Suhuy
Adapted from Erick Wujcik
Then came the swarthy, dark-haired countenance of Caine, dressed all in satin that was black and green, wearing a dark, three-cornered hat set at a rakish angle, a green plume of feathers trailing down the back. He was standing in profile, one arm akimbo, and the toes of his boots curled upwards, and he wore an emerald-studded dagger at his belt.
Nine Princes In Amber
There's one in every bunch. Someone who won't face you with sword in hand, who'd rather push a dagger in your back. In this family, the name is Caine.
Swarthy, with the darkest eyes in Amber, you can't call him cold-blooded, just coldly calculating. After all, it's not everybody who can slit the throat of their own twin, just for a positional advantage in the family game.
Hiding in a corner, dressed in his dark satins, fingering one of his emerald-studded daggers, Caine is the most menacing of Amberites. Plus, he'll throw a deal, turn on his own word, or brazenly lie, if it suits him.
''Never trust a sibling'' is the Amber family motto. Remember it, and remember that it might well have been written with Caine in mind. He won't mind, because for damn sure he has no intention of trusting you!
Caine is an Amberite's Amberite, he plays the games so well, he'd be hard put to tell you exactly where the truth starts and where his lies stop.
So why can't we just call Caine a villain?
Because, in Corwin's story of Amber, Caine is one of the good guys. He wasn't wearing a white hat, but he did show up in the nick of time, did dispatch the bad guy when everything looked pretty hopeless, and had a good excuse for every scummy thing he did.
In other words, you can't fault Caine's motives; he's always on the side of the angels. He ought to be the hero. Whoever kills the villain ought to be the hero, but Caine is no hero.
Caine is Corwin's younger brother. Eric, the eldest, and Deidre, the youngest, were the other two children of Faiella, Oberon's third wife.
There are rumours that Caine was actually not Faiella's child at all, but Rilga's.
|
Tuesday, August 19, 1997 Suhuy |
|
Want more?
Adapted from Erick Wujcik |
Get your own Free Home Page