From Kris.Fazzari@um.cc.umich.edu Mon Feb 28 13:27:04 1994 Date: Mon, 28 Feb 94 11:34:10 EST From: Kris.Fazzari@um.cc.umich.edu To: thari@umich.edu Subject: Kris' Campaign Log Chapter Thirty-four Mebd interrupts Heather and Mandor's breakfast and is sent into the other room to play with Emer. Heather and Mandor have a quiet breakfast until the baby starts to cry. Heather goes into the other room to breast feed Emer. While she is engaged in this, she hears a soft conversation taking place in the room where she had been eating with Mandor. One of the voices is Mandor's. The other soft, almost purring voice is one that she hasn't heard before. She strains to hear and realizes that a contract of servitude is being discussed. The strange voice says it feels honored to serve the Crown Prince of Chaos. Heather decides she really doesn't want to know any more about this and stops paying attention. Alex finds a fast time shadow to learn detective work involving dead bodies, including how to raise the dead. He finishes in two years and returns to Amber, where only one day has passed. He finds Mebd throwing rocks at Benedict's goldfish. When he asks why, she jumps, since she didn't realize he was behind her. She explains that she didn't realize they were Benedict's fish. He asks what's upsetting her. She says she's fine, if a little bored. He asks if she wants some excitement. Mebd asks what he means. He tells her what little he learned about her father, including the fact that he wasn't given a decent burial, and asks if she wants to give him a more appropriate burial. She figures that's the proper thing to do, but she doesn't know what the Protestant custom is, and she doesn't think there'll be much information in Amber. Alex tells her he wasn't planning to stay in Amber. Mebd explains that she promised to stay with Heather. Alex tells her she wouldn't have to be gone long. She tells him to go ahead and get her when he's ready. Ahab wakes up from his nap. Deirdre is still breathing and has a little more color. He uses a Trump to determine it's late morning in Amber. He Trumps Kimdyl and asks how Murine is doing. Kimdyl doesn't know and admits she probably should check. Ahab asks what Kimdyl was doing for the past six months. Kimdyl tells him she spend most of the time looking for Murine. Apparently they were only together for a week or so. Ahab asks what Murine's captors were doing with her. Kimdyl learned she was the linchpin in some Chaos plot, but didn't have time to find out much. Ahab tells her what he's heard about it, namely that it involves Amber half-breeds. He asks what happened to Murine to put her in such bad shape. Kimdyl says that Murine's stupidity has a way of catching up with her. Ahab asks for details, but Kimdyl won't say any more about it. Ahab catches movement from Deirdre, so he breaks the contact to check it out. Ahab realizes Deirdre is regaining consciousness and scoots his cot back a bit. He addresses her and gets no response. He tries again. She mumbles and tries to move. He asks if she's conscious. She says she thinks she is. Ahab unties her after she promises not to try anything. Deirdre looks a bit dazed. Ahab asks if she's OK. She says she'd feel better if the backboard was removed. Ahab calls Gerard in and asks if the backboard is necessary. After determining that she can move her legs, Gerard removes it and leaves. Ahab notices that Deirdre seems to be focusing on the air in front if her. He asks what she's doing. She tells him she shouldn't have put him through that. Ahab is quite startled by this, since Deirdre never shows remorse. He asks why she did it. She says she wasn't able to see beyond the moment. He notices that she looks as though a great weight has been lifted from her. He asks her if she's going to do it again. She assures him that she won't. Felix wakes up in Amber and Trumps Ahab. He tells Ahab he has something he needs to talk to him about at length. Ahab asks him to sum up. Felix says it's about the children. Ahab tells him to go on. Felix insists it would be easier to talk about in person, so Ahab pulls him through. Felix realizes too late that he's just left Foster alone in his room. Ahab tries to convince Felix that Foster will be fine, but Felix isn't so sure. He tells Ahab that he spoke to Murine last night and learned a couple of things. First, most of Murine's injuries were caused by Kimdyl. Ahab crows that he knew Kimdyl was hiding something. Felix frowns and explains that Murine fears Kimdyl is not completely free from Rygat's influence. At this point, Felix gets a Trump call from Ariana. Ariana realizes Felix is not in Amber. She asks him if he'd be willing to pass Kira and her guards through when he gets back. She also asks