timing is everything. Road conditions are fine. It is a good day for travel.” Immediately, there followed a drum solo I’d have sworn was something I once heard Random play.
“You’re on duty as of now,” Rinaldo said to Jurt. To us, he nodded. “Anytime.”
I caught us up with the spikard and spun us back to Kashfa, bringing us into Jidrash near twilight, to the same walltop vantage I had enjoyed earlier with my brother.
“And so at last,” Rinaldo said, looking out over the town.
“Yes,” Luke replied. “It’s all yours — for a time.” Then, “Merle, how’s about jumping us to my apartment?”
I turned to the west where clouds had gone orange, glanced upward to where several hung purple.
“Before we do that, Luke,” I said, “I’d like to use what daylight’s left for a look at that black trail.”
He nodded.
“Good idea. Okay, take us over there.”
His gesture indicated a hilly area to the southwest. I caught us up and spikarded us to it, creating a verb for which I felt a need in the same act. Such is the power of Chaos.
Arriving on a small hilltop, we followed Luke down its far side.
“Over this way,” he said.
Long shadows lay all about us, but there is a difference between their dimness and the blackness of a travel-thread from the Courts.
“It was right here,” Luke finally said when we came to a place between a pair of boulders.
I moved forward into the area but I felt nothing special.
“You sure this is the place?” I asked.
“Yes.”
I advanced another ten paces, twenty.
“If this is really where it was, it’s gone now,” I told him. “Of course… I wonder how long we’ve been away?”
Luke snapped his fingers.
“Timing,” he observed. “Take us back to my apartments.”
We kissed the day good-bye as I sent forth a lead and opened our way through the wall of dark. We stepped… through into the room I had occupied earlier with Coral.
“Close enough?” I asked. “I’m not sure where your rooms are.”
“Come on,” he said, taking us out, to the left and down the stair. “Time to consult the resident expert. Merle, do something about this guy’s appearance. Too much of a good thing might cause comment.”