Nine Princes in Amber

by Roger Zelazny

  I was led up a long corridor and into the great dining room.

  There were tables all over the place, and people seated all about them, many of whom I knew.

  All the fine gowns and suits of Amber burned about me on the bodies of the nobles, and there was music beneath the torchlight and food already upon the tables, though no one was eating yet.

  I saw faces that I recognized, like Flora's, and some strange faces. There was the minstrel. Lord Rein-yes, he had been knighted, by me-whom I had not seen in centuries. He turned his eyes away when my gaze fell upon him.

  I was taken to the foot of the huge center table and seated there.

  The guards stayed and stood behind me. They fastened the ends of my chains to rings fresh-set in the floor. The seat at the head of my table was as yet unoccupied.

  I did not recognize the woman to my right, but the man to my left was Julian. I ignored him and stared at the lady, a little wisp of a blonde.

  "Good evening," I said. "I don't believe we've been introduced. My name is Corwin."

  She looked at the man at her right for support, a heavy, redheaded guy with lots of freckles. He looked away and suddenly became engaged in an animated conversation with the woman to his right.

  "It's all right to talk with me, honest," I said. "It's not contagious.

  She managed a weak smile and said, "I'm Carmel. How are you, Prince Corwin?"

  "That's a sweet name," I replied, "and I'm just fine. What's a nice girl like you doing in a place like this?"

  She took a quick drink of water.

  "Corwin," said Julian, louder than necessary. "I think the lady finds you offensive and obnoxious."

  "What's she said to you so far this evening?" and he didn't blush. He whitened.

  "That will be enough from you."

  I stretched then, and rattled my chains on purpose. Outside of the effect it produced, it also showed me how much slack I had. Not enough, of course. Eric had been careful.

  "Come closer and whisper me your objections, brother," I said.

  But he didn't.

  I had been the last to be seated, so I knew the time was near at hand. And it was.

  There came five trumpet notes from six trumpets and Eric entered the hall.

  Everybody stood.

  Except for me.

  The guards had to drag me to my feet by means of the chains and hold me there.

  Eric smiled and descended the stair to my right. I could barely see his own colors beneath the ermine robe that he wore.

  He moved to the head of the table and stood before his chair. A servant came and stood behind him, and the wine stewards made their rounds, pouring.

  When all the glasses were filled, he raised his.

  "May you dwell forever in Amber," he said, "which endureth forever," and everyone raised his glass.

  Except for me.

  "Pick it up!" said Julian.

  "Shove it up," said I.

  He didn't, only glared. But I leaned forward quickly then and raised my glass.

  There were a couple hundred people between us, but my voice carried. And Eric's eyes were upon me all the while, as I said, "To Eric, who sits at the foot of the table!"

  No one moved to touch me as Julian emptied his glass upon the floor. All the others did the same, but I managed to quaff most of mine, before it was struck from my hand.

  Eric seated himself then and the nobles followed suit, and I was released to fall into my chair.

  The serving began, and since I was hungry I ate as well as the rest of them, and better than most.

  There was constant music and the meal lasted for over two hours. No one said a word to me during the whole time, and I said nothing more myself. But my presence was felt, and our table was quieter than the others.

  Caine sat farther up along the table. At Eric's right hand. I gathered that Julian was out of favor. Neither Random nor Deirdre was present. There were many other nobles whom I recognized. some of whom I had once counted as friends, but none of these would return my glances.

  I gathered then that it only required a small formality for Eric to be king in Amber.

  And this followed shortly.

  After dinner, there were no speeches Eric simply stood.

  There came another flash of trumpets and a raucous sound upon the air.

  Then there was a procession, leading all the way to the throne room of Amber.

  I knew what was coming next.

  Eric stood before the throne and everybody bowed.

  Except for me, that is, and I was forced to my knees anyway.

  Today was the day of his coronation.

  There was silence. Then Caine bore in the cushion which held the crown, the crown of Amber. He knelt and froze in that position, offering it.

  Then I was jerked to my feet and dragged forward. I knew what was about to happen. It came upon me in a flash, and I fought. But I was beaten down and brought to my knees at the foot of the stair before the throne.

  The music rose up softly-it was "Greensleeves"-and somewhere at my back Julian said, "Behold the crowning of a new king in Amber!" Then to me, in a whisper, "Take up the crown and hand it to Eric. He will crown himself."

  I stared at the crown of Amber upon the crimson cushion Caine held.

  It was wrought of silver and had seven high points, each topped by a gem stone. It was studded with emeralds, and there were two huge rubies at either temple.

  I didn't move, thinking of the times I had seen the face of our father beneath it.

  "No," I said simply, and I felt a blow upon my left check.

  "Take it and give it to Eric," he repeated.

  I tried to strike at him, but my chains were drawn tight. I was struck again.

  I stared at the high sharp peaks.

  "Very well," I finally said, and reached for it.

  I held it in both hands for a moment then quickly placed it on my own head and declared, "I crown me, Corwin, king of Amber!"

  It was removed immediately and replaced upon the cushion. Several blows fell upon my back. There came a murmuring throughout the hall.

