ProcessingToDinnerAmbaIngreyIndex | Time Under Chaos | Game Logs | Processing to Dinner Introduction | Processing to Dinner Amba Ingrey Processing to Dinner Amba IngreyThe gong sounded again ... Merlin stepped forward, bowed low, and offered his arm to his aunt. She took it with a smile that could have cut steel, and they turned to process together out of the Star Chamber, along the Rose Corridor and into the State Dining Room (not as large as the Sate Banqueting Hall, but capable of holding up to fifty if needed). The Rose Corridor was a long corridor, empty of any people, and lined with windows on one side. The darkness made it impossible to see what it overlooked, but the entire passage, ceiling, wall and floor, were painted with elaborate representation of roses - golden, red, pink, white - which climbed and twisted their way over all the surfaces, vivid in the light of the candelabra that had been placed on the small tables stretching the length of the corridor. Ingrey's eyes flickered about as the rules of precedence began sorting themselves out. He had invited to enough Amber dinners to know how these matters usually sorted themselves out. He watched as pairs started forming, and he began to mentally count. As he did, his mind cast back to the mental contact he had had with Tear before dinner, and how she said she was doing something dangerous. And she had thought HE was in more danger. Not that wasn't true, here in the heart of Amber. And now she had disappeared again. He shook his mind free of the thoughts and his eyes briefly alighted on the Begman Ambassadress. He had escorted her, once. He could well believe rumors that she was a former mistress of Prince Bleys in her younger days. Ingrey briefly wondered if he was going to wind up escorting his own superior, but then realized that the order of precedence was going to pair him with someone familiar. Ingrey walked over to Amba, and bowed low. "Its a pleasure to see you again, Lady Amba." Ingrey said in greeting once he completed the bow. Amba smiled at the familiar face. "Likewise," she returned, inclining her head in his direction. "And I see that your fortune has risen as I knew it must," she added. "You flatter me." Ingrey said with a smile. "That, or perhaps your skills at appraisal, given the short amount of time we've spent in each other's presence, are greater than I anticipated." He paused and then added. "Not long after our meeting, upon my return to Amber in fact, I did receive a promotion to my current rank." Her eyes flickered over his shoulder to see who approached Helena before she gave the ambassador her full attention once again. "How are you this eve?" Ingrey waited a beat to turn his head to see who Amba's attention was on before turning his attention firmly upon Amba. He gave a nod. "Despite some events which marred the morning, I am surprisingly well." Ingrey replied. "Your arrival, good lady, is at a propitious time. In addition." Ingrey continued "I had no idea that you were well acquainted with Helena Barimen-Ishtar, and Tasha Minobee as well." Ingrey offered Amba his arm. "But, come, shall we join the procession and converse on the way to Table? There is no guarantee, you see, that we will be seated next to each other for dinner and able to talk." Amba placed her arm lightly on his as they joined the procession. "Helena was one of the first people I met when I made my way to Chaos," Amba said. "So I've known her for quite a while," she added, her gaze drawn forward to where Helena was. Ingrey nodded but did not interrupt. He remarked the gaze. "The man who is escorting Helena, if you have not been introduced to him yet, is Vikund Randomsson. Vikund Anansi, as he prefers to be called." Ingrey said casually. "As for Tasha," Amba continued, looking back at the ambassador, "I just recently made her acquaintance, along with someone that you were speaking to earlier- Baroness Solitaire Helgram?" "As far as the Baroness, she prefers to be called Tear" Ingrey responded. "I've known Tear for a little while now. Like many expatriates, she does come to the Embassy for advice, aid, and social reasons." Ingrey paused and then bowed his head. "Not to engage in too pressing a self-promotion, but I hope that if you, Helena and Tasha will be staying for a while, that you will find yourself comfortable in coming to the Embassy yourselves." "Clearly, you would not likely know in Tasha's case..." Ingrey said "Still, I am curious as to how long will Amber be graced by the presence of yourself and your boon companion?" he asked. "That, I don't know presently," Amba responded frankly. "I'm just along as Helena's companion," she added with a barely perceptible shrug. Then segueing back to her original question, she said, "Expatriate, you say? I was under the impression that the Baroness was from Amber." "I use the term expatriate as the best and least offensive word for all of the Chaosians who inhabit Amber." Ingrey replied. "Certainly, some of Chaosian blood, like the Baroness herself, were and have been born here, in the ninety five years of Merlin's reign. Still, especially given that she has a Chaosian title, her relatives in Chaos, and many others besides, would consider her a Chaosian who just happens to be living, here, rather than back in the Courts." "And, in addition, many in the City not of Chaosian blood would not recognize her as a native of the city, because of that selfsame heritage." Ingrey finished. "How... curious," Amba replied. "Do Chaosians in the city experience any prejudice because of their origins?" "I would not use the word prejudice." Ingrey replied. "Resentment would probably be a better word to employ. Chaosians are seen as occupiers, interlopers, and oppressors by a large segment of the population." he explained. "We have inserted ourselves, mostly, as a stratum above most of the rest of the population and seen in those terms." "Oh, many in Amber keep their heads down, and consider one ruler as good as another, even if that ruler might be alien to their nature. Others deal with us as a matter of fact, or as an avenue to their