CollectingTheAmbassadorIndex | Time Under Chaos | Game Logs | Collecting the Ambassador (Continued from Meeting in the Throne Room)
Then [Morgan] instructed one of the captains standing just inside, "I assume by now the whole castle is on full alert, right? Right. Knew I could count on you." He looked over the guards, and quickly picked four of them out. "You're with me," he said. "We're off to bring the honoured and distinguished Chaosian Ambassador up to meet with the king. What's she wearing, anyway? Something slinky?" He started down the hallway, and grinned at the guards accompanying him. "Are we all having fun?" he asked them. "I'm having fun. Are you having fun? Good. Let's all have fun, shall we?" The guards grinned back, some of them (a couple wore their well-trained poker faces), but all set off to follow him at the same brisk pace. They were nearly at the main castle entry when they encountered two guards coming the other way. "Rioting in the city, Cap'n," said one, a Captain Boris Yelaski who knew Morgan better than most of the guards, and had even joined Morgan and the King on a couple of dubious exploits. "Reports from Five Corners of a big mob - and there's agitators stirring things up on the docks, and in Reek Bottom and the Boneyard. We've sent a detachment to Boneyard - what do you want us to do about the rest? We'll be stretched pretty thin covering it all." "And stretching us even thinner is just what they want," Morgan answered grimly. "This is no coincidence, and it isn't any spontaneous uprising. It's coordinated, and designed to pull us out and overwhelm us." He closed his eyes for a moment, visualizing a map of Amber. "Forget Reek Bottom," he said. "They'll be doing us a favor if they burn it down. Pull back out of the Boneyard. Let them run riot in there if they want. Concentrate on channeling and containing the rioters, not shutting them down. No small detachments of men, they'll be targets, keep groups large. Send orders to get ships off the docks and away into the harbour, or even outside it. Focus on firefighting and protecting firefighters, and getting civilians to safety. And watch out for anything really unusual, and report it back to me as soon as you can." Yelaski nodded, his face grim. "I'll see it done. And what of the Chaosians? At the barracks? They're bound to see it." "Send a runner to them. Tell them that there's rioting, and we're investigation the causes. Suggest that their presence in the city would only inflame things, and that they're best off just defending the Scar. They'll do whatever they want, of course, but we've at least made an effort. They've got other things to worry about, anyway." Morgan looked at the guards around him for a moment, then made a snap decision. "This will be spreading as rumor soon enough, so I'll let you know now. Try not to tell everyone you meet though, all right? General Hendrake is dead, killed by forces unknown." He grinned. "The night just keeps getting better and better, doesn't it? I owe you all a beer if we survive." "We'll all be needing more than one, I think," said Yelaski grimly. "Anything else? If not, I've got an ambassador to play with." Yelaski shook his head. "That should cover everything, Sir," he said, and then, with the other man, he hurried away. There seemed to be two Chaosians even closer at hand - Morgan was now within view of Paloma, who was clearly just finishing a trump conversation; a strange Chaosian stood by her side, gazing out over the city and talking to one of the guards. He was a slight man with a satchel over his shoulder and an elaborately carved walking stick. (Claudio and Paloma join from To the Castle)
As Morgan approached, he heard the Chaosian say, sounding a little confused, "Baroness? Girl? No, I'm ... thinking of someone else entirely." "Captain Morgan," said Paloma stiffly, greeting him and giving Claudio warning of his approach. "I understand you have had a Chaosian arrested." When Paloma spoke, Claudio turned around to look at Morgan, then stepped away from the guard, moving to the Ambassador's side. His gait was limping, uneven, but without the hesitancy of a recent injury. "Ambassador!" Morgan exclaimed cheerfully. "You're looking as ravishingly elegant as always. It was so good of you to arrive so quickly, I'm sure you know the king wouldn't summon you without good cause." He looked curiously at her companion. "I don't believe I know your