Foremost in my mind, there is Merlin. I am just now beginning to accept his death as a permanent event. In the days past I have clung to the belief that we would find a way to restore him, but as I look around me I see that is not the way of things in Amber. Despite the awesome power of the elders of Amber many princes and princesses have died. They are remembered, honored, often avenged, and their passage mourned forever. Death is a very serious event here. When someone fails to respect the finality of death, as Jade has, it threatens to crack the fabric of order that holds Amber together. Even now, her efforts to bring Eric back alive are creating tremors in the primal Pattern, but that is another story.
Even though the Merlin's death can not be undone the matters of justice and peace have been addressed. Merlin's killer, Martin, has been found and dealt with. A Logrus blade and the box that held Frakir were found by Quinn and Mandor in Martin's room. In his attempt to escape Martin ambushed Locke and Kidnapped Konstantin. Quinn, Mandor, Locke, and I hellrode after him and eventually cornered him at the Abyss.
I recognized it as the very place that Merlin saved my life by casting Korvan over the edge. It was there, under the freakish blue/red sky, that I first met Merlin and my father. It was there that I was plucked from shadow and introduced to Amber. It was there that we defeated Martin and discovered a long lost princess of Amber. Martin held Connie hostage at the edge of the Abyss as he tried to contact help in Chaos, but help did not come. Instead Despill, a messenger from Chaos, arrived to arrest him. Martin panicked and when Jessica Trumped him Martin lost his balance. Connie tried to squirm away but they both fell into the Abyss.
Then a strange thing happened. A white cloudy shape lifted out of the Abyss to return Connie to us. Jessica and Bleys joined us. Combining the powers of Logrus and Pattern, Mandor and Bleys were able to mold the white form back into coherence. It was none other than Dierdre, princess of Amber, who had plunged into the Abyss during Patternfall. She had been saved and trapped at the same time by her shapeshifting powers.
I still cannot help but wonder why Martin did it. Killing a prince of Amber was about the most despised thing one could do. What did he have to gain? Despill claimed that Martin was crazy. Random could only explain that Martin had allied with Lady Helgram during Patternfall. Perhaps he wanted to start a war. There is nothing but the merest hints at a motive. For me, this still remains a mystery. Perhaps I shall go to Tirnanog in hopes of finding Martin and asking him why. Why kill Merlin? What could have possessed you?
Other seem more satisfied. A cease-fire has been negotiated in the day-old war between Chaos and Amber. Mandor is packing up and heading back to Chaos. Random is putting the matter behind him and pursuing his lost Jewel.
I suppose that is our next task - recover the Jewel before Jade damages the primal Pattern. I just wish Random had taken better care of it in the first place.