“You are very kind.”
I sat to his right, and Aber sat to his left. At his gesture, beautiful women began wheeling in trays of delicate pastries and sweetmeats. They served us on glass trays, then withdrew.
Marib began to eat at once, but lightly. We followed his example.
“I understand you are pioneers,” he said. “I will do whatever I can to assist you. However, doubtless due to my own shortcomings in education, I do not quite understand the magics Aber mentioned, and neither do my ministers. Can you tell me more of this place called Shadow, where you will dwell?”
“Of course,” I said. I explained quickly about all the worlds—the Shadows—and how they existed side by side. No need to go into the Pattern with him. Then I told him how my family had the ability to travel between these worlds, and after a conflict with a world called Chaos, we set off to live on our own.
“And who will rule there?” asked Prince Marib.
“Oberon will,” said Aber.
I shot him a warning glance. “That has not yet been decided,” I said.
Marib leaned back in his cushioned seat. “Oh, I think it has, my friend. If half of what Aber has told me is true, I see in you the seeds of a great and noble ruler.”
I pretended modesty. But I could not help but feel flattered. And I wondered: maybe I should be king.
Prince Marib extended his offer to assist us in whatever way he could, and we left soon after breakfast ended by exchanging vows of friendship between our peoples.
On our way back to the inn, I said to Aber: “You were right. I like him.”
On the third day after his return, Conner was up and about, with new color in his cheeks and new flesh on his bones. Now he looked merely thin rather than emaciated. Still Freda and Blaise plied him with food at every turn.
“At this rate I'll weigh four hundred pounds by the end of the month!” he complained to me.
I laughed. “You need to distract them with something else. Right now, all of their maternal instincts are focused on getting you well.”
“You keep telling me about this new Shadow,” he said. “How about taking me there? I'd like to see it. I assume you and Dad are going back today.”
“Yes. I think so. But keep in mind that it may affect you. Blaise did not react well to it.”
“I'll take that chance. And if not, I can always return here. Dad gave me a Trump of my room.”
I nodded. “Very well. We'll make a day of it, then. I know Freda wants to see it, too.”
Quickly I called down to the kitchens, and they set about making a picnic lunch for us. Nor was the manager content to pack us off with a simple basket. He insisted on a full complement of waiters and chefs, a portable grill, ice chests for the selection of wines, plus tables and chairs and sufficient linens. Our simple meal rapidly became a vast and complicated endeavor.
I sighed. At least I wouldn't be organizing it. Cold roast beef sandwiches and beer summoned through the Logrus would have been much simpler.
Chapter 16
It was nearly noon by the time our vast entourage got underway. Sixteen wagons strong—with horses for Aber and me—left the city. Our company had swelled to eighty-six. Twenty of them were early surveyors sent by the architects, who would begin making all of the preliminary measurements and sketches. The others included various servants who would set up tents and an advance camp, cooks, waiters, a wine steward, and a dozen others whose purposes remained a mystery to me.
Only Dad elected not to join us, saying he had errands of his own to run. Mysterious and secretive to the last. Well, we didn't need him right now, and I had a new Trump of him courtesy of Dad, so I could reach him whenever I had to.
It took an hour to reach our future home. The wagons slowed us down considerably. But as the familiar hills and forests came into sight, I felt a quickening of my blood and spurred my horse. Aber hurried to keep up, and side by side we ascended a mountain and gazed down at a pristine beach below.
“This is it!” I said.
“Beautiful.” He twisted in his saddle, looking in all directions. “I want a room with a southern view. And lots of windows.”
I chuckled. “Then it will do?”
“More than do! It's perfect, as long as it lasts!”
I studied him. “How do you feel? Tired? Sick?”
“Huh? Fine, of course.”
“No ill effects?”
“No-o-o… should I have some?”
I smiled with relief. “I was half afraid everyone else would get sick here, like Blaise did.”
He pointed down the mountain, where the wagons had just drawn to a stop. “She looks fine now, as far as I can see.”
