Chapter 109: Mob Rule

"I see culture disappear before me

A gathering of the few who will be torn apart"

The Bringer - Magnum

I couldn't quite believe my eyes at first, but blinking didn't appear to make it any less real. The street was instantly familiar to me, being one of the major ones leading up to Amber City's main square. The scene in the background was chaotic, though, with a great crowd of people milling about in rage or panic. The view was partially obscured by drifts of smoke, and off towards the right I thought I could just make out the flames of a large fire. And then there was the banner, hanging from the balconies of two neighbouring buildings. It was little more than an old sheet, but the simple black painted letters got their message across. It read: "Elayne for President!"

"Things have gone a bit awry over here," Justin told me through the Trump contact. "I'll explain as much as I can, if you'd please come through."

"Hold on." I quickly ordered a demon servant to fetch me a blade and, as an afterthought, a hooded cloak, and I told him to hurry. The seconds ticked by, as Justin nervously kept the contact open while his brother Charles guarded his back. It had not been easy for them to reach me here in Ornach Ways, so if possible they would like to avoid having to Trump me again. Finally, the demon returned. A moment later I returned to Amber, cloak donned and sword in hand.

This was a far cry from the Amber I was used to, though. The sight through the contact had been pretty disturbing, but now that I was actually here, the angry shouts and acrid smell all but overwhelmed me. Looking around, I realised that we were standing in an alley overlooking the main street, well out of sight of prying eyes.

"Alright," I breathed, "talk."

"Well, you remember how we all left Amber and put Benedict in charge, don't you?" Justin began.

"Yes, yes, " I snapped impatiently, "I know all about that. I was there, you know. That's not what I want you to explain to me."

"We left," Justin continued, "but the Kreel stayed behind, and apparently they've been meddling in this Democratic Movement too. Elayne is still very much like she was when you first met her, and she fell for their ploy, hook, line and sinker. So now she's their figurehead. "I've tried to reason with her, but she didn't want to listen. There were ten Kreel bodyguards watching over her, so I couldn't overpower her either. Julian is already running around here in Amber. I'd contacted him before I knew what was really going on. Nevertheless, Charles doesn't want Elayne to go under because of this, and I agree with him, to a certain degree."

I looked from him to Charles, who regarded me with a miserable and pleading expression.

"Please," he said, "she's my only remaining descendant. I really want to save her."

"It's rather late for that, don't you think?" I spat. Anger was finally taking hold of me. This had gone much farther than it should ever have been allowed to.

"I told him so too," Justin sighed, looking grim, "but still…"

"This is only a phase for her!" Charles cried desperately. "I thought she would get over it. That it wouldn't turn out to be so serious." He looked down and also heaved a sigh. Still, I wasn't about to relent so easily.

"Now what?" I asked. Somewhere, a distant part of me was surprised at the steely tone of my own voice.

"I'm all out of ideas," Justin said, but that wouldn't do for Charles.

"We're looking for a way to get into the Castle quickly, grab Elayne, and get her away from here," he said. Well, that was the basis of a plan at least.

"And then what?" I persisted.

"We'll take her somewhere else!" Charles retorted. "To Chaos, for all I care!"

"Oh yes, they'll really be waiting for the likes of her with arms open wide, won't they?" I could understand his impatience, but we would have to think this through quite thoroughly, or we'd end up causing even more trouble. "Julian's already here, you said?" I said turning to Justin. "How much does he know?"

"How much do you think, with all those banners and slogans?" he replied with a wry smile. "I do agree with you about Elayne, you know, but I just have to help to find a way to get her out of this situation. After all, she is a direct descendant of Corwin's." His grim, yet ostensibly calm demeanour lend extra weight to his words. He was right, I guess. I would have taken a similar stance if this had been about one of my children.

"Okay," I said, "then that's your only choice. You say she's Corwin's kin, so you'll have to take her to Sherwyn and keep her under lock and key there."

Justin frowned. That wasn't what he had counted on. "But…," he began.

"No buts," I said sharply. "Somehow you'll have to convince Corwin to be crazy enough to go along with all of this."

"But…," he tried again.

"No buts!" I repeated. "This will be up to you, as well. You won't saddle me with this task."

Justin could see I wasn't going to relent, so he turned to his brother instead. "You'll have to persuade him," he said.

Now it was Charles's turn to gasp. "But…," he said.

"It's either that or nothing!" Justin barked, suddenly at the end of his tether. "Either that or Elayne dies!"

Charles looked at both of us for a few moments, but he could see that he had no choice. It took him a few more seconds to find the right Trump from his deck, another few more to summarise the situation, and then Corwin appeared next to him,  his face a mask of rage.

"What?" he shouted. "Did I hear this correctly?" Then his eye fell on the banner in the street behind us, and the shock stopped him in his tracks.

"Yes, you heard correctly," Justin said. "But the entire Family is really to blame. After all, nothing could happen while we were away, could it?" Hmm, he seemed to have a talent for sarcasm. In a few words he told his father what he had already told me, though he added the part where he'd even offered to let Elayne see that he had been telling the truth by allowing her a direct mental link while she kept a knife poised at his throat. Unfortunately, she had refused this more than generous offer. Corwin was still quite mad, but instead of letting his rage take control of him he was feverously trying to think of some solution.

"Listen," he said urgently, "it's for the best of Amber if we get Elayne out of here. She is their only figurehead, after all, so I think we can all agree on that course of action, even if it is for different reasons. The question is where we should take her. I for one happen to think that Sherwyn isn't the ideal spot."

"Neither do I," Justin asserted, but I didn't agree.

