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Kintani went to an isolated area, spit Jean out, and made a request. Kintani asked for a polite note to a sheepherder stating that his sheep are tasty, but Kintani's metabolism is slow. Jean goes to the Etiquette Guild to ask for a note. He notices a certain disquiet about the Guild, and goes to ask his mother about it. Flora writes the note, and signs it for Kintani.
Cailin and Natasha are sleeping in the Assassins' Guild. Cailin receives a trump call. It's his great-grandmother. Cailin is surprised at the contact; Princess Chandra states that Titania is standing right over there, and they just decided to make it feel like a trump call.
Cailin and Princess Chandra discuss house politics, an impending wedding, and Cagliostro's research.
Geryon has received an invitation to a duel between an individual and a representative of the Assassins' Guild. The representative is working on his journeyman piece, but is still an apprentice. He's just next on the dueling list.
An assassin approaches Ilk's door, looks around, and carefully balances an invitation between the door and the jamb. It's an invitation to a duel. An Ilk goes to attend.
Natasha shakes Cailin awake and hands him an invitation.
A tall, grey, stretched-looking person sat down in front of Cagliostro's castle, and delivers a note to a doorman. A photocopy of the note is relayed to Cagliostro. It doesn't make much sense, but it is signed "Princess Chandra". The note is addressed to Count Cagliostro and entorage, explicitly including Absolom and Roland. The note also mentions that the challenging party is one of people related to the people that Cagliostro mind-reamed. Cagliostro declines due to time pressure, but Roland is offered in his stead. Roland and the grey guy climb onto a spherical horse and ride off.
A substantial group is gathering outside the Assassins' Guild, on a field opposite the entrance. Cailin and Natasha are in the preferred seating region to the right of Princess Chandra's throne, which has been brought out for the occasion. There is a footstool near their seats with Laetatio's name on it, in case he shows up. Geryon, the archivist, and Geryon's balloon are seated nearly ringside, as involved parties. There are people from many guilds and alliances present. The Beastmasters and Etiquette Guilds are notably absent. The Healers Guild rep is still present with his charge, a Morganti cat. Princess Chandra and Verra are not present.
Beldin comes up to Cailin and waves. Beldin claims that Cailin took the bibliomantic paper with him, so he couldn't follow. The mage is wearing a cup made from Saruman's skull, and Fredrick and Carolethian are also there. Beldin says that Hubert is en-route. Cailin asks Beldin to make the vengeance blades go away. Cailin eventually realizes that the new arrivals don't have invitations. He talks to the assassin who seated him, and Tate's stool is bumped over to make room for Beldin and the others are led off elsewhere.
A gangly-looking youth whose back-side looks like a turtle without a shell walks out onto the field of honor and sets a few things down next to him. Ilk can tell that somebody has changed the defender's back end for him, because it doesn't have any of the signs of shapeshifting. The chemical used to change the color of the toenails can't be poison, because this is the Assassins' Guild.
There is a pause as the duel-master walks onto the field, gives the defender a puzzled look, and goes to the center of the field. The Duel-master announces that the challenged party has chosen small pieces of metal as the weapon for the duel, because he is too clumsy and unskilled to use anything else without bringing dishonor to the Guild.
The challenger tries to lodge a protest, but is overridden.
Princess Chandra shows up, accompanied by Marial. Ilk doesn't think that anyone else would have recognized Marial, since she's not in her usual form and is on sabbatical.
Ilk looks around for people trying to disrupt the affair.
Zorro shows up and flings himself at Princess Chandra's feet, apologizes for being in a place where she is publically, and states that he is only here because his House is involved in this affair. Princess Chandra publically forgives him. Zorro goes off and seats himself as far from Princess Chandra as possible, then surreptitiously waves at Cailin and his house second.
A large cart is pulled into view by the duel-master. It is filled with extremely thin needles. The defender shows off briefly. Zorro leaps into the middle of the ring and intercepts a few needles thrown astray.
The duel-master calls, "Lay on!"
The challenger throws a handful of needles at the defender who sidesteps them, then steps back into the path to keep them from hitting bystanders. The defender proceeds to throw single needles accurately in a scan-line pattern with his single good arm, while catching the needles thrown at him in the shoulder of his dead arm.
The duel is somewhat boring. Finally, the defender seems to hit something that contains a brain, because the challenger's coordination just fell apart. After three-quarters of the challenger's body is covered with needles, it falls over, twitching. The duel gets even more boring as the defender now has to lob the needles in an arc to continue the pattern.
Finally, the defender asks the duel-master to check his opponent. The duel-master scans the challenger with Serpnt power for a soul, fails to find one, and declares that the honor of the Assassins' Guild has been upheld.
People start to wander off.
Carolithian and Fredrick walk towards Roland, looking a bit hostile. Roland and Cailin discuss the matter that those two want to kill Roland. Ilk tells them that Roland has been converted, and shows them the new tower in Thelbane, then takes them back.
Fredrick and Carolithian approach Cailin. Fredrick bows, and offers to sponsor Carolithian into the House.
They chat. The youngsters are 18 and 35, and are surprised to find out that Amberites live for thousands of years. Fredrick says that he was in a root cellar when his entire planet was incinerated. His mother proved that it was Ilkandacian, but he has given up on his desire for revenge. They chat at some length.
Geryon and the archivist decide that their business here is ended, and that their seconds will stall their fake duel for as long as possible.
Roland and the grey guy return to Castle Cagliostro, where Roland and Cagliostro discuss politics.
Cagliosto's seer calls. A guy appeared in front of him in a puff of smoke. Red hair, red clothing, claimed to be the devil. Said that everything was dying and that he could save him if he did three tasks for him. Would give him a day to think about it.
Kintani flies Cagliostro and entourage to Manhattan. They discuss the impending doom and try to prevent riots due to the dragon.
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