I shaded my eyes and studied her, plus Conner and Freda. None of them lay down suddenly and went to sleep, which had to count for something.
Aber stood up in his saddle, waved, and shouted a “Halloo!”
Freda waved back. Everyone climbed down from the wagons and hiked toward us. Servants, meanwhile, began to unload everything and set up tables for lunch.
Ten minutes later, my sisters and brother joined us. Blaise looked pale and faintly sick, but not as bad as before. Conner and Freda were winded, but well.
“You look good,” Freda said to me. “Almost glowing. This world agrees with you.”
I laughed. “This place… it's in my blood. I feel strong here, more powerful and alive than I've ever been before.”
“It is the Pattern. Its nearness…” She turned slowly, studying the land. “It is… different here. Not like Chaos. Nor quite like Juniper. There is something powerful about it… an energy I can feel.”
“It's better,” I said.
“Different,” she repeated.
“Enjoy it while it lasts,” Aber said with a sigh.
I glanced over at him. “What do you mean?”
“Do you really think King Uthor will let us build here? He will march against us immediately.”
“You forget,” I said, “that this is my world, not his. It's built from the Pattern within me. I feel like a god here. So let him come—I'll kill him and hang his head from my castle gates!”
“Castle? Gates?” Aber turned slowly, staring at the emptiness. “He isn't going to wait for us to build. I bet he's gathering his forces now.”
“It doesn't matter,” I said. My imagination soared. Towers—walls—ramparts—a whole city will rise here, on the side of this mountain! “We will bring as many workers as it takes. We can rebuild Juniper in a year.”
“Not Juniper,” Freda said sharply. “That was Father's. Make this your city, Oberon. Put your stamp upon it.”
My own city… yes. I could see it in my mind's eye. Tall towers with minarets, proud pennants flying. High stone walls, shining white in the rising sun, surrounded by a beautiful town with red-tiled roofs and well-cobbled streets. Down to the sea, where the sun shone like amber on the waves…
“Amber,” I whispered. It fit this world. It resonated nicely with Juniper's name, too… a proud and unashamed continuation of our father's legacy.
“Amber? Is that the best you can come up with?” Aber asked.
“Kind of boring. How about Aberton? Now that's a name with personality!”
“No,” Freda said flatly.
“Or just Aber. It's shorter.”
“Only by one letter,” I said.
Freda said, “Absolutely not!”
“Or maybe Oberonia?” he went on, grinning at me. “What do you say, brother?”
I had to laugh. “Actually, I kind of like Oberonia!”
“No,” Freda said firmly, turning to me and folding her arms stubbornly. “Do not encourage him, Oberon. He becomes very silly if you let him.”
“How about Fredania?” Aber suggested with a knowing smirk.
She glared. “No! This world will be called Amber. That is the end of the discussion.”
“I like Amber,” Conner said.
“So do I,” said Blaise.
�
�Then it's settled,” I said. “We'll call it Amber. The name fits, and I like it.”
“No sense of fun…” Aber muttered.
“It is settled.” Freda sighed and looked to the distance. “Now comes the hard part.”
“We all know an attack will come,” I said. “The only question is—when?”
“Maybe building here isn't such a great idea,” Aber said. “Dad had a hundred years to prepare Juniper, and he still couldn't hold it.”
“We must build Amber to withstand greater forces,” Freda said. “We know what we will face. This time, we will be ready.”
Aber shook his head. “Easier said than done!”
“Higher ramparts and stronger walls will only do so much,” I said. “I've seen what primal chaos can do. If Uthor unleashes it here, nothing will save this Shadow.”
“We cannot hide like animals,” Freda said.
“I didn't say we should.” I swallowed, eyes turning to the distance. “We need a home. A place to plan and gather our forces. If war is inevitable, I'm not going to wait for it to come to me. We'll attack first.”
Aber gasped. “Attack the Courts of Chaos? Are you mad?”
