Smoke and VaporsIndex | Time Under Chaos | Game Logs | PreGameLogs | SmokeAndVapors The dinner had been everything one comes to expect from the nobility at this time. The time when marriageable daughters were paraded across the auction block euphemistically known as The Season. No expenses were spared for the dinner parties meant to dazzle the senses, the balls meant to display young females at their very best, like the prized hothouse roses they were. Even the most tenuous of connections were called upon to gather the best and the brightest to these affairs in order to show off the families' connections, and lure in those that wanted their own connections. The dinner party hosted by the Baroness Nerezza had been no different. It was easy to suspect that the dining room had even been redecorated to best display the young women being shown off. The guest lists had included politicians and diplomats, artists and a glittering array of nobility. The dinner menu had been such a collection of epicurean delight that it was sure to be spoken of with wistful expressions for weeks to come. Of course, not everyone who accepted these invitations was all that interested in the flesh being peddled. There was networking to be done, introductions to be made, the best after dinner conversations over the finest liquors to be enjoyed, and of course, polite games of chance that were themselves merely another excuse for the careful verbal dances that were almost an artform of their own. Several salons had been opened up for the after dinner relaxation of the male guests while the ladies were off doing whatever it is ladies do for the next hour or two. Clever demonic servants flitted about delivering drinks and a variety of popular smokeable things to the young gentlemen who were beginning to gather in knots of conversation, or to just take advantage of the time away from the women for the type of male bonding one simply does not do in the presence of females. Claudio Barimen had no objection to the society of young women -- in fact, he rather enjoyed it -- but on this occasion he was just as glad to relax for a while into the company of his fellow males. A younger son of a minor House, Claudio knew perfectly well he had not been invited to Baroness Nerezza's party as a matrimonial prospect. Any interest the debutantes' parents had in him lay in his ability to portray their daughters appealingly, in portraits and in the style of Trumps sometimes exchanged by affianced couples. This meant that while he was expected to make himself pleasant to the young women so that the prospect of sitting for him did not dismay them, he was expected not to make himself appealing in a way that would dismay their parents. It was a delicate balancing act that, while not without a certain charm of its own, was a strain to keep up for long periods of time. He accepted a glass of garnet-colored wine from one of the house demons and sipped at it, leaning on his walking stick as he surveyed the room. Maybe he'd wander over to the card tables and see if he could get into a game. In the range of Claudio's vision, a game was breaking up and re-forming at one of the octagonal tables. A player was rising and leaving the table; a scion of a minor House attached to Ysarn gave a nod to Claudio as he passed him by. Claudio returned it, in an amiable fashion. "Vico." "Let's reshuffle partners," one of the three remaining at the table said. "Although we need a fourth." "You need a partner, Ingrey," one of the other men, in his brown and black colors replied. "I've had enough of you putting me through hoops to get tricks." "All right, Twyst," Ingrey said. "I suppose you don't want to partner with me, either, do you, Arpril?" he said to the third man at the table, dressed in a palette of pastel pinks and oranges. One of the bannerhouses of Thelbane. "I'm sticking with Twyst," the third man agreed with a toothy grin. "Find some new blood for us. *You're* the people person." Ingrey at that point flickered his eyes upward and noticed Claudio. He raised a finger to gain his attention. The slight man in dark green and bronze, leaning on an elaborately carved stick, acknowledged Ingrey's signal with an inclination of his head. A walking stick was something of an anomaly indoors, but as the young man approached the table, his noticeable limp provided the explanation for its presence. "Looking to join a game?" the diplomat, clad in purple accented with white and gold, asked. "I am, actually," said Claudio, with a smile. His grey eyes flicked over the table. "You need a fourth?" "We need a fourth, and I need a partner. The game is Partnered Tarocco, Corrino Style. I'm Ingrey Wererathe, and this is Twyst Hagal and Arpiril of House Mutelli. You'd be very welcome to join us." Ingrey