rz.thehandofoberon-第26部分

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rn　to　send　me　after　him；　once　I　reached　the　center。　Perhaps　Fiona　had　an　idea。　Still；　he　would　probably　head　for　a　place　where　he　had　allies。　It　would　be　senseless　to　pursue　him　alone。
　At　least　I　had　stopped　the　attunement；　I　consoled　myself。
　Then　I　entered　the　Grand　Curve。　The　sparks　shot　up　about　me。
　
　
　Chapter　12
　
　Late　afternoon　on　a　mountain：　the　westering　sun　shone　full　on　the　rocks　to　my　left；　tailored　long　shadows　for　those　to　the　right；　it　filtered　through　the　foilage　about　my　tomb；　it　countered　to　some　extent　the　chill　winds　of　Kolvir。　I　released　Random's　hand　and　turned　to　regard　the　man　who　sat　on　the　bench　before　the　mausoleum。
　It　was　the　face　of　the　youth　on　the　pierced　Trump；　lines　now　drawn　above　the　mouth；　brow　heavier；　a　general　weariness　in　eye　movement　and　set　of　jaw　which　had　not　been　apparent　on　the　card。
　So　I　knew　it　before　Random　said；　〃This　is　my　son　Martin。〃
　Martin　rose　as　I　approached　him；　clasped　my　hand；　said；　〃Uncle　Corwin。〃　His　expression　changed　but　slightly　as　he　said　it。　He　scrutinized　me。
　He　was　several　inches　taller　than　Random；　but　of　the　same　light　build。　His　chin　and　cheekbones　had　the　same　general　cut　to　them；　his　hair　was　of　a　similar　texture。
　I　smiled。
　〃You　have　been　away　a　long　while；〃　I　said。　〃So　was　I。〃
　He　nodded。
　〃But　I　have　never　really　been　in　Amber　proper；〃　he　said。　〃I　grew　up　in　Rebma　…　and　other　places。〃
　〃Then　let　me　wele　you；　nephew。　You　e　at　an　interesting　time。　Random　must　have　told　you　about　it。〃
　〃Yes；〃　he　said。　〃That　is　why　I　asked　to　meet　you　here；　rather　than　there。〃
　I　glanced　at　Random。
　〃The　last　uncle　he　met　was　Brand；〃　Random　said；　〃and　under　very　nasty　circumstances。　Do　you　blame　him？〃
　〃Hardly。　I　ran　into　him　myself　a　bit　earlier。　Can't　say　it　was　the　most　rewarding　encounter。〃
　〃Ran　into　him？〃　said　Random。　〃You've　lost　me。〃
　〃He　has　left　Amber　and　he　has　the　Jewel　of　Judgment　with　him。　If　I　had　known　earlier　what　I　know　now；　he　would　still　be　in　the　tower。　He　is　our　man；　and　he　is　very　dangerous。〃
　Random　nodded。
　〃I　know；〃　he　said。　〃Martin　confirmed　all　our　suspicions　on　the　stabbing　…　and　it　was　Brand。　But　what　is　this　about　the　Jewel？〃
　〃He　beat　me　to　the　place　where　I　had　left　it　on　the　shadow　Earth。　He　has　to　walk　the　Pattern　with　it　and　project　himself　through　it；　though；　to　attune　it　to　his　use。　I　just　stopped　him　from　doing　that　on　the　primal　Pattern　in　the　real　Amber。　He　escaped；　however。　I　was　just　over　the　hill　with　Gérard；　sending　a　squad　of　guards　through　to　Fiona　in　that　place；　to　prevent　his　returning　and　trying　again。　Our　own　Pattern　and　that　in　Rebma　are　also　under　guard　because　of　him。〃
　〃Why　does　he　want　so　badly　to　attune　it？　So　he　can　raise　a　few　storms？　Hell；　he　could　take　a　walk　in　Shadow　and　make　all　the　weather　he　wants。〃
　〃A　person　attuned　to　the　Jewel　could　use　it　to　erase　the　Pattern。〃
　〃Oh？　What　happens　then？〃
　〃The　world　as　we　know　it　es　to　an　end。〃
　〃Oh；〃　Random　said　again。　Then；　〃How　the　hell　do　you　know？〃
　〃It　is　a　long　story　and　I　haven't　the　time；　but　I　had　it　from　Dworkin　and　I　believe　that　much　of　what　he　said。〃
　〃He's　still　around？〃
　〃Later；〃　I　said。
　〃Okay。　But　Brand　would　have　to　be　mad　to　do　something　like　that。〃
　I　nodded。
　〃I　believe　he　thinks　he　could　then　cast　a　new　Pattern；　redesign　the　universe　with　himself　as　chief　executive。〃
　〃Could　this　be　done？〃
