rz.signoftheunicorn-第2节

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　〃I've　been　trying　to　think　how　I　could　alibi　you。　But　it　does　not　look　promising。〃
　I　shook　my　head。
　〃You　are　too　close　to　me。　No　matter　how　good　we　made　it　sound；　it　would　probably　have　the　opposite　effect。〃
　〃Have　you　considered　admitting　to　it？〃
　〃Yes。　But　self…defense　is　out。　With　a　cut　throat；　it　had　to　be　a　matter　of　surprise。　And　I　have　no　stomach　for　starting　off　with　the　alternative：　hoke　up　some　evidence　that　he　was　up　to　something　rotten　and　say　I　did　it　for　the　good　of　Amber。　I　flatly　refuse　to　take　on　fake　guilt　under　those　terms。　I'd　wind　up　with　a　bad　odor　that　way；　too。〃
　〃But　with　a　real　tough　reputation。〃
　〃It's　the　wrong　kind　of　tough　for　the　sort　of　show　I　want　to　run。　No；　that's　out。〃
　〃That　covers　everything；　then　…　just　about。〃
　〃What　do　you　mean　'just　about'？〃
　He　studied　his　left　thumbnail　through　slitted　eyes。
　〃Well；　it　occurs　to　me　that　if　there　is　anyone　else　you　are　anxious　to　get　out　of　the　picture；　now　is　the　time　to　consider　that　a　frame　can　often　be　shifted。〃
　I　thought　about　it　and　finished　my　cigarette。
　〃Not　bad；〃　I　said；　〃but　I　can't　spare　any　more　brothers　at　the　moment。　Not　even　Julian。　Anyhow；　he's　the　least　frameable。〃
　〃It　need　not　be　family；〃　he　said。　〃Plenty　of　noble　Amberites　around　with　possible　motives。　Take　Sir　Reginald　…　〃
　〃Forget　it；　Random！　The　reframing　is　out；　too。〃
　〃Okay。　I've　exhausted　my　little　gray　cells；　then。〃
　〃Not　the　ones　in　charge　of　memory；　I　hope。〃
　〃All　right。〃
　He　sighed。　He　stretched。　He　got　to　his　feet；　stepped　over　the　room's　other　occupant；　and　made　his　way　to　the　window。　Drawing　back　the　drapes；　he　stared　out　for　a　time。
　〃All　right；〃　he　repeated。　〃There's　a　lot　to　tell。。。〃
　Then　he　remembered　out　loud。
　
　
　Chapter　2
　
　While　sex　heads　a　great　number　of　lists；　we　all　have　other　things　we　like　to　do　in　between。　With　me；　Corwin；　it's　drumming；　being　up　in　the　air；　and　gambling　…　in　no　special　order。　Well；　maybe　soaring　has　a　little　edge　…　in　gliders；　balloons；　and　certain　variations　…　but　mood　has　a　lot　to　do　with　that　too；　you　know。　I　mean；　ask　me　another　time　and　I　might　say　one　of　the　others。　Depends　on　what　you　want　most　at　the　moment。
　Anyway；　I　was　here　in　Amber　some　years　ago。　Not　doing　much　of　anything。　Just　visiting　and　being　a　nuisance。　Dad　was　still　around；　and　when　I　noticed　that　he　was　getting　into　one　of　his　grumpy　moods；　I　decided　it　was　time　to　take　a　walk。　A　long　one。　I　had　often　noticed　that　his　fondness　for　me　tended　to　increase　as　an　inverse　function　of　my　proximity。　He　gave　me　a　fancy　riding　crop　for　a　going…away　present　…　to　hasten　the　process　of　affection；　I　suppose。　Still；　it　was　a　very　nice　crop　…　silver…chased；　beautifully　tooled　…　and　I　made　good　use　of　it。　I　had　decided　to　go　looking　for　an　assemblage　of　all　my　simple　pleasures　in　one　small　nook　of　Shadow。
　It　was　a　long　ride　…　I　will　not　bore　you　with　the　details　…　and　it　was　pretty　far　from　Amber；　as　such　things　go。　This　time；　I　was　not　looking　for　a　place　where　I　would　be　especially　important。　That　can　get　either　boring　or　difficult　fairly　quickly；　depending　on　how　responsible　you　want　to　be。　I　wanted　to　be　an　irresponsible　nonentity　and　just　enjoy　myself。
