OfDemonsAndPentacles2William shakes his head, still smiling, "I truly do wish that you three sisters got along better," he says. "You can accomplish so much when you work together." The smile slips away, to be replaced by a small frown, and he adds, "Speaking of which, have you had an opportunity to examine Deirdre since her return?" "Rivalry makes us better people, but it puts us at odds." Fiona responds. "As far as the matter of Deirdre, I have managed to talk her into a short interview. Not a full examination, we are still talking about it. Which may be more than anyone had reason to expect at this stage. I did learn a couple of things." "I take it, William," Fiona continues "that you are referring to the aftereffects of her long incarceration in the..." "Ah." Fiona pauses her response, gesturing toward Lorius and Aura. "Aura is rousing..." And indeed, with the afterglow of the transport clearing from her eyes. Aura can see that her perceptions are back in the lab again, standing next to the sphere. A little further away are Fiona, William, Shannon and William's protege Devaine. Aura blinks several times at the shift in perception. She gives Lorius a nod to let him know she's alright. Lorius looks both relieved and smugly pleased at Aura's quick recovery. William smiles at Aura. "Welcome back," he says. "Hello to you to," Aura smiles. "I heard you had a moment. I take it you are fine?" "Hale and well, and with a healthy respect for the secrets of our Chaosian cousins." He chuckles. "Well, respect in that I consider that when we go to destroy this house we should make a thorough job of it." "Excellent," she replies with a sharp smile. "I think that's rather finalized now." Shannon says. "Someone might have to make a study of House Ledaal prior to its destruction." "Well then." Lorius says, rubbing his hands together. "Aura, why don't you describe the funny escape trick the Ledaal used in your shadow for the benefit of everyone." "We can do this in more comfort." Fiona says to Lorius. "Rather than standing here like mannequins." "Oh, mother. Aura would like some more opportunity with the Galla's mind at some point." Lorius replies. "I thought she might." Fiona replies I suspect if William were not leaving in the morning, he and his apprentice might want to as well." Fiona looks to William for conversation. "A light snack in a sitting room?" Shannon suggests to William and Aura. "There *are* servants who will serve the lab." William frowns. "We do need to be getting to the ships soon," he says, "To make all those annoying last minute decisions that always come up." Shannon frowns briefly, but nods her head to William. "A light snack would not be remiss," Aura replies to Shannon. "And I would love a glass of wine." Devaine nods in agreement with Aura and smiles to William. "Then we keep things brief for the benefit of William, Shannon and Devaine" Lorius says. "Before they take their magical mystery tour of the Golden Circle. For the Benefit of King and country, fighting wrongs, exploring mysteries, rescuing..." He stops in midsentence and grins. Fiona does not deign to shake her head. In the meantime, Shannon gestures for William, Devaine and Aura to follow her, and eventually the redheads reunited through a passageway and into a well appointed room done in tones of purple and gold. On the wall, a tapestry of a griffin and a dragon locked in aerial combat over a mountainous landscape dominates the decor. Other walls are covered by bookcases done in dark wood. All of the chairs have attendant tables. A few of the chairs are plush, and comfort that suggest reading. Somehow avoiding an entire style clash, a few of the chairs are much more spartan, even modern in their design, slender, tall, striking. "Any particularly specific requests?" Shannon asks, reaching for a bell pull. "I am not entirely sure what is available," Aura replies as she turns from examining the tapestry. "I am not conversant with Amber's cuisine." She smiles. "Surprise me." "I think a cheese and fruit plate, with a choice of appropriate sweet fortified wines, would go well now," William suggests. "Let Flora's son assured and bold suggestion for the appropriate snack for the hour be accepted, and let us act on it." Fiona says, nodding to Shannon. Shannon pulls the cord, and within an almost preternatural time, there is a timid knock on the door that Shannon answers. In the meantime as Shannon conducts a transaction with a servant that can be glimpsed on the far side of the door, Fiona looks at Aura. "Now, why don't you describe what you and my son saw with the Galla, for the benefit of the analysis of all?" Fiona suggests. William listens, while stepping over to one of the bookcases and scanning the titles. Aura settles into one of the comfy chairs and frowns thoughtfully. "The Galla was 'riding' with the other shapeshifter who came to Atlantis. For most of it, he was somehow asleep so he would not be noticed by Atlantean sorceries. But he