NightOnTheTownNight on the Town"Agreed" Shannon says, regarding Brieanne. "You can go into overwatch mode, and watch my back while Devaine and I go poking at the throne, and the Mayor. Once that part is done, you can relax by joining William and the boys in the city." "Relax, yes" Devaine says wryly. "If there is nothing else." Shannon says to William. "I'll dispel the silence spell, and we'll get things started?" "If we are settled on that, then," William says, "I need to be offbefore our patsy starts wondering where I am." He bows to the ladies,then pauses, giving them a chance for any last words before he departs. Lord Emmet Walton is, apparently, as anxious as William fears. Not long after William leaves,. collecting Kiathas and Valric in the process (the former upset that some obscure bet he was making with the guards will now not be resolved), a servant of the Alcazar quickly and adroitly flags down William, explaining that Lord Walton awaits his pleasure in the courtyard. William inquires whether Lt Czeller is with Lord Walton, and if not sends the servant to let him know that the trip into town is ready to start. As far as the servant is aware, the nobleman is not accompanied by the officer, and so promises to track down the lieutenant with dispatch. Outside, with the early evening sky's stars shining on a scene with a not-yet-risen-moon, the blue and copper colored coach sitting in front has a couple of magical lights on it, adding additional illumination to the lanterns casting their yellow glow upon the courtyard. The door is open. "I had feared, milord Prince" Lord Walton says, his head halfway out of the coach and smiling at the appearance of William and his companions "that our good Lord Mayor was going to detain you all evening." "Not at all," William answers with a laugh. "Escaping dull court functions was one of the lessons I learned at my mother's knee." He pokes his head into the coach to see who is in it other than Walton. "Your mother's charm and political acumen are famous." Lord Walton says. The other occupant of the carriage turns out be, the nobleman that Shannon had so adroitly chatted up during dinner. He gives a grin. "Greetings, milord Prince." he says. "Emmet here suggested that you might have words that would interest me as much as they do they. And that you are a nexus of interesting situation. So I accepted his offer for me to join you and your companions." "Surely, the Princess told you about me." he smiles. "I am Lord Kowal, but Emmet tells me that you prefer first names to titles. So please do call me Neil." "But I understand, and it is a pity, that the Princess will not be joining us, I understand?" Neil Kowal adds. "Alas, it is so," William says with a nod. "Still, the ladies are not quite as rowdy in their pastimes, so we shall not need to be concerned for and constrained by their sensibilities." "A pity nevertheless. I am surprised that with such charm, refinement and deportment, that she has not yet been wed. I confess that I do not understand how it is only his Majesty the King of Amber and Prince Gerard are married amongst the lot of you." "Ah, here comes the pool-playing Lieutenant Horace Czeller" Kiathas observes, as Lt. Czeller, at not quite a run, hurries out of the Alcazar William waves the lieutenant to join them before turning back to the gentlemen in the carriage. "I do not believe you have yet met my friends. May I present Kiathas and Valric, boon companions of my heart. Kiathas and Valric, Emmet and Neil." "Lord Walton. Lord Kowal." Kiathas says, politely. "A pleasure to meet you." "Emmet, Niel." Valric adds with a grin, with a seemingly deliberate mispronunciation of the last name. The good officer arrives at this point. "My apologies. I was detained by duty." Czeller says. The carriage is roomy enough for probably six men, and so with a little arrangement, everyone is aboard and seated. "Well, then, let us be off. We've much of the city to cover." Emmet says impatiently, pounding the roof. "It is said that Erkus is inspired by Amber." Neil says casually as the carriage moves away from the Mayor's Palace. "It used to be the capital, you know, hundreds of years ago, and having the Alcalde looking over the city is similar to the Castle Amber overlooks Amber City. I've heard it said that Erkus copied Amber." Neil pauses a beat. "I say that it is the reverse. Clearly, Oberon looked about, saw the beauty of Erkus, and decided to emulate it on a grander scale, given that Kolvir is so very tall compared to our modest hills." William chuckles. "I never argue over the precendence of cities with my hosts," he says. "And I can certainly not argue over the beauty of Erkus. It is truly a lovely city, and a fitting sister of Amber." He smiles at Lord Kowal. "Have you been to Amber, Neil?" "I had that honor when I was young, perhaps no older than the Lieutenant here." Lord Kowal says. "I've