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[Note from the last log - Cailin was discreet regarding the use of his true name. He went into another shadow before conjuring himself a new set of limbs]
The fish is hanging out near Gentleman Suhuy's apprentice.
[Random said that Jean wanted to be driven out of his mind. He has Jean; he just needs to find the mind so he can put it back.]
Osric and the Cailin on the Fringe chat. Cailin finally learns Gwen's name, and is told that it is now safe to pronounce.
[Auricle: pronounce it with GLEE, for she's DEAD DEAD DEAD]
Osric "explains" to Cailin that the hand that reached through a hole in reality and grabbed him was Gwen's.
The Ilks tendri swap. Pattern Suhuy's apprentice returns to Mecha-Jean, "Vlad" goes to check out Home, "Suhuy" goes to check out the Logrus, and the Savior of Chaos goes off in search of Shiryu. Tendri-swapping is harder than usual - it takes several shuffles due to all of the information since the last resynch. They also discover that there can only be one of each unique Ilk variant at a time. The Savior of Chaos has an undefinable tie to something that the others don't have. Suhuy's apprentice is definitely Suhuy, Vlad is still Vladish, and Gentleman Suhuy's apprentice is definitely ectoplasmic.
Cailin asks Amaranth what is happening with Jean. She explains that they apparently need to find Jean's mind, and it's not here.
Osric tunes Fringe sensors on the white, milky globe that Gwen was using to draw power from the Fringe. They indicate that it's full of Fringe power, and the computers have no matches in memory for it. Cailin checks it for magical threads, and finds a few, but it doesn't seem to be a magical item. Osric notes that it doesn't seem to be of Tremellorin(?) construction, and it doesn't fit a crystal depression. Cailin expresses a desire to study it; Osric expresses a desire to lock it up. Cailin volunteers to study it here, but is turned down.
Osric and Cailin take a car to the place where Johnny is chipping the pieces of Benedict out of blucite. Cailin seems surprised at the low speed of the car. They chat. Osric can't make a car fast enough to match the Yeti that he or the computer can control. Osric mutters about studying the yeti.
[Throw me the yeti and I'll throw you the sphere]
[We can build a better yeti]
Johnny is casually building a better focusing device out of spare parts for the Benedict-chiseler. Osric conjures some more spare parts for him, and then sends Cailin back to the council chambers.
[Or, better yeti we can build a focus device...]
Amaranth tries to trump Jean. She succeeds. It's the Jean in the wall of the Rebman Pattern room. They babble. Amaranth seems more disturbed by the idea than Jean. Random says that a trump isn't enough - he need the actual body.
Plotting concerning the rulership of Amber happens. Malachai is next in line, and then Faythe. Norton is about to marry into the line of succession. Eric was in an uncertain state - if he had any children, then they might or might not be in line. Cassandra has been acknowledged as too young to inherit.
Amaranth decides to grab Random and Flora to help fix Jean.
Neville asks Norton about the Benedict plans.
Amaranth trumps Jean back and they send Flora through the trump first.
Flora goes through, turns pale, and with her last breath, croaks, "send me back" Jean does so. Amaranth now has a hand on Flora again, and Flora explains that there is no air there. Cailin conjures an air pocket for Flora, then discovers that Flora can't touch Amaranth through the pocket.
Cailin hands Jean a stone with a air-creating spell on it. Jean casts the spell from that body, and Flora goes through after taking a deep breath.
Random acts wasted. Amaranth scolds him. "This is not the time for recreational drug usage, Random!"
"I'm Random? Great! I've always wanted to meet me!"
They throw hot water on Random on Flora's recommendation. He turns into a giant panda holding up a sign that says, "Ouch". They try cold water, and he turns back into Random.
Random goes through Amaranth to Jean. There don't seem to be any permanent effects on Amaranth.
Random waves a needle around over Jean's head, and all of the Jeans across shadow turn on.
Cassandra: "So...Auricle... theoretically I am supposed to be talking to you about what you are doing...."
Auricle turns to Cassandra. "Okay."
"Auricle? I realize this must all be very strange to you....so much has occurred in your...absence."
"But then, it's never exactly been normal either."
"Is there anything I can do to assist you?"
"Possibly -- have you walked Amber's Pattern yet?" Auricle blinks a little.
"I have many things I must see to... duties that have been left to hang while we dealt with the current threat. Amber's pattern? No, I have not."
"Okay." Auricle shrugs a little. "Then can you tell me where I am?"
Cassandra continues, "I fear these duties will involve me leaving the Courts for points else-when.... "
"Courts?"
"Ah, my apologies. You are in The Courts of Chaos.... specifically just outside the main Council Chamber."
"What's the Courts of Chaos?" Auricle pauses a moment. "Wait. Elsewhen?"
