ReconnoiterInParisSB: Dagny: Reconnoiter in Paris"Twenty minutes" Dulcinea repeats. "Then, I start getting calling and if that doesn't work, I start getting reinforcements." She purses her lip. "While I wait, I will try and get a hold of Hadrian again, and see if he can't get a gate ready in case things really have turned as rotten as spoiled touloumotiri." "I think that would be everything, Dagny." Valerian says "Right?" "Right," I agree. "Dulcinea, you're welcome to stay here if you like, of course." "I thought I was staying here on purpose." Dulcinea says. "Just in case things go wrong and you need to be pulled out. I *shall* assume that role." she clarifies. "Good luck, the both of you." I pull out the Trump sketch and turn to Valerian. "Let's go." The trump sketch made by her father opens up without too much difficulty. Its difficult to see through a trump sketch, especially for a non-artist, and so Dagny and Valerian do not get a true sense of the state of affairs until they are well and truly through. On the other side, is destruction under an early evening sky. The explosives and work done by Dagny in conjunction with the Chaosian Keane have taken their toll on the Perilous Garden. Hedges have been turned to black ash, the ground spoiled, the area a wasteland. In the distance the rest of Versailles remains untouched, but this area shows the mark of what has been done. The broken Pattern remains in place, free of grime, ash and dirt, the only thing in this area which is. There is no immediate sign of Omphalos soldiers or guards. "You did this, or do we have an ally?" Valerian asks, looking around for cover and motioning Dagny to a still standing half-destroyed topiary bush that has less than half of its former 15 feet of height. "Both, actually," I replied as I surveyed the damage. "I think I'd mentioned that Chaosian, Keane, when I told you what'd I'd seen here. This--" I gestured at the destruction, "is the result of our partnership. A little bit of overkill, but it got rid of the Omphalos. Now, let's see." I lead the way out of the Perilous Garden, and see what's outside... "They may have pulled back, but I do not think they would abandon the entirety of the shadow." Valerian says. "Unless the Door was located right here at the Garden?" he asks. Following Dagny, Valerian goes quiet as she scouts out Versailles beyond the garden. She does not get too far before she and Valerian stop and have to get under cover. The pair see a perimeter of Omphalos soldiers, looking alert. One of them has what look like clunky steampunk brass binoculars. The soldiers appear to be encamped around the main palace on the grounds, in an alert defensive posture, rather than a lax and bored posting. In fact, if not for Dagny and Valerian's skills, they might have been spotted already. Whoops. I slowly ducked back behind the bushes. Catching Valerian's eye, I hold up a hand to tell him to "wait", then immediately turn on Mind Masque. Then I pull out his Trump and silently make contact. Valerian answers the contact. This is probably the least conspicuous way for us to communicate, I think at him*
going on.*
Neurmantic? *I didn't realize it had a name,* I replied. *And I can but try.* To minimize distractions, I closed the contact, and turned my attention to the guards. What can my Third Ear pick up? There is a lot of dreck in the minds of the soldiers, which might be of limited value. One of the guards desperately wants to take a piss, for example. Another regrets eating some of the "foreign" food he had on his last leave into the city. A third is trying to unsuccessfully suppress brooding thoughts of a recent breakup with his long-time boyfriend. Beyond all that, though, as Dagny listens for a minute or so more, she does get some interesting detail. The city is conquered, although there is apparently a resistance; this resistance has been blamed at least in one soldier's head for the explosion and da Oh, and the soldiers are extremely nervous because some higher ranking nobles in the Omphalos Military are due to visit Versailles any time now. I caught Valerian's attention and pulled out my Trump deck. *From what I can gather, there is a local resistance against the Omphalos takeover. And some bigwig military nobles are due here at Versailles at any moment. We need some way for both of us to walk around without getting noticed.*
Though hopefully Mind Masque should keep me mostly hidden, if it doesn't work I will still need to blend in. I decide to try that trick I managed when I was here last with Keane, transforming my clothes into that Sky Captain garb. If it works, I'll say, *May I?* and do the same for Valerian's. Valerian looks at the Sky Captain garb that she and he have been transformed into. *This is good conjury work, Dagny, although we might want to increase our rank up a notch or two. Captains, I think, don't quite inspire the level of respect and fear we need.*
Something hard and sharp appears on Valerian's face. His back straightens and his posture, even though crouched behind the hedge has clearly shifted to a martial bearing. Even the mental tone of his voice has altered.
