5) I have wondered which actor could portray me, but unfortunately Hollywood is not well stocked with tall, red-haired actors. Fortunately, if one ignores the hair, which of course can be modified, one can see a certain similarity between myself and an actor named John Phillip Law, a supporting actor in such movies as Barbarella. He has the same tall, spare frame as I, and a set of finely chiseled features that approximate my own. As for which would have the personality to portray me, it is the gift of an actor to portray another, both in body and spirit, so any competent actor would suffice. Given my lack of any overwhelming characteristic by which to base a characterization around, perhaps it would take a better actor than that, after all.
Naturally, the scion of Amber that I resemble most strongly, at least physically, is my mother Fiona, although the differences in height and eyes are quite striking. Strangely, the one I resemble mentally the most is Llewella, as we share a desire for a stable Amber and an interest in the arts, plus a distinct disinterest in the intrigues that surround the throne.
6) My usual routine for a short vacation, as opposed to a long sojourn into Shadow, is to find some type of conveyance that will wander without a set course, yet stops daily or frequently to entertain or trade. Sometimes it is a ship plying the nearer isles, other times it is a gypsy wagon as it travels between towns. There should be a continual series of new places to visit, new peoples to encounter, and a copious amount of song and story to entertain me. One slight variation on this vacation is to visit for a week or more a medieval recreation encampment, as are sometimes to be found on Shadow Earth. The not-quite-serious nature of such events, and the wide diversity of peoples that attend them, provide a pleasant and diverting atmosphere, and it provides a wide selection of music to listen to, and a large and appreciative audience should I choose to perform.
7) I have a suite on the third floor, directly above the late Eric’s suite. It opens on to the corridor between the Sitting Room, past the Fencing and Workout Room, to the grand staircase. It is convenient to the entrance to the upper level of the library that Random has promised to have constructed so that I can conveniently browse when I so desire.
The first impression everyone gets when entering my rooms is of walking into a forest. Both rooms are carpeted in a thick shag rug in a rich dark green and brown design. Gold and green tapestries also hang on the walls of the sitting room. The predominant theme is Celtic; I am intrigued by the intricate and repetitive patterning that dominates such art. Sometimes, sitting here alone late at night playing the harp, I can see an analogue to the Pattern in such art.
In the far left corner is a small wooden dining table and a set of four chairs, all of dark oak. A brass bowl of fresh fruit is always in the center of the table whenever I am in residence. The chairs also serve on those evenings when several of the musically inclined individuals of the court gather informally for music and song and story, in the traditional form of a bardic circle, in my quarters. When the group becomes too large for the room, we adjourn to the Sitting Room down the hall.
A tall concert harp sits in far right corner. This is the only instrument with a history in my quarters. The frame was grown by the craftsmen of a far Shadow, then Trumped to Amber by Llewella. The strings were forged and drawn from the swords and armor of those slain in the battle between Amber and Chaos. It was played once, by the harper Taliesen, to celebrate the victory of Amber and mourn the death of Oberon, then the strings were melted down and destroyed. The frame was stored away until I chanced upon it. After receiving permission from Random, who said he had heard a jazz harpist and wondered if I could similarly play the harp, I restrung it and have been practicing on it ever since. It is a difficult instrument to master, but it is worth the effort, and I am persevering.
Next to the harp is an oak desk pushed against the wall and covered with musical scores and transcripts. Even though I treasure precision and order in most areas of my life, there is a considerable amount of disorder among my personal possessions. A shelf above the desk holds a number of bound scores, some signed, along with several recorders, penny whistles, flutes, and other small musical instruments, and other musical paraphernalia.
To the right of the door stands a large oak bookcase. One shelf contains a number of large art books, again of a Celtic art theme. Other shelves contain books on magic and psychic abilities; most of them are actually amusing in their presumptuousness. In the lone cabinet is one of the few complete and undamaged copies of the Book of Kells existent.
Past the bookcase and through the archway is the bedroom. A fireplace spans the entire far wall, and on the mantel sits an antique oak Seth Thomas mantel clock, with Westminister chimes. (The clock has been adjusted to run precisely on Amber time: I am demanding of precision in time as an outgrowth of my passion for music.) A drinking mug that I once shared with Corwin during an impromptu set sits on the right end of the mantel. A covered glass bowl in the shape of a sitting hem, containing various wrapped hard candies, sits next to it. A large silver pendant with a pentagram on its face in high relief, hanging on a silver chain against a fold of black velvet, is at the opposite end. A long, slender weapon with a ruby tip, called a firelance, and a long sword are crossed above the mantel.
A clothes press and a chest of drawers, again of oak, stand to the left of the door. Several trophies from music competitions sit on the top of the chest, along with a bowl containing an assortment of pocket trivia that one normally picks up during ones travels.
A four-poster bed is backed up against the left wall. The side rails had to be specially lengthened to accommodate my height. A cloth-of-gold bedspread lies across it, something that was presented to me by one of the courtiers from one of the Golden Circle treaty states. Spare pairs of boots, slippers, and shoes can usually be seen peaking out from under the edge of the bedspread. When I am not carrying or playing it, my harp and its case sit on the side table beside the bed.
Something that should be pointed out is that unlike that of many of my relations, most of my furnishings were selected more for durability and comfort than appearance. Once set, I do not like to have to change my surroundings. I favor dark wooden furniture, as it reminds me of my childhood (one of the few pleasant memories of my upbringing), in the unadorned and so-called “primitive” style.
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