"The Courts is the opposite pole to Amber. The home of the Logrus.... Different time rate locale different Shadow, etc"
"Oh! Right." Auricle thinks about it and vaguely recalls Zack saying something about the Courts of Chaos at one point. "Do you know where Zack is?"
"So...do you need somewhere to stay? Can I show you anywhere in particular? I do not know where *Zack* is, but I do know that he is part of House Cara and I can take you there, or better put you in touch with someone from there who might be able to help you...."
"That would help."
"Certainly." Cassandra looks around for Ilk, but none are visible nearby. She tries to trump Ilk, and fails to connect.
[Auricle - are we looking for a needle in a Jean-stack?]
[Norton has all of the known existing redheads. He acquired Bleys's body]
[Do you know what would really piss off Celeste? Put her in Bleys's body!]
Norton has about 50% of the recoverable pieces of Benedict, which is enough to start rebuilding. He does so, contemplating building loyalty to the Beastmasters' Guild into Benedict, but wants to check with Snarsht first.
[Benedict's not dead yet - he's only mostly dead. If he was completely dead, the only thing you could do would be to go through his pockets and search for spare Pattern blades]
Norton finds Snarsht curled around one of the towers of his House. Snarsht approves of the plan. Norton does so.
The Ilk in Norton makes a note to warn the other Ilks that there is yet another reason to not allow Norton to rebuild them.
Felice has a huge saucer of milk that she is bringing to Snarsht.
Cassandra trumps Ilk and pulls him through to her. "Suhuy" and "Vlad" come through the contact as well. The tendri'd ones are bathed in a wash of fire, as the two recently-walked Patterns in Cassandra pound on them.
Auricle watches Cassandra trump, fascinated by the process.
Ilkandacian turns towards Auricle. "It is a pleasure to finally meet you... We've heard so much about you from Zack."
"Ahh... He talks about me? Do you know where he is?
I lost him again."
Cassandra performs introductions. "Auricle, This is Ilkandacian of House Cara...."
"Oh, right, hi, nice to meet you."
"Titania said that Zack was in Faerie, fixing you."
"Well, he wasn't in Faerie when I left. I've totally lost him again.
He's good at that. "
Cassandra looks from one to the other of them. "Ilk, can I leave Auricle in your care? There are some pressing things I must attend to....."
"Indeed. If you aren't in a hurry, Zack has a suite of rooms in House Cara in which you can stay. He stops by whenever he is in Chaos - you'll find him eventually, at least." Ilk turns towards Cassandra. "If Auricle is amiable, of course."
"Um...Okay, maybe there's something there, too. Thank you Cassandra."
The Jean saucers fell and fell and fell and then powered back on and were in Tir and the moon is up. Jean sees some people in the remains of what was Amber City. They seem distracted.
The two Cailins converse over the rings.
Neville stops by to Norton's place to talk with Ilk. Ilk in Norton checks, and tells Norton to tell Neville that he'll be by shortly. Neville asks about Benedict's well being, mentions that he might be a relative. Neville asks Norton about the Amberite family.
Neville continues to question Norton about Amber. Neville is told that Eric died during a war with Helgram and Hendrake, and possessed Norton for a bit before being sent dead again. Jean shows up outside Norton's place and gives Norton a list of the good Dancers, whom can be let out, the uncertain Dancers, who should be interviewed, and the bad Dancers, who should be brought before the council of something.
Cassandra curtseys. "But of course. If there is anything else I can do to assist you, please do let me know." Cassandra turns to Ilkandacian. "Thank you Ilk, I do appreciate your assistance in this matter."
Auricle is confused. "And er, Ilk? Is Ilk a name?"
"Ilkandacian - but most people just call me Ilk."
"I'm Auricle," she says, forgetting that she's been introduced already.
Cassandra curtsies and takes her leave.
Auricle taps the box on her leg. "This is Gargoyle 6.7 -- Gargoyle."
"Hello, Gargoyle."
Auricle says hi for it.
"So what is House Cara and where exactly are the Courts of Chaos? I mean relative to Amber? My Amber, that is?"
"The Courts of Chaos are as far from Amber as you can be and still be in this reality."
Auricle nods slowly. "I am in the right reality, right? Bother, I need to find Zack."
"The Courts of Chaos is the place where Dworkin first emerged. He was an Old Lord of Chaos who swam across the Sea of Chance to an island of reality called Kolvir and drew the Pattern."
"Wait, he drew the Pattern?"
"Yes, this is the right reality. You can check the Patterns, if you like, although I believe that two of them are currently unsafe."
"There are Patterns here?"
"There are no Patterns in Chaos, but there are Patterns in this reality."
"Oh right."
"The two that are unsafe are the one in the castle and the one in Rebma. The one in Rebma is booby-trapped, and the castle is being guarded by a hostile alternate Benedict."
