Where is everyone?
Edward wandered into the Hall of Mirrors, a place nobody had seen fit to warn him about. He set aside his initial shock at being suddenly stuck in a strange place and walked cautiously through it. He found a corpse: Sand. Her vertebrae in her neck had been shattered and the body was in full rigor mortis. He noticed movement in the mirror above the corpse -- Sand! In the outfit she'd worn when they danced.
'I won't be able to talk to you very long. I don't --' she glanced at her corpse, 'An unfortunate side effect of being a little braver than I normally am.' Pause. 'I'm not permitted to give specifics. I tried to... I... I'm going to be able to do something due to the Hall of Mirrors that They can't prevent. You've been manipulated to the point where even you know it.'
'Yes. I suspect.'
'I can't tell you who... I can remove the part that I did. The part that prevents you from being able to tell when it's happening. You may not be able to stop the compulsions but you will know which desires are your own. If you find out who did this, tell them 'hi' for me.'
'If there's anything I can do...'
'You already have.'
Megan slipped from shadow to shadow for days, searching for someplace where she could not hear the thoughts of everything around her.
She found it. Standing before her was an Ysian zombie in dark robes and a peaked hat. Its mouth opened but it made no sound. Two hundred mental whispers in perfect cadence spoke to her.
'Greetings, Buideal. We come to aid you in your time of discomfort. None have ever survived our gift but you. Your coming was foreseen. We offer you peace, a home, a position as our leader, savior, messiah. You can have surcease from the cacophony in your mind. Come with us for we are each others' best hope.'
Quinn poured more power into Shadow Aretia, barring it to anyone he would not specifically allow in and making it difficult to even find. He reworked his security, the Aretian programming languages and other features. He made the Ice Blade in Pluto extremely difficult to detect.
Breann practiced sorcery under Lora's supervision in a boat near Cabra. Lora was just back from Aretia, happy to get away from Davin, who'd figured out how to use the computer system to track her down. Lora harped on Breann to focus. She threatened to kiss her and use a lot of tongue if she didn't... reference to Fiona's Alter-Amber methods. Breann bore down and concentrated. Lora asked why the sudden rush of studying. Breann told her she was going to join Finndo rescuing Kethos. "You're going to talk to Finndo", Lora mused. Hours of practice later, Lora received a Trump call.
"But... but... but... I... you...could you... but... Fine!"
'Who was that?'
'Dad. He's splitting.'
'Duh.'
'You'll see him before I do. Finndo asked him to come."
'It'll be dangerous.'
More practice. Finished. Breann felt a Trump contact -- Edward.
Edward looked serious. 'I have a matter to discuss with you.'
'Alright. Where are you?'
'I'm in Amber at the moment.'
'I have a mission. Can you discuss this as we ride?'
'I guess that would be all right.'
Breann pulled Edward through.
Sander woke up snuggled with Daelyn. He felt the approach of an annoyance. Shortly after there was a polite knock at the doors to the royal apartments. Sander answered and, sure enough, it was that senior courtier who hated him. The man bowed deeply and unwillingly.
'We are receiving emissaries, my lord, at the entry posts. From the worlds that were conquered by Ys. They wish audience with the Empress and your Lordship.'
'Who?'
'With the leader of Aramyst's armies.'
'Who?'
'With the Hero of Gladden Pass. And they need your Lordship's permission to enter.'
Sander laughed.
Daelyn walked over, concerned. 'Darling... dear...'
Sander slammed the door shut. He told her about the envoys.
'What were you laughing at?' Looking at his expression. 'Is it better I don't know?'
Nod.
'Man things. Alright.'
Theseus, strutting around in his Sun God robes, was briefed by Dr. Shayla of Donata's -- one of Deirdre's informants -- stay in the infirmary. And that Donata was pregnant, quite possibly by Quinn.
'I shall visit.' Theseus viewed the unconscious woman, then Trumped Quinn and pulled him through. 'I didn't know you had it in you.'
Quinn scanned Donata and confirmed that he was the father. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. 'Miriel's never going to let me live this down.'
'Like I will.' Theseus knew from Miriel that she'd been twenty years old before Quinn knew she existed. 'What do I need to do? Let you know when she wakes up?'