aide, someone new at the embassy? Would it be rude of me to say I hope his name isn't Helgram?" Though Claudio did not presume to speak before the Ambassador, something about his eyes and the corners of his mouth hinted that he would not be insulted by this assumption. "This is Mr Claudio Barimen," said Paloma. "And he is here in Amber on a private visit. Mr Barimen, this is Captain Morgan Deirdreson. You may have already heard something about him." "Oh, here and there," Claudio responded, meanwhile watching Morgan to see if there would be any reaction to the Barimen name. "A pleasure, Captain." Morgan smiled even wider when he heard Claudio's name, apparently with genuine pleasure. He winked at Claudio, and nodded a greeting. An answering smile lifted one corner of Claudio's mouth as the Ambassador spoke again. "And Captain Morgan, I am not here at the King's summons. I am here because I am concerned about the arrest of a Chaosian citizen, Dr Corrino, a closely connected member of the Emperor's own House." "Ah, well, Ambassador, no doubt you and the summons crossed. What with Chaosian dukes assaulting our beloved astronomical cycles, someone smashing General Hendrake into Chaosian jam, and some rather bothersome rioting going on in the city. Not to mention that I was supposed to be playing poker with a few of the officers of the castle guard tonight, and the game has been delayed. Most vexing, I assure you." Morgan offered her an arm. "Shall we attend upon the king, then? The good doctor is lending his expertise to the throne, but I'm sure he'll want to take the time to assure you that he's all right. And I'm just as sure the king will want to talk to you about the Duke's choice of hobbies." "Claude, you're welcome to come along as well. Meeting distant relatives is Merle's greatest joy and pleasure." Paloma hesitated, and then nodded at Claudio to suggest he accompanied them. "Thank you, I will," said Claudio, moving to follow them. "I enjoy meeting distant relatives as well, though at the moment I'm primarily concerned about Doctor Corrino. He's a friend of mine." "Wonderful!" Morgan exclaimed. "Then he'll no doubt be delighted to see you. Off we go!" He set a quick walking pace back towards the throne room, talking as they walked. "You know, Ambassador, I'd never criticize you or question the policies of your embassy, but right now the question of what exactly the Dark Duke of Darkiness was about, and who was or was not supporting his actions, is a hot topic of conversation among the best minds of Amber's royal family." Paloma smiled thinly. "I think we should regard the Duke's endeavours as something in the way of an experiment, Cap'n, and, like all good scientists, he will be reporting on his results in his own time." They were by now well within the castle and approaching the throne room. Though taxed a bit to keep up with the pace Morgan set, Claudio took the opportunity to look around him as they walked. He'd never seen the interior of Castle Amber before, and it intrigued him. He thought it would probably be best for him to keep his private opinion of the Dark Duke to himself ... at least for the moment. "Scientist, huh?" Morgan said. "I suppose the question then is whether he's the slow and careful examine your results and form a hypothesis before undertaking another experiment kind of scientist, or the Muahahahahaha, I'll show them all kind of scientist." Paloma smiled frigidly, as though someone had just made a singularly rude noise during a sacred ceremony. "It is a question that I'm sure you'll find answered soon enough." Morgan chuckled. He got that reaction a lot. Claudio bit his lip. He wasn't sure he wanted to know the answer to that one. They were walking into the Throne Room now, the guards having stepped smartly aside when Morgan entered. Merlin, tall, dark-haired and somewhat louche in appearance, had seated himself on the throne and, as they were entering, spoke aloud. "Take care - both of you. And bring Helena back safely." Claudio looked up sharply. Helena? No, it couldn't be... A pause - and then Merlin was looking at them, his eyes focusing. "Ambassadress," he began, and then suddenly he frowned. "Excuse me one moment ... " His eyes lost their focus again ... "Yes?" he said irritably. Delluth and Flora were sitting together in an alcove. Delluth seemed similarly engaged to Merlin, but Flora rose to her feet. Claudio's gaze and attention were