seen twenty one autumn equinoxes, milord." Lt. Czeller pipes up. "True enough." he says. "I was twenty, and in the delegation led by Ursula Quist, the aunt to the current Ambassador. It was to broaden my horizons that my father sent me, and to maintain the honor of the House. This was before the War, of course, during the time when King Oberon had become absent, and the rule of Amber was..." Neil looks at William carefully "...contested." "You must forgive my companion in nobility." Lord Walton says. "The interregnum was rather surprising to those of us in Begma, and likely, elsewhere as well." "Naught to forgive," William says, waving the thought away casually. "Some of my kin might fault a man for speaking truth, but I do not. The Interregnum took us all by surprise, and the Brothers' War was certainly sufficient cause for concern among our neighbours." "The Brothers War" Neil says. "I've not heard it called thusly here. This must be an Amber term?" "Descriptive, don't you think?" William says. "It shows our point of view of the whole thing, in any case." Neil nods, and then continues on. "In any event, I spent two seasons in Amber City. 'Twas only allowed to visit the Castle twice, one for a ball on the Festival of the Unicorn, and once during a summer garden party hosted by your mother the Royal Princess, milord Prince." "Amber is a crowded,large city. But the statues of Lord Oberon, the squares, and the layout reminded me much of Erkus. As if, as I say, King Oberon saw our city and decided to make it bigger, and grander." "Which came first." Kiathas interjects "the chicken, or the egg?" "Depends upon whether one is awake early enough for breakfast or not," William answers thoughtfully. Emmet laughs. "Perhaps you should ask the Princess, and not the Prince your lord, such a weighty question. Or go ask the eggheads in the Academy." "Ask four people at the Academy." Neil comments, "and you will get six answers for your trouble." William chuckles. "Scholars are all alike," he agrees. "I think" Emmet continues. "That the more interesting question, Neil, is to where we should take the Prince, the Lieutenant, and his companions first." He pauses a beat and gazes at William. "Drink, or other pleasures?" "I think," Williams answers, "That some place with a congenial atmosphere, good for drinks, companionship, and friendly games, might be most conducive to our getting to know one another." "If we were in Amber, I know where we'd go." Neil muses. "If its still there." "Neil!" Emmet says. "Even if the rumors are true about a member of the Royal family owning *that* place, I don't think our royal guest frequents it." "You have noticed." Neil says sardonically "that the Prince is rather laid back for one of his family?" "Who wouldn't notice?" Kiathas says with a grin. "Right, then." Emmet looks at William. "We know of a little place, beneath the street. Kind of an underground club. They play cards there, and bocha as well, and the wine flows freely." "Bocha." Lieutenant Czeller pipes up. "You might like that game, milord. It is played on a table and is somewhat akin to Pool, save it is played without sticks." "Pool?" Neil says, uncomprehending. "I know a lawn variant of bocha," William says, "I look forward to learning the table version." He turns to Neil, "Pool involves knocking balls into holes on a specially made table," he explains. "The trick to it is that you cannot hit the ball you wish to knock into the hole with the stick directly, but must hit it with another ball. Calculating force and angles can take a great deal of practice and skill." "The Prime Minister's daughter is a fan of the game" Lieutenant Czeller says. "And has donated a set to the Alcazar." "Ahh, I see why she would." Neil says. "Bocha does not involve balls into holes, but rather rolling them near a previously rolled Jack Ball to get points, and knocking away opposing balls in the process." "It's like Bocce. Of course!" Kiathas says. "Too bad we don't have Devaine here, she always had the fine control to play as better or at least as well as you, Guillaume." "If you are familiar with a lawn variant of bocha, milord." Emmet says "then perhaps witnessing or playing a game of bocha might be to your taste. The Rathskellar Club it is then?" He reaches a hand up to strike the ceiling. "Excellent!" William exclaims. "I have been in a hundred 'Rathskellars' in as many worlds, and they have all had their individual charms. The name seems coupled with good times, if not always with the utmost decorum." Emmet bangs the roof "The Rathskellar Club, on Solis Lane." Now given direction, the carriage soon speeds up. "There." he says with satisfaction. "Are there many Rathskellars in Shadow, then milord? I thought they were the province of Begma alone" Emmet says. "The wenigBegma quarter in the city of Ostia in Asherah has one." Neil comments. "There may even be one in Amber