'Yes. She and I need to talk.' Quinn paused, thinking, brightened up. 'I missed Miriel's childhood.' He stepped out of the room. 'Hm. I was going to check on Fiona.'
'Me, too.'
Megan listened to the zombie offer. Ick. 'At what cost?'
It / they were confused. 'We require nothing of you. Only come to us. Be with us. Lead us.
Show us the Way. Be our Hope.'
'Hope for what?'
'Hope for freedom from our oppressor.'
It felt so right. 'Who's the oppressor?'
It / they said a Name. Megan came to a few minutes later. She agreed to help them. It felt
so right. She'd weighed the pros and cons. Con -- ewww! Pro -- enemy army neutralized. Con
-- ewww! Pro -- no more voices driving her mad.
Shadow Kredik's inhabitants were proud, barbaric and truly effective warriors, and not
quite human. Their chief of delegation managed to kiss Sander's ass in a macho, dignified
way. They wanted Sander to lead them against a Ysian army massed on their borders since
Sander had killed the Baron of Ys in single combat. Their numbers were much reduced but
with Sander (the god) in command they felt that they would prevail.
Sander pondered this for two or three seconds. 'Sure.'
'Our mounts are waiting.'
'Now?'
They meant now. They would attack immediately once they had the right leader. Their idea
of defense was to attack first. Daelyn was not happy.
'I'm having your kid.'
'I'll be right back.'
'Your kid. The one I told only you about.'
'I'll be right back.'
Daelyn angrily waved him away. 'I've let you out two times for battles...'
'Like I enjoy that kind of thing.'
She acknowledged the truth of that.
Sander was not entirely happy with the mounts, ox-sized dinosaurids built along the lines
of ostriches.
Quinn let Theseus 'ride along' via Trump contact as he visited the Tir. Artanis was a
bit bemused by Theseus' remote presence. Quinn told his mother about her grandchild-to-be
(Theseus insisted). Artanis was both surprised and concerned. Normally she would know
about such things before they happened. She recalled some nasty prophecies concerning a
child of the blood of Amber born in the near future. She suggested he look them up. Quinn
felt confident he could get around any prophecy. She thought not. Damn.
Quinn told Artanis of what he'd seen of the war between Amber's mightiest protectors and
the Awful Bright Things and the Horrible Black Things. Her response shocked him.
'I am not permitted to speak of these things.'
Quinn's jaw dropped. He felt Theseus' surprise as well. 'What...'
'That is more than I should have said already.'
Pause. 'Hm. OK -- are you aware of the identity of the father of Brigid's child?'
'Yes.'
'Good.'
They checked on Fiona. She seemed to be fine, sleeping her way to recovery.
Edward let Breann pull him through the Trump contact into a small boat. 'Yaah!' He sat
down. 'Lora! Hello.'
'Edward.'
'You're looking fitter than when last I saw you.'
'I want to go with you,' Lora said to both of them.
Breann frowned, 'What's your dad say?'
'He told me he didn't need my help. He didn't say I couldn't come.'
'Oh, no you don't.'
Lora looked belligerent, 'You can't argue this position with any degree of authority.'
Edward asked politely, 'Don't you think you've been in enough danger lately?'
'No.'
Breann gave in. She Trumped them to near Ygg with her new card. As they walked by the Tree
she greeted it, 'Hi, Ygg!' It moved a bit. 'Did anyone else see that?! It waved at me!'
She talked at it for a while. Edward and Lora looked on bemusedly.
'Are we done?' Lora asked. 'Finndo's army? Fire and destruction?' Aside to Edward: 'Got a
rope?'
Breann went back to them. 'Excuse me. I haven't slept in a while.'
They made it to the Forge-lands without incident and were escorted to King Finndo. Breann
immediately started nagging him about whether or not he knew what he was doing, if he'd
thought things through, would marching into Chaos arouse an overwhelming response, after
all if someone marched into Amber's territory...
Lora and Edward listened and were amazed. 'First the tree and now this...' Lora commented.
Finndo, rumbling dangerously: 'I could take Amber. Do you think I couldn't?'
