Where is everyone?
Miriel woke Quinn an hour into his sleep to ask permission to let Edward, Vaughn,
Kethos and Lanton Trump into Aretia. Kethos needed medical help. Quinn groggily agreed,
then thought Lanton the Chaosian and got up. A nice hit of stimulant helped a
lot. Miriel modified the alarm settings that reacted to Lanton's unauthorized shapeshifter
presence. He greeted his kin and Lanton. He explained Deirdre's condition to Breann. Dee's
odds were still roughly 50-50 despite Aretian nanotechnology because her body was just
barely accepting the intrusions of artificial lungs, heart and intestines, and the
supported liver and spleen function. Dee's body treated additional nanobot-aided
regeneration as a disease and the added stress started to kill her when it was tried. All
they could do was wait.
Breann went into efficiency overdrive. She wanted the family on highest alertness. Someone
had to go tell Finndo right away, no, she'd do it. Quinn pointed out that her wrist
regeneration unit would quit working a couple of shadows out from Aretia. She got a Trump
of Ygg from Miriel and lent it to Vaughn, assigning him to contact Finndo. She started
Trumping people.
Edward and Quinn watched her covertly. "Awful regal, isn't she?"
Quinn nodded. "Channelling her Dream Queen self, perhaps." Pause. "So you
simply grabbed Kethos out of Utumno?"
Edward looked proud and sincere. "Yes. Nothing is too dire for a scion of Amber. Few
would do it, but I did."
Quinn smiled. "Few could do it."
Quinn checked on Kethos and risked a light mind probe. Kethos seemed to be disconnected
from his body in some way. Otherwise he was mainly suffering from extreme fatigue
poisoning. The systems could easily handle that.
Theseus Trumped into Castle Amber and questioned the first servant he came across. This happened to be pastry chef Jovanni, who told him that Megan was the only other royal in the Castle. Jovanni led Theseus to Megan and dismissed him. Megan was not really sleeping, she was trying to rest despite hearing the thoughts of everyone in the Castle. Theseus let her be and snagged the first castle guard he could find. He learned that there was no army at all currently in Amber. He sent for the ranking officer present. This sergeant informed Theseus that the enemy was so far off that the fronts were the edge of Arden and the Skerry Isles. There were only about 250 troops in the City altogether. Theseus dismissed him to his duties and racked his brain for what was bothering him. He felt like he was missing a clue somewhere, an important one.
Daelyn went over the casualty reports with Lysander. They made rough plans for a monument to the dead. Mel told him about the heroic death of Russell, whose plan to rope valkauri hadn't quite worked. He and Daelyn presided over the solemn parade, the state funerals and the bacchanalian wake that followed.
Breann ordered a full Family meeting. Quinn, bemused, agreed to host it in Aretia.
Megan gave up on sleeping and flew away from the castle. The increasing cacophony of
thoughts in her head was driving her to distraction, and her telepathic range was doubling
every few hours.
Quinn found out that Random had left Aretia some time before, without ever getting
treated for the many-layered Compellings Llewella had forced upon him. Then he found out
about Megan and Miriel's monowire weapons. The stuff had to be all over the battlefield, a
considerable hazard. Worse, if the stuff worked in Aramyst it might well work in Amber. He
mentioned it to Breann. She noticed his glassy look and made quick arrangements with
Miriel.
Breann intercepted him. "Quinn -- Sleep. Now."
"Can't. Stimulants."
Hiss. Miriel removed the injector. "Sorry, Dad." She dragged him off to his
rooms.
Breann Trumped Theseus and asked/required him to get Random to the family meeting, and to
make sure he walked the Pattern first. Theseus agreed and added that he would attend the
meeting remotely, via Trump.
Theseus decided to take care of his own errands first. Breann's had a distressing
tendency to take a lot of time. On the way to Florimel's room he caught sight of her
coming out of Deirdre's room. He avoided her notice. Flora drew out a Trump and
concentrated -- some place, not a person, Theseus could tell, the captain's cabin of a
ship -- while he exerted his power and diverted her to his personal shadow, quickly
negating Trump in that place where no other power worked. The Trump she'd been using was
of Caine's ship, the La Rue, and she'd been carrying a porcelain cup.
Theseus contacted Random by Trump despite Random's resistance. Random was hellriding past
Ygg towards the realm of Beatha. "Your presence is required."
Random was panting with effort, "I have to get back to... uh... whoever That Woman
was."
"I'm afraid I must insist."
"You have to help me."
"I have to help you --"
"You have to help me get her back."
"I help you, you help me."
Random nodded. Theseus pulled him through right off the horse. Random had one hell of a
grip.
"I'm pleased to meet you finally, uncle." He used his Pattern Trap, Trumping
Random to one foot above the beginning of the Pattern, and himself just behind. Random's
lightning reflexes kept him barely off it until Theseus booted him forward. "And
don't bleed on it!"
Theseus broke into Flora's rooms and looked for letters from Corwin. The best one
mentioned a general doublecross of Eric (Theseus' father), at which point our accomplice
will take care of the hindrance. As Eric had been killed by a sniper rifle from the Castle
walls, Theseus found this significant. He concentrated on his shadow world and opened it
to incoming Trumps, then contacted Flora.
