TeahouseOnTheTracksTeahouse on the TracksI drove towards Three Willows, the only structure on Shadow Dayla, so named for the triangle of ancient willows closest to the house. The dirt road we are on is, certainly by design, the only path from the mountains to Three Willows. I admire the sweeping view as we drive past, and park in a converted barn that has been turned into a garage. I pull my gear out of the car and head towards the front door. "I found this place during my wanderings," I explain to Keane. "It is a place where we can rest for the night and figure out what to do next." "We could both do with a rest." Keane replies. He cranes his neck around. "You crafted, or selected your shadow with an eye for the aesthetic I see. And privacy." Certainly on my agenda was contacting Corwin and informing him of what had transpired at his Broken Pattern. As I unlock the door, I decide that the house will be simple, comfortable luxury, and that a fire will already be burning in the library on the first floor and tea will be set to draw on the sideboard. Entering, I park my gear at the foot of the staircase. "Please, make yourself at home. The library is through there," I gesture, "I will be right with you after I take everything upstairs." If he withdraws, I will do so, dropping anything of Keane's in the guest suite and airing out the room, and then heading into mine, where I take out Corwin's Trump and attempt to make contact. Keane's only gear was the cylindrical suitcase that she saw when he first got into her car, and Keane amicably heads into the library. There is definitely a tingle of arcane energy on the suitcase as Dagny handles it. This tickle tingle only ends when she drops it in the guest room. As far as the trump call, there is strong resistance to the call at first, a barrier at the far end which lowers...slowly and cautiously. Dagny cannot see anything at the other end of the call yet, but a voice echoes through the mental contact. "Who?" "Dagny Thorsonne," I replied. "I said I would call you after I visited that Broken Pattern of yours. So I am." "So you did." Corwin agrees. The image resolves, light rising from the bottom of the contact, revealing a wood paneled room. In a King George chair done in black with accents of silver, Corwin sits. "What did you find there, Dagny?"." "I found the Omphalos had set up camp at Versailles, and their magic users were apparently setting up some sort of 'generator' at the Pattern site," I said. "It has been sabotaged. Loudly, messily, and with firework accompaniment." Dagny can sense the amusement across the mental connection between her and her uncle. "One might say that you are taking after me, rather than your father or grandfather for that matter." Corwin replies after a moment's thought. There is a distinctive note of pleasure in his voice. "Stop it, you're making me blush," I said. "Nevertheless, they were apparently attempting to harness the power of your Broken Pattern in some way, and I am certain they will try again. Action, I believe, needs to be taken." Corwin looks pensive for a moment. "Indeed. You raise a point." He pauses a beat. "Now that you have done this scouting of the Broken Pattern for me....what will you do, Dagny?" A raised eyebrow is shot in Dagny's direction. "Immediately? Have dinner, maybe take a nap," I replied. Corwin smiles slightly. "Beyond that, I hadn't really thought about it. If somebody is going to raise an army, though, you can count me in." "Anyone who has walked the Pattern can raise an army." Corwin says casually. "I think we need more than a single army raised by one of our family, don't you?" Corwin pauses a beat. "With which of your cousins are you on good terms? I chuckled. "Well, I can name a few who are on good terms with me. Whether I'm on good terms with them, you'll have to ask them yourself." I started ticking off names. "I spent some time with Bhangbadea awhile back, but I haven't been able to raise her on a Trump since. There was Astin, but I haven't seen him in years...." Corwin listens to Dagny's recitation of the cousins she has met with a thoughtful look. "...As you know, I met Brandeigh and Percy. And actually, I have a distant cousin downstairs now who helped me with the Omphalos--Keane of House Sawall. I believe he also has a vested interest in this situation." "A distant cousin." Corwin looks skeptical. "Is he a cousin only in the sense that we are all related to the denizens of the Courts, or does he have a parent in the Family?" "And do you trust him?" "Yes, I was speaking more metaphorically than genealogically," I replied. "Do I trust him? Well, so far he hasn't given me a reason not to. We've been in a couple of pitched battles and dangerous situations together and it's worked out all right. Am I being used? Probably. I can't imagine any other reason why he's sticking around. So let's just say that I'm not worried for my physical safety so much as looking foolish." "Physical pain only lasts for so long. Humiliation is much longer lasting. Although I intuit that you've not spent lots of time in the bosom of the Family, I am glad, Dagny, you already know this lesson." "I've tried trumping Percy recently, to no avail." Corwin says. "Even though I have been keeping a low profile as of late. You have my permission...indeed, my enthusiastic urging, to find another cousin or two that you trust to help army gather." "For the moment, I would recommend not talking to my brothers and sisters, but you are not especially close to any of them, are you?" I shrugged. "In the meantime, I'll figure out what I'm going to do next. I'll be in touch. If you'll excuse me..." "You may." Corwin says with a nod. Assuming Corwin has nothing of