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Norton is in Hendrake, on Grand Tour, and in Celeste's head. Ilk is in Ferethyn's castle, in another reality, in Suhuy's ways, resting in Home, in Norton's head, and in Norton's head. Celeste is in Suhuy's ways. Cailin, Cassandra, and her bodyguards are finishing off dinner with Corwin. Neville is preparing for the upcoming meeting. Osric and Zack are house-sitting House Cara.
Norton sends a message to Snarsht thanking him for the house and asking if there is anything that they can do for him. He reads Malachai's file in House Hendrake's archives while waiting for a response. The file details their tortures at great length, and states that Malachai must not be allowed to survive, as his existence would demonstrate to any of the other Houses their violations of all rules of civilized war, and would result in them becoming an ex-House.
A messenger from the Etiquette Guild arrives at House Hendrake, and tells Norton that the time for the meeting is nigh.
A messenger arrives at the reception desk of House Cara, looking for Ilkandacian. The member of Osric's army at the desk tells Osric; Osric tells Zack.
A freed member comes to Norton in the archives and tells him that there is an Etiquette Guild member at the front chambers to see him. Norton is told that he should arrive at the council chambers for the meeting.
There is a member of the Etiquette Guild talking to one of the Jeans. He asks for the Jean with the ring to show up at the Council chambers. "Found him. All right." A barca-Jean is formed to transport that one to the council chambers.
Norton/Ilk -> Jean -> Ilk, revivify Ilk. [WTF?]
Suhuy asks Ilk to deliver a discreet message to Jenoir; he wishes to meet with her.
Go to transfer room; note from Dworkin "warning" ignore it, go to Hendrake. Leave, with Celeste. Celeste takes the broccoli with her.
Arrive at Hendrake. Greet Norton. chat. Norton's new digs and Celeste's culinary choices are discussed.
[Renfield == Norton's receptionist. Caly == Celeste's broccoli]
Celeste wanders around with the cat and a Jean in tow, taking redecorating notes.
Ilk and Norton head out towards Ilk's Home shadow. On their way out, they pass Snarsht. Snarsht nods to Norton, nods to Ilk, noses the doors open, and enters. Norton warns Celeste mentally. Snarsht shrinks to fit through the doors and hallways. Renfield is now Real and alive.
Ilk pulls Ilk out. He pulls out Ilk and Clarissa. When they arrive, Ilk is in humaniform and is sleeping on a bed. Clarissa is sitting on a chair, and she is tending to a cold compress on Ilk's forehead.
She waves at Ilk and Norton. "We have one sick Ilk here." "He went swimming in the Sea of Chance."
Clarissa asks them if they have seen her daughter. "Which one?" "Fiona." "Isn't her location... known?"
Faythe is mentioned. Norton hems and haws. "Maybe we should let Celeste tell you."
Clarissa contacts Celeste over the god channels. They chat about family affairs. Celeste admits that Faythe is engaged to Norton. Clarissa asks Celeste about Fiona. "Oh... and if Verra gives you a problem, let her know."
Norton in Celeste's head discusses Clarissa's apparent gaps of knowledge with Celeste.
Ilk and Ilk update and tendri-swap.
Ilk and Norton head to the meeting; Ilk heads off to the Mages Guild.
Celeste has noticed that whomever has built this place was extremely militaristic. Death-murals, preserved heads hung on the walls as trophies, and so on. She only finds one decent room, decorated in swords with a view of the sky.
Cailin is working out with members of Cassandra's army. Cassandra finishes her talk with her father. They exit in time to watch the end of Cailin's work out. Corwin sympathizes with his daughter.
Cassandra can hear her name being screamed from a great distance. It's probably Jance. She draws a sword, and waits.
Corwin steps into Jance's line of attack and folds his arms. Cassandra seems disgusted. "You're starting now?" She lowers the point of her sword. Corwin steps to the side. Jance zooms up, and asks her when she arrived.
Cassandra meets Cailin for breakfast. They chat.
