The Chronicles of Amber

has… a most refreshing wit.”

All three chuckled at that. I left my own expression carefully blank, but surreptitiously studied Uthor. When he smiled, I saw that his teeth had been filed to needlelike points. It wasn't pleasant. I could easily believe he had killed my brothers—and so many others.

Despite their beautiful armor, neither he nor his men bore any weapons. They had probably left them behind under the flag of truce. Still, I knew well that they could summon their swords using the Logrus faster than I could draw my own.

“May I present my son,” Dad said without bothering to look behind himself. “Oberon, this is King Uthor of Chaos.”

I felt my hackles rising. This was the man who had destroyed Juniper. This was the man who had helped kill so many of my friends and family. More than anything else, I wanted his head on a pole over the castle gates.

Somehow, I managed to control my temper.

“An honor,” I said, forcing myself to be polite.

“Of course it is,” Uthor said. He gave a formal bow. When I returned it, he sat back down heavily.

“May we offer you the hospitality of Amber?” I asked. That seemed the most appropriate thing to say.

“Thank you. Dworkin has made us quite comfortable. You may leave us.”

“I am king here,” I said, putting an edge in my voice and leaning forward. “You will talk to me or not at all.”

“King?” Uthor said, smirking. “How… charmingly presumptuous.” He raked his gaze up and down my travel-stained clothes. “You wear your title well, sir.”

“At least I have the manners to accompany it.” I folded my arms and gave him an icy stare.

“Of course you do.” He actually smirked.

“May I remind you, Uthor, that you are a guest in my home?”

He sighed. “We are not here to challenge titles, no matter how trivial.” I bristled at that. Uthor leaned back in his seat. “Your father has told us something of your making, after all.”

“Oh?” I glanced at Dad. My “making”? That struck me as a curious turn of phrase, but I did not comment on it. Perhaps it was some sort of Chaos formality when talking about new kings; I had little schooling in court etiquette. I'd ask questions about it later, in private.

“Uthor,” I said, deliberately leaving off his title, “I am a man of plain words. All that has happened—here and in Chaos—has given me little cause to like or trust you. Either get to the point or leave.”

“Your honesty is most refreshing,” Uthor said. He toyed with the stem of his goblet. “An excellent wine, by the way. Worthy of a king.”

“I am not here to discuss the merits of table wines.”

My father cleared his throat. “Patience, my boy. King Uthor is visiting under a flag of truce, after all. Hear him out.”

“Very well.” Easily I slid into the seat next to my father. Conner continued to stand behind us. To Uthor, I said, “I'm listening.”

“We have much in common…” Uthor murmured, giving a vague wave of his hand.

“Indeed. Several common acquaintances.” Slowly I reached into the pouch at my belt, found the Trump his assassin had been carrying, and placed it on the table before me. Uthor's eyes flickered down to it, but if he recognized it, he showed no reaction.

Uthor continued, “I am here… to discuss… an alliance.” The words seemed almost painful to him.

I raised my eyebrows. “An alliance? Between Amber and Chaos?”

“Between brother kings.” His lips twisted back almost involuntarily as he spoke; he tried to hide it by taking a sip of his wine. I could tell he did not like calling me a brother of any sort; he clearly considered me his inferior.

I leaned back, studying him. An alliance… this was an unexpected development. He had to be desperate to make such an offer.

“We may have some common interests,” I said. I had to find out more before agreeing to anything. It sounded too good, too easy, to be true.

“A few, at least.” Uthor refused to meet my gaze. “And certainly one common enemy.”

Leaning back, I studied him. A common enemy? I thought him responsible for all the murders and assassination attempts on family members.

“Who might this enemy be?” I asked at last.

“Zon Swayvil, of course.”

Zon… Lord Zon. But hadn't Uthor set Lord Zon against us? Why would those two be at odds now, when they both seemed to want Amber destroyed and my whole family dead?

Dad said, “Zon Swayvil has seized the throne and proclaimed himself King of Chaos. Assisted by the Logrus, of course.”

“And he will die for it!” Uthor snarled, leaping to his feet.

Chapter 26

“Ah.” I leaned back in my chair, mind racing.

Suddenly it all made sense. Lord Zon had been using the fight between Chaos and my family to weaken King Uthor's position. We had all been nothing more than pawns in his game of thrones… moved, then forgotten when he made his play for a larger prize… all of Chaos!

I realized how desperate Uthor must be to come to us here.

“Why should I help you?” I asked calmly.

I picked up the assassin's Trump and turned it over in my hands pointedly. “Clearly you have no great affection for my family, the Pattern, or its Shadows.”

Uthor looked me in the eye. “I will not pretend otherwise. I do not like you. I do not like your father or your family. I gladly would have seen you all dead, your bloodline destroyed, and the Shadows erased forever.”

“But…” I prompted.

He swallowed. “I am prepared to live with them, if necessary.”

“Perhaps we should wait to see what Zon offers us,” I countered. “He holds Chaos. His position is better than yours.”

Uthor leaned forward. His face grew hard, and I could tell it pained him to speak these words. “I have never shirked from my duties,” he said slowly. “This is a time of hard choices. You and your family are enemies of Chaos. You turned your backs on the Logrus and its power. I had no choice but to set myself against you.”

“Much as Lord Zon has,” I said.

“Swayvil wants power,” Uthor said sharply. “He used you to distract me. Instead, I should have been watching him—and now I have been betrayed by the Logrus.” He waved me to silence when I opened my mouth to ask what he meant. How could the Logrus betray him? “Listen well, son of Dworkin. You will only get one chance to join me.”

“When must I decide?”

“Now.”

“Wait here. We must confer.”

He nodded.

“Dad?” I said.

He rose, and together with Conner, the three of us went into the hall. I shut the door behind us.

“Zon,” I said, “seems to be the more dangerous enemy. But if we join with Uthor, can we trust him to keep his word?”

“I trust him,” Dad said simply. “He has not been a great king as kings of Chaos go. But he has always acted out of a sense of duty. And I have never known him to break his word.”

“Conner?” I asked.