What-the-Hel.  What... the... Hel...

	I-knew-it.  I knew IT.  I just knew I hated magic.  They actually
stuck one of those tek magic things in the back of my neck.  Not to
mention all... I really don't want to even think about those other things
they stuck in me, much less even mention them.  And as far as I can tell,
those things in your neck are exactly what got Martin to lose his body.
Not what I consider a good idea.  Yes, they were helpful:  Like when
Ariana gave us the images of the castle we were in, and for discussing
plans with the others in other rooms.  But they also seem to be how our
enemies knocked me out the first time I woke up.  And whoever heard of an
entire castle dedicated to healing?  A hospital, I believe someone called
it. Complete with beds on wheels, which were helpful, much better than
using swaddling, which really would not have hidden Kvalnir very well...
Gherni!  The beds were called ghernis.  Thank the Unicorn Riftvan knew how
to remove that magic thing from our necks.  I hope that's all he did.  I
understand he wasn't the most trustworthy individual when I first showed
up in Amber.  He does seem fine now, since he married Ariana, anyway.  I
hope.  I did not want to wait any longer though.

	By the tip of the Unicorn's horn, we still haven't gotten the
shard from that tek- magic shadow.  At least we got Martin's body, sort
of.  So, of course we have to go back.  I wonder where we should go to in
that shadow rather than... damn, we can't shadow walk and come out
anywhere in the shadow.  We'll have to use the trumps again.  Which means
we'll probably arrive in the midst of another trap.  May Hel be a torment
to them.  And this time we won't have Ahab, since he lost his body.  But
at least he has Martin's, which is an Amberite one, thus more useful than
that derelict.  Odin, that's weird.  And apparently whoever has Ahab's
body can control anyone who's walked the Pattern, which includes me, even
if I thought it was a dream at the time.  That could cause some serious
difficulties in recovering Ahab, for Ahab.  I wonder if...  Nope.  Or if
he...  Mmmm.  Maybe... aww, damn.

	Really serious difficulties.