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Corwin and Marial are in a back room, "consulting".
Clarissa congratulates Celeste for succeeding her in Amber. She tells Celeste that she is bound to have fun. She asks Celeste if she will uphold the family traditions of making certain things end up in the right hands.
Celeste tells Clarissa that she is only holding the position until Malachai returns; Clarissa tells Celeste that she will ensure that that happens in a timely manner.
[Note - Malachai will never return]
Celeste emphasizes that she wants Malachai to return quickly, and in good health. Clarissa fails to believe her, but plays along.
Clarissa asks Celeste if she has started planning her next party.
Celeste plans a trip to Rebma to rescue our Benedict with the Norton in her head. Norton tells Norton to tell Ilk to take the Morganti to them in Rebma; Norton tells Jean.
Ilk arrives in Castle Black. He talks with Teldra, who says that Morrolan is with Sethra in the sitting room, talking about something being missing.
As Ilk approaches, they are talking loudly about elevating Sethra to Verra's role. Morrolan is opposed; Sethra is saying that if she doesn't take the role and Verra doesn't return, then certain major things will fall apart. Ilk enters and tells them of Norton's Morganti problem. Morrolan is fascinated. He demands that Ilk takes him to it, then reiterates his demands. When Ilk shows him an image of the Morganti, Morrolan becomes even more insistent - that Morganti does not seem to have been made by Serioli. Ilk mentions that Verra has already taken a look at him. Ilk invites Sethra; she accepts.
Ilk takes Morrolan and Sethra to Thelbane. Sethra has Icewand drawn; Morrolan has Blackwand and the Morganti dagger that was golfed out of Norton's head.
Ilk, Morrolan, and Sethra appear in Thelbane.
Verra turns to Sethra. "Weren't you supposed to have been minding the shop?"
Sethra turns to Morrolan. "See?"
Verra pats Morrolan on the shoulder. "There, there, dear. Listen to your betters."
Morrolan and Celeste spar verbally.
Morrolan creates a plaque for Celeste. "In recognition of ... stretching the limits of the use of Morganti daggers."
Morrolan asks Norton if he can test his reflexes. Norton agrees. Morrolan places a hand on Norton's forehead. Celeste's bubble is rippling in interesting ways.
Sethra is wandering around the chamber. "Nice place. Lots of power."
Osric asks an Etiquette Guild member who those two are, and he says that they were brought in by the Savior of Chaos. They don't know about the weapons, and would like to talk to the Savior of Chaos about it.
Norton talks with Morrolan about shapes and the longevity of certain easterners. They talk about feeding some beings to the dagger as a test. Neville offers some of the imports from his House for the test. Some people approve; some are horrified.
Morrolan takes his leave of Verra, bowing extremely low.
Osric is invited along, and agrees. Sethra is invited, and says that she would like to stay with her goddess.
Osric introduces himself to Morrolan, and asks about buying a blade similar to Blackwand. Morrolan says that no blade could be bought, but that Godslayer is available for rental. Celeste asks Ilk who asks "Suhuy", who can only think of the Logrus blade.
Osric asks Flora about removing the Pattern 'L' on his forehead. She declines knowledge of that sort of art, and advises that Osric ask a redhead. Celeste asks for help in inviting the family and is given a trump deck.
Celeste goes over with Osric to introduce him to Clarissa. Clarissa is currently talking to Pharaban. She doesn't think that it is appropriate for him to lie in wait outside the Council chambers to take his vengeance on someone. Celeste and Osric decide not to wait.
The group leaves the council chambers. Osric shields Norton, who dies. Celeste gets her shields back up just before losing him. Osric tries shielding the dagger, to no avail.
Cailin in Norton's head tries to talk to Cailin prime, with no success. Yeti'ing is mentioned, Morrolan points Blackwand at Cailin, and Cailin yetis out and runs off.
The group goes to Norton's place. Norton offers refreshments; Ilk acquires six imports.