"All right, Colonel Greenstone." Valerian leads Dagny out from under cover and toward the front door with a long stride that takes a little effort for Dagny to match. "Halt!" two of the guards say. "Identify yourselves." Beyond them, other guards look alert, maybe ten in all are alerted. Valerian draws his hands together. Dagny will note that when he speaks, his accent has subtly changed, as if he had changed from American English to British English. His pronunciations are in general of earlier syllables in the words he speaks. "Colonel Commandant Aldous Yellowstone from Illgen City District." He gestures toward Dagny. "This is Colonel Commandant Zoe Greenstone. We've just arrived from Capital upon the orders of Field Marshal Gillman to inspect operations here." "Yes, sir. Ma'am." The guards freeze in place like statues, with rigid salutes. I look to Valerian for guidance. I'm not sure where he's going with this. Valerian regards Dagny for a second and then gives a small nod of the head. "Colonel-Commandant, do you wish to inspect the guards and grounds first, or shall we go see the General Staff?" Valerian says. He starts motion down the path toward the House, but at a slow pace, that would allow either a trip straight into the palace, or veer off around the grounds instead. Taking a page from Valerian's book, I altered my accent as well, mimicking Dame Judy Dench in As Time Goes By. "The General Staff, I think. Give the lads a chance to smarten up before inspection." I cast a sharp, critical eye, bottom to top, over the specimens of Omphalos military greatness before us. "After you," I add to Valerian. The specimens of Omphalos Military greatness, as Dagny puts it in her own mind, stand at attention, stock still, as Valerian makes his progress, with Dagny beside him. They look like ordinary looking soldiers, ones Dagny has seen in a double dozen worlds, except for the uniforms. Certainly, they have the air of conquerors, but so have many others Dagny has seen in shadow, from the Bluefield Combine, to the Neo-Roman Empire. No one challenges, molests or even dares say a word as Valerian and Dagny make their way to the entrance, and into the Palace itself. Everywhere, with soldiers (and some officers) of lesser rank than they, deference and obedience are the rule. As shoes click on the marble floor, Valerian speaks quietly. "They're on edge, we're making them nervous, and there are an awful lot of soldiers here." he says quietly, in little more than a whisper. "How far deep do you want to go with this deception. Finding out who is running this operation would be immensely valuable, but there would be risk they could sniff us out for what we really are." "I am not afraid of them," I murmur. "Besides, Dulcinea should be checking in soon. But if you think it prudent we can walk out of here and into the countryside, and try to make contact with the resistance movement. They may know something." "At some point, perhaps not on this visit but the next, we should co-opt the resistance movement and turn it into our weapon. "Valerian replies softly. "They clearly are having problems, more than I would expect them to have given their reputation." Valerian stops speaking, and asks guards for directions to the General Staff offices. Valerian and Dagny learn that the offices are currently on the second floor of the palace. "What do you think." Valerian resumes his conversation, motioning Dagny to ascend a marble staircase with him "are the odds that there is someone Real here already working against them? Your Chaos friend, for instance?" I exhaled. "Definitely possible. I think I'd mentioned that there were 'enemy spellcasters' about in the beginning, so some relative may be wandering about, giving the army a headache. Keane may have returned already, with or without reinforcements, but I think he would have let me know. It's too bad we don't have access to that technology or magic that the army uses to scan for magic-users." "Its under strong seal by a special division of the Omphalos forces" Valerian replies. "I was never able to infiltrate it back in Capital. It just seems that the resistance here is stronger and more of a problem than the Omphalos usually have with these sorts of operations." Valerian stops speaking to salute two very green low ranked officers at the top of the staircase. "I thought that the local crowd might have help." He head nods down the corridor. "Looks like this is the General Staff's office." Valerian pauses a beat. "How fast can you activate a Trump?" "I don't know, I never thought to time it. Why? What do you have in mind?" Valerian makes a show of studying one of the paintings, and motions Dagny to do the same. As she does so, he continues to speak. "I hold a rank in the Omphalos Military, as well you know, although nothing so high as Colonel-Commadant." Valerian replies. "It occurs to me, given the setup here and how many officers of the Omphalos we have already seen running around, there is a small possibility that a member of the General Staff might recognize me. They might recognize me as a fellow officer, if their intelligence is poor, or as a threat to their military, if they are ImpSec and are privy to some of the activities Brandeigh, Percy and I got up to when they came to visit, before I emigrated." "You and I might have to make a break for it quickly in the latter situation." Valerian says "But I think finding out as much as we can about the General Staff is worth the risk of not leaving now. Although I wonder why Dulcinea hasn't called yet. The time difference may be large between here and Amber." "If they recognize you as an officer there's no reason why you couldn't have been promoted between then and now, is there? Valor in combat or something like that? And quite frankly," I add sardonically, "we are a threat to their military, so kudos to them if they're able to figure it out, which I don't think will happen. If you like I can check in with Dulcinea to make sure she's still standing by, and ask her to maintain a very faint contact with me while we're in there. While I do that, could you think of a specific military company I could conceivably be a part of, and give me details? If they recognize you and you get captured or get out without me, I can always play dumb and disown you...say I met you on the road or something." "Or they might put you to the Question." Valerian says. "But yes, give me a minute to come up with a cover for you in case our ranks are questioned." I pull out my Trump deck and, assuming Valerian agrees, contact Dulcinea. "Dagny!" Dulcinea cries. Dulcinea has not apparently moved far from the spot where Dagny and Valerian left her in Dagny's quarters. A panicked look comes across her face, and she shoots her arm and hand out like a sprung crossbow in Dagny's direction, as if anticipating a quick exit.
Relief washes across Dulcinea's mind. "It's only been two minutes, and so I thought you were in danger if you called back so soon." Her concern and anxiety moderate. "I did get a hold of Hadrian, but he's on a snowy mountaintop with Brieanne trying to talk with the Griffin of DuMarque about a problem in Arden. Apparently" envy is in Dulcinea's voice "Brieanne is riding him even as we speak. So, unless its an emergency, he is somewhat occupied."
