Amber, year one, day 132 continued

Afternoon

I feel much better now that I have had some sleep. Went down late to breakfast. I think Felix was late as well. He seemed to have just started eating when I arrived. Ahab was sitting at the head table, kissing up to Benedict no doubt. Ahab seems to idolize Benedict and Julian to the point of hero worship. I have yet to see the reason for it. All of the redheads decided to sit at their own table, which suited me just fine.

I spend a pleasant meal chatting with Alex about the Logrus. Felix and I were both interested in what we could drag out of Alex about its nature. Martin, on the other hand, seemed quite bored with the whole thing. To hear Alex tell it, the Logrus has no regular shape, but rather changes its appearance constantly. He also send that the initiation test is quite hazardous, often driving people mad. All in all, it does not sound very pleasant.

After Alex left, we learned from Martin that Orkuz and his family had left. Since no commotion was raised, I assume Ariadne was able to fool Coral's family successfully. Of course Felix nearly gave everything away, by looking shocked and asking if Coral had left with her family. The expression on his face would have told even Gérard that something was wrong. Well, maybe not Gérard... Martin picked up on it immediately, and asked why Felix was so surprised. I tried to cover up for Felix, saying that he had wanted to say goodbye to Coral, but Felix was completely unconvincing. Martin left soon after that. I wanted to tell him, but the less people know about the substitution, the less likely it is that the information will slip into the wrong hands.

Ahab thinks that both the Pattern and the Logrus are sentient. His basis for this conclusion? Dworkin said so. At least he said that the Logrus was. Ahab concluded that the Pattern was sentient because he walked it and stood at the center of it asking questions and it emitted some sparks. Very convincing. He also claims he saw the Unicorn. Too bad he could not get her to give us any advice. Ahab wants me to help him rescue Coral. I guess he wants to show Random that he can do a good job. I am willing to help, mostly because I know what it feels like to be held prisoner by Chaos, while none of your relatives even bothers to look for you. Unfortunately, Ariadne is the one who knows the most about Coral's abductors, and she is no longer in the Castle. I wonder if Driscoll still has a Trump of her.

I guess abandoning Amberites in need is something of a family tradition. It seems that Julian never bothered to try and rescue Eric, so he got out on his own. Felix let slip that no one had organized a rescue party for Eric, which did not please him at all. Not that I can blame him. We were hoping that Eric could tell us something about his captors, but they apparently killed themselves rather than be questioned. I wonder if Corwin and Deirdre have been captured as well? Not that anyone seems concerned around here. Given this attitude, it seems to me that the best way to take Amber is person by person, since by the time anyone around here bothers to investigate the disappearances, it would be too late. I love this family.

Heather managed to piss Felix off by implying that he was stupid. Now I must admit that at times I agree with her (this morning, for instance), but I do not say so to Felix's face. I would rather not get him angry. Then again, Heather has never been the most rational of people.

Shard joined us as well, just as we were leaving to find Driscoll. He had Battlestar with him. Sometimes I think Battlestar has more brains than his master. Maybe that is why Julian gave him to Shard. Felix and Shard are very much alike in this respect. Neither one of them are morons, they are just rather slow at times. Usually the most inopportune times.

Driscoll did still have a Trump of Ariadne, so we borrowed it. Ahab Trumped her, but said she was busy. We decided to find Heather next, since she had been planning to draw a Trump of Coral. Battlestar helped us track her down, in Bleys' room of all things. I wonder if Dworkin gave Bleys and Heather the same lecture he gave me and Ahab? Heather was her usual bitchy self. She gave us the Trump, and had apparently tried using it herself, but refused to say what she had learned. Felix left at this point. I suppose it was that or he punched her into one of Bleys' walls. Personally, I would have found the latter choice more satisfying. I let Ahab talk to her, since she brings out he worst in me as well. He finally got the information out of her and learned that Coral was too drugged to respond to the Trump. So he immediately tried the Trump himself to verify this. It would seem that he trusts Heather as much as I do. At least Coral does not appear to be comatose the way Ariadne was when we found her. Now all we have to do is find her. As soon as we find Felix.

Somewhere in Shadow

I find myself in somewhat of a dilemma. You see, we followed Coral's trail through Shadow, until we wound up in a twisted Shadow of Amber itself. The trail led up to a large hole in the ground, which is inhabited by a creature with a rather nasty disposition. He emerged from the hold and started advancing on Martin (I managed to persuade him to accompany us). Heather decided that she would see what was in the hole while its owner was busy with the rest of us. What surprises me is that she trusted me to belay the rope for her. I should have just said no. The thing was not happy with me either, for as soon as it saw me lowering Heather down the hole, it left Martin and charged me instead. My options were to hold my ground (and the rope), and hope it did not knock me backwards into the hole (not likely). Or try and evade it. Which met dropping the rope. At least I warned her before I did so. I almost made it, but not quite. That thing's claws can cut right through our armor. While our crossbow bolts have no effect on its armor. At least Ahab's sword and Shard's whip seem to be able to affect the thing. They were able to chip away some of its armor, giving Felix and I something to shoot at. We must have started to hurt it, for it retreated back into its hole.

Which brings us to my dilemma. When I dropped Heather, Alex flew down into the hole to help her. Neither of them came back out. Which means that they are still down in the hole. Along with the creature. So the question is, do we try to aid them? We had enough trouble fighting that thing above ground, where we had light and room. If we follow it down, it will have much more of an advantage. The logical thing would be to get reinforcements, or find a way to lure the thing back out of the hold and trap it. Of course, by the time we do that, Alex and Heather may be dead. To be perfectly honest, I have no interest whatsoever in dying to save Heather's life. Or Alex's for that matter. However, there is a part of me that dislikes standing idly by while people are killed. And Random would probably be unhappy if the Chaos ambassador died. But, then again, Heather is the one who brought him here. What am I going to do?

"Outrageous Fortune"
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All text on this page is © 1993-1994 by Kris Fazzari.

Last modified on August 5, 1994 by Kris Fazzari.