　Texorami　was　a　wide　open　port　city；　with　sultry　days　and　long　nights；　lots　of　good　music；　gambling　around　the　clock；　duels　every　morning　and　in…between　mayhem　for　those　who　couldn't　wait。　And　the　air　currents　were　fabulous。　I　had　a　little　red　sail　plane　I　used　to　go　sky　surfing　in；　every　couple　of　days。　It　was　the　good　life。　I　played　drums　till　all　hours　in　a　basement　spot　up　the　river　where　the　walls　sweated　almost　as　much　as　the　customers　and　the　smoke　used　to　wash　around　the　lights　like　streams　of　milk。　When　I　was　done　playing　I'd　go　find　some　action；　women；　or　cards；　usually。　And　that　was　it　for　the　rest　of　the　night。　Damn　Eric；　anyway！　That　reminds　me　again。。。　He　once　accused　me　of　cheating　at　cards；　did　you　know　that？　And　that's　about　the　only　thing　I　wouldn't　cheat　at。　I　take　my　card　playing　seriously。　I'm　good　and　I'm　also　lucky。　Eric　was　neither。　The　trouble　with　him　was　that　he　was　good　at　so　many　things　he　wouldn't　admit　even　to　himself　that　there　were　some　things　other　people　could　do　better。　If　you　kept　beating　him　at　anything　you　had　to　be　cheating。　He　started　a　nasty　argument　over　it　one　night　…　could　have　gotten　serious　…　but　Gerard　and　Caine　broke　it　up。　Give　Caine　that。　He　took　my　part　that　time。　Poor　guy。。。　Hell　of　a　way　to　go；　you　know？　His　throat。。。　Well；　anyhow；　there　I　was　in　Texorami；　making　music　and　women；　winning　at　cards　and　jockeying　around　the　sky。　Palm　trees　and　night…blooming　wallflowers。　Lots　of　good　port　smells　…　spices；　coffee；　tar；　salt　…　you　know。　Gentlefolk；　merchants；　and　peons　…　the　same　straights　as　in　most　other　places。　Sailors　and　assorted　travelers　passing　in　and　out。　Guys　like　me　living　around　the　edges　of　things。　I　spent　a　little　over　two　years　in　Texorami；　happy。　Really。　Not　much　contact　with　the　others。　Sort　of　postcard　like　hellos　via　the　Trumps　every　now　and　then；　and　that　was　about　it。　Amber　was　pretty　much　off　my　mind。　All　this　changed　one　night　when　I　was　sitting　there　with　a　full　house　and　the　guy　across　from　me　was　trying　to　make　up　his　mind　whether　or　not　I　was　bluffing。
　The　Jack　of　Diamonds　began　talking　to　me。
　Yes；　that　is　how　it　started。　I　was　in　a　weird　frame　of　mind　anyway。　I　had　just　finished　a　couple　very　hot　sets　and　was　still　kind　of　high。　Also；　I　was　physically　strung　out　from　a　long　day's　gliding　and　not　much　sleep　the　night　before。　I　decided　later　that　it　must　be　our　mental　quirk　associated　with　the　Trumps　that　made　me　see　it　that　way　when　someone　was　trying　to　reach　me　and　I　had　cards　in　my　hand　…　any　cards。　Ordinarily；　of　course；　we　get　the　message　empty…handed；　unless　we　are　doing　the　calling。　It　could　have　been　that　my　subconscious　…　which　was　kind　of　footloose　at　the　time　…　just　seized　on　the　available　props　out　of　habit。　Later；　though；　I　had　cause　to　wonder。　Really；　I　just　don't　know。