'Isn't there someone in charge of Chaos?'
'No. That is why it is called Chaos. Done properly, we should be able to avoid
entanglements with other Houses.'
'Go march your armies upon a House of Chaos then.'
'Thank you. With your permission, niece.' Finndo turned to Edward and Lora.
Edward bowed, 'Very nice to meet you, Uncle.'
Finndo nodded, distracted. 'No one is going to interfere in a House battle. Coming along?
There will be fighting.'
'I'm not sure,' said Edward. Not likely.
'I'm staying,' said Lora. 'Where's Dad?' Finndo gave her directions, then stalked away.
Edward and Breann stayed to talk. Edward sounded out her reasons for questioning Finndo's
plans, maybe she knew something they didn't. Nope. Edward gently indicated that Finndo had
a lot of experience in the area. They moved on to Edward's reason for consulting Breann.
'I find myself at an interesting crossroads with more things to do than --'
'--Time to do them. Welcome to my life.'
'Not time so much as a choice of priorities. There is someone to whom I am indebted and
for whom I can perform a single task to remove the indebtedness -- and there's some
urgency to that. There's someone who has -- say -- dishonored me. With whom evening the
score would be important for personal and political reasons.'
'Wait. Revenge is a dish best served cold and unexpected.'
'And there is someone who is indebted to me, whom I'd like to see further indebted. Not
sure how to arrange it...'
'First the first, then the third, then the second.'
Theseus interrupted with a Trump call to Breann. He asked her to refrain from flying
Amber's colors in the operation in Chaos. She asked him to check the library for
information on Chaos.
Sander and the Kredik envoys reached the Kredikan army. All 230 members of it. The toughest, scariest 230, but still only 230 against thousands. Maybe hundreds of thousands. Sander Trumped Daelyn and had her send the Magpies and the Kredikan's readied a levy for him. That would make it about 1000.
Megan took her place at the head of her eldritch army. They were fleeing an all-consuming darkness that was spreading out from Ys. They were headed for Shadow Kredik. A small army was blocking their way...
Breann called a parrot of her desire and sent it to ask Ander to not fly Amber colors in Chaos.
Quinn spent a pleasant but very strange -- the new Tir was weird -- day with his
mother. Theseus Trumped him to say that Donata had gone home. He returned to Amber and
knocked on Donata's door.
Donata answered, 'Hello -- Oh No -- I mean hello.'
Quinn smelled an odd combination of odors. She seemed to be eating fried calimari in lemon
sherbet. 'We should talk.'
Megan sent a blood beast under telepathic control flying into the Darkness. It encountered a vast, collective Mind. She started to involuntarily shift towards the valkaur form and contact the Darkness. She shuddered, shifted back and shed black sweat.
Where is everyone?
Where is everyone?
Edward asked Breann to accompany him on some errands. She agreed. He took them to Sand's palace, identified it to her and mentioned that Sand was dead. Marcus joined them via a flashy teleport spell, a circumstance Edward found suspicious. The palace staff had a package waiting for Edward. He and Breann bickered over -- it didn't matter; Breann was there so bickering commenced. Edward began a thorough search of the place. Edward found Sand's diary. Strangely, all the names and pronouns had been scorched out.
Meanwhile, Breann overheard Marcus talking to someone via Trump, refusing to go home. Afterwards, he explained not just his conversation, but How Things Worked In Chaos. Breann listened eagerly.
^^^
Theseus felt a disturbance in the forces around Amber. It repeated. He watched for it and studied. It seemed to be happening at a distance comparable to the Golden Circle but in the opposite direction. He followed the sensation, knowing he was being led. Downstairs, down to the dungeons, out and down the ninth turn in the hallway and out, eventually, to the place that had held Dworkin's Overpattern. Shooting stars and ripples in the sky. Off in the distance a meteor hit the ocean. Sinister black shapes eliminating stars. Dworkin popped up to chat. He smelled bad. He suggested that Theseus might want to evacuate the city because things were going to get Worse. Make some lances. They had a little time.
"I can't fix this. I made my choices a long time ago. I'll do what I can."
He made a joke about Theseus exploding should he try to Trump out from that place. Theseus walked.
