And Julian was beside the car now, a sword in his right hand.
I blew the horn, hoping to spook Morgenstern, but it didn’t work. I swerved toward them, but the horse danced away. Random crouched low in his seat and aimed past me. his right hand holding the pistol and resting upon his left forearm.
“Don’t fire yet,” I said. “I’m going to try to take him.”
“You’re crazy,” he told me, as I hit the brakes again.
He lowered his weapon, though.
As soon as we came to a halt, I flung open my door and leaped out—barefooted yet! Damn it. I ducked beneath his blade, seized his arm, and hurled him from the saddle. He struck me one on the head with his mailed left fist, and there were Roman candles going off all around me and a terrible pain.
He lay where he had fallen, being groggy, and there were dogs all around me, biting me, and Random kicking them. I snatched up Julian’s blade from where it lay and touched his throat with its point.
“Call them off!” I cried. “Or I’ll nail you to the ground!”
He screamed orders at the dogs and they drew back. Random was holding Morgenstern’s bridle and struggling with the horse.
“Now, dear brother, what do you have to say for yourself?” I asked.
There was a cold blue fire within his eyes, and his face was without expression.
“If you’re going to kill me, be about it,” he said.
“In my own good time,” I told him, somehow enjoying the sight of dirt on his impeccable armor. “In the meantime, what is your life worth to you?”
“Anything I’ve got, of course.”
I stepped back.
“Get up and get into the back seat of the car”, I told him.
He did this thing, and I took away his dagger before he got in. Random resumed his own seat, and kept his pistol with the single remaining round aimed at Julian’s head.
“Why not just kill him?” he asked.
“I think he’ll he useful,” I said. “There is much that I wish to know. And there is still a long way to travel.”
I began to drive, I could see the dogs milling around. Morgenstern began cantering along after the car.
“I’m afraid I won’t be worth much to you as a prisoner,” Julian observed. ”Although you will torture me, I can only tell you what I know, and that isn’t much.”
“Start with that then,” I said.
“Eric looks to have the strongest position,” he told us, “having been right there in Amber when the whole thing broke loose. At least this is the way I saw it, so I offered him my support. Had it been one of you, I’d probably have done the same thing. Eric charged me with keeping guard in Arden, since it’s one of the main routes. Gerard controls the southern seaways, and Caine is off in the northern waters.”
“What of Benedict?” Random asked.
”I don’t know. I haven’t heard anything. He might be with Bleys. He might be off somewhere else in Shadow and not even have heard of this thing yet. He might even be dead. It’s been years since we’ve heard from him.”
“How many men have you got in Arden,” asked Random.
“Over a thousand,” he said. “Some are probably watching you right now.”
“And if they want you to go on living, that’s all they’ll do,” said Random.
“You are doubtless correct,” he replied. “I have to admit, Corwin did a shrewd thing in taking me prisoner rather than killing me. You just might make it through the forest this way.”
“You’re just saying that because you want to live,” said Random.
“Of course I want to live. May I?”
“Why?”
“In payment for the information I’ve given you.”
Random laughed.
“You’ve given us very little, and I’m sure more can be torn from you. We’ll see, as soon as we get a chance to stop. Eh, Corwin?”
“We’ll see,” I said. “Where’s Fiona?”
“Somewhere to the south, I think,” Julian replied.
“How about Deirdre?”
“I don’t know.”
“Llewella?”
“In Rebma.”
“Okay,” I said, “I think you’ve told me everything you know.”