I looked at him levelly. “I've never been more serious. If I have to fight, it's going to be on my terms. If Uthor has spies in Amber, we'll have spies in Chaos. If he gathers an army to attack us here, we will attack him first. I'm not like our father—I'm going to fight, and I'm going to win. No matter what it takes.”
Freda looked at me strangely. “I see our father in you,” she said. “But there is something else, something more.”
“I have a mother, too,” I reminded her, thinking to the unicorn I had seen three times now. I half believed my father's claim that she had birthed me. “If any of what I suspect is true, she is quite remarkable.”
“Your mother, yes, that must be it,” she murmured. “For the first time… I believe you will succeed.”
I chuckled. “Let's not get maudlin. We have work ahead of us. Hard work, and a lot of it.”
“I don't like the sound of that!” Aber said with mock alarm.
“Think bigger, beyond yourself.” I gestured grandly, taking in the mountain before us. “Look at this world as a blank slate. We have architects—stonemasons—carpenters, all at our call. We can buy food in great supply. We will hire all the help we need from Selonika and other nearby Shadows. Amber itself will provide the rest. A quarry for granite and marble. Lumber by the ton. Enough land for farming, fish from the sea and meat from the forests…”
“Whoa!” Aber said. “We haven't even had lunch yet!”
“Can Amber really be built so quickly?” Freda asked.
“Yes. We'll do it the old-fashioned way… with greed.” I grinned. “And, for anyone who doesn't want gold, there's plenty of land available. We need farms and wineries. For anyone really valuable to us, we can hand out minor titles—”
“You would set up a peerage among the Shadow-people?” Blaise asked, looking aghast.
“Why not?” I grinned at her. “I've lived in Shadows my whole life. There were more people of honor and integrity in Ilerium than I found in all of Chaos.”
“But none of them can control Shadow or Chaos,” Conner said. “They have no real power.”
“Oh, a few generations of interbreeding with the likes of us, and I think they'll share our powers, too. I certainly intend to take a wife. Every king needs his queen.”
“Then you will be king?” Aber asked, sounding hopeful. “Not Dad?”
“Oberon must be King,” Freda said. “The Pattern has chosen him.”
“Great!” Aber grinned. “It was my idea, you know. As a reward, I expect a few extra titles, at the very least.”
“As the king's brother, you will be a prince,” Freda said. “That is sufficient.”
“How about Arch-Duke of Aberton?” I asked. “And—uh—Lord of All the Marshlands?”
“Much better!” He laughed. “Do we have marshlands?”
Freda frowned. “You are both being frivolous.”
“We also have to figure out where Aberton is,” I said, ignoring her.
Aber turned and looked to the south. “Isn't it over there? I want to see it from my rooms in the castle.”
“Could be.” I shaded my eyes. “I bet it's just beyond that forest.”
“Insane, both of you!” Freda threw up her hands and stomped off.
Aber and I both broke up laughing.
Chapter 17
“No, no, no!” I shouted. I pounded my fist on the table inside the tent, where dozens of sketches and blueprints lay in disarray. “I don't care whether the mules are sick, only half the workmen are here, or it's raining flaming toads! Work begins today!”
The two construction supervisors cringed before my wrath. “Yes, King Oberon!” one of them squeaked. They bowed their way out of my tent.
Three weeks had passed since our picnic atop Mount Amber, as we now called the mountain where the castle was to be built. Nothing but delays, delays, and more delays had plagued the beginning of construction. Like a rusted wheel, the machine of our builders needed to be unstuck to turn… my anger provided the solvent.
I rose and paced. Aber, with his feet up on the table, just chuckled.
“It's not funny!” I roared. I'd had it with the lot of them.
“Did I say it was?” Aber asked. “The sooner I have a real roof over my head, the happier I'll be. I hate rain, I hate sun, and I hate living in a tent. If you didn't need my help with the blueprints, I'd be back in Selonika right now, living the good life.” He sighed.
