Reflections on the Past, Part 1:
	What separates success from failure?   While I would have said
planning in past years, I now feel what truly separates success from
failure is the ability to improvise.
	Case in point - my 'recruitment' of Sunfall.  It was a simple, yet
elegant plan.  Fund an ambush of Sunfall's caravan, then be there to help
stop it.  I even told them the best way to perform the ambush (while in
disguise, of course).  It only makes sense - shoot the mage hired to
defend the caravan at the start of the attack, before she has a chance to
do anything.
	Things didn't go according to plan.  Rather than take Sunfall out
first, the archers decided to volley-fire their arrows.  They also chose a
slightly less advantageous position than I had pointed out.  And, finally,
Sunfall didn't take cover by the wagons, but instead moved to the front
of the caravan before seeking shelter behind a boulder.
	Still, things worked out for the best.  A carefully-placed
HellFire blast took the archers out of the battle, at least temporarily.
Since that was needed to give Sunfall's troops the chance to rally and
attack, she still ends up owing me in a fashion - and that will suffice.
	Before leaving, I gave her a scroll, inscribed with runes learned
during my traversal of Chaire's Broken Pattern.  Since those runes are not
known to non-initiates, she should be curious at the least.  Though it
strained my vocabulary (such runes are more suited to spellcasting than
prose) I remembered enough to write a single sentence, designed to
intrigue her.  'Yours is a fire long contained, that yearns to be free.'
	Some would call me a sociopath, or worse.  But, I do not kill
without reason.  In many ways, I consider myself more 'just' than most.
The brigands who died knew the risks, as did the members of the caravan.
Natural selection decided who lived and who died.  And, rather than watch
from afar, I put my own life at risk to see my plan come to fruition.
	Still, I do confess to an advantage.  Like an unseen angel,
Ashlin continues to watch over me.  His final blessing, filled with all
the power that can be mustered by one of Amber's blood, protects me to
this day.  It is a protection I am loathe to test.  Every culture bears 
similar warnings, which essentially boil down to 'don't push your luck'.
I do not know how long Ashlin's blessing will last.  It could be limited
by time, use, or factors I am unaware of.  However long it does
continue...I am thankful for it.

	During one of my recent visits to Rebma, I met an enigmatic woman
named Jeanette.  Her kind is well-known to me - she treats knowledge like
a miser treats money, afraid that even the smallest amount shared freely
will diminish her hoard.  She did, however, seem concerned with the
welfare of others.  And she bears a curious broach, eminating a power both
similar and different to the Flawed Pattern I work with.  Not long ago, I
met her in Kashfa, and I should have recognized her arrival as the
harbinger of change that it was.
	I had apparently acquired a new status in Kashfa.  Target would be
the appropriate term.  Fortunately, it appeared that the Assassin's Guild
had either declined the contract or not been approached in the first
place.  This left the independents - every small-time crook looking to
make it big.  My luck held out, as the first one to approach me was young
and inept...as I was, so long ago.  I garnered the necessary information,
paid him for his time and wounds, and even sent him to someone who could
evaluate his suitability for the profession.  Then, I went to find the
middleman for the largest contract on me....Jack.
	Black Jack is very fat, and a moor.  Though he has been around for
a long time, he has not aged as well as I have.  He appears rather crude,
with a loop of bone for an earring.  Yet, though he is still inept by my
standards, his methods have allowed him to stay alive for as long as he
has...a considerable achievement given Kashfa's past troubles.  
	Jack's philosophy of filling contracts is diametrically opposite
to mine - where I utilize a few highly-skilled individuals, Jack floods
the market by making contracts open to anyone who can fill them.  This
results in lots of botched attempts, and usually forces the target into
hiding.   His success comes only from the sheer amount of people willing
to work for his bounties.  And, his methods work poorly on one willing to
come after him at the first sign of his involvement...
	I stepped into the tavern, the Sign of the Broken Pattern already
manifest before me.  As soon as I spotted him, I brought it into the
physical realm, tendrils reaching forward.  His guards were easily
dispatched, though it was a strain to throw them in the way of the
crossbowman on the balcony.  Jack had his men back down, and we had a
calm chat...well, as calm as you can get with him held in midair.
	Jack informed me that I was 'the hottest things since the pocket
in the pita'.  Rinaldo had put in an offer for me, but he wasn't the only
oine...nor the highest bidder.  That distinction belonged to an anonymous
figure which Jack suspected was from Amber.  I was surprised to hear that
Rinaldo had managed to kill Caine.  If this shadowy figure bidding for my
head was from Amber, why place me above Rinaldo?
	After Jack retreated through the doorway, I turned my attention to
one who I had spotted just after entering the bar.  In the sight offered
by the Sign, his form was surrounded by a dark aura.  He approached me,
and I offered him a seat.  By then, the fatigue from my exertions with the
Broken Pattern had faded, and I was able to maintain a normal
conversation.  Then, Jeanette caught my eye, having recently entered the
establishment.  I invited her over, and the three of us began to talk.
	The conversation was mostly of little import.  Jeanette proclaimed
herself as a 'scholar of all things'.  That seemed synonomous with 'fool'
in my eyes.  One does not become an expert in anything unless they narrow
their efforts to a particular field.  Madrak, in contrast, prolaimed
himself a 'servant of the Mystery which may exist and is the reason for
all else, blessed be its name, if it have a name, and any desired to see
it blessed'.  Though it did not show in my expression, I was sure he was
pulling my leg.  Still, he seemed serious, so I figured it would be best
to humor him unitil I knew more.
	I knew that the longer I waited, the more people would be after
me.  I invited both of my new acquaintances to come along.  Madrak did not
get involved in my fight with Jack, so I felt he was relatively safe.  I
was less sure about Jeanette, but as the saying goes, 'keep your friends
close, and your enemies closer'.  
	I wasn't sure where to head next, despite the assurances I gave my
companions.  But, I had some ideas, and I settled on one before we were
more than a block from the tavern.  Let them think my doubling-back was a
precaution...it was time to see my allies in Kashfa.  First the Assassin's
Guild, to have them make clear to Jack and the others what the price is
for calling an unsanctioned hit.  Then, the Sorceror's Guild, to warn them
that Rinaldo was willing to talk our conflict to the next level.  Finally,
to the Castle.  Enough people knew about my presence in Kashfa that
Rinaldo wouldn't be able to make me disappear.  With luck, I could
convince him to back down.  I had enough problems without becoming a
fugitive in my own backyard.  My plan was to settle things quickly,
retrieve Sunfall from Shadow, and go to Begma to see firsthand what had
happened.
	As I said before, what separates success from failure is the
ability to improvise.  Of late, I have perfected improvisation to a fine
art.