"Then what did you have in mind?" I asked. "I don't think she'll be welcome anywhere else. It's either Sherwyn or we'll have to dump her into the Abyss." A bit harsh perhaps, but it helped to get my point across.

"Or we hand her over to Benedict to stand trial in front of the Family," Corwin mused.

"I don't think you want to do that either," I said. "If you give her to Benedict, you will have effectively signed her death warrant." There was no way he was going to go easy on Elayne just because she was young and misguided. In fact, he might very well make an example of her to bring back some order and discipline to Amber, and to serve as a warning for the younger generation.

"Unless you take responsibility for her yourself," Justin suggested.

"Bad timing," Corwin muttered. "If it had been Random, I might have been able to put in a word for her, but Benedict… He'd simply hold me completely responsible for all of Elayne's actions, even if I'd never officially acknowledged her as my kin. Actually, how many people know that she's descended from me?"

"Random knows," I said. That would be enough. Once word got out about this situation, he wouldn't feel bound to keep it a secret.

Corwin frowned. "Benedict has too much of a one-track mind."

"In any case," I said, "if you want me to help you get into the Castle, you'll have to say so now. Otherwise I'll take my leave of you. There are other matters I need to attend to." They all looked at me for a moment, but I could see from Corwin's expression that he at least had caught my drift.

            "Alright," he said, "for now we'll concentrate on getting her out of Amber. When we get back to Sherwyn, we'll discuss what we're actually going to do with her." Both Justin and Charles nodded their agreement, the latter a bit hesitantly, though.

"Do you have your own way of getting back to Sherwyn?" I asked.

Justin nodded. "Trump," he said.

"Do you have any idea where in the Castle Elayne might be?"

"When we talked earlier, we were in one of the first storey reception areas, but I think we'd have to look for her in the vicinity of the Throne Room."

"If you can get us into the Castle, I know some secret passages that can get us close to her," Corwin said.

"I should be able to put you down wherever you like within the Castle Walls. Well, anywhere that isn't warded, that is."

"All three of us?" Corwin asked.

"It'll take some effort, but I should be able to manage, yes."

"Very well. Since you've already indicated that you'd rather not get involved too much, I would ask you to do just that for us. Getting into the Castle would be quite an obstacle, so I'd greatly appreciate your help. Once we're inside, I think that between the three of us we'll be able to take Elayne out. And I can imagine you have other matters you want to attend to right away." He nodded at a riotous group of people that was passing through the main street just then, torches and makeshift weapons in hand. I nodded grimly.

I got Justin to explain to me as precisely as he could in which room he'd been talking to Elayne earlier, and then I tried to shut out all the noise and smells, focusing all of my attention on the Pattern. Within a few minutes I'd located a spot in the Castle that wasn't warded and that was close enough to the room that Justin had described to me. With but a few words of explanation and a muttered "good luck" I gently nudged them through the contact, till I saw them safely on the other side. Satisfied, I dropped the Pattern and took a few deep breaths. Then I drew the hood over my head, and with my hand firmly clasped around my sword hilt I headed out into the City, hoping to make my way to my father's house.

The cloak had been a good idea, I realised as I watched the various groups that were roaming the streets. Most of them paid little attention to a solitary figure skipping from building to building, but I figured that they would undoubtedy have been quite interested in getting their hands on Dorian, son of Deirdre, Duke of Ayland.

Actually, as I hurried on down the streets, I found that there were roughly three categories of people running around. First of all, there were the looters, the rioters, the crowds angrily waving their torches around and shouting revolutionary slogans, ready to bring down the Amber monarchy once and for all. These were the mobs, the simple mindless beasts that would have rend me limb from limb if they'd had half a chance. There were plenty of people who wanted no part of this, though, and they constituted the second group: refugees, stragglers, innocent civilians trying to find a safe way out of all the anarchy, either for their families or for their valuables. These acted as my camouflage, but I harboured no illusions as to whether they would turn me in to save their own hides. The third group was the most dangerous one to me, even though it also seemed the most well-behaved and quietest. These were the people walking calmly in clusters of threes or fours, paying no heed to the chaos around them but purposefully heading towards the Castle. Kreel, one and all, and there were far too many of them.

With skill and more than a little bit of luck, I managed to worm my way through the City, but a number of times I had to resort to little sidestreets and alleys to avoid getting caught up in the crowds blocking the main streets. So, it was only by the most roundabout of routes that I finally arrived at my father's mansion. There wasn't anyone there. Systematically, I made a sweep of both the main house and the outbuildings, but all looked as if they'd been deserted for some time. Wearily I closed my eyes and heaved a deep sigh. Too late.

I could feel the tears stinging behind my closed eyelids, but I angrily blinked them back, refusing to give in to hollow grief. There was no one to blame really but myself. I'd thought I had arranged for my father to be taken into safety in the event of such a disaster, but that plan had hinged entirely upon my uncle Jaro, and he had been taken over by the Kreel. The sight of him among the crowd in the Royal Wing had shocked the hell out of me, yet I hadn't stopped to think what to do about my father now his fail-safe rescue plan was gone. So now there was no telling where he might be.

This wasn't getting me anywhere either. I shook my head, determined to pull myself together. Right, first things first. There wasn't anyone in the house, and by the look of it there hadn't been any looters coming around yet either. So, I'd better make certain they wouldn't have easy access when they did come to pay us a visit. After another quick sweep of the grounds I had locked all the doors and secured the shutters on the windows. Now for my next move.

