The Sapphirians seem very ... organised. At least, very adept in organising their realm. Much more so, from their words, than is the family of Amber. Unnecessarily so, I should say, attending to details on a level which should be unnecessary in a well-governed society. Micromanaging the lives of their people.
Why? People can, and will, organise themselves well enough on that level, if given a chance, for their government not to be required to intervene. To be honest, governments have better things to do than that.
I find the division between the social and political lives of Sapphire, as they have been described to me, quite ... strange. In terms of politics they seem as centralised as Amber, with an Empress replacing Amber's King. But in their society they seem both more and less centralised than Amber. Less so in the purely physical sense that their city seems to be divided on a finer and more regimented level than that of Amber. More so because of that regimentation. That centralised planning and control. But nonetheless, although it clearly works, the Sapphirian system seems to me to be a ... strange ... indeed, almost contradictory state of affairs...
Were I the King of Amber, I should be decidedly worried regarding these Sapphirians. Not only are there, I suspect, at least as many of them as of Amberites, but they are also more militaristic, more organised, and perhaps most importantly, more co-operative than the members of the Royal Family of Amber. They war constantly with their Imperial Chaos, but a bloodless, sanitised form of war, war merely for the release of tensions between Sapphire and Imperial Chaos. War as a sport, with rules and limits. Much as sport, in some shadows, takes the place of war. But still, war.
Much as I cannot but commend such civilised behaviour, it also worries me, and it should worry Random. They have, it seems, time to learn powers and skills; time to be taught. They share knowledge rather than jealously hoarding it for use in internecine rivalry. Again, they co-operate. That, alone, separates them from those of Amber!
Assuming all of what they say is the truth, of course. I would suspect that Amber desperately needs to send emissaries to Sapphire, visit them as they visit Amber, and assess them as they are doubtless assessing Amber even now.
I should certainly be interested in visiting there too, even over and above the chance of visiting father, but I am not, other than by blood, an Amberite. Beyond the loyalty of a shared wish for mutual survival I am not obliged to support them. Someone with stronger ties to Amber than I should also visit Sapphire.
Perhaps I should mention all of this to Random, though one imagines that if he is at all competent he is aware of this already.
I should also mention the near-certainly of the DarkWalkers impending betrayal of Sapphire to them. They must realise it themselves, but it would be best to be sure. And to let them know that we also know this...
I am also more than curious regarding the 'Mathematics of Order' which they claim as the basis for much of their politics and other social behaviour, particularly in their constant warring with Imperial Chaos. They claim it is a science, and so it may be. Indeed, they claim it allows them to slowly change the very laws of nature in Sapphire itself, to give it, for example, a form of electricity. Certainly something I would be interested in seeing! But on the other hand, it may be a mass of pseudo-scientific claptrap given a thin veneer of scientific terminology in order to justify it.
I hope they allow me (and, indeed, Random) access to a copy at some point. It might make most useful reading.
However, I can see why they might wish to regard it as a state secret. If it is a scientific method for achieving social order and changing the laws of nature in close proximity to a Pattern, then it can almost certainly be reversed for use as a weapon, to produce social disorder and, one assumes other effects too.
I would like to ask them whether it is applicable to such an end, and whether they would be willing to use it in such a fashion against the DarkWalkers, but if they do know of such matters, they may not answer, and if they do not, I would rather not put ideas into their heads. So that, I think, is a question which will have to wait until I can peruse a copy for myself. Still, their refusal to comment further in response to my question regarding military applications of the Mathematics of Order would tend to imply that my speculations are not terribly far from the mark...
Perhaps I went a little too far in what I said to the Sapphirians. Perhaps I was a little too detailed in my critique of Amber. Its infighting and Family politics. Its former King. My lack of any desire for close ties with Amber. Perhaps I was still rather too annoyed following my talk with Eric. But still, nothing of what I said was an untruth. Biased, perhaps, but surely they realise that and have, in any case, already received the tale, biased in a different manner, from Random.
Still, my dissatisfaction with Amber's current regime clearly showed through sufficiently for Quinton of Sapphire to practically offer me citizenship of Sapphire there and then! An unexpected development, to say the least!
I politely refused, of course. They know nothing of Ensilarum and Cerebaton, my responsibilities in this universe.
In addition to which, I value my independence, even if (and I have no illusions about such things) only as a relatively minor player.
I have no particular loyalty to Amber and am here out of a desire for mutual survival. I may have less antipathy towards Sapphire, but that hardly means that I am about to sign my life away to them!
I see no likelihood of this changing in the future, but still, alternative open doors and courses of action are always welcome...
I find myself a little impatient, too. Restless. Wanting this talking to be over and for battle to be joined against the DarkWalkers. I know this is a very unnecessary feeling - battle will come, and probably far too soon and in too large a quantity for my taste. But still, there it is, in my heart.
I must ask Cerebaton regarding his progress in reading those unedited versions of the books of the Unicorn and Serpent in the secret room of the Castle Library. And also I must take the time to read the book which father gave me at the Tessaract.
But based on our conversations so far, I do wonder whether the field of the Arts is the only arena in which Amber can compete with Sapphire. A worrying possibility if so...