I laughed.

"You're a beast after my own heart. In that your sentiments are mostunbeastlike, how can I repay you for this transport?"

"Wait. I've a feeling the Fates will take care of that."

"So be it. In the meantime, though, if you happen to think of somethingspecial, let me know."

"It's a privilege to help you, Lord Corwin. Let it go at that."

"All right. Thanks."

We passed through shadow after shadow. Suns ran backward and stormsassailed us out of beautiful skies. We toyed with night, which might havetrapped a less adroit pair than us, found a twilight, and took our rationsthere. Shortly thereafter, Shask turned back to stone. Nothing attacked usthat night, and my dreams were hardly worth dreaming.

Next day we were on our way early, and I used every trick I knew toshortcut us through Shadow on our way home. Home... It did feel good to beheaded back, despite Shask's comments on my relatives. I'd no idea I wouldmiss Amber as much as I had. I'd been away far longer on countlessoccasions, but usually I had at least a rough idea as to when I might beheading back. A prison in the Courts, though, was not a place from which onemight make such estimates.

So we tore on, wind across a plain, fire in the mountains, water down asteep ravine. That evening I felt the resistance begin, the resistance whichcomes when one enters that area of Shadow near to Amber. I tried to make itall the way but failed. We spent that night at a place near to where theBlack Road used to run. There was no trace of it now.

The next day the going was slower, but, more and more, familiar shadowscropped up. That night we slept in Arden, but Julian did not find us. Ieither dreamed his hunting horn or heard it in the distance as I slept; andthough it is often prelude to death and destruction, it merely made me feelnostalgic. I was finally near to home.