^^^
Quinn and Donata talked. Donata was under the impression that he and Naomi were an item. Quinn explained that Naomi was there to do a job and that what connection they had -- lovers in a weird, Baron-induced, warped-personality hallucination -- was both tenuous and confusing, even to him. He took her to see Aretia and to meet Miriel. His daughter was taken aback but soon was teasing him. Donata was her age, after all. Quinn adopted an air of imperturbability. Little experiments with time-shifting showed him that the time-flow around Donata (that is, around her womb) snapped back to Amber's no matter how hard he pushed it. Damn. He spent a pleasant day squiring Donata around.
^^^
Megan noticed that her horse had gone away. She studied her options. It would be easiest and best to go through Kredik and Sander's little force. She Trumped Theseus. Theseus felt a whole multitude of whispering madmen Trumping him at once. He shut off Trump around himself.
Sander watched Megan's horse canter towards him, melt, turn human. Anax. 'We have a problem,' Anax began. 'The zombie guys that used to work for the Baron, they formed an army. They told Megan they wanted her to lead them. They are leaving their shadow and you are standing in front of the exit. She's looped out of her head.' They discussed tactics. Anax was for flying in and bashing Megan unconscious but deferred to Sander the Plan Guy. Sander disputed being the Plan Guy.
Megan felt fine. She felt controlled. She directed the Zombie Gestalt and formed it into a huge mass of protoplasm to strike at the Darkness pursuing them.
Theseus finally answered the Trump call. Megan. And friends. Megan talked of battling the Darkness. Her servants/masters talked of conquering world after world. Theseus told her she was crazy. Megan heard him praise her wisdom and bravery. Theseus figured out how to filter for Megan's voice.
^^^
Breann and Edward examined the myriad spy devices all over Sand's manse. Ethereal commo lines stretched out into Shadow in all directions. Otherwise, the place was a dead end. Marcus called them outside to take notice of the huge shadow storm coming in their direction. Fast. They ran, taking the palace staff with them. The shadow storm extended out through several Shadows, but they managed to get away. Sand's palace and all those little commo lines were gone though. Breann complained about leaving the palace, then groused about the bastard who sent the storm at them. Edward learned that Sand's staff had been told to take service with him. He settled them in a safe place, saying he'd come and get them when he had a suitable abode.
Breann told Edward that Finndo wasn't just attacking Lanton as he believed, he'd technically be attacking the King of Chaos. He'd have to fight all the Houses if he didn't immediately back down from the challenge after learning the truth, but there was no way he'd do something like that. Breann wanted Marcus to take her to see the King. He thought not.
^^^
Sander moved his force through Shadow to flank the Zombie Collective. Unfortunately, that put them between the ZC and the Darkness as Megan's Gelatinous Giant turned to attack.
^^^
Theseus selected the Golden Circle state that owed Amber the biggest favor. He Trumped the master of its ruling oligarchy and announced that they would be receiving a rather large number of displaced Amber subjects. Now.
^^^
Quinn returned to Amber and scanned carefully for traces of the Awfuls or the Horribles. Nothing.
Where is everyone?
Where is everyone?
Theseus spent some time trying to draw a Trump of a sword
so REAL that any wound inflicted with it would alter the victim's True Image.
That is, if you lopped off someone's arm... it would never grow back. He felt he
succeeded but couldn't pull the thing out of the Trump. Something was missing.
He took a break and Trumped Miriel to warn her of the impending doom. In
particular, that Benedict was losing his battle with the Awful Bright Things and
the Horrible Black Things. He was having the City evacuated. She came through to
look at his experimental Trump.
'Cool.'
'It's missing something.'
'A question: why is it cold? It was cold when you handed it to me.'
'I guess I tapped reality too deeply.'
'Did it ever occur to you that you'd get in less trouble if you thought less ---
correction; if you didn't do the things you thought of? This reminds me
of something I read in the library.'
'This library?'
'Yes. I'll be right back.' Miriel headed off library-ward.
Theseus Trumped Sander. 'I wouldn't normally bother you considering your
outstanding need to not be bothered, but we're evacuating Amber.' Behind him the
sword Trump got colder and colder.
