The Guns of Avalon, chapter 3

Spoiler alert: This post is part of an in-depth discussion of The Guns of Avalon by Roger Zelazny, which will inevitably reveal key plot points. Unless you're the sort of person who likes skipping to the last page, go read the book first.

---

Corwin, having escaped from the dungeon of his brother Eric in Amber, set out in search of Avalon, a Shadow kingdom which he once ruled. Instead he found a realm called Lorraine, ruled over by Ganelon, whom he had banished there from Amber. Disguising his identity, he joined with Ganelon to destroy the dark Circle that had appeared in Lorraine, apparently an extension of the dark rift he opened in Amber when he pronounced a powerful curse on Eric. He began a relationship with a woman, also named Lorraine.

Ganelon and his men, aided by Corwin, march on the Circle and battle with the men and things that dwell there. In a tower at the centre of the Circle, Corwin challenges the goat-man that is the leader of the dark creatures. They fight, and Corwin defeats the monster (and hence the Circle), but is choked unconscious. When he comes to, Ganelon recognizes him, but no longer hates him. He wants to help Corwin retake Amber.

Lorraine, though, does hate him. The kingdom had once been ruled by a shadow of Corwin. This version of him was a despot who had had her grandfather killed. She leaves, running away with an old lover named Melkin. However, Melkin murders her for her jewelry. Corwin discovers her body, buries her, and kills Melkin.

So passes Lorraine from the story. She was Corwin's second love interest; the first was Moire, the female ruler/governor/steward of Rebma, with whom he had a one-night stand in Nine Princes in Amber. I neglected to mention last week that Lorraine's namesake is a region in the northeast of present-day France. The name derives from Lotharingia, which means "the realm of Lothair." Lothair I was a Carolingian emperor and the grandson of Charlemagne. Remember that in the Song of Roland, Charlemagne is betrayed by the knight Ganelon.

The goat-thing recognizes Corwin as a Lord of Amber, as had the horned creature Strygalldwir whom he slew in the previous chapter. Yet Ganelon does not, at least until he sees his face without his visor and beard. Do supernatural creatures have some ability to recognize the family of Amber that humans do not?

I have read that Grayswandir, Corwin's silver sword, is a humorous allusion to Graywand, the sword of Murray Leinster's character Fafhrd from his own series of fantasy stories. However, Grayswandir is a conventional magical fantasy sword with a distinctive name, like Rhindon in The Chronicles of Narnia or Glamdring in The Lord of the Rings. Fafhrd frequently loses his sword, and "Graywand" is the name he gives whatever sword he happens to be using. (On the other hand, Corwin can just pull Grayswandir out of a nearby tree whenever he needs it.) And now I want to read some Murray Leinster, too.

The Avalon that Corwin seeks is not the one that he ruled over; it has fallen. However, he hopes to find a copy—not to rule, but to arm for battle. He tells Ganelon there is a "pink powder the jewelers use" that he once ignited in Amber. The implication here is that conventional gunpowder will not ignite in Amber, and he will need to prime his guns with this other powder instead. My guess is that he means jeweller's rouge, which is powdered ferric oxide (Fe₂O₃) used for polishing. It's rust. Amber has some very odd physics, if gunpowder will not ignite, but rust (not easily combustible) will. But Corwin and his siblings need to light their cigarettes somehow, so matches must work, by the magical power of plot necessity.

Lance acknowledges only one God. Christianity exists not only in our world, but across Shadow. Lance is a shadow of Sir Lancelot of Arthurian legend, so of course he would be a Christian.

Corwin also exists, or existed, across Shadow. In Lorraine he is remembered as a tyrant. The real Corwin ruled Avalon harshly, but I don't necessarily get the impression that he was a despot. He certainly isn't that now. He came across Lorraine by chance because he had compassion on Lance. Perhaps several centuries of exile on Earth have softened his demeanour.

Separated from his own people, Corwin has forged a new alliance with Ganelon, an old enemy. There's a big part of me that wants to see them remain reconciled. But there's a lot to be said for the dramatic potential of a more tenuous alliance. Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown, and all that.

Now that the battle is done, this chapter seems to ignore the note ("I am coming") that Corwin sent to himself. Ganelon anticipated aid from Corwin, but didn't realize until the end that Corwin was there all along. Surely he is not too dense to realize he was being manipulated. Will Ganelon stick with Corwin, or betray him again? Stay tuned for chapter 4 on Sunday.