It took me a total of three and a half weeks of continuous study to get enough of the language to be able to communicate effectively. My teacher, the head of the Shadow Trading Company, insisted I learn to write it as well. That took another two weeks. Whatever, it was all for the best, I suppose.

"Corwin, remember that it is a penal colony for Chaos, so be careful," Random warned as he handed over the shard. "And keep a close eye on that."

I gave an affirmative nod then turned to walk out.

"Oh, and Corwin, say hello to Bill Roth for me."

I rode Mori at an easy pace as Random had warned me he was not Shadow-broken yet. So I shook the reins and watched as trees in the forest shrank a little… the grass turned a lighter shade of green… flowers of purple smattered here and there… the terrain grew more hilly, though descending… the dirt changed from dark brown to light brown… auburn… maroon… blood red…

I thought about the shard, and what it might mean. Aside from the Jewel of Judgment, I had never seen anything that was so intricately linked with the Pattern. Moreover, I wondered who had made it, or where it had come from.

What if this shard had something to do with Dworkin going mad again? How could something like this cause that, though? The primal Pattern was still intact and as Dad had left it when he fixed it. It was the partial destruction of it what had caused his insanity last time, so that was what Random and I checked first.

I woke from my reverie when I realized where I was: back on Shadow Earth, outside Bill's house. It was twilight, and the lights were still on.

I tethered Mori to a large Maple tree outside in the front, then went to ring the doorbell.

A girl, about sixteen, numerous pierceings in her face, answered and looked me over, her eyebrows raising so high I though her scalp might have consumed them. My renaissance 'costume' was still out of fascion. Black boots, black slacks that flared out after the knee, grey-silver shirt with a lacing tie under the neck, and a black cloak, clasped at the neck with a silver rose. I had shaved my beard and mustache that morning, but my black hair still blended. I had grown accustomed to it during my time serving under Napolion Bonaparte.

"Umm… Can I help you?"

"Does Bill Roth still live here?"

She turned around, facing towards the rest of the house, and yelled, "Daddy, somebody's here to see you."

It took a moment, but when he rounded the corner, he grinned and shook my hand. His hair had turned a bit whiter, and his stomach had filled out a bit. "Corwin! Still coming and going colorfully, I see. How are you? You hungry?"

"Good, and yes I am."

"Daddy, you know him?" the girl asked incredulously.

"Of course! He's an old friend and… somewhat of royalty. Why don't you go and start fixing something with Mom?"

She rounded the corner and disappeared, but sounds from the kitchen soon drifted to us.

"So what brings you by, Corwin?"

I pulled out the jewel fragment.

"Can you tell me anything about this?"

He held it, and scrutinized it. "Well, I can feel power in it, and it reminds me of Amber. Why ask me? I just the Court Lawyer."

I took it and stowed it away again. "Well, it was found in Japan, in the hands of an exiled Chaosian."

His expression changed from mild surprise to jaw-dropped astonishment.

"And," I continued, "Fiona tells me it is only a fragment of a whole."

"Hmm… You don't say? What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to investigate. Japan, apparently, is Chaos' penal colony."

Bill laughed out loud at that. "Oh, and what was a Chaosian, exiled or not, doing with it, if it relates to Amber?"

"I don't know. Since this" I motioned towards my pocket holding the shard, "was found here, I'm going to look for more pieces of it, and hopefully find someone, Chaosian or not, who knows about it."

He looked pensive, and twiddled his thumbs.

His daughter entered then, holding a tray full of sausage, pancakes, and eggs, while his wife, Alice, followed with two mugs and a pitcher of lemonade. We ate in silence for fifteen minutes or so.

"I could try to see if this jewel is on display anywhere. Maybe it has even turned up in a property dispute."

"Good idea. Get some guys working on it, and I'll have Random work out some sort of salary for them, and you. I need you in Amber, though, once I get to Japan. Random will have to know how things are going."

"This could take a while, couldn't it?"

I sighed. "I hope not, but it might. Why?"

"Well, could you have my family sent there? I don't want to be away from them over-long."

"Alright. Later, tell them what is going on, and I'll get ahold of somebody in Amber. Might as well get them there tonight. Oh, and you might want someone to take care of your house."

He nodded. "Will they need anything?"

I shook my head. "They will be provided for."

"Corwin, how is everything at Amber? You look more tired than when I last saw you."

I shook my head. "Dworkin has gone mad again. He doesn't remember who he is. Only bits and pieces of things." I ate a sausage, trying to collect my thoughts. "Random is still king. Mostly everyone is in Amber, though Llewella still spends most of her time in Rebma, but she is seen in Amber. Merlin's still king in Chaos. No new deaths." I tried to think of any significant news.

"Do you know why Dworkin's gone mad again?"

"No clue. Random and I checked the Pattern first thing. He's been this way for nine months, Amber time… About two years, here."

He nodded, and finished off the lemonade. "What about Fiona, Brand and Flora?"

"Fi is the unofficial Court Sorceress, Brand is dead, and Flora doesn't do much of anything except flirt with the guards."

"Well, I'm going to go tell my family to get ready."

He exited the room, and I pulled out my trumps, and found Random's. Contact came after a few moments.

"Who?"

"Me. Bill and I are going to Japan tonight, so he can get some people checking up on this jewel shard. I am going to send him to you after he's got people on it, though, so he can keep you updated. He wants his family there with him, in case this takes a long time."

"Alright. Send them through Flora—I'll have them shown to rooms. Anything else?"

"No."

"Bye then. Good luck." And then his presence was gone, like he hung up the phone.

I shuffled out Flora's card. I thought about her, and all those years she kept tabs on me while I was on this Shadow. At the time, I hadn't known who I was; Eric, my elder brother, long dead, had exiled me here, during the height Black Death. I survived it, but caused total amnesia. It wasn't until six hundred years later that I began regaining memory. Random had helped me, guided me to Rebma to walk the reverse Pattern. He was not welcome there, due to… past wrongs, and was forced to marry Vialle as punishment. Generally, one is not liked if one runs off with the queen's daughter, knocks her up, then leaves her. The poor girl returned to Rebma, had Martin, then committed suicide.

Contact came after about five minutes. She was standing in the dining hall, next to Julian. She smiled when she saw me.

"Corwin."

"Yes, dear sister?" I said, somewhat mockingly.

"Random told me we are to have visitors?"

"Yes—I'll be sending them to you in a moment."

I walked to the family room.

"Everyone's ready," Bill told me.

I motioned for them to advance. The girl was first. She looked terribly confused, but didn't comment on it.

"Take my hand and step forward," Flora stated as she extended her own.

The girl did as instructed. Alice and the son soon followed.

Bill came around, and kissed his wife through the card, then waved. "You all be good, and I'll be there before too long, okay?"

They nodded, then I pressed my hand on the trump, instantly severing contact.

I turned to Bill as I replaced my pack. "You have someone to look after the house?"

He nodded. "Yeah. When do we leave?"

"Now."

We both rode Mori for a few minutes, until I could call up a horse for Bill. A mare, chestnut colored, satteled and tethered to a tree. Bill called her Clove.

We rode on in companionable silence for a while, until Bill sighed.

"What is it?"

"Well, you remember, years ago, when I asked you to tell me about what you were doing, off in Amber?"

"Yes."

"You couldn't then, because of time, but will you now? We seem to have a long ride ahead of us."

"I suppose." I agreed. "After I came here last, looking for the Jewel of Judgment in my old haystack…"