To Rule in Amber by John Gregory Betancourt & Roger Zelazny

Author:John Gregory Betancourt & Roger Zelazny
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Fantasy
Publisher: I Books
Published: 2003-12-31T13:00:00+00:00

Sixteen

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

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