The Hand of Oberon, chapter 7

Spoiler alert: This post is part of an in-depth discussion of The Hand of Oberon by Roger Zelazny, which will inevitably reveal key plot points. I recommend you support your local bookseller or public library, and read the book first.

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Corwin paid a visit to the mad Dworkin, architect of the Pattern that is the source of the Amberites' power—and, as he learned, his grandfather. Dworkin wanted to destroy the primal Pattern, which was marred with the blood of Martin (the son of Corwin's brother Random), and remake it. But Corwin, posing as his father Oberon, wanted to try and repair the damage. As Dworkin's madness came over him and he transformed into a clawed being, Corwin escaped using a random Trump from his desk—only to find himself in the Courts of Chaos.

In this surreal landscape, Corwin was challenged by two riders. He slew one, but the other let him go. From a higher vantage point, he saw the end of the black road, the other end of which gave creatures from the Courts of Chaos access to Amber, and an indistinct edifice atop a distant mountain. Then, with the help of Gérard, he returned to the palace, where he was informed Brand had been trying to contact him.

Corwin meets with Brand in his room. Brand confesses to summoning and stabbing Martin; he and his co-conspirators, Bleys and Fiona, drew straws for the deed. It was necessary to damage the Pattern to open the black road that gave the Chaos beings access to Amber. He does not know whether he killed Martin. Brand also alleges that Bleys is alive and amassing another army to take on Amber. However, that attack may be a diversion: Fiona might be in the Courts of Chaos organizing the real attack.

Brand suggests a repeat of the trick that rescued him: using the Trumps and the combined power of all the Amberites, they could overcome Bleys's and Fiona's resistance long enough for Brand to attack them as he did Martin. He also requires the added power of the Jewel of Judgment. Corwin refuses to go along with the plan; he doubts their other siblings would be willing to go along with two assassinations.

There's a bit of a running gag in this chapter about Brand's rug. During his and Corwin's final argument, Brand wanted to kill Corwin, but he was standing on his favourite rug and he didn't want to get blood on it. Subsequently, Corwin remarks, once or twice, that he is still standing on the rug, in case Brand gets any ideas. The Amberites are a volatile, but conservative bunch: they seem to think nothing of assassinating one another in the heat of the moment, but would resist executing Bleys and Fiona even though they are in the midst of committing treason.

For that matter, Brand is also a traitor, although he appears to have reformed, if he is indeed not the man he was, as he claims. On the one hand, I'm not yet sure how trustworthy he is. On the other, Corwin has said the same of himself more than once. I suppose that when you're centuries old, there's plenty of time for repentance and reformation.

By chapter count, we're now past the halfway point in The Hand of Oberon. My guess is that in the next chapter, Corwin has a talk with Benedict about that mysterious mechanical arm. And probably the whereabouts of Martin. But I admit I'm more interested, for the moment, in the arm.