A Working BreakfastIndex | Time Under Chaos | Game Logs | A Working Breakfast
Ingrey, Paloma, Lord Helgram "I'm sorry," said Ren apologetically. "She wants to see you immediately." Ingrey tried to put a neutral mask on his face as Ren delivered the news. He finally looked down at a spot at the floor and gave a nod. "Indubitably. Thank you Ren." Ingrey exited his office suite and headed back to the staircase, and followed its graceful curve up another floor. He walked down the marble floor toward the frosted glass double doors that marked the entrance to the offices of Lady Paloma Baccaran, Ambassador Extraordinary to Amber. He gave a staccato three tap knock on the door as a means of identification and forewarning to Paloma's own secretary and assistant before opening the door and entering. "Ingrey!" said Paloma, rising to her feet. "Come and take a seat - or a perch if you would prefer. I thought we'd make this a working breakfast." A third figure was present in the room, dark and saturnine - at least, as much of him as was apparent through the thick, dark clouds of mist that surrounded him. "Do you know Duke Helgram?" asked Paloma, with a faint smile. Ingrey turned to face the imposing, mist-shrouded form of the sullen lord of Helgram and gave a short bow. "No, your Excellency. My dealings with House Helgram have only been at stages in my career where my rank did not permit me the privilege of dealing with his lordship." "It is an honor to rectify that lacunae, sir." Ingrey said to the Duke. He waited for Paloma to take a seat again before he did so himself. She did so, and the duke appeared to follow suit. They all sat in silence while food was served - a very different meal from the cheerful hum and hubbub that would have been the late lamented Greasy Spoon. It was only when they had all been served and the servants withdrawn that Paloma leaned forward towards Ingrey and said, "We've heard rumours, of course, but Ingrey - please tell us *exactly* what happened on the docks this morning." Ingrey looked at his plate for a moment, as if seeking inspiration, for a moment. He looked up, gave a nod to the mysterious Duke Helgram, and then a nod to his superior, and mainly focused his gaze on her, with occasionally looks in the direction of their guest, as he began. "It began with the disembarkation of those of us who were aboard Petra Rossi's establishment last night." Ingrey began. He ticked off the fingers of his left hand with the index finger of his right, starting with the thumb and returning to it when he had reached five. "Myself, the Prime Minister, his Majesty King Merlin, Vikund Anansi, Chadwick, Morgan." "Clytemenstra and Larissa were just arriving in a carriage, presumably to collect Chadwick, when the situation began in earnest." Ingrey continued. "An eating establishment on the docks near the ship went up in flames, some sort of incendiary attack. It was meant as a distraction as the architect of the attack came into focus." "Johann." "Somewhere, somehow, Johann came up with the dread secret of working firearms in Amber, and he appeared on the scene with pistols, firing from the perch of the top of Mandor's carriage. People began reacting immediately. One of the security staff of the Queen, Goran, moved to protect Mandor. I believe it was Morgan who got Merlin out of the line of fire. Chadwick charged the carriage." "I judged that the attack would not succeed, and there was a significant chance of collateral damage." Ingrey continued. "I thus used a small telekinetic spell to rock the carriage, to try and dislodge Johann from his perch. He finally did so, and drew his knife to take on Mandor that way. The fire was still burning. It was then that Johann's compatriot Damien appeared from inside Mandor's carriage." Ingrey paused. "Damien spoke words of Johann betraying his heart, and then, instead of joining Johann on an assault on Mandor and any other comers, Damien revealed himself for what he was, and stabbed Johann in the back. Johann dropped his signature knife, which Damien kicked in my direction." Ingrey withdrew the knife and placed it on the table for inspection and continued with his tale. "Mandor seemed unsurprised by this betrayal. With Damien and Vikund's help, the stabbed and weakened Johann was subdued and bound." Ingrey continued. "In the meantime, the fire was ended by, I believe, less by Chadwick's mundane efforts than by Larissa Rohl's use of Pattern energies." "This may be the cause of the other major event to occur." Ingrey said. "I felt weakened by those energies, but Merlin seemed positively stricken by the experience and was spirited away back to the Castle, along with the captured Johann." "And that is what occurred." Ingrey said. "It is clear that Damien has been Mandor's creature for years, and that the Prime Minister's visit to the Queen last night was at least in part an attempt to lure Johann into an attack where Payne could be betrayed and neutralized." Duke Helgram leaned forward slightly, and the edge of the