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Amaranth and Jean plot in a corner, and decide that Amaranth should go to Amber, walk the Pattern, and ask it to send her to Mandor. They conclude that the only person they can stick with the job of running Chaos is Flora.
Jean goes up to his mother. "I have good news and bad news. You're running Chaos."
Amaranth, guided by a member of the Etiquette Guild, stands, says that there is something that she must deal with, and leaves. Jean trumps Amaranth to Amber, and then follows her onto the Pattern.
After Amaranth leaves the room, the Etiquette Guild member then walks over to behind Flora and asks her to take her proper seat. Flora takes Amaranth's chair.
"Being that I am in charge here, the king being balled and the warlord being missing, I would much like to consult with my fellow monarch."
Celeste and Brand join Flora. They discuss summoning the family, but decide to let sleeping Dworkins lie.
The effects of the mushroom that Cassandra ate before starting to walk Ingold's Pattern are wearing out. It is becoming harder to walk with every step. She notices that Ingold is feeding her power in one stream, and that Johann and Gil are feeding her power in another stream.
When Cassandra wakes up, she does not remember having taken the last couple of steps, and she has bruises and abrasions on her body from being dragged off the Pattern. Her head is cradled in Gil's lap, and her body feels like someone has taken a cudgel and worked over each and every muscle.
Celeste goes over to Andron and bows from the supplicant King of Amber to Guild Second of a Major Guild. Andron acknowledges her existence, and queries her mentally. Celeste asks Andron if she and Brand could make a few trump calls. He asks her to stay near him, and warns her that it seems possible that the calls may be eavesdropped upon.
Caine - success. Caine is lying on his back, his hands behind his head, staring at the sky of Chaos. "Celeste. How nice." She invites him to join them. When he stands, she can see a pile of corpses and the Council Chambers near him. Caine volunteers to bring Raven in with him.
Bleys - success. Bleys greets his daughter enthusiastically. He's currently sitting on a throne with a crowd of scantily clad supplicants surrounding him. Bleys is reluctant to show up and tip his hand as to his return. Celeste demands his presence in the Council chambers in the Courts and hangs up.
Brand asks Celeste if she's started yet. Caine and Raven walk in, carrying their Logrus blades.
Celeste tries to trump Fiona. Celeste and Brand fall over. Celeste's hand, acting as if is was being moved on strings, throws the trump card away.
[Norton: Master of Puppets. No - Plaster of Muppets!]
After a few minutes, Celeste regains consciousness, but notices no discontinuity, and isn't sure which card she was just trying. Celeste checks Brand. He's alive.
Jean stations a boba-Jean above the card. It's covered in ice, and the ice appears greenish. The green ice is starting to melt. Jean collects some of the ice in an eye-dropper.
Julian - several barriers in the way. She pushes through the first two without a problem; Brand has to help with the third one. She is now in contact with Julian. His mind is very focused, and he is not a happy man. He says nothing.
Celeste summons Julian as regent of Amber.
"I do not recognize your authority over me."
"Will you not defend Amber?"
"I will defend Amber when it is mine."
Celeste drops the trump contact. Brand relaxes. "Wow, that was hard. Didn't you feel it? He was trying to probe your mind."
Jean asks Ilk about his visions in Tir of everyone in the room being dead. Ilk advises checking with Jean's mother. Jean asks Flora about his visions. She considers them to be a bad thing, and even the presence of this room in Tir is a bad thing. Flora asks Jean to tell his father about his visions. Jean decides to wait until Mr. Shiryu is no longer busy first.
Celeste goes over to Flora. She asks her head people about a proper form of address - and is advised to just call her Flora. Corwin does comment about a certain shirt being unclear in her memories, however.
Celeste warns Flora that Julian is declared against them.
Celeste trumps Zack, and Titania answers. They chat. Titania invites Celeste to a party in a few days time. She says that Zack is busy putting someone back together, but agrees to come to the Council herself.
Random is sitting in a barca-Jean, so she gets Jean in the contact, too. Jean agrees to fill Random in, and Celeste drops the contact. Jean tries to fill in Random, but Random is stoned. Random ends up being filled in on the bunnies, too. Random decides to make a pit stop to get something to make a great present for Julian.
