I learned later that the Begman ambassador wasn’t even aware of his arrival, which would seem to indicate that Orkuz had come so quickly he had preceded any notification to their embassy. And he hadn’t even bothered dropping in there, but had come straight to the palace and had a message sent over. I learned this a little later, when he asked to have the message delivered. Feeling somewhat supernumerary to Llewella’s and Vialle’s graceful cascades of neutral talk, I dropped back a pace to plan my escape. I was not at all interested in whatever game was being set up.

Coral backed off also and sighed. Then she glanced at me and smiled, surveyed the room quickly and came closer.

“I’ve always wanted to visit Amber,” she said then.

“Is it the way you imagined it?” I asked.

“Oh, yes. So far. Of course, I haven’t seen that much of it yet…

I nodded, and we withdrew a little farther from the others.

“Have I met you somewhere before?” I asked.

“I don’t think so,” she said. “I haven’t traveled that much, and I don’t believe you’ve been out our way. Have you?”

“No, though I’ve grown curious about it recently.”

“I do know something of your background, though,” she went on, “just from general gossip. I know you’re from the Courts of Chaos; and I know you went to school on that Shadow world you Amberites seem to visit so frequently. I’ve often wondered what it was like.”

I took the bait and I began telling her about school and my job, about a few places I’d visited and things I’d enjoyed doing. We made our way to a sofa across the room as I spoke, and we got more comfortable. Orkuz, Nayda, Llewella, and Vialle didn’t seem to miss us, and if I had to be here I found talking with Coral more enjoyable, than listening to them. Not to monopolize things, though, I asked her about herself.

She began telling me of a girlhood spent in and around Begma, of her fondness for the outdoors — of horses and of boating on the many lakes and rivers in that region — of books she had read, and of relatively innocent dabblings in magic.