black mist surrounding him momentarily glowed scarlet. "Tell me," he said, with a rasp in his voice, "about Merlin Darason. Is he dead?" Paloma's expression shot a swift look at the Duke - to Ingrey, she seemed suddenly afraid. Ingrey tried to subdue his own fears as much as possible, giving Paloma a glance and a nod. While he had never met Duke Helgram in person before this, his policies and his political stance were very well known to Ingrey, and indeed to anyone who was familiar with Chaosian politics. Ingrey had once heard of a shadow where a Senator named Cato demanded, incessantly, the utter destruction of the mortal enemy of his city and empire. Cato, Ingrey thought, was a pale shadow of Duke Helgram's attitude toward the Amberites and Amber in general. And Cato, Ingrey reflected, finally got *his* wish. Finally, Ingrey looked back at the Duke and shook his head. "No, milord Duke. When last I saw Merlin Darason, he still lived. On the journey from the docks back to here, I enquired of the Prime Minister of how the King of Amber had been stricken so, and he dismissed my concerns as being foolish. He considered Merlin's reaction simply one of someone who has overimbibed alcohol." "While the alcoholic beverages of the Ramblin Queen can be potent, I do not personally think that Merlin's illness is simple over-inebriation. But I do not think, at least with my limited exposure to his condition, he is dying, milord." Ingrey finished. "A shame," said the Duke. "His death might solve a great many problems, don't you think?" He smiled at Ingrey pleasantly enough - but there was something reptilian about his eyes ... Thoughts of hypnosis, of compellings and charms came to Ingrey involuntarily as he looked at those eyes. He also thought of the Serpent and a stray involuntary thought came unbidden into Ingrey's mind. He shook it off. "Your highness, I urge you to look at this matter in its entire context." Ingrey began. "While it is indeed true that the death of Merlin might be profitable, desirable and useful from certain points of view and certain quarters." Ingrey swallowed. "I feel that it is equally true, that his death would cause a cascade of other problems which would likely prove even more intractable than the ones caused by his occupancy of Amber's Throne." "Would it please your Highness for me to enunciate and elaborate?" Ingrey said. He took the opportunity to reach for his cup, and gauge how Paloma was taking this dangerous change in the conversation. The Duke nodded. "Go on," he said. To his side, Paloma was looking distinctly uneasy. "Mandor's capture of Amber was audacious, unexpected, and a singular event that was unlikely in its success." Ingrey began. "I was not alive to witness such events, but I am given to understand that destruction of Amber would have been difficult to manage, whereas capturing it was far more feasible. Surrender stayed the hand of many who would have resisted the destruction with catastrophic force." "But let us say that the sun rises tomorrow, milord, and Merlin Darason does not wake. What, then?" Ingrey looked levelly at their guest. Inside, he felt nervous, confused and out of his depth, especially if the likes of Paloma Baccaran felt fear. Yet he had spoken, and he had been noted. Ingrey briefly wondered if it was like this, to address the Emperor himself. If he were ever to do that, he would have to be able to face the formidable Duke of Helgram. "The forces here would try to establish or maintain the government, by force." Ingrey continued. "Without a titular or legitimate head, such a government would be seen by a wider segment of the population than present as illegitimate and to be resisted. The Chaosians here would be islands in an angry sea of population. Certainly, for the short term, order might be maintained by force." "I am no expert in logistics and tactics, milord." Ingrey continued. "So I will continue my analysis only in the political vein. The Rebels in Arden would immediately declare themselves the legitimate government, making them even more of a problem than at present because many would believe it, and their support would increase. Rebma would present a hazard to shipping if they should not recognize the new order in Amber. Worse, should they be even more overtly hostile to the new order in Amber, a war could erupt that would be costly to prosecute." The Golden Circle would writhe in political turmoil as word of Merlin's death upsets many applecarts." "All of this is why, milord, that assuming that Merlin recovers, that, with the capture of Johann, Mandor Sawall's next move is an obvious and necessary one." Ingrey paused and sipped his dragon tea and regarded his superior, and Duke Helgram. "He'll put the boy to spawn," said Duke Helgram. "He should have done it years ago, to strengthen his position. I suspect he'll use one of his daughters. Ingrey nodded in agreement. "But your argument is based on a false premise - that these accursed Pattern lands need to exist at all." "Its an a priori