Favorite stories of Amber...

... by our heroes. During the voyage out from Gleamingrose on the Morning Glory, the adventurers took turns closing the evening with their favorite myths of ancient Amber. Sometimes the stories had ulterior motives, such as Starwind's parable of fatal jealousy and Delve's cautionary tale of the limits of soothsaying. Sometimes not.

Index of Stories

• The Tale of Cane and Able - Fisher
• The Tale of Three Cities - Delve
• Behemoth's Tale - Behemoth
• The Tale of the Knight of the Rose Sword - Starwind
• The Tale of Fish and the Wyrm of Cain - Turtle
• The Tale of Dovehawk, Raven and Eagle - Seeker

The Tale of Cane and Able

by Fisher

My mother's full name is Wise Daughter Needle Neverstill Gentle Dragonfly, Dowager Queen of Meander; but mostly she's called 'King Mother' these days. Her friends call her 'Dragonfly'. She comes from a far away realm where they have names like that. I'm not even sure if I know it all, she always seemed kind of embarrassed by it. My father, King Gaunt, met her while travelling abroad. Anyhow, Mother it was who told this tale of Amber to me one winter's night in front of a roaring fire, surrounded by her ladies-in-waiting and my governess.

At this time in Amber, Obrien was High King and he had many sons. The two eldest were twins, Cane and Able. Cane was the elder and would have been the heir but that he was born deformed, one leg shorter than the other and both twisted so that he could walk only with the aid of a stick, hence his name. Able, the younger by a few minutes, was perfectly formed, and as Amber's laws stated that the High King had to be whole in body, Able was the heir apparent.

Now Able was very full of it and perpetually lorded it over his brothers and the people of Amber. Cane saw this and knew that Able would never be a good king. Cane knew because, unable to sit a saddle or train as a knight, he had studied the black arts and become a great sorcerer.

Cane perceived that the third brother, Benediction, would rule well. He resolved to slay Able and make Benediction the heir to their father. So Cane cast a spell upon his staff and entered into the room where Able slept and smote him a mighty blow upon the temple, killing him instantly. Then, fearing the wrath of Obrien, he bore the body of his brother away and hid it so it would not be found.

But Obrien was a sorcerer too. When he found his son gone from his room, he turned himself into a great sleuthhound and found the body by smelling the trail of blood and sweat. Then he bore the body back to Amber and laid it before the throne. Summoning Cane before him, he pointed to the body of Able and said, "Alone of my sons are you evil enough to have done such a deed as slaying thy brother, tell me why I should not slay thee in return.

Cane replied, "It is true that I am evil but I use my evil solely for the good of Amber. That one would have brought ruin to us when you are gone. Benediction will be the better King and well you know it. Look into the eyes of Able and you will see the meanness within." Obrien looked into the eyes of his dead son and he did see the meanness within. "Also, I may be evil but I have yet to perform a great service for Amber after your death and you may not kill me without destroying Amber as well.

And being also a great sorcerer, Obrien knew that he spoke the truth. "True! But you shall not remain unpunished. From this day forward, you are banished from Amber for all eternity.

Then did the Queen speak up at his side. "My lord, you may not banish our son for ever but must place a condition, however unlikely, upon which he may return." Obrien liked not what he heard but knew it for the truth.

"Very Well! Let the fratricide return when his limbs are grown straight and he can sit astride a horse. But should he return before, then let my curse fall upon him and may all his body and mind become as withered as his legs." And all knew that the King would have his way for all the healers in the land had not cured Cane's affliction, though they tried from birth.

Years passed and Obrien passed away, to be succeeded by Benediction. It so happened that Amber had a falling out with another land and wars were fought. Benediction proved a blessing to his people indeed and no one could fault his prowess as a warrior or his skill and cunning as a general. But alas, in the last battle, when he lead Amber to victory over its foes, a chance stroke removed his right hand. Although victorious, the people mourned, for he had been the best of kings and now could be High King no longer. But who would be High King in his stead?

Benediction summoned the wisest of his councillors and his mother, the Queen, to him and said, "Hearken now to me. I must no longer be High King but yet none of my brothers are suitable and I have no son. How then shall we settle the succession, for I see civil war and ruin for Amber if a High King is not found." And all the councillors debated and argued but none could provide an answer until the Queen spoke.

"In all the Thousand Realms there is but one man who could give you an answer. That is your brother, Cane. Go seek him and ask his advice."

So Benediction vaulted into his saddle and rode away. He searched long, for a year and a day, in all the Thousand Realms but could not find Cane. One day, weary and despondent, he stopped to drink by a pool at the mouth of a cave. As he drank, a misshapen dwarf spoke from the cave and asked him what he sought.

"Why I seek for my brother, Cane of Amber. But what is that to you, dwarf?"

"Your brother dwells where no horse can bear you but I have a steed that will speed you on your way. Just give me your horse in exchange and it is yours."

"Show me the beast and it is done!" And the dwarf, who was called Dworkin, led forth from the cave a white unicorn without any manner of riding gear. "Where is the bit, the saddle and the stirrups?" cried Benediction.

"She will suffer none to be placed upon her but you will not need them for she will bear you more smoothly than your own mother carried you to the cradle." And Benediction mounted the unicorn and she sprang into the sky.

The unicorn galloped through the stars and shortly brought Benediction to his brother who at that time dwelt at the end of the rainbow. Cane saw his brother coming and wondered not, for he had foreseen these events with his sorcerous arts, though he did wonder at the unicorn.

"Wherefore have you come to disturb my exile, oh my brother of the one hand?"

"I seek your advice, Cane. As you can see, I am no longer whole and must resign the High Kingship but there is no one suitable among our remaining brothers that could rule without plunging Amber into burning ruin. Who is there that could rule in my stead?"

And Cane replied, "There is but one man who could hope to rule as befits the High King, but he cannot and will not go to Amber."

"And who might he be? And why will he not come to Amber?"

"That man is myself and I may not enter Amber or be High King for my limbs are twisted and our father's curse is upon me."

"Then come with me to Amber and be High King, for do you not know that the touch of the horn of a unicorn can cure such ills." And the unicorn touched Cane's legs and they grew straight and strong, right then. Cane mounted up behind his brother and the unicorn bore them both back to Amber, where Cane ruled with great evil to make Amber a happy and prosperous land.

And that's one tale of how Cane came to be King of Amber though I've heard many others.

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