　〃Theoretically；　perhaps。　But　even　Dworkin　has　certain　doubts　that　the　feat　could　be　repeated　effectively　now。　The　bination　of　factors　was　unique。。。　Yes；　I　believe　Brand　is　somewhat　mad。　Looking　back　over　the　years；　recalling　his　personality　changes；　his　cycles　of　moods；　it　seems　there　was　something　of　a　schizoid　pattern　there。　I　do　not　know　whether　the　deal　he　made　with　the　enemy　pushed　him　over　the　edge　or　not。　It　does　not　really　matter。　I　wish　he　were　back　in　his　tower。　I　wish　Gérard　were　a　worse　physician。〃
　〃Do　you　know　who　stabbed　him？〃
　〃Fiona。　You　can　get　the　story　from　her；　though。〃
　He　leaned　against　my　epitaph　and　shook　his　head。
　〃Brand；〃　he　said。　〃Damn　him。　Any　one　of　us　might　have　killed　him　on　a　number　of　occasions　…　in　the　old　days。　Just　when　he　would　get　you　mad　enough；　though；　he　would　change。　After　a　while；　you　would　get　to　thinking　he　wasn't　such　a　bad　guy　after　all。　Too　bad　he　didn't　push　one　of　us　just　a　little　harder　at　the　wrong　time。。。〃
　〃Then　I　take　it　he　is　now　fair　game？〃　said　Martin。
　I　looked　at　him。　The　muscles　in　his　jaws　had　tightened　and　his　eyes　narrowed。　For　a　moment；　all　of　our　faces　fled　across　his；　like　a　riffling　of　the　family　cards。　All　of　our　egoism；　hatred；　envy；　pride；　and　abuse　seemed　to　flow　by　in　that　instant　…　and　he　had　not　even　set　foot　in　Amber　yet。　Something　snapped　inside　me　and　I　reached　out　and　seized　him　by　the　shoulders。
　〃You　have　good　reason　to　hate　him；〃　I　said；　〃and　the　answer　to　your　question　is　'yes。'　The　hunting　season　is　open。　I　see　no　way　to　deal　with　him　other　than　to　destroy　him。　I　hated　him　myself　for　so　long　as　he　remained　an　abstraction。　But　…　now　…　it　is　different。　Yes；　he　must　be　killed。　But　do　not　let　that　hatred　be　your　baptism　into　our　pany。　There　has　been　too　much　of　it　among　us。　I　look　at　your　face　…　I　don't　know。。。　I　am　sorry；　Martin。　Too　much　is　going　on　right　now。　You　are　young。　I　have　seen　more　things。　Some　of　them　bother　me　…　differently。　That's　all。〃
　I　released　my　grip　and　stepped　back。
　〃Tell　me　about　yourself；〃　I　said。
　〃I　was　afraid　of　Amber　for　a　long　while；〃　he　began；　〃and　I　guess　that　I　still　am。　Ever　since　he　attacked　me；　I　have　been　wondering　whether　Brand　might　catch　up　with　me　again。　I　have　been　looking　over　my　shoulder　for　years。　I　have　been　afraid　of　all　of　you；　I　suppose。　I　knew　most　of　you　as　pictures　on　cards　…　with　bad　reputations　attached。　I　told　Random　…　Dad　…　that　I　did　not　want　to　meet　you　all　at　once；　and　he　suggested　that　I　see　you　first。　Neither　of　us　realized　at　the　time　that　you　would　be　particularly　interested　in　certain　things　that　I　know。　After　I　mentioned　them　though。　Dad　said　I　had　to　see　you　as　soon　as　possible。　He　has　been　telling　me　all　about　what　has　been　going　on　and　…　you　see；　I　know　something　about　it。〃
　〃I　had　a　feeling　that　you　might　…　when　a　certain　name　cropped　up　not　too　long　ago。〃
　〃The　Tecys？〃　Random　said。
　〃The　same。〃
　〃It　is　difficult；　deciding　where　to　start。。。〃　Martin　said。
　〃I　know　that　you　grew　up　in　Rebma；　walked　the　Pattern；　and　then　used　your　power　over　Shadow　to　visit　Benedict　in　Avalon；〃　I　said。　〃Benedict　told　you　more　about　Amber　and　Shadow；　taught　you　the　use　of　the　Trumps；　coached　you　in　weaponry。　Later；　you　departed　to　walk　in　Shadow　by　yourself。　And　I　know　what　Brand　did　to　you。　That　is　the　sum　of　my　knowledge。〃
　He　nodded；　stared　off　into　the　west。
