I gave a mental picture of the shadow to Connie who promptly drew a Trump sketch. We were able to lead the troops through the Trump, one at a time, into shadow. Upon arriving we hellrode very slowly to a village where Connie inquired after a hospital. We then degenerated into a long involved debate about whether we should shift shadow to allow us to set up in a hospital or just talk our way through. Connie was very adamant that we should shift shadow. He carried on about how we were all Amberites and that's what Amberites do. He did not seem at all himself. The trip had made him very moody and he began lecturing us all on a topic that he seemed to totally unsure of the day before. It worried me. Were these the strong mood swings his grandfather, Brand, had exhibited?

We finally settled the squabble by a vote which was in favor of the non-shifting approach. As it turned out we should have listened to Connie, because my attempts - our attempts to gain authorization were completely unsuccessful. This was when the strangeness and foreigness of shadow dawned on me. I noted a few principles that might allow me to handle myself better in the future.

Eventually Connie shifted us to Texas. There we set up in the hospital blood bank. We agreed on 8 hour shifts (about 35 minutes of Amber time) to watch over Jade. Jessica and I took the first several shifts, which left Quinn, Locke, and Connie to pursue other activities. Connie knuckled right down and began drawing Trump sketches of the room. A curious thing occurred as he drew the third sketch. I could see that he was fatiguing rapidly. Was the generation of Trump draining him? There are so many things I do not know about Trump. By the time he had finished the fourth sketch he was about to collapse and was shaking like a leaf. Jessica insisted he sleep, using the Begma reception as and excuse. Connie reluctantly agreed.

A few hours later Jessica, Connie, and Quinn left for Amber. I took over the watch. Jade's company was not completely enjoyable. She was snippy and condescending. I brought up several topics of conversation: mentalism, magic, science, Dreamline, but she skirted every subject. She continually bragged about dragging information out of me and offered little conversation herself. I tried to envision Luke and Jade trying to put up with each other. The thought amused me. Maybe Jade was more personable when her life wasn't on the line. I'd give her the benefit of the doubt for now.

Jessica Trumped me near the end of the shift. Jade had fallen asleep as I hoped she would. (She had given me a nasty look when I started playing a soothing lullaby on reed pipe, but it did seem to relax her eventually.) Jessica informed me that the reception was still going on. She looked like she felt a little guilty about not taking her shift on time. That woman has such a strong sense of duty. I told her to take as long as she wanted. I would be fine.

Locke gathered up some local troops to safeguard against possible attack by the watchers. He brought me a shotgun, which was apparently one of the more effective weapons in the shadow. We were discussing how to gather payment for the troops, and he left to make more arrangements.

Hours later Jessica returned. Jade was still asleep. We talked for about a half hour until Locke returned. Then I was off to collect supplies with Locke.