So we mulled about there, displaced 125 years.  It was not a bad
place.  What bothered me is that everyone objected so strenuously to being
there.  Ulysses had snapped.  Sandr seemed catatonic.  Archimedes seemed
morose.  I decided I would find out what was going on, one way or the
other.

	Sandr snapped out of his depression and said he was taking a walk. 
I checked him for implements of suicide and let him go.  As this served to
leave me in the sitting room alone, I decided to Trump Fiona, but got
nothing, remembering Melanie's control over Trump contacts.  I tried her,
but she wasn't receiving.  Damn.  Well, I figured Ulysses wasn't crazy
enough to walk a Pattern that would kill him if he returned to our normal
time, so I made my way to the Pattern Room and walked it.  At its center,
I commanded it to take me to Ulysses.  There was a great impact; I had the
vague sensation I heard someone say my name, and then I fell into
unconsciousness.

	I awoke in Shadow.  Ulysses was not there.  I began to Hellride
(well, I guess it was a Hellwalk) towards him.  I began to move towards
Amber.

	Before arriving, I was pulled via Trump Hole back to Ulysses'
side, with Mandor, who was Logrusing the members of our group back.  He
stated that this "future" was actually a construct of Inter-Shadow. 
Mandor summoned the Logrus once again and the sky melted...

	We arrived in Amber again, in what used to be Arden, in the middle
of a battle.  More specifically, in the middle of the enemy.  It was at
this point that those of us of fighting ability entered the fray,
including Archimedes, Claudio, Sky, and myself.  The King broke his sword,
so I maneuvered close enough to hand him Nevermiss.

	We fought long and hard, with assistance from the magicians among
us, including incredible bursts of elemental power from the castle.  The
numbers were just too much for us, so Mandor opened a path with the
Logrus, and we moved towards the armies of Amber.  I searched for those I
knew, and though I couldn't see my father, I found my uncles Bleys and,
surprisingly enough, Corwin, having regenerated his entire body.  Suffice
it to say that Amber defeated its enemies.  When we were safe, I Trumped
my father and filled him in as to what had happened.  I could tell he was
happy to see me because one side of his mouth actually started to turn
upward.

	We returned to the castle, and I Trumped Fiona, to clear up any
doubt about this faux-Pattern imprint conundrum.  She let me know I had
nothing to worry about.

	After some rest, I was summoned to the Pattern Room.  Everyone was
there, and Ulysses appeared with Abigail.  It was Judgment Day for her,
and though I did not cheer, I was glad to see her burn.  She has caused us
all enough pain.

	The next morning, I contacted my father and announced my
intentions of Hellriding to find Aelle.  He gave me leave to do this, but
he did not seem happy.  I assured him that I would only reveal to her the
things she needed to know.  I sense that to reunite them would not be a
wise thing to do. So be it.  As I would be traveling alone, I remarked to
Benedict that I would check in every now and then, and that if he didn't
hear from me, to come after me.  I thought about getting someone with
magical skills to accompany me, and my father suggested Kaedric.  I
agreed, taking the Trump of him, even though I knew very little of the
man.  I Trumped him, and he seemed up to the task.  We agreed to meet in
the stables later that morning.

	The King was up, tending to his children, and I approached him for
official permission to leave Amber.  There was a bit of an awkward moment
when the issue of the death of Gillian came up; but I had put that past
me, and I really hold no malice towards Archimedes.  He wished me good
luck and I left for breakfast, where I announced to the group at large
that I was leaving.  I then met Kaedric in the stables and we began our
journey.

	I'm beginning to understand Kaedric much better now.  He, like
myself, is of mixed blood, and we discussed this as well the Logrus.  He's
piqued my curiosity in those powers of my mother's people.  I will have to
talk to Mandor when I return to Amber, though he frightens me.  Our
discussions were interesting and entertaining, even serious at one point,
as Kaedric asked about how to handle a suicidal person.  I answered as
best I could, which was honestly, and he seemed to accept this.

	It was then that my spirits sagged, as we arrived...in Chaos.  To
go any further probably would have meant our deaths.  My last chance to
find Aelle seemed closed.  Kaedric asked if there was any other way.  I
suggested the project Ulysses and I had discussed, and I was pleasantly
surprised to find that the creation of a Trump of Aelle in that fashion
was a specialty of his.  I thanked him profusely.  We Trumped back to
Amber, and now I wait here for him to finish.  My only hope is that the
Trump animates.

	Until the morning, then.