if he's learned anything else from Murine. He hasn't. She asks if he's told Random about the half-breed plot. He hasn't. Ahab overhears this and volunteers to do so. Ariana asks how Deirdre is doing. Ahab asks who Felix is talking to. Felix tells Ahab it's Ariana and tells Ariana that Deirdre seems to be well. Ariana asks if Felix has talked to Alex. Felix admits he's forgotten, but says he'll do it as soon as he gets back. Ariana asks how Foster is doing, forcing Felix to admit that he left him alone in Amber. Ariana says she'll Trump him later, when he's back in Amber. Felix and Ahab argue over who's more believable, Kimdyl or Murine. Realizing that they're not getting anywhere, Felix returns to Amber. Heather finishes feeding Emer and gives her to Mebd. She rejoins Mandor in the other room where she finds a cross between a cat and a coutimundi (or however you spell it). He bows formally to her. Mandor introduces him as Isbtan and explains that he's contracted Isbtan to guard Emer. Heather isn't quite sure how to take this. While they eat, Isbtan brings Mandor up to date on people in Chaos he should keep an eye on for being overly ambitious. Heather finishes breakfast and excuses herself. She goes to the other room to get dressed and fill in Mebd. Alex goes to Heather's shadow and finds Mebd's father's unmarked grave. He tries to use the Logrus to locate John's bones and finds the bones of a demon of Chaos. Alex goes back to Amber to ponder this new information. Deirdre asks Ahab to wash her hair. Since he has no materials available, he picks her up and Trumps Kimdyl. Kimdyl is reading in the library, and gives him quite a startled look when she seems him holding Deirdre. He has Kimdyl pull them through, then helps Deirdre to his quarters and sets her down in a chair, while he gets a bowl of water and starts washing her hair. When Felix returns to his room, he discovers that Foster is gone. He checks the library and finds that Foster is not there but Kimdyl is. He checks his parents' quarters, but still no Foster. He goes back to the library and asks Kimdyl to "do that Chaos thing" and find Foster. He adds too late that he doesn't want her to move Foster, he just wants to know where Foster is. Kimdyl grabs Foster with the Logrus and drags him into the room. He looks really annoyed and orders Kimdyl to put him down, so she drops him. Felix catches him and apologizes, but explains that Foster was gone. Foster points out that Felix was also gone. Felix apologizes again. Foster tells Felix he was in the armory. He asks if Felix will feel better if he promises not to leave the castle. Felix asks him not to let strange Chaosites into the room. Foster looks puzzled but agrees. He goes aback to the armory. Felix asks a page to locate Alex. Twenty minutes later he is informed that Alex is gone. He tells the page to let him know if Alex turns up and goes to his parents' quarters. She asks if he found Foster. Felix looks sheepish. Isabeux notes that it's fortunate that Foster is ten and not an infant. Felix is eager to move Foster out to the summer house, since he seemed happy about that. As Felix leaves his parents' quarters, he is approached by a page who tells him that Alex is on top of the castle. He finds Alex pondering on the battlements. Felix passes Ariana's message along, mangling it badly in the process. Alex pretends he understands. He asks how things are going with Foster. Felix admits that he misplaced Foster earlier that morning. He asks if Alex can look into the plot and then asks him to find out what they're going to do with the children. Alex points out this is somewhat unclear and asks for more details. Felix realizes Alex has no idea what he's talking about, and that he's probably given away some information that he shouldn't have. He says he'll get back to Alex and walks away smacking his head. Heather Trumps Benedict and asks if now is a good time for to begin the training they had discussed earlier. He asks her to call him back in half an hour. When she does so, he pulls her through. She finds herself in the backyard of a manor house. Benedict asks if she's decided where she wishes to begin. Heather isn't sure. He asks what weapons she's familiar with. She figures her whip is the most useful weapon she knows how to use. He asks her to show him what she can do with it. After watching her attempt to attack him for a few minutes, he stops her and begins to correct her procedures. Alex goes looking for Mebd. He doesn't find her in her room or in Mandor and Heather's new quarters. Mandor says he hasn't seen Mebd since morning. Alex tells Mandor about Felix's odd questions concerning a half-breed plot. Mandor doesn't offer any additional information on the subject. Alex