Sign of the Unicorn, chapter 3

Spoiler alert: This post is part of an in-depth discussion of Sign of the Unicorn by Roger Zelazny, which will inevitably reveal key plot points. I recommend reading the book first. It's short, I promise.

I also realized this week that I had misnamed this book: it's Sign of the Unicorn (only one the). I've corrected my previous posts.

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With Eric dead and Corwin effectively the new ruler of Amber, his brother Caine (an ally of Eric) was murdered by a man-like creature from Shadow. The creature was similar to the ones Random encountered while trying to rescue his brother Brand from a tower where he was apparently held prisoner. These creatures, which can manipulate Shadow, were the ones that chased Random to Flora's house in New York.

Corwin and Random decide there is a conspiracy within Amber, and discuss who might be responsible. Since Brand arguably knew the most about manipulating Shadow, they contemplate a rescue. Their sister Flora also saw the creatures who attacked her mansion, so Corwin instructs Random to bring her to his rooms. Finally, he takes the Jewel of Judgment, a pendant that he obtained from Eric when he died, and walks the Pattern in the cellar of the palace to unlock the jewel's power to manipulate the weather. He then teleports to the tallest tower of the palace and summons a storm.

This is another chatty chapter, for the first half, at least. It confirms what I have been suspecting (or at least that Zelazny anticipated readers would suspect): namely, that there is a conspiracy to bring down Amber, that the business with Dara is somehow connected, and Corwin and Random intend to break Brand out of that tower.

The three people with the greatest control over Shadow—Dworkin, Oberon, and Brand—are all missing and presumed dead. I don't know if it's significant that Corwin alone knows all three are alive.

Speaking of Dworkin, Corwin follows the instructions in his notes to unlock the Jewel of Judgment. Which raises what I think is an interesting side point: Did Dworkin invent that, too? Alternatively, are artifacts like the Jewel of Judgment intrinsically magical, or did Dworkin, with his understanding of how the Amberites' powers work, find a way to enchant mundane objects? (Could someone raid the garden shed and, by following the right instructions, use the Pattern to create the Sprinkler of Slaying?) The Jewel of Judgment was used by Oberon and Eric to control the weather, but Corwin hints that it has other powers they didn't use. I think the name hints at that. If you acquired a magic gem called the Jewel of Judgment, would your first thought be to see if you can make it rain?

The titular nine princes in Amber were originally fifteen. In this chapter, we learn the names of two that were already deceased: Osric and Finndo. Zelazny likely borrowed Osric's name from Hamlet: a character of that name is the foppish and sycophantic courtier who invites Hamlet to his fateful fencing match with Laertes (Hamlet, act 5, scene 2). I couldn't find anything out about a "Finndo." My first thought was that it was a reference to a St. Fyndoca or Fynnoga, nicknamed Findo, and revered in Scotland in the Middle Ages, until I found out Fyndoca was a female name. A variant of the Irish names "Finnian" or "Finnegan," perhaps?

In the next chapter, Corwin talks to Flora. We haven't seen her since the first book. She was another of Eric's allies, so I wonder how she will react when she finds out Caine is dead. Stay tuned!