Dulcinea takes the card. *It is useful to befriend a trump artist, isn't it,...Zoe?* There is a slight tone of amusement in her mental voice.* We can keep this contact open, of course and simply not converse. I am not Hadrian, or Kieran, but I will hold up my end of this contact as best I can. You may want to have Valerian walk slowly and let him do the talking so you can concentrate more effectively. Feign travel sickness, or some such.* The contact has not wavered or felt like it is going to break. Perhaps Dagny's paternal heritage is good for something, after all? Dagny can, like a picture in picture television, see Dulcinea if she concentrates on a corner of her perception. Otherwise, she is mostly ignorable, while the call remains active. "With a larger family than in Crimson, I forget that they are more used here,and people are more skilled with the basics." Valerian says. [Dagny} "Come up with a cover story yet?" "I did." Valerian says. "You are Zoe Greenstone, Colonel-Commandant of the 4th regiment of Bridgeburners." he says. "That means you lead a military engineering and sabotage unit. The Omphalos has a dozen or so regiments of Bridgeburners, and it is entirely plausible that you would be here, Dagny. They often get a call not long after a beachhead is first established, to work on building infrastructure and destroying enemy assets." "Me,as Colonel Yellowstone, am in command of the Ninth regiment of Arbalists. We specialize in providing missile fire, ranging from crossbows and longbows to field artillery. I actually do hold a lesser rank in the Arbalists, but in a different regiment." "Sounds good. Sabotage is certainly something I know about. To whom would I send my reports, incidentally?" After I ask this of Valerian, I send to Dulcinea, *Can you hear any of this?* "I can hear some of it" Dulcinea sends mentally. "Only true artists are really facile at this sort of operation. "Bridgeburners sounds...destructive." she adds, in an amused tone. "I won't tell Father." Valerian ponders this for a moment before responding. "As a Colonel-Commandant, that's about as high as you can get in the field without being permanently assigned to Gee-H. As such, you would be under Marshal Maira Indiran. You can feel free to be respectful about her with an obvious tone of dislike. She doesn't have many friends in the General Staff, but her results keep her from falling prey to politics." "Gotcha. Shall we?" I ask, gesturing towards the door. "We can't linger in front of this much longer anyway" Valerian says, gesturing to the painting that he had drawn Dagny over to inspect. "Let's go" Valerian leads Dagny to the door, and through a short series of checkpoints and staff aides who try to stop them at every turn. The uniforms only go so far, and so Valerian and Dagny have to invoke their positions and titles, and the fact that they are from Capital, to get them admittance again and again. Finally, though, past a pair of guards with the improbable rank of Captain, Valerian and Dagny find themselves in one of the grand ballrooms of Versailles which has been converted into staff headquarters. Its an open floor plan, with several secretaries (of both genders) in the corner taking notes and reading correspondence, to a large map composed of an aerial view of Paris and its environs hanging on a wall. Colored icons and symbols dot this map like a strategy computer game. A large table in the center, with over two dozen chairs, most of them filled, has a number of people in military formal dress debating, arguing and not paying attention to anything but themselves. There is also a table map with a few figures pointing and chatting over it. Valerian looks around and focuses his gaze on a portly man wandering around the table, with red hair and a booming laugh. Valerian looks visibly relieved. "All right." Valerian says, turning to look at Dagny. "Do you think you want to try to go off on your own in here? I'm going to chat up my old friend the General. He's sympathetic to my cause, but he might not want to reveal anything if you are on my elbow."
"Very well," I reply to Valerian, maintaining my posh accent in case we are overheard. *Good idea,* I send to Dulcinea, and stroll over to the wall map first. Anything interesting? Valerian nods and heads toward the General, lighting up and speaking enthusiastically, as if to an old and valued friend. This leaves Dagny, with Dulcinea's trump connection as company, the room to head over to the wall map. The wall map proves to be of Paris and the areas around it, with Versailles about halfway from the center of the map. Thus, Dagny figures, the map covers about 50 kilometers, 30 miles, in every direction from Paris' center. The HQ is marked clearly as is "Door One" inside of the City. The map centers on the latter. What is interesting is the amount of red symbols, which seem to suggest enemy forces, or the sites of engagements or attacks, versus the troops around. Its clear from Dagny's time in shadow and studying such things that the Omphalos soldiers in Paris are in a state of siege, seeking a way to break out from a cordon of rebels and other opposed forces. The Omphalos strength is at Versailles and in the city center. Their weaknesses are everywhere else, except for a heavily manned corridor connecting Paris with Versailles. Its a fortified but tenuous line of control. Interesting. So basically, that cafe I'd been having breakfast at should be around here somewhere. Poor croissants. I note the places on the map where there appears to be resistance, especially the bigger pockets. Definitely think we need to visit a few of those spots in the very near future. The pockets seem to be mainly centered on the parks of Paris. There is also a notation on the map that the catacombs are definitely a no-go zone for the Omphalos.
"I see your face, and your surroundings." Dulcinea confirms. "I cannot change the viewpoint of the trump. Hadrian could, I think, if he were here." If it seems like it might work, I'll turn around and give Dulcinea a chance to look at the map, making it look as if I'm studying the room or something. *Plus,* I add, *it can't hurt if you can see if anybody's coming up behind me.* You can hear some humming and interested noises as Dulcinea takes the opportunity to study the portion of the map Dagny is standing in front of. It is fortunate that Dagny is looking about the room, for at this point, she can see that one of the Omphalos officers, an older man with graying hair and glasses. has taken to wandering the room,. Dagny can sense that he is making a roundabout perambulation with Dagny, or perhaps the map, as his ultimate destination.