City." "Those doesn't count." Emmet replies. "Ah, well," William says, "It is a common conceit. I look forward to discovering the similarities and differences of this one." He smiles at a fond memory. "And comparing the barmaids with those of blessed memory." In about twenty five minutes, William, Valric, and Kiathas get that chance. The Rathskellar club has the same sort of Germanic (or should that be Begman?) decoration as Rathskellars William has visited across shadow. Beer is in easy plentifulness, and in varieties ranging from very pale sour Pilsners that could pass the Reinheitsgebot, to dark rich beers that seem to have some added sugar, or is that chocolate? Hard to tell. The barmaids are dressed in a recognizable fashion, with enough cleavage to be appealing to the eyes without being truly scandalous or out of taste. There are several large Bocha tables, and other gambling besides, the chatter in the room as liberal and free flowing as the beer and the play. A few tables in the back appear to be hosting some sort of two-people card games in progress, possibly something like Baccarat. "After talking to the Lord Mayor, *I* know I need some beer, milord." Emmet says. "Lots of it" Neil comments. William turns to his two companions. "The beers of Begma," he says, "Are the beers of which all others are but shadows. My friends, prepare to be astounded." Astounding is exactly what the beers turn out to be. Valric and Kiathas try different ones in a slow progression,their attitudes, as they often will, starting to blend together into a pleasant and conjovial buzz. Both Emmet and Neil, though, do seem intent, as time passes, to get William if not drunk, then certainly to loosen his tongue with the promise of alcohol. Emmet's knowledge of Begman beer is superior to Neil's, and he continually throws suggestions William's way, as if he expected William to drink his weight in beer tonight. Oh, there are little foods to be had, small sausages, latkes, and the like, but the focus is on the beers, and the gaming. William drinks freely, and as the night progresses appears to become looser in his talk, more affectionate with the barmaids, and ever more genial to his excellent new friends Emmet and Neil. He lets them steer the conversation where they will, and his tongue certainly seems to have become loosened as he freely discusses his duel with Triton, Random's combination of a temporary banishment as punishment for the duel with a necessary diplomatic mission to the Golden Circle kingdoms, and hints, with broad winks, of an even more secret mission for the King, involving a foe even more deadly than the Lords of Chaos. The broad way the conversation seems to go, as the night progresses and the fun continues, is interest in his cousins and uncles. Who generally stays in Amber, and who goes. Emmet and Neil do couch the conversations as best they can to make it plausible its casual or Begman interest, but William is clearly aware that they are trying to get a tactical sense of who and what Amber has on immediate tap. "As the Lord Mayor remarked, it is relatively rare these days to see scions of Amber come to Begma. Are you all holed up in that Castle, or is the promise of supposedly limitless shadow a siren song for your uncles, aunts and cousins?" In the meantime, Valric and Kiathas have gotten themselves into a game of Bocha, seemingly trying to distract Emmet and Neil from their efforts with their clearly over-the-top playing style. On the other hand, despite the pumping for information, the beers ARE very good, and the pair of nobles are not teetotalers, either. William, to all appearances becoming less and less focused as the evening, and beers, flow past, shows an amazing tendency to let any conversations about his relatives drift swiftly from their comings and doings to scandalous stories of their affairs, rumored affairs, supposed affairs, totally imagined affairs, and wholly hypothetical hook-ups with wildly improbable partners. In the meantime, Valric and Kiathas have gotten themselves into a game of Bocha, seemingly trying to distract Emmet and Neil from their efforts with their clearly over-the-top playing style. On the other hand, despite the pumping for information, the beers ARE very good, and the pair of nobles are not teetotalers, either. And William uses that to play their own game against them. He proposes numerous toasts to make sure they keep drinking, and often interrupts his meandering conversation to discuss the qualities of the current beer they are sampling. Every time they try to bring the apparently drunk prince back to focus on the whereabouts or abilities of his relatives, instead of their conquests, he nods sagely and drops yet another tidbit about the "Great Enemy" before once again wandering back to scandal. His attention is to slowly build up an impression that Amber has gained a great deal of information