was awakened again later. After she saw how the operation had gone pear shaped, she wiggled her fingers in front of her--" here Aura demonstrated the action. "Then the air around her hand grew distorted. Like looking through a strange lens. Then she reached her hand into the distortion and stretched to her size. When she stepped through it, she was in a place that looked like Atlantis. But it was a fallen and abandoned Atlantis. A Shadow, I would assume. Then the memory ended." The titles that Fiona has here trend toward the recreational rather than the research. In point of fact, it takes William a little bit to pass through a selection of varieties of fiction, chronicles, history and even what proves to be a volume of poetry before he spots a few titles that seem much more what one would expect from books owned by Fiona. "A study in Emerald and Sapphire--Condurum and Beryl as Foci".; "Three forms of Psychokinetic Sorcery."; "The Esoteric Tiles of the Draconic Holds." Devaine sits in one of the modern chairs next to Shannon, who herself in a plush chair, and listens intently to Aura's description. Shannon's attention is split between watching William, and listening to Aura. Lorius leans forward from one of the lean chairs, intent and resisting a grin. "What do you think, Mom? What I think it is?" he says to Fiona. "Well, from the way Aura describes it." Fiona says. "It sounds like she used a Logrus based sorcery. Drew on the power of the Logrus, and fueled a spell to open a distortion across shadow. Naturally..." she regards Aura "the hallmarks of it being so crude and quickly done suggest that the destination would have to be to a shadow with superficial similarity to the one she was standing in. You can, of course, given time, make a much cleaner spell to do the same thing." "But the fact that it was specifically a *fallen* Atlantis?" Lorius asks, turning to regard his mother. "Hmm." Fiona says. She gives a sideline glance to William to see if he has anything to suggests. William smiles at his aunt, and shrugs. "It means something," he agrees with a nod. "With many possible shadows to choose from, why that one? Perhaps they already have made a study of it, to learn how it fell, so that they can prepare a like fate for Atlantis itself. Or they themselves destroyed it, as a rehearsal?" Aura looks grim but unsurprised, as if she had a similiar thought of her own. "I will tell you now there will be hell to pay if those upstarts damage one column of one building in my Atlantis. And I don't care what anyone else will have to say on the subject. Atlanitians are, by choice, a peaceful people. But that does not mean they do not know how to bring hell down on their enemies. The Lemurians are still not recovered from their attempt on those shores, and that war ended almost a thousand years ago." There is a scratching knock at the door at this point, and Shannon, turning away from her half-study of William, moves quickly in that direction. Shannon answers the door and conducts business with the servant in the meantime as the discussion continues. "Those are two strong possibilities." Fiona says. "Its also possible that this is a case of sympathetic magic, intending a Fallen Atlantis to serve as a focus for a method of destroying your shadow, Aura. It would be..." she looks at Lorius as if a teacher quizzing a student. Lorius nods. "A Logrus based spell using the fallen Atlantis as a model for the transformation of the nature of your shadow, Aura. Or, as William says, using the Fallen Atlantis as model or template for attacking your shadow." "Could one or even a hundred mages destroy an entire world??" Devaine says, in a tone of disbelief. She looks bewildered between Fiona and William. "If one finds the right lever on a shadow, it is possible." Fiona says. "Although I suspect that Aura may know of such a lever, and is equally and rightly reluctant to discuss it here and now. Fortunately, we have our small repast to consume instead." "We most certainly shall not press our dear cousin on the matter of Atlantis," William agrees, "The security of that realm is dear to her, and its secrets hers to keep." Fiona gives a nod of agreement. [William] smiles at Aura. "Although, should a time come when aid in protecting the fair realm should be desired, feel free to call upon me. It would be the perfect time to grant my companions the visit they so desire." Aura didn't so much as twitch at the mention of a lever. Once Lorius had told her that it was possible to destroy a world, she had spent years discovering exactly what Atlantis' was and then didn't tell a soul. Not even Kovikin or her father. Lorius looks at William. "Pete, Linc and Julie want to visit Atlantis?" he says with a grin. Devaine looks at William, a mildly confused look on her face. "Lorius delights in obscure references," William explains to Devaine. "It amuses him, and whether or not anyone besides himself understands them is of little concern to him." Devaine