　〃After　I　left　Benedict's；　I　traveled　for　years　in　Shadow；〃　he　said。　〃Those　were　the　happiest　times　I　have　known。　Adventure；　excitement；　new　things　to　see；　to　do。。。　In　the　back　of　my　mind；　I　always　had　it　that　one　day　when　I　was　smarter　and　tougher　…　more　experienced　…　I　would　journey　to　Amber　and　meet　my　other　relatives。　Then　Brand　caught　up　with　me。　I　was　camped　on　a　little　hillside；　just　resting　from　a　long　ride　and　taking　my　lunch；　on　my　way　to　visit　my　friends　the　Tecys。　Brand　contacted　me　then。　I　had　reached　Benedict　with　his　Trump；　when　he　was　teaching　me　how　to　use　them；　and　other　times　when　I　had　traveled。　He　had　even　transported　me　through　occasionally；　so　I　knew　what　it　felt　like；　knew　what　it　was　all　about。　This　felt　the　same　way；　and　for　a　moment；　I　thought　that　somehow　it　was　Benedict　calling　me。　But　no。　It　was　Brand　…　I　recognized　him　from　his　picture　in　the　deck。　He　was　standing　in　the　midst　of　what　seemed　to　be　the　Pattern。　I　was　curious。　I　did　not　know　how　he　had　reached　me。　So　far　as　I　knew；　there　was　no　Trump　for　me。　He　talked　for　a　minute　…　I　forget　what　he　said　…　and　when　everything　was　firm　and　clear；　he　…　he　stabbed　me。　I　pushed　him　and　pulled　away　then。　He　held　the　contact　somehow。　It　was　hard　for　me　to　break　it　…　and　when　I　did；　he　tried　to　reach　me　again。　But　I　was　able　to　block　him。　Benedict　had　taught　me　that。　He　tried　again；　several　times；　but　I　kept　blocking。　Finally；　he　stopped。　I　was　near　to　the　Tecys。　I　managed　to　get　onto　my　horse　and　make　it　to　their　place。　I　thought　I　was　going　to　die；　because　I　had　never　been　hurt　that　badly　before。　But　after　a　time；　I　began　to　recover。　Then　I　grew　afraid　once　again；　afraid　that　Brand　would　find　me　and　finish　what　he　had　begun。〃
　〃Why　didn't　you　contact　Benedict；〃　I　asked　him；　〃and　tell　him　what　had　happened；　tell　him　of　your　fears？〃
　〃I　thought　of　that；〃　he　said；　〃and　I　also　thought　of　the　possibility　that　Brand　believed　he　had　succeeded；　that　I　was　indeed　dead。　I　did　not　know　what　sort　of　power　struggle　was　going　on　in　Amber；　but　I　decided　that　the　attempt　on　my　life　was　probably　part　of　such　a　thing。　Benedict　had　told　me　enough　about　the　family　that　this　was　one　of　the　first　things　to　e　to　mind。　So　I　decided　that　perhaps　it　would　be　better　to　remain　dead。　I　left　the　Tecys　before　I　was　pletely　recovered　and　rode　off　to　lose　myself　in　Shadow。
　〃I　happened　upon　a　strange　thing　then；〃　he　continued；　〃a　thing　I　had　never　before　encountered；　but　which　now　seemed　virtually　omnipresent：　In　nearly　all　of　the　shadows　through　which　I　passed；　there　was　a　peculiar　black　road　existing　in　some　form　or　other。　I　did　not　understand　it；　but　since　it　was　the　only　thing　I　had　e　across　which　seemed　to　traverse　Shadow　itself；　my　curiosity　was　aroused。　I　resolved　to　follow　it　and　learn　more　about　it。　It　was　dangerous。　I　learned　very　quickly　not　to　tread　the　thing。　Strange　shapes　seemed　to　travel　it　at　night。　Natural　creatures　which　ventured　upon　it　sickened　and　died。　So　I　was　careful。　I　went　no　nearer　than　was　necessary　to　keep　it　in　sight。　I　followed　it　through　many　places。　I　quickly　learned　that　everywhere　it　ran　there　was　death；　desolation；　or　trouble　nearby。　I　did　not　know　what　to　make　of　it。
　〃I　was　still　weak　from　my　wound；〃　he　went　on；　〃and　I　made　the　mistake　of　pressing　myself；　of　riding　too　far；　too　fast；　in　a　day's　time。　That　evening；　I　fell　ill　and　I　lay　shivering　in　my　blanket　through　the　night　and　much　of　the　next　day。　I　was　into　and　out　of　delirium　during　this　time；　so　I　do　not　know　exactly　when　she　app