assumption and premise of mine own." Ingrey admitted smoothly. The indistinctness of Lord Helgram made it easier to justify not looking directly at him for periods, and Ingrey took this opportunity to look away and take a sip. "My assumption is that, to my admittedly limited knowledge of such matters, that the current configuration of the universe is stable, and the destruction of the Pattern lands in the way that you desire, Lord Helgram, would end that stability in favor of a new state, and cause a grand realignment of shadows." "While that realignment might in the longest of terms be a beneficial one." Ingrey said."the short, medium and long term disruption of that realignment would be a horrendous cost to not only shadow, but perhaps the Courts themselves." "You've been here too long," said the Duke - and the clouds of mist seemed to become more definite streamers - though not, as yet, tentacles. "You had become, like the Ambassadress, wedded to Order. And its destruction is necessary for pure Chaos. What cost is too high if we gain that?" "Perhaps from your own independent informed perspective your perception of Her Excellency and myself has some merit." Ingrey conceded to Duke Helgram. He paused. Inwardly, in his mind's eye, he thought of his relationship to the Serpent, to Chaos. Those first images and dreams which had led him down the lesser known path came to his mind. If he had broken troth with the Serpent, the Serpent would have long since broken with him, Ingrey decided. "On the other hand, your Highness." Ingrey continued. "Please understand that the position his Exalted and Imperial Majesty places us in is to deal things as they are, rather than for ourselves to make such large scale changes as you suggest." "Perhaps in the role of a Diplomat, it does, to you, make me seem like a young ewe before the ram of Order, waiting to be taken at its pleasure. But that is a simplification of the situation to the point of mischaracterization, with all due pardon." Ingrey continued. "We deal with things as they are, and work to improve matters for the benefits of the Courts within that framework. It is for others to do else-wise, and we stand gladly to alter our duties should the situation change radically beneath our feet." "Sir." Ingrey added after a pause and a long sip of his dragon tea. "Her Excellency never told me the reason why you've graced us with your unexpected visit at this point in time. Might I inquire?" The Duke smiled. "You should look on this as a preliminary fact-finding visit. I have been appointed Minister for Ordered Affairs by the Emperor. My mission ... is to destroy any manifestations of the Pattern - wherever I might find them." Ingrey blinked back his surprise at the Duke's stated purpose. He looked at his tea, took a sip of the strong brew, looked up and nodded. "I begin to see, milord, why you choose the thread of conversation that you did." Ingrey said, with a further graze of the head in respect. "There is the one in Tir, currently guarded by the Wyvern Riders, and the one in Rebma. And the legendary one that Prince Corwin currently drew, somewhere." Ingrey mused aloud. "Your appointment is a difficult one, sir." Ingrey said respectfully. "The Emperor honors the greatness of Helgram in appointing you to such a task." "Why do you see it as difficult?" asked the Duke. "Tir is under our control. Rebma is cowed. There remains only the so-called Corwin Pattern, and I for one believe that to be a chimera. "When the others are destroyed, we shall see." Ingrey listened carefully at the Duke's response. Finally, he took a pregnant pause in the form of another sip of tea and gave a graze of his head. "With all due respect, while I cannot speak to the difficulties of finding a chimerical Pattern." Ingrey began. "And the difficulties involved in locating a Pattern in a place of quasi and shifting reality, the Pattern in Rebma is a different matter altogether." "Rebma may be cowed, but they are independent and free." Ingrey said. "Attempts to do what you seek, sir, would require something other than a frontal assault to take the city. You will need the application of other skills to allow you the opportunity, within the city beneath the sea, to do what you seek." "Skills represented here at the Embassy, for instance." Ingrey added. Paloma shot him a warning look as the wisps of mists writhed in echo of the Duke's thought. Then something that might have been a smile crossed the Duke's shadowed features. "You have captured my attention, Counselor. Speak on." Ingrey gave a nod that betrayed more confidence than he felt to Paloma, even as the wisps of mist moved about the Duke of Helgram. Ingrey felt a clammy feeling on his skin, and tried to dismiss it as psychosomatic, nothing more. He didn't quite succeed, and his nervousness was evident in his voice as Ingrey's eyes were distracted by those wisps. "Rebma is a city state and power unto itself, and as unique and idiosyncratic as any House of Chaos." Ingrey began. "When it comes