Squinting, I saw Bances, Mandor, and Dara in converse near the Rim.
Tubble and the remains of Swayvill were no longer with us.
My fellow mourners were already moving. I did, too, realizing that my time here was now extremely limited. I stepped down over the empty row, moved to the right, touched Gilva’s still humanized shoulder. “Merlin!” she said, turning quickly. “Tubble-went over-didn’t he?”
“Sure looked that way,” I said.
“What will happen now?”
“I’ve got to leave,” I said, “fast!”
“Why?”
“Somebody’s going to start thinking about the succession in a few moments, and I’m going to be smothered with protection,” I told her. “I can’t have that, not just now.”
“Why not?”
“No time to go into that. But I’d wanted to talk to you. May I borrow you now?”
There were milling bodies all about us.
“Of course-sir,” she said, apparently having just thought about the succession.
“Cut that out,” I said, spikard spiraling the energies that caught us and took us away.
I brought us to the forest of metal trees, and Gilva kept hold of my arm and looked about her.
“Lord, what is this place?” she asked.
“I’d rather not say,” I replied, “for reasons that will become apparent in a moment. I only had one question for you the last time I spoke with you. But now I have two, and this place figures in one of them, in a way, besides being fairly deserted most of the time.”
“Ask,” she said, moving to face me. “I’ll try to help. If it’s important, though, I may not be the best person-“
“Yes, it’s important. But I haven’t time to make an appointment with Belissa. It concerns my father, Corwin.”
“Yes?”
“It was he who slew Borel of Hendrake in the war at Patternfall.”
“So I understand,” she said.
“After the war, he joined the royal party that came here to the Courts to work out the Treaty.”
“Yes,” she said. “I know that.”
“He disappeared shortly thereafter, and no one seemed to know where he’d gotten off to. For a time, I thought he might be dead. Later, however, I received indications that he was not, but rather was imprisoned somewhere. Can you tell me anything about this?”
She turned away suddenly.
“I am offended,” she said, “by what I believe you imply.”
“I’m sorry,” I said, “but I had to ask.”
“Ours is an honorable House,” she said. “We accept the fortunes of war. When the fighting is ended, we put it all behind us.”
“I apologize,” I said. “We’re even related, you know, on my mother’s side.”
“Yes, I know,” she said, turning away. “Will that be all, Prince Merlin?”
“Yes,” I answered. “Where shall I send you?”
She was silent for a moment, then, “You said there were two questions,” she stated.
“Forget it. I changed my mind about the second one.”
She turned back.
“Why? Why should I forget it? Because I maintain my family’s honor?”
“No, because I believe you.”
“And?”
“I’ll trouble someone else for an opinion.”
“Do you mean it’s dangerous, and you’ve decided against asking me?”
“I don’t understand it, so it could be dangerous.”
“Do you want to offend me again?”
“Heaven forbid!”
“Ask me your question.”
“I’ll have to show you.”
“Do it.”
“Even if it means climbing a tree?”
“Whatever it means.”
“Follow me.”
So I led her to the tree and climbed it, an enormously simple feat in my present form. She was right behind me.
“There’s a way up here,” I said. “I’m about to let it take me. Give me a few seconds to move aside.”
I moved a little farther upward and was transported. Stepping aside, I surveyed the chapel quickly. Nothing seemed changed.
Then Gilva was at my side. I heard a sharp intake of breath.
“Oh, my! “ she said.
“I know what I’m looking at,” I said, “but I don’t know what I’m seeing, if you follow me.”
“It is a shrine,” she said, “dedicated to the spirit of a member of the royal house of Amber.”
“Yes, it’s my father Corwin,” I agreed. “That’s what I’m looking at. But what am I seeing? Why should there be such a thing here in the Courts, anyway?”