t has been
over a week since we were last at Amber and our escapades in ensuring
her safety were soon to reach a climax. After Darius had completed his
process to hinder attacks by the main seaways into Amber, he had
trumped out and left us, meaning Thor, Johanna, her dog, maybe Bryan
and I to face the music.
t was currently rather damp music.
We were aboard the smallest jettisoned fragment of what had
once been a proud, if chaosian warship. It did, however, have
the benefit of being the only fragment that wasn't sinking. It had
no engines or sails and was drifting whilst the wind was rising and the
sky darkening to a shade suggesting that we really ought to be getting
out of there. After pressur from the others I managed to modify some
antenna on the ship into a mast with sails and we were skipping over
the waves, albeit not fast enough. As we got faster and faster, we
warped shadow slightly (we were close to Amber) and an island loomed
out of the driving rain. We hit a reef, which spilled us outand
holed the boat, and we swam for the shore before the hurricane hit.
n the island we discovered
a small ramshackle hut which made good firewood. We dried off and a
strange, yet ghastly amphibious apparition came towards Johanna,
Thor and I. It was giggling and gurgled slightly, claiming to
be a duke of Amber.
eedless to say, it
was Bryan. When we encountered some natives, Thor traded Bryan in
as a slave in return for a boat. We got into the boat, and
paddled away, with Bryan. The natives hurled spears at us but
Johanna parried them with ease.
s we paddled we saw something loom up out
of the horizon and threaten to run us over. It was an absolutely huge ship, with a
metal hull, vast areas of flying canvas, and claimed to be the "Queen Elizabeth II".
Valiantly we boarded her and demanded that they continue on towards Amber in the
same way that they already were doing. Whilst aboard we found that Ricardo and
a stranger called Lorien (spelt with a "z") were on board. Flora shortly joined us.
e reached Amber and waited for someone to come out and pilot her in. After all, as Ricardo said;
"I never park my vehicles: I always let someone else do it for me.".
We then ate and slept.
ithin Amber's fair walls
there were various Amberites, namely Fiona, Random, Gerard, Bleys, Bleys,
Corwin and rumours of a Fiona. People largely did their own things for
a few days. . . .
couple of days later, I
was eating my evening meal when the doors to the great hall opened and in
dripped Walker. He didn't look very happy. He seemed to have lost his sword
and wasn't best pleased. He demanded to know who had sunk the ship by pieces.
Bryan hadn't been there and looked at me. Thor looked at me. Johanna
wasn't there but I just had that feeling that if she was, she'd be looking at me.
I opened my mouth, and the Jury returned its verdict. Walker promised
that he'd be back and would, I quote, "Hit me Very Hard". Oh dear.
fter this brief interlude,
we returned to our meals. Thor tried to get Bryan to use a trump. Bryan refused.
This escaleted into a bit of a fight. I ignored it - such barbaric table manners.
mean, they wouldn't even pass the pepper.
heir argument halted however when
Amber's walls went sparkly and wibbled slightly. This was NOT a good thing. The
Elders went silent and hurried off. Johanna, who had arrived briefly, left to
go looking for Corwin.
he next morning, people awoke.
This was a good thing, for which we were all truly grateful. Many people
found invitations under their doors (those that had doors) and were invited
to a garden party that Flora was holding in the gardens that afternoon.
e will have to see how it goes. . .