Damn my Uncle. "Test you by fire", he said. Testing me by running me through a thousand seas and ships he meant. Running me down, that is, with storm, shot, and serpent. Well, not a thousand ships. Yet. He had that many though, all at once, hunting me, or waiting for me in the next shadow. And shadows of those, shadow of himself, harrying me. I'd killed him twice already. The first time was close; I'd have scars. The second time... He'd gotten close, and opened with cannon. They missed, I saw to that, but that and a wind to bear me away left me unable to plague him with a sea serpent. He sent three. But I got out of there and called a kraken I knew, and set it eel-fishing, as it were. Then the winds took me and I fled. But he followed me, of course, his face on the waters through shadow. But shadows were mine against shadows, and when that one caught up to me I had 16-inchers and a great steel hull and shot down that shadow under an oddly striped flag.

Then a submarine shot me down. Served me right, I suppose. That was the end perhaps, by our rules, but I'd be damned if I trumped him then to be pulled out of the sea. I swam a while until I came to a great ship in a battle. Wood and sails I called, those being more amenable to my power; but cannon too. I did not know my uniform but it was grand though wet, and they called me "Admiral" when I was aboard. The captain fell to a stray shot shortly, so they accepted me and I led their fleet to victory, whoever they or their enemy were.

He found me then. At least a storm arose, away from me, but all the winds blew toward it. Neat trick, that, but I knew I could do it if I had to. My confidence had been boosted and fractured. I was truly a Prince of Amber and Lord of shadows, and I could pull any trick he could, I knew now. But he was older, with much better reflexes, and could pull many at once. Random's equations were a good metaphor. I could manipulate one as well as any, but Caine could hold three. Damn age.

This storm, though... I could try to break by wind, and be caught as I stalled. I could break by steam or diesel, but I'd been caught once that way. A submarine of my own was simply foolish against him. So there was an odd lightning rod on the side of the ship when I turned, and I took the wind and sailed into the storm.

They didn't like that, a ship full of powder into a lightning storm. I told them we fought what they could not know, but one rebelled openly, so I knocked him into the sea. They quieted then, between my strength and my probabilities, but soon the muttering grew. I realized then that Caine was turning things against me. I could keep them quiet, and did, but that was another variable I had to actively control. No matter, though; I was done with subtlety. He could have the shadows this once; I would have a draw.

We sailed in, lightning blazing around and down the rod, but we were safe. That was my task, exerting all of my power to avert the storm for now. I won't forget the look on his face when we sailed into what passed for the eye of that freak storm; he had not expected a rush now. He was ready otherwise, with cannon and boarders, but that wasn't my plan. I knocked the lightning rod off by force, saving the shadowplay to drive us onto his ship. Drive them, I mean; I jumped into the sea. _Then_ the long-denied fury could come, then the lightning came down, upon this great flagship full of powder. I felt the explosion easily, even a fathom down, but swam on. I surfaced in the storm, but resolved I would change that. The water was black in storm, but that worked to my advantage. Soon it was black in night and turbulence, but quiet. When I dived again I called familiar smells, then later with a wrench of shadows certain sounds, not of storm but of mute merrymaking. Swimming to Amber would take too long, so I'd planned a tiresome shortcut. I dived again and let myself drift, listening, feeling, changing... I reached out and touched a door, and knew I could breathe, for I'd reached a closet in Rebma. I came out, scared a servant, and collapsed.

I woke up on Gerard's ship. Father had trumped me after he trumped Caine out of the ocean, and seeing me in water had burst through dream and taken me out, not realizing that the Rebmans had put me to bed. I woke up much later and to a proud smile and breakfast, and then I went to see my uncle.

"You blew me up!", Caine shouted.

Regarding his singed hairs, his soggy suit, I could only say, "Yes."

"That wasn't some hulk I pulled out of shadow, like your stunts; that was MY SHIP!"

I waited.

He glared at me, then smiled. Then threw his dagger at me.

I caught it, but not without cutting my fingers.

"That's for blooding me, whelp. Also for beating me home."

I controlled the pain, and hung the dagger from my belt. "So, did you give yourself anything when you killed yourself, Uncle?"

He grinned. "Yes, actually; I have a second of those back home. But you can have that as token. And avenge me with it, if need be."

"Grim thoughts Uncle. But surely Julian would beat me to such a task."

"By land, not by sea. But speaking of him... you've given me an interest in your education now; we have to make you able to humiliate him as you beat me."

"I doubt killing Morgenstern will win his love."

"I planned a fouler deed; win Morgenstern's trust. That'll earn his respect, yet mortify him. But for the future. We still have things to teach you whelp. For the future..."