I needed to go and look for my father in this city teeming with unrest and strife. As far as I could see there were two possibilities: either he had done the sensible thing and had tried to lead the entire household out of the City, or he too had succumbed to the Kreel. Actually, that rather simplified the decision I had to make. If he had joined the disorganised evacuation I had witnessed outside, I wouldn't know where to start looking for him, but on the other hand I could hope that he would be more or less okay. He was an Amber nobleman, after all, and although he might not excel in the physical arts, he could still hold his own. And if he had indeed been turned into a Kreel zombie, I knew very well where to find him.

Before I could leave, I had to make one final Trump call. It had only been with the greatest of difficulty that Justin and Charles had been able to get through to me, but Caine was still in Ornach Ways too, and he undoubtedly would want to know what was going on right here. Shutting out the muffled street noises that were coming through the boarded windows, I sat down with his card and started concentrating.

I reached him just as he was putting on a cloak much like my own. He glanced at me as he reached for his trademark daggers lying on the table beside him and nodded. "Dorian." He seemed calm, but I sensed some nervous anticipation seeping through the contact. Otherwise he was fine, though, apparently more or less recovered from his recent ordeals.

"Amber," I said, momentarily at loss for other words.

"I know. Julian just told me." His expression was grim. "It's convenient that you called, however, for I was just ready to head out that way, and I didn't know whether I'd be able to Trump Julian again."

"Perhaps you could also warn Diana?" I suggested on a sudden whim. He frowned.

"Do you really think that it's safe for her out there?"

"No, it's far from safe!" I snapped, but I managed to get a hold of my frustration. Sighing I said: "It's Vilcon. He's missing and I can't seem to find him." Caine was still frowning, but he gave the slightest of nods to indicate that he understood. He said he didn't know where Diana was just now, but that he would leave her a message. I guessed that would have to do.

"I understand Elayne has proclaimed herself as president, has she?" Caine said after he had stepped through.

"It would seem that way," I replied cautiously.

"And is anyone already trying to take care of her?" he wanted to know. Oh well, if I didn't tell him, he'd hear about it soon enough.

"Corwin, Justin and Charles are looking into it. And just so you know, Elayne and Charles are directly related to Corwin."

"I can't say I didn't suspect as much," Caine said with a grin. "They hailed from Shadow Earth, after all. But in any case, it's good to hear that they also consider Elayne to be their problem." That would leave him some room to concern himself with other aspects of the current situation. "Alright, I'll go and find Julian. If there's anything I can do for you, you tell me, okay?" I gave him a quick rundown on the situation out in the streets and added that I would be heading for the Castle myself.

"In the worst case, I'll find him there among all the other Kreel."

"Do you have a picture of him here?" Caine asked. I thought for a moment before leading him to my father's study. The portrait on the wall was one of mine, a study I'd done of him several years before he'd taken me up to the Castle. The brush strokes were those of a younger, inexperienced hand, but I knew he kept it close out of sentimental reasons. Flawed as the work might seem, the likeness was good enough. Caine carefully studied the picture for a minute or two and nodded.

"Should I see him, I'll make sure he gets out of here safely," he said, "but first things first."

"That's okay," I said. "I couldn't ask more of you." Caine smiled briefly, found his Trump of Julian, and a moment later he was gone. A few minutes later the house lay empty once more, and I was on my way to the Castle.

By now there were less people fleeing from the City, or rather those who had wanted to escape had already done so. Rioters roamed he streets in great numbers, and I really had to be very careful to escape from being discovered. A lot of the people who appeared to be unpossessed were being drawn to the Castle too, following the quiet little groups of Kreel like some mindless sheep. As a result, the Kreel hardly seemed to be paying any attention to the people around them, and as long as I didn't do anything special I was able to drift along completely unnoticed. Still, the hike up to Castle took aggravatingly longer than it ordinarily would, and the mindless shouts for a democratic Amber were beginning to grate on my nerves.

When we finally got there, there fortunately weren't any guards posted at the Castle gates. The sheer number of people, however, was astounding, and most of them seemed to be Kreel. With such a large concentration of their numbers, their presence almost seemed to become tangible, like a web of little gossamer strands of power faintly visible in the sunlight or like a low buzzing that was just out of earshot. Perhaps my proximity and awareness of them was making me more sensitive.

I kept scanning the crowds in the courtyard, looking for that one familiar face, but with so many people milling about it was an almost pointless excercise. I couldn't linger in one spot, though, for that would draw far too much attention. Many people seemed to be heading in the direction of the main hall, and I let myself move with the current with a vague notion of trying to find a way through, down to the Pattern room.

Just as I was moving with the crowd out of the sunlight and up the few steps leading to the main entrance to the Castle proper, I seemed to sense a sudden burst of something in the courtyard behind me. Thinking it might be a Trump contact being initiated, I cautiously glanced around, but I couldn't see anyone or anything beyond the Kreel and their deluded mass of followers. I knew there were other Amberites about, however, and the tell-tale rainbow shimmers of a Trump contact could easily be overlooked in this chaotic scene. I could only hope that if someone had Trumped into the courtyard, they would have the good sense to keep themselves as much out of sight as I.

The fleeting sensation, real or imagined, had reminded me, though, of the wisdom of a quick escape route. Gingerly I was able to make my way to a spot just outside the main doorway, where I would be able to withstand the pull of the crowd for at least a few moments. Once there, I quickly and surreptitiously went through my Trump deck, locating the one that I felt sure could be relied upon to get me to safety. I palmed the card, put the others back in their case, and more or less prepared I entered the Castle.

As soon as I moved over the threshold, I found that the crowd had almost come to a standstill. Save for a few shouts and noises from those who had just entered people had suddenly turned very quiet too. Through the doorway leading from the ante-room into the Main Hall I could hear a female voice delivering a revolutionary speech that everyone seemed to be listening to. I got the creepy impression that in here there were even more Kreel among the crowd than out in the courtyard.

Only half-listening to the propaganda that was being spouted at the front, I slowly began to work my way through the throng, knowing that the only way to the Pattern room was at the other side of the Main Hall. Progress was very slow at first, but once inside the Hall the press of bodies decreased a little as people found room to spread out towards the walls, and I was able to move about more freely. The place was nearly filled to capacity, though.

Only now that I could hear the voice more clearly did I realise that it wasn't Elayne's. Looking up to the dais at the other side of the Hall, where normally Random's throne or the Royal table would stand, I was surprised to see not Charles's wayward great-granddaughter, but instead Boadice's sister Yaslin. I suppressed a sigh, knowing that with this she had sealed her fate. Elayne might still be able to get out of this alive under Corwin's protection, but aside from Boadice Yaslin would have no one to fend for her, and I didn't think Boa would be as crazy as to argue on her sister's behalf this time.

Elayne was nowhere to be seen on the dais, which gave me the faint hope that Corwin and the others had been successful. Someone else was at Yaslin's side, though, a man I had never seen before. His demeanour was stern and calculating, his features sharp and handsome, crowned by a long mane of stark white hair. In his clothes of the purest white and the deepest black he formed an odd contrast to his companion beside him, who was animatedly addressing the crowd. Yet as his gaze slowly circled the Hall, I felt his presence, his authority, and I realised that here was the power behind Yaslin's throne. I had no idea who he might be, but I was mindful of the fact that there still was one of Lothair's sub-Archai unaccounted for. Could this be him?

Unwittingly I had stopped to watch the powerful stranger on the stage. His presence was strong, I realised, but it had also been augmented somehow, perhaps with a magic spell of some kind. It wasn't affecting only him either, but it spread its influence out over Yaslin too, adding extra weight to her words of revolutionary zeal. That foolish girl! I wasn't in any position to take her out myself, though, what with several hundred Kreel between us and the strange sorceror at her side. Suddenly I felt the stranger's gaze pass over me, and he seemed to sense something of me in return. As unobtrusively as possible I started moving again, hoping that he would find it difficult to pick up my scent amidst so many others.

Once more and for want of a better goal, I slowly began to worm my way towards the doorway that would ultimately lead to the Pattern room. Keeping at least one eye on the man with the white hair, I thought it best not to walk along a straight line towards the exit, but instead I wove a path of curves and angles through the Hall. As for Yaslin's speech, there didn't seem to be a word of sense in it. It made me wonder whether the spell I'd sensed around her and her companion had not affected her mind as well.

I was about halfway, and though I was still undetected I feared that my luck might be running out. Another quick glance at the dais told me the stranger was fortunately looking the other way, but as my gaze swept back over the crowd I suddenly caught sight of a familiar figure ahead and to the right of the stage. My father. I'd nearly given up on finding him here, but there he was, staring at Yaslin as enrapt as all the others. There was no outward sign of him having been taken over, but he wouldn't be here if the Kreel had not guided him.

Alright, the Pattern room could wait. I only had to change my course a little to aim for my father instead, and this time I didn't bother about taking any roundabout routes either. As I got closer and closer to the stage, I could feel the stares of the searching eyes intensify around me. They had caught some alien scent and were now intent on sniffing out the interloper. Knowing that I had to get out immediately as soon as I reached my goal, I cautiously brought up the Trump I had palmed and started concentrating on the image as I continued forward. It would increase the chances of me being detected, but that couldn't be helped.

There were only a handful of people between me and my father, when suddenly the man on the stage raised his hand, abruptly halting Yaslin's zealous spoutings. "There is a traitor in you midst," he said calmly, his voice soft yet carrying to every corner of the Main Hall. His finger seemed to point straight at me.

For a fraction of a second I froze, certain that they would fall upon me in an instant. However, the crowd hadn't been prepared for this sudden interruption, and there appeared to be enough non-Kreel among them for a bit of confusion to ensue. With a grim expression I began to push people out of my way, hurrying to reach my father as quickly as I could. The Trump was cold in my hand, and I knew I would only have to give it a little more to open the contact completely.

Out of the corner of my eye I glimpsed something shiny flashing through the air in my direction, but I had no time to stop and stare. I simply pulled in my head and hoped for the best as I rushed forward. The Unicorn must have been smiling on me, for the small, yet menacing metal ball whizzed only just past my left eye, undoubtedly hitting some other poor soul instead, caught in the crossfire. I didn't look around to see, though, for I had finally come to my father's side. Without so much as a final glimpse at the stranger on the dais I grabbed his hand and initiated the contact, pulling my father through to the other side.

We tumbled out onto the dusty ground, the large tree looming overhead against a grey sky. The silence was a bit unnerving after the powerful impressions of just a moment ago. Yet I sensed that the quiet was genuine this time, and the cause of the unease I'd felt the last time I had passed Ygg's way appeared to have been removed too. I did sense the Kreel, however, riding my father's mind, just as I had expected.

I stood up, dragging him to his feet as well, and sought his eyes, searching for the link. The Kreel were there waiting for me, thousands of eyes staring out of a huge wave of black tar, but I had my anger and my confidence, my sword and shield. If Boadice had been able to beat them off, I could do so as well.

"Get out, now," I said, flashing a grim mental smile, "or suffer the consequences!"

The eyes didn't blink, but suddenly they were gone, leaving just the small and bewildered mental figure of my father, looking around in confusion. I did a quick scan to be certain that they had not left anything of themselves behind, after which I broke the contact. Despite everything that had happened today, I couldn't help but feel some grim satisfaction at the Kreel's apparent cowardice in the face of my rage.

