A Knight at the Opera pt1

The personal diary of Darig, son of Corwin, pt 5

Well another period that sort of equates to a day dawns. Light breakfast and so to the exercise yard and the usual work out with the house demons. Nico arrives and claps politely at some move that, whilst pretty, does not deserve such mention.

She has come to discuss the consummation, the time will be soon as they have worked out how to fit in with the 'Barimen way' though with three participants, they have reduced the number especially. I wonder if they think I am shy; there are maenads and satyrs in Doric, you don't stay shy around them.

She also has news: Mandor has sent a message inviting me and my cousins to Woodstock as soon as we can. Also a demon has been delivered, I know Nico well enough by now to hear the disapproval in her voice, a succubus from House Unman. Not as I had hoped a spear carrier, unless you choose to think of that as some form of euphemism. I am told that I will need to keep her in my room.

The Succubus is brought to me, a voluptuous blonde with an empty head, quite literally, for looking into her eyes is to peer straight into the void. She needs to be invited three times before she can enter my room. She has no name so I call her Lacey and allow her to help me wash the sweat of exercise from me. When I deny her more a moment of frustration crosses her face but I leave her drawing pictures.

I then take Coprolith and head to Woodstock, leaving the demon in the porch as instructed.

Margrath has bad news: Delwin has died of the wound that he took in the fight. Mandor gives condolences and we all drink a toast to the fallen. He will be lying in state but, to the distress of his sister and the apparent annoyance of House Zigo, protocol dictates that there will be no funerals held until after Oberon's ceremony.

Mandor discusses the latest happenings, it seems that as part of our reward for services rendered we are to be awarded orders of Knighthood. From Mandor's description they seem more like a combination of social and fraternal clubs but still a matter of interest.

The only one he gives any sort of detail of is his own the Middle Aged and Lackadaisical Order of the Brash Extremity, of which the concept seems to be that extreme ideas are put forwards, brashly dismissed if they do not make the grade and most rejected, but the few that make it are superb.

I have done a little of this sort of exercise in Benedict' exercises in not rejecting the improbable and choose this. Mandor says that he is glad that I did, it will broaden my mind! The others chose their orders: Dirk, the Invidious Blade; Constance the Deniable Moth; Sorashi the Undulating Thing, Margrath the Loquacious Nettle; Havelock the Inconscient Brush; and William the Lugubrious Vendetta.

There will also be a promotion among House Zigo, which we are invited to watch but this is not apparently for the faint hearted and it might be more a hideous death than a promotion.

Before we can discuss this further there is a knock at the door and Hector of Zigo is there, for a moment in his floating eyeball form though he quickly shifts to human.

He brings news: we have all been invited to the Opera. Which, having seen opera in shadow I am surprised to learn that Mandor regards as a cruel and unusual punishment. He apologises repeatedly for our invitations (By Order of Augustus Swayvil) to 'Magnus Matricide'. The Opera is mostly cast from shadow, though few of the participants survive as any fighting is completely realistic, involves no magic and also involves audience participation.

I also take the opportunity to ask Mandor about Succubi as Lacey seems different from creatures of the same name in Dorica. These demons can take the male seed and even after an inordinately long time impregnate a female., often one who could not otherwise have been reached, not too dissimilar though obviously more adaptable to meet the many options available in Chaos. Such creatures can also take on any form to give the greatest pleasure.

Mandor then leaves, asking us to show ourselves out, we chat further to Hector. The Initiation will show us much more about the Courts and we may well meet someone important.

After we leave Woodstock we all agree that if the Opera is so dangerous it would be a good idea to scout out the ground first so we instruct our demons to take us there. As we travel Havelock shows us a list of the houses of Chaos, not too unusual except that it appears to be from a short time in the future.

As far as I can make out time in the Courts runs like a swift stream through rocks. Though the main movement is forwards each rivulet moves through the rapids at a different speed. Some gets stuck in eddies and a little splashes out of the main flow and pools at the river side joining the flow far later.

Margrath says that before he died in a moment of especial lucidity Delwin left us all a warning.

· Don't try to change the past.

· Something bad is coming.

· Don't let your prejudice stop you from talking to the things which are different.

There is then some discreet discussion whether I ought to bump off old Augustus as it would seem that I am the only one with the skills to do so.

When we get to the Opera it is a huge oval building, most impressive. It is not locked and we enter a foyer, within the wall a corridor runs around the outside and stairs run upwards, after a brief discussion Havelock and I go up the stairs and come out in a box overlooking the stage. The lay out is all around a central stage. Seats for the minor families like an arena and a standing area before that which we later find out is for demons. Through some trick of the atmosphere we can see the stage as if we are right by it. The top row is divided into 13 boxes just like this one, the King and the major houses.

As we watch William and Constance, who had set out to find their way into the backstage, emerge onto the stage apparently from beneath. As soon as they are there Brand fades into existence and we overhear their conversation. He thinks that Benedict's plan is doomed to fail, for every house that we bring to our side we will offend two more and so with the exception perhaps of Zigo it is impossible to build a group that will support us.

With that Brand fades out again and William looks up to us and calls us to the stage. Conveniently the steps now take us swiftly there. Sorashi, Dirk and Margrath reach the stage at about the same time and we start to discuss what we have seen.

I look around, after all we can be heard through the whole auditorium. As I do so I am sure that I hear something insectoid moving out in the darkness. I mention this and Constance casts light but nothing is there.

Since I have his trump I contact Benedict. He does not trust the Trumps and wants to meet face to face. He is sure the Opera will not be suitable so I will go to him. Havelock joins in the conversation; Benedict asks if he can make more trumps, William & Cymnea would be particularly useful ones to have.

Once we leave the Opera I find an invitation to visit Cymnea is waiting, as I was heading that way anyway we split up and go to visit William's Grandma.

The reason for the invitation is initially to discuss the demon that I won and that I am gifting to House Barimen, she has already given them a fighter so a servitor would seem to be the most useful. Cymnea discusses the Opera and advises us to go well supplied, the performances are very long indeed and people have been known to starve to death whilst watching, ample supplies are necessary.

She then comes to matters that I think interest her more and enquires as to my relationship with Benedict. My response is truthful: apprenticeship, respect and friendship. She reminds me that Benedict killed at least one of his brothers and possibly sent the other to his death. He also killed Lintra the Hellmaid on whom he had previously fathered Dara, technically a lady of Amber not Chaos, I give the account of the loss of his arm as I have heard it, that it was after their relationship when they met in battle he hesitated for one moment too long.

This sounds strange until I realise that Benedict has never killed anyone that mattered in hot blood. It would be to lessen his self control, he does not like that. She mentions her admiration for Caine and his ruthlessness.

Cymnea thinks that the loss of his arm has also diminished his will, a wound upon his confidence that is a part of his mastery. She then asks if I had thought of volunteering to kill Swayvil, I reply that I had already considered it.

We discuss my family, what she knows confirms that my mother was not Lorraine as the lineage drawn up by Chaos would have it but then I am sure that it cannot be Dethine (Deth-ee-nay) who I called mother as a child as I do not seem to be sufficiently of Faerie. Though am I so sure of this? My colouring is like hers, hair and eyes. My memory of her is a child's memory, was she even of Faerie?