I wander over to the big table map and take a look at that. If it turns out The Wanderer goes to the map and not me, as I'm studying the map I'll try to turn on Third Ear in his direction, if I can do that without losing the connection with Dulcinea. The big table map takes a few minutes to actually have Dagny understand. The symbols and characters of the language are unfamiliar, just like the wall map, but with the lack of the familiarity of Paris to help her interpret it. Dulcinea's prompts to move a little bit here and there gives Dagny enough to context to deduce what this is, even if there are layers of meaning she doesn't understand yet. This is a map of not Paris and its surroundings, not of France, or even the entire world. It's a network graph of major shadows, possibly going all the way from Amber to Chaos. In the meantime, Dagny feels that juggling conversation, the trump call and the Third Ear is probably going to be one thing too many. Or, to put it another way, she can tune her Third Ear, but there is a risk that the Trump Call with Dulcinea is going to go poof. The bespectacled man has adjusted his orbit, for lack of a better word, so that its ultimate destination is going to be the table map where Dagny currently is. Whoever and whatever he is, he certainly is being outwardly slow, careful and patient about his attempts to reach Dagny. Wow. I studied the map, trying to commit as much of it to memory as I could, even if the language and context were unfamiliar. Hopefully I will be able to recreate it later for someone who will understand it.
I opted not to go the Third Ear route, and waited to see how Senor Spectacles chooses to address me. Senor Spectacles, as Dagny has dubbed him, finally does arrive at where Dagny is standing, casually coming up to stand next to her. "I understand this is not quite as large or impressive as the one in High Command, but this one does have the latest information on it. Which is why you are studying it, no doubt." His tone is conversational but reserved, as if addressing a colleague he doesn't quite remember the name of and is not quite wanting to admit the slip of the mind about. "No, this is very detailed," I agree, and decide to introduce myself. "Zoe Greenstone, Bridgeburners." And so the tapdancing begins. "A most enthusiastic branch of our forces, Colonel Greenstone" he replies. "I would imagine you are the type that has declined a promotion or two to a desk job so as to remain in the field." He offers his hand to Dagny. "UnderMarshal Stannis Sheridan, in charge of Logistics here at Beachhead Prime." I smile noncommittally and shake his hand in greeting. If Omphalos military titles are anything like Shadow Earth's, he'd be a few ranks above me, so I gamble on adding a "Sir." Beachhead Prime? Why would this place be Beachhead Prime? Was the "prime" in relation to other Doors in this Shadow, or Doors across the universe? He regards Dagny for a moment and then continues "It is said that the red bird of spring does not sing here." Oh shit! Was this an IFF? If so, I'm screwed. Time to put on the Bluffing Pants. "I'd be surprised if any birds were singing here at all, after that mess I saw outside in the garden," I reply. "Did we lose any men? I'm surprised that the locals would be able to mount a resistance of that magnitude. The ones I've come across so far were easily cowed and subdued." A brief crestfallen look comes across the UnderMarshal's face at Dagny's response. This look quickly is replaced with a grimace on his face. So did I give the wrong answer, or the right one? No way to know right now. Either way, I can't trust this guy.
That threw me for a second, but I didn't let it show outwardly. *Wait, what? How'd you figure that out?* "I'm not the one to talk to about the nuts and bolts of that, I am afraid, Colonel." he replies. "I can say that I do wish we had some more units of your capability here. The resistance of the locals has been unexpectedly strong. Certainly more than Intel had led us to believe. We certainly could use some of that Bridgeburner reputation for sowing terror amongst enemy populations and troops." "Thank you, UnderMarshal. We do our best." "Well, I hope your presence here means that your superior will see to allowing more of the Bridgeburners to join us here on the campaign." the Undermarshal says. "You came here along with the Leveller of Jovia, didn't you?" he says after a pause. turning his head to allow his bespectacled eyes to fall upon Valerian and the man with whom he is still speaking. The Undermajor chuckles. "The expense report for the amount of ammunition he used at that campaign as a Captain is still a legend. I hadn't realized he'd been promoted so far up." "From what I've seen of the Colonel he seems to be very capable," I reply. "Ah, I thought that perhaps you had a longer relationship with him, or perhaps this was some sort of joint operation you had been planning for some time. Hmm." UnderMarshal Sheridan looks past Dagny at the wall map. His gaze widens slightly and he smiles as he turns back to Dagny. It is at this point Dulcinea puts in.
"Given that you are still a field officer, would it be terribly out of place to try and talk you into leading an operation here of our own troops, Colonel? Perhaps with your partner in joint command?" I smiled. "You could certainly try, and you might even succeed. What specifically do you find to be your chief concern here? If not me, I might be able to suggest particular officers whose talents could assist you as well or better than I." "I find the sabotage and strength of the insurgents to be the primary problem here, at least from a logistics perspective." Undermarshal Sheridan replies. "They are overstrength based on intelligence, and so a campaign to weaken them and cow the local population, is in order." "Perhaps we might discuss this over lunch tomorrow, perhaps in the company of Colonel Yellowstone?" "I'd be happy to, UnderMarshal. I will just check with the Colonel to make sure he hasn't promised himself--or me--elsewhere first." I had to find some way to end this conversation, knowing that every minute I engaged the UnderMarshal in conversation was another minute in which I could blow our cover. How does one politely rid oneself of an undesirable conversationalist at a party? Introduce him to someone else and run like hell. "In fact, I'm sure he will forgive us interrupting him now to ask before he accepts any other offers. Shall we?" "Agreed" UnderMarshal Sheridan says amicably and makes to follow Dagny around the table and toward Valerian. Valerian sees Dagny and Sheridan coming, and disengages