Nathan’s Diary part 12: Rinaldo – Excommunications – Hall of Mirrors – Rebellion

In The Doom that Came to Amber

27^th Bull 3658

Pull out trump of Prince Julian. Concentrate on his trump. Can’t seem to get through. Push the contact somewhat but don’t go all out. Still can’t get through. It could be the distance or Julian might not want to be contacted.

Decide to try shadow travel to the three hags and the tree and the well. After a couple of hours remember that Random had already set off that way. Not worth the effort since it’s hard going.

Trump Julian again pushing hard. He answered “How are things in Cordoba?”

I replied “I’m not there.”

Julian: “You seem to be a long way off.”

“That’s because I am. I’ve been on a mission for King Random. He asked me to give you my report. He sent me to find Corwin’s daughter, Sarah. She had been residing on shadow Earth. I tracked her to the Grand Canyon. It seems to be place where a rent in shadow had healed over. I opened the rent and was dragged through. Someone was trying to kill me on my way down the canyon by the way.

“In the void my flesh was starting to burn away and my eyes were stinging. I contacted Deirdre by trump. I went to her. She was naked in a bubble arms and legs akimbo. She was screaming and completely insane. I was on the outside of the bubble. Sarah was also in bubble close by but apparently still sane. Brand was there but insubstantial, I could see the stars through him. He seemed to be able to exist in the void. He put a bubble around me. He asked me for information in return for my freedom.”

Julian asked me about what he said.

I replied that he was happy to hear of the death of Prince Caine. He said he sent the meteorite that landed in Amber. He knows about broken patterns and of magical jewels similar to the Jewel of Judgement. He seemed to know of Kashfa and his son Rinaldo. Rinaldo is totally against Amber but Brand said he could do a deal with him.

Prince Julian tells me to tell all the others about Prince Brand being in the void unless I’ve more pressing business.

Next I contact Oberon and tell him the details. He tells me to find Scott. He went to the funeral of Lord Clarence. He says that if I go into the Royal Boat House and board the boat Adventure. Then I should sail to wherever it takes me. He said to be careful since Scott may be ill. Scott is a son of Oberon. If he is dead then he must be avenged. Scott went with Rinaldo to the funeral and has not been in contact since. Oberon says that I should not call Brand Prince since he died and was declared a traitor.

I mention that Brand told me that it would be for the worse if Lord Clarence died because Clarissa would then become Archmage. He said not too worry overmuch about Clarissa. When I told him of trumping Deirdre in the void he said that it must be the real Deirdre since there are no shadows in the void. I remember when she was found in Cougar & Dark circus she had no explanation as to how she survived falling into the abyss. She forgot. How convenient.

I trump Alaric. He tells me that Clarissa is planning to invade Amber and is engaged to Dark, from Cougar and Darks’ Circus. He also says that Benedict is trapped in faerie. Clarissa has the gem of Amethyst. It is a shadow of the Jewel of Judgement.

Apparently she gloated and ranted at the funeral of Lord Clarence. Alaric says that he spoke a word which caused a being to appear in the sky. It was similar to the being that appeared in Lyon Abbey. He says that this summoned creature is similar to the Unicorn. Likely story. Fiona passed out and was carried away by Aylwin. Subsequently she was injured and may die. I must remember to steer clear of Alaric, he’s a loose cannon, and dangerous with it.

Alaric asked me to tell Julian that if he kills him it will make things twenty times worse. He also asked me to apologise to his mother on his behalf, if she still lived.

Alaric will be a wanted man if the Regent is after him.

I contact Oberon via trump. I tell him of my conversation with Alaric. He said that Clarissa is prone to ranting. Perhaps she needs a good slap. He told me to retrieve the Jewel of Judgement which is hidden in the hall of mirrors. The hall of mirrors has aspects of pattern and trump. I wonder if it’s similar in nature to the hall of mirrors in Darks’ circus. Oberon told me to go into the hall and to talk to his picture. Then I’m to give the Jewel to the King. Not Random or Julian but the King. Corwin?

Will the King know what to do with it? Apparently not. The Jewel can counter the thing in the sky. Beware of faces in the sky talking to you. The face in the sky at the Battle of the Abysmal Plane was not him. What did it say? It would appoint the next King. He told me to kill Alaric if I got the chance, but not to go out of my way since he’s powerful.

I saw the Hall of Mirrors once. I was told to avoid the mirrors if they are pictures. Some are medieval, some Egyptian, gothic paintings lit by smoky torches, and impressionist paintings lit by electric lights.