“Corwin!”
“Here, Gerard.”
“What’d you say?” said Bill.
I raised my hand to silence him and gave my attention to Gerard. He stood in shadow at the bright beginning of the Pattern, leaning upon his great blade.
“You were right,” he said. “Brand did show up here, just a moment ago. I am not sure how he got in. He stepped out of the shadows off to the left, there.” He gestured. “He looked at me for a moment, then turned around and walked back. He did not answer when I hailed him. So I turned up the lantern, but he was nowhere in sight. He just disappeared. What do you want me to do now?”
“Was he wearing the jewel of Judgment?”
“I could not tell. I only had sight of him for a moment, in this bad light.”
“Are they watching the Pattern in Rebma now?”
“Yes. Llewella’s alerted them.”
“Good. Stay on guard, then. I will be in touch again.”
“All right. Corwin-about what happened earlier . . .”
“Forget it.”
“Thanks. That Ganelon is one tough fellow.”
“Indeed,” I said. “Stay awake.”
His image faded as I released the contact, but a strange thing happened then. The sense of contact, the path, remained with me, objectless, open, like a switched on radio not tuned to anything. Bill was looking at me peculiarly.
“Carl, what is happening?”
“I don’t know. Wait a minute.”
Suddenly, there was contact again, though not with Gerard. She must have been trying to reach me while my attention was diverted.
“Corwin, it is important . . .”
“Go ahead, Fi.”
“You will not find what you are looking for there. Brand has it.”
“I was beginning to suspect as much.”
“We have to stop him. I do not know how much you know-“
“Neither do I any more,” I said, “but I have the Pattern in Amber and the one in Rebma under guard. Gerard just told me that Brand appeared at the one in Amber, but was scared off.”
She nodded her small, fine-featured face. Her red tresses were unusually disarrayed. She looked tired.
“I am aware of this,” she said. “I have him under surveillance. But you have forgotten another possibility.”
“No,” I said. “According to my calculations, Tir-na Nog’th should not be attainable yet-“
“That is not what I was referring to. He is headed for the primal Pattern itself.”
“To attune the Jewel?”
“The first time through,” she said.
“To walk it, he would have to pass through the damaged area. I gather that is more than a little difficult.”
“So you do know about it,” she said. “Good. That saves time. The dark area would not trouble him the way it would another of us. He has come to terms with that darkness. We must stop him, now.”
“Do you know any short cuts to that place?”
“Yes. Come to me. I will take you there.”
“Just a minute. I want Drum with me.”
“What for?”
“No telling. That is why I want him.”
“Very well. Then bring me through. We can as easily depart from there as from here.”
I extended my hand. In a moment, I held hers. She stepped forward.
“Lord!” said Bill, drawing back. “You were giving me doubts about your sanity, Carl. Now it’s mine I wonder about. She-she’s on one of the cards, too, isn’t she?”
“Yes. Bill, this is my sister Fiona. Fiona, this is Bill Roth, a very good friend.”
Fi extended her hand and smiled, and I left them there while I went back to fetch Drum. A few minutes later, I led him forth.
“Bill,” I said, “I am sorry to have wasted your time. My brother has the thing. We are going after him now. Thanks for helping me.”
I shook his hand.
He said, “Corwin.” I smiled.
“Yes, that is my name.”
“We have been talking, your sister and I. Not much I could learn in a few minutes, but I know it is dangerous. So good luck. I still want the whole story one day.”
“Thanks,” I said. “I will try to see that you get it.”
I mounted, leaned down, and drew Fiona up before me.