“Weren’t you curious?” Random asked. “Didn’t you go looking for him?”
“Of course I was curious. I still am. But a man should have the right to lead his own life without the meddling of relatives, no matter how well-intentioned. He had pulled through the crisis and he did not attempt to contact me. He apparently knew what he wanted to do. He did leave a message for me with the Tecys, saying that when I learned of what had happened I was not to worry, that he knew what he was about.”
“The Tecys?” I said.
“That’s right. Friends of mine off in Shadow.”
I refrained from saying the things that I might. I had thought them just another part of Dara’s story, for she had so twisted the truth in other areas. She had mentioned the Tecys to me as if she knew them, as if she had stayed with them-all with Benedict’s knowledge. The moment did not seem appropriate, however, to tell him of my previous night’s vision in Tir-na Nog’th and the things it had indicated concerning his relationship to the girl. I had not yet had sufficient time to ponder the matter and all that it implied.
Random stood, paced, paused near the ledge, his back to us, fingers knotted behind him. After a moment, he turned and stalked back.
“How can we get in touch with the Tecys?” he asked Benedict.
“No way,” said Benedict, “except to go and see them.”
Random turned to me.
“Corwin, I need a horse. You say that Star’s been through a number of hellrides. . .”
“He’s had a busy morning.”
“It wasn’t that strenuous. It was mostly fright, and he seems okay now. May I borrow him?”
Before I could answer, he turned toward Benedict.
“You’ll take me, won’t you?” he said.
Benedict hesitated.
“I do not know what more there is to learn-“ he began.
“Anything! Anything at all they might remember-possibly something that did not really seem important at the time but is now, knowing what we know.”
Benedict looked to me. I nodded.
“He can ride Star, if you are willing to take him.”
“All right,” Benedict said, getting to his feet. “I’ll fetch my mount.”
He turned and headed off toward the place where the great striped beast was tethered.
“Thanks, Corwin,” Random said.
“I’ll let you do me a favor in return.”
“What?”
“Let me borrow Martin’s Trump.”
“What for?”
“An idea just hit me. It is too complicated to get into if you want to get moving. No harm should come of it, though.”
He chewed his lip.
“Okay. I want it back when you are done with it.”
“Of course.”
“Will it help find him?”
“Maybe.”
He passed me the card.
“You heading back to the palace now?” he asked.
“Yes.”
“Would you tell Vialle what has happened and where I have gone? She worries.”
“Sure. I’ll do that.”
“I’ll take good care of Star.”
“I know that. Good luck.”
“Thanks.”
I rode Firedrake. Ganelon walked. He had insisted. We followed the route I had taken in pursuing Dara on the day of the battle. Along with recent developments, that is probably what made me think of her again. I dusted off my feelings and examined them carefully. I realized then that despite the games she had played with me, the killings she had doubtless been privy or party to, and her stated designs upon the realm, I was still attracted to her by something more than curiosity. I was not really surprised to discover this. Things had looked pretty much the same the last time I had pulled a surprise inspection in the emotional barracks. I wondered then how much of truth there might have been to my final vision of the previous night, wherein her possible line of descent from Benedict had been stated. There was indeed a physical resemblance, and I was more than half-convinced. In the ghost city, of course, the shade of Benedict had conceded as much, raising his new, strange arm in her defense. . .
“What’s funny?” Ganelon asked, from where he strode to my left.
“The arm,” I said, “that came to me from Tir-na Nog’th-I had worried over some hidden import, some unforeseen force of destiny to the thing, coming as it had into our world from that place of mystery and dream. Yet it did not even last the day. Nothing remained when the Pattern destroyed lago. The entire evening’s visions come to nothing.”