I laughed. “You’re becoming a true Amberite.”
“I am?”
“Yes. That’s the way we are. Nothing to worry about. What came down between you, anyhow?”
“I’d rather work it out on my own, if you don’t mind.”
“Whatever you think is best.”
“I don’t really need to warn you about them?”
“No.”
“Okay. That was my main concern. I guess I’ll go and try the mire and muck bit now-“
“Wait.”
“What?”
“You seem pretty good at transporting things through Shadow these days.“
“I seem to be improving, yes.”
“What about a small band of warriors and their leader?”
“I think I could manage that.”
“And me.”
“Of course. Where are they and where do you want go?”
I fished in my pocket, found Luke’s Trump, held it before me.
“But … He’s the one you warned me not to trust”, Ghost said.
“It’s okay now,” I told him. “Just for this matter. Nothing else though.things have changed a bit.”
“I don’t understand. But if you say so.”
“Can you run him down and set things up?”
“I should be able to. Where do you want to go?”
“Do you know the Keep of the Four Worlds?”
“Yes. But that’s a dangerous place, Dad. Very tricky coming and going. And that’s where the red-haired lady tried to lay a power lock on me.”
“Jasra.”
“I never knew her name.”
“She’s Luke’s mother,” I explained, waving his Trump.
“Bad blood,” Ghost stated. “Maybe we shouldn’t have anything to do with either of them.”
“She might be coming with us,” I said.
“Oh, no. That’s a dangerous lady. You don’t want her along. Especially not in a place where she’s strong. She might try to grab me again. She might succeed.”
“She’ll be too occupied with other matters,” I said, “and I may need her. So start thinking of her as part of the package.”
“Are you sure you know what you’re doing?”
“I’m afraid so.”
“When do you want to go there?”
“That depends in part on when Luke’s troops will be ready. Why don’t you go and find out?”
“All right. But I still think you might be making a mistake, going into that place with those people.”
“I need someone who can help, and the die is damned well cast,” I said.
Ghost coalesced to a point and winked out.
I drew a deep breath, changed my mind about sighing, and moved on toward my nearest door, which was not that much farther up the hall. As I was reaching for it I felt the movement of a Trump contact. Coral?
I opened myself to it. Mandor appeared before me again.
“Are you all right?” he asked immediately. “We were cut off in such an odd fashion.”
“I’m fine,” I told him. “We were cut off in a once-in-a-lifetime fashion. Not to worry.”
“You seem a trifle agitated.”
“That’s because it’s an awfully long walk from downstairs to upstairs with all the powers of the universe converging to slow me.”
“I don’t understand.”
“It’s been a rough day,” I said. “See you later.”
“I did want to talk with you some more, about those stones and the new Pattern and-“
“Later,” I said. “I’m waiting on an incoming call.”
“Sorry. No rush. I’ll check back.”
He broke the contact and I reached for the latch. I wondered whether it would solve everybody’s problems if I could turn Ghost into an answering service.
CHAPTER 7
I hung my cloak on Jasra and my weapons belt on the bedpost. I cleaned my boots, washed my hands and face, hunted up a fancy ivory shirt-alI ruffled, brocaded, frogged-and put it on, along with a pair of gray trousers. Then I brushed off my deep purple jacket, the one on which I’d once laid a spell to make the wearer seem a little more charming, witty, and trustworthy than is actually the case. It seemed a good occasion for getting some use out of it.
As I was brushing my hair there came a knock on the door.
“Just a minute,” I called.
I finished up-which left me ready to go and also, probably, running late-then went to the door, unbarred it, and opened it.