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In the not-so-distant past, King Eric II held a formal audience for Verra. Neville wanted to ask Verra about Morganti weapons and acquire an exemption for his kittens from her edict declaring all Morgantis to be anathema.
The ambassadors present are filled with religious awe at the sight of their goddess, and their respect for King Eric II increases even further upon seeing their goddess acknowledging him as King of Amber.
Neville and Verra discuss the ban on Morganti weapons, and Verra agrees to give Neville time to remove the kittens to a secure location beyond her scope of influence.
Verra asks for permission to have a temple or meeting place in Amber for her worshipers. Neville claims an inability to modify the state religion, but Verra acquires dispensation to check with the Unicorn and see if something can be worked out. Neville also states his lack of concern for the temples to Verra in the Golden Circle.
Norton is working on Plan Undead Baby.
Jean briefs Neville on the three current situations -- Toram and the anti-dragons, Oberon, and Julian. All bad, no good. Oberon is determined to be Neville's most immediate problem.
Neville is told of Ilk's theory that Oberon is bi-locating between the center of a Pattern and his current, obvious position. Neville proposes hitting the Oberon on the Pattern with a tranq dart. Jean suggests hitting Oberon with a tranq dart to Dworkin, who states that dealing with Oberon is Ferro's problem, and that Ferro should be recovered.
Neville has a minion try a marzipan trump. The minion screams and disappears. The trump settles to the ground. Jean checks, but doesn't see a marble.
The Serpent's Apprentice, currently in Chaos, notices an alarm go off in Suhuy's lab. He heads to Suhuy's ways to check it out. The readout states that another one has just been drunk. Ilk asks Jean if someone just tried to contact Ferro -- they were drunk. Ilk tries to explain Ferro's current condition to Jean, and Jean tries to explain to Neville. The Serpent's Apprentice heads into the Sea to try to retrieve Ferro.
Neville goes to the Grove of the Unicorn in search of Verra and the Unicorn. Verra and the Unicorn are trying to convince the High Priest of the Unicorn that if the Unicorn says that outside temples are okay, the priest should accept that.
The Unicorn and Verra are willing to accept an interruption, but the priest is pissy at Neville. Neville chases the priest out and talks with Verra, Jean, and the Unicorn about the Oberon problem. Verra is amused at Ferro's current state; the Unicorn seems to be disgusted.
[Beldan's blood curse upon "the enemies of Amber" is kicking in and affecting Oberon. (And Cailin was involved and things got worse...)]
Neville recalls Beldan's blood-curse against the "enemies of Amber" and ponders the effect and target.
"... but the only enemy that I have is Oberon. Nah - it can't be!"
Jean tells them about Ilk's theory that Oberon is bi-locating between the center of a Pattern and drawing power from it as well as being elsewhere. Neville is curious. Jean checks the theory with Dworkin. Dworkin states that he would find it easier to do it that way, but that Oberon would have difficulty pulling that off. Dworkin thinks that it would have been easier for Oberon to just fold up the Pattern and stick it in his pocket.
Jean - "Does he know how to do that?"
Dworkin - "He's done it before."
Jean - "We are missing Tir."
Dworkin - "You lost Tir?"
Jean - "We lost the Pattern in Tir."
People propose Pattern-teleporting things into the center of the other Pattern. Jean relays suggestions and questions to Ilkandacian. Ilk can provide Logrus blades, and either Ilk or Osric could insulate the blades for transport to the center of the Pattern.
Neville - "Frankly, I trust Ilk more at this moment than I trust Osric."
Neville asks about the effectiveness of Pattern-teleporting Logrus artifacts into the center of a subcutaneous Pattern in Oberon. Verra claims that she doesn't deal with Pattern very often, the Unicorn is grinning wickedly, and Dworkin thinks that it might work if the artifact was big enough. Dworkin is a big fan of lots of blood, in the hope of erasing the Pattern.
The subcutaneous Pattern option is mentioned to Ilk, who thinks that it might explain the difficulty that he is having lighting Oberon on fire -- his tendrils are igniting instead.
Verra gives Neville a coin as a bet, claiming that Oberon took the Pattern with him rather than bi-locating. Neville refuses the bet on the grounds that he holds the same opinion.
Jean asks Norton for some non-line-of-sight-contagious shifter virus. They discuss glass vials and storage mechanisms, then Jean hands a zip-lock bag to Norton. Norton sneezes in it. The baggie is nested inside other baggies and is fished to Amber. Norton asks, "So, where do you want the shifter virus?" Jean has the first baggie burnt, and then another baggie is filled with a fluid that Norton squirts out of his mouth. The second baggie is multiply-bagged and fished to Amber.
