Blood of Amber

«Take my stick and my blade down first, will you?»

«Sure. '.

I did that thing. By the time I climbed back he had caught hold and gotten onto it, had begun his descent.

«You'll have to teach me that trick one of these days,» he said, breathing heavily.

«Don't know what you're talking about,» I answered.

He descended slowly, pausing to rest at each rung, and he was flushed and panting when he reached the bottom. He slumped to the floor immediately, pressing his right palm against his lower rib cage. After a time, he inched backward a bit and rested against the wall.

«You okay?» I asked.

He nodded. «Will be,» he said, «in a few minutes. Being stabbed takes a lot out of you.»

«Want a blanket?»

«No, thanks.»

«Well, you rest here and I'll go check the larder and see whether anything's gotten at the supplies. Want me to bring you anything?»

«Some water,» he said.

The supplies proved to be in good order, and the sleeping bag was still where I'd left it. I returned with a drink for Luke and a few ironic memories of the occasion when he'd done the same for me.

«Looks as if you're in business,» I told him. «There's still plenty of stuff.»

«You didn't drink all the wine, did you?» he asked between sips.

«No.»

«Good.»

«Now, you said you have a piece of information vital to the interests of Amber,» I said. «Care to tell me about it?»

He smiled. «Not yet,» he said.

«I thought that was our deal.»

«You didn't hear the whole thing. We were interrupted.»

I shook my head. But, «All right, we were interrupted,» I acknowledged. «Tell me the rest.»

«I've got to get back on my feet, so I can take the Keep and free my mother…»

I nodded.

«The information is yours after we rescue her.»

«Hey! Wait a minute! You're asking a hell of a lot!»

«Not for what I'm paying.»

«Sounds like I'm buying a pig in a poke.»

«Yes, I guess you are. But believe me, it'll be worth knowing.»

«What if it becomes worth knowing while I'm waiting?»

«No, I've figured the timing on this. My recovery is only going to take a couple of days, Amber time. I can't see the matter coming up that fast.»

«Luke, this is starting to sound like some sort of trick.»

«It is,» he said, «but it will benefit Amber as well as myself.»

«That's another thing. I can't see you giving something like this away to the enemy.»

He sighed. «It might even be enough to get me off the hook,» he added.

«You're thinking of calling off your feud?»

«I don't know. But I've been doing a lot of thinking, and if I did decide to go that route it would make for a real good opener.»

«And if you decided not to, you'd be screwing yourself. Wouldn't you?»

«I could live with it, though. It might make my job harder, but not impossible.»

«I don't know,» I said. «If word of this gets out and I've got nothing to show for letting you get away like this, I'll be in real hot water.»

«I won't tell anybody if you won't.»

«There's Vinta.»

«And she keeps insisting that her big aim in life is to protect you. Besides, she won't be there if you go back. Or rather, there will be the real Vinta, having awakened as from a troubled sleep.»

«How can you be so sure?»

«Because you've left. She's probably already off seeking you.»

«Do you know what she really is?»

«No, but I'll help you speculate sometime.»

«Not now?»

«No, I've got to sleep some more. It's catching up with me again.»

«Then let's go over this deal one more time. What are you going to do, how do you intend to do it and what are you promising me?»

He yawned. «I stay here till I'm back in shape,» he said. «Then when I'm ready to attack the Keep I get in touch with you. Which reminds me, you still have my Trumps.»

«I know. Keep talking. How do you intend taking the Keep?»

«I'm working on it. I'll let you know that too. Anyhow, you can help us or not at that point, as you see fit. I wouldn't mind having another sorcerer with me, though. Once we're in and she's freed, I'll tell you what I promised and you can take it back to Amber.»

«What if you lose?» I asked.

He looked away. «I guess there's always that possibility,» he finally agreed. «Okay, how's this? I'll write the whole thing out and keep it with me. I'll give it to you - by Trump or in person - before we attack. Win or lose, I'll have paid my way with you.»

He extended his good hand and I clasped it.

«Okay,» I said.

«Then let me have my Trumps back, and I'll be talking to you as soon as I get moving again.»

I hesitated. Finally, I drew out my pack, which was now grown quite thick. I shuffled out my own then along with a number of his and passed him what remained.

«What about the rest?»

«I want to study them, Luke. Okay?»

He shrugged weakly. «I can always make more. But give me back my mother's.»

«Here.»

He accepted it, then said, «I don't know what you've got in mind, but I'll give you a piece of advice: Don't screw around with Dalt. He's not the nicest of guys when he's normal, and I think there's something wrong with him right now. Keep away from him.»

I nodded, then got to my feet.

«You're going now?» he asked.

«Right.»

«Leave me the ladder.»

«It's all yours.»