[I wasn't asking for your pet; I was asking for other, undomesticated broccoli.]
Morrolan flips the Morganti into one of the imports. Celeste cowers. Morrolan pokes one with the Morganti and another with Blackwand. Everyone can feel the waves of hunger radiating from Blackwand. Celeste hides behind Norton.
Ilk mentions that the former head of the Mages Guild was fed to that blade. Morrolan says that a few bits are still left. Neville pipes up. "Toram?" Blackwand drags around until it points at Neville. Cailin in Norton's head yeti's. Morrolan drags it back around. "Don't say that name!"
The yeti is chased around the House by the automated defenses.
[Please do not feed the Hellmaids]
A conversation regarding viable solutions occurs in Norton's head. The barcalounger is considered.
Ilk dangles a note in front of Cailin, to no success, then peels off the hellmaid-arm and tries again. Cailin de-yetis, and accepts a lift back to the main group. The imminent arrival of some relatives is mentioned to Cailin.
Ilk grabs Corwin and Cailin and pulls the ejection lever on the barcalounger. Mandor waves goodbye. Norton studies the process carefully.
The back of Norton's head is blown off in a shower of blood and guck. There is a small barca-lounger in the middle of a bubble dripping grey matter, blood, and bits of skull. Norton starts fixing it.
There is an Ilk with a pair of goggles frantically steering the barcalounger. That Ilk tries to break the fall with Logrus and fails. The Savior of Chaos breaks the fall.
Some of those who are sensitive notice a silver chain from something in the bubble running back into Norton's head.
Celeste - "What's with the silver chain?"
Corwin grins and yanks on the chain. Greyswandir comes flying out of Norton's head.
Corwin shakes the chain and the blade is now sticking through Norton. Norton is annoyed.
Morrolan looks around and shakes his head.
A discussion of the situation occurs.
Little Ilk tendris out. Little Cailin takes the seat in the barcalounger.
Little Ilk tendris in, and is normal sized. Ilk and Ilk shake hands. The new Ilk tendris back out.
Cailin gates out, appears outside the barcalounger still tiny, is falling, yetis out, and is a full-sized fleeing yeti. Little Corwin takes the seat in the barcalounger. Cailin prime gives Ilk a crown shifted into a ring to give to the yeti. Ilk places the ring on the yeti's finger. Eventually, the yeti calms down and converts back into a full-sized Cailin.
Norton sends Renfield for the hand that he left behind as a backup. The hand arrives, and slowly grows.
[Try to bring the hand to fruition]
Celeste sticks one hand in the protoplasm that Norton's body has become and another hand on the Norton grown from the spare hand. The Norton in Celeste succeeds in transferring the Norton to the new body.
Celeste is in contact with the screaming, broken Celeste. She insists that Norton transfer her into the new body as well then dumps all of her horror into the screaming Celeste.
Objections to trying to transfer the protoplasm via Blackwand are raised.
Celeste withdraws the life bubble.
Experiments occur regarding the real-ness of the tiny Corwin. Corwin starts crawling up Celeste's leg. Celeste gets pissed.
Celeste trumps Corwin and starts bitching him out. She contacts the one in the council chambers.
Celeste makes a mental contact with the thing crawling up her leg. "Get off my leg or I'll blow up your brain!"
"Cool!" Corwin climbs up the mental contact into her head.
Celeste trumps Norton and tries to push Corwin into him. She fails. He starts poking around and making comments about Brand and snail-tracks.
Corwin comments about Celeste's plans to betray the family to Faerie.
[I've got head people like a Norton!]
"Can we break that chain?"
"I think that we're chained together."
The tendri'd Ilk heads off to get a city for Verra.
Corwin annoys Celeste greatly, then starts playing cards with Norton.
Mandor in Norton's head tells Norton that he has figured out how seal his mind off from acquiring extra riders. They decide to consider the matter at a later date.
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