time for you to turn your attention to thoughts of your mission as regards the Rebmans own Pattern, your mission would be facilitated if you had the aid of a member of our staff who could provide introduction into their city." "While certainly little in Rebma could directly threaten someone of your stature and strength, milord, if you chose to go down directly and without elaboration conduct your objective...as a diplomat, it is my experienced opinion that your mission would go easier if your presence there were socially accepted." "There are members of the staff here who might accompany you, or prepare the way, for you to make a visit." "When, of course, your duties have you turn toward Rebma." Ingrey added. "We have an Embassy in Rebma which sends us regular reports," said the Duke, but even through the mist his expression was thoughtful. "What advantage would there be in employing someone who was expert in defeated Amber on the task?" "There is indeed an Embassy in Rebma, and I did not mean to besmirch or stain the reputations of Her Excellency Pakou Ysarn." Ingrey replied. "On the other hand, there is an advantage in employing someone from Amber as well." "The Rebmans, as a people in general, do not and cannot use their Pattern. Someone expert in defeated Amber has, in the course of daily duties, dealt with Pattern use and Pattern dwellers. Such a person would be useful in wrinkling out any such things on an expedition to Rebma, whereas the staff there are not as exposed to anywhere near such a degree and have not quite the developed senses that our staff here have developed, and have had to cultivate." The Duke glanced at Paloma, who nodded slowly in confirmation. "Counselor Ingrey is correct, your Grace," she said. "In Rebma, the Pattern is scarcely mentioned - a dark and perhaps terrible secret. Whereas in Amber, its loss is a source of great regret ... " "And you believe it irreparably lost?" said the Duke sharply. The tendrils writhed. Ingrey shivered at the Duke's sharpness of attitude and the movements of the tendrils. He paused a few moments before answering. "The event occurred before my birth, of course." Ingrey began. "And so I do not have firsthand knowledge of its loss. On the other hand." Ingrey pauses. "The continued existence of Amber does suggest that some remnant or relic may remain, lost but extant somewhere. Almost certainly nothing as prominent or persistent as the Pattern in Tir Na Nogth, or in Rebma, and almost certainly not an active threat, but enough that this world remains." Ingrey gave a seated bow of respect to cover his nervousness of the Duke and his power. "But I am only a Diplomat and not a Mentat, milord." "Indeed," said the Duke, with another hard frown in Ingrey's direction. "You might find diplomacy to be the skill that is needed more," put in Paloma smoothly. "Indeed," said the Duke again. A pause - and then he suddenly asked, "Counselor - can you hold yourself ready for a visit to Rebma?" Ingrey tried not to shudder at the thought and his mind raced quickly. Finally he gave a nod of the head. "Unless Her Excellency has objection or a more pressing berth and mission for me to undertake." Ingrey replied politely. "I would be honored to represent the Embassy by accompanying you to the City of Rebma." Ingrey's eyes moved from the Duke of Helgram, to the Ambassador expectantly. Deliberately for Paloma's benefit, he casually extended a hand toward his plate, and tapped his two middle fingers twice. Such prearranged codes were extremely common and idiosyncratic to Embassies. The gesture said: "I'll agree to it if that is what you decide is best." Not by a flicker if a whisker did Paloma show she had registered Ingrey's gesture. But something in the warmth of her tone as she answered told him that she had ... "Indeed, your Grace, I believe you could have no better escort." The Duke was still a long minute ... and then gave a short, decisive nod. "Very well," he said. "Arrangements will doubtless take a couple of days. Hold yourself ready to leave, Counselor - on my command!" On his command. Ingrey's mind raced to remember the minutiae of Helgram, given that the Duke had formally engaged him in this manner. . He turned in his seat to face fully the indistinct and shrouded Duke of that noble House and cupped his right hand into a "C" shape. This he raised to his forehead. "As you say, milord, so shall I perform." He lowered his hand, relaxed and smiled, the gesture complete. The Duke nodded again, slower this time - and then turned to bow to Paloma. "We shall speak again," he said, the black mist subsiding around him to lie flat, like scales. "Yes, my Lord," said Paloma. She did not sound over-enthused about the prospect. The mist seemed to intensify ... swirl ... and then was gone, taking the Duke with it. "Well," said Paloma, after a suitable pause. "What did you make of that?" "Many things, your Excellency." Ingrey said, and took a sip of his cup. and softened since they were alone. He smiled slightly and took a more