note to add and after the appropriate farewells, I break the contact and head back downstairs to Keane. "All well? Do you need anything?" I ask. Keane is standing near one of the tall bookcases in the library when Dagny returns. He turns, his fingers pushing into place one of the volumes that he apparently has just inspected. I note which book he had apparently been browsing. Keane was apparently browsing one of the library's fantasy novels. "Lord of the Fire Lands" by David Duncan. "Since I find shapeshifting chlorophyll difficult and not very energy efficient...a meal would not be unwelcome." Keane replies with a smile. "Sounds good to me," I agreed, and motioned for Keane to follow me into the simple but well-designed kitchen, and, once there, stood in front of the pantry door. Hands behind his back, Keane follows Dagny into the kitchen, his eyes taking it all in with minimal motions of his head. "When I found this house, I thought this was one of the coolest things ever. All you have to do is think about what you want, open the pantry door, and it's there." I gestured around the kitchen. "I think there are appliances here just in case someone is in the mood for cooking, and they decide they want the pantry to provide ingredients." I nodded towards the pantry. "Go ahead." "Some sort of summoning or conjuration sorcery tied to the shadow, no doubt. Utilitarian, but let's test its efficacy." Keane says. He closes his eyes, nods, and then opens the pantry. Inside is a savory pie of some sort, the scent of meat of an unknown type wafts from the cupboard toward Dagny and Keane. "There is more than enough for one, if you wish to try Chaosian cuisine." Keane offers, reaching for the pale blue dish in which the pie is held, and placing it on an island in the kitchen. "Smells interesting. Why don't we serve it family style?" I suggested, setting out dishes and utensils. After summoning an assortment of sushi and teriyaki and a pitcher of water, I joined Keane at the island, sat upon one of the bar-height chairs, and invited him to set to. "As you like" Keane looks at the sushi and teriyaki, blinks his eyes and then starts employing a knife and a pie server to cut and place a portion of the pie on each plate. The filling of the pie appears to be some sort of unfamiliar meat and vegetable combination, like some sort of Chaosian shepherd's pie. Keane takes a few pieces of the sushi and teriyaki, arranging them all on the plate with his portion of the pie in the center. He takes a piece of the sushi, and samples it. "These remind me of House Euphrates' cuisine." Keane observes. "This is uncooked sea fish with other ingredients, yes?" he asks, taking a second one and holding it between his fingers in preparation of a second sampling. "Some of it is. These are just vegetables and sticky rice," I gestured to a few rolls, "and that," I indicated the teriyaki, "is cooked meat. You can eat the sushi with your fingers, but use these to eat the teriyaki." I demonstrated the chopsticks. "Forks are okay too." I smiled. "I understand" Keane says. He tries a piece of the teriyaki. He is not clumsy with the chopsticks, picking it up quickly, but not overly skilled either. Not wanting to be outdone in the Food Adventurer department, I helped myself to Chaosian cuisine for the first time. I had a feeling that if I asked what type of meat was in the pie, I wasn't going to like the answer, so I kept my questions to myself. Sampling it, I murmur approval. The flavors underneath the savory taste of the meat are unfamiliar to Dagny, but not offensive or obviously poisonous. "So each of your Houses has its own type of food it specializes in?" I asked, after swallowing. "Where I come from it's usually just countries or ethnic groups, not families per se. Do you have special dishes for holidays too?" Finished with sampling Dagny's cuisine for the moment, Keane turns to his slice of the pie, taking two forkfuls before responding. "Each House is different than the others in many respects." he responds. "There is good reason why the polity of the Courts is called an Empire, rather than a Kingdom. Houses differ in colors, outlook, specialties, and even breeding. Cuisine is the smallest part of those differences. So you might say that in a sense, each House is much more than a Family, its a city-state into itself, bound together under the aegis of the Emperor." "To answer your second question." Keane says after one more bite of his pie, and a piece of the sushi. "there are certain foods in House Sawall which are only eaten under certain Days." "For example, a young scion of quality will only eat the meat of the Zhind she has killed on the turning she turns 15 years of age." Keane offers. "She hunts the Zhind, kills it, and returns it for preparation and feasting. No other food is allowed to pass her lips that day." I popped a kampyo roll in my mouth and chewed thoughtfully. "That's quite a tradition. I think for my fifteenth birthday we ordered pizza and rented a movie. I got to pick the movie though. How long did it take you to track and kill your Zhind? Was it an all-day dealie or were you in and out in 15 minutes? Do they let you use magic?" Keane looks at Dagny quizzically for a moment, takes a bite of teriyaki with the chopsticks and then answers. "The method of tracking the Zhind depends on the scion, Dagny. The only restriction is that the Sawall must hunt and kill it on her own" Keane replies. "I was already an initiate of sorcery, although I killed it in a more traditional and sanguinary manner." "As I recall, it was after a rest from the heat of the midday of the twin Green Suns that I spotted the Zhind out on the Grey Plain, went to it, and killed it before