  "Now pick it up and try it again," said Julian. "Take it and hand it to Eric."

  Another blow fell.

  "Okay," I told him, feeling my shirt grow wet.

  This time I hurled it, hoping to put out one of Eric's eyes.

  He caught it in his right hand and smiled down at me as I was beaten.

  "Thank you," he said. "Now hear me, all you present, and those of you who listen in Shadow. I assume the crown and throne this day. I take into my hand the scepter of the kingdom of Amber. I have won the throne fairly, and I take it and hold it by the right of my blood."

  "Liar!" I cried, and a hand was clapped over my mouth.

  "I crown myself Eric the First, King of Amber."

  "Long live the King!" cried the nobles, three times.

  Then he leaned forward and whispered to me, "Your eyes have looked upon the fairest sight they will ever hold. . .. Guards! Take Corwin away to the smithy, and let his eyes be burnt from out his head! Let him remember the sights of this day as the last he might ever see! Then cast him into the darkness of the deepest dungeon beneath Amber, and let his name be forgotten!"

  I spat and was beaten.

  I fought every step of the way, but was taken forth from the hall. No one would look upon me as I went, and the last thing I remember was the sight of Eric seated upon the throne, pronouncing his blessing upon the nobles of Amber, and smiling.

  That which he said was done to me, and mercifully I fainted before it was finished.

  I have no idea how much later it was that I awakened within absolute blackness and felt the terrible pains within my head. Perhaps it was then that I pronounced the curse, or perhaps it had been at the time that the whitehot irons had descended. I don't remember. But I knew that Eric would never rest easy upon the throne, for the curse of a prince of Amber, pronounced in a fullness of fury, is always potent.


  I clawed at the straw, in the absolute blackness of my cell, and no tears came. That was the horror of it. After a time-only you and I, gods, know how long-sleep came again

  When I awakened. there was still the pain. I rose to my feet. I measured off the dimensions of my cell. Four paces in width, five in length. There was a lavatory hole in the floor and a straw-tick mattress in a corner. The door contained a small slot at the bottom, and behind it there was a tray which held a stale piece of bread and a bottle of water. I ate and I drank, but I was not refreshed.

  My head ached so, and there was nothing of peace within me.

  I slept as much as I could, and no one came to see me. I awakened and crossed my cell and felt for food and ate it when I found it. I slept as much as I could.

  After seven sleeps, the pain was gone from out my eye sockets. I hated my brother who was king in Amber. Better he had killed me.

  I wondered at the popular reaction, but could not guess.

  When the darkness reached as far as Amber, however, I knew that Eric would have his regrets. This much I knew, and this comforted me.

  Thus began my days of darkness, and I had no way of measuring their passage. Even if I had had eyes, I could not have distinguished day from night in that place.

  Time went on its way, ignoring me. There were occasions when I broke into a sweat over this and shivered. Had I been there months? Only hours? Or weeks? Or had it been years?

  I forgot all about time. I slept, I paced (I knew exactly where to place my feet and when to turn), and I reflected upon things I had done and hadn't done. Sometimes I would sit cross-legged and breathe slowly and deeply, and empty my mind and keep it that way for as long as I could. This helped-thinking of nothing.

  Eric had been clever. Although the power lived within me, now it was useless. A blind man cannot walk among Shadows.

  My beard had grown down to my chest and my hair was long. I was always hungry at first, but after a time my appetite waned. Sometimes I grew dizzy when I stood up too rapidly.

  I could still see, in my nightmares, but this hurt me even more when I awakened.

  Later, though, I felt somewhat distant from the events which had led up to this. It was almost as though they had happened to a different person. And this, too, was true.

  I had lost a lot of weight. I could visualize myself, pallid and thin. I couldn't even cry, though I felt like it a couple of times. There was something wrong with my tear ducts. It was a dreadful thing that any man should be brought to this.

  Then one day there came a light scratching upon the door. I ignored it.

  It came again, and still I did not respond.

  Then I heard my name whispered, in the interrogative.

  I crossed the cell.

  "Yes?" I replied.

  "It's me, Rein," he said. "How are you?"

  I laughed at that.

  "Fine! Oh just fine!" I said. "Steak and champagne every night, and dancing girls. God! You should make the scene sometime!"

  "I'm sorry," he said, "that there is nothing I can do for you," and I could feel the pain in his voice.

  "I know," I said.

  "I would if I could," he told me.

  "I know that, too."

  "I brought you something. Here."

  The little gate at the bottom of the cell door creaked slightly as it swung inward several times.

  "What is it?" I asked.

  "Some clean clothes," he said, "and three loaves of fresh bread, a head of cheese, some beef, two bottles of wine, a carton of cigarettes, and a lot of matches."

  My voice caught in my throat.

  "Thanks, Rein. You're all right. How did you arrange this?"

  "I know the guard who's standing duty this shift. He won't talk. He owes me too much."

  "He might try to cancel his debts by squealing," I said. "So don't do it again-much as I appreciate it. Needless to say, I'll dispose of the evidence."

  "I wish it had turned out different, Corwin."

  "You and me both. Thanks for thinking of me when you were ordered not to."

