Now what the Hel happened?  Not a moment's peace in Amber anymore. 
We recover the Jewel, and there's this business with weddings nearly every
day, and now Bartholomew's...friend collapses, and Ahab takes off like
something serious is going down.  I can't imagine what it is.  I need to
get acquainted with more people who know what's going on.  Bartholomew
never seems to, and he only tells me when he needs help, anyway.  Felix is
a good man, but he only knows about some things it seems.  Ariana...she's
always in the thick of things.  Those sessions might come in handier than
I thought.  It's not like Caine tells me much in a timely manner after
all...

	I'm going to have a...well stepmother, actually, someday.  Which
will make Ariana a sort of stepgrandmother.  What a mess.  It will
certainly take getting used to.  First in Rimmersgard I had foster
parents, highly unusual as I wasn't related to them.  Nobody, but a very
lucky few ever even know their grandparents.  My father dies,
foster-father anyway, and I become a man, supporting myself and mother,
who also dies.  Then Amber and Caine, my real father claims me, sort of. 
Now, my real grandfather shows up alive and orders Caine to marry my
cousin's daughter.  Famine or feast.  Ha!  And around here lately, it
seems to be feast or fun, or at least excitement.

	And there's my own excitement, trying to find out who messed with
my Shadow...the Shadow where I grew up...no, my Shadow.  It'll be like
finding a needle in a field of haystacks.  And I don't even know which
field to look in.  Mmmm...maybe not.  I'll need a little time, free time. 
After these weddings at least, and whatever's going on here, now.