“Oh, go ahead back,” I said. I waved him away. “There's not much more to do today, anyway. Tomorrow, after you've slept off your hangover, come on back and we'll see what more needs to be done.”
“You don't have to tell me twice!” He leaped up and ran out through the tent's open flaps.
Sighing, I sprawled back in my chair and began looking through the architect's sketches again. Something about the west wing bothered me, but I just couldn't figure out what, exactly.
“Oberon?” I heard Freda say as she swept in. “I wish a word with you.”
“Of course. Join me.” I indicated the seat Aber had just vacated. “Wine?”
“Thank you.”
I poured a cup of red wine for her.
“What's wrong?” I asked.
“The problem,” she said, “is a lack of supervision. Conner and you make sure work gets done well and quickly, but you cannot be everywhere at once. As soon as you leave, the workmen grow slack. I have seen it time and again at the sawmill, the quarry, or here as they dig the foundation… these men move at their own pace.”
“I know.” I let out a long sign. “Everything is behind schedule. And yet… we have all the available men working in shifts night and day. What more can we do?”
“We need more help,” she said.
“All right. Hire more workers. As many as it takes, from Selokina or any other Shadow.”
“No… I mean more help from our family.”
That puzzled me. “I know Aber doesn't work as hard as he might, but—”
“No, you do not understand. I am not asking Aber to do more. He has done a wonderful job so far. I need more family members. I want to invite several of my aunts and uncles to join us. And I want permission to search for the rest of our missing brothers and sisters.”
“Will your relatives come?” I asked. “They must know how difficult life here will be, at least in the beginning. We can only offer tents… and a lot of hard work.”
“It is still preferable to their present lives in the Courts.”
I paused. “You already spoke to them about it, didn't you?”
She raised her head. “Yes. They are being persecuted by Lord Uthor for daring to help me. He has made it… unpleasant for them. They seek asylum. I know they will work hard—”
“Enough!” I raised my hands and smiled. “Of course they may come. If you vouch for
them, I will gladly offer whatever protection I can.”
“Thank you, Oberon!” She beamed. “I knew we could depend on you!”
“How could I not help them? Any who seek freedom from Uthor's tyranny should be welcome in Amber.” I cleared my throat. “You also said something about finding missing family members?”
“Yes. We have had no news of so many of them… and I miss Pella. I cannot believe Uthor killed or captured them all. If Blaise and Aber were smart enough to remain free… why not a few more?”
“I suppose it's possible,” I said slowly. I saw what she meant. We had plenty of other brothers and sisters who were just as clever and resourceful. Maybe more so.
“And…” she hesitated.
“What is it?”
“The last time we were in Selonika, I went through all my Trumps. I tried every one of them, for the living and the dead.”
“Yes?”
She leaned forward urgently. “I thought I sensed something from Isadora, Fenn, and Davin. A flicker of contact, quickly blocked.”
“Davin!” I exclaimed. He had fallen, along with our brother Locke, while defending Juniper against attacking hell-creatures. “Impossible! He'd dead!”
“I am not sure. Remember, we never did see his body.”
“True.” Taking a deep breath, I looked away. Davin had earned my grudging respect on the battlefield. If he had been captured instead of killed…
“All right, I'll grant you that much. Davin may be alive. What of Isadora? And Fenn?”
“I want Father to make a complete set of Trumps for me—one card for every one of his children, living and dead.”
“Dead?” I asked. “Why?”
“There are… certain ways to raise the dead in Chaos,” she said grimly. “Uthor may have done it with Davin. We cannot be certain. It would take a fresh body to fully restore him. Later, he could be brought back as a zombi… an animated corpse which can do simple tasks for its master.”
I did not like the sound of that. Rising, I paced. She had given me a lot to think about.
Three more of us possibly alive… having Fenn and Davin here would make an enormous difference in the coming battle. But first we had to get them back. Finding them had to be a top priority.
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