shakes her head; Lorius looks smug. By this point, Shannon has brought in two bottles of fortified wine, and a large plate with a variety of sliced cheeses in a variety of colors and textures, with a few sliced temperate clime fruits. "Ah, cheese!" William says with pleasure. "Several varieties of cheese, pears, apples, and plums, and two fortified wines from a collateral branch of the Bayles, the Devilles" Shannon says. "They are the Amber equivalent of a Vin Doux Naturel and a Madeira." "I don't even know what that means." Lorius says, with a touch of insincerity in his voice. "Barbarian," William says with a sad shake of his head. "Liar," Aura scoffs quietly. Even as she speaks, Shannon starts placing the cheese and fruit on the table. There was no evidence of glasses, before, but Shannon has several now, and has placed the bottles along with the glasses on a second table. William applies himself to the serious business of wine, cheese and fruit, and discussing vintages and varieties with Devaine and anyone else who shows interest. Devaine is an obvious and eager student, looking at the bottles, asking about the Bayles and Devilles and where they fit into the geography of Amber. Although its subtle, William can tell that Shannon, and even Lorius, shift a little closer to listen. Aura accepted a glass of the Madeira clone and picked at the tray of fruits before settling on one that would have been familiar if it had only been red instead of green. "There, now. This is a civilized way to conclude matters before William and my daughter depart on the tide." Fiona says with satisfaction in her voice once William's explanations have finished. William lifts a glass towards her. "To being civilized," he toasts. Lorius crunches a slice of a pear as punctuation to his mother's words. William winces in an exaggerated fashion Fiona takes a long sip of the Vin Doux Naturel and idly nibbles a slice of one of the harder cheeses before she speaks again. "And I understand, Aura, that while you may have come here to Amber for your own reasons, you are going on a mission of your own?" Fiona says. William listens with interest. Having it completely slip her mind, Aura gives Fiona a blank look that lasts a beat before suddenly remembering the morning. Then she wondered why she was being asked this. Everyone in this room was at Court. "The assignment to Rebma? Yes. Although I am a bit confused on how this underwater kingdom works. Do they actually live in the water, or is it a dome arrangement?" Fiona smiles slightly and looks at Lorius. "I had other things to explain to Aura other than how Rebma works." Lorius says, holding another slice of the unexpectedly crunchy pear between his fingers. Without looking at her mother, or her brother, Shannon turns toward Aura and William and speaks. "No dome, Aura." Shannon says "Because of the proximity of the Rebman Pattern, and other peculiarities regarding esoteric alignments, the locus of area around the Rebman Pattern, which includes most of the seamount upon which the city of Rebma sits, is a sphere, hemisphere in practice, of seawater which is breathable by humans. In addition, the stairway of Faiella-Bionin, which connects the seamount to a beach south of Amber, also shares the property of having water breathable by humans." "They all live underwater all of the time?" Devaine says, looking surprised. She takes a big sip of her wine. "They do." Shannon says. "As do all who visit them." "The traditional death penalty is Rebma is 'being thrown off the stairs,'" William explains. "Where one goes suddenly from being able to breathe, and being immune to the effects of pressure, to being fully subject to them. It is a rather spectacular death." Devaine shudders, visibly at William's description. Fiona, Shannon and Lorius have more neutral expressions in response. "Well," Aura says thoughtfully. "It cannot be any worse then being torn to pieces and eaten by a kraken, or being transformed into a rock with one's awareness intact and being dropped into the sea for a few hundred years - a very extreme form of time out." "Old Queen Moire is every inch a Queen in the same way Granddad was." Lorius says, a completely serious look on his face. Aura manages to not choke on the sip she just took of her wine. She gives Lorius a bland look for his remark. She turns to Shannon. "So if they live underwater - in the water - just how does one eat or drink? And *what* do they eat? I would not wish to commit some tourist type faux pas." "Drinking is done by means of drinking sacks. I'm sure you will get the hang of that easily." Shannon replies. "As far as food, its what you might expect, Aura." Shannon says. "Fish, Seafood. Anenomes. Urchins." "Sea Urchins, that is." Lorius interrupts with a smirk. Shannon ignores him and continues. "Seaweed. Caulerpa. Much of this is raw, of course, as you might expect. However, there is a fair amount of cooking done by means of strong acid and salt solutions." Shannon