"Theseus! Thank God. Something has gone awry."
"Who was your accomplice in your plot to dethrone my father?"
"Uh..."
"Who was your accomplice, bitch?"
"But if I tell you, he'll --"
"See you in a century." Trump disabled again in that place. He calmed himself
and Trumped Breann. "He should be through the Second Veil by now."
"You are magnificent."
"Did you notice any sluggishness on your mother's part during the battle?"
"I wasn't there. Megan -- no, Miriel, she was in contact."
Theseus nodded, changed the subject. "He wasn't in the best mental state."
Breann Trumped Gerard and asked him to help Random, as Theseus was worried about him walking the Pattern. Gerard asked about the meeting.
Sander listened to Miriel's request he attend another goddamned family meeting. He protested that Deirdre had already signed papers, there was no need. Miriel told him that the papers were for personal inheritance only. The Regency was not hereditary. Miriel caught his drift and suggested that those who did not attend might get volunteered for things. Sander decided to go.
Theseus contacted Miriel and asked her about Deirdre's mental state during the battle. Miriel told him that Deirdre had seemed to focus single-mindedly on whatever was in front of her. Miriel had warned Deirdre of dangers more than anyone else.
Megan flew towards the Golden Circle.
Edward availed himself of the Aretian manufacturing facilities to replenish his stock of pointy things.
Random appeared next to Theseus. "You owe me." Theseus nodded.
Miriel remembered to turn off the Stun Bleys On Sight program before he arrived. Caine,
Gerard, Julian, Random, Lysander -- with Daelyn, Quinn, Breann, Edward, Ander, Lora,
Miriel and Vaughn all showed up or were already on hand. Edward and Bleys greeted each
other warmly. Lora displayed no reaction to news of the Baron's death. Quinn Trumped
Artanis to check on Fiona -- not ready yet. Theseus listened in via Sander.
"Does anybody know what's going on with Megan?" Breann asked.
Quinn frowned, "Why?"
"I Trumped her and heard thousands of voices."
"Ah."
Breann took control. "There are many matters to address at this meeting, so let's get
started." Several people were shocked to hear Breann speak so. "As you know, or
should know, my mother was gravely injured in her battle with the Baron. The Baron is
dead. But what scares me is that he died easily."
That got Sander's attention. "You call that easy?!"
"He could have left at any time. So, if he was happy to die, what's coming
next?"
Quinn told them about his attempt to contact Benedict from the place that had held
Dworkin's Over-Pattern and the war in the sky he'd observed there between Benedict,
Dworkin and the Unicorn against Horrible Black Things and Awful Bright Things that he
associated with the two factions of possessing spirits that had attacked the people of
Amber. That he'd Trumped Benedict to offer the Baron's powersword and got Dworkin instead,
and that Dworkin had been upset at the Baron's death, though he hadn't said why. Quinn did
not mention that Dworkin had given him the sword to hide in a safe place.
Breann and Caine started arguing. He seemed to resent Breann's leadership and asserted his
own. When it grew heated Theseus had Sander pull him through. "Stop it!"
Quinn stood. "Yeah. Who wants the job?"
Julian, Gerard and Random did not. Bleys laughed. Theseus suggested himself and, very
surprisingly, Caine backed him. Nobody objected. Theseus took over directing the meeting.
He announced that he'd imprisoned Flora and why. He Trumped Flora in. She claimed that
Caine had poisoned Deirdre and her job was only to destroy any evidence -- bad, but not
nearly as bad as Caine, right? Caine said she was simply trying to frame him. Gerard,
Edward and Breann were sent to search the La Rue, which is where Flora was headed next in
her 'cleaning spree'.
Breann was nearly incandescent with the need to kill somebody.
Alarms went off, and Quinn was informed of a computer security breach. He Lensed the area
and found Kethos raiding a computer node with surprising speed and skill. Non-lethal
wall-stunners melted Kethos, obviously not Kethos at all. Lanton was gone from Aretia,
having magicked himself away from the city and used the odd chaos power to leave the world
entirely. Breann, Edward and Vaughn were outraged, though Edward's outrage had an element
of admiration in it. Faux Kethos' datasearch had been aimed at the gunpowder train
schedules and Aretian defenses, such as the graser cannon airtaxis.
Theseus tried to Trump Finndo and finally made the connection with Quinn's and Sander's
help. They explained. Finndo said that Lanton was an old enemy. Kethos had not mentioned
that to anyone during the first prison break. Marcus hadn't known of it either. Finndo
said he'd gather an army.
On the La Rue, Edward's third search turned up a very well-hidden bottle of the same drug
used on Deirdre. The family debated mindprobes and discarded the idea. Deirdre's entire
blood volume had been replaced so contagion spells wouldn't find traces in her. Caine and
Flora were in for a stint in prison.
Quinn planned alterations to his defenses to render the lost data useless.
Megan suddenly felt that the solution to her problem was in Caer Beatha.
Where is everyone?
