Session 71: "Alas, my days of buggering boys are over."

	Random wants to see Ulysses in his office.  He asks Ulysses to be
the ambassador to Chaos.  Ulysses refuses.  He doesn't want to spend time
in Chaos.  Random pulls out a list of the people in Amber.  Ulysses
suggests one of Archimedes' older kids.  Random suggests Beauty.  Ulysses
says "wrong."  Ulysses looks for alternatives on the list.  He finds none. 
Ulysses says he will be ambassador, remotely, until Dakota has been
trained to take his place.  Random gives Ulysses 24 hours to come up with
an argument not to go.

	An inventory of people Dworkin gave rings to, and the status of
those rings, is taken.  Archimedes and Benedict lost theirs during the
explosion in Ivory.  Caitlin, Sky, Aelle, Orrin, Melanie, Laughter and
Fiona have theirs and are wearing them.  Ulysses has one, but is not
wearing it.

	Archimedes rounds up the participates for Claudio's gauntlet. 
Some of them chose to use edged weapons.

	Ragnar is in the bad part of town, keeping his ears open.  People
don't seem to know how Archimedes got married and had two kids so fast.  A
new ambassador is coming to Amber and will be living in the town as
opposed to the castle.  Killian is not well liked.  The family of the
guards he killed are spreading this rumor.  Ragnar picks a few fights.  He
is approached by a swarthy man before lunch.  He wants a little
information from Ragnar on Chaos.  He also wants to know what Kaedric is
up to.  Ragnar offers to make a hit on Kaedric if the man pays him.  The
man offers to buy and takes Ragnar to Bloody Piotr's.  The man wonders
about the impending peace.  Ragnar shares his views on Chaos.  Ragnar asks
him what he wants after the third drink.  Poker, the man says.  They talk
stakes, then play.  The man eventually asks Ragnar about his skills. 
Assassination and intimidation are discussed.

	Dawn comes.  Claudio Trumps Kaedric very early.  Claudio requests
Kaedric's aid.

	Melanie goes to Amber.  She can tell that Kaedric is in town. 
There is a crowd at the arena.  Claudio and Kaedric are at one end,
Random, Caine, Julian, Ulysses, Archimedes, Dakota and Vain are at the
other end.

	Ragnar uses force magic to make floating opera glasses.

	Claudio makes an insulting comment about Melanie to Kaedric. 
Kaedric goes down to the other end of the arena and asks Archimedes if he
can join the gauntlet.  Sure.

	The gauntlet begins.  Kaedric fists Claudio.  Ulysses hits him in
the back of the knee with a bat.  Vain smacks him.  Random cuts his arm. 
Julian knocks him down.  Caine picks him up and punches him.  Archimedes
taps him on the sternum with a staff and knocks him toward Dakota.  Dakota
hits him hard, then tosses him into the wall.  Claudio makes his way back. 
Caine sticks a knife in both shoulders and pats him on the ass.  Ulysses
Trumps him up into the air and punches him on the way down.  Kaedric
breaks two fingers, gives him an uppercut, then tosses him over his
shoulder to hang the flag.

	Afterwards, Kaedric asks when Claudio wants him to turn his
shapeshifting back on.  After the wedding.

	Dakota, Ulysses, Archimedes and Claudio will do the sweat lodge in
a week.

	Melanie returns to Chaos.  Kaedric is there.  Melanie asks after
Claudio.  They discuss breakfast and Melanie's opinion of the show. 
Kaedric has a meeting with Swayvill.  They discuss the anti-Caitlin group.

	Ragnar visits Claudio.  Ragnar wants him to play messenger.

	Kaedric shows up on the battlements to talk to Archimedes as an
old friend, not as a crown prince.  Kaedric would like to avoid a cold
war.  Archimedes asks him about Kaedric's opinion on where the Jewel of
Judgment should stay.  Kaedric doesn't see the need to return it,
especially since the Serpent wants Melanie for something.  Archimedes
conjures him some high quality smokes and tells him to hide them from
Melanie.

	Killian is brought to the arena.  Moire has sent Caine to help
Killian along.  They discuss wooing women.  Caine gives him the Kama Sutra
and decides Killian needs to learn how to read.

	Shandril Trumps Melanie.  Is she ready for the meeting?  Melanie
gets ready, while warning Kaedric through her ring that this is happening.

	Kaedric, on the battlements still, says, "She's leaving without
me."  He then studies his ring, and Archimedes doesn't interrupt him.

