From adric@us.itd.umich.edu Date: Thu, 29 Sep 1994 21:37:09 -0400 (EDT) From: Joseph Velez To: shadows@umich.edu Subject: Diary 22 This, being the Diary of Damion of Amber, laid down by his own hand, for the twenty-second session of Amber. After discovering that Ulysses and Alexander (hereby written Sandr) had wandered off despite my request that they stay there, I had Tristan take me to the castle, since he could not push me out of this protected shadow. Before we had gotten halfway to the castle, we discovered the Yin-Yang twins. It turns out that they too had found out that the people of this shadow were from thirty years into our personal future. Despite my warnings about foreknowledge, Ulysses proceeded to ask Tristan about his own future. Ulysses is supposed to disappear after a time when Sandr disappears. Sandr then reappears, but Ulysses does not. Also, I will rescue Tristan at the Tree of Ygg, in the company of Ulysses, Archimedes, and Laughter. Then Fiona, Tianen, Archimedes, Finndo, and Laughter appear, and rescue us from the intellectual paradox of talking to our as-yet unborn childern. Although I was fairly pleased to finally be in...well, reality, Ulysses was looking fairly angry, and Sandr very depressed. I wonder if he operates in cycles, or if this was simply a manifestation of his distress in learning that Ulysses will disappear. Although Archimedes said that Benedict was anxiously awaiting my return, I decided that, unlike my son, Benedict was likely to be alive for the next couple of days. Ulysses followed me, and soon after Archimedes and Laughter. Ulysses argued with them about the futility of opposing future history--Archimedes and Laughter did not seem to have much reason to come with me, but they did in fact do this, in direct agreement with Tristan's account of his own history. Laughter is not normal. To say that any Amberite is really normal would stretch the bounds of morality and Thari. So when I say that Laughter is not normal, I mean it in comparison to every Amberite I have known. To come to the point, Laughter talked to Ygg. I did not hear the entire conversation, but Laughter's comments drove Ulysses to make the statement that Ygg was, "omnitemporal". I have never thought of anything in this respect; it may require further study. As does Laughter. Just as Ygg "said", Tristan appeared over the horizon, chased by hounds and horsemen. Archimedes and I had an hour of good excercise, while Laughter looked after my son. (Personal Note--Never get into a fair fight with Achimedes.) When we were through, we returned to discover that Ulysses had disappeared, was unique, in that we had to enter a giant turtle's mouth, but was common in that we went to a central castle, were Tristan was taken in and bandaged. Presumably Archimedes and Laughter went to some other portion of the castle to clean up and relax after the events of this afternoon. Soon I will do the same, but first I feel that I must sit watch over my son. In the back of my mind, I know that there are many things that should worry me. The fact that I have not contacted Benedict will not make him any easier to deal with. The fact that the younglings in Garden were disturbed--not surprised-- to see me the first time would indicate that I will be alive in the next thirty years...although not necessarily. Sandr is another factor to consider, but so long as he is with Dworkin he should be safe...either that, or driven even farther Be it a core or a shell, I believe that all Amberites have a solid strength about them. Gerard, for example, has a hard shell, covering his softer emotional needs. Of course, to follow the analogy, I believe I would have to say that Brand is nuggat-centered--not hard shelled, not hard cored--quite far insane.