Sander felt cold air coming out of the contact.
Theseus noticed the breeze, looked behind himself and paled. 'You should hang up
now!' He tried to break the contact and failed. More cold and wind. Theseus
picked up a snow globe and hit Sander through the contact. Sander hit back and
went through to Amber. Theseus staggered back into the vortex that had formed
over the glowing, horribly cold Trump. Theseus seemed to freeze-frame in the
vortex --- Sander grabbed him and they both were sucked in. Cue 'Sliders'
wormhole FX.
Miriel walked into the room carrying a big book, reading. 'Theseus, I found it!
When a Trump shuts down that way you're Trumping something in another time
stream--' she looked around at the trashed room, felt the energies, '--- Oh
SHIT!'
Theseus arrived. He stood up, surveyed the area. Atop Kolvir, near the stairs to
Tir-na Nog'th, just after dusk, full moon, Tir-na Nog'th there in the sky,
Rebma's glow visible away south in the sea. The City was much, much smaller,
within a wooden palisade. Theseus covered up.
Sander arrived and bounced to his feet, booting Theseus in the ass, hard, with
the same motion. 'WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON?'
Theseus landed sprawled on the stairs.
Megan sat at the picnic table and talked to Mom. Actually
Fiona did almost all the talking. Mostly she was talking herself into not going
back to Amber. Suddenly Fiona stopped speaking. No --- GAH --- Megan jumped,
Fiona had stopped a while ago. Megan was sitting on a couch backstage of a
speaking hall, with a pass. She could half-see a man at the podium addressing
the crowd.
'And now for our star attraction, our speaker for the evening!'
A slender female hand took the mike and Fiona moved into sight. She was wearing
a Playboy bunny outfit enhanced with a fake nose and whiskers. She began to sing
in a husky voice. Happy Birthday Mr. Regent...
Theseus was in the front row looking distressed. Miriel was beside him wearing a
tiara, looking pissed off. This seemed to be the Great Hall of Castle Amber.
The song eventually came to a merciful end. Fiona's entourage surrounded her,
kissing up. One handed her an oversized watch. 'I'm late!' she shouted and
bolted past Megan and around a corner. Seconds later Fiona's bewhiskered face
peeked back at Megan, said 'Oh, and I'm not coming back!' and disappeared again.
Megan charged away in pursuit. No Mom in the corridor, just a full-length,
shimmering mirror with Fiona's cottentailed butt disappearing into its deeps.
Megan dove through it, into a hallway. Through a room, down a long gallery.
Fiona was crawling into a hole in the wall. The hole turned out to be a little
door, too small to fit through. The door talked to her and convinced her to
drink a convenient shrinking potion --- shapeshifting was not working just then.
She shrank and went through outdoors to a little path.
Breann waited in the dueling ground, stripped down to
biker shorts and a shirt. Lanton's champion jumped down to join her with a huge
thump. They stood frozen, staring into each others' eyes. Edward watched
closely. Quinn, anticipating seeing nothing but blurs, turned to watch Lanton
and his associates. Neither combatant moved for some moments.
'Exciting here in Chaos, isn't it?' Edward commented.
Breann said, 'Boy?'
Grr.
'And the repartee is so stimulating.'
They charged. Breann seemed to miss. The pommel of her opponent's sword hit the
back of her head hard as she passed. She slammed into the wall. There was no
blood on her sword. She was still holding it but couldn't feel it. The hulk
started circling towards her. She used a Power Word 'Euphoria' to counteract the
pain and stood.
The hulk laughed. 'Little girl already has to resort to magick to stay
standing.' He frowned, stepped forward and raised his sword for a killing blow.
Breann lunged away. The hulk's guts spilled out onto his legs, feet and the
sand. The crowd gasped and Breann turned to see. The hulk thudded to the ground.
'God, I thought he'd stay up forever.' She saw the entrails start to move back
towards the hulk's belly. 'No.' She staggered over and severed the spine, then
beheaded the monster. Tossed the head at Lanton. 'Ha!'
Then she Fell Down.
Edward leapt down and examined Breann. She had a serious dent in her skull.
'Quinn!'