attracted by the movement, and he was relieved to see that Delluth was present (if preoccupied). At least the doctor wasn't in the dungeon. "Ambassadress," Flora said smoothly. "How good of you to join us. "Shall I request refreshments for you or your companion?" "I'll take brandy, Auntie," Morgan said. "You'll find a decanter of Armagnac in the cabinet behind the throne," said Flora. "Right next to the absinthe. As usual." Paloma shook her head. She stared at Merlin for a second, and then focused her attention on Delluth. "Why has the Doctor been brought here?" "Actually," said Flora, "as he was on his way here anyway, you might regard it more as an escort provided by his solicitous Majesty King Merlin in these troubled times." Claudio looked over in Delluth's direction to see if he seemed to agree with this assessment. Behind Flora, Delluth nodded respectfully to whoever he was talking to; then he fiddled with the card he held for a moment, frowning worriedly, before looking up. He was startled to espy Claudio, but stood and spoke calmly to Paloma. "Greetings, your Excellency." (Delluth and Flora were previously in Doctors in Consultation)
"You want any brandy, Claude?" Morgan asked. "It's the good stuff. What about you, Doc, want a shot?" The doctor gave him a benign glance. "A double, if you would," he said, putting his trumps away in a pocket. "Thank you, Captain, but I don't think I'd better," said Claudio. On an empty stomach it probably wasn't advisable ... at least, not till he had a better idea of what was going on. "One double for the Doc, coming up," Morgan said. "And one for an overworked captain, as well, I think." He started towards the throne. Claudio moved toward Delluth and asked in a lower voice, "Are you all right, Doctor?" Merlin, seated on his throne, was frowning as he suddenly extended a hand. "Doctor Corrino," said Paloma, "I have received two conflicting reports about your presence here. One informed me that you have been brought here under arrest. The other states that you are here willingly, and remain here willingly for reasons of your own. I am concerned, as you would expect, about the well-being of one who stands so close to the Emperor, and would welcome the truth from your own lips." Flora, meanwhile, had glided to a position rather closer to Merlin. She was watching Morgan. "And I appreciate your concern, Ambassador," Delluth said. "And yours, Claudio. But it's quite true that I came back here of my own will. As to the other, it seems his Majesty decided he wanted to speak to me about what happened on the Queen, and someone interpreted this notion as 'arrest.' Most unfortunate." He frowned in dismay. "In fact, upsetting - it must be all over the Upper City by now?" He looked at Claudio, thinking he had finally grasped why the younger man was here. "Let's say it hasn't passed unnoticed," Claudio replied. "When the Castle guard and the City Watch both descend on the University, and no one bothers to make clear to them the difference between escort duty and putting someone under arrest -- a fine distinction sometimes, I admit -- it doesn't take long for word to get about. Of course, I happened to be in the late night café where a few of the soldiers stopped for a drink. That helped. But I wasn't alone, either," he warned. "Probably after they didn't find me at home," the doctor muttered. "Bother!" He glanced apologetically at the Ambassador, and turned back to his friend. "Listen, Claudio, I'm most likely going back to the Courts from here - not for long, I should think, but could I impose on you to visit my flat and reassure my landlady that I haven't been arrested and do expect to be back?" "I can do that, certainly," Claudio replied, "though I can't say exactly when. The city was beginning to look ... restive, just now," he explained. Morgan continued his leisurely trip towards the throne, and presumably the brandy stashed behind it. Claudio's attention was also drawn toward the throne, and the King, as he sensed the Trump aura around him shifting and intensifying. Merlin, almost impatiently, gave a jerk and pulled someone forward into the room ... Solitaire, Baronness Helgram. Clutching her hand was a woman in the dress of a Ranger whose gaze was wholly on Solitaire. (Arriving from Stepping Back In)
