TL;DR; by Bard:
Overview
The Amber Chronicles continue with the latest installment, Fate of Amber. In this chapter, we see the main characters working on various projects, including building a train to connect all the shadows of the Golden Circle, investigating the destruction of Avalon, and searching for the whereabouts of the missing Jewel of Judgment.
Summary
- Gerhardt and Fiona are working on building a train to connect all the shadows of the Golden Circle.
- Silas and Jason are investigating the destruction of Avalon.
- Jericho and Isabelle are on a journey to find the Jewel of Judgment.
- Lowen is searching for the "why" and "who" of Avalon's destruction.
- Natasha is arranging a marriage between Silas and a Rebman.
- Velesa is helping the group to breathe underwater.
- Eric is the one who used an unofficial force of the Winter Court to destroy Avalon.
- The Summer and Winter Courts are back on good terms.
- Isabelle finds a new species of butterfly that makes music when the wings flutter.
- Gerhardt continues his work on the tunnels.
- Jason meets Oberon for breakfast and they discuss his lineage and relationship to Amber.
The chapter ends with Jason alone in Oberon's room, wondering what the king is hiding.
The Long Version
Gerhard is working on the rail system for Amber. They've moved beyond test cases and are working on the actual tunnel. They've only created a few shadow storms, so looking good! Fiona tasks Gerhardt with getting everyone together.
Aubrey wants to walk the pattern, but Oberon says not until he gives the go ahead. Silas is trying to find out who is behind the Winter Court's destruction of Avalon and how it was decimated beyond repair. He suggest a trip to the Faery realm. (Aubrey is Corwin's daughter who he thought was dead, but she was actually living as a refugee in the winter court.
Jason is investigating the time travel/vision but since he was advised not to talk to Dworkin, so now he's headed to the Grove of the Unicorn. Silas does have a recording of it, so maybe it's not a vision? After a few days of visiting the grove on and off, she doesn't appear. He goes to the library for further research in The Book of the Unicorn, which is an apocryphal book about how Dworkin created Amber. It is not acknowledged as an official history but is used for religious purposes. None of the various depictions match the vision from Tir Na Nog.
Note: Brigid is now the Chancellor of the university! See April 29, 2023 http://fateofamber.wikidot.com/april-29-2023
Jericho sets out on a journey through shadow to find one where the vision actually happened.
Isabelle enjoys some attention from her escapades at Castle Amber, but as people lose interest in her vagaries, she decides to head back to Erewhon and Serendipity Ranch.
Silas and Jason get in touch with each other and discuss the trip to Faery. Silas plans to reache out to Lowen, Jericho and Isabelle to join the escapade. Before he can, they all receive an urgent invitation to assist Gerhardt and Fiona to build a train to connect all the shadows of the Golden Circle. This is a project Oberon has been pushing for and this is a brief window when Fiona is available.
Let Scott know if anyone uses the Trump Toilet!
Fiona is going to guide everyone through a trump to the path for the train. Gerhardt and Jericho notice that Fiona is wearing the Jewel of Judgment. It's a beautiful shadow that is sparsely populated. She is going to start the process here and Gerhardt will move ahead. The problem is that it keeps collapsing, so we need to act as stabilization points along the way.
Fiona begins and the group moves forward into the darkness of her magic. As they proceed, one person stays behind at each interval to focus on the pattern and stability of that point. It will take several advanced Pattern users to create the longer legs.
While the group is still together, Silas mentions the trip to Faery. They talk to Jeremiah, Master of Protocol and Sineshaw of Jericho's duchy. He explains that it would be best if they sought the assistance of an associate, Velesa. She is a dodgy Rusalka.
At the library they find the books are arranged by how pretty they are. Very useful. Gerhardt uses the pattern to find books mentioning Avalon. He finds one that lights up but then stops. The book, The Art of Tea and Murder, seems to have been written by someone from Avalon.
Jericho senses someone in the room. He tries to pinpoint their location and suddenly remembers his promise not to kill anyone. Crap. They maintain clear sight to see what Gerhardt is doing as they move through the library.
Jericho maneuvers to block their exit from the room. Grabbing at the stranger, Jericho only gets a cloak. They wiggle and writhe but he carefully restrains them, but then they melt away! Now it is only a hunched, ugly crone with crooked teeth and layers of worn, tattered clothing. More unsettling is the necklace that adorns her neck made solely of finger bones. Lowen demands the crone provide her name. Begrudgingly she does, and it is _. Suddenly she starts shrieking and trying to get away, clearly in fear of something.
Titania enters the room. She takes a romance book, nods slightly, and exits.
Gerhardt resumes his search and finds many more references to Avalon. Silas suggests that they look for the last occurrence of Corwin's Avalon. Gerhardt finds a reference to blessings given by the Summer Court, but the details are reserved for the Queens records.
There are notes of a registration for an event, attendance, and birth of a daughter of Oberon and Titania named Genevieve. Later Corwin and Genevieve had Aubrey, who was eventually transferred to the Summer Court in an exchange to cover debts.
Silas finds Velesa, who seems very reasonable. Suspiciously so. It is an uncomfortably forced formality as they greet each other. Silas specifies that he is lookin for the "why" and "who" of Avalon's destruction. So what does she want in exchange? Natasha offers to arrange a marriage with a Rebman, which is accepted.
Velesa requests a day to gather this information so she can answer as many questions as possible at once. She warns that the Winter Court was unhappy about the whole event and it remains a sensitive topic. She kisses each person and as she does they become able to breathe underwater. She has a lovely cave network arranged like an odd house with rooms randomly placed.
A nobleman from a faraway court in Amber called in a favor to the winter court, and that was the destruction of Avalon. It was ERIC who used an unofficial force of the Winter Court along with something else that actually caused the destruction. Avalon had good interactions with both Summer and Winter Courts. The Winter Court promised to protect Aubrey, so when Avalon was attacked they had to protect her.
Because of all the shenanigans, the Summer and Winter Courts are actually back on good terms. Very bizarre… almost like it was all arranged.
In the Winter Court, the books are in perfect alphabetical order by author. Equally useless but the Queen knows exactly where to find what she wants.
Silas spots the crone watching them leave on his ship. He uses the trump Isabelle made to talk to the crone and let her know he knows she's watching. She says he can call her "finger bone witch". Well, that's not very helpful. He mentions she's at an advantage, but she counters that she doesn't want anything to do with him so it's really not an advantage.
After a few relaxing days, the group arrives back in Amber. Isabelle goes back to the ranch and learns they've found a new species of butterfly that makes music when the wings flutter! Sort of like chimes or bells — Brigid will love it!
Gerhardt continues his work on the tunnels.
Jason meets Oberon for breakfast in a garden where the hedges are in the shape of the pattern with a gazebo in the middle. Quite lovely. Jason gets grilled about his lineage and relationship to Amber. Lady Valla sent him and he assumed someone would take the position after him. Oberon is interested in Jason's relationship with his father, Bastiano. It's very unusual that a child inherits the powers of the parent of the stairs. Brigid and one other person they know of, to be precise. Oberon suggests Jason visits Rebma (which he has) and also Arden.
After more discourse, Oberon leaves for another meeting and Jason remains in the sitting area of his room. The bedroom and office doors are closed, but not necessarily locked. He can't be too nosy since there are servants around, but he doesn't notice anything anyway.