conversational tone. "Paloma." "First I shall be most cross with Irulan Corrino for not giving us any warning of this unexpected development." Ingrey began. "The Emperor suddenly appointing a Minister for Ordered Affairs and sending him upon us is a bad sign that he has decided that Diplomacy is much less useful than it has been in the past. It signals a change of policy in Thelbane toward Amber." Paloma nodded. "Further, there is an air of finality to his orders. This change of policy is extreme--seeking to destroy the Patterns? I could certainly see a Minister taking possession, control of them at a minimum and beginning, but the Duke has shown his hand entire in admitting he is seeking their destruction." Again Paloma nodded. "Next, we need to consider the possibility that the Emperor will be bloody minded." Ingrey continued. "Duke Helgram's mission means the end of Mandor's and Merlin's kingdom and once Mandor gets wind of it, he will have to move against the Duke out of simple survival. The Duke cannot believe that Mandor will remain ignorant of his posting and mission. So, if I were the Emperor...I might send an assassin or two to move against Mandor when Mandor decides to move against the Duke." "What did you make of him?" Ingrey then enquired. "What did I miss?" I"It doesn't mean the end of Mandor's kingdom," said Paloma slowly,. "It means the end of the power that once fed Amber and could feed it again. And that must be their fear - that there is ... potential here. And that should be our fear as well." "I was vocalizing the thought that without a Pattern, Amber would come apart like a poorly constructed Ways. That is, of course, one theory." Ingrey admitted "But you are right, we always sit on the edge of the knife." Ingrey continued, taking a much more pronounced tone of agreement. "Too much, either way, and we find ourselves falling off and being sliced in the process. I do wonder about the timing of all of this, of course." "But speaking of Mandor." Ingrey said. "On the ride back, he attempted to solicit from me the details of that unexpected conversation I had with Johann a few years back that I debriefed you upon. He very subtly tried to apply pressure on me to do so, and I told him that it would be up to my superiors what could be divulged." Paloma's eyes narrowed slightly, and the pupils became slit lynx's. "So," she said. "He's learned of that, you think? It was not just a general fishing for information?" Ingrey took a sip of the cooling remainder of his tea and offered to refill Paloma's cup with the coffee she preferred while he refilled his own with the potent Dragon Tea. "Johann probably told his lover many things in pillow talk." Ingrey replied. "And so Damien faithfully reported those things to Mandor. Mandor knows, and now we know that he knows, and he knows that we know it." "We're on the solid legal ground of diplomacy and negotiation, although Mandor could make our lives difficult if he decides to do so. On the other hand, Johann's other contacts may not be so fortunate." "However, some things come into focus such as I intimated to the Duke." Ingrey said. "Consider that Minobee that Mandor had me...investigate. Now it makes more sense that he asked me to do so and it would be logical for Mandor, if he found my report favorable, bring her to Amber as possible marriage bait or as a distraction for a more political and chaste marriage." "Hmmmm," said Paloma. "It wouldn't take much to guess who Mandor's favoured candidate would be. But should we have one too? Who do you believe would be most acceptable to our masters in Chaos?" Ingrey considered this for a long moment, and another long sip of the tea. "We have a surfeit of choices here in Amber." Ingrey finally said. "The most advantageous candidate would be someone with whom Mandor has no strings. Someone whom we can influence, ourselves, for our own benefit, and for the benefit of the Emperor. A good daughter of Chaos." Ingrey's eyes gleamed. "Amba of House Heldt, for instance. Or, if we could have a stronger hand in molding her than Mandor does, the candidate that he had me investigate, Tasha Minobee." "If not one of those, there are a few other ladies of quality that might suit. But I don't think the Emperor would appreciate us advancing a candidate such as your second cousin, Charlene, lovely as she might be, or say, Lady Kitara Wererathe from my own House. On the other hand, I do understand the Duke Uther Helgram, is looking for a political marriage, and he does have a niece of quality in his branch of the family." Ingrey smiled slightly. Paloma's eyebrows lifted. "And is the Duke particularly displeased with this niece?" she asked. "You propose to breed her with a half-breed wastrel, whose kingdom her uncle wishes to destroy? Or is your idea that she should use the King's ... vulnerabilities ... to destroy him from within?" "I think we can play a number of gambits and select which one works best." Ingrey replied, offering just a trace of a smile. "Consider. We need