Guns Of Avalon

For an instant, the light was as blinding as a magnesium flare, and in that moment the creature was upon me.

It pi

Then I threw my strength against those arms, and their grip began to weaken.

I dropped Grayswandir, and with a final heave broke the hold it had upon me.

In that moment, however, our eyes met.

Then we both struck, and we both reeled back.

“Lord of Amber,” it said then, “why do you strive with me? It was you who gave us this passage, this way...”

“I regret a rash act and seek to undo it.”

“Too late-and this a strange place to begin.” It struck again, so quickly that it got through my guard. I was slammed back against the wall. Its speed was deadly.

And then it raised its hand and made a sign, and I had a vision of the Courts of Chaos come upon me– a vision that made my hackles rise, made a chill wind blow across my soul, to know what I had done.

“You see?” it was saying. “You gave us this Gateway. Help us now, and we will restore to you that which is yours.”

For a moment I was swayed. It was possible that it could do just what it had offered, if I would help.

But it would be a threat forever after. Allies briefly, we would be at each other's throats after we got what we wanted-and those dark forces would be much stronger by then. Still, if I held the city...

“Do we have a bargain?” came the sharp, near-bleat of the question.

I thought upon the shadows, and of the places beyond Shadow...

Slowly, I reached up and unbuckled my helm...

Then I hurled it, just as the creature seemed to relax. I think Ganelon was moving forward by then.

I leaped across the chamber and drove it back against the wall.

“No!” I cried.

Its manlike hands found my throat at about the same instant mine wrapped about its own.

I squeezed, with all my strength, and twisted. I guess it did the same.

I heard something snap like a dry stick. I wondered whose neck had broken. Mine sure hurt.

I opened my eyes and there was the sky. I was lying on my back on a blanket on the ground.

“I'm afraid he's going to live,” said Ganelon, and I turned my head, slowly, in the direction of his voice.

He was seated on the edge of the blanket, sword across his knees. Lorraine was with him.

“How goes it?” I said.

“We've won,” he told me. “You've kept your promise. When you killed that thing, it was all over. The men fell senseless, the creatures burned.”

“Good.”

“I have been sitting here wondering why I no longer hate you.”

“Have you reached any conclusions?”

“No, not really. Maybe it's because we're a lot alike. I don't know.” I smiled at Lorraine.

“I'm glad you're very poor when it comes to prophecy. The battle is over and you're still alive.”

“The death has already begun,” she said, not returning my smile.

“What do you mean?”

“They still tell stories of how the Lord Corwin had my grandfather executed-drawn and quartered publicly-for leading one of the early uprisings against him.”

“That wasn't me,” I said. “It was one of my shadows.”

But she shook her head and said, “Corwin of Amber, I am what I am,” and she rose and left me then.

“What was it?” asked Ganelon, ignoring her departure. “What was the thing in the tower?”

“Mine,” I said; “one of those things which was released when I laid my curse upon Amber. I opened the way then for that which lies beyond Shadow to enter the real world. The paths of least resistance are followed in these things, through the shadows to Amber. Here, the path was the Circle. Elsewhere, it might be some different thing. I have closed their way through this place now. You may rest easy here.”

“That is why you came here?”

“No,” I said. “Not really. I was but passing on the road to Avalon when I came upon Lance. I could not let him lie there, and after I took him to you I became involved in this piece of my handiwork.”

“Avalon? Then you lied when you said it was destroyed?”

I shook my head.

“Not so. Our Avalon fell, but in Shadow I may find its like once more.”

“Take me with you.”

“Are you mad?”

“No, I would look once again on the land of my birth, no matter what the peril.”

“I do not go to dwell there,” I said, “but to arm for battle. In Avalon there is a pink powder the jewelers use. I ignited a sample of it one time in Amber. I go there only to obtain it and to build guns that I may lay siege to Amber and gain the throne that is mine.”

“What. of those things from beyond Shadow you spoke of.”

“I will deal with them afterwards. Should I lose this time, then they are Eric's problem.”

“You said that he had blinded you and cast you into the dungeons.”

“That is true. I grew new eyes. I escaped.”

“You are a demon.”

“This has often been said. I no longer deny it.”

“You will take me with you?”

“If you really wish to come. It will differ from the Avalon you knew, however.”

“To Amber!”

“You are mad!”

“No. Long have I wished to look upon that fabled city. After I have seen Avalon once again I will want to turn my hand to something new. Was I not a good general?”

“Yes.”

“Then you will teach me of these things you call guns, and I will help you in the greatest battle. I've not too many good years remaining before me, I know. Take me with you.”

“Your bones may bleach at the foot of Kolvir, beside my own.”

“What battle is certain? I will chance it”

“As you would. You may come.”

“Thank you. Lord.”

We camped there that night, rode back to the keep in the morning. Then I sought after Lorraine. I learned that she had run off with one other former lovers, an officer named Melkin. Although she had been upset, I resented the fact that she had not given me the opportunity to explain something of which she only knew rumors. I decided to follow them.

I mounted Star, turned my stiff neck in the direction they had supposedly taken, and rode on after. In a way, I could not blame her. I had not been received back at the keep as the slayer of the horned one might have been were he anyone else. The stories of their Corwin lingered on, and the demon tag was on all of them. The men I had worked with, fought beside, now looked at me with glances holding something more than fear– glances only, for they quickly dropped their eyes or turned them to another thing. Perhaps they feared that I wished to stay and reign over them. They might have been relieved, all save Ganelon, when I took to the trail. Ganelon, I think, feared that I would not return for him as I had promised. This, I feel, is the reason that he offered to ride with me. But it was a thing that I had to do by myself.

Lorraine had come to mean something to me, I was surprised to discover, and I found myself quite hurt by her action. I felt that she owed me a hearing before she went her way. Then if she still chose her mortal captain, they could have my blessing. If not, I realized that I wanted to keep her with me. Fair Avalon would be postponed for so long as it took me to resolve this to ending or continuance.

I rode along the trail and the birds sang in the trees about me. The day was bright with a sky-blue, treegreen peace, for the scourge had been lifted from the land. In my heart, there was something like a bit of joy that I had undone at least a small portion of the rotte

I was heading north, and the terrain was foreign to me. I followed a clearly marked trail, which bore the signs of two riders' recent passage. I followed all that day, through dusk and into evening, dismounting periodically to inspect the way. Finally, my eyes played too many tricks on me, so I located a small glen– several hundred yards to the left of the trail-and there I camped for the night. It was the pains in my neck, doubtless, that made me dream of the horned one and relive that battle. “Help us now, and we will restore to you that which is yours,” it said. I awoke suddenly at that point, with a curse on my lips.