A Knight at the Opera pt3
The personal diary of Darig,
son of Corwin, pt 7
A dream of sorts, my mind is running things that I have seen and
heard. Deithtine is my mother, she is the sister of a
Duke of Faerie, I am not Faerie. Am I the changeling
or is she? If she is Faerie, she is not my mother but if she is not, who is?
Is Corwin my father? Those who know him say that the similarity is
striking, except for colouration which is just like Deithtine’s
but she is the sister of a Duke of Faerie and I am not Faerie.
Corwin must know who my mother was? He was in Avalon when I was born, or so I
was told by Deithtine.
The thoughts chase each other inside my mind. Sleep seems unrefreshing.
At Breakfast Nico has news, the terms have
been worked out for our nuptials, in the way of Barimen.
Nico has always appeared female, if rather boyish, Kalavryta distinctly female; the normal state of both is
apparently hermaphrodite but they will be female for the occasion.
Shape-shifting can be a handy party trick; it would go down well in Dorica. There will be two children: a female/hermaphrodite
can inherit Petrus, a male Barimen,
or indeed Chaos. I stipulate that if the second is also hermaphrodite they are
fostered at Petrus until they have the shape-shifting
ability.
There is no point in delaying, the process is pragmatic, Petrus breed practically not
taking pleasure from the process. Nico becomes more
decisively female, six more of the house observe, a
little strange but more so is the fact that the ladies are 3 or 4 months
pregnant as they leave the bed!
After this episode of procreation a demon advises me that there
has been an invitation to meet before the Opera from Mandor.
I want to see Mandor first to learn more of his
plans, if we are to leave Chaos it is not just a matter of removing Gus. Chaos
must not be without a King and we need it to be one who looks favourably on
both houses and might even be a member of both. (Melvin, Merlin, Dara?). There is also the issue of our troops, Chaos would
have no use for them and they would just be absorbed, they all were prepared to
die for Amber but to me that increases the obligation to save them if we can.
I have been warned about the Opera and so prepare as for war
complete with a rucksack full of compact rations. Since everyone is supposed to
attend the Opera, hopefully Julian will be there so that we can be assured of
his safety.
When Coprolith and I arrive at Woodstock
Dara is already there helping Mandor
to pack food into bags. That neither of them has any idea how to pack for a
campaign is clear so I join in and help, or to be honest take charge. Dara seems quite friendly, comments on my likeness to
Corwin and tells me a little of Merlin, my half-brother. He was apparently last
seen after the battle and neither has been seen since. She is worried about
Merlin.
Once we are all assembled it is off to the Opera to see the
performance of ‘The Resistible Rise of Magnus Matricide’. It really sounds like
a laugh-a-minute farce. We arrive as the throng thins and are taken swiftly to
the House Sawall box. The family have already arrived
and Mandor introduces us to Despil,
his brother, who seems friendly; Aunt Whone, who is
politely condescending; Archduke Gramball, who
glowers; Gauri who is quiet; and Jurt,
who giggles like a lackwