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.processtext.com/abclit.htmlthat I was moving, for her hand shot out, nails raking at my face, barelymissing.She threw expletives after me as I walked away.Fortunately, theywere drowned amid the cries of the others."Merlin?"Turning to my right again I beheld the face of Nayda within a silvermirror, its surface and curled frame of a single piece."Nayda! What are you down on me for?""Nothing," the ty'iga lady replied."I'm just passing through, and Ineed directions.""You don't hate me? How refreshing!""Hate you? Don't be silly.I could never do that.""Everyone else in this gallery seems irritated with me."It's only a dream, Merlin.You're real, I'm real, and I don't knowabout the others.""I'm sorry my mother put you under that spell to protect me-all thoseyears ago.Are you really free of it now? If you're not, perhaps I can-""I'm free of it.""I'm sorry you had so much trouble fulfilling its terms-not knowingwhether it was Luke or me you were supposed to be guarding.Who'd have knownthere'd be two Amberites in the same neighborhood in Berkeley?""I'm not sorry.""What do you mean?""I came for directions.I want to know how I can find Luke.""Why, in Kashfa.He was just crowned king the other day.What do youneed him for?" Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html"Hadn't you guessed?""No.""I'm in love with him.Always was.Now that I'm free of the geas andhave a body of my own, I want him to know that I was Gail-and how I feel.Thanks, Merlin.Good-bye.""Wait! ""Yes?""I never said thanks for your protecting me all thoseyears-even if it was only a compulsion for you, even if it got to be abig bother for me.Thanks, and good luck."She smiled and faded away.I reached out and touched the mirror."Luck," I thought I heard her say.Strange.It was a dream.Still-I couldn't awaken, and: it felt real.I"You made it back to the Courts in time for all the scheming, Isee"-this from a mirror three paces ahead, black-bound and narrow.I moved to it.My brother Jurt glared out at me."What do you want?" I asked.His face was an angry parody of my own."I want you never to have been," he said."Failing that, I'd like tosee you dead.""What's your third choice?" I asked."Your confinement to a private hell, I guess.""Why?" Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html"You stand between me and everything I want.""I'll be glad to step aside.Tell me how.""There's no way you can or will, on your own.""So you hate me?""Yes.""I thought your bath in the Fountain destroyed your emotions.""I didn't get the full treatment, and it only made them stronger.""Any way we can forget the whole thing and start over again, befriends?""Never.""Didn't think so.""She always cared more about you than me, and now you're going to havethe throne.""Don't be ridiculous.I don't want it.""Your desires have nothing to do with the matter.""I won't have it:""Yes, you will-unless I kill you first.""Don't be stupid.It's not worth this.""One day soon, when you least expect it, you will turn and see me.Itwill be too late."The mirror grew entirely black."Jurt!"Nothing.Aggravating, having to put up with him in dream as well aswaking. Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.htmlI turned my head toward a fire-framed minor several paces ahead and tomy left, knowing-somehow-it was next on my route.I moved toward it.She was smiling."And there you have it," she said."Aunty, what's going on?""It seems to be the sort of conflict generally referred to as`irreducible,' " Fiona replied."That's not the sort of answer I need.""Too much is afoot to give you a better one.""And you're a part of it?""A very small one.Not one who can do you much good just now.""What am I to do?""Learn your options and choose the best one.""Best for whom? Best for what?""Only you can say.""Can you give me a hint?""Could you have walked Corwin's Pattern that day I took you to it?"``Yes.""I thought so.It was drawn under unusual circumstances.It can neverbe duplicated.Our Pattern would never have permitted its construction hadit not been damaged itself and too weak to prevent its coming into being.""So?""Our Pattern is trying to absorb it, incorporate it.If it succeeds, itwill be as disastrous as it would have been were the Pattern of Amberdestroyed at the time of the war.The balance with Chaos will be totallyupset." Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html"Isn't Chaos strong enough to prevent this? I'd thought they wereequally potent.""They were until you repaired the Shadow Pattern and Amber's was ableto absorb it.This increased its strength beyond that of Chaos.Now it isable to reach for your father's against the power of the Logrus.""I don't understand what is to be done.""Neither do I, yet.But I charge you to remember what I have said.Whenthe time comes you must make a decision.I've no idea what it will involve,but it will be very important.""She's right," came a voice from behind my back.Turning, I saw myfather within a shining black frame, a silver rose set at its top."Corwin!" I heard Fiona say."Where are you?""In a place where there is no light," he said."I thought you somehow in Amber, Father, with Deirdre," I said."The ghosts play at being ghosts," he answered."I have not much time,for my strength is low.I can tell you only this: Trust not the Pattern, northe Logrus either, nor any of their spawn, till this matter be settled:"He began to fade."How can I help you?" I asked.The words ".in the Courts" came to me before he vanished.I turned again."Fi, what did he mean by that?" I asked her. Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.htmlShe was frowning."I get the impression that the answer lies somewhere in the Courts,"she replied slowly."Where? Where should I look?"She shook her head and began to turn away
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