Preface from Pirate Writings: This story takes up the second Amberseries where "The Shroudling and the Guisel" (which appeared in thefirst issue of Realms of Fantasy) left off. It shows the continuingtale of Merlin's strangling cord, Frakir, while telling more about theleftover guisel and the sorcerer responsible for the affair behind themirror. Flora and the visiting Luke are drawn into the action.

I have been using an occasional short story of late to tie up looseends I'd left hanging in previous Amber books and stories, as well as tocontinue the overall narrative. The first of these stories was "TheSalesman's Tale," featuring Luke and Vialle, which appeared in theFebruary 1994 (#6) issue of Amberzine, and the second was "Blue Horse,Dancing Mountains," which will appear this Summer in the AvoNovacollection of gambling stories, Wheel of Fortune, edited by myself."The Shroudling and the Guisel" was the third Amber story, and "comingto a Cord" is the fourth.

So, if anyone has a burning Amber question, I suggest they send itto me c/o AvoNova and I may be able to straighten the matter out in oneof these stories (I may not, also). And to all you Amber fans, thanksfor hanging around for so long.

It is no fun being tied to a bedpost when you are feeling under theweather. I phased back and forth between visibility and invisibilityuncontrollably. On the other wrist, I felt my ability to communicatebeginning to return. My increased sentience had remained with me eversince my strange journey with Merlin in the place between shadows. Butthere was a shock on my return to this reality. Slowly now, I wasrecovering from it, though some of the symptoms were slower in goingthan others. Consequently, it took me much longer than it normallywould have to unknot myself.

I am Frakir, strangling cord to Merlin--Lord of Amber and Prince of