On the physical plane I was still supporting my father's body, but a few moments later I felt how he regained his footing as he came to from his enforced mental slumber. He looked around in bewilderment, blinking his eyes that were frightened and wide as they turned on me. "Dorian…?" he breathed.

"Yes dad, it's me." I drew him close in an embrace, painfully aware that I could do with a bit of comfort myself. "I'd wish I could say that everything was alright, but at least things are a bit better than before."

He sighed, then shuddered and drew back, regarding me urgently with wide and terrified eyes. "This thing is huge. It is monstrously huge."

"I know," I replied, trying to calm him. He had every reason to be scared out of his wits, though. "We know. We're aware of the problem."

"Jaro is also under their influence," he stammered, "and my housekeeper, and…"

"Too many people." He nodded and sighed again, trying to comprehend the situation as best he could. It was a good thing that a Kreel possession didn't drive people completely crazy. Perhaps a madman was too much trouble for the entity to control.

When my father had calmed down a bit, I told him how the Kreel had been able to blackmail Random through Vialle and Ruby, which made him shudder once more.

"A foul act," he muttered, to which I could only agree.

"I hope you understand I can't take you back to Amber," I said.

"Well, I've never been much of a warrior," he said, smiling a bit sheepishly.

"Apart from that, as soon as I take you back, they're bound to try and grab you again." Especially since they knew how much he meant to me.

He frowned slightly, retrieving a little of his usual air of calm reliability. "I still would like to make myself useful," he said earnestly, "one way or the other."

"There's two things I could do," I said. "First of all, I could contact Diana. She's in the Courts of Chaos, with Taureth." Although I realised that he and Taureth probably wouldn't have met. Not that I had long to worry about such trifles, for at the mention of the Courts my father frowned very disapprovingly.

"Is that really a safe place for her?" he asked.

"Oh, she'll be alright," I said reassuringly. "She's among friends."

"Among all those Chaosians? I don't know…" Hmm, so much for plan A. After all my dealings with the people of the Courts, private and otherwise, I'd quite forgotten the distrust and dislike the citizens of Amber had for them. It wasn't very surprising either, considering how little had been done to improve common relations after the War. Sure, us Royals might move among our former enemies at leasure, but hardly any Chaosians ever came to Amber under a banner of friendship.

"So that wouldn't be your first choice, then?" I asked a bit superfluously.

"Well, no. But to think you'd leave your own daughter in such a place."

"She's quite safe, trust me on this. Anyway, the other possibility is for me to take you to Galoria. Random and Benedict have set up a sort of government in exile over there." His expression cheered up considerably.

"Yes, I'm sure I could be of use to them. They're bound to need someone in an administrative capacity, and there's probably all kinds of other errands I could run for them too."

"Very well, then that's the way it's going to be."

It didn't take me long to establish a contact with Random, who appeared to have been avidly waiting for people to call him. Someone must already have told him something of what was going on back home. I briefly told him about my rescue of my father. With an understanding nod he helped the both of us through. As soon as dad had got over the peculiarity of the Trump contact and had spotted his King, he knelt down in obeisance.

"Oh, don't bother," Random said, trying to sound cheerful, "I like to keep things rather informal around here. Vilcon, wasn't it? Yes, I recall our earlier meeting." As I explained about my father's wish to be of some use to the Crown, Random smiled pleasantly. "I think I'll let my wife handle this," he said. "I'm sure she'll be able to find you a suitable position." Yes, that would be perfect, and from my father's beaming smile I could tell that he thought so too. Random immediately wrote a short message to Vialle and had a servant accompany my father to the Queen. It was clear, however, that he wanted me to stay for a private chat.

"Julian has already reported back from Amber," Random began, "so we have some idea of what is going on, but I assume you have a few things to add."

"I probably do," I said. "How much do you already know?"

"Well, large parts of Amber appear to have been overrun by the Kreel, and Elayne appears to have proclaimed herself the first president of the new republic. However, we got word from Corwin, saying that he's managed to remove Elayne from her new seat of power, and he claims she's entirely his resposibility. He was quite insistent on that too." Random frowned a little, probably thinking of the trouble this might cause between Amber and Sherwyn in the long run.

"Julian is busy trying to gather information about the state of affairs now that Elayne is no longer in power, at least nominally" Random continued, "and that is as much as we know."

"Caine is in Amber too," I said. "I Trumped him through myself."

"We haven't heard from him yet," Random said. I shrugged.

"He said he was going to team up with Julian, so that'll be okay." Might as well drop the big one right away. "Yaslin is also in Amber."

            With a painful grimace Random bade me to stop for a moment. "I'd better get Benedict in here as well," he said, reaching for his Trumps. "That'll save you the trouble of having to tell everything twice." A few moments later Benedict was also seated in front of me, telling me to report in some detail.

So, I told them everything, or at least everything that had happened after I had transported Corwin and his sons into the Castle. There was no need to implicate myself in their "rescue" of Elayne if Corwin was willing to shoulder all the responsibility, as Random had put it. There was plenty of other stuff to tell, however: the rioting crowds, the refugees, the City in disarray, the hordes of Kreel quietly taking complete control of the Castle, and Yaslin as the new leader of the revolution. When I told them about Yaslin's companion, however, I noticed a sharp look pass between the two of them, and Random immediately asked me a few pointed questions that led me to believe that he knew who this stranger was. After I had given them a full  description of the white-haired man and the powers he had seemed to have at his disposal Random nodded, but it was Benedict who gave me his name.