Martin - She burns through two barriers, and connects. Martin is in a very small library room in Rebma pacing back and forth.
"Out! Get me out!"
"On you best behavior?"
"I don't care. Get me out!"
"I'm acting regent of Amber. Will you take my word?"
"Oh, hi, Celeste. Get me out!"
Celeste asks Andron if she can make the contact two-way. "Just for a moment." Andron raises a ward around Celeste. Celeste tries to pull Martin through, but fails. She tries to ask Andron for help, but can't - she's in a ward. They chat briefly, then drop the trump contact. Celeste asks Andron for help in pulling Martin out. Andron advises her to wait, to avoid tipping their hand, or to [... ?]
Celeste asks Cailin for assistance in acquiring Laetatio. Cailin gives her his dad's trump, and Celeste tries it and acquires contact with Laetatio. Laetatio has a meal spread out in front of him in the Assassins' Guild, and is pointing to things and indicating what he is willing to eat. Cailin places his hand on her back and provides a quick introduction. Laetatio insists that the invitation be cleared with his mother; Jean asks and Princess Chandra's acceptance is relayed.
Malachai - fail, even with Brand's help.
Gerard - flickering contact, she strengthens it. It's just an ember, not quite enough for a flame.
Velaria - success. Velaria is currently sleeping - Celeste is contacting a dream. "Velaria?" "Celeste?" "I'm sorry to disturb you from such pleasant dreams." "Join me in my picnic?" "Perhaps you could wake up?" "Wake up? Sure." The dream fades to black, and the contact flickers and is then re-established. Velaria is sitting upright in a bed in a darkened room. Velaria makes a bargain with Celeste, that she will help them now if Celeste will help her look for her father afterwards. Celeste gives Velaria her word. Velaria then unracks a hung spell on Celeste, binding her to her word. Celeste can feel the spell but cannot avoid it. She feels that Velaria's mental power is close to her own.
Merlin - fail.
Darkstar - Celeste confirms that Cassandra is intact and in the center of the Pattern. Darkstar agrees to pass on a message to the others present that their regent has summoned them.
Celeste tries to sketch Ferro and trump him. She fails, but just for a moment, wants a chocolate soda.
Celeste reports to Flora, including telling her that Cathryne has fallen in with the enemy. Flora seems doubtful - she doesn't seem to think that Cathryne has enough imagination to throw in with the enemy.
Random walks in.
Flora invites all of the Amberites up to the head of the table near her.
Amusement happens.
Raven, Caine, Benedict bits, Brand, Flora, Random, Celeste, Cailin, and Jean are there.
Cassandra wakes up. Gil is still holding her head. "You're up! Good! We have an invitation." Gil explains to her that they were summoned to Thelbane by the regent of Amber.
Cassandra asks Darkstar to trump Darhyse for her. Darkstar makes a trump of Darhyse on his whiteboard, then pulls Darhyse through after she tents out and scoops up Cassandra's other stuff. Cassandra dresses, and argues with her cat about preferred forms for Malachai-hunting.
Cassandra discusses the situation with Ingold and Darkstar, then tries to trump Malachai again. She asks Darkstar for a Jean. Darkstar creates a replica of a sandstone image of Merlin and Jean buds into it. Jean shields himself, Cassandra, and Darhyse. Cassandra tries to get the Pattern to send them to Malachai. They fail; Jean drops the shield; they try again.
Jean, Cassandra, and Darhyse disappear and appear near Malachai.
Cailin talks with his father.
Bleys walks into the room. He's wearing a white cowl. Celeste can immediately tell that it's him. Ilk can tell that a Pattern weenie walked into the room. His features appear to be deliberately blurred. Bleys sits down at the far side of the Amberite mob from Celeste.
Celeste and Flora discuss him quietly.
Jean starts having his trump fish fetch sticks from shadow to test statues in Tir, to see if they are statue images or statues. Jean whaps statues; only two turn out to be solid, but they don't turn the stick white.
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