Merlin, obviously surprised, spoke aloud, to someone unseen. "Goran - I said you, Tear and Islain - not half the lower cit ... " Then he sprang to his feet, staring at Sparrow. His face was suddenly ashen. He turned on Solitaire, and his face was suddenly rigid with an anger none of them had ever seen before. "Who the hell taught you a dark binding? Because I know dam' well it wasn't my brother." Claudio stared at the two young women, appalled. "That doesn't look like a demon to me," he muttered to Delluth. Solitaire, still disoriented from her trip through the gate, flinched at Merlin's abrupt and unexpected anger. "Sire?" She recovered her wits quickly and began formulating a defense spell, should it be needed. Although she recognized the faces of most of those present, she could not be certain they were her friends. King or no, this man was still Mandor's brother and not to be trusted. She drew back as he descended upon her and Sparrow, preparing to be attacked. Then he pushed past Solitaire to Sparrow. She shrank away from him whimpering, but he took her face between his two hands almost gently, gazing into her eyes. Her whimpers faded. "Sleep," he said gently. "Sleep now. Sleep." And with a little sigh, she sank down to the ground. And Morgan was suddenly there, standing just behind Sparrow as she sank away from Merlin, watching Solitaire. There was a friendly smile on his lips, but his eyes were half closed and his fingers were curved up inside his loose sleeves. Solitaire gave a wan smile in return, but had enough sense not to interfere. "A dark binding? Is that what he did to Sparrow?" The words caught on her tongue, a tangle of worry and unrestrained curiosity. Delluth took a step toward the group, then stopped. He looked from the unconscious stranger to Tear with an expression of horrified revulsion. But his voice was under better control: it was the same voice that had talked the girl through any number of problems, deep and strong and calm. "Explain, Solitaire," he said. "The Duke touched her, sir. One moment she was frightened and the next." She shook her head, closing her eyes against the image. "She's been acting oddly ever since. He said something about assuring her loyalty to me. Will she be okay?" The last question was addressed to no one in particular. "No, Tear," Delluth said sadly, perceiving her incomprehension. "No, she won't be." "She's your devoted slave now," said Merlin, biting the words out. "Suffering hells of torment every time you're out of her sight. Every cold look, every indifferent word ... that will be like driving a dagger in her guts. And every time you smile at her, she'll be in such heaven that it will kill you with remorse because you can't be like that all the time ... " He turned away - only Morgan could see his face. "She's a mortal. It can never be undone. It would be kindest to kill her now." "NO!" Solitaire yelled, falling to her knees beside Sparrow. She pushed the men away from the woman, forcibly if need be. "Don't you dare hurt her. She's my friend. She'll be fine. I know she will. You just stay away from her." "Tear," Delluth began, but she was plainly not paying attention. She cradled Sparrow's head in her lap, tenderly brushing the unconscious woman's hair with her fingers. "Nothing is impossible." Although she spoke to those assembled, it sounded more as if she were trying to convince herself. "You'll be okay, Sparrow," she said in a half whisper, kissing Sparrow's brow. "I promised Prince Julian I'd protect you. So, you'll get better. I'll make you better." Delluth had closed most of the distance between them, but hesitated, visibly astonished, at her mention of Prince Julian. He glanced at Morgan and Merlin, then dismissed the matter with a slight shake of his head, as not being his problem. Morgan stepped back a little, making room for Delluth. "Tear," he said again, but more firmly, and dropped onto one knee beside her. "You can't fix it right now. It's a matter of Logrus Sorcery. You'll have to arrange for her to be kept unconscious and healthy while you work out how to undo it. "Right now, I think you're going to have to answer some questions. And - I can't stay here to help you with any of it." "My name is Solitaire," she whispered, still focused on soothing Sparrow's sleeping brow with the back of her hand. Her violet eyes met Delluth's gaze, narrow. "Please don't use that other name, Professor. It's for someone that never existed." He looked startled, then worried, but did not argue. She gave a resolute nod and then noticed the other