"Mandor Sawall," he said. "You should know of him by reputation." Oh yes, I did. My poor cousin Merlin's infamous brother and the Prime Minister of the Courts during Merlin's brief reign. He had somehow dropped out of sight shortly after Merlin's murder and the rigidifying damage done to the Logrus, leaving their younger brother Despil the thankless job of taking over as

Head of House Sawall during the subsequent struggle for the Royal Succession that had culminated in the crowning of King Reys. What the hell was he doing consorting with the likes of Yaslin, or with the Kreel for that matter?

            "At least this sheds some light on the question how Yaslin was able to escape," Benedict said to Random, who nodded.

"I had heard that Mandor had allied himself with the Enemy, some time ago," he said, "although it wasn't clear whether he'd done so of his own free will."

"He seemed like someone to be reckoned with," I commented, and Random nodded again.

"He is that, indeed. As far as we know, he's walked the Logrus, knows how to draw Trumps, and has mastered a fair amount of magic to boot. As you know he was Merlin's Prime Minister for a while. Before that, he voluntarily relinquished his own claim to the Throne of Chaos, just so he could be the power behind it. That should give you some idea of the kind of person he is."

Random halted and frowned. "This is not good news. Mandor's presence in Amber means that the Courts are suddenly involved in this whole matter too. However, I don't know whether Chaos still wants the resposibility for their former Prime Minister. Either way, they'll have to issue some kind of formal statement on the matter."

"What is Mandor's official status in the Courts?" I asked. "Is he still Head of House Sawall, or has that title been passed on?"

"No, Despil is Lord Sawall now. At least, I believe they officially proclaimed him as such in Mandor's absence. So, his official ties with Sawall have more or less been cut, which makes it uncertain how the Chaosians will react to the news of his current actions."

"It would leave them enough room to distance themselves entirely from his activities, I'd think," I said wrily.

"Could be," Random conceded, "but I'd rather like to have a formal statement to that extent from King Reys himself. Perhaps I'd better put in a call with their Minister for Foreign Affairs." He grinned. Yes, that would be a nice job for brother Murlas, but I couldn't see this solving any of our problems straight away.

"Aside from this diplomatic angle," I said, "I don't think it would be a very good idea to let this Mandor remain in Amber very long. Yaslin is bad enough, but I reckon we'd like to see him gone as soon as possible."

"Of course," Random said smoothly, "but before we put our relations with Chaos under any unnecessary pressure, we'd better find out what their take on the matter is. It has to be done quickly, though. So, our course is clear: to get in touch with Murlas right away, and if that fails, to get through to Reys in some other way. Murlas would be preferable. After that we have to draw up some plan of action to take Mandor out. That won't be easy either. If he has all his powers at his command, Mandor can be quite an adversary. I guess Fiona might be a match for him."

"I assume there have been no further developments?" Benedict asked me. I shook my head. I hadn't heard anything from Bleys yet. "I'll have to think this over," Benedict said. "You'll see to contacting the Courts?" he asked Random, who nodded. "I can see two possibilities: either they wash their hands of Mandor and we'll have to take him out, or they'll take their resposibility and do it for us. However, I don't know whether I particularly like the idea of more Chaosians running around in Amber."

Random shrugged. "There are so many enemy forces in Amber right now, a few Chaosians won't do any harm."

I could see Benedict's point, though. "If the Courts do take their responsibility for their wayward Lord, it would seem better to send in a party comprised of both our forces. The spirit of cooperation and that sort of thing."

"If it comes to that, we'll have to see who is free to participate in such a venture," Benedict mused. "They shouldn't be all lightweights either. It would be rather convenient if we could also take out Yaslin in a single stroke." His mind was already on the tactical opportunities that a shared task force might engender.

"I'll talk to Chaos first," Random said. "However, will you be available for such a mission as we've just discussed, considering your other responsibilities?"

"The Fiona matter is mainly in Bleys's hands right now," I said with a shrug. At the moment there really didn't seem to be anything else that I could do. I didn't mind going back to Amber, but not without a clear objective.

"Alright, we'll let you know." Random rubbed his brow and added: "Perhaps you could look in on Gerard and Janice, just to see whether they've come up with anything yet. We're getting quite a few reports as you see," he said, gesturing at the smal stacks of paper that were beginning to form in his room, "but there hasn't been anything conclusive from them yet. At this point anything they might have come up with could help, though."

Fair enough. They hadn't really been on my mind, but Random was right: anything that would even make the smallest difference in our approach to the Kreel could quickly become crucial. It might, for instance, be a lot easier to target both Mandor and Yaslin if the Kreel should suddenly not be in the way anymore.

I left Random and Benedict to their business, but on my way out through the corridor I passed the Queen's chambers and I simply had to look in to see how my father was doing. He and Vialle were drinking tea from a rather horrible pink china set, a unignorable visual reminder of where we were. Dad was visibly more relaxed now, and I think it helped that Vialle had experienced the Kreel herself, for the shared experience made it easier for her to symphatise.

As my presence was noted, I was also offered some tea and a chair, and feeling a need for just a moment of quiet I accepted. My father had already told her much of what was happening back home, but Vialle still had some questions, so soon I was telling her about my hazardous trek through the rioting City. I must have expressed a bit of my frustration at not being able to deal with the Kreel in some way or the other, for Vialle patted my hand as she poured me another cup of tea.

"We have to keep faith," she said. "I am sure that we'll be able to resolve this situation, sooner or later. Maybe some diplomacy is in order. After all, your father's case shows that these Kreel are able to retreat from their host bodies, if they are willing to."

"Speaking of diplomacy," I said, "has there been any word from Rinaldo?"

