A WIZARD IN AMBER

One: Lady Luck Smiles

AN: Begins during Guns of Avalon and before Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.

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After countless years of life, it should not have come as a big surprise to me when a simple plan fell to pieces as most simple plans are wont to do. In fact, for me, simple plans never seemed to work out. Perhaps it is fate that plays these tricks on me; perhaps it is a curse that we in whose veins flows the life blood of Amber are born with. I am not, in general, a philosopher, despite what Freud and other notable names in my past might say.

Regardless of the circumstances, fate was not ready for me to have an easy walk back to Amber to rest the throne from my brother Eric. This is how it happened.

Ganelon and I had left Antwerp some three weeks before and had been touring around Europe. It was strange for me being back in Europe, being back on this shadow earth in fact. For Ganelon, it was an entirely new experience. It was also a chore to have to learn a language, since no language known on this shadow earth was spoken either in Avalon or in Lorraine, the only two places with which my erstwhile companion were familiar. I chose for him to learn English, thinking that either that language or German would be the best suited for him to learn. He took to it very quickly which I was glad to see. It meant that we were able to travel through much more of the land that I had planned.

It also gave fate the opening for which it was waiting.

My contact in Antwerp, an ex-RAF guy, had contacted me and told me about a friend of his in England who might be able to assist with some of my weapons needs. As I was in a hurry to conclude my business here as rapidly as possible in order to turn my sites towards finding the troops I would need to assail forbidding Mount Kolvir, and afterwards Amber if necessary, I agreed to meet with this Helm character. After much changing of trains, not to mention getting on the wrong bus once, we finally reached the suburb of Greater Whinging in which this Helm character was currently living. After looking around the area, it occurred to me to wonder why anyone in the line of business I was seeking would ever want to live in a place like this. Of course, my own military experience quickly came to the fore and I decided that this would actually be a perfect place to set up shop, a community where the residents obviously believed that there waste products had no odor and while money didn't grow on trees, it did, perhaps, fall from the topmost branches.

Ganelon and I followed the directions we had been given to the community of Little Whinging … and that was where the snag hit.

It didn't seem like much, really. We were walking down a street of squat, square houses, each one looking the same as those around it down to the very plants cultivated in the gardens, when, rounding a corner, I happened to glance over to my left and saw them. There were five or six of them. There leader, a boy of around seven or so, was a blond … thing. That was the best I could think of. Even now, I shudder to call such a creature a boy. It actually looked like a thing that Green Peace hadn't managed to coax back in to the ocean. How it could run at all was beyond me. As I watched him ooze his way down the street, I thought sardonically to myself that if this … boy … ever fell in love, he'd break it damned sure.

His buddies were not quite as big as he was, and one was a little skinny runt with small, squinty eyes. But what really caught my attention with this group of ruffians was the boy they were chasing.

He was a small, skinny boy with jet black hair, not dissimilar from my own. The only great difference was that where my hair was slightly wavy and tapered in the back, his mop looked like someone had stuck his hand inside an electric fence and forgotten to shut it off. He had geeky-looking glasses, and I thought I could see that they were held together by tape. For the moment that was all I could see. Actually, I'm surprised I could see that much of him as fast as he was running. That little ragamuffin could really turn on the jets when he needed to. That was obvious from the start. But that wasn't what interested me. It was obvious that Wally the Whale and his merry band were chasing the boy, and, from the way they were laughing and jeering as they attempted to catch him, not to mention the way the poor fellow was dressed, it obviously wasn't the first time. After all, bullies usually go after the same target again and again.

I had unconsciously slowed down to watch the tableau which was unfolding before me. Now, as I continued to observe, I saw the street rat had erred badly, having run in to a dead end. He was fenced in on one side by the back of what I took to be a school; a chain link fence separated him from a chance at freedom on his right and behind him, and the Blob and his gang were barreling in from the front.

I started to turn away, ready to resume my way and leave the little one to what promised to be a good old fashion thrashing, when the boy … vanished.

I'd seen enough things in my life to make even the most steadfast person blanch with terror or incredulity. Even I had never seen a little boy vanish in to thin air.

His presence was not a mystery to me long, however. Cries of shock from the bullies brought me back to the moment, and I noticed them looking up and pointing. I followed there furious gazes, and there, wide-eyed with amazement and fear, was the ragamuffin. He was some thirty feet off the ground, perched rather precariously on the edge of the school roof.

I am not given to indecision very often, and this was no exception. I knew that what I had seen had not been a trick. It was true that not too long ago, my eyes had been burnt out of my head with hot irons, but we children of Amber are blessed with amazing healing abilities. It even extended to the regrowing of eyes, as I learned first hand. It had taken about four years to completely have my vision back, but now it was as perfect as it had ever been. As proof of this, I had only to look over at Ganelon to see his surprised expression to know that my eyes were not playing tricks on me.

It can also be said that I can be a rather selfish bastard. It is the way, again, of the royal family in Amber. We tend to be many things, not all of them good. We are sometimes honorable, sometimes courteous, occasionally chivalrous. We are also sneaky, sly, paranoid to the extreme in some cases, and ruthless in getting what we wanted. That only scratches the surface of me and my family, but it is enough to let you understand exactly how complex we could be.

Hardly had the boy vanished and reappeared on the roof of the school, then I had reached my decision. The taking of Amber would have to wait. If this mere scrap of a boy could vanish and reappear at will, then what else might he be able to do? I had a moment's pause when I saw his face with its frightened expression. I believe that part of his fear might have been the walking bread truck who, after recovering his breath from his waddling pursuit, called up to the boy. It sounded like "Freak, I'm telling Mum and Dad. You'll be locked in your cupboard for a year this time." Yes, I believe that part of his fear was caused by that statement. I also had the idea that he was uncertain himself how this had happened.

After a moment, my resolve returned to me. Even if he was unaware how to duplicate this ability at will, I would find a way to help him utilize his full potential. He would then assist me out of obligation when I moved to take Amber. If not out of obligation, there were other means at my disposal for persuasion. It would take some time, I knew, to get him fully trained up. And, if he couldn't learn here in this too perfect little purgatory known as Little Whinging, a smaller town than its counterpart, there were always shadows to help.

Turning to Ganelon, I smiled slightly before telling him of my plans. He looked troubled for a second only, and then he nodded his head in acquiescence.

With a last word, I commanded Ganelon to stay with the boy and follow him to his home while I continued on my original path to see this fellow Helm. Yes, I decided as I finally reached the address I had been given, Amber will have to endure a little longer than I had planned.