it gored me on his horns." "Did not your culture have similar coming of age rituals?" Keane asks. "How does your culture determine if you are fit to be an adult?" "Depends on what you mean by adult," I replied, helping myself to another forkful of Chaos Pie. "Where I'm from the girls have a coming-out-type big party when they turn sixteen--"sweet sixteen", they call it, though it describes no teenager I've ever met--that used to signify her parents were open to marriage offers, but now is really no more than a bid for presents and an excuse for buying a ridiculously expensive dress. For other ethnic groups the magic age is fifteen, with similar celebrations. You legally reach your majority at the age of eighteen, and you can enter into contracts and such, but you aren't allowed to drink alcohol until you are twenty-one, and you can't rent a car until you are twenty-five. Of course, that's just my culture. Some set their coming-of-age at puberty, and celebrate it by surgically removing body parts that took millennia to evolve. Others ritually scar themselves so their skin resembles that of certain reptiles sacred to them, or they pierce body parts. Still others go on a 'vision quest' to find their totem animal. It's a pretty diverse Shadow, relatively speaking, and I'm sure there's more I'm can't recall at the moment. But as I'm sure you know, stupid happens at all ages, so no number of rituals, parties, or mutilations can truly legislate adulthood." Keane listens intently, nibbling on one of the pieces of teriyaki as Dagny gives her response. The Chaosian waits a few moments to digest the food, and, presumably, what Dagny has said before he responds. "Maturity is indeed not a matter of age, and sometimes wiser are the young who have not had endless turnings to affirm themselves in their small nature. Yet, every culture makes a dividing line between immaturity and maturity, regardless of the fuzziness of the line." "Your shadow, though, must be at least in the moderate range from the poles, then." Keane says. "I have found that shadows close to the poles, by experience and..." Keane pauses "otherwise gained knowledge, are often smaller and more homogenous, than shadows further away." "Or to put it another way, shadows closer to the Great Tree have more diversity of peoples, climes, customs..." He looks at Dagny speculatively. "HAS your education in traveling shadow extended to the Great Tree?" "Not that I'm aware of," I replied. "I've done some traveling, but I also had no guide. So you could say that I might have missed the more 'touristy' areas of Shadow. I wouldn't have known what to look for. But I can't say I've done too badly on my own, when I've found places like this one." "I should think that the Great Tree does not count as, as you put it, a touristy area of Shadow. If I take your meaning of the word properly." Keane looks about. "Something liquid for the throat perhaps." He rises from the table, walks to the same pantry that he produced the Chaosian pie, and opens it to reveal a bottle, and a pair of goblets. Carrying the former in one hand and the other two in the latter, he returns to the table, sets the glasses down, opens the bottle, and pours a clear liquid into both. He takes a sip of his glass, of the beverage that smells slightly of some tropical fruit, nods and then regards Dagny. "As I was saying, the Great Tree is more than a sight to be seen. It is a terminator, a boundary, and it is said, slightly sentient. It certainly has an influence on nearby shadows." "Me personally? I don't recall agreeing to that," I smiled. "You must mean the Amber faction." I shook my head. "You should take it up with them. It was suggested to me that I contact one of my plethora of cousins, and arrange for an army to invade Shadow Versailles. If I choose to go that route, feel free to air your grievances then. I certainly have no control over anything they do. I barely have control over what I do." I smiled again, and sipped my drink. "Grievances?" Keane replies. "You misunderstand. I am not a High Diplomat in my House, or in the Thelbane, to complain about the lack of a Wall Port. I only say that any emissary to your lands will be confused, to say nothing of dismissive, without the Wall Port as a mediating place. A, neutral ground, as some might call it." "So you have been in contact with higher members of your House, and they have named you a warleader." Keane takes a sip of drink and considers this. "I am not certain that under the rules of the treaty that I would be permitted to bring armed forces of my own into Versailles. Besides my own person, of course." He takes another sip of the drink. I chuckled. "I think 'warleader' is a bit of an exaggeration, especially since as far as I know, most of the family doesn't even know I exist. And I haven't decided what I'm going to do yet. I may just decide to go freelance." I smiled. "I figured I'd sleep on it and see how I felt in the morning. This Shadow runs" (was currently running, but Keane didn't need to know that) "at a relative speed much faster than Versailles, so we've got a bit of time. As far as your own armed forces, I'm sure you can hammer than out with the appropriate diplomats or whatever...they will probably need all the help they can get." "I did promise to help you deal with the interdimensional invaders. It would gain me honor and rank as well to participate." Keane says. "If it can be arranged with those members of your family that you speak with." "Perhaps retiring for rest at this juncture would be wisest." Keane adds. "The sky may be the wrong color, but I expect that the beds in a house that you keep will be more than adequately comfortable, much more so than that