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Another victim of circumstance finds himself living in a House of Cards
(an Amberway play by e-mail created by Michael Croft and Ginger Stampley)

I suppose you're wondering why I've called you all here today.

I've always wanted to do that.

My name is Jovian, though it wasn't always. My father is Julian. He's a Prince of Amber - if you've been allowed to travel far enough to be reading this, you know something about what that means. At the most basic and annoying level, it means there's some academic dispute over whether I am entitled to precedence over a Duke. Practically speaking, it means that at the age of 15 I was led to the Pattern, the source of power that allows those of my family to wander freely among the myriad subtle layerings of reality we call Shadow. Having walked the thing and claimed my birthright as part of its power, I then had a choice to make.

You see, Amberites can go anywhere they can imagine. Whether they imagine it into existence or infinite possibilities really do all exist before we come along is academic. The point is, all I had to do in order to go anywhere and do anything was see it clearly enough.

So what did I do?

That's what you're here to find out. Chalk it up to an overdeveloped sense of duty.

I know, I know. You're going nuts with questions, and I'm not exactly the Font of All Wisdom. I never claimed to be. I'm just a man, with a dragon and a job to do. And having finished that job, and the next one after that, it's about time for me to find another - which means I have as many questions as you have, and the story is just beginning.

Yes, a dragon. But therein lies a big chunk of our story. And I do mean big...Canareth is half my history as well as 25 times my height. You'll learn more than a little about him as well if you hang around long enough. You'll also learn a bit more about the people and places I've cared about. If you're lucky, all will become clear.

Some of my cousins may have saved you some time, though. They've seen some of the visions that haunt my sleepless nights, and they've taken the liberty to question me thoroughly about them. Maybe some of the answers you're looking for are there.

While they may not be edifying in that sense, you also might enjoy some of the things I've overheard while they've been asking and answering each other. We are, after all, a knowledgeable family.

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Text content (c)Mark Eric Stein, Esq. 2001-2004. He's a lame sort of geek and doesn't have his own personal home page; get over it. Characters and situations are derived from House of Cards, an Amberway play by e-mail created by Ginger Stampley and Michael Croft and remain the sole intellectual property of their creators. Graphics not created by the author are used by permission of Ginger Stampley. Mileage is estimated, your actual mileage may vary. Void where prohibited by law. Close cover before striking. Mind the gap. Harmful or fatal if swallowed. Do not look in laser with remaining eye. Not intended for individual sale.