Roger Zelazny - The Hand Of Oberon

«We had best get back to Amber,» Benedict said, «There are a great number of things that must be done.»

«Wait,» I said.

«Why?»

«I've been thinking.»

When I did not elaborate, he finally said, «And…?»

I riffled slowly through my Trumps, replacing his, replacing Brand's.

«Haven't you wondered yet about the new arm you wear?» I asked him.

«Of course. You brought it from Tir-na Nog'th, under unusual circumstances. It fits. It works. It proved itself tonight.»

«Exactly. Isn't the last a lot of weight to dump on poor coincidence? The one weapon that gave you a chance up there, against the Jewel. And it just happened to be a part of you - and you just happened to be the person who was up there, to use it? Trace things back and trace them forward again. Isn't there an extraordinary - no, preposterous - chain of coincidences involved?»

«When you put it that way…» he said.

«I do. And you must realize as well as I do that there has to be more to it than that.»

«All right. Say that. But how? How was it done?»

«I have no idea,» I said, withdrawing the card I had not looked upon in a long, long while, feeling its coldness beneath my finger tips, «but the method is not important. You asked the wrong question.»

«What should I have asked?»

«Not 'How?' but 'Who?' «

«You think that a human agency arranged that entire chain of events, up through the recovery of the Jewel?»

«I don't know about that. What's human? But I do think that someone we both know has returned and is behind it all.»

«All right. Who?»

I showed him the Trump that I held.

«Dad? That is ridiculous? He must be dead. It's been so long.»

«You know he could have engineered it. He's that devious. We never understood all of his powers.»

Benedict rose to his feet. He stretched. He shook his head.

«I think you have been out in the cold too long, Corwin. Let's go home now.»

«Without testing my guess? Come on! That is hardly sporting. Sit down and give me a minute. Let's try his Trump.»

«He would have contacted someone by now.»

«I don't think so. In fact - Come on. Humor me. What have we got to lose?»

«All right. Why not?»

He sat down beside me. I held the Trump where both of us could make it out. We stared at it. I relaxed my mind, I reached for contact. It came almost immediately.

He was smiling as he regarded as.

«Good evening. That was a fine piece of work,» Ganelon said. «I am pleased that you brought back my trinket. I'll be needing it soon.»