gestured to the open seat, and took a sip from a large mug of some beverage, a pause to allow the stranger to introduce himself. "Claudio Barimen," the young man said. "It's a pleasure to meet you gentlemen." He moved around to set his wine glass at the empty place. "A Barimen." Ingrey's blue eyes brightened with interest. "Interesting," he said, only a trace of overt interest layered on top of the smooth diplomatic coolness of his tone. A wary look flickered in Claudio's eyes; then he smiled. "Oh, that's right. I remember the Baroness mentioning that you currently have dealings with the =other= branch of the family." His smile took on a satiric twist. "The =disreputable= ones." Ingrey chuckled. "To be precise, I am an assistant to her Excellency Paloma Baccaran and yes, I am in residence in Amber and deal with the fallen line of the Barimens, although they rarely if ever use that name. It's a pleasure to meet one of your bloodline at last. "Have you played the game before?" Ingrey asked as he took up the large, oversized deck and began shuffling it. "Ingrey means how much is he going to have to carry you through to the end of the rubber," Twyst translated. Ingrey ignored the comment. "You mean," Arpiril countered, "Ingrey here is wondering if we're finally going to get some of our money back this time." "The Game is to 800 points," the scion of Mutelli continued. "Losing team pays the difference from their score and 800 to the winning team." Ingrey continued to shuffle the cards calmly. "Oh, I think I can hold up my end," Claudio replied easily, sliding into the seat across from Ingrey. "Good," Ingrey said and began the deal. He dealt fifteen cards to each of the players in groups of five. The odd number of cards left Ingrey, the dealer, with seventeen. After a moment, as per the rules, he discarded two of the cards face down. After a moment of taking a sip of his beverage, he gave a nod to Claudio. "I will not declare a combination this deal, and I will lead with the lovely Queen of Swords," Ingrey began. The play went anti-clockwise, and so Twyst looked at the card doubtfully. "Cagey, Ingrey," Twyst admitted. "I *will* declare, and get some points for me and my partner. I don't care if you see I have them," Twyst said, laying down the queen, knight and jack of cups. "Ten points. And I will play..." he picked up his declared cards back into his hand, and put down a six of swords. Play then went to Ingrey and he looked at Claudio expectantly, as did the other two players, curious as to the style of play of the newcomer. "Any combinations to declare?" Ingrey asked Claudio. "Or are you just going to play?" "Cricce of three kings," Claudio said, laying down the kings of swords, batons, and coins, "and sequence of four batons." To the King already on the table he added the Queen, Jack, and Ace. "Thirty-two points for us." He then gathered up his cards and played the eight of swords. Ingrey grinned at Claudio's play. He gave the Barimen a nod. Play continued as a rhythmic backbeat to conversation. "So you know what I do, but what do you, Claudio?" Ingrey enquired. "Oh, you probably already know, Ingrey," Twyst said. He looked at Claudio. "Ingrey prides himself on information. Sometimes I think he secretly works for Irulan." Claudio arched a brow. "How secret does he have to be? Diplomacy on behalf of the Courts as a whole at least nominally responds to the Thelbane, and in practical terms that means the Lady Irulan, yes?" "As a agent provocateur." Arpril amended. "Sure, our friend Ingrey, who owes us a few more stories of Amber, by the way, might be actually acting on multiple levels beyond a mere diplomat. And in *that* way, working for Irulan." Ingrey chuckled at the byplay and took a sip of his mug. "Enough of deciding what I do for a living. It's often more interesting and revealing to hear someone describe their own position and work. Nuances and self perceptions are different from the inside versus the outside." "How right you are," said Claudio. "I am an artist -- more specifically a portraitist -- which I see at least partly as the attempt to express the one in terms of the other." "An artist." Ingrey repeated, as he put down the mug with one hand, and with the other played a Moor to take the trick. "I am intrigued. It is a pity we are not in Amber, now, or else I would definitely have a commission that I might hire you for." "Or do you already have a patron?" Ingrey asked. "Not as such," replied Claudio, "if by that you mean, someone who commands my services exclusively. Baron Chamfer", a minor court official "has been more of a sponsor. I completed my work for him some time ago, and since then I've been picking up commissions here and there." "I did mean it in that sense." Ingrey confirmed as Arpril laid down