to play this game." "We absolutely don't want is a creature of Mandor's, either a simpering fool who Mandor can influence, or his daughter which he can manipulate just as well as Merlin. It would not be in our interest, or in our masters interest. Or the Duke's interest for that matter." "We need to advance candidates than can do one of a number of outcomes which are favorable to us." Ingrey continued. "What I think we want, and correct me if I calculate wrongly, your Excellency, is that we want a strong Queen...but one that owes her power, allegiances and lines of control to Chaos. To us." Ingrey said. "Whether she merely elbows out Mandor in influencing Merlin, or destroys Merlin via her vulnerabilities and supplants him in the fullness of time as ruler will depend on who Merlin hooks." Ingrey explained. Ingrey took a look sip of the tea, a bite of his cold breakfast, and regarded his mentor for her response. "And you makes you think a niece of the Duke's would make this strong Queen?" Paloma asked. "And if she does - won't she be more concerned with her House than with Chaos?" "That is an excellent counterargument against her, your Excellency." Ingrey conceded after a moment's weighed thought. Chastened a little, he took another sip of his tea, brightened, and then looked up to her. "I think I've given enough of my suggestions. Who do you think we might back?" Ingrey asked. "Surely there is a candidate or two that is staring me at the face that I'm missing." "You could say that," agreed Paloma, smiling. Her smile became a little coquettish. "Is the real candidate so very hard to discern, Ingrey?" Ingrey had the good grace to blush slightly and he looked down at his dragon tea. "My apologies, Maîtresse." he said, using the Baccaran title and rank she was entitled to use, although rarely ever did. In point of fact, Ingrey wondered how many outside Baccaran understood their system of peerage. "I had...thought that your ambitions were to supplant Haut Maître Tarquin as House Head. I...didn't see the obvious. Larissa Rohl would cluck her tongue at me, if she knew of my blindness." Ingrey regarded Paloma and then smiled and nodded. "The Prime Minister would find himself with more...free time with an Empress like you managing Merlin." His tone of voice made it clear that he thought this no bad thing. "Ample free time," agreed Paloma. "And yet I have the strangest notion that he will not welcome me as a sister-in-law with open arms. Chaos believes stealth is the best way. And even you, Ingrey, have not realised the full strategy. I take that as a compliment. Ingrey gave a graze of the head in respect to his mentor and superior. "However, if Mandor is actively entertaining candidates, the matter becomes a little more pressing." "It makes it more clear that Mandor was planning the incident on the docks for a long while. He's playing chess, and has a strategy several moves in advance." Ingrey replied. "But now, with Johann neutralized, he will continue to advance his timeline. And so, you must advance yours." Ingrey gave a graze of his head. "Ours." Paloma smiled. "And do you have any thoughts on how this might be accomplished?" "Not yet." Ingrey admitted. "While I do think on my feet, I admit that planning your union with Merlin is something that will take more than a moment to come up with a reasonable plan. In truth." Ingrey took a sip of tea. "I've only negotiated a couple of bride prices in my career. Selling you as a bride for Merlin is a somewhat different task." "I suppose, though." Ingrey added. "it would depend highly on how you would want to be presented to Merlin. I don't mean the purely political aspects." Ingrey continued. "but I mean, how you show yourself to him." He chuckled in amusement. "Do not take it offensively, Paloma, but I almost think that you should visit the Ramblin' Queen, to see how the women there attract men in so many different ways." Paloma stiffened slightly. "I was thinking more of persuading Mandor that this would be a useful marriage politically. I see no need to 'present' myself to Merlin. If we are successful, then I will spawn with Merlin, but I see no need whatsoever to indulge in these revolting displays that the denizens of Order seem to find necessary to accompany the act of procreation." "I didn't mean to work you up." Ingrey replied with a dry smile as soon as he saw Paloma rise to the bait. "But I did want to see your reaction if I seriously proposed that you try and *seduce* Merlin in an Amberian manner, or at least attract his eye with Order breeding rituals. My apologies, your Excellency, I couldn't resist. After all, you don't share my own proclivities." Paloma acknowledged this with a slight inclination of her head. "No, you're right." Ingrey added after a moment " The obvious thing to do is present you to Mandor as the obvious political choice. And the Duke's arrival makes that perfect." He looked at her with gleaming eyes. "Do you see it, Paloma? Mandor is going to be unnerved, perhaps inside, when he