about the Omphalos, and has seen it shown conclusively that they are a deadly foe to everyone alien to themselves, and that those who have foolishly allied themselves with the Outsiders in an attempt to save their own land have inevitably been betrayed. Emmet and Neil keep circling around, asking, for instance, hard details about Pollux and Castor's naval abilitieswhen William details the improbable seduction of five priestesses of Astarte in Asherah between them. The alcohol does lessen and moderate this tendency on their part. And William's hints do seem to sober up the pair, especially Neil. Finally, after the pair return from excusing themselves to relieve themselves, they return, looking stone-cold sober. The scent of magic is obvious enough that William can see it without exerting himself too much. Valric and Kiathas, too, seem to have noticed the change in mood in the pair, and stop their clowning efforts at Bocha. "Are you ready" Emmet says, grinning to William "for some real drinking, milord Prince? And something more to offer than just waitresses who are all half married anyway?" William throws his arms around their shoulders, handing heavily on them as he says thickly, "Aye, and not b'fore time! Lead on, lead on, and damned be he who first cries...." he frowns. "Don't remember how that goes. But damned be he, anyway!" Still hugging them tightly, he lets the feel of the magic that surrounds them seep into his body, trying to subtly analyze whether they've done more than just clear their heads magically. Any sort of communications spells up, for instance, and is there any kind of active spell on the doorway insignias they wear? There are no active communications spells on the insignias. However, there are definite traces that they have used not only a sobriety spell, but they have used a communication spell, something like Infalliable Messenger or Charran's Demon, to send a message. The insignias resonate with the recent use of the spell, and the general direction suggests a bearing and distance that suggests a location out of the city. Like the Manse upriver, to be precise. Further precision and calibration would take a little more than a casual grope and inspection, or at least it would be obvious William was trying such a maneuver. William isn't planning on pushing, he'll let things rest with the information he's gathered on the insignias so far. Instead, he feigns drowsiness, and requires Valric and Kiathas' aid in heading out of the Rathskeller and back into the carriage. He's watching everything carefully from under half closed eyelids. He makes sure that Neil and Emmet aren't trying to ditch his companions, or the young lieutenant. As a matter of fact, they do try to hurry William to the carriage ahead of Kiathas, Valric and Lt. Czeller. However, William's companions are wise to the scheme and manage to stand as William's aides in getting him out to the carriage. The displeasure from Neil is palpable. William notes to himself that Neil is starting to get on his nerves, and is going to get a lot less of a chance for redemption than Emmet. It isn't fair, he thinks to himself, how one's life can hand in the balance depending on such a small thing as the current mood of a Prince of Amber. Life is filled with these unfair situations. It is very sad. Once in the carriage he blearly inquires where they are going, then lapses back into drowsily resting his head against the side of the carriage and drooling slightly. In his head, he is calling the Pattern to mind, making sure that he isn't suffering the effects of any subtle spells that he might not have detected being cast, and reinforcing his mental shields. The two nobles debate matters. Kiathas and Valric appear to be playing possum as William is, or perhaps they HAVE gotten drunk. "Where IS that club, Neil?" Emmet says, with a bit of a forced perplexity. "Surely we should bring the Prince somewhere else, given his state?" Neil counters. "He would not, ah, appreciate Myrtis's establishment..." In the meantime as this debate goes back and forth, the summoning of the Pattern to mind clears William's head. There was some sort of minor enchantment in one of the beers, he thinks, one to make him more loose-tongued and susceptible to answering questions. That enchantment is no longer operative, although given William's strength of will, its effect was minor at best anyway. For now William continues to play possum and listen. Things look like they're about to get interesting. William feels a prompting elbow from Kiathas, disguised more as a drunken lurch of sorts. "I don't think the Prince is so far gone." Neil counters. "And I question the wisdom of this." "You agreed. You cannot back out now" Neil said. "And the three of them are drunken sots that just need a little softening up. The guard, though..." they look at the stone-sober Lt. Czeller. "Milords?" he says. "What