establishment near which where we met." I glanced out the window at the purpling sky. "Well, it is a little early, but not so much so that I'd think going to sleep would be ludicrous, especially after the day we've had." I piled the dishes up and loaded them in the dishwasher. "If you feel that way, how about a game of chess before turning in? There's a board in the library, if you're interested." Keane bows his head to Dagny. "Although I have never played Chess, it is considered by House Sawall to be a shadow of a game that our House, and a couple of others play, called Gateway. I am sure I can pick up the rules of Chess easily enough. I would be honored to learn and play." "You know..." Keane looks around "Do you think the conjuration magic that you have in your shadow might extend to objects other than food? We might arrange a trade--you teach me Chess, and I teach you Gateway." "Certainly," I replied, as we walked towards the library. "All you have to do is think of what you want before you go in there. Same goes for your room upstairs, incidentally, in case I forgot to mention." "You failed to mention." Keane replies with a nod, but there is a slight jesting tone as he follows along. "So the spell is shadow wide, or at least within the confines of your edifice. This is useful knowledge, for the short time that we will be here." Keane says. "It betrays your Imprint that you would arrange the creation of new items from the aether by specifying that you hold it in the mind before you actually see it." Keane continues. "For your shifting of shadow by means of that Imprint works on a similar principle, as our travels together have demonstrated." "'Arrange the creation, nothing," I replied. "I just found this place. I don't think I'm so creative that I could think of something like this. It is terribly convenient though. This is exactly what I would have wanted, had I been given a choice." "I will let you decide the choice of drink for me, Dagny." Keane replies. "As long as methyl instead of ethyl alcohol is not involved. My Line has difficulty metabolizing the one-carbon alcohol." Good lord, so now I had to try to remember high school chemistry aside from figuring out the double negative? Methyl-ethyl my ass. I knew he could drink wine, so I poured him a scotch too and just hoped for the best. Keane takes a sip of the drink, and then nods. "A distilled liquor." he says, with a tone of favor. "Since I suspect Gateway is more complex and would be best taught as a complication to Chess, I would prefer we begin with the latter." he then says. Smiling to myself over Keane's perceived superiority of all things Chaosian rather than chafing under the comment (the scotch helped with that), I settled us at the board and began to explain the game... Keane watches attentively as Dagny sets up the board and explains the rules. He's pretty quick on the draw, although he furrows his eyebrows at the unusual en passant rule. Finally he regards the board and then Dagny. "Let's play. Unless you have a preference, I would like to play black." He takes another sip of the scotch. "Please begin." What's Dagny's strategy and how hard is she going to press him? Because this is Keane's first go at chess, Dagny will aim to keep the game close, but ultimately win. No pulling of punches. Dagny's greater experience with the game gives her advantage. While its clear that Keane has picked up the game very quickly, he is simply inexperienced with skewers, forks, discovered checks and the other tactics of chess. Dagny manages to sacrifice a queen in order to set up a two rook mate and the win. "There are nuances to this game I have yet to learn." Keane says, tipping over his King in defeat. "For your first try, you did very well," I said. "You can't expect to pick everything up your first time out. Do you feel like a game of Gateway? That might even the score." "It might." Keane says, with an inclination of the head. "Even with the consumption of another scotch, if you would." "Certainly," I replied, and did so. Keane rises and looks around. He walks toward a closed bookcase that Dagny has set aside for rare volumes. He opens it, and brightfully returns with a complex looking board. Dagny has seen Star Trek back on Earth and has something of a frame of reference for the beautiful glass board, with beautifully shaped pieces in ivory and onyx. The Gateway board resembles the "battle chess" board somewhat. With a main large board, there are two slightly smaller boards perched above and below it. "The pieces are the Dragon, the Rukh, the Yeddim, the Boar, the Strix..." Keane begins naming and picking up the pieces one by one, explaining the rules as he goes. With its mechanisms of capture and movement, it does seem like a more complex and multidimensional version of chess. "There are a few variants that people play." Keane says. "But this is the basic game. Cacek Sawall, when he was an officer in the army during the Isortoq War four hundred years ago, invented the game as a way to pass the time with his fellow soldiers." He had no idea." Keane says amused "that by the time he got back to the House Ways, House Sawall had decided to adopt it, with a very few changes, as a way to train young scions of the House in tactics and strategy." I studied the board. "Interesting. Let's play." "Yes. I will begin." he says. And so he does. He plays a patient game, content to allow Dagny lines of advance and openings, such as she can see them, before stopping them ruthlessly and without reserve. The game to Dagny feels a lot like chess, but the elements of tactics and strategy work in a slight different relationship. While in chess, a passable player can get along with just tactics, she