“Use it.”

I got it out. I regarded it. I moved my mind into that special area of alertness and calling. The picture changed came alive...

It was twilight, and Luke stood near a campfire. H had on his green outfit, a light brown cloak about his shoulders clasped with that Phoenix pin.

“Merle,” he said. “I can move the troops pretty fast.. When do you want to hit the place and—”

“Put it on hold,” I interrupted. “This is something different.”

“What?”

“Dalt's at the gates; and Vialle wants to talk to you before we take him apart.”

“Dalt? There? Amber?”

“Yes, yes, and yes. He says he'll go and play someplace else if we give him the two things he wants most in the world: you and your mother.”

“That's crazy.”

“Yeah. We think so, too. Will you talk to the queen about it?”

“Sure. Bring me thr—” He hesitated and looked into my eyes.

I smiled.

He extended his hand. I reached forward and took it. Suddenly, he was there. He looked about, saw Vialle. Immediately, he unclasped his sword belt and passed it to me. He approached her, dropped to his right knee, and lowered his head.

“Your Majesty,” he said. “I've come.”

She reached forward and touched him.

“Raise your head,” she said.

He did, and her sensitive fingers slid over the plane and arches of his face.

“Strength,” she said, “and sorrow... So you're Rinaldo. You've brought us some grief.”

“It works both ways, Your Majesty.”

“Yes, of course,” she replied. “Wrongs done and wrongs avenged have a way of spilling over on the innocent. How far will it go this time?”

“This thing with Dalt?” he asked.

“No. This thing with you.”

“Oh,” he said. “It's over. I've done with it. No more bombs or ambushes. I've already told Merlin that.”

“You've known him for several years?”

“Yes.”

“You've become friends?”

“He's one of the reasons I'm calling it off.”

“You must trust him, to come here. I respect that,” she said. “Take this.”

She removed a ring she wore upon her right forefinger. The band was of gold, the stone a milky green; the prongs of its setting caught it in a fashion to suggest some mantic spider guarding dreamland treasures against the daybreak world.

“Your Majesty...”

“Wear it;” she said.

“I will,” he replied, slipping it upon the little finger of his left hand. “Thank you.”

“Rise. I want you to know exactly what has occurred.”

He got to his feet, and she began telling him what she had told me, concerning Dalt's arrival, his forces' disposition, his demands, while I stood stunned at the implications of what she had done. She had just placed Luke under her protection. Everyone in Amber knew that ring. I wondered what Random would think. I realized then that there would not be a hearing. Poor Bill. I believe he was really looking forward to arguing Luke's case.

“Yes, I know Dalt,” I heard him saying. “Once we shared... certain goals. But he's changed. He tried to kill me the last time we met. I'm not sure why. At first I thought the wizard of the Keep had taken control of him.”

“And now?”

“Now, I just don't understand. I've a feeling he's on a leash, but I don't know who holds it.”

“Why not the wizard?”

“It makes no sense to go to these lengths to claim me when he had me and let me go just a few days ago. He could simply have left me in my cell.”

“True,” she replied. “What is this wizard's name?”

“Mask,” he answered. “Merlin knows more about him than I do.”

“Merlin,” she said. “Who is this Mask?”

“He's the wizard who took the Keep of the Four Worlds away from Jasra,” I explained, “who, in turn, had taken it away from Shah Ganul, who is now also a coatrack. Mask wears a blue mask and seems to draw power from a strange fountain in the citadel there. Doesn't seem to like me much either. That's about all I can tell you.”

I'd omitted mentioning my plan to head that way for a showdown soon, because of Jurt's involvement, for the same reason I hadn't wanted Random to know about it. I was certain Luke had tossed me the question because he wasn't sure how far I wanted it taken.

“That doesn't really tell us much,” she decided, “as to Dalt's involvement.”

“There may not be a connection,” I said. “I gather Dalt is a mercenary, and their relationship could have been a one-time thing. He could either be working for someone else now or pulling something on his own.”

“I can't see why anybody wants us badly enough to go to such dramatic lengths,” Luke said. “But I've a score to settle with that guy, and I'm going to combine business with pleasure.”

“What do you mean?” she asked.

“I assume there's a way to get down there in a hurry,” he said.

“One could always trump through to Julian,” I said, but what have you got in mind, Luke?”

“I want to talk to Dalt.”

“It's too dangerous,” she said, “since you're what he wants.”

Luke grinned. “It could be a bit dangerous for Dalt, too,” he replied.

“Wait a minute,” I said. “If you've got more in mind than just talking, you could blow this truce. Vialle's trying to avoid a conflict here.”

“There won't be any conflict,” Luke said. “Look, I've known Dalt since we were kids, and I think he's bluffing. He does that sometimes. He hasn't got the kind of force to risk another attack on Amber. Your guys would slaughter him. If he wants Mom or me, I think he'd be willing to tell me why, and that's what we want to find out, isn't it?”

“Well, yes,” I said. “But—”

“Let me go,” he said to Vialle, “and I'll find a way to get him off your back. I promise.”

“You tempt me,” she told him. “But I don't like your talk of settling accounts with him at this time. As Merlin said, I want to avoid this conflict-for more than one reason.”

“I promise not to let it go that far,” he stated. “I can read the dice. I'm good at playing things by ear. I'm willing to postpone gratification.”

“Merlin..?” she said.

“He's right, in that,” I answered. “He's the deadliest salesman in the southwest.”

“I'm afraid I don't understand the concept.”

“It's a highly specialized art, back on that Shadow Earth we both inhabited. In fact, he's using it on you right now.”

“Do you think he can do what he says?”

“I think he's very good at getting what he wants.”

“Exactly,” Luke observed. “And since we both want the same thing here, I think the future looks bright for all of us.”

“I see what you mean,” she said. “How much danger would this put you near, Rinaldo?”

“I'll be as safe as I am right here in Amber,” he said.

She smiled.

“All right, I'll speak to Julian,” she agreed, “and you can go to him and see what you can learn from Dalt.”

“A moment,” I requested, “It's been snowing on and off, and that's a pretty nasty wind out there. Luke just came in from a more temperate clime, and it's a pretty flimsy-looking cloak he has on. Let me get him something warmer. I've a nice heavy one he can take, if he finds it suitable.”

“Go ahead,” she said.

“We'll be right back.”

She pursed her lips, then nodded.

I passed Luke his weapons belt and he buckled it on. I knew that she knew I just wanted to talk to him alone for a few minutes. And she was certainly aware that I knew it. And we both knew she trusted me, which brightens my existence, as well as complicating it.

As we passed along the hallway toward my rooms, I'd intended to fill Luke in concerning the upcoming coronation in Kashfa, as well as a few other matters. I waited, however, till we were well away firm the sitting room, because Vialle has inordinately acute hearing. This, though, gave Luke a foot in the door, and he began to speak first.

“What a strange, development,” he said. Then, “I like her, but I've a feeling she knows more than she's telling.”