Message: 37394226, 64 lines
 Posted: 9:43am EDT, Mon Aug 1/94, imported: 9:43am EDT, Mon Aug 1/94
 To: Kris Fazzari, thari@umich.edu
 From: jlarke@us.itd.umich.edu
 
 	 Ahab's Diary, Chapter 52, In Which I Once
 	     Again Do Something Really Stupid.
 
 	It all started, not surprisingly, in one of those
 little spats in which someone gets tired of my teasing ways.
 Lyss evidently decided the priveliges of a foster parent to
 a thirty-year-old only go so far, and dropped me into a
 Shadow Pocket when I grew over-clever.
 	I took it from that incident that the Pattern's
 ability to move stuff around wasn't just limited to
 teleporting yourself- you can move other people around. The
 only other option is for her to have used to Jewel of
 Judgement to fold me up in Shadow right in Castle Amber- and
 I'm not at all convinced she did that. From all I've heard,
 even with the Jewel shifting Amber around is *work*.
 	On the other hand, maybe she was *really* annoyed.
 Got to have a talk with her about that temper.
 
 	In any event I decided the next morning that I
 should try the same trick. It looked like such fun... up
 until it backfired, and instead of teleporting one of the
 pillows out of the Castle, I teleported my self out of the
 Castle, into midair about twenty feet up. Combine this with
 the normal disorientation of Pattern Transport, and you have
 a slight problem. My ankle should heal in a few days,
 though.
 
 	Meanwhile, Sand and Vetch evidently haven't given up
 their trifling ways. I didn't really expect that, of course.
 But now Bleys and Alex are after them. Seems they kidnapped
 Delwin and his Ruling Spikard, and also had a go at killing
 Random through Foster. If I know our dear King at all, odds
 are he's a bit peeved about the whole thing.
 	I'm not unworried by this. Vetch is a very canny
 asshole. We aren't going to be able to just walk in and
 express our Official Displeasure. I wish it wasn't just
 Bleys who was upset... he's more than competent, but less
 than reliable. Fiona and Eric are the ones I trust to see
 these things through. Mom and Dad wouldn't be bad either,
 but it's a bit out of Mom's expertise, and Dad isn't subtle
 enough to take on Vetch without high casualties. I don't
 want to be a casualty; I want to die in a more noticeable
 fashion, when it comes to that.
 
 	Worse yet, Ariana left with Vetch. Not a good
 decision for her, although I guess I can see her point of
 view. Unfortunate under current circumstances. She's able to
 give any of us a very rough time- I'm not convinced that
 either Alex or myself could take her out now, after the time
 she's spent with Vetch. If she fights alongside Vetch, we'll
 have our hands full. If Vetch abandons her... well, it
 certainly won't be good, although it would teach her
 something she's having trouble learning.
 
 	My main hope is that we can seperate Sand and Vetch.
 From what I've seen, Sand isn't the threat he is. She plays
 in a high-powered league, but her play isn't as devious as
 his. And if she wants power, I expect that Fiona, Bleys, and
 the Jewel of Judgement can take her on. I seem to have
 developed a certain respect for that pendant...
 
 	It's almost a shame Vetch left, though. Now that I
 know Lyss isn't a shapeshifter, it'd be mighty tempting to
 get her back by having Vetch give her a sex change.