Ilk asks Jean who asks Dworkin about the effects of blowing up Oberon with a sub-q Pattern. Nothing bad, we hope. The Pattern might fall through shadow into the Sea and form a new promontory, but the structure of shadow should be fine. Ilk warns Shiryu's apprentices to be prepared, just in case.
Suhuy builds a sharp and pointy Logrus-bomb, ecto-Ilk insulates the accumulated anti-Logrus amulets with variable Pattern and places them inside the bomb, and the cracks are filled in with Wixerbrau. The outside of the bomb is also covered with variable Pattern, and "This End Towards Oberon" is painted across the outside surface.
Neville suggests launching another attack on Oberon, simultaneous to the bomb, to try to divert Oberon from discovering the source of the real attack. Ilk prepares a Logrus bazooka.
Neville, to Jean, "You are the hammer?"
Neville has the Jean-hammer prepared to be trumped to him. His escape route involves trumping or Pattern-teleporting to Verra, the Unicorn, and his armor.
Jean wants Wixer's containment module and vacuum/Cuisinart module trumped into the center of the Pattern, and the full-sized emergency backup Wixer ready to assault Oberon after bomb hits.
Neville starts walking the Primal Pattern.
Wixer design notes: We need to create an anti-Oberon module.
The Serpent's Apprentice arrives at the Chaos with the broken Logrus, spits out a handful of Jean saucers, tendri's out, and goes looking for Suhuy. He finds him in the antechamber of the Logrus, and explains the Oberon problem.
Suhuy asks Ilk if he has become immune to Pattern yet -- he is aware that Ilk has gained in resistance to it, but... Ilk solidifies as ecto-Ilk, raises his right hand, and generates a plume of variable Pattern around it.
Suhuy states that Ilk is better suited for the rescue than he. Ferro is certain to have drawn several Patterns inside the bottle by now, and he will need to remove them before the bottle can be opened. Ilk points out that he dropped a note into the bottle some time ago, and Suhuy replies that Ferro wouldn't have believed the note.
Ilk sighs, and reaches through Jean to the Ilk in the tree to the Ilk that is pulling power from the grey spheres in House Cara. Ilk tanks up on raw power from the grey spheres, filtering the power through the variable Pattern to decrease his "boom" factor.
Ilk forms a shell of variable Pattern around his ectoplasmic form, takes a deep breath, and jumps into the bottle.
The experience is uncomfortable, but it is survivable. Sitting in the center of all this mess, with every single surface covered with Pattern, including the note Ilk threw in saying, "Get rid of the damn Patterns", is Ferro.
They chat for some time. Ferro is delighted at the possibility of other Patterns, and wants to learn variable Pattern. Ilk stalls him until they get out of the bottle, and explains that they need to get rid of the Patterns before Suhuy can open the bottle. They aren't entirely sure how to proceed, and Ferro states that not all of the Patterns can still be walked -- several of them would need to be walked simultaneously. Ferro tries bleeding on one of the Patterns, but the marzipan only drips and forms into a skittery thing that starts walking the Pattern, then proceeds to teleport frenetically from the center of one Pattern to another, ricocheting around the chamber.
They start with Ilk's analysis of Ingold's approach, draining the power from the Patterns. Ilk builds an variable-Pattern storage battery with a fractal-y increasing storage capacity. Ferro drains the Patterns and feeds the power into the battery, only scorching Ilk somewhat in the process.
They are left with the outlines of a number of Patterns, drained of most of their power, but still definitely Patterns. Ilk realizes that he can actually consult with a sane Dworkin, so pokes a hole in the wall of the bottle with a Logrus blade and pours through the center of the blade, pulling the battery behind him. He tries to pull Ferro out as well, but Ferro has a distressingly persistent three-dimensional nature and cannot fit through the blade. Ilk tries to extinguish the flames running up and down the blade, and eventually gives up and drops the sword. He places the battery on the far side of the room from Suhuy and the Logrus.
Ilk asks Jean to ask Dworkin how to erase a Pattern. Dworkin explains that they must be walked backwards, from the center to the outside edge. Ilk dives back into the bottle. It's much less painful this time. Ferro hasn't drawn any more Patterns, because there isn't any room left for more. Ferro splits into many tiny Ferros and starts walking all of his Patterns backwards simultaneously.
When Ferro is done, Ilk pours out through another Logrus blade and tells Suhuy that the Patterns are gone.
Suhuy reaches into the bottle, does something, unfolds a bit of the bottle, and shakes, and Ferro drops out of the bottle onto the floor. Normally, Suhuy glows with a great deal of Logrus. Right now, he's barely flickering. Ilk considers feeding Suhuy power, but he's being rather Pattern-ish at the moment, and the Logrus is just over there. Ilk leaves the antechamber, feeling sheepish, and takes Ferro and the Jeans with him.