Quinn jumped down and hissed at the indentation Edward pointed out. He used a
first-aid spell on Breann. It should help her survive transport.
Edward hopped out, 'Lanton, your Majesty. I believe this should settle the
matter if I understand your customs.'
Silence.
The King addressed Lanton, 'My lord.'
'Yes! My apologies. You're correct. My men will escort you out of the Ways. Does
your champion require medical attention?'
Edward and Quinn ignored that question. Quinn set his will on the sand around
Breann and turned it into a form-fitting stretcher, then levitated it out of the
pit. The King took a broach off his own clothing and sent it over to be pinned
on Breann's shirt. Murmurs rippled across the crowd. They made their way out. A
servant of the King informed them that the royal troops had already moved back
and that Lanton's had as well. (Not having much choice as Finndo's surviving
forces had both the numbers and the quality on them.) Kethos was carried in by
two men and handed over. Quinn scanned Kethos -- Edward was really insistent on
that point, not that Quinn disagreed -- and made another earth-stretcher. Lanton
stood a ways off, shaking with rage. Quinn Trumped Finndo.
Finndo answered and he looked frustrated, angry, murderous. 'What? Quinn.'
'We have Kethos and Breann.'
'What? What are you doing here?'
'Can we come through? No one's chasing us.'
Nod. Finndo pulled them through to him. He looked Kethos and Breann over quickly
but thoroughly. 'Are you why those troops retreated?'
'More Breann's doing than mine or Edward's.'
'Yes!' agreed Edward.
Sander growled, 'I'll hit you again if an answer isn't
forthcoming.'
'Um. Um. I don't know?' Theseus lurched to his feet and retreated.
Sander followed, 'Wrong answer.'
'I don't know! I don't know, all right? Shit. Fuck. Let's go up to the Tir.'
'Fuck you.'
'Alright, I'll go. Don't fuck with anything --- let me rephrase that...'
Theseus limped up the stairs.
Up in Tir-na Nog'th Bleys and Corwin's riflemen were
shooting the crap out of the city. So this is a reenactment --- or
pre-enactment, considering the look of the city below, of Corwin & Bleys'
attack on Amber. And pretty soon, someone's going to shoot my father in the
back. Theseus walked quickly into the castle. Up the stairs to Flora's room. No
snipers there, only Eric, watching. A pair of big black gloves, real as Theseus,
lay on a chair back. Theseus picked them up and walked up to the parapet, trying
to control his rage. A shot. Flora broke down the sniper rifle, packed it up and
fled, watched by another, much younger, and REAL Eric. Theseus surprised him,
sword drawn. This Eric was maybe fifteen years old, skinny. Theseus stopped. Oh
shit, this changes everything. Fuck. Young Eric backpedaled and drew steel, a
blade identical to Theseus'.
'Who, who are you? How did you get up here?'
Theseus advanced upon him, 'Are you wandering here alone?' in his worst
servant-abusing voice. Sander was Trumping him. He disarmed Young Eric. Barely.
'Run along before you fall!' He kicked the fallen sword at him. 'Go now!' Y.E.
ran. Theseus answered the Trump, smiling, 'I kicked my Dad's ass. We're in the
past.'
'Uh huh.' Sander let Theseus pull him through.
'We're in the past. We need to get Back to the Future.'
They argued about how to do that. All of their ideas sucked. Dworkin popped up
and handed Theseus a thick book, 'Use this. You're hopeless.' To Sander,
'Sorry.'
'Is there anything that we can do now to help things in the future?'
'What things?'
'Never mind.' Theseus opened the book to the last page, a blank one. A huge
blast of wind blew them into a puddle of slimy water Somewhere Different. 'Where
the fuck are we?'
Sander swatted him away. They looked around. They seemed to be in a ruined,
deserted version of Amber City, near the infamous fountain.
'I think I opened to the wrong page,' said Theseus judiciously. 'Stand back. I
can do this.'
'I'm fucking going to kill you.'
'You'll never get back.'
Pause. 'Later.'
'Can I help you?'
They turned to see a young horseman, brown haired, solidly built. He looked
something like Ander at Breann's age. Davin? 'No, we were just leaving. Thank
you,' said Theseus.