Present: Norton, Ilk, Neville and Tercarn, and the Jean with the ring. Snarsht is present and apparently asleep, along with most of the guild masters and their entourages. There are many heads of minor Houses seated in the gallery. Norton is seated with the minor houses. Jesby is here, Cathryne is not. The Bards Guild is here, the Poisoners Guild is not here, Princess Chandra is here without her apprentice, there is a member of the Warriors Guild here but not the first or the second, and he is standing fairly close to the Warlord. Jenoir is here. Andron and Imagio are here. Silver Lyra is here, Rainbow is not. Rose and Mystifer are here. One of the mages that was with Neville is with Jenoir, who is wearing the accouterments of the head of the Mages Guild. There is nobody here but Neville and Tercarn here from Helgram, and neither of them has the House ring. The king's throne is empty. Ferethyn and Shiryu are not there, but Melchizedik is there, and Suhuy is there, along with the other Ilk. Suhuy grabbed that Ilk en-passant. Random is here. There are many members of the Ambassadors Guild and Etiquette Guilds here.
Houses:
Mandor is in charge of the meeting. He looks to Jesby for permission before he starts, and she nods. He stands, and welcomes everyone back.
Pharaban announces that they are going to be taking more of a direct interest in the affairs of Chaos, because obviously there are significantly new people showing up on the horizon and Pharaban would not want to be forgotten.
Cassandra has had her breakfast talk and starts exercising. She is surprised that nobody has commented to her about being out of trim. There is a polite tap at the door to her room. She admits an elderly man, who excuses herself and mentions that he was instructed to have them both follow him to Corwin. Corwin is currently very well dressed and carrying a picnic basket, but Cassandra can tell that he has just woken up. "The picnic is for us - she will be busy for most of the day."
Corwin says that Darhyse is meeting them there with as many of the kittens as she can find.
Corwin - "Did she explain what is about to happen?"
Cailin - "No."
Corwin - "Coming from Chaos, you might not be familiar with all of our Patterns and habits..."
Cassandra interrupts the explanation and says that Cailin's father is an Amberite.
Cailin - "Ah. She's walking the Pattern."
Corwin questions Cailin on the matter.
Cailin - "My father's father is Random... my father is Laetatio."
Corwin - "Congratulations... condolences?"
They will have two separate parties - her Pattern party and apprenticeship party will be separate. Flora wouldn't have it any other way.
Using Corwin's Pattern to help find Malachai is discussed; Corwin says that she'll need to use the other Pattern for that.
Cassandra - "I'm not planning on ever walking that Pattern."
Corwin - "Then have someone else do it - didn't Ilkandacian say that he used Jean for that?"
Cassandra - "I'm not sure that Flora would approve of me using her son for that."
Corwin tries to transport them to the Pattern magically, fails, and then walks there. The place is a dump. There are beer cans, tents falling apart, and Corwin's current fling is sitting on Corwin's bier.
Corwin tells Cassandra to greet the tree before she starts, and says that he will follow her, to take her through the Barrier around Pearl, and then they'll return for the picnic.
Nine black kittens greet Cailin. He notices his trump deck at Cassandra's feet. She picks it up and hands it to him. One of the kittens gives Cassandra a hurt look.
Cassandra asks her father if walking the Pattern will change her link to the cats. Corwin says that if it does, he'll beat them until it is restored.
Darhyse nudges Cassandra towards the Pattern.
Cassandra greets the tree.
Tree - "What'cha doing?"
Cassandra - "Going to walk the Pattern"
Tree - "Are you sure that you want to?"
Cassandra - "Yes."
Tree - "Grow roots!"
Cassandra walks the Pattern. It's painful, it's enlightening, it takes about four hours.
Corwin and Cailin snack on the picnic while Cassandra walks. There is always at least one cat looking at her, but the one looking at her changes periodically. When Cassandra is about a half of an hour from the end, Corwin gets up, stretches, and starts out to meet her at the center. Corwin tells Cailin that if he gets stuck here, the cats can take him anywhere he needs to go. It takes Corwin about thirty-five or forty minutes to walk his Pattern. Cassandra reaches the center. She sits on the desk, exhausted, and eats the fruit and sweets left in the desk for her. She waits about five or ten minutes for Corwin to arrive.
Corwin stretches, yawns, and says that he needs to do that more often. Corwin reaches beneath his shirt, pulls out the Jewel of Judgment, and tells her that he is going to teach her about the Barrier. He takes her inside the Jewel, but not towards the Pattern in it, towards a shimmering barrier around that.
They cross the Barrier. Corwin looks at the zombies and says that he will need to talk to Norton about this - he hasn't fulfilled his promise. There is a member of the Etiquette Guild playing cards with the zombies. He hands Corwin an engraved invitation, hands Cassandra an engraved invitation, and returns to the card game. Cassandra reads the invitation. "Princess Chandra requires your presence immediately at the calling of council." "How much time do I have?" "Time?" "When do I have to be there?" "They've already started." "I'm late?" "I've been here for a week." "A week?!"