Jean fishes Ferro and ecto-Ilk to Amber, near Verra and the Unicorn.
Neville has reached the center of the primal Pattern. Brandt trumps him and passes through the Jean-hammer, the Logrus bomb, two Wixer modules, and the Pattern juice-box. Neville sucks up on the Pattern juice-box.
Everything has been set up correctly.
Ilk fires the Logrus-bazooka at Oberon, and Neville Pattern-teleports the bomb to the center of the Pattern inside Oberon. Oberon gets a little bloated, then goes back to normal. Onlookers are disappointed.
Mosquitoes pour out of Jean. Ferro re-coalesces in front of Oberon, exclaims, "Hey - that's my Pattern!", tears the Pattern out of Oberon, and starts walking it backwards.
Oberon starts trying to attack Ferro, full bore, with Mijolnir.
Norton unleashes the babies, each one a cross between Flora and Eric. The army of undead babies surround Oberon, calling out, "Eat bwains!"
Ilk takes the remote control from Oberon, crushes it, and gives the bits to Jean.
Neville teleports to his armor and the sword of state, then Jean whales King Eric II and Verra to Oberon, along with a cadre of trumpeters.
The trumpeters sound a herald simultaneously with Verra and Neville's grand entrance from the whale's mouth. Neville is wearing his Pattern armor, the Jewel of Judgment, and the Crown of Amber, and the Sword of State. He is visibly glowing with Pattern.
Neville addresses Oberon in a bored tone of voice. "Hello, Grandfather."
Oberon takes the situation poorly. He pulls Mijolnir away from attacking Ferro and throws it at Neville. Neville throws the Jean-Mijolnir at Mijolnir. Jean-Mijolnir says, "Whee!", then "Ow", then ceases to exist. Neville successfully parries the surviving Mijolnir with the Sword of State and starts advancing.
Jean thinks, "Wasn't I a hammer?" and buds into the un-alive Mijolnir. The new Jean-hammer wonders why he is attacking Neville, stops, and settles into Neville's hand.
Ilk gives the undead babies baby-sized Logrus knives and starts surrounding Oberon with Logrus blades. He's not even coming close to landing a blow on Oberon, but it's still fun. Ilk can tell that Neville currently has far more Pattern power at his disposal than does Oberon.
Neville, quietly, "I'm very sorry, Grandfather, but this has to be done this way."
Oberon has pulled out a spear, and Neville sends Jean-Mijolnir after it. Oberon starts parrying Jean with the spear. Jean asks Benedict for warfare-related advice, and receives it. The hammer also turns out to have a stock of warfare that Jean can access. The spear is alive, not un-alive, so Jean cannot bud into it, and it hates him.
Neville engages Oberon. He uses his surfeit of Pattern energy as a personal integrity field. Somewhere in the back of his mind, there is a running commentary on the battle that makes a lot of sense. Little suggestions of a tactical nature. Neville is worried that there is somebody in his brain.
Neville can't see Verra... but the voice is female. Neville and Verra chat briefly in the back of Neville's head.
Ferro finishes walking the Amber Pattern backwards to erase it and starts throwing undead babies at Oberon. The thrown babies are having more luck reaching Oberon than the walking ones.
Neville starts considering how to block a blood curse, and aims for Oberon's throat.
Suhuy, ecto-Ilk, and the Serpent's Apprentice are throwing lots of Logrus power into blocking Oberon's escape, and one of them hands Neville a Logrus blade with the handle insulated by variable Pattern.
Neville starts fighting Florentine: Sword of State and Logrus blade. Ilk sends a tracery of Logrus across Neville's armor, lighting it on fire. Neville is accustomed to being lit on fire, but the flames and Neville's lack of concern for them seems to bother Oberon.
Neville cuts Oberon's throat with the Logrus blade, and Oberon's head falls to the ground. The Serpent's Apprentice tries to grab Oberon's soul but isn't fast enough -- it is pulled into the Jewel of Judgment hanging around Neville's neck.
Ilk tries to distract Norton to keep him from raising Oberon. Ilk discovers that Norton is insane, as are his head people, and that exposure to Pattern doesn't help. The head-Ilk is severely broken from being cut off from the Logrus for so long. Norton goes off to House Cara to put the undead babies to bed and to fix the spam Gerard.
Jean tells Dworkin about Oberon getting accidentally beheaded. When Dworkin finds out that the Jewel of Judgment was nearby, he is unconcerned, and tells Jean to tell Ferro to take Oberon's body to a place without Pattern.
Ferro heads off across shadow, carrying Oberon's body.
Neville thinks that this was too easy -- he shouldn't have been have been able to take out Oberon so easily.
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