man in the room. He was a slight young man, with wavy light brown hair and intent grey eyes set in a thin face. His clothes were of Chaosian cut, and vaguely bohemian. He had a satchel slung over his shoulder and carried a walking stick carved in the shape of an ibis. When he moved, his limp was noticeable. Claudio had followed Delluth toward Tear and the unconscious Sparrow, but more slowly, and paused a little distance away, his somber gaze searching the faces of the doctor and his pupil. Did Delluth truly believe that the young woman might be able to undo a dark binding, or was he just trying to soften the blow? Nothing Claudio had ever heard suggested that it was possible to unwind the spell from a mortal spirit ... but then, he wasn't a Logrus initiate. Solitaire provided Claudio a half-smile before returning her gaze to Delluth, "Then we should find her somewhere comfortable to sleep. So I can begin my work. If it's a binding. Then it can be unwound. No matter how powerful my uncle is." "In theory," he agreed, getting to his feet. "In practice ..." He shrugged, looking less than confident about the outcome. Her eyes glanced between the men, "So ask your questions. That's why you brought me here right?" Her back stiffened. "Wait. Where are the others?! You didn't leave them there did you?" Delluth had already turned away; he glanced back at this, but it was only a glance. "I brought you here," said Merlin, without turning, "because I was asked to ... for your safety." He turned then and faced her. "Then - I had no questions. Now ... only one." He began to move then, walking slowly towards her. Morgan watched the interplay between the two of them with a lazy interest. "What's been done to Sparrow ... what your Uncle did. It appals you, doesn't it? It shocks you, and makes you feel sick that someone could do that to another creature." He was still now, some five yards from her, watching her. "Yes it fascinates you too, doesn't it? You want to understand it, you want to know how it's done." His voice was lower now, almost a caress. "You want that power too, don't you, Solitaire?" Solitaire stiffened at the question, unable to meet his eyes. "I need to. Know," she said, with a weak nod. She could not hide her desire. Not from the King. Not from herself. She bent over and gently kissed Sparrow's brow, tears staining her cheeks. "I'm so sorry, Sparrow." Merlin's tone and words had recaptured Delluth's attention. He watched and listened, his face increasingly unreadable, until he was staring almost blankly at Solitaire and the king. Claudio was looking at the two of them as well, consideringly. He could in a manner comprehend Solitaire's desire, at least the drive to know, to understand. But he couldn't help thinking that the king understood it even better. And Duke Helgram? What did he understand? Merlin turned away in disgust. "Get her out of my sight," he said, and the harsh, clipped note in his voice was a sharp contrast with the tone he had used on Solitaire. Then, once more, the voice was gentler. "See that the Ranger is given every comfort she needs." He had not specified anyone to act, but perhaps he had known that Flora would step forward, signalling two guards to come and carry the unconscious Sparrow. And so they left in a sad little procession, Flora first, followed by the guards bearing Sparrow, and then Solitaire. (Tear exits to Et Tristis Animi Leuare Curas)
Morgan watched them go, then turned and stepped closer to Merlin. Delluth stood watching them go. As the shocking feeling quickly wore off, he managed to identify it: Disillusionment. How long had he known, but refused to admit, that his 'dear child' was - like that? That her childish lack of, of restraint might be a permanent condition, not something she would outgrow? Merlin turned to Morgan. "We need to get Islain back. She's with Goran - I don't have trumps for either of them. Nor enough knowledge of them to make reliable trumps swiftly." Morgan frowned thoughtfully, but didn't respond immediately. Claudio recognized Goran's name from meeting him earlier aboard the Queen, but wasn't sure where he'd be now. Merlin scanned the room - and his eye alighted on Delluth. "And ... we still need to talk, Doctor. Privately." "What?" he said vaguely, then blinked and pulled himself together. "Yes, of course, your Majesty." (Continued in In the Castle)
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