So I went along with her when she said, “We will eat in here,” and led me into a large hall. I guessed she had chosen it because my room with its open window was above the patio, and Luke could have heard us talking if we ate out there.
We sat at the end of a long darkwood table, where we were served.
When we were alone again, she asked, “What are you going to do now?”
“What do you mean?” I asked, sipping some grape juice.
She glanced upward. “With him,” she said. “Take him back to Amber?”
“It would seem the logical thing to do,” I replied.
“Good,” she said. “You should probably transport him soon. They have decent medical facilities at the palace.”
I nodded. “Yes, they do.”
We ate a few mouthfuls, then she asked, “That is what you intend doing, isn’t it?”
“Why do you ask?”
“Because anything else would be absolutely foolish, and obviously he is not going to want to do it. Therefore, he will try to talk you into something else, something that will give him some measure of freedom while he recovers. You know what a line of shit he has. He’ll make it sound like a great idea, whatever it is. You must remember that he is an enemy of Amber, and when he is ready to move again you will be in the way.”
“It makes sense,” I said.
“I’m not finished.”
“Oh?”
She smiled and ate a few more bites, to keep me wondering. Finally, “He came to you for a reason,” she continued. “He could have crawled off to any of a number of places to lick his wounds. But he came to you because he wants something. He’s gambling, but it’s a calculated thing. Don’t go for it, Merle. You don’t owe him anything.”
“I don’t know why you think me incapable of taking care of myself,” I replied.
“I never said that,” she responded. “But some decisions are finely balanced things. A little extra weight this way or that sometimes makes the difference. You know Luke, but so do I. This is not a time to be giving him any breaks.”
“You have a point there,” I said.
“So you have decided to give him what he wants!”
I smiled and drank some coffee. “Hell, he hasn’t been conscious long enough to give me the pitch,” I said. “I’ve thought of these things, and I want to know what he’s got in mind too.”
“I never said you shouldn’t find out as much as you can. I just wanted to remind you that talking with Luke can sometimes be like conversing with a dragon.”
“Yeah,” I acknowledged. “I know.”
“And the longer you wait the harder it’s going to be,” she added.
I took a gulp of coffee; then, “Did you like him?” I asked.
“Like?” she said. “Yes, I did. And I still do. That is not material at this point, though.”
“I don’t know about that,” I said.
“What do you mean?”
“You wouldn’t harm him without good reason.”
“No, I wouldn’t.”
“He is no threat to me at the moment.”
“He does not seem to be.”
“Supposing I were to leave him here in your care while I went off to Amber to walk the Pattern and to prepare them for the news?”
She shook her head vigorously. “No,” she stated. “I will not-I cannot take that responsibility at this time.”
“Why not?”
She hesitated.
“And please don’t say again that you cannot tell me;’ I went on. “Find a way to tell me as much as you can.”
She spoke slowly then, as if choosing her words very carefully.
“Because it is more important for me to watch you than Luke. There is still danger for you which I do not understand, even though it no longer seems to be proceeding from him. Guarding you against this unknown peril is of higher priority than keeping an eye on him. Therefore, I cannot remain here. If you are returning to Amber, so am I”
“I appreciate your concern,” I said, “but I will not have you dogging my footsteps.”
“Neither of us has a choice.”