learns that Duke Helgram is here. He'll read it as a threat to his set up, as well as he should." "You can propose yourself as a candidate for marriage that will assuage the Emperor. As much as he'd pretend that he can't, Mandor can't ignore the Emperor, especially with the Emperor's Hound, the Duke, here Breeding Merlin to his daughter won't help for that. Mating him to *you* would be safer, politically, for Merlin, and, therefore, safer for him." "The Duke's arrival may just be the key to you one day soon being addressed as your Majesty, rather than your Excellency." Ingrey finished, and then drained his cup of dragon tea. "That is what I shall work for," agreed Paloma. "But I feel our position would be stronger if we had an ally in the King's camp, as it were." "Indeed." Ingrey replied with a nod. "We need someone who doesn't work here to whisper and keep the idea alive and growing." "We can safely eliminate Larissa from that list to start." Ingrey began. "I respect her, but she would not want a perpetuation of Chaos influence that you as Queen would represent. Vikund is a spider whose loyalties are murky. Flora's child may be useful but he is not very seasoned. Clytemnestra, now, might see the advantages of an early alliance. Morgan is a pleasure seeking sort, but I'd think he'd feel much as Larissa would." Ingrey then stopped speaking and regarded Paloma, awaiting her own analysis. "Clytemnestra is the one I would choose as well," agreed Paloma. "How well do you know her, my Counselor?" "Clytemnestra is a golden-haired, golden-skinned Hellenic goddess, and she knows it." Ingrey replied. "She's a true protégé of Florimel in terms of Amber's Court." "This is to say." Ingrey added, taking a tone of sincere regret mixed with a stratum of shame and failure. "that we have not interacted enough, in a guraded or ungauarded manner, for me to judge or know her well." Ingrey bowed his head slightly in the manner of admission and submission of failing to live up to expectations. "I rather suspect," said Paloma thoughtfully, "that is that is as much as you know of Clytemnestra, that is because she intends it so. But you must cultivate her, Ingrey! She could be useful and ... with her twin arriving ... she may feel in need of allies." "Indeed." Ingrey said after a moment. "I only had a short time with her twin, but certainly, her experience and upbringing has made her a very different person than the person who shares her basic form." Ingrey agreed. "You are right, of course, your Excellency, with all of the tumult, the need for allies and connections will be palpable in order to survive, manage and even prosper from such changes." "After all, is that not what we are doing ourselves?" Ingrey added. "Indeed," said Paloma. "I don't think Mandor's estranged daughter need be our only option ... but it is a possible starting point. It may require some sacrifice on your part, however. Or greatly increased discretion at the very least." "Sacrifice on my part?" Ingrey asked, his eyebrows furrowed. "Discretion?" He poured the last bit of tea from the pot into his cup and sipped it as he regarded Paloma for her response. "I am not entirely certain what you mean, although I have suspicions. Although it is somewhat gauche, please elaborate." Ingrey added. Paloma smiled. "If you are seeking to be on good terms with that perfect pattern of propriety, Clytemnestra Mandorsdottir, then you will need to find a rather more circumspect partner for your chess games." Ingrey nodded thoughtfully at Paloma's point. "I should spend a little time in the Library today, and learn some more of the rules of etiquette and propriety that she lives and breathes. Fortunately, I know enough to know *what* to learn--language of flowers, conventions of correspondence and so forth." "And" Ingrey added "as you said, find a chess partner anew, at least for the time being." "Good," said Paloma. "Then we are in agreement? For I think you should make your farewells to the little chess player as soon as possible." "We are in agreement, Your Excellency." Ingrey replied, fighting down a turmoil of emotions at the thought of being cut off from his Favorite. "I will endeavor to arrange an exit interview with her and Petra Benedictsdottir as soon as it is mutually convenient." he continued. "The fact that I've *been* there can't be helped, but my future conduct will be such as to be on better terms with Clytemnestra's sensibilities." "We shall see," said Paloma. "You might find Clytemnestra's sensibilities are more accommodating for a Chaosian." "We shall, your Excellency. I suppose, if there is nothing else, I should be about my duties. I should remove any outstanding matters if I am to handle the new things we have to contend with, such as more frequent visitors to Amber's Court on behalf of your entreaty, and the forthcoming visit to Rebma with Lord Helgram." Ingrey rose and bowed solemnly to Paloma, and then added a smile before departing her office.
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