himself from his conversation and turns toward Dagny and Sheridan. Dagny will note that Valerian was no longer speaking with the portly man whom he had left to speak with Dagny previously, instead this was a short gray haired woman that he was speaking to now. "Undermarshal Sheridan" Valerian says, offering a hand and a smile before Sheridan can speak. Awkwardly, Sheridan takes Valerian's hand and pumps it a few times before releasing it. "I see you met the Colonel-Commandant with whom I came here from Capital." "Yes" Sheridan seems a bit perturbed by Valerian going on the offensive. "The Colonel was going to bring up something, weren't you?" he says, looking at Dagny expectantly. "Oh. You don't wish to issue the invitation yourself? Very well." I turn to Valerian and, smiling, say, "Colonel, the UnderMarshal has invited the two of us to lunch tomorrow, to discuss how we might be able to assist in subduing the local populace. You haven't already made arrangements for that time, have you?" Valerian's eyes widen slightly at Dagny's words, but a moment later he is shaking his head. "No, I have not yet made lunch arrangements, although its possible the General Staff will have ideas of their own on where I, we will eat tomorrow." Valerian responds/ "Nonsense" The Undermarshal says. "I always dine in private for lunch, and will insist that the two of you join me. The best food, imported through the Door. We can discuss matters in a civilized fashion rather than standing here like, like mannequins." He shakes his hand downward for emphasis. "Now, if you will excuse me, I have to talk to one of my opposite numbers." The UnderMarshal gives a nod of the head each to Dagny and Valerian, murmuring their rank as he does so. "UnderMarshal," I reply, and turn to Valerian after said officer leaves. "Colonel, did you want to inspect the grounds and troops as you mentioned earlier? Before we dine with the UnderMarshal tomorrow and discuss improvements in strategy, we should probably familiarize ourselves with the current SOP here. Don't you agree?" "Yes. I think your superior and mine would find us less than in favor if we deviated too strongly from our presented agenda." Valerian gestures for Dagny to proceed him out of the room, and follows her without a further word. Fortunately, no one else seems intent on engaging with Dagny and Valerian, and aside from the occasional salute from a lower ranking officer or soldier, no one pays the pair any mind for the trip back toward the entrance. "Outside, and then call Dulcinea?:" Valerian says quietly, as Dagny and hm have the front doors to Versailles in sight. "I still have her on the line," I murmur. "Good. I wasn't sure you would have managed to juggle it with our friend haranguing you." Valerian murmurs.
I am going to be ravenous in a minute or two, but I am still here* she replies. Valerian waits until Dagny and himself are out of the building , and inserts himself carefully into the mental conversation.
"Well, I don't know," I reply, thoughtfully. "I certainly wouldn't even consider it if I was going by myself. One of us has to know what they're talking about. But we could learn a lot if we go. If we don't, though, we have to come up with a really airtight excuse, in case we need to use these personas again. Don't want to raise suspicion." "It's a matter of how long you want to keep up this deception, I think." Valerian puts in."Or how long we can safely do so. We might have trouble keeping up pretenses for long." " Incidentally, Valerian," I add, "The UnderMarshal said something really odd. When he introduced himself he said that 'it is said that the red bird of spring does not sing here.' Does this mean something to you?" "The red bird of spring..." Valerian mumbles, mentally. It takes a moment and his eyes widen. "It's from a poem back from the world of the Omphalos." Valerian says, finally. "The red bird of spring does not sing here." "For she still lives in a northern land" "The red bird of spring does not sing here" "Morning light comes with a silent hand" "The red bird of spring does not sing here" "The ground is still covered in snows." "The red bird of spring does not sing here" "She will return when the green grass grows" I frowned. "So basically, something I should have known, being Omphalos as I am. Dulcinea's theory was that he's an intelligence agent and testing to see if I was one too. Whatever he is, he certainly knew who you were, Mr. 'Leveller of Jovia.' But did you learn anything useful? Do you want to inspect the ground troops before we head back to Amber?" "No" Valerian says. "I did learn some interesting things, but they can wait for the safety of Amber to explain." Valerian pauses. "I'll tell you about Jovia, later, perhaps" There is a hurt and defensive tone on his voice. "We have found out much, if I judge your time with the maps as any guide. But now I think we should leave, and quickly."
"Is it safe to Trump out now, do you think, or should we regroup and try elsewhere?"
"We should retrieve the gear that we stowed, first" Valerian says. "There is no sense in allowing it to be discovered, even if you can always find it again in shadow.* "Right. How could I forget? Shall we?" I start walking towards the Perilous Garden. In short order, Dagny and Valerian find the hedge row where they had stowed their weapons and extraneous gear. There is, fortunately, no sign of disturbance and nothing is missing. As they are strapping on weapons, however, sounds in the distance, in the direction of the Versailles Palace, erupt. First a couple of shouts, the moving of men, and what to Dagny sounds like gunfire. "Now the time has come for us to depart, I think" Valerian says. "Even if that disturbance has nothing whatsoever to do with us." "Dagny" comes Dulcinea's voice, distorted and high pitched. "The trump connection is starting to fail. I think its being jammed or blocked." Dulcinea and her room, when Dagny takes a look, are starting to lose all color saturation, turning monochrome. I pour every ounce of energy I have into maintaining the connection, grab Valerian, scream :Valerian! Help me! I'm losing her!: through the now three-way connection--hopefully thought is faster than speech, and his additional power produces a cumulative effect--then try to reach through the Trump to Dulcinea and pull us through. Dagny pours her reserves into the connection, and the loss of color saturation slows, but does not completely stop. Dulcinea's voice has shifted to the point that it would take a Rebman or a dolphin to understand her urgent speech. Dagny can feel that she, too, is putting every bit of energy