recognizes quickly that playing without medium and long term plans in this game is a recipe for inevitable defeat. Unlike Chess, the capture of her "King", the Dragon, is overt rather than implied. The game does last a fair bit longer than a chess match, but with the size of the board and the abilities of some of the pieces, there isn't quite the "grinding endgame" of a few pawns and the King. Small battles on some of the boards orchestrate to the finale when Keane manages to win a majority (but not all of them), of the small tactical battles, and finally captures her Dragon. "Did you like it?" Keane enquires, finishing the last drops of the scotch in his glass. "I did," I replied. "This game clearly requires more study on my part. And now," I stood up, "I am going to head upstairs. Feel free to stay up as late as you'd like, of course, everything is at your disposal. Good night." "It is the game of a lifetime and it was a pleasure to introduce it to you. Good night, Dagny." Keane rises, bows formally and stands by the door, a casual hand toying with one of his pieces as he waits and watches for Dagny to depart. I drew a hot bath and tossed in a few bath bombs and a complementary-scented bubble bar, and slid into the water. I sighed and allowed myself to soak, my mind drifting over all that had happened. So here's where we are so far: I have gone from being human to half human to half-Amberite and half Raksha, whatever that is. I can Dreamwalk. Apparently. I have been solicited by the Great-Grandhoo of Something to be her mentee-slash-personal assistant. I have been attacked and disfigured by Chaosians. I have been attacked and annoyed by Omphalos. I have attacked and sabotaged them in return. I have been charged with the defense of the universe by raising an army and forming an alliance with a cousin or two. I have a Chaosian downstairs in my personal Fortress of Solitude, and no idea what to do with him. No wonder I was tired. I finished my bath, toweled off, moisturized, etc., paying special attention to my poor burned neck. As I dressed in silk pajamas (I thought it would be easier on the burn than a cotton tee) and got into bed I thought about what I would do next. Currently my options boiled down to 1. Try to Dreamwalk, however that works. 2. Locate Cassandra, the Grand-Poobah of Dreamland, and give her an update. 3. Pick a cousin out of my Trump deck and try my luck. 4. Strategize my army building and plan of attack. 5. Go to sleep. I was exhausted by the very possibilities. I decided to leave the first four till morning. Reaching out to make sure Mjolnir was still laying on the other side of the bed, I closed my eyes and slept. I hope. With the hot bath as a prelude to relaxation, it is no surprise that sleep comes easily to Dagny. What might be more surprising, but very welcome in the end, is that the sleep not only comes easily, but it passes uneventfully. Oh, Dagny dreams, as do all sentient beings. Dreams of dubious storyline and familiar and unfamiliar characters, in a composition that seems to be sound and fury, describing and defining nothing at all. If its a message of some kind, then the message is completely lost on Dagny. Its not even worth remembering, as it emerges to a new day, and Dagny feels more refreshed than she has in days. In point of fact, given the position of the sun in the late morning sky... Dagny has slept for at least twelve hours, and perhaps longer. I woke, and stretched, and blinked in the sunlight. Hm. Hadn't meant to sleep that long, but I guess I needed it. And there is something to feeling safe. I went through my regular morning ritual, dressed, and headed downstairs to breakfast. I wondered what Keane had been up to... As Dagny creeps toward the kitchen, there is the sudden, unmistakable savory smell of eggs, and sausage, and coffee. As she arrives, Keane is removing a pair of plates from a cabinet, with the scrambled eggs and sausage arranged artfully. These deposited on the table in front of a chair for Dagny and a chair Keane has clearly been occupying, he returns to the cabinet for the carafe of coffee and two mugs. "I heard you awaken." Keane replies. "and guessed that you might hunger for foods that hewed close to your native cuisine. I have attempted an experiment to conjure food that would be appealing to you, rather than fare more exotic to you." "The sunrise had its artistic appeal over the mountains, although I prefer the Great Wheel in the skies of Chaos." Keane adds. "Well, thank you," I said, and sat down to sample. "This looks lovely. I know you said your Emperor was educated in my Shadow, but I had no idea you knew so much about our local foods. I wouldn't mind trying one of your favorites, now that I am assured of a good breakfast no matter what," I grinned. "I hope you slept well." "I did sleep well, thank you, Dagny." Keane replies. He walks to the cupboard, and retrieves two glasses and a glass carafe filled with an orange liquid. It certainly smells, looks and when she tastes it, is in fact orange juice. "I think my further attempts at Chaosian cuisine can abide for now." Keane replies, taking a sip of his own poured glass of juice. "To answer your question, perhaps I didn't make it clear that the Emperor hails from my own House, Sawall. And I have a passing acquaintance with his Lady Mother, amongst others that know him. If the Emperor were from Helgram, or Minobee, or Hendrake, I would be far less conversant with his dietary habits while in shadow." "And thus, less conversant with yours." he adds. "I have been giving thought to our conversation from yesterday about the problem at the shadow of Paris with the Broken Pattern." Keane says. "I have concluded that