"Well," she smiled, "he is said to be quite busy trying to set up proper diplomatic channels to Lothair. Several letters have been written, and now he is arranging a formal meeting. However, he has told me in private not to get our hopes up. Anyone can tell it is only in Lothair's interest to let this unrest in Amber continue for as long as it will, so he's probably going to procrastinate, saying that he needs time to think things over and more time to set the right wheels in motion, and more of such excuses." Which she had heard many times before, by the looks of it. She smiled again, though. "If anyone can talk him into withdrawing the Kreel, however, it is Rinaldo."  Yes, he had been the perfect choice for the role of ambassador.

I finished my second cup of tea and thought it best to continue on my way, reassured once again that my father was going to be fine where he was. He'd even had his own room arranged for him in this new Amber wing of the Galorian castle. As I said my goodbye to the Queen, dad walked me to the door, passing one final worry on to me before I left: uncle Jaro. I couldn't promise him anything, especially since I wouldn't be going back to Amber right away, but I told him I would try my very best. That was all he could ask for, he realised, for there were so many other people that needed to be liberated too. Wandering down the corridor I reflected that my father's rescue could very well have been a one-off chance, something I wouldn't be likely to repeat with uncle Jaro. I also reckoned that the next time I set foot in Castle Amber my priorities might very well preclude me from making a similar rescue attempt, even if an opportunity should present itself. It wasn't a nice thing to contemplate, but ultimately I thought it better to steel myself against the conflicting emotions that such a possibility might evoke. If the Kreel had any notion of who Jaro was, which they more than likely did, they would be sure to put him in some crucial spot, just for the benefit of the confusion it might cause to me. I felt certain they would do just this. The bastards.

Gerard proved to have found a room on the second floor of the Amber wing that was large and secluded enough to serve as a magical laboratory. That was where I found him and Janice quietly discussing their theories. When he noticed me, Gerard beckoned me over right away.

"Ah, Dorian," he said, "we were just going over a few possible methods of detecting the Kreel. There are actually a good number of ways to do this, but the problem we keep running into is that none of them seem to meet the necessary requirements. We can sniff out these Kreel, but the means to do so both on a large scale and to make it work regardless of the circumstances escapes us. It's a difficult situation, and there seems to be little time. Tell me, you've had some experience with these Crystal Spires, haven't you?"

"Some, yes."

"From what I've gathered from Janice here," Gerard said, "those things also operate as some kind of power amplifier. Now I have been thinking about this, and I can't shake the feeling that if we could get those Spires to work in that way for us, we would be able to solve all our problems. Then we could easily do a scan on Kreel activity over large areas, and it might also enable us to force them out."

            "It's an interesting plan…," I ventured, looking from Gerard to Janice. It was clear that my uncle was the more enthusiastic one; Janice, on the other hand, was a bit more guarded.

"Look," she said a bit wearily, "I don't know whether that will work. For one, I have no idea what security will be like. When we got our chance to see the inside of the Spire, it had only just become operational, and I'm sure the situation has changed a lot since. Security could be pretty tight.

"Then again," she admitted, "Lothair's people can't be all-powerful. You'd just have to make sure that if you're going to go up against a Spire, you have some proper protection against its effects. And you'd have to have everything prepared, just so you can immediately use it in the way you want to. While it might be possible to seize a Crystal Spire temporarily, I rather doubt you'd be able to hold onto it if Lothair really wants it back. You could perhaps try to destroy it somehow."

"Perhaps." Janice may be doubtful about this scheme, but I had not heard anything yet to convince me it had even the slightest chance of working. Capturing a Spire? Maybe. Using one to our own ends? Hah! Destroying one? If only! Gerard's enthusiasm wasn't so easily tempered, though.

"As an Amberite your experiences with such a Spire are of great importance," he persisted. "You've been quite close to one, haven't you?"

"Yes, but…"

"Well, are there any special things you remember about it? Any side effects it might have caused? Were you aware of its presence all the time?"

I took a deep breath and calmly tried to explain to him that I unfortunately could see no way to make his plan work. I reiterated the experiences I had had in Quendor, talking about every nuance, every sensation of Power I'd felt, but I put it to him that in the end I had simply no defense against the Crystal Spire's influence. Neither had Fiona had any. We could of course start working on developing such a defense, but that would undoubtedly draw our enemies' attention and would make a quick take-over of a Spire much more difficult.

I fell silent, feeling more frustrated than before. Janice may have said that Lothair's bunch couldn't claim omnipotence, but that didn't matter as long as they were more powerful than us in all the areas that really mattered. Gerard and Janice didn't say anything either for a while. Both were frowning and appeared deep in thought. Suddenly, Janice got up and started pacing to and fro.

            "There might be another way," she began, "but it's a bit of a gamble…" We looked at her, silently waiting for her to continue. She stopped pacing and turned to us. "There is a sort of alternative route," she said, "not to the actual Spire, but to its place of purpose, so to speak. "It's a path that I can take, but I'm not sure whether there will any guards or other security. Neither am I certain if I enter the Spire via this route, that I will be able to step through to the actual Spire or to use any of its functions." I gave her an enquiring look. This was all rather vague.

"It's best to think of it as another Reality," she tried to explain, "one that is linked to ours. The Crystal Spire is somehow present in both Realities, although I do not quite know whether it is completely the same in both places, you see? I strongly suspect it to be similar enough, but I don't know how strong its bond between the two Realities is."

"Alright," I said slowly, "you're proposing to approach the Spire via a part of another Reality, did I get that right?"

"Yes," she replied. "It's a rather strange Reality, though."

"Strange in what way? What exactly are you talking about? Is it a place you yourself have been to before?"

"Yes. They call it the Dreamworld. It appears to be a strange and surprising reflection of this Reality." Hmm, this was beginning to sound more familiar. "The Dreamworld is a realm of the mind," Janice continued, "meaning that you shape the world around you. It is inhabited by all manner of strange creatures."