own power, wealth and comfort." "However, many have very strong negative feelings about our presence here. Which explains the incident on the docks this morning. Shall I tell you of those events, if you haven't heard of them?" Ingrey enquired. "Please," Amba replied, listening intently. "There is an Amberite, Johann Payne, who is quite opposed to the Prime Minister's rule and Merlin's reign of Amber." Ingrey began. "His activities in the past have been mostly confined to using persuasion--books, pamphlets and other media designed to incite the populace against we Chaosians. He seemed to prefer that to using overt violence." "This morning, that all changed. There is an entertainment establishment, the Ramblin' Queen, which leaves the docks every evening and returns in the morning. Last night, among other individuals, including myself, Mandor was aboard. Upon its return to the docks this morning, Johann made his move." "He, and his putative partner Damien, another Amberite himself, made an assassination attempt upon Mandor and possibly Merlin as he departed the ship. Mandor seemed his primary target, from my vantage point to the events." "The attempt was a complete failure, Amba. Johann's attempt to use firearms in Amber was ineffective, and more to the point, Damien revealed himself to have switched sides to Mandor. Or, perhaps he has been a double agent for years. Its difficult to tell." "Damien betrayed and stabbed Johann in the back and ended the threat, such as it was, to the Prime Minister. Johann did set a fire as a distraction to increase his chances of success, and the fire did threaten to become a conflagration. Fortunately, concerted efforts by Chadwick." He gave a head nod in the direction of the young man escorting Tasha. "amongst others stopped the fire before it did too much damage." "Johann is now in the dungeons, and Damien has revealed himself to be high in Mandor's esteem, and openly his man now." Amba was quiet for a long moment after Ingrey finished. Finally she said, "Why is he still alive? This Johann?" "Amber's system of justice demands a trial, even for an attempted assassination." Ingrey replied. "And while such things often happen slowly, I understand that the trial is to be at dawn tomorrow." "Since I am a witness, amongst other reasons, Larissa Rohl, Ericsdottir, has requested me to attend. And even if she didn't, I suspect the Ambassador would want the Embassy to have a witness, and I" Ingrey gave a nod of the head "have grown in esteem, ability and position to often be in such roles." Amba frowned. "But... it seems that if the denizens of Amber already chafe under the current administration, that a public trial would be counterproductive. Just sweep him away in shadow somewhere and take care of the situation." She pondered as they continued to walk. "Unless that has already been done, and the Johann that languishes in the dungeon is a shadow." Continuing to think she added, "... or ..." Then she stopped in mid-sentence, then when she started to speak again, seemingly had moved onto another subject. "You've said how the residents view Chaos' presence... how about the Amberites themselves? They seem... rather docile, truth be told. Of course, things are rarely as they appear." "That is a lesson that I am glad you have learned." Ingrey said seriously. "No one here in Amber, be they Amberite or Chaosian, are exactly who they appear to be." Ingrey seemed to find something amusing. "It seems,Amba Heldt, that I am to be something of a Virgil to you?" Ingrey said, letting a smile briefly light his features. He inclined his head to explain. "Virgil is a literary, mythological character on this side of the universe, a reliable companion, explainer and guide to a lost person who descended into a strange afterworld shadow. In some ways, he is akin to Cherova, the Sorceress of the Dark, in the tale of Alexandre of House Issola. I'm sure that story is much more familiar to you." "As far as the Amberites, it would be an error, Amba, to conflate their apparent overt inaction with docility. Certainly, few or none seem as willing to act as Johann Payne does and did. And some have prospered being at the right hand of the power and prestige of the throne and the power behind it." "I would wager that every one of the Amberites, even ones who have tied their fortunes to Chaos as firmly as, say, Vikund, or now, Damien, have plans and contigencies, in various states of preparation, for things to change." Ingrey said. "However, Amba" Ingrey continued. "Some of my opinions on the subject might be best given off the record, and outside these walls." "That would probably be prudent," she agreed gravely. "But ... Virgil... was an unbiased companion? Or did he have his own agenda?" she asked innocently. "An agenda, but a relatively benign agenda." Ingrey confirmed. "Virgil wanted to be free." "'Freedom is an illusion. There is always a price.'," Amba quoted, half to herself. He then quieted as he and Amba entered the dining room. Confidently, Ingrey steered Amba toward the seating chart. "You've drawn a seat near the King. As did Helena, and Tasha. No coincidence, I am sure. Come, I will take you to your seat, and then I will go to mine own. I didn't do badly myself." he remarked. Amba nodded in acknowledgment, knowing as well as her escort that the seating was no accident. But whose plan was it? Noting the positions of everyone *other* than the three of them, she had her suspicions... Ingrey waited for Amba to finish studying the chart, and then walked her to her chair. "Thank you for the escort... and the conversation," Amba said sincerely as they approached the table. "Perhaps we can continue our conversation another time," she added. "I would be amenable to that." Ingrey agreed with a nod of the head. "Quite amenable." Following an Amberian sense of formality, [Ingrey] stood by the chair until Amba was seated, and then bowed to the lady from House Heldt, and walked toward his own chair. Amba inclined her head towards the Ambassador before taking the proffered chair and looking towards her dinner companions. |