the best contribution I can make is to retrieve a force of mine own. That would necessitate a travel to those shadows where I have some small influence." "Thusly..." Keane sips his juice. "either we will part company for a time, or else you might accompany me to the far side of the universe in order to do so." "I think..." I started, and stopped. Truth be told, I hadn't made a decision yet, as to what I wanted to do--if anything. I was also not willing to choose sides. While it seemed that the Chaosians and the Amberites had united against a common enemy, it was almost like the Dwarves allying with the Elves of Mirkwood during the Battle of the Five Armies, and I was not inclined to make my last stand with the Elves, as it were. Aside from which, I myself could very well be the Eagles. "I think," I tried again, "I can very easily raise an army of my own as well. I would like to keep in touch, for coordination purposes, however. I'm sorry I have none of my own to give you, but do you have a Trump card of yourself I can have?" Keane gives Dagny a look of surprise, and then he relaxes it into a smile. "It is fortunate that I am not from House Lenelli, or else I would have to refuse on the grounds that we have not yet been intimate. Fortunately, House Sawall does not follow such a custom." Keane finally chooses one and offers it to Dagny. It depicts him sitting on the ledge of what appears to be a tower window of some kind, his legs casually dangling, one hand resting against the edge, and the other extended toward the viewer. "I like that 'yet'," I teased. "So I may still live in hope." I smiled and took the card. Keane gives a bow of his head as Dagny takes the card. "Very nice. Now, once you are ready to leave, if you're not going to Trump out, I will be happy to give you a ride out and leave you in a Shadow nearby." "I believe I can manage transport away from your shadow without too much difficulty, Dagny Thorsonne." Keane replies. "Although it is perhaps wise that it is I, and not my cousin Velona, that you met in your travels. Her method of leaving your shadow would likely displease you, since it would involve the creation of a Black Road. Such a method, even temporary, would disturb the idyll of this place. I will simply pull myself away in a much less dramatic fashion." He finishes his juice, his plate now empty as well, and he rises. "Unless we have more to discuss, of course, perhaps now would be the juncture in which I do that." "Whenever you're ready," I agreed. "Well, I can certainly say it's been interesting, Keane of House Sawall. I'll be in touch. Good luck." "It has been interesting, informative, and inviting, Dagny Thorsonne." Keane says. He pauses, regards Dagny, and then with a creepy-crawly feel that Dagny feels across her skin, Keane is no longer within her kitchen. Indeed, as far as Dagny can tell, he is no longer within the shadow at all. For the moment, and probably for as long as Dagny likes, she has peaceful solitude in her shadow. What next? Well. I had an army to raise, but no way to coordinate an attack. Thinking hard, I headed into the library. Crashing on one of the couches, I pulled out my Trump deck and began to flip through. Faces, faces, faces...some I recognized, some I didn't...I paused at Luke, and considered him. Last thing I wanted was to go running to Daddy for help. Next! Brandeigh. And Percy. Hm. I was only afraid of what I might be interrupting. Still, they knew what was going on, and I knew we were on the same side, as far as the Omphalos were concerned. It might be worth a try. So, lightly touching the card, I opened the contact. "Brandeigh?" It takes a minute of heavy concentration for Dagny. Its as if there is a wall, or an extensive distance, or even, given what Dagny was thinking about, perhaps she *is* interrupting. Just when Dagny is convinced that there is not going to be an answer, the contact springs open to life. There is a wave of energy associated with it, of power, like the energy released from knocking over a glass and having it smash on the wooden floor below. When the contact resolves, Brandeigh looks a little different, a little older certainly. Perhaps more importantly, she is dressed in some sort of military uniform and is sitting in a chair on what looks like something out of the bridge of Star Trek. "Dagny? Dagny Thorsonne?" Brandeigh hesitates a moment before continuing. "Gods, its been a very long time." "?" I said, then quickly followed with, "From where I'm standing, I left you a couple of days ago. How are you?" "A couple of days. Gods." Brandeigh looks very surprised. Out of scene, someone says something in a language Dagny doesn't know, but it sounds vaguely familiar. Brandeigh answers in that tongue and then returns her attention to Dagny. "It's been a long time, *here*." Brandeigh says. "But you are the first in all that time to try and contact us. I'm a little busy with some clean up at the moment, and I can't promise that I can immediately get you out of here. However..." Brandeigh smiles. "Would you like to see my homeworld?" I hesitated, only because I really did have to get a move on with this Omphalos business. "I'm guessing the time differential is pretty bad, and I had a bit of trouble getting through to you. I really wanted to talk to you about raising an army." "An army." Brandeigh looks alarmed. "Things are really that bad." She pauses a long moment. "If the time differential still holds, it would be easier to do this here. Unless you are worried about being able to get back." she says. "Besides" she adds with a smile. "I'm expecting a call from my son." Brandeigh offers a hand. I started to reach for Brandeigh's hand, and stopped. "You know, before