Things in Heaven and Earth -- 75 -- Home Alone 1
Where is everyone?
Now, for the Important People...
Half the castle staff discussed the prophecy and the meaning of 'the rope that binds the hands of the King', 'soot from a destroyed dream', and 'the best hope of the kingdom'. Shayla came up with the Hand of Oberon; perhaps some of its cordage. Two businesses had burned down in the recent riots: a tailor shop called the 'Dreamweaver' and a bordello known as the 'House of Dreams'. The third they came up empty on.
Helga, in full Valkyrie gear, went to the fleet communications center and bullied them into letting her use the Hand of Oberon Trump. She went through to the ship and demanded assistance.
Garrett and Angela went to the House of Dreams. Garrett mourned the loss of such a fine establishment. They bullshitted the local fire brigade into letting them borrow a pump and hose. Garrett did the work. Angela admired. Turning the soot into slurry should, hopefully, make it unusable.
Philo and Cully took all thirty pages with them to the ruin of the Dreamweaver's shop. Philo explained the bucket brigade to the city guardsmen at extreme length. Local children showed up and started playing in the sooty mud and some of the pages joined in.
A man in a blue, hooded cloak appeared near Angela. "This shows considerable ingenuity. I'm fairly surprised, not that it will do you any good. BWA HA HA HA HA!" He turned and walked quickly down an alley. Angela informed Garrett, who charged after the man.
Cully noted the blue-cloaked man who watched them for a moment and then vanished. A general soot-ball fight broke out. Philo ran about trying to stop it and taking down names.
A sinister blue-cloaked man appeared in the infirmary. Shayla ran a wheeled bed at him. He jumped / glided over it and loomed over Donata's cot. Shayla grabbed the emergency knockout hypo labeled 'Gerard', slammed it in the accompanying air gun and shot at the intruder. He spun, taking the dart in his cloak, revealing a long metal tube. He kicked the airgun away before Shayla could reload and grabbed her by the throat. She kicked him in the groin, which actually seemed to hurt him, and was thrown across the room onto a bed and into a wall. KO.
Helga gathered a lot of rope in big coils and was Trumped back to Amber. She tossed the ropes onto a desk in the communications office. It broke. She hurried towards the Castle.
Garrett caught up to the blue-cloaked man and dove at him as he teleported away. He rolled in the dirt and mud around the Dreamweaver's. Philo chided him for setting the children a bad example. Angela had followed; she helped Garrett clean up.
Cully started the pages back towards the Castle.
Shayla came to. The intruder was gone. She checked on Donata. No damage. She decided that the man had been interested in Donata's bundle of belongings.
Cully noticed that the pages weren't following him to the castle. They turned off towards the middle of town, staring blindly ahead. Tranced. He shouted and punched to no avail. The two biggest ones grabbed him and carried him along. They stopped at the fountain that had been the center of the bloody riot. A circle of rope, pieced together from short lengths surrounded the fountain. Blue-Cloak was standing atop the plinth playing a flute. The pages formed a circle inside the rope.
Shayla suddenly remembered the intruder talking. Now that you fools have gathered the ingredients for me...
Everyone felt at once that something was very wrong and Cully was at the center of it. And knew where he was. Garrett jumped on his horse and it actually cooperated. Shayla, Helga, Angela and Philo hurried towards the fountain.
Blue Cloak chanted and made mystic passes as Cully struggled free. The rope ignited in unnatural fire and the pages came out of their trance. The sorcerer looked down at them, "I regret having to do this -- aaagh!" Thwapthwapthwapthwap! Princess Breann's example had made wrist-rockets very popular among the pages. Blue-Cloak vanished. Cully and others ran into the mystic barrier at the rope. Some pages lifted the rope the few inches they could and shot stones at the mage's ankles. Others put out bits of the fire with dirt, piss or water from the fountain. Cully climbed the plinth to shoot from above. A heavy downdraft buffeted him from above and the waters of the fountain began to churn and flicker. It got worse, pulling the pages towards the water. They clung screaming (insults, mostly) to the edge of the fountain.
Blue-cloak's chant was constantly interrupted by the need to relight parts of the rope and the odd coin (Cully had run out of stones) aimed at his head from the top of the plinth. "Enough! I call upon my fellow -- UNH!" Garrett flashed by, kicking him in the head in passing. Garrett stopped, dismounted and drew steel. The sorcerer threw fire at Garrett, who dodged narrowly. "Children just let go of the fountain and die! Ow! I would be AAH!" Shayla darted him. He swayed, tried to chant and Helga speared him through the chest. "This is no good." He fell. Garrett dismembered him.
Angela made much of Garrett's bravery. The pages took bits of the blue cloak for souvenirs. Philo told them in great detail who Blue-Cloak had to be, a descendant of the kings of Shadow Macry who had claimed Amberite descent and made some half-assed attack during the early interregnum.
Two days later the royals returned. They were full of themselves about beating back an attack from Caer Beatha and how the people of the City would never know how lucky they'd been.
Helga, Garrett, Shayla, Philo, Angela and Cully just smiled.
Where is everyone?