she can to keep the connection alive. Dagny at this point can feel Valerian's energy joining into her own. The degrading of the contact still does not halt but it gives Dagny and Valerian a moment or two to try and get through. "Just enough for you" comes Valerian's mental voice, with a resigned look.He changes his approach, trying to help push Dagny, and only Dagny through the connection. Dagny can recognize that at this point she can get through, by herself, with no risk, before it fails. If she tries to bring herself and Valerian through, one of them might make it, both of them could fail to transport through, or something worse might happen to either or both of them. Your move, Dagny. The information I carried in my head was too valuable to let languish on this side of the Trump block. Valerian will be able to handle himself with the Omphalos. I step through to Dulcinea. The Trump connection closes with a snap the moment Dagny arrives back in her quarters. Dagny's balance keeps her from bowling Dulcinea over from the aftereffect. Dulcinea, her expression scrunched up like a shar pei's muzzle, speaks a string of syllables that, to Dagny's ears, sounds like Greek. She then takes a deep breath. "Are you all right?" she asks, the expression fading as she regards Dagny. "Yes, I'm fine," I reply. "I have no idea what happened to the connection. Valerian helped open it up enough for me to get through. If we want to pull him out of there, we may want to ask one of the Trump gurus for help. And I definitely need to debrief your dad and Vialle on what's going on over there." "We DO want to pull him out of there, don't we?" Dulcinea says. She is already moving toward the door of her room, and waits for Dagny to proceed her out. "Unless something happened there between the two of you that you're not telling me?" I looked at her strangely. "If something had happened, I would have said something." It's not like leaving Valerian amongst the Omphalos would make the manipulation stop, by any means. Besides, he still had some questions to answer. "We should tell my father and the Queen what you've learned and what has happened." Dulcinea says, with a nod. "They might want to formalize a rescue attempt." "Right. Let's go find them." Dulcinea nods and she and Dagny move out into the Castle. Random proves to be not readily available, closeted with an Ambassador. The guard that tells them this is rather cagey on who that Ambassador is. According to the guard, though, Vialle is likely in her studio if they would rather speak with her, sooner. "You're running this " Dulcinea says to Dagny. "What do you think? "Yes, let's see Vialle. I'd rather not wait to pass this information along, or start rescue operations for Valerian, and goodness knows she knows what she's talking about." "Agreed" Dulcinea says, starting to lead Dagny up to the fourth floor. "I've heard stories about people who were foolish enough to annoy King Oberon, and lived to regret it. I don't know my father well enough to know if he would do anything like that..." Dulcinea looks thoughtful. "Mother would be upset if she were disturbed, I think, if one of her nieces or nephews were in danger as Valerian is. She might not insist on knowing immediately, however." Along the way, Dulcinea tries Hadrian's trump again, walking with Dagny as she concentrates on the card. She is spectacularly unsuccessful. As far as the Queen, Vialle proves not to be in the studio, but rather is quietly sitting in one of the rooms of the Royal Apartments, listening as a servant girl, Rebman by her appearance, is reading quietly to her. Vialle listens to Dagny and Dulcinea's recounting of events. "Leiticia, dear, please fetch my trump deck." she says to the servant girl, who bows and exits the room. "So, if I understand properly" Vialle continues. "You, Dagny, with Valerian went through to this shadow with Corwin's Pattern, gathered intelligence, but in trying to escape, he was left behind and reaching him is no longer easy, or perhaps, possible, without stronger measures. It's possible he has fallen into custody, or at the very least is trapped within that shadow?" "Not 'left behind' so much as 'stayed behind,'" I replied. "He could have stepped through before I did, and I'd be where he is now instead." Reasons for this flitted through my mind ranging between true selflessness to the possibility of Valerian playing a double game...and any number of things in between. "The Omphalos believe him to be an officer in their army. The only immediate difficulty I foresee is him having to explain my disappearance, but I have great faith that Valerian can talk himself out of any situation he may find himself in. We don't know if it's just that the Trumps are being blocked and he's still able to ShadowShift his way out, or if he's really stuck. My thinking is that we should at least try to establish contact. If we can't, well, worse comes to worst..." and this very unpleasant idea had just popped into my head, "I'd could walk the Pattern here and transport back immediately." "So, he is playing a double agent, but may be playing a triple agent." Vialle says. "He told Random and I that he's been a double agent before. For the moment, we will trust to his motives until proven otherwise." "As far as Pattern walking, we'll leave that as our last option, if no other good choices present themselves. My husband would agree." Vialle says. "Although there seems to be a cavalier attitude amongst some of the younger generation about walking the Pattern, Dagny, there is always risk involved when someone walks it. There is always the possibility of death." "Death" Dulcinea repeats, shivering. "Now, we want to be careful about this situation, ladies." Vialle says. Although she cannot see, her orientation is such that it looks like she is facing and regarding both Dagny and Dulcinea. "It would be a misstep to ask the wrong person for assistance, even if they were capable of performing the feat." "I attempted to contact Hadrian for his help, but he was not available." Dulcinea puts in. "I suspected that you would have before coming here, dear. No, we may need tol seek aid further afield." Vialle says. The Rebman servant girl, Letitcia, returns with a case that looks like its made from grey shark hide. Vialle strokes the cover with her fingers. "But, first, Dagny, what else about this shadow should we know? Information from your first visit, perhaps?" So Valerian was the Severus Snape of the Amber universe. Interesting. "Everybody dies sometime," I shrug. "Sometimes the only choice you have in the matter is how it is going to happen." I paused, trying