"Hmmmm. I wonder if I can fix them. Well, not alternate hostile Benedicts."
"I'm not sure entirely what is wrong with the one in Rebma. At least some of the defenses were destroyed by Dworkin when they were foolish enough to fire on him. There are seventeen Great Houses in Chaos, and the Council of Houses rules Chaos."
"Cara is a Great House?"
"House Cara is one of the Great Houses, yes."
"Neat. And Zack's in it?"
"We invited Zack to join and he did so after the most recent war between Amber and Chaos. 'Conduct becoming a Chaosian', I believe."
Auricle giggles.
"There are very few places where most Amberites can stay safely in Chaos - the environment changes enough that you really need to be a shapeshifter to get around. Zack modified a section of House Cara for safe Amberite use."
"Oh I can shapeshift. That's not a problem."
"But Zack stops by his suites in House Cara periodically, so if you stay there, he'll notice the next time he swings by."
"Well, I can stop by and wait for a little bit, at least leave him a note... I tend to do better if I go find him, though."
"But he's probably in Faerie... let me check and see if he's in shadow anywhere."
Auricle nods.
After a few moments, Ilk says, "He's not in Chaos, shadow, or Amber. Probably still in Faerie."
Auricle frowns. "I hate Faerie. Well, if you can take me to House Cara and his suites...that would work for now."
"So it might be better to wait for him."
Auricle nods. "Oh! Do you know who Lord Kirin is?"
"I don't think I know this 'Lord Kirin'."
It is hard to tell if Auricle looks relieved or disappointed. "I think that's probably good."
Auricle is prepared to follow Ilk to House Cara and wait around checking out Zack's suite and leave Zack a message.
"Hmm. It's actually a bit more complex than that... In order to defend against an attack from the white statue person, someone placed an odd sort of Pattern around House Cara. So I can't actually show you the rooms directly, but I can give you directions."
"Directions, I can follow those."
Auricle receives directions and heads into House Cara.
The Cailins aren't sure which one of them was the original.
Jean goes up to Verra, who is talking with Dworkin. Dworkin complains about Jean being out of uniform, so Jean fishes his hat to himself and puts it on. "Much better."
"You feeling better, Dworkin?"
"Somewhat."
"You were looking somewhat tired for a moment there."
"... I had to protect something."
Dworkin says that Verra has offered him a place, for as long as he wants.
Cassandra goes to Pearl and does some things,
Cassandra trumps Ilk, and is holding Malachai in her arms. She asks for Rainbow, eventually asks for Verra, is told Ilk can find her. Pull her through.
[Tia explodes when Cassandra discovers that Corwin reset the controls on the Barrier so she had to walk the Pattern to get out of Pearl]
Ilk looks for Verra, and finds her in the Paths of the Dead. Ilk contacts Verra through the pearl. Verra asks Ilk if he is going to deliver her a city; Ilk says that he's not certain what kind of city she wants yet. Ilk mentions that Cassandra is here with Malachai's body.
Verra opens what looks like a standard, shimmering magical gate to Ilk's position. Cassandra goes through. She's standing in Dragaera, under an orange sky, next to a statue of e'Barrit. She gives Malachai's body to Verra, and decides to camp there until the body is done. On about her third day, the cat centaurs find Cassandra. They play.
Cailin checks for familiar things, notices a bunch of people in Norton's place, and opens a gate there.
While Jean was off-line, there was one attack that was so subtle that it failed.
[They ignored our feint. They know everything! Run!]
Verra takes Jean out back. There are many statues on slabs. Jean asks Verra about becoming a god, and she convinces him to be her prophet instead. Everywhere where there were Gwen statues and there are now people bereft of guidance, they are now going to worship Verra.
[Cassandra is quite pleased that Books of Cassandra are not going to appear on the pedestals]
After a little while, Malachai sits up. No Galantine, no Bucephalus. He looks depressed. "Am I dead?"
Verra says, "Welcome back to the living"
Jean thinks, "Much more impressive than what I was going to do"
"Unfortunately, it would not be well for you to remain here to recover. For if you were to remain here, you could never leave."
Cassandra's tent is arguing with somebody. It's Verra, holding Malachai. Darhyse doesn't want to wake her.
"We will discuss payment later."
"For sure. How do I get out of here?"
"The same way you got in."
Verra leaves. Cassandra considers leaving, until she discovers that it's dark. Cassandra takes Malachai inside and they rest.
Dawn breaks. There are cat-centaurs whooping outside. She feeds Malachai broth, then they leave the shadow.
Dworkin and Jean are in the Paths of the Dead determining to whom the other nine statues are connected, and occasionally helping Verra answer prayers. Jean learns that it is very demanding being a god, as he passes along big prayers to Verra.
Dworkin works with Jean on a Trump whale.
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