The Hand of Oberon, chapter 4

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.

---

Corwin, Random, Ganelon, and Benedict compared notes after Corwin's party returned from the primal Amber, where the Pattern was found damaged by blood assumed to be from Random's illegitimate son Martin. Benedict revealed that he had been in frequent contact with Martin. The last time had been a note left with his friends, the Tecys, whom Martin had visited while suffering a serious stab wound. While Benedict and Random went into Shadow to call on the Tecys, Ganelon and Corwin returned to the palace.

There, Corwin calls on Vialle, Random's wife, to tell her Random is travelling for a day or two. After sleeping, he visits his old cell in the dungeon, where he cleans up the two sketches left there by Dworkin: one of the Lighthouse of Cabra that he used to escape, and the other of Dworkin's quarters on the other side of its wall. He teleports through the latter. Dworkin, mistaking Corwin for Oberon, asks if it is finally time to destroy the world.

This is yet another chapter in which little action happens. But there's a couple of good character moments.

As punishment for impregnating Moire of Rebma's daughter Morganthe with Martin, and her subsequent suicide, Random was sentenced in Nine Princes in Amber to marry Vialle, a blind woman of Rebma, and live with her there for a year. As it turned out, Random was happy with the arrangement, and by the time of Corwin's imprisonment, Vialle and Random were living together in Amber. It seems they're quite in love. Vialle is aware of Martin; in fact, she knew him as a boy and is fond of him. Amidst all the turmoil and intrigue of the Amber family, we get this glimpse of domestic stability and contentment. It's a nice moment. The more promiscuous Corwin spends a few moments reflecting on his own less-than-charitable character. I do believe he's envious.

Also in Nine Princes, Corwin had a chance encounter with Dworkin because of the latter's curiosity about what was on the other side of his wall. Corwin let him sketch his own cell on the wall in return for the picture of the Lighthouse of Cabra, which he used in the end to escape.

Dworkin is the mad hunchback genius who reverse-engineered the Amberites' Shadow-shifting power, and used it to create the Trumps. Oberon locked him away because he admitted he knew of a way to destroy Amber. Judging by that whammy of an ending to this chapter, he's still gung-ho to try—and Oberon is in on it, or so Dworkin thinks.

Chapter 5 looks like it might be heavy on exposition and Shadow theoretical gobbledygook. Hopefully we'll also find out what Corwin needs fom him. Stay tuned.