to remember if I forgot to mention anything significant about Shadow Versailles when I first spoke of it to the King and Queen. "As for the Shadow, they have very limited technology, and the people there don't seem to have magic or anything, so they don't quite know what to make of Corwin's broken Pattern there in the middle of the city. Like I said earlier, locals are apparently mounting a resistance to the Omphalos, but whether Real people from either pole are assisting in that effort I have no idea. Somebody's obviously there if the Omphalos were calling out 'enemy spellcasters.'" Dulcinea nods in agreement. "Someone is fighting the Omphalos there." "Indeed, so. Whether or not such resistance is naturally formed, or the product of an outside force, it does give Valerian a place to run to, if he has to run." Vialle says. She opens up the case, and takes out the deck carefully. Dagny can see that each of the cards is notched on the top, each card with a set of notches in different locations, like a kind of braille. Vialle feels through the cards and then pulls out one. "It is unfortunate that other pressing matters have called off Martin, or Meriel." Vialle says apologetically. "My other normal choice, Priya Luur, is a sorceress but she is not a Trump Artist. You need an Artist, first and foremost." The card she produces is a blue skinned Rebman, male, with white hair. She offers the card to Dagny "This is Corlianus, son of Ishbel, of the Rebman House Vulle" Vialle says. "The optics of this work better if I do not contact him directly, but if you tell him that the Sea Dragon calls him to keep his promise, he will know that I've sent you and that I am calling in a favor for him to help you get a hold of Valerian." "For best effect" Vialle says. "You probably want to make the attempts somewhere away from the Castle. Perhaps even in Rebma, if he can persuade you to it." Rebma. That was someplace I'd only heard about, never been. All I knew was that it was supposed to be an underwater version of Amber--although, how people breathe down there, I had no idea. Perhaps it was magically sealed in a bubble, like the Gungan cities. Then the thought of Amber with annoying, whining CGI characters flopping around suddenly popped into my head, and I shied away from it like George Lucas from continuity and logic. I accept the Trump from Vialle. "Does this Corlianus have any particular animosity towards us, that he wouldn't help just for the asking, or dropping your name? I'd hate to call in a favor on your behalf if it wasn't necessary." "I understand that there is tension between Rebma and Amber, your Majesty" Dulcinea adds, nodding as Dagny speaks. "There is tension and dispute" Vialle says. "However, I believe that the threat that the Omphalos poses outweighs such political disputes. I think that, even if they were most uncouth, that the Chaosians are in the same position, if they only understood." "As regarding Colianus" Vialle turns sightlessly toward Dagny. "Ishbel is my first cousin, which makes the young man a relation of mine. And I do think having more cooperation between the realms is worth calling in a favor, if needed. What good are favors, if they are unused?" "Very well," I agree. I study the Trump card and try to make contact with Colianus. After a half minute, the card moves. Colianus proves to be in a room in a submerged house, a fish swimming outside the visible window. Standing near the window, as if preparing to step out of it is a tall woman, with the same white colored hair and blue skin. She is dressed as lightly almost as skimpily as he is, although she does have *some* clothes above her midriff. "Good day, Lady" the Rebman man, Colianus responds. "Surely, my memory has failed me terribly if I do not remember us meeting before now." He pauses a moment and Dagny can sense him scrutinizing the connection. He is not impinging on her mind, but appears to be looking about her. "Ah, you are a friend of the Queen of Amber, are you not? How may I serve?" "Your memory has not failed you," I smile. "I am Dagny Thorsonne, the Queen's great-niece. She was kind enough to enable me to contact you because she believed you could help us in Trump-related matters. Are you currently available to discuss this?" "I owe the Queen of Amber much." Corlianus says. "And it would be rude in the extreme to refuse a Lady, especially one of royal standing. A moment, please." Corlianus turns to the woman. "Beloved Cressida, forgive me, for Duty calls me that I cannot shirk. The Queen of Amber requires my aid and assistance." "Then you must" the tall woman says serenely. She floats (literally) out of view. Corlianus turns back to Dagny. "What sort of trump related aid do you need, Princess Dagny Thorsonne?" Corlianus says. "It's kind of an involved story, the details of which would probably be more easily told in person, but in a nutshell" (seashell?) "my cousin Valerian is currently trapped behind Omphalos enemy lines, and Trump contact seems to have been blocked. Her Majesty suggested that you might be able to find a way through, so that we can bring him out if he's in danger or otherwise unable to escape." Corlianus looks thoughtful for a moment and then inclines his head. "So you need to break a Trump block to free your cousin." Corlianus says. "I begin to see why her Majesty the Queen thought of me. Although I certainly could copy an existing trump of Valerian, it would be best to create one from scratch." "I take it that you know your cousin Valerian well enough to imagine him in your mind?" Corlianus says. "Will you come through to Rebma, or did her Majesty intend for me to use her studio?" "The Queen suggested that we might want to make our attempts away from Amber. If an invitation is extended to visit Rebma, well, I don't see how I can refuse, although..." I peered through the card and studied Corlianus's watery surroundings, "I'm not entirely sure how I would breathe down there. And also, another cousin, Dulcinea, is involved in this matter, and I would imagine she would want to be a part of this...?" At this last, I look over to Dulcinea for confirmation. Vialle smiles slightly. "I would be delighted to take the opportunity to visit Rebma again. I was there, but only briefly, a few days ago." Dulcinea says. "And we can go there, without aid." "I am sure" Corlianus says. "Your companion, or the Queen, certainly, can tell you that most of Rebma sits on a seamount, surrounding the Palace. All of the territory on the seamount is within a region of water breathable by surface dwellers and aquatic organisms alike. Beyond the boundaries of the seamount, only