![]() Yet, as it chanced, he was wrong for though Macrophaindeed was killed, it was another maid who lay in blood beside her for the people whither I had sent Macropha and Nada were tributary tothe Halakazi tribe, and that chief of the Halakazi who sat in theplace of Galazi the Wolf had quarrelled with them, and fallen on themby night and eaten them up. Yet I knew for certain that Nada and her mother Macrophawere dead, for he who brought me the news of their death had seentheir bodies locked in each other's arms, killed, as it were, by thesame spear. The thought, indeed, came into my mind, that none but Nada couldbe so fair. Now, my father, there is this to be told: though I did not know itthen, the maid who was named the Lily was no other than my daughterNada. Moreover,her hair curled, and hung upon her shoulders, her eyes were large andbrown, and soft as a buck's, her colour was the colour of rich cream,her smile was like a ripple on the waters, and when she spoke hervoice was low and sweeter than the sound of an instrument of music.They said also that the girl wished to speak with them, but the chiefforbade it, and caused her to be led thence with all honour. Anyhow, he's the least frameable.Then the chief of the Halakazi caused the maid who was named the Lilyto be led before the messengers of Dingaan, and they found herwonderfully fair, for so they said: she was tall as a reed, and hergrace was the grace of a reed that is shaken in the wind. "Not bad," I said, "but I can't spare any more brothers at the moment. "Not the ones in charge of memory, I hope." He had been having one of his melancholy spells, had snapped out of it one day and ridden off. Later, though, when I had asked after him, no one had any idea as to his whereabouts. ![]() Brand had still been in Amber when I had departed. I lay stretched out on my bed, smoking and thinking. I closed up shop with that hand and went home. "Forget it, Random The reframing is out, too." He looked like hell, and he seemed to be chained or tied to something. Then the face rearranged itself and I saw that I was right. 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. Or, easiest of all, Brand could have called Dad himself. Julian, to look better than the rest of us and to score points with Dad. Caine would have gone out of curiosity, I think. Eric and Gerard were more the heroic types and would probably have welcomed the adventure. prisoner," he said, and something else that I couldn't make out. You will have to come the long way around." I've exhausted my little gray cells, then." 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. So I suppressed my impulse to yell for reinforcements. Drawing back the drapes, he stared out for a time. He got to his feet, stepped over the room's other occupant, and made his way to the window. 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. Some sort of watch-thing, it seemed - too bright for me to make out its outline, to guess its proper size. And I remembered the presence coiled about the base of that tower. Brand there in some sort of tower - a small point of stability in that flowing scene. Rocks that glided like sailboats across the land. It was far from Amber, somewhere where the shadows go mad. ![]() Then I saw the landscape - over his shoulder, out a window, over a battlement, I can't be sure. ![]() The Jack of Diamonds began talking to me. I wanted to be an irresponsible nonentity and just enjoy myself. That can get either boring or difficult fairly quickly, depending on how responsible you want to be. ![]() This time, I was not looking for a place where I would be especially important. It was a long ride - I will not bore you with the details - and it was pretty far from Amber, as such things go. ![]()
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