checks the garden for Mebd. No luck. She's not in the library either, but Kimdyl is. He says hello to her before ducking out again. He asks a page to find Mebd, but they also haven't seen her since morning. He asks the page to check with the guards at the front gate to see if she's left the castle. The page returns to tell him that she apparently left around noon. Alex wanders down into town, looking for her in the places they went together. Ahab and Deirdre apologize to each other for their recent behavior while he washes her hair. He asks what they'll do now. She asks if he's up to starting over. He's more than happy to. She asks him to take her back to the Rose, because she has a few things to say to Corwin. Ahab skips the middle man and Pattern transports them directly to Corwin. Deirdre asks Corwin to help her walk back to the tent. Ahab's Pattern ghost walks up behind him and says "Now that's a pretty sight." Ahab decides it's been much too nice a day to spoil it by dealing with his ghost, so he Trumps back to Amber. Ahab goes to the infirmary and introduces himself to Murine. He asks her about the half-breed plot. She explains that she doesn't know any details, just that it exists. He asks about her accusations towards Kimdyl. She tells him that Kimdyl used to be in the movement as well, and it seemed pretty suspicious that she was suddenly pregnant with an Amberite's child. Ahab asks how Murine became disenchanted with the plotters. She says he wouldn't understand, since he hasn't had his child yet. He explains the circumstances under which he met Kimdyl, and how she offered to let him kill her after she was deprogrammed. Murine says that Kimdyl always was a good actress. Ahab asks Murine how good Chaos' intelligence was during the war. She tells him that Rygat had a spy in Chaos that reported directly to Rygat, but neither Murine nor Kimdyl were that high up in the hierarchy. He asks how she's doing and comments that Foster is an interesting child. Murine says he's a bit of a geek. Ahab asks if it reminds her of her childhood. She replies that she was hoping Foster got it from his father. Ahab points out that this is unlikely. Murine figures if Foster inherited much from her side of the family, he'll be a cutthroat little bastard. Ahab points out that Chaos will hardly give up looking for Foster just because she's given up on them. She agrees and says she's healing as fast as possible. Ahab asks if Kimdyl really caused most of Murine's injuries. Murine assures him that she'll get even, at an appropriate time. Ahab isn't pleased about this. Ariana returns home and listens to Mark complain about his latest student. He asks how her day went. She tells him it went well, especially since she hasn't had any morning sickness yet. Mark mentions that some women have it throughout their pregnancy, then wishes he hadn't brought it up. Ariana asks if he's told his parents yet. He says they're rather old fashioned, so he's been putting it off. He figures they'd take it better if she had a diamond on her finger. She asks if that's a proposal. Mark replies that he figured he'd check with her first. She tells him to ask if he wants an answer. He says he'll need a day or so to get the ring. They go out to dinner. Felix fences with Foster. He asks how Foster's day went. Foster figures it was a success since he avoided Eris all day. Felix tells him to apologize to her at dinner. Foster looks like he's regretting bringing the topic up. While they are walking back to Felix's room, Felix notices Foster slowing down and asks what's wrong. Foster says he feels odd and wants to lie down. He thinks he's getting a fever. Felix feels Foster's forehead, which is unusually warm. He says he hopes Foster will feel better by dinner, and if not, he's sure Eris will be happy to come by and offer her condolences. Foster lies down in their quarters. Heather finishes the day's instruction with Benedict and Trumps back to Amber. She takes a shower to clean up for dinner. Alex finds Mebd shopping in a clothing store. She is carrying several bags, so Alex endeavors not to be seen, not wanting to be sucked into another shopping trip. He follows her when she leaves the store with even more parcels. She looks at her bags then at the castle and starts heading back. He sneaks up behind her and asks her if she wants him to Logrus those up for her. Her back stiffens for a moment before she whirls around. She asks if he's trying to drive her into an early grave. He apologizes. She seems to be in a bad mood. Alex calls up the Logrus and uses it to search for signs of her demonic heritage in her. He discovers traces of a type of demon that he hasn't seen before. He also sees that she seems to be in pupa stage right