a card. "I have found all sorts of systems in places I have been an envoy to." he explained. "I even have some theories on patronage versus free agency in various Courts and why you find one, the other, or both in a particular place." "I'd be interested to hear them," said Claudio, following suit to Arpril's lead. "I'm a firm believer in creative freedom, myself." Ingrey nodded. "May it have been that I've seen your work anywhere?" Ingrey asked. "Well, most of it is in private hands," said Claudio, "but I did have a small exhibition at the Salle Sulpice a little while ago. Of course, if you've been in Amber..." "My primary posting is at the Embassy in Amber." Ingrey explained. "I serve under Her Excellency Paloma Baccaran there. While I am on leave here, I usually perform functions and services for my House. On other occasions, I am completely at liberty and amuse and divert myself as I see fit." "As in taking our money." Twyst said. "I thought you said, Ingrey, that they don't generally play this game on that floating boat thing in Amber." "But then, games tend to fall into families much as people do," observed Claudio. He looked up at Ingrey inquiringly. "'Floating boat thing'?" "The Rambling Queen. Its a ship devoted to all sorts of pleasures, from the culinary to games of chance and skill to prurient interests. It's run by one of your distant relations, Claudio." "On the father's side, I assume. It sounds fascinating," said Claudio. "They don't play the game on the ship." Ingrey added, nodding at Claudio's response. Claudio chuckled. "I think I could live with that." "So that's how *I* was invited by our hostess." Ingrey explained. "I can usually be relied on for ancedotes on Amber for dinner conversation and afters." "Would you say that's an advantage or a disadvantage of the job?" Claudio queried with amusement. "That's an advantage," Ingrey confirmed readily. "I am an Ambassador. I am supposed to talk to people. It's useful for networking, if nothing else. It's easier to negotiate with a House if you first meet its scions in an informal setting." Claudio nodded. "I can see that. I find social occasions similarly useful, as well as being enjoyable in themselves, of course. And not only for making connections. Each setting, each acquaintance, brings out a different facet of a personality. I'm sure you've noticed that." "Well, certainly, I am certain that I come across in a much different manner than if, say, I was negotiating something between Wererathe and Barimen," Ingrey agreed readily. "Come off of it, Ingrey," Arpril said. "You press hard when you are at a card table, *and* when you negotiate." Ingrey chuckled and looked across to his partner. "It's your play, Claudio." "And if I were doing a portrait of Ingrey, you see," Claudio said, scooping up the current trick with the King of Cups that had been lurking in his hand, "I'd want to know that." Ingrey beamed with pride as if Claudio were his student. Arpril and Twyst looked dejected at Claudio's gambit. "I was sure that he didn't have it." the latter complained. "The Barimen has hidden depths and skills." Ingrey agreed. Claudio just smiled. "I'm not so arrogant as to need a portrait of myself," Ingrey said. "However, let me ask you this," Ingrey said as he handed the cards to Arpril to shuffle and deal a new round. "How good of a look have you gotten of members of the Imperial House?" Ingrey inquired. "The Emperor and his niece, for instance." "I haven't yet had the felicity of seeing His Imperial Majesty," replied Claudio. "The Lady Irulan..." He grimaced slightly. "We've been at a few of the same dinners. At opposite ends of the table, of course." Ingrey nodded and smiled as Arpril began to deal out cards. "Here it comes," Twyst said under his breath. "I'm too junior and not of sufficient rank and position to have had the honor of meeting his august Majesty," Ingrey replied. "I am only a junior Ambassador, and I have no noble title within Wererathe or at large of sufficient rank that he might speak to me," Ingrey said. "As for the Lady Irulan, however, I would not say that we are *intimates*, but we have had conversations." Ingrey smiled. "I've a mind to arrange an introduction between the two of you." Ingrey continued. "Although I would have an ulterior motive for doing so." "One always assumes, but it's good to know for sure," Claudio said lightly. "Do you intend to say what it is, or not?" His tone of voice suggested that it was of no great moment to him one way or the other. "Well" Ingrey said with a grin. "I should have thought it would have been obvious." he said, as Twyst played the Sun, taking the trick. "I think to introduce your talents with portraiture to the Lady." Ingrey said. "I had actually hoped that you were well enough acquainted with