　The　Jack　said；　〃Random。〃　Then　its　face　blurred　and　it　said；　〃Help　me。〃　I　began　getting　a　feel　of　the　personality　by　then；　but　it　was　weak。　The　whole　thing　was　very　weak。　Then　the　face　rearranged　itself　and　I　saw　that　I　was　right。　It　was　Brand。　He　looked　like　hell；　and　he　seemed　to　be　chained　or　tied　to　something。　〃Help　me；〃　he　said　again。
　〃I'm　here；〃　I　said。　〃What's　the　matter？〃
　〃。。。　prisoner；〃　he　said；　and　something　else　that　I　couldn't　make　out。
　〃Where？〃　I　asked。
　He　shook　his　head　at　that。
　〃Can't　bring　you　through；〃　he　said。　〃No　Trumps；　and　I　am　too　weak。　You　will　have　to　e　the　long　way　around。。。〃
　I　did　not　ask　him　how　he　was　managing　it　without　my　Trump。　Finding　out　where　he　was　seemed　of　first　importance。　I　asked　him　how　I　could　locate　him。
　〃Look　very　closely；〃　he　said。　〃Remember　every　feature。　I　may　only　be　able　to　show　you　once。　e　armed；　too。。。〃
　Then　I　saw　the　landscape　…　over　his　shoulder；　out　a　window；　over　a　battlement；　I　can't　be　sure。　It　was　far　from　Amber；　somewhere　where　the　shadows　go　mad。　Farther　than　I　like　to　go。　Stark；　with　shifting　colors。　Fiery。　Day　without　a　sun　in　the　sky。　Rocks　that　glided　like　sailboats　across　the　land。　Brand　there　in　some　sort　of　tower　…　a　small　point　of　stability　in　that　flowing　scene。　I　remembered　it；　all　right。　And　I　remembered　the　presence　coiled　about　the　base　of　that　tower。　Brilliant。　Prismatic。　Some　sort　of　watch…thing；　it　seemed　…　too　bright　for　me　to　make　out　its　outline；　to　guess　its　proper　size。　Then　it　all　just　went　away。　Instant　off。　And　there　I　was；　staring　at　the　Jack　of　Diamonds　again；　with　the　guy　across　from　me　not　knowing　whether　to　be　mad　at　my　long　distraction　or　concerned　that　I　might　be　having　some　sort　of　sick　spell。
　I　closed　up　shop　with　that　hand　and　went　home。　I　lay　stretched　out　on　my　bed；　smoking　and　thinking。　Brand　had　still　been　in　Amber　when　I　had　departed。　Later；　though；　when　I　had　asked　after　him；　no　one　had　any　idea　as　to　his　whereabouts。　He　had　been　having　one　of　his　melancholy　spells；　had　snapped　out　of　it　one　day　and　ridden　off。　And　that　was　that。　No　messages　either　…　either　way。　He　wasn't　answering；　he　wasn't　talking。
　I　tried　to　figure　every　angle。　He　was　smart；　damn　smart。　Possibly　the　best　mind　in　the　family。　He　was　in　trouble　and　he　had　called　me。　Eric　and　Gerard　were　more　the　heroic　types　and　would　probably　have　weled　the　adventure。　Caine　would　have　gone　out　of　curiosity；　I　think。　Julian；　to　look　better　than　the　rest　of　us　and　to　score　points　with　Dad。　Or；　easiest　of　all；　Brand　could　have　called　Dad　himself。　Dad　would　have　done　something　about　it。　But　he　had　called　me。　Why？
　It　occurred　to　me　then　that　maybe　one　or　more　of　the　others　had　been　responsible　for　his　circumstances。　If；　say；　Dad　was　beginning　to　favor　him。。。　Well。　You　know。　Eliminate　the　positive。　And　if　he　did　call　Dad；　he　would　look　like　a　weakling。
　So　I　suppressed　my　impulse　to　yell　for　reinforcements。　He　had　called　me；　and　it　was　quite　possible　that　I　would　be　cutting　his　throat　by　letting　anyone　back　in　Amber　in　on　the　fact　that　he　had　gotten　the　message　out。　Okay。　What　was　in　it　for　me？
　If　it　involved　the　succession　and　he　had　truly　bee　fair…haired；　I　figured　that　I　could　do　a　lot　worse　than　give　him　this　to　remember　me　by。　A