now, but the pupa is getting translucent. He has a bad feeling about this. He asks if he can at least help her with her bags. She asks if he has any ulterior motives. He assures her that he has no more than usual. She apologizes for being in such a bad mood and asks what he sees in her. He tells her he sees something special, something different. She claims that's too good to be true and says she wants some time to herself tonight. Alex doesn't like this idea, but he can't convince her otherwise. Ahab heads into town, passing Alex and Mebd as they return. They greet each other. Ahab goes to the best jeweler in town to get an engagement ring for Kimdyl. The jeweler is quite happy to see him again. Ahab finds an appropriate ring: a large ruby, surrounded by onyx set in silver. The jeweler tells him it's a good choice, since it's so difficult to set jewels of that quality. The price quoted is not unreasonable, so Ahab makes a down payment and sets out to acquire the necessary cash. He finds that Japanese Apple Pears are currently in short supply, so he makes plans to find some in shadow. But first, goes back to the castle with the ring and makes himself presentable. He finds Heather using the second floor shower so he uses the third floor one. Mark and Ariana discuss possible names for the baby over dinner. She tells him she wants to name the baby Jalana if it's a girl. She explains that it was the name of her childhood friend. He suggests Frank if it's a boy, or Vincent. She thinks Frank is too short a name, but Vincent is more acceptable. The only one of Ariana's suggested names that Mark likes is Jason. Foster cons Felix into leaving him alone to rest while Felix goes down to dinner. Heather walks by her old room and thinks she hears something from inside. It sounds like something was dropped. She listens intently and hears glass breaking in the library. Alex and Ahab hear glass breaking as well, except it sounds like it's coming from the rooms on the East side off the castle. They investigate. They hear what sounds like a bookcase falling over coming from Felix's room. Ahab runs in and finds Foster doing his damnedest to stay away from a 7-foot tall demon. Ahab's entrance distracts Foster enough for the demon to grab him. It tells Ahab to stay back and sinks it's claws into Foster's left arm to emphasize its point. It starts backing into the other room. Ahab demands it's name. It laughs. Alex hears the commotion and runs for the room. Ahab waits for the demon to reach the window in the other room and turn, before whipping his dagger at it. The demon is unaffected and jumps out the window. Ahab gets the briefest tingling of a Trump contact but then it fades. Heather runs into the library. She finds a broken window with Ahab's Trump lying on the floor beneath it. She Trumps Mandor, who asks if she's all right. He says the demon population has increased in Amber. They decide to figure out who the Trump belonged to. Alex gets to Felix's room right after the demon leaves and spots it winging its way over the ocean. Alex tries a Process Surge power word on it, but it has no affect. Ahab Trumps Felix, pulls him through, and breaks the news to him. Alex grabs the demon with the Logrus and makes psychic contact. They are evenly matched. Alex holds out his hand and Ahab and Felix join in, allowing them to control the demon. They are bringing it back to the castle when Foster stabs it in a soft spot, causing it to drop him. Alex grabs Foster with another Logrus tendril and starts reeling in both of his catches. The demon begins shapeshifting rapidly, making it more difficult for them to control it. Eventually it goes into an automatic shapeshift. Felix drops out of the contact to Trump Murine, causing Alex to lose his grip on the demon. It makes a swipe at Foster, but is too far away, so it drops into the ocean. Alex brings Foster in and hands him to Felix. Foster's eyes are very wide and his arm is exceptionally bloody, but otherwise he's fine. Alex tells Ahab to check on Kimdyl while Alex checks Mandor's room. Ahab finds that Kimdyl does not answer his Trump and discovers broken glass in the library. Alex goes to Mandor's room where Mandor's globes are circling. Mandor asks who they've lost. Alex fills him in. Heather arrives as Alex explains that Ahab is looking for Kimdyl. She asks if Kimdyl was in the library. When Alex confirms this, she says Ahab might want his Trump back then. Mandor sends a sphere down the hall. Heather goes into the other room to make sure Emer is OK. Isbtan is in the crib, licking its claws. Emer appears to be fine. Heather picks Emer up and holds her. Alex excuses himself to check on Mebd. There is no response from her door. He tries again. This time she invites