her that I might commission a portrait of her and his Majesty for the Embassy in Amber. However." Ingrey smiled. "the prospect of bringing your talents to Lady Irulan for the first time should prove advantageous for all of us, don't you think?" "I would like to think so, and I take it as a compliment that you think so too," responded Claudio. "I consider myself a judge of character. And besides...although I have not seen your work, as it so happens, I will now admit that I have an acquaintance who has been to the Salle Sulpice and seen your work. I trust her judgement on the quality of your work. " Arpril whistled low. Ingrey added with a beam of pride. "And so, now that I have met you, Claudio, arrangements will be made in order to facilitate such a meeting." "There remains only to thank you," said Claudio, then added with a grin, "and perhaps to let you know where I am staying. I am currently a guest at the Hôtel Mergerien while completing a portrait of the eldest daughter of the House." "Yes, it would be useful to know where to send the invitation." Ingrey said, amused as he put down a Moon to take the trick. "I've not had the privilege of staying in the Mergerien myself, but I hear that the Lady of the House is a tasteful and knowledgeable collector of all sorts of depictions of their house members, from sculptures to, well, portraits. Any praise you receive from them for your commission will, I am sure, be entirely genuine." "I have indeed taken note of -- and pleasure in -- Lady Mergerian's taste while staying in the House," said Claudio. "A challenge, of sorts, too, of course, but not an unwelcome one." "If we are never challenged," Ingrey replied with a marked tone of agreement with the Barimen Artist, "we never grow our skills." "And if we never take a gamble," replied Claudio, awaiting Ingrey's lead for the last trick, "we never win." "Indeed. No risk, no reward." Ingrey nodded and laid down a Matto, the lowest card, proving Claudio's words, counting on him to count coup on the other two players high cards with one of his own. Claudio's glance flickered over Twyst's face as he waited for him to respond to Ingrey's play. Twyst looked askance at Ingrey's play, and the artist could see the suspicion on Twyst's face. Still, he took the bait, and laid down the highest card he had, a World. Ingrey looked at Claudio expectantly. If Arpril held the Angel...then he and Twyst would not only win the trick, but take a quartet of cards in the last trick to take the entire game. Only if he trusted Claudio to have held the Angel all this time would they themselves clinch the trick, no matter what Arpril would play after the artist did. There was a pause -- dramatic, no doubt -- before Claudio laid the Angel on the table. "Our trick, I think," he said mildly. With a horrified look on his face, Arpril put down the last card, a Moon. And with the four cards taken in trick, a bonus of 25 points to Claudio and Ingrey's team, far and away clinching the game even before counting the cards in their hands. "Are you a ringer?" Arpril demanded of Claudio, in a tone of mild frustration. "Have you been feigning not knowing Ingrey in order to lure us into a game?" For his part, Twyst had already risen, put down a handful of coins and already departed. Claudio shook his head. "No, truly, we've never spoken before today. You'll have to put it down to luck ... or perhaps Ingrey's judgement of people." He grinned over at Ingrey. "Knowing a dark horse when he sees one." "Fine. Either way, you gentlemen win. I'll not dispute it further." He put down some coins himself, and stalked away from Claudio and the table. Ingrey calmly finished his mug, stood, and methodically began splitting the coins into two halves. "To the victors go the spoils." Ingrey said. "I hope we haven't spoiled the rest of your evening," Claudio remarked. Ingrey finished his counting and pushed one of the piles of the octagonal shaped pieces of coins toward Claudio. "Truly, if I wanted to do it the classical way, it would be: I divide, you choose." Ingrey remarked. "But I think we've grown to trust each other, at least to some degree." he added. "Not to mention respect," agreed Claudio, accepting the pile of coins. With a tilted smile he added, "Besides, I save my caution for more important things." "My policy, and the policy of any diplomat." Ingrey inclined his head in turn, pocketing the other pile. "is to trust, but also to verify. It was taught to me early in my career and has served me well." Claudio nodded thoughtfully, and offered, "I find that taking people at face value is workable if you know how to value faces." "Well spoken for a portraitist." Ingrey agreed. "A mutually beneficial meeting, I think." He glanced back at the table. "And even profitable." |