water-breathers can safely pass and exist. My house is near the Palace, if that assuages your concerns about your comfort." "It would be an Honor." he adds in a formal tone. "To have you and your companion accept my Hospitality, Princess Dagny Thorsonne." "It is my honor to accept your invitation, Corlianus," I reply. "When would be a good time?" Corlianus half glances in the direction of the window where the woman Dagny saw was last seen. "If it would not be onerous for you to wait an hour before calling upon me, I would be honored to have my humble reef ready for you to come within." Corlianus says. He pauses a moment. "If such a wait does not suit, I would be honored to receive your call in a third of that time." "An hour is fine. We'll see you then." Unless Corlianus has anything else to add, I will close the contact. The contact closes. I turn to the Queen and Dulcinea. "So, an hour. " The Queen gives a nod. "Dulcinea, do you have any preparations you need to make before we go?" "Yes" Dulcinea says. "For one thing, I should change my clothes to something more suited for Rebma. So should you, Dagny." she adds brightly. "Clothes that you won't mind getting immersed in seawater." "If there was time." Queen Moire muses "I could have one of the maids come up with suitable attire. It can't be helped now." she adds. "Dulcinea is right, Dagny. Changing your clothes, at a minimum, would be wise." "Right." I considered the possibilities. "Pants would probably be preferable--I can't even imagine dealing with a skirt in the middle of the ocean. Also...where I come from, it is customary when one visits someone's home, they bring a small token gift. Your Majesty, can you suggest something appropriate, that I can get a hold of quickly?" "If you will permit me to gift something to you that you can give to the Rebman artist, Dagny" The Queen replies. "Leticia, dear" Vialle calls. "Go and find the new silverpoint stylus I had Pollux get for me. Wrap it up in a waterproof box and bring it here." "That is a perfect idea." Dulcinea exclaims with a wide smile. "A gift for an artist." "Do be careful." Vialle says to Dagny. "Too much of a gift from a woman to man might have him misconstrue your intentions as being intent on bedding him." Oh, for the love of--I bit back a very sarcastic response. "Because I just ooze seductiveness, right?" I said wryly instead. "In any event, if you will excuse me, I will go get changed and be back before the hour is up." "No, because Rebman customs have women court men, often with expensive gifts." Vialle says gently. "I didn't think you were aware of Rebman mores." Oh. "No, I didn't." Sufficiently chastened, I added, "And, thank you for the gift." "I will return in an hour." Dulcinea says, rising and giving a curtsey to the Queen. Thus, Dagny is free to return to her rooms, unmolested, to prepare or spend the time as she wishes. Observing Dulcinea's exit, but lacking her grace and skirt, I opted for a slight bow to the Queen as I exited. I headed back to my rooms and started going through my wardrobe for something suitable. Although the idea of skirts swirling around my legs as I walked along the bottom of the sea held a certain appeal, I eventually settled on a pair of light gray capri pants and a fitted, button-down dark blue shirt. Last thing I needed was an unstructured blouse billowing up and giving additional credence to those Rebman mores Vialle had mentioned. Examining my toes, I gave thanks that my last pedicure seemed to be holding up well and slipped on a pair of dressy, low heeled sandals. As I changed I stopped to check the burn mark on my neck, to see how it was coming along. If I think it's necessary, I'll wrap a skinny silk scarf around my neck for camouflage. Add silver earrings and a brush to my hair, and I was ready. Now dressed, I debated bringing Mjolnir with me. I was unsure how well it would go over with my host, but I disliked, intensely, leaving it behind, especially if there was the possibility of trouble pulling Valerian out of Omphalos territory. I might have to go in after him. So in the end, I opted to bring my sword, slinging it over my back in a fancy silver baldric and scabbard I'd picked up somewhere during my travels. With whatever time I have left, I'll unpack a few things and organize them before heading upstairs before the hour is up. Dagny turns out to beat Dulcinea by a couple of minutes to the Royal apartments, when she does arrive, it turns out that Dulcinea has gone for something that is relatively free flowing and diaphanous, adorned by a turquoise and silver belt. Dagny will also note that Dulcinea is armed as well with a short sword. "My Great Aunt's sword." Dulcinea says when she sees Dagny take note of it. "She called it a girl's best friend." "I am not certain either of you need to be armed." Vialle says. "However, your more martial cousins, aunts and uncles would approve of you being so. Do you have any more questions ere you depart?" I smile approvingly at Dulcinea's pointy accessory. "Very nice." I wondered if that aunt had also taught her how to use it, but figured even the worst duelist from Amber could probably beat almost anybody else. To the Queen, I answer, "Better safe than sorry. And no...I think I'm all ready to go. Dulcinea?" "I am prepared" Dulcinea says. "Let us call Corlianus Vulle and be about this." "Your gift, first." Vlalle says. She motions for a servant to offer Dagny a small bronze box. When Dagny looks inside, there is the silver stylus, sitting on a cushion of black velvet, polished and gleaming. "May your mission to find Valerian be successful." Vialle says. "If you need further aid, please do not hesitate to contact us. I sent a note to my husband appraising him of your activities. He approves, by the way." "Thank you. And, I will. May I please have the Trump?" "You already have it, Dagny. In your pocket." Vialle replies. Indeed, the thick cardboard trump depicting Corlianus is in Dagny's pocket. She didn't notice it but when she withdraws it, it comes away with enough lint to suggest it has been in there since she changed clothing. I ask Dulcinea, "Ready?" and, if she approves, make contact... Dulcinea gives a glance at the blind Queen and then takes Dagny's hand. The contact comes easily, even more easily than the last time. Corlianus smiles as the contact is resolved. He is in a different room, but the same watery landscape awaits Dagny and Dulcinea again. "Greetings and salutations again he says. "Please, step into my humble abode. I understand if you want to hold your breath in crossing, but that is not truly necessary." he adds. Backlinks |