I step through, let me get my gear. I don't want to go anywhere unarmed. Call you back in a few?" "All right. Fair enough." Brandeigh replies. "Hopefully." Brandeigh smiles and regards Dagny. "I will not be years before I hear from you again. Or even to hear from you at all, if things are as strange as they seem." She pauses a beat to issue another order in what Dagny is pretty sure a language similar to Irish. Brandeigh then returns her contact back to her caller. "Until then, Dagny." Brandeigh smiles, and closes the contact. "See ya." Well, crappers. I hadn't thought of that. But I still wasn't about to go anywhere unarmed. I'd have to leave my car, but maybe she would lend me a horse or something to get back. I hurried upstairs, stuffed everything into my bag, slung Mjolnir over my shoulder, and pulled Brandeigh's Trump back out. With items in hand and ready, Dagny can open the contact. The connection is slow again but not quite as slow as it was the first time she attempted to call her. "Brandeigh?" Brandeigh is still on a spaceship, that much is clear, but she is alone in a room that might remind Dagny, in the general lines, of a Star Trek Captain's ready room. She is sitting at a large meeting desk. "Not so long this time." Brandeigh says, thoughtfully. "Come through." She offers a hand for Dagny to step through. There is a moment of transition when she does, a feeling of distance and something else as Dagny leaves her shadow, and comes through. "Welcome to the Griffin of Scota, Dagny Thorsonne." Brandeigh says. I nodded. "Thank you." "You picked an interesting time to arrive, as I said in our last conversation, a couple of hours ago." Brandeigh says, looking at Dagny " How long was it for you?" "About ten minutes," I replied. If I'd been thinking, I could have slowed Shadow Dayla down to match Brandeigh's Shadow, and avoided the time differential entirely. "But at least it wasn't months on your end." "No it seems that the time difference has eased." Brandeigh sounds relieved by this. The voice comes across the device again. “There were four Yithonghu survivors. Should I call back in a few minutes?" Brandeigh looks at Dagny for a long moment, and then speaks into the device. “No, that’s quite all right. You might say that I have an unexpected visit from an old friend of the family here.” she says. A new voice comes across the communication device. One that Dagny recognizes this time. Percy. “Who, cariad? Who finally has gotten through?” Brandeigh replies. “Dagny, of all people. You remember her. Rinaldo’s daughter.” “Yes.” Percy says. There is clear surprise in his voice. Of all people? Whateva. "Hello, Percy," I called out. "Go ahead. Eat. We'll get you a real meal soon enough." Brandeigh says. "Thanks. I actually just had breakfast so I should be good for awhile. I do appreciate the coffee though." "But...you mentioned needing an army. We're mopping up an attack on my solar system here. On the ansible." she gestures to the communication device "those voices are my son, and Percy." Brandeigh explains. "Why do *you* need an army?" I blinked, confused. "The Omphalos. After I left you back at Corwin's Pattern I went back to Shadow Versailles and found the Omphalos using some kind of "generator" on the Broken Corwinian Pattern imprint there. I sabotaged them in a way they're not likely to forget. I contacted Corwin afterwards and was urged to coordinate an army and plan of attack with other family members. So here I am." "A Broken Corwinian Pattern." Brandeigh lets a brief look of surprise cross her face before she takes a more neutral expression. And then comes identified as Kieran again. He speaks for a few minutes about ships and something called the Yithonghu. At the end of it, Brandeigh responds. "With a lot of care and preparation before we do that of course." Mother continues. "When you rendevous with the fleet, have the Captain dock with the Griffin. I think we've imposed on Captain Maddox enough, and I have someone for you to meet." "And Kieran." Mother adds. "Good work." Brandeigh looks back at Dagny and presses a button. "For us, its been decades... We've not heard from anyone in those decades. Our own attempts to trump out, and even shadowshift out, were blocked, halted." "You're the first in all of that time, to make it through. A rather surprising person to break the block." Brandeigh smiles. "Or have you been taking after your father?" My jaw dropped. "Wait. You're telling me that you asked me to come here KNOWING that I might not be able to leave? WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING?" Brandeigh's response to Dagny's outburst is a patient smile and a shake of the head. Brandeigh presses a button and briefly continues to talk to Kieran, and Percy about someone named Captain Maddox, and a "surprise". She then turns to Dagny. "My apologies for startling you with the truth." she says. "However, if you must know, I attempted a pair of tentative trump contacts, to locations outside of Keltic space, while waiting for you to return my call. The calls felt a little strange, but they did open." "I would not have invited you in unless I was very sure that you could depart." she adds. She looks at Dagny with a slight air of being offended. "If you would prefer to take that option now, and find someone else to help you with the matter of this broken Pattern, I certainly understand, and will open a Gate for you to leave." I relaxed and took a breath, knowing I wouldn't be trapped here indefinitely. "Actually, according to what you just said, you invited me here before you tried those other Trump contacts, so you didn't know for sure I could Trump out until afterwards. But I'm willing to drop it if you