	Melanie goes through to Shandril.  Melanie steps through a
doorway, and Kaedric loses track of her.  Kaedric swears.  Melanie sees
Finndo sitting behind a desk.  They discuss revenge and Caitlin.  Finndo
wants Caitlin's death.  Melanie wants the head of house covered.  They
discuss changing the house rules.  There is still the demon underworld. 
Finndo wants Melanie's support in killing Caitlin.  Finndo doesn't
necessarily need Kaedric's support.  Finndo wants a promise - full support
for the overthrow of House Halybard, troops if necessary.  Would there be
opposition from the Crown?  It would depend on the circumstances.  Finndo
wants only the house, not the throne.

	Melanie asks Shandril about Maron.  Shandril will not tell her how
she knows of the future.  Kaedric is pacing the front hall and smoking
when she returns.  He asks what happened.  Melanie explains and Kaedric
excuses himself.  He also takes his ring off.  Melanie Trumps the
cigarettes back to Archimedes, but hangs onto one of them.

	Ragnar continues to hang out until he hears from Claudio.  Kaedric
finds Ragnar in the castle.  Kaedric needs his services.  He wants Finndo
killed.  Finndo is planning on moving troops into Halybard.  The royal
family cannot help him.  Finndo is to be contained in the Strangeways or
killed.

	Ragnar finds Caine and tells him that he has been contracted. 
Amber wants Finndo dead.  Ragnar needs transportation.  He would like to
leave tomorrow.

	Archimedes finishes off the peyote he had been conjuring on the
battlements, then tries to find his room.  He ignores the unusual sights
until he runs into Caine.  Caine says he'll let him come down before
talking to him.  Archimedes slips into his room.  Laughter follows him in
and gives him the drug lecture.  Cigarettes fall on him from above. 
Laughter has to point out that that actually did happen.

	Killian jumps off of houses in Rebma.  He gets used to moving
underwater and collects a crowd while he is at it.

	Archimedes returns to consciousness and heads to the gardens.  He
helps Laughter.

	Kaedric returns.  Melanie and Kaedric are invited to Claudio's
wedding.  They discuss why Kaedric is so angry.  Melanie gives him the
last cigarette to smoke.  He goes outside to finish it, then comes inside
and has a drink.  Melanie points out that Finndo was unlikely to kill her,
since he can't afford to piss off the Crown.  Kaedric decides he's getting
bodyguards for the family.

	A week passes.  Claudio Trumps Sand (the original one).  They
speak about Abigail.  He explains the gauntlet.  He refuses to shapeshift. 
Sand knows Abigail was killed in self defense.  He rationalizes Abigail's
death.  Kaedric and the other Sand have already told her.  Sand wants the
killer's name.

	Ragnar is thinking about the hit on Finndo.  There is a knock at
his door.  He opens it with force magic.  It is Sand.  She mentions the
duel.  Ragnar is willing to settle it.  She wants him to take her to
dinner.  She wants to know the story.  Sand is upset about the morphine. 
Sand mentions that she had a hand in raising Abigail.  Sand is interested
in a second date.

	Ragnar drops in on Claudio and confuses him as punishment for
delivering his message incorrectly.

	Claudio's vision quest takes place.  In his vision, Claudio is
standing at the end of the aisle in the chapel of the Unicorn.  He is
wearing a heavy cloak.  He joins his wife at the alter.  The high priest
is there.  The cleric has the crown and is about to crown him.  Claudio
takes it from him and crowns himself.  Then he crowns his wife, who
happens to be Melanie.  Claudio screams.

	In Ulysses' vision, he is standing in a tomb preparing bodies for
burial.  They number 30-40.  These are all people he knows.  A small child
tugs at his robe.  The boy has green hair and leads Ulysses outside. 
There are 15 green-haired children, ten blond, and others there, as well. 
Ulysses feels like he needs to say something to them.

	In Archimedes' vision, he has eight legs and is spinning a red,
sticky web.  It is being used to hold Shadow together.  It requires all of
his attention and takes a very long time to weave.

	Killian's tutor arrives.  She introduces herself as Cordelia.  She
is to oversee his education.  She says he can go through the door first,
since he is weaker.  He kicks the door open and then tosses her inside. 
He says that he is not from Rebma.  She is to teach him to read and sing. 
Killian has his first lesson.  They cover the alphabet, manners and
clothing.  She takes him to the market.

	Claudio has a hard time coming down from the peyote.  Archimedes
splashes some cold water on him and he starts screaming.  Ulysses has to
bring him down.

	Ragnar continues on his plans for Finndo.

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