Luke raised his eyes, met my gaze. I nodded. He moved the blade, scoredmy arm with its point. I bled.

"Corwin--If you would...?" Oberon said.

I drew Grayswandir and it, too, ventured into fighting song--as I hadonly heard it do on great battlefields in the past. The two tones joinedtogether into a devastating duet.

"Cut Luke."

Luke nodded and I sliced the back of his hand with Grayswandir. Anincision line occurred, reddening immediately. The sounds from our bladesrose and fell. I sheathed Grayswandir to shut her up. Luke did the same withWerewindle.

"There's a lesson there somewhere," Luke said. "Damned If I can seewhat it is, though."

"They're brother and sister weapons, you know, with a certain magic incommon. In fact, they've a powerful secret in common," Oberon said. "Tellhim, Corwin."

"It's a dangerous secret, sir."

"The time has come for it to be known. You may tell him,"

"All right," I said. "Back in the early days of creation, the gods hada series of rings their champions used in the stabilization of Shadow."

"I know of them," Luke said. "Merlin wears a spikard."

"Really," I said. "They each have the power to draw on many sources inmany shadows. They're all different."

"So Merlin said."

"Ours were turned into swords, and so they remain."

"Oh?" Luke said. "What do you know?"

"What do you deduce from the fact that they can do you harm whenanother weapon cannot?"

"Looks as if they're somehow involved in our enchantment," I ventured.

"That's right," Oberon said. "In whatever conflict lies ahead--nomatter what side you are on--you will need exotic protection against theoddball power of someone like Jurt."

"Jurt?" I said.

"Later," Luke told me. "I'll fill you in."

I nodded.

"Just how is this protection to be employed. How do we lot back to full