him in and asks if there's something wrong. He says there was a bit of excitement and he wanted to check and see if she was all right. She asks what happened. He explains. Ahab goes to Mandor's room. He asks if Alex has already spoken to him. Mandor says he has. Ahab then goes running for Random. He finds him in the library. Ahab tells Random what he knows about the half-breed plot and the kidnappings, including the fact that Kimdyl's missing. Random asks if anyone else's missing, but Ahab doesn't think so. Random says he'll see what he can do about getting Kimdyl back. Felix brings Foster to the infirmary. Foster thinks the arm is broken, because he's having trouble shifting it. Felix sets the bone and tries to clean the wounds. He tells Murine that her friends have tried to collect their son. Foster apologizes, saying it was his fault. He reveals that there was no reason why he couldn't have gone to dinner with Felix. Felix asks if it was because of Eris. Foster simply nods. Felix asks if it was so difficult for him to apologize. Foster starts to cry. Felix holds him until he works it out of his system. Felix can't help pointing out that if Foster had apologized, he would have avoided the mess with the demon. Foster asks Felix not to hate him. Felix assures Foster that it's not his fault. Ariana Trumps Felix and learns that a demon tried to kidnap Foster. He suggests she may want to return to Amber. She doesn't want to go without first talking to Mark. Felix asks if Alex got in touch with her. She says he hasn't. She asks if the kidnappers tried to get Eris, but Felix doesn't know. She tells him to be careful and breaks the contact. Mebd walks into Emer's room, causing Isbtan to hiss and take a protective stance over the baby. Mebd leaves, followed by Heather. Mebd is upset. She says that Isbtan doesn't like her. Apparently she tried to see Emer earlier and got the same reaction from him. Heather notices that Mandor is gone. Mebd says he was there when she went into Emer's room. Alex knocks on the door and asks to come in. Heather Trumps him to make sure it's really him before letting him in. She gets a Trump call from Mandor. She asks where he is. He says he's in shadow and needs to talk to her. She excuses herself and goes through. Mandor tells her that Mebd's father was not from Heather's shadow. He asks if she's ever worked any magic on Mebd on a grand scale. Heather says she helped train Mebd's mind somewhat. Mandor says that would be adequate cause and has her sit down. He tells her that he has determined that Mebd's father was from the Courts, and not from any of the normal houses. He thinks he was sent to keep an eye on Heather. He tells her Mebd is of demonic origin and that whatever Heather did to Mebd is causing her to come into her demonic power. They return to Amber. Ahab is armoring up when he gets a Trump call from Fiona. She offers her assistance and says they don't have much time. He asks if he can Trump her back to make sure it's really her. She pulls him when he Trumps her and tells him he showed forethought. She is in Chaos. She tells him that their quarry should be arriving any moment now. After waiting for a few minutes, she tells him to strike to his left. He removes the arm of a demon as it is passing through shadow. It strikes for his head and misses. Ahab buries Morglyph in its chest and lifts. It jumps a bit as he does this so that it doesn't take as much damage as Ahab had hoped and sails over his head. Ahab turns to face it as it rolls back to its feet and concentrates on chopping it into tiny pieces. It makes a last ditch effort, actually cutting through Ahab's armor and scratching his sword arm. Ahab finishes it off. He turns and finds Fiona in a psychic stand off with a flaming demon. Kimdyl, looking about nine month pregnant, is sitting up and there is another demon body next to her. Ahab walks up to the one that Fiona is holding, carves a cross-hair on its back and skewers it. Fiona suggests chopping off it's head, which he does. Kimdyl tells him that he needs to get her back to Amber. Ahab asks her to marry him. She tells him to ask her after she's delivered the child. They Trump back to Amber. Ariana Trumps Ahab. He tells her that Kimdyl is in labor, and asks if she could call back later. After learning that no one else seems to be missing, she breaks the contact. Ahab carries Kimdyl to the infirmary and tells Felix to Trump Gerard. Kimdyl says she doesn't want an audience, so Ahab tells Felix to send Gerard to his room. Kimdyl insists that she doesn't need Gerard, so Ahab tells Felix to forget it and carries her to their quarters. Murine puts her arm around Felix after Ahab leaves. Felix tells her he hopes the child won't be like Ahab.