  "That part was easy." he said.

  "How long have I been in this place?"

  "Four months and ten days," he said.

  "So what's new in Amber?"

  "Erie reigns. That's all."

  "Where's Julian?"

  "Back in the Forest of Arden with his guard."

  "Why?"

  "Some strange things made it through Shadow recently."

  "I see. How about Caine?"

  "He's still in Amber, enjoying himself. Wenching and drinking, mostly."

  "And Gerard?"

  "He's admiral of the entire fleet."

  I sighed with a bit of relief. I was afraid his withdrawal during the naval engagement might have cost him something with Eric.

  "And what of Random?"

  "He's up the hall aways."

  "What? He was taken?"

  "Yes. He walked the Pattern in Rebma and showed up here, with a crossbow. He wounded Eric before he was taken."

  "Really? Why wasn't he slain?"

  "Well, rumor has it he's married a noblewoman of Rebma. Eric didn't want to court an incident with Rebma at this point. Moire has quite a kingdom, and there is talk that Eric is even considering asking her to be his queen. All gossip, of course. But interesting."

  "Yes " I said

  "She liked you, didn't she?"

  "Somewhat. How did you hear?"

  "I was present when Random was sentenced. I got to speak with him for a moment. The Lady Vialle, who claims to be his wife, has asked to join him in prison. Eric is not yet certain how to reply."

  I thought upon the blind girl, who I had never met, and I wondered at this.

  "How long ago did all this happen?" I asked.

  "Mm. Thirty-four days," he replied. "That was when Random showed up. A week later, Vialle made her request."

  "She must be a strange woman, If she really loves Random,"

  "Those were my sentiments," he replied. "I can't think of a more unusual combination."

  "If you should get to see him again, give him my regards and my regrets."

  "Yes."

  "How fare my sisters?"

  "Deirdre and Llewella remain in Rebma. The Lady Florimel has been enjoying Eric's favors and stands high in the present court. I do not know where Fiona is presently."

  "Has anything more been heard of Bleys? I am sure that he died."

  "He must have died," said Rein, "His body was never recovered, though."

  "What of Benedict?"

  "As absent as ever."

  "How about Brand?"

  "No word."

  "Then I guess that covers the whole family tree, as it stands at present. Have you written any new ballads?"

  "No," he said. "I'm still working on 'The Siege of Amber,' but it will be an underground hit, if at all."

  I reached my hand out through the tiny gate at the bottom of the door.

  "I would clasp hands with thee," I said, and I felt his hand touch mine.

  "It was good of thee to do this thing for me. Don't do it again, though. It would he foolish to risk Eric's wrath."

  He squeezed my hand, muttered something, and was gone.

  I found his CARE package and stuffed myself with the meat, which was the most perishable item. I ate a lot of the bread. to accompany it, and I realized that I had almost forgotten how good food can taste. Then I grew drowsy and slept. I don't think I slept very long, and when I awoke I opened one of the bottles of wine.

  It didn't take as much as usual, in my weakened condition, to get me kind of high. I had a cigarette. sat down on my mattress, leaned back against the wall, and mused.

  I remembered Rein as a child. I was already full grown by then and he was a candidate for court jester. A thin, wise kid. People had kidded him too much. Me included. But I wrote music, composed ballads, and he'd picked up a lute somewhere and had taught himself how to use it. Soon we were singing with voices together rai
sed and all like that, and before long I took a liking to him and we worked together. practicing the martial arts. He was lousy at them. But I felt kind of sorry for the way I had treated him earlier, what with the way he had dug my stuff, so I forced the fake graces upon him and also made him a passable saber man. I'd never regretted it, and I guess he didn't either. Before long, he became minstrel to the court of Amber. I had called him my page all that while, and when the wars beckoned, against the dark things out of Shadow called Weirmonken, I made him my squire, and we had ridden off to the wars together. I knighted him upon the battlefield, at Jones Falls, and he had deserved it. After that, he had gone on to become my better when it came to the ways of words and music. His colors were crimson and his words were golden. I loved him, as one of my two or three friends in Amber. I didn't think he'd take the risk he had to bring me a decent meal, though. I didn't think anyone would. I had another drink and smoked another cigarette, in his name, to celebrate him. He was a good man. I wondered how long he would survive.

  I threw all the butts into the head and also-eventually-the empty bottle. I didn't want anything around to show that I had been "enjoying" myself, should a sudden inspection be held. I ate all the good food he had brought me, and I felt surfeited for the first time since I had been in durance. I saved the last bottle for one massive spell of drunkenness and forgetfulness.

  And after that time had passed, I returned to my cycle of recriminations.

  I hoped, mainly, that Eric had no measure of our complete powers. He was king in Amber, granted, but he didn't know everything. Not yet. Not the way Dad had known. There was a million-in-one shot that might still work in my favor. So much so, and so different that at least it served to grant me my small purchase upon sanity, there in the grip of despair.

  But maybe I did go mad for a time, I don't know. There are days that are great blanks to me now, as I stand here on the brink of Chaos. God knows what they held, and I'll never see a shrink to find out.

  There are none of you, good doctors, could cope with my family, anyway.