Yes, there was no doubt. "The Overshadow," I said, turning to Gerard. He blinked and thought.

"Ah, yes," he said, "that place. I've never really got involved in it myself."

"Actually, it's not my prefered holiday spot either," I muttered.

Janice glanced from on to the other. "You know of it then?"

"Yes," I sighed. "I've been on the Overshadow a couple of times. Which doesn't imply, by the way, that I can easily travel to it by myself. Let's just say that I visted the Overshadow in the company of others a few times. It's not a place where I like to dwell. However, you are right in saying that it has strong ties with our Reality."

            "Well," Janice said, "I may have mentioned this before, but the Crystal Spires are in fact multi-dimensional structures. The Reality of the Dreamworld, that which you call the Overshadow, is but one of the other Realities they exist upon. However, I don't know whether there is any security round the Spires in the Dreamworld. It's possible that they could be approached more safely on that level, but even so, I'm not sure that travelling that route would enable you to get back to the Spire's physical location in this Reality. That's one of the problems.

"Another thing is that I'm not certain I would be able to activate the amplification effect just by myself. It's not the simplest of tricks, and my instruction on using the Crystal Spire's powers has been rather limited. Since I turned against Lucius at an early stage, I haven't been initiated beyond just that first level either."

"You're the most experienced person here, though," I said. "There's no one else."

Janice shrugged and smiled. "At least I'm able to traverse the Dreamworld by myself," she said, "so that won't be a problem." Ah yes, rub it in. Maybe that was my most important reason for disliking the Overshadow, though: the fact that I couldn't move around there independently. That and all that silly business with the disguises and aliases, I guess.

"It could solve the problem of scale," Gerard mused. "If it works…" If it did work, we could conceivably go as far as to blast the Kreel out of Amber entirely. The problem, however, was to make it work.

"There is a Crystal Spire close to Amber, isn't there?" Janice asked.

"Yes, in Rebma," I replied. "At least, I assume they've finished building it by now. And you're right, it is a good plan. Now to put in into effect…" We all fell silent again, lost in thought for at least ten minutes or so, before Gerard spoke up.

"I'm just going to theorise for a bit here," he said. "Our specialty is the Pattern, isn't it? So couldn't we just use the Pattern to help us clean the Kreel out of Amber? After all, it is the absolute centre of our Power. There ought to be a way we can put it to our advantage. And then, if we could somehow combine it with the amplification function of the Crystal Spire, we could turn this whole thing around. However, all of that's more your field of expertise, isn't it?" He was, of course, looking at me. I shook my head.

"The Pattern is," I said, "but I don't really see…" I sighed. "I don't know how to combine Its Power with that of the Crystal Spire. I really wouldn't know where to begin." I gave him an almost apologetic look. The plan still had merit, but in order for it to work we would have to have someone with us who knew exactly what to do. The outcome would be too crucial for us just to venture a trip to the Overshadow and try to figure everything out once we were there. I also seemed to remember that Pattern was of little use on the Overshadow - if any at all.

"We should have someone on our team who knows everything about making connections between different Powers," Gerard mused idly. "Someone who could just link them on a very basic level."

I couldn't suppress a chuckle. "I think I might actually know someone like that," I said with a wry grin. "But I think that I shall have to have a little conversation with someone else before it can be arranged."

"There is someone like that?" Gerard asked.

I nodded. "I think Taureth would be able to help. This combination of Pattern and Crystal Spire Power is just his sort of thing."

"I've heard about him," Gerard said. "Do you think he also might be able to help us find a way to use the Pattern to flush out the Kreel on a larger scale? We already know the basics of how to do this."

"He might, but as I said there is a slight problem. He knows next to nothing about the true state of affairs. Taureth doesn't know what Ornach really is, nor does he have any idea what he himself is. He doesn't know about Archai or sub-Archai." I shrugged wistfully. "I don't mind involving him in our problems, but I'm not about to do so without first giving Ornach a chance to clarify matters. I want to avoid upsetting Ornach by using his son in our struggle, for that could open an entirely new can of worms."

"Ultimately, it's also in Ornach's best interest if our problems were to be solved," Gerard reasoned.

"Could be," I said. "Could be that Amber doesn't figure in his plans at all. Either way, I feel obliged to go and see him before I involve Taureth any further."

"Well, it is a good plan," Gerard said, "and one we might be able to execute at fairly short notice, if this Taureth is really all that he's said to be. Are you able to contact either him or Ornach?"

"That won't be a problem," I replied, "although it means I'll have to go back to the Courts. In the meantime I suggest you tell Random about this and ask for his opinion."

"To see whether he wants us to continue in this vein?"

"No, I'm sure he'll want us to continue all right. I mean the part about the Overshadow. Random probably has a better idea of who will be able to participate actively in a mission on that plane."

"Alright," Gerard said, "I'll have a talk with him."

"You'd better plan a meeting, for he's very busy right now," I said. Both Gerard and Janice looked at me with puzzled expressions, so I briefly told them about the sad state of affairs back home. I'd expected them to have already heard, but apparently the news hadn't travelled that far. Janice took it rather in her stride, but then Amber wasn't her home. Gerard, naturally, was as shocked and angry as I had been.

"I can see this would take up most of his time right now," he said grimly. "However, if our plan were to succeed and we were to get rid of all the Kreel in one go, the other problems would be solved more easily too, wouldn't they?"

"They would be solved more quickly in any case," I said, although I wondered about Yaslin and Mandor. Yaslin might not be that much of a problem, although she could still cause some internal strife in the Family that we really could do without. Mandor was the real problem. If he was anything like the picture Random had painted of him, he would be able to do some serious damage.