are." Brandeigh listens to a final few words from Kieran. She bids him goodbye and then closes the contact completely. She then gives Dagny her undivided attention. "The invitation would have been revoked if my experiments had failed." Brandeigh explains. "But consider it dropped." she adds. "Any road." Brandeigh continues "It will be a little while before Percy and Kieran arrive here, so the first question I have to ask, all flattery aside, is why of all the people you might have asked for help..." Brandeigh smiles "why choose me?" I blinked, a little taken aback. "When I left you it seemed like you had a vested interest in the Omphalos situation. If I remember correctly, you and Percy were even involved in the original foray through their Door. I thought, out of all of my cousins, the two of you would want to be a part of the army." Brandeigh laughs. "Its that time distortion problem again, Dagny. For us, its been decades of time. We thought at first that the loss of contact with most of Shadow was due to their interference, or something thanks to Apollo, or something we couldn't guess. Eventually, we just settled on the trials and tribulations of our corner of the Multiverse. Every so often we'd try a call, to our Mothers, Random. Even tried Merlin. Nothing seemed to work." "You need an army and help." Brandeigh looks thoughtfully at Dagny for a few moments and then smiles. "I think we can help each other, if you're willing." "Raising the army wouldn't be my problem, I think. I just figured it'd make sense to implement a strategy and coordinate attacks with other people, rather than take the Omphalos on single-handedly. Plus I knew you'd have contacts in Amber who might want to be a part of this." "Well, I do." Brandeigh smiles. However, ironically enough, from my perspective, you've been in Amber much more recently than I have. This gets to the point of my offer." She heads over to a sideboard and pours herself a cup of tea, glances at Dagny with a questioning look, and returns with a cup for herself. After a sip, she regards Dagny. "Now that it seems that whatever has been cutting us off has let up, it seems time to engage the outside universe. This mess with the Coranians, and what lies behind them is going to keep Percy and I stuck here. However..." She smiles. "I think its high time that my son met his relatives." "In exchange for providing you the letters of introduction and appeal to gain you the contacts you need for this Omphalos problem, I would like you to escort Kieran to Amber." Brandeigh takes another sip of her tea and regards Dagny. That was entirely unexpected. "Oooookaaay. So let me throw the question back at you--all flattery aside, why choose me?" Brandeigh takes a sip of tea. "Several reasons. First and foremost, you're *here*. You're the first person we've talked to in decades. Second, you have the outsider's perspective on Amber that a number of our cousins can't match." She pauses a moment before continuing. "And, third, you're close in chronological age, and both of a technologically advanced shadow background, and so your points of view are roughly congruent. Although he's used to even higher technology than you might be. Amber is going to be a big cultural shock for him. Who better to ease his introduction to Amber than someone who knows what that is like?" "I'm hardly over my own cultural shock," I replied. "But, given letters of introduction, I suppose I could manage it." "Then we have an agreement." Brandeigh says with a smile. "The ship my son and Percy is on will be here in several hours. You'll get to meet him then, and assuming that the two of you aren't completely incompatible, we'll settle arrangements." "For now, though." Brandeigh finishes her tea. "I have quarters set aside for you, and you can read, or relax as you like. I made sure that your Leictreach Leabharlann Connection translates everything into English." "As for I, I have the mopping up of this nasty little conflict to finish." she adds. "The aide outside will take you to your quarters and see to anything else you need." "Thanks, Brandeigh." I follow the aide to my quarters, and set up shop, eventually settling down in a comfy chaise longue to read The Dark Mirror... Dagny has plenty of time and space to read. Her quarters are comfortable. if not overly large, and she has opportunity to read, relax, nosh and within her quarters, do what she wants. About the only interesting thing in several hours is a high-acceleration warning, which merely requires Dagny to remain seated and not move about for a few minutes as the ship undergoes a moderately powerful feeling of high gravity from the thrust of the ship. It is at a particularly interesting passage in Bridei's story, irritatingly enough, that there is a knock at the door. "Lady Thorsonne." comes a male voice on the other side of the closed door. The language is English but heavily accented with the Gaelic derived language that they use here. The effect to Dagny is like listening to Colm Meany from Star Trek. "Her Highness has bid me to escort you back to her wardroom." Lady? Um, okay. I put my book down. "Okay. Be right there." I ran a brush through my hair and headed out the door... The Ensign nods as Dagny exits her temporary quarters. Quietly, he leads her back through the corridors she traversed previously, only in reverse. A few people passing in the ship corridors regard her with curiosity and interest, but no one says a word. Until, finally, she is escorted to the door to the wardroom into which she trumped. The Ensign knocks on the door, and opens it... Inside, Brandeigh is seated a a table, with Percy next to her. Nearby are two men whom Dagny does not recognize... Backlinks |
