Knight of Shadows

I gave him a bow. Being dressed up made me feel vaguely courtly.

«How may I be of service?»

«Cut the crap and come on,» he said, taking hold of my elbow and steering me back toward the demibedroom. Vialle stood at the door, holding it open.

«Merlin?» she said as I brushed by.

«Yes?» I answered.

«I wasn't certain,» she said.

«Of what?» I asked.

«That it was you,» she responded.

«Oh, it's me, all right,» I said.

«It is indeed my brother,» Mandor stated, rising from his chair and approaching us. His arm was splinted and slung, his face considerably relaxed. «If anything about him strikes you as strange,» he continued, «it is likely because he has had a number of traumatic experiences since he left here.»

«Is that true?» Random asked.

«Yes,» I replied. «I didn't realize it was all that apparent.»

«Are you all right?» Random asked.

«I seem to be intact,» I said.

«Good. Then we'll save the particulars of your story for another time. As you can see, Coral is gone and Dworkin is, too. I didn't see them go. I was still in the studio when it happened.»

«When what happened?» I asked.

«Dworkin finished his operation,» Mandor said, «took the lady by the hand, drew her to her feet, and transported her away from here. It was most elegantly managed. One moment they stood at the bedside; the next their afterimages ran through the spectrum and winked out.»

«You say that he transported them. How do you know that they weren't snatched away by Ghostwheel or one of the Powers?» I asked.

«Because I watched his face,» he said, «and there was no surprise, whatsoever upon it, only a small smile.»

«I guess you're right,» I admitted. «Then who set your arm, if Random was off in the studio and Dworkin occupied?»

«I did,» Vialle said. «I've been trained in it.»

«So you were the only eyewitness to their vanishment?» I said to Mandor.

He nodded.

«What I want of you,» Random said, «is some idea where they flashed off to. Mandor said he couldn't tell. Here!»

He handed me a chain, from which a metal setting hung.

«What's this?» I asked.

«It was the most important of all the Crown Jewels,» he said, «the Jewel of Judgment. This is what they left me. The Jewel part is what they took.»

«Oh,» I said. Then: «It must be secure if it's in Dwotkin's care. He'd said something about putting it in a safe place, and he knows more about it than anyone else-»

«He may also have flipped out again,» Random said. «I'm not interested in discussing his merits as its custodian, though. I just want to know where the hell he's gone with the thing.»

«I don't believe he left any tracks,» Mandor said.

«Where were they standing?» I asked.

«Over there,» he said, with a gesture of the good arm, «to the right of the bed.»

I moved to that area, feeling through the potencies I ruled after the most appropriate.

«A little nearer the foot.»

I nodded, feeling it would not be all that difficult to look back a small distance through time within my personal space.

I felt the rainbow rush and saw their outlines. Freeze.

A power line moved forth from the ring, attached itself, ran rainbow with them, passed through the portal which closed with a mild implosion. Raising the back of my hand to my forehead, I seemed to look down the line-

–into a large hall hung with six shields to my left. To my right hung a multitude of flags and pennons. A fire blazed in an enormous hearth before me…

«I see the place they went to,» I said, «but I don't recognize it.»

«Is there some way you can share the vision?» Random asked.

«Perhaps,» I replied, realizing there was a way even as I said it. «Regard the mirror.»

Random turned, moved nearer the looking glass through which Dworkin had brought me - how long ago? «By the blood of the beast on the pole and the shell that is cracked at the center of the world,» I said, feeling the need to address two of the powers I controlled, «may the sight be cast!»

The mirror frosted over, and when it cleared, my vision of the hall lay within it.

«I'll be damned,» Random said. «He took her to Kashfa. I wonder why»

«One day you'll have to teach me that trick, brother,» Mandor commented.

«In that I was about to head for Kashfa,» I said, «is there anything special I should do?»

«Do?» Random said. «Just find out what's going on and let me know, will you?»

«Of course,» I said, uncasing my Trumps.

Vialle came up and took my hand as if in farewell.

«Gloves,» she commented.

«Trying to look a little formal,» I explained.

«There is something in Kashfa that Coral seems to fear,» she whispered. «She muttered about it in her sleep.»

«Thanks,» I said. «I'm ready for anything now.»

«You may say that for confidence,» she said, «but never believe it.»

I laughed as I held a Trump before me and pretended to study it while extending the force of my being along the line I had sent to Kashfa. I reopened the route Dworkin had taken and stepped through.

XII

Kashfa.