Thursday Got back late last night. Yesterday was a long day, and I've spent a bit too much time at sea. Left as soon as we got into port... well not quite. We had to dock first - of coarse - and I had to make sure everything was in order before I dismissed everyone. M'crew was ready for leave, as was I. Didn't want to spend another night aboard ship - so I stole away in the middle of the night. I fell asleep before my head hit the pillow... and in my clothes. Oh-well. I spent a delightful morning with Eris - after she woke me up... actually, after she had da wake me... actually, after she had da drag me out of bed. She'd heard that I came home, and I think she's cast me in the role of favorite uncle. She's such a lovely child, even if she does infringe on sleep. I intend to be as good to her, as my uncles were to me. We may have some family problems, but she's had a rough start in life, and doesn't need to see all of them right now. Her smile is enough to brighten any day, and her laughter lightens my mood quicker than Droppa ever could. Got girls in every harbor, and Eris, by far, is the best one. We spent much of the morning playing horse'n'rider - she's far to young to ride a real horse, and she seems content with my shoulders. She took a nap in the garden, and Driscle and I spoke while she slept. He's been a good friend, too. He and Martin. Martin can be a cocky litte shit sometime, but he's a pretty good drinking partner. Driscle's had a hard time of it all, though. He misses his wife. He's got no problem finding anyone to take care of the child, but all of the aunts and uncle and cousins, in all of shadow, can't replace a wife... or a mother... This all is getting a bit too depressing for me... and I'm writing it! Eris woke up around lunch time and we all went in to eat. Meals have been sort of quiet with everyone away - more for me, I guess. Relatively light lunch: whitefish with lemon, rice, juice, and chocolate ice-cream. Yummy, but it set Eris right off. Little ball of energy, she is. Afterwards, she, Driscle, Maeve and me played catch for a while. Vialle came out to the gardens and told Eris a story... and I took a nap. Eris right tired me out - not suprised, really. I AM suprised that I lasted as long as I did, on the amount of sleep I got. I think that Vialle sang to Eris while I was asleep - I'm not sure, though. I hope I wasn't dreaming - I'd love to learn the words. Someone just woke me up. I was quite surprised, really, and I took me a good 15 minutes to untangle meself from the hammock I was sleeping on. It seems that the war is over. Treaty negotiations are about to begin, and Benedict thinks that we should have all of the royal family we can scrounge at the conference. They're just starting to trump people through. I should be on my way... Ariana rode over to us right after we arrived in Chaos. Ahab wasn't to be found, but it was good to see her. She'd tried to keep in touch over the years, but I heard from her less and less often. I'm glad she didn't get hurt, or die, or something. She did still have that tattoo, though. Two years is a mighty long time to keep something unwanted like that around. Hmm... I hope that doesn't explain Ahab's absence! Other the other hand... she was kind of busy, and it does take some doing to remove a tattoo. Anyway... future note, when you want to lift someone, grab them around the waist, not the shoulders - it's more comfortable for them. I gave her a huge hug - words could not express her excitement! She must have had a long day, though, 'cause the ride over winded her. Couldn't say a word - even minutes after I hugged her! Strange, that. The elders were talking to some of the Chaos higher-ups, and they started moving off of the battlefields. We all followed. People slowed down. There was something coming out of the mist. The Unicorn came out of the mists! In Chaos even! Payed Her proper respect, we did. She walked up to Corwin, and stared at him for a while... and then he removed the Jewel, and hung it on Her horn. She edged back, and looked us over. We stood, transfixed, as She moved toward Random! She kneeled at his knees, bowed Her head, and the Jewel slid down Her horn into his lap. The Unicorn seems to have decided that Random should be king, rather than Corwin. Corwin seemed relieved... Random - shocked. She reared up, and galloped away, as mysterious as she came. All of us were shocked - Random most of all. I walked over to Driscle and Martin and said "I thought that Corwin was supposed to be the king, m'boys?!" Driscle stood, speechless, and Martin turned to me and said "Guess not." Martin does seem to have a way with words. Walked over to Random and said "Uncle, I'm really surprised, and confused by all of this, but good luck." He accepted my words, and I turned away. Went to talk to the other youngers. The elders went and paid fealty to Random. Looked shocked through the whole thing, he did. Don't think that he expected this - couldn't have really. None one can tell when the Unicorn is going to take it upon Herself to make an apperance. Corwin looked relieved. I am too. Corwin doesn't get to be the king!!! I knew there was a reason I came home. Ariana has seem to have found a new friend. Big suprise. There was a stranger on the battlefield - Corwin had been speaking with him when we arrived. Ariana talked to him too - introduced herself, she did. We were all led to a hall in their palace - if that's what you want to call it. Looked to be some sort of pre- meeting get-together. A woman with short brown hair came in to the hall and yelled the name "Merlin." She didn't seem very pleased. The stranger that Ariana and Corwin spoke with followed her out, in response. He must be Merlin. After a few hours, the real negotiations began. We went to meet the King of Chaos - King Swayvil. He didn't seem very pleased to see us. Anyway, many formal introductions were made, and the barganing started. I couldn't follow much of it, but it seems that Chaos is getting the short end of the stick. About half way through all of this, an old man walks in an' says "You started without me? Did you think that I wouldn't come?" Swayvil doesn't even offer so much as a "Welcome Dworkin!" but there was a buzz going around the room. "Dworkin Barimen has returned!" the Chaosites said. Barimen? He has a last name? Swayvil looked less pleased to see great-grandpa than he did to see us. Dworkin started the verbal his verbal attack on Swayvil, and before long, we appeared to have a treaty - a very restrictive one for Chaos, but, hey, they lost. Random offered some towards the treaty, and although he didn't like the interruption, Dworkin allowed him to speak. Only reasonable, really, but Dworkin appeared extremely annoyed by it all. In the course of it all, Mandor was assigned as Chaos' ambassador to Amber. Dworkin declared that the meeting was over. Swayvil invited us to leave. Dworkin, still ignoring Swayvil, declared that it was time to leave. I gave Ariadne's trump another try - thinking "She's from Chaos, I'm in Chaos... Maybe the trump will work." It didn't. I'm disappointed. I still wonder why she asked me all of those questions. I'm beginning to think that I'll never know. 