Here's how it breaks down:
1. Oberon had something like 16 confirmed kids.
2. In the X number of millenia that they have been around, only 6 (Osric, Finndo, Brand, Gerard, Caine, and Benedict) have died- and we're not even certain about Benedict, but we'll say 6 for the purposes of argument.
3. All of the ones that died had already reproduced to at least replacement numbers.
4. All of the others have reproduced to at least replacement level.
5. If the death rate does not change radically, the remaining elders could still be around and reproducing for three times the amount of eons that have already occured.
6. In that time, they will have at least tripled the number of second generation Amberites.
7. THE KIDS ARE JUST AS IMMORTAL AS THEIR PARENTS.
8. THE KIDS ARE JUST AS HORNY AS THEIR PARENTS.
9. It seems that, no matter how many times the idea that we are prohibitively infertile is tarnished by another birth, no amberite, of either gender, or ANY generation, (with the exception of myself) can be bothered to use any kind of contraceptive...ever.
10. The death rate is at an even lesser frequency for my generation than it is for the elders.
11. We can assume that my generation will be slightly less infertile than the elders, due to the greater influx of Shadow blood.
12. My generation is already at least two times as numerous as the elders.
13. There is no reason to believe that each individual Amberite of my generation will not produce the same number of kids, on average, as the elders.
14. This indicates an exponential population growth- with the added stipulation that the first generation will still be producing additions to the population, alongside their children. We have never seen an Amberite succumb to menopause.
15. For the mathematically minded, here are the numbers. Where X is the number of millenia that had elapsed up to the death of Benedict, E is the collective population of elders, CG represents Chet's Generation, and CK represents the "Chet's Kids Generation" Heaven forfend:
E * X = CG
or
16 * X = 36
Assuming that we reproduce with equal fervor:
CG * X = CK
or
36 * X = 72
But wait. There's more. During that same additional X, the elders will still be up to it like rabbits. So... E * X = CG AGAIN, which leaves us at another 36...basically, go back up to the top of the equation set and keep going, while still running the equations for each new generation AND all the generations that come before it AND after it (in other words, don't forget to calculate the kids that CK will produce using the same formula). For every 15 generations that you calculate, eliminate one generation from your calculations, because that will be the averaged out death rate.
16. Now, the numbers aren't really the problem. We got infinite shadow.
17. Here's the problem.
18. Out of the 16 original confirmed elders, one of them (Unkie Dalt) was and is absolutely militant toward Amber. That is a fraction of 1/16. Even disregarding the CERTAINTY that he will poison his own spawn against us, there remains that 1/16th of the new kids in EVERY generation that will be rebels.
19. I assume you got REALLY tired of doing those calculations a couple of numbers back...well go look at the number you had when you stopped and calculate 1/16th of it.
20. There's your army.