looks toward William. "While you were gone in shadow cousin, about 6 years ago, on an state visit to Rebma, your mother and your sister brought a fairly substantial portion of pork, beef, chicken and lamb with them. I understand that the Rebman Cebiche techniques actually worked well on those meats and it was a hit at Moire's Court." "But in general" Shannon continues looking at Aura "there is no escaping seafood of all stripes." Aura sighs. "Unless one has a trump of Amber's kitchens, of course, and a good relationship with Michael." Fiona says, sipping her wine. "I wonder if I have time to arrange that," Aura says wistfully. "Because, honestly, I have lived on an island my whole life. I was looking forward to something besides fish, fish, and more fish." "Being well acquainted with the Kitchen Staff can be *very* useful." Devaine says. "Oh it is not so bad as that," William says. "They do some exquisite sauces, and the play of various textures can be amazing. Rebmans are a very sensual people, and their food reflects this." Shannon gives a nod of agreement. "So are Atlanteans, I assure you," Aura replies. "But still." She wrinkles her nose in a fetching manner. "More fish. Gerard even fed me fish for lunch." Fiona laughs lightly, musically, running a finger along her wine glass as Aura continues to speak. [Aura] turns and gives Lorius a stern look. "I want steak for dinner. Beef. There are no cows in Atlantis, and I've only had it once." Lorius looks back at Aura. Green eyes return Aura's gaze with sincerity and seriousness in equal measure. "Dinner. Tonight. Steak. Beef. Either here in the Castle, or a place I know in the city. You'll get it, I promise. Shannon leans in and whispers something to Lorius. He looks thoughtful, and gives his sister a look of gratitude. "Speaking of that." Fiona nibbles a piece of cheese. "It is unfortunately getting late for much more else tonight, unless you have any pressing questions. I do want to thank the three of you for a most educational night." she says. "And the prospect of future engagements." Aura looks startled to discover it is already that far along into the evening. "My thanks to you, Aunt," William replies with a bow. "For a most entertaining and instructive evening. And to you, cousin," said with a second bow to Aura, "For allowing Devaine and myself to involve ourselves in this personal matter of yours." He sets down his glass. "Alas, Aunt Fiona is correct, the night is passing, and we must make our way to the docks, and our berth. Shannon, will you be accompanying us now, or shall you sleep in the palace tonight? We sail on the morning tide." Shannon looks thoughful for a moment. She gives Fiona a speculative glance before looking at William. "I shall sleep in the castle. Never fear, cousin, I will join you, Devaine and your other friends on the ship a half hour before the morning tide." she promises. "The pleasure was equally mine." Fiona says. "I find it speaks highly well of you that you would take on teaching one of your companions. I am sure..." Fiona looks at Devaine "that we will meet again, perhaps when your journey is complete." Devaine bows her head. "My pleasure," Aura assures William with a pleasant smile as she rose to her feet. "It was a truly enlightening evening, Aunt Fiona," says Aura with a respectful incline of her head. "I look forward to further endeavors. If possible, I would like to speak with you in the morning on a matter only vaguely related to the goings on this evening." "In the morning, then, at a reasonable hour." Fiona says agreeably. Aura inclines her head in agreement. Aura then turns and sat down her glass before leveling a look at Lorius. "I would like to speak with my mother, and then you are feeding me dinner." Fiona waggles her fingers at Lorius. "Far be it from me to make you break your promises and duties. You and I will speak in the morning about the other matter, after the conversation with Aura, perhaps. Bring her along to late breakfast." "Yes, mother." Lorius says. He looks at William and Devaine. "Take good care of my sister out there. He leans in and in an exaggerated stage whisper, adds "Don't let her book buying sink the ship under their weight. Good Luck." Shannon looks innocently at William at the remark. William answers, in an equally exaggerated whisper, "Go clothes shopping with my sister sometime, and then we shall have true war stories to tell one to the other." After chuckling at William's reply, Lorius leans back and nods to Aura to follow him "Let's go find Aunt Deirdre." William offers Devaine his arm. "We shall take a royal coach to the docks," he says as they depart from Fiona's quarters. "Let us have some rest from the rigours of the day, and some time for conversation over what we have seen and done." Devaine takes William's arm and prepares to leave the room with him. Aura nods to the assemblage. "Good evening, and safe journeys." She then turns and follows Lorius out of the room. Backlinks |
