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"The harbour authorities are seeing to the ships," said Yelaski. "Who are putting out to sea with just about as much goodwill as you'd expect, but with slightly more alacrity. We're monitoring that through telescopes in the Observatory Tower. We've pulled out of the Boneyard - there's rioting and looting going on there, but it's pretty much contained. Reek Bottom is ablaze but ..." He shrugged. "It'll probably be an improvement. The trouble is worst in Five Corners - the mob there ... they seem to have some idea that the Prime Minister is sick, or dead - that's the rumour that's going round. And that it was the Baronness Helgram who so informed the Revolution, whoever they may be - that she was calling for Rebellion. The mob ... ah ... see her as a heroine, it appears.

"But there's worse. Rumours are running ... spreading like wildfire. We've had reports of spontaneous riots and looting in Broken Smile, the Rookery and even Kemspter Street. That can be contained with force, and I've sent detachments there. But we're running low on men. And we're also getting reports of thefts - burglaries. We've had messages from Clifftop, High Garden and Silver Dance. It looks like the criminal faction are taking advantage - or were tipped off in advance."

He shot a level look at Morgan. "I'd have expected to see the Prime Minister here, Cap'n."

"Nothing spontaneous about this," Morgan said with a shake of his head. "I don't know whether it's all a single attack, or whether a couple of different plans have been put into motion at the same time, one to take advantage of the confusion caused by the other. But this was all well set out." He frowned thoughtfully. "Hmm. Might even be that the rioting was supposed to have been triggered during the attack on the Prime Minister this morning, that would make Johnny-boy's attack a little less stupid, if he thought all this was going to happen. But his traitorous partner in crime didn't send out the word for the uprising." He shrugged. "Whatever the reasons, there's a sorcerous component going on at the same time."

He glanced back at Merlin, then turnd to Yelsaki again. "Tell the men that the Prime Minister is in seclusion, handling the sorcerous defense of the city. He's trusting to us to hold the material city while he's unable to aid us in its defense."

Yelaski nodded, clearly relieved at this news. "That should stiffen the sinews," he said. "No-one better than the Prime Minister when that sort of thing gets going ...

"What should I do about these reports of burglaries, Cap'n? And Five Corners?"

"Nothing to be done about them right now. They'll just distract us from the main business of keeping the city in one piece. Once this is all over it will be time to do some major head-thumping of the crime lords in Amber. It will be interesting to see what we can find out from them about who tipped them off." Morgan frowned thoughtfully. "As to Five Corners, and the rest of the city, that's a hard one." He paused for a moment, then said, "We'd be much better off defending the castle against a mob than trying to hunt them down through the streets, wouldn't we? If we pulled back most of our men to the castle, and managed to lure a majority of the rioters into attacking us, that would be better for us? Right?"

"Up to a point," said Yelaski. "But that might also give the Chaosian forces an excuse to become involved. Do we want that?"

"As though we could control what they do," Morgan answered flippantly. He drummed his fingers on his thigh for a moment, thinking.

"Chaosian troops in the streets will just fan the flames, but it will also give the mob something to distract them. And it will certainly muddy things. Right now, that may play to our advantage. At the least, more confusion will mean that our enemies might become as confused about what's going on as we are." He nodded, coming to a decision. "Right, then. Start pulling our men back. Once we've got enough to defend ourselves, you can start spreading the word among our men, loudly and without any attempt to keep it from the mob, that we have the Baroness under arrest at the castle. That should attract them."

"Right," said Yelaski. Then he hesitated. "And ... ah ... do we? Or is she assisting Lord Mandor?"

Morgan grinned at him. "She is here in the castle," he said. "That much is true. The poor girl took refuge with us from the mob. She was completely taken by surprise by all this. Whoever is using her name didn't bother clearing it with her first. Which raises more interesting questions. There's a lot of misdirection going on, and while I can appreciate it aesthetically, it makes me wonder just what they're trying to achieve with all this baroque styling." He shrugged. "Interesting times are good times," he said.

"Indeed," said Yelaski. "Very well, Cap'n - I'll see your orders carried out."

He saluted and headed off.

Morgan raised a hand lazily to his brow and waggled his fingers in answer to the salute, and watched the man leave. Then, with a smile, he turned back to the room. He paused for a moment, considering, and then headed for the ambassador and the Chaosian cousin.

Before he could enter the throne room, however, he saw a small, determined group of people approaching, with an escort of guards: Islain, Goran and Lady Tasha.

"Ith!" Morgan called out. "Darling, we've been looking everywhere for you! You're missing all the excitement." His long stride carried him over to the new arrivals. He winked at Tasha, and nodded to Goran.

"Oh," murmured Islain, "I think I managed to find ... excitement. I usually do, you know."

Tasha felt an unfamiliar blush rise to her cheeks at the wink, and gave him a smile in return, glad to see a familiar, and what she deemed to be a friendly, face.

Goran returned the nod politely. "Captain Morgan," he greeted the familiar face. "Did the Baroness make it through to the King safely? The contact was cut off."

"Yes! Did Tear make it to the castle?" Tasha's attention was riveted on Morgan, as she waited for the answer.

"She made it just fine," Morgan assured them. "Bit of a surprise about what had been done to her pet, though. Black sorcery is always a bit of a shock, you know, when one isn't expecting it. She's off having a heart to heart with Auntie Flo right now."

Islain raised a finely arched eyebrow, but said nothing.

"Black sorcery?! Man, this gets better and better," Goran grumbled with a grave shake of his head. Recovering his sense of duty, he straightened and said to Morgan, "Captain, there are things that happened on the Queen and elsewhere tonight that I think ought to be reported to his Majesty. Is he available?"

"Let's see, shall we?" Morgan answered. "Come on." He turned and led them past the guards at the door to the throne room.

"No Merlin, yet," he said, looking around the room. "He's talking to a doctor right now about the latest advances in hangover rememdy technology. Should be back soon. That elegant bit with the 'Do me, damn you!' expression on her face is the Chaosian ambassador. The fellow with her is my beloved cousin from Chaos, who I just met for the first time tonight. Let's talk to them, shall we, while we wait for Merl?"

Tasha followed along, looking around the throne room before catching sight of the individuals Morgan had introduced with such colorful language. She tried to hide the giggle as she surreptitiously glanced toward the ambassadress to see what expression she had on her face that elicited such a comment. She recognized the ambassadress from dinner earlier but the other individual was unknown to her.

He was a slight man, rather casually dressed, with a satchel over his shoulder and an elaborately carved walking stick. As they entered he looked toward them alertly, at the same time slipping some object into his breast pocket.

(Exuent, center stage, to In the Castle)