'Tis a shame. While we were waiting to leave, Ariana said she wanted to go find Ahab. Dworkin said "No. You'll wait here." Ariana said "No. I'm just going to check the library, ok?" Dworkin didn't agree. I told Ariana that I have found Martin to be much like Ahab, and that she shouldn't worry too much. If she couldn't find Ahab, Martin was around. Ariana had the gall to ask me if I had "tried" Ahab. Just the thought turns my stomach. "Oh really?" she said, "Have you tried them both?" Maybe not those words exactly, but her inference was clear. Yuck. Got a bit flustered at the whole conversation. Driscle told me to becareful with Ariana, "She bites," he said. I said that it was time to leave. Driscle asked me if I wanted to go have a drink at Bloody Jake's, to get my mind off of things, and I nodded. Then we stepped through the trump "portal" that Fiona and Bleys had constructed. Friday Don't really remember much more about last night. Got back from Chaos, and went drinking, we did. Driscle, Martin, and me. Spent a very long time drinking. It was just an evening of social drinking... not like the first time I took them to Bloody Jake's. Actually then, it was Bloody Pete's, but it's back to Jake's. Anyhow, they decided it would be fun to try to drink me under the table. Thinking back, it was Martin's idea, but Driscle went along with it. Don't know if he knew better. Might have been some sort of brother bonding thing, I s'ppose. Didn't take very long. Glad I had my trump with me though, didn't really like the thought of carrying both of them home. Not that I couldn't have done it! It just would have taken some time. Last night was different. As far as I can tell, Martin was playing a new game: Let's see how long it takes to get Felix REALLY drunk. Or maybe: Just HOW much beer can Felix drink before he explodes? I don't know, but the rules were not in my favor. Sorta a fun game... although m'purse is a bit lighter. I think I got to pay for the evening. I vaguely remember Ariana and Julian(?) showing up later. Julian sure as hell wouldn't go drinking with his niece and nephews, so it must have been Shard. Martin took some time to explain the rules of his game, and before long, Ariana was playing right along. Not that there were many rules... or that you'd have to be very bright to learn them... I hope that this doesn't become a national sport. Would just ruin the drinking experience for me! My throat was a bit sore when I woke up... Must have got me to sing... Hope they let me back into the bar... I think that I also danced with Ariana. Hope I didn't break anything! I guess I'll just have to find out next time I go back. Maybe take a little more money than usual ... just in case... Driscle left. This morning at breakfast, he said that I trumped him at four in the morning. I must have been really drunk. Does that mean I won Martin's game? Or did he? Hmm. I think that Martin and Ariana left before I did. Must have just trumped home when I was done, 'cause I woke up in bed, not in the alley. Can't remember if Shard was still there or not... or if he trumped home with me... Saw him at breakfast, though. Got home somehow. Doesn't appear to drink very well - looked like Ahab did the morning after Eric set his shoulder. Woke up around 9:30, I think. Showered - normally do, this morning especially so... I was rank with sweat, and my hair was pretty gross. Breakfast was... interesting? Martin, Ariana and Shard tried to convince me that I had been with a barmaid last night. Not too far fetched, really. I got the impression, though, that they were witness to everything that the barmaid and I "did." I have never been that tacky! They said that we were engaged! "Don't you remember?" No, I didn't remember. Da looked extremely alarmed - I'm sure I did too, but I couldn't see my face. Saw da's, though. Did I really get THAT drunk? Eeek. Hope not. I truely hope that it was just another one of Martin's games. I asked Driscle about it. He said that they were leading me on - which they denied. Da still looked upset about the whole thing. With whom, I wonder? I'll have to talk to him about it later. Dworkin came to breakfast. Comes into the great hall, saying "From now on, we're all going to live in the Castle together. Just like one big, HAPPY family." Then he pulled out his trump deck, and most of the family not in attendance was... was... in attendance. I noticed that Ahab and Mirelle weren't there, but Dworkin sat down next to me, and I wasn't going to do anything but offer him food. He said that he was going to move back into his laboratory - which was conviently located on the third floor. It's nice that great-grandpa is back, an' all, but he is a little strange, and I hope that he keeps his experiments in his room! Brand got to sit near us. Can't say that I was very happy to see him. Last time I saw him, he turned my da into a piece of furniture. Hope he doesn't want a matched set. Pretty much stopped eating breakfast then. Brand asked to be placed under Random's protection, which Random accepted. Then Brand requested one of the nicer rooms in the dungeon. Random seemed to think that it wasn't necessary. I hope he's right. Eris was the highlight of my morning. After breakfast, she, Driscle, Alex and I went out to play. Eris likes to play catch, so we played catch. I told Driscle that I thought Martin's jibes weren't always meant in good fun, and expressed my displeasure with our younger "Ahab." He's usually pretty nice to me, but if the breakfast table was any example, I'm glad that I can't remember that much about last night. Driscle said that Martin just had some growing up to do. Also asked Alex about Mandor. Alex hasn't seen him - and as far as I know he hasn't shown up yet. Maybe he's assignment has been cancelled? Don't know. I just hope that Eris turns out more like her father than her uncle.