Cassandra turns towards her father. "Dad..." "Sorry, dear - I can't help. I have to go to a Council meeting." "Me, too. But we're not dressed for it. Well, you may be."
Corwin pulls out the Jewel of Judgment, does something with it, and someone comes marching in wearing regimentals. He cuts the guy's head off without getting any blood on the regimentals.
Cassandra asks Corwin to bring her bodyguards across the barrier. Corwin disappears, summons Cailin and the bodyguards, and they fade back out and appear near the tent near Ygg.
Corwin asks the Etiquette Guild member to take them to the meeting. He tries, fails, and complains about the Pattern.
Cassandra trumps Celeste. Cassandra warns the Norton in Celeste's head that Corwin is disappointed that Norton didn't fulfill his promise. Norton complains that he can't get there, but if they send them to his House, he should be able to fix them. Cassandra asks Celeste if she can bring them to the council meeting.
Jean pokes Celeste. For a moment, all of Cassandra's senses went dark, then Celeste put up shutters, and she can see again. They send the zombies through to House Hendrake, and have Renfield set them up in a work room.
Jean at the council chamber steps back from the table and pulls the group through. Corwin, Cassandra, Cailin, and three of the four bodyguards are in the council rooms. The fourth is outside House Helgram listening to Jean talk about spoons. One of the barca-Jeans heads out after the fourth bodyguard, and Jean tells Cassandra that the fourth is safe and on his way.
There are several Etiquette Guild members closing on Cailin's position, as is Princess Chandra. The Etiquette Guild members start telling the group that they will not kill them out of hand until Chandra interrupts and says that these are members of her party.
Cassandra bows to Princess Chandra as apprentice to her master. The Etiquette Guild apologizes to Princess Chandra in the long form for not knowing that her party was larger than they were told, and that they were exempt from normal arrival procedures.
Corwin re-sheathes a small weapon. He is not carrying Greyswandir. He heads over to the representative from the Warriors' Guild, who stands up and gives Corwin the seat. Cassandra inventories her weapons - she is carrying none. She looks at her belt and looks at her father. He shrugs. She is getting a trump call - it's her dad. He doesn't know where Greyswandir is, and he didn't have this knife with him when he left.
Cassandra and Cailin fall into position behind Princess Chandra. Princess Chandra warns Cassandra and Cailin that although this is an honored seat, occasionally Snarsht's tail twitches - just avoid it.
There is a fairly large commotion at the door. Finally, a large bunch of frogs come hopping in, with Dworkin stomping on them.
Dworkin points at Suhuy. "You!" He stomps over to Suhuy, pushing people out of his way as he goes.
Princess Chandra pulls Cassandra then Cailin closer to her and asks them about this. They decline any knowledge. She moves casually over just behind Suhuy. Suhuy stands up, looks Dworkin up and down, puts his hands behind his back. "Yes, little brother?" "You! You ruined it! It's all your fault!" "Now, little brother?" Dworkin looks around, seems to realize that there are people all around them, and says, "There will be an accounting!" turns, and storms out.
Ilk checks - this Dworkin does not have local Pattern. He doesn't have any form of Pattern at all.
As Dworkin reaches the door, he turns, reaches into a space that doesn't really exist, begins to pull something out, and throws the head of Oberon at Suhuy. It arcs somewhat unevenly. Suhuy, with a somewhat embarrassed look, reaches up with a single tendril and takes it down next to him. Ilk notices that the head has non-local Pattern. The head is not pretty. Ilk pokes a tendril over to Suhuy and points out the Pattern discrepancies. "I know."
[This is hillbilly Dworkin and the evil Oberon]
Corwin looks pale. Ilk in Norton tells Norton about the Pattern discrepancies, and they decide to tell Corwin. Norton tries to trump Corwin, and hits a hard block. Norton vibrates Corwin. Snarsht twitches an ear at Norton, informing him that he's listening in. Norton tells Corwin that it is not a local Dworkin or a local Oberon. Corwin looks a little less pale.
Corwin trumps Cassandra and tells her that he just received an odd message, apparently from Norton, that neither of those are their direct ancestors.
Dworkin, outside the Council chambers, looks around and sniffs at the air. Jean greets him. "Nice head. What was that all about? Whose head was that?" "Right. I'm outta here." Dworkin wanders off, sniffing at the air.
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