«Your old girlfriend, back in school?» I said.
«Yes. I thought there was something familiar about her immediately. But it didn't hit me till later. She has all of Gail's little mannerisms - the way she turns her head, the way she uses her hands and eyes when she's talking. Then she mentioned two events to which there had only been a single common witness - Gail.»
«It sounds as if she wanted you to know.»
«I believe she did,» he agreed.
«Why didn't she just come out and say it then, I wonder?»
«I don't think she can. There's something could be a spell on her, only it's hard to judge, her not being human and all.» He glanced furtively at the door as he said this. Then, «Check again,» he added.
«Still clear,» I said. «Now what about»
«Another time,» he said. «I've got to get out of here.»
«I can see your wanting to get away from her -» I began.
He shook his head. «That's not it,» he said. «I've got to hit the Keep of the Four Worlds - soon.»
«The shape you're in -»
«That's it. That's what I mean. I've got to get out of here so I can be in shape soon. I think old Sharu Garrul's gotten loose. That's the only way I can figure what happened.»
«What did happen?»
«I got a distress call from my mother. She'd gone back to the Keep after I'd gotten her away from you.»
«Why?»
«Why, what?»
«Why'd she head for the Keep?»
«Well, the place is a power center. The way the four worlds come together there releases an awful lot of free power, which an adept can tap into -»
«Four worlds actually do come together there? You mean you're in a different shadow depending on the direction you might take off in?»
He studied me for a moment. «Yes,» he finally said, «but I'll never get this thing told if you want all the little details.»
«And I won't understand it if too much gets left out. So she went to the Keep to raise some power and got in trouble instead. She called you to come help her. What did she want that power for, anyway?»
«Mm. Well, I'd been having trouble with Ghostwheel. I thought I almost had him talked into coming over to our side, but she probably thought I wasn't making progress fast enough and apparently decided to try binding him with a massive spell after -»
«Wait a minute. You were talking to Ghost? How did you get in touch? Those Trumps you drew are no good.»
«I know. I went in.»
«How'd you manage it?»
«In scuba gear. I wore a wet suit and oxygen tanks.»
«Son of a gun. That's an interesting approach:»
«I wasn't Grand D's top salesman for nothing. I almost had him convinced, too. But she'd learned where I'd stashed you, and she decided to try expediting matters by putting you under control, then using you to clinch the deal - as if you'd come over to our side. Anyhow, when that plan fell through and I had to go and get her away from you, we split up again. I thought she was headed for Kashfa, but she went to the Keep instead. Like I said, I think it was to try a massive working against Ghostwheel. I believe something that she did there inadvertently freed Sharu, and he took the place over again and captured her. Anyhow, I got this frantic sending from her, so -»
«Uh, this old wizard,» I said, «had been locked up there for-how long?»
Luke began to shrug, thought better of it. «Hell, I don't know. Who cares? He's been a cloak rack since I was a boy.»
«A cloak rack?»
«Yeah. He lost a sorcerous duel. I don't really know whether she beat him or whether it was Dad. Whoever it was, though, caught him in midinvocation, arms outspread and all. Froze him like that, stiff as a board. He got moved to a place near an entranceway later. People would hang cloaks and hats on him. The servants would dust him occasionally. I even carved my name on his leg when I was little, like on a tree. I'd always thought of him as furniture. But I learned later that he'd been considered pretty good in his day.»
«Did this guy ever wear a blue mask when he worked?»
«You've got me. I don't know anything about his style. Say, let's not get academic or she'll be here before I finish. In fact, maybe we ought to go now, and I can tell you the rest later.»
«Un-uh,» I said. «You are, as you noted last night, my prisoner. I'd be nuts to let you go anywhere without knowing a hell of a lot more than I do. You're a threat to Amber. That bomb you tossed at the funeral was pretty damn real. You think I want to give you another shot at us?»
He smiled, then lost it. «Why'd you have to be born Corwin's son, anyway?» he said. Then, «Can I give you my parole on this?» he asked.
«I don't know. I'm going to be in a lot of trouble if they find out I had you and didn't bring you in. What terms are you talking? Will you swear off your war against Amber?»
He gnawed his lower lip. «There's no way I can do that, Merle.»
«There are things you're not telling me, aren't there?»
He nodded. Then he grinned suddenly. «But I'll make you a deal you can't refuse.»
«Luke, don't give me that hard-sell crap.»
«]ust give me a minute, okay? And you'll see why you can't afford to pass this one up.»
«Luke, I'm not biting.»
«Only one minute. Sixty seconds. You're free to say no when I'm done.»
«All right,» I said. «Tell me.»
«Okay. I've got a piece of information vital to the security of Amber, and I'm certain nobody there has an inkling of it. I'll give it to you, after you've helped me.»
«Why should you want to give us something like that? It sounds kind of self-defeating.»
«I don't, and it is. But it's all I've got to offer. Help me get out of here to a place I have in mind where the time flow is so much faster that I'll be healed up in a day or so in terms of local time at the Keep.»
«Or here, for that matter, I'd guess.»
«True. Then - uh-oh!»
He sprawled on the bed, clutched at his chest with his good hand and began to moan.
«Lukel»
He raised his head, winked at me, glanced at the door and commenced moaning again.
Shortly, there came a knocking.
«Come in,» I said.
Vinta entered and studied us both. For a moment, there seemed to be a look of genuine concern on her face as she regarded Luke. Then she advanced to the bed and placed her hands upon his shoulders. She stood there for about half a minute, then announced, «You're going to live.»
«At the moment,» Luke replied, «I don't know whether that's a blessing or a curse.» Then he slipped his good arm around her, drew her to him suddenly and kissed her. «Hi, Gail,» he said. «It's been a long time.»
She drew away with less haste than she might have. «You seem improved already,» she observed, «and I can see that Merle's worked something to help you along.» She smiled faintly for an instant, then said, «Yes, it has been, you dumb jock. You still like your eggs sunny-side up?»
«Right,» he acknowledged. «But not half a dozen. Maybe just two today. I'm out of sorts.»
«All right,» she said. «Come on, Merle. I'll need you to supervise.»
Luke gave me a funny look, doubtless certain she wanted to talk with me about him. And for that matter, I wasn't certain I wanted to leave him alone even though I had all of his Trumps in my pocket. I was still uncertain as to the extent of his abilities, and I knew a lot less concerning his intentions. So I hung back.
«Maybe someone should stay with the invalid,» I told her.
«He'll be all right,» she said, «and I might need your help if I can't scare up a servant.»
