hutch@shark.UUCP (Stephen Hutchison) (10/01/85)
In article <2417@ut-ngp.UTEXAS> speegle@ut-ngp.UTEXAS (Charles R. Speegle) writes: >*** REPLACE THIS LINE WITH YOUR MESSAGE *** >>> I think that the blue cavern in which Merlin is imprisoned is >>> in fact the gemstone of a ring. Also Corwin is not dead, but >>> is masquerading as Bill, who knows far too much. >>> >> Sounds right to me; there is certainly a precedent in >> Ganelon/Oberon... > >When Julia's body was discovered by Merle she was wearing a blue pendant. >Rinaldo wanted Merle to wear his ring, which he didn't wear himself. The >ring has some sort of unknown property. Bill doesn't know a lot he just >asks a lot of questions and then does some deductive reasoning. In the >earlier Amber series he does the same for Corwin. One question which has nagged me for some time: Merlin is not JUST the son of Corwin of Amber, but is ALSO the son of Dara of Chaos. Dara, like many of the Chaoids, is a shapeshifter. Merlin grew up in Chaos. Corwin, when faced by an enraged and dangerous Dworkin, was horrified to see Dworkin transforming from a feeble, old man into a fierce, huge, monster of terrifying strength. So, first, is shapeshifting MAGIC or is it an inherent property of the Chaos Line? In which case, Merlin should be able to shapeshift freely. Secondly, is there an upper limit to the strength of the eventual form of a Chaoid? If not, then Merlin can get out, despite the fact that the prison was blocked by a terrifically heavy rock, by becoming something big and strong enough to move the rock. Or he can just become something small enough to get out through the cracks... Oh, all right, I know, Zelazny doesn't want the puzzle solved that simply. Hutch