'OK.'
'All of this is probably your fucking fault.'
Theseus patted his pockets searching for a paper scrap to use as a bookmark. He
tore a strip off his shirt.
'I hate you.'
'That was Davin!'
'No shit.' Swat.
A devil voice whispered to Theseus: You have the power. Write in the book.
Dworkin's image kicked the crap out of that voice. Theseus opened the book at
what he hoped was the right page.
Deirdre beating on a thirteen year old Gerard with a chair.
Prepubescent, deeply tanned Fiona practicing swordplay, because she hated
bookwork.
A young, happy-go-lucky Corwin wearing white and red.
They stood back to back on a tiny bit of solid ground as Benedict approached
with a lance, the Eye burning.
Theseus smacking into the rat-wolf in mid-air.
King Theseus in the Tir, looking upward at the gathering lightning strike,
Greyswandir in his hands.
Theseus and Fiona screwing in the Great Hall. 'Damn, look at me go.' Sander hit
him.
Theseus opened Oberon's satchel and the ensuing explosion blew Quinn off the
balcony.
Theseus in the Tir answering Breann's frantic Trump call. Theseus had been
thumbing through for 'Theseus does something stupid' and stopped at every
instance. Theseus and Sander disappearing into the vortex. They stood panting in
the room.
Sander started hitting Theseus again, 'You! wham Stupid! wham Son! wham Of! wham
A! wham Bitch!'
'Should I send you home?' Theseus whimpered from the floor.
'Eat shit and die.' Sander Trumped his wife.
Daelyn looked confused, 'I'm sorry, do I know you?'
'GRRRR.'
'Kidding! Kidding! Thought it would be a good joke.'
Theseus slowly got to his feet, consoling himself with the thought that he was
at least alive. The contact with the Real Sword opened up. He went through.
Sander tried to explain his experiences to Daelyn on the way to the kitchens.
Movement caught his eye. Someone --- Theseus --- had stepped into the chamber to
the left, the chapel. The Chapel That Wasn't There Before But Looked Old. HE DID
IT. There was a sword stuck into a block of stone at the focus of the circles of
pews. Sander rushed in and punched Theseus.
'Honey, why are you hitting --- never mind.'
Theseus looked imploringly at her, 'Daelyn! Would you --- wham!'
Beating. Sander paused.
Theseus spoke up, 'I apologize unreservedly. I'll just get my sword and ---'
'But Theseus, you said it was too dangerous, even though you're the only one who
can pull it out,' said Daelyn reasonably.
Sander and Theseus stared.
'It's what you said the first time.'
'I am so sorry,' Theseus moaned.
Sander grabbed the sword and tried to pick up the stone block up and smash
Theseus. He couldn't get the leverage.
'Maybe you should wait until later,' Daelyn continued.
'It's the sword, it's one I conceived. I don't remember the chapel.'
'What's it doing in my castle?'
Megan wandered the path looking for Fiona. She heard singing overhead and saw a big, dirty-toothed smile fade into existence on a branch, then Anax appearing around it. Anax was huge --- oops. She was shrunk.
'What did you do?' Finndo asked.
'She did it,' confessed Edward.
'Breann fought Lanton's champion.'
'It was Marcus' idea,' Edward explained.
'Have we met?'
'I'm Edward.'
'That would be "no"'.
'She won,' Quinn finished.
'She did?!' Finndo smiled a pleased and yet evil smile. 'All right, we're
leaving!'
Some clueless underling began to protest, 'But, Sir!' Finndo casually swatted
him to the ground. Finndo gestured and Kethos' sword flew to his hand and began
hissing and sparking. 'Do you want to take her somewhere for medical attention?'
'Yes, that would be good,' Quinn answered, pulling out Miriel's Trump.
'It's been a pleasure,' Edward called to Finndo.'
Finndo stopped. 'Who's is he?' he asked Quinn.
'Bleys' son.'
Finndo nodded, unsurprised, and strode off.
Miriel wasn't answering. Quinn teleported them to Aretia. Edward stated an
interest in observing Breann's treatment. The bone in the indentation was
powdered. It couldn't have done her brain any good.
Where is everyone?