mean you?" Neil bangs the roof angrily. "To the Red House, on the double." "I think you haven't been properly enjoying yourself, Lieutenant." Neil says to Czeller. "Certainly not as much as the Prince and his companions." Neil says. "Perhaps, if you do not wish to drink, we can find you another vice to relax." "Milord, I do not, err, engage in those sorts of vices." Czeller says. "I've heard of the Red House. It's a drug den, isn't it?" "Neil..." Emmet says. "Shut up, Milord" Neil says. "You soon will have your part to play." William stirs again, then raises his head and looks around blearily. "Where are we?" he asks. "I hav' ta piss like a horse." His wandering gaze finds Czeller then and he giggles. "Like your horse, boyo. Like your horse." He nods several times. "Damn fine horse that. Why I asked you along. Plan on gettin' that horse from ya', somehow." "I am sure you are, milord." Czeller says. "Come to think of it, I need some air myself. And probably to relieve myself." "Not me. I want to see this den." Kiathas puts in, rolling his head. "You're. You're difficult" Valric says. "Do you want the Prince to piss in here?" "No. quite." Neil says. He bangs on the roof. "The nearest tavern with an outhouse or the nearest pissoir. On the double!" he shouts. The carriage lurches and changes direction, but it does in remarkably short order come to an alley with a low grey stone structure a few feet down, a public urinal. Neil flings open the door and points "Hurry, milord Prince." Right down there." "I will aid you, milord" Czeller says, jumping out and offering William a hand.William half falls out of the carriage, landing heavily on the lieutenant, already fumbling with his clothing. As Czeller half carries him towards the urinal William leans on him, his head resting on his shoulder. "Take care, Lieutenant," he whispers. "Kowal will kill you if he thinks you likely to interfere with his plans for me. You need to play this carefully." "Milord!" Czeller just manages to muffle his own cry of surprise. "You are...unaffected by the drugs and beer." he says, continuing the shuffle to the urinal. "You are, ah, playing possum with the two lords?" he says. He pauses a beat, letting them reach the urinal. "What is the plan, milord? Escape?" "After all the work I have gone to to get them to this point, Lieutenant? Hardly." William fakes stumbling and almost falling as they reach the urinal, then laughs loudly enough for them to hear him back at the carriage. "There is treachery here, against the Lord Mayor and against your realm. I intend to get to the bottom of it. I need you to act the part of a conflicted young officer, slowly being swayed by the nobles into joining them against me. That makes you an ace up my sleeve when things get tight. Can you do that, Horace? I ask much of you, I know." The use of his first name seems to sober him, for he sobers his expression fully at that point in William's answer. "That's why you left your friends there, to listen and keep abreast of what they are saying." the officer replies. "You have been trying to determine the full nature of their treason." His eyes widen slightly. "And you wish me to be falsely swayed by their actions." He takes a short, sharp breath. "Yes, milord." Lt. Czeller finally says. "Yes, I can feign being swayed by their honeyed poison. It is fortunate that you spoke to me, milord." he adds. "I had thought to confront them with more than words." "I know," William replies dryly. He attends to the business that brought them to the facility, continuing to speak. "And that is the reason for this little deviation from our course. I could tell that you were about to get yourself killed protecting me. Admirable, my friend, but not yet necessary. Now that we have saved your life for the moment, let us continue with our true business." "Ja" Czeller replies in agreement. He swings around wildly, almost falling, appearing to catch himself at the last minute. Leaning on Czeller, he starts making his way back to the carriage, trousers only half buttoned up, loudly singing an improbable song about the romantic rivalry between a cavalry officer and his steed over the love of a lusty centauress. The progress back to the carriage is stopped three quarters of the way there. Czeller feigns tripping, enough to stop the forward motion of William for the moment. He points at the pool of shadows at the far side of the carriage. A nearby gaslight shows the distinctly shape of the shadow of the carriage, and also that there is a distortion of that shadow, as if someone or something invisible was within it. There is a faint but detectable scent of recent magic with a distinct Pattern tang to it. A nearby gaslight shows the distinctly shape of the shadow of the carriage, and also that there is a distortion of that shadow, as if someone or something invisible was within it. There is a faint but detectable scent of recent magic with a distinct Pattern tang to it. William's eyes slide to that area, then a smile crosses his face. "Not to worry," he whispers to Czeller. "An ally." "The Princess?" Czeller whispers. He then shuts up, going down to one knee, studying the shadow. His whisper slips even lower then, too low for even the lieutenant to make out what he's saying. Unheard by Czeller, the conversation with Brieanne proceeds. Hmmmm..... Brieanne considered what she heard and turned to William across the way her voice the faintest whisper, as much thought as something truly heard with the ear. "The one breaks bad but reluctantly, the other is fully employed. Shall I grace their presence with my company?" \William's song ends as he continues to approach the carriage, leaning heavily on the young officer. In a whisper only a touch above a sub-vocalization he replies, "I shall leave the exact timing of your coming to you, huntress. I am hoping that we might be able to tease a little more information out of them through subterfuge, before resorting to harsher methods." "I can do both." There was no giggle, but her tone was bright and if they had been face to face he knew she would have. "I shall skulk along and pick my moment. Perhaps I shall cause a bit of a scene, or I shall storm this Red House of theirs with all the flamboyance our family is famous for." She seemed entertained by the entrance she imagined. "They have talismans allowing communication with their employer," Williams warns her quietly. "Those will have to be dealt with. And we have a probable current location for that employer; the mansion up the river that I mentioned to you previously." "I shall find a place between here and there to make my entrace, because I am not being introduced at a latrine...." she commented. "The talismans can be easily dealt with. The men too should you say the word." "Come on, Lieutenant," William says loudly and with a touch of annoyance in his voice. "You move too slow." He waltzes towards the carriage, spinning drunkenly as he sings, "Too slow, too slow, we've places to go, come on, come on, we're headed..." he hits the side of the carriage and bounces off it, almost falls, and continues in a slightly puzzled voice, "...not for home? That rhymes, don't it?" Brieanne slipped away, moving ahead to where the carriage would have to pass her. She waited to see how brisk a pace the coachman set, if not too speedy, she was ready to pace the team until she made her entrance. Behind her, the carriage door, on the latrine swings open. "Come back in, Prince" comes the voice of Neil. "We've places yet to go tonight. I'm sure that you aren't quite ready to go back to the Castle. Think of your reputation!" "Come back in, Prince" comes the voice of Neil. "We've places yet to go tonight. I'm sure that you aren't quite ready to go back to the Castle. Think of your reputation!" William peers into the open carriage and holds out an arm, grabbing for and just missing the side of the open door. "Don' wanna go back to the Castle yet," he mutters stubbornly. "You said there were women." "We didn't think that you wanted to." Neil said. "We will bring you to the women, milord Prince." "And what of you?" Neil looks at the young officer. "I..." Czeller swallows. "I want to go as well. I have...my doubts about the Prince, now" He gives William a slightly forced and overacted look of disdain. "Good lad" Neil says. "Let's get his highness in and about the rest of the evening." "Hmm" Emmet says. "Well, let us be about our destination. The Red House, and women it is. The Prince has commanded it!" The enthusiasm in Emmet's voice is not completely there, either, to William's ears. The carriage soon starts rolling along. William's companions appear to be fast asleep, passed out drunk. The smell of too much strong drink is on their whiskers. The progress is a slow one, allowing Brieanne no difficulty in following and keeping track of the carriage as she will. Not quite into the tenderloin the carriage is headed, the street that the carriage turns onto is far too well kept for that. It's also clear that the street's business is in matters of the flesh, rather than a street of coopers, or weaponsmiths, or farriers. The Red House proves to be the largest of the buildings on the street, toward the head of the street. It is also on the up slope from the rest of the street's establishments, giving it the position to "overlook" the other establishments the carriage passes, such as The Lily, the Sign of the Three Hands, and the Roseblack. There are some who ply the trade on the street itself, but these are all toward the bottom of the street and Neil and Emmet pay them and their blandishments no mind. No, with a low wall, and a front yard, the Red House, whose color looks a little garish in the night's lanterns, is definitely an establishment of a different caliber. Backlinks |
