You Choose #2: Trusting Brand

[Syzygy]

It is a dark and stormy night.  Suddenly, you hear insistent knocks upon your front door.  You open it up, and in walks the drenched, shivering form of...Prince Brand of Amber.

He explains that he was riding through Shadow, when various unexpected difficulties forced him to stop and seek immediate shelter.  He assures you that you are in no danger.

After allowing him to take a hot shower and finding him some clean clothes, you sit down together for some refreshment.  You begin to ask him questions about Amber, which he answers clearly and straightforwardly.  When you start to press him on the Patternfall War, he doesn't become angry, but instead grows delightfully animated.  Laughingly, he answers all your questions in such a manner that both satisfies and fascinates.

Yes, he says, he survived the Abyss.  No, Deirdre didn't die; he used her as a bargaining chip to get his death sentence commuted to banishment.  And so on....

When you try to point out contradictions in the Zelazny books he laughs uproariously and either irons them out or gives a consistent, though revised, version of events.

He seems to enjoy talking with you very much, and soon begins asking you about your own life.  The conversation then evolves into a philosophical discussion on the personal psychology of Amberites and shadow-dwellers.  You spend all night conversing.

When dawn breaks, you let slip that you've always been fascinated by the Trump, and have often wished that mere shadow-dwellers were capable of such miracles.  Hereupon, his mood suddenly changes.  Instantly, the playfulness leaves his eyes, to be replaced by a strange, terrifying fire.  His body language changes so completely, you wonder if some other, different personality has taken over, one characterized by an impossible, superhuman intensity of focus.

That focus is directed upon you.

"You do well to ask me of the Trumps," he says, "for I am the greatest living Trump Master the universe has ever seen.  I have exceeded all in this Art, such that even Dworkin and Suhuy must concede that I reign supreme.  And as such, it is only fitting that I once more exceed myself with another impossible feat: to tutor a mere shadow-dweller in the Art of Trump, such that he may then draw a perfectly functioning set, fully equal to any made by the youth of Amber or Chaos.

"I offer you this opportunity: to become a living testimony to my greatness.  But consent to be my disciple, and I will make you the first shadow-dweller to become a true Trump Master."

If you mention your family obligations, he waves his hand dismissively and promises to help you see to all that before your apprenticeship begins.  Where there is sickness, health; where there are debts, wealth.  If you have children, they are provided for.

He also assures you that no reprisals will befall you if you turn him down, and he will still consider you a friend.  And deep within the recesses of your being, with an intuition you never knew you possessed, you realize that at least this much is true: that if you decline, no punishments or retribution will thereby accrue to you.  Truly, in this moment, you have the power of decision to express your own will, free of threat.  

Mindful of who you are talking with, and the various pitfalls no doubt involved, do you dare to accept?  Why or why not?

[Cerulean Lion]

Oh my yes. Oh so very yes.
 :woop: :singdance:

Why? Well -- aging, single, no dependents, no responsibilities and no likelihood of any special adventures in my remaining life.
Brand keeps his word = the cosmos is open to me for my remaining years.
Brand betrays me = I lose a few years.
So: Oh so very yes.

[Syzygy]

I'll answer my own question: yes.

The benefits seem obvious: my one chance to escape the mundane and have all of Shadow open up before me.

[Trevelyan]

Obvously yes. Why wouldn't you? :confused:

[Dr_BadLogic]

I'd have to say yes as well.  Even with the expectation of Bad Things happening, it would be far too tempting.  Besides-once you managed to grasp the Trump, who knows where you might go from there?

[gabriel_ss4u]

DUH!
LOL Yes!
To be near an Amberite for time is to grow more real, look at Bill...
I would make my pact with the devil or god-man, and learn as much as I can, letting him know I am willing to give him what he can't take... my loyalty.

plus I luv to draw. hehehe

[Lady Vivamus]

Hell. Yes.

[moritheil]

I think this example has an underlying guarantee of safety: Brand gains nothing from going to such great lengths to fool you.  Sure, he might get angry later on and kill you if you argue with him.  But the point is that knowing what you know of Brand from the books - as the proposition is put - he might be a mad genius, but he isn't so completely irrational as to start a plot with a random shadow dweller intending to betray them from the start.  It accomplishes nothing.

[jibbajibba]

Poor Brand didn't he realise that I am Osric in exile and that I lured him here by the subtlest manipulation of shadow. Doesn't he know that my desire to gain knowledge of trump, and by so doing escape the cunning gaes laid upon me by the cursed meddler Dworkin, will only result in his own death... fool

[SunBoy]

Uh... awright, jibba, just stay there, and my friends with the with coats will stop by for tea...


Oh, and a zillion sorts of yes, of course.

[Spike]

The question, less subtly put is:

Do you, in a position of relative powerless put yourself into the care of an obviously callous manipulator of great power and influence knowingly, even if it means that in all likelihood you become a pawn, a patsy, a catspaw in some scheme far greater than you in return for the scraps of power that you will surely gain from such association... even as a patsy?

Or do you remain content to live an ordinary humble life, powerless and perhaps helpless but safe?   Could you even be content after coming so close?

The question as put disguises the true nature of the 'dilemma' by putting it in terms of living out ones fanboy fantasies.

There are levels of gradiant here as well: Does such an offer tempt quite the same if it is mere mortal helplessness and mortal power and wealth?  If the exiled usurper prince offers you guidance and wealth to act the role of a noble, and you an illiterate peasant, is it the same?

And of course, all ignores the moral quandry if we put it in more traditional theology, rather than the fan fantasy.

What if it were Lucifer rather than Brand and the skill he sought to teach were the very secrets of creation?

[gabriel_ss4u]

Well, that's supposedly where we came from... right?
Eve thumbing her nose @ God's rule of leaving the fruit of that one tree alone... (no, not Ygg). Serpent gave a similar tempt then.

I feel, if I knew I was 'not real' and could trade it for 'being real' I would.

[moritheil]

I don't really think Brand is a good parallel to Lucifer, but once we start talking theology and religion - or mythology and religion, depending on how you think of it - things get heavily interpretive.

At any rate, the question as it was originally posed was hardly a Faustian bargain.  What, exactly, is the shadow person giving up that is so unnatural?  All that Brand wants is your time and attention.  Brand is basically offering something of enormous value - transcendent value - for free.  In that respect it's a bit more like Jesus showing up at your doorstep and saying, "Hey, I am the way to eternal life, and I'll put in a good word for you with the angels who guard heaven if you will follow me and learn my teachings.  Do you want that?"

[gabriel_ss4u]

Not trying to compare Brand to ha-satan, my corolation was pertaining to the 'temptation' of such a situation dealing with 'enhancing your awareness by divine means through a deal-maker/tempter'.
But if attempting to avoid religion is bringing up the christ... you're ignoring your own warnings moritheil.
However you brought up a good thought in your statement, What if the WAS a price...
What if the price was high?
Any ideas?

[Croaker]

Well, with Brand... The price would probably be high, with madness, death or, at the very least, loss of who/what you are at the end of the road. Living an ordinary, human life would probably be best.

Of course, you might have nothing to lose, don't care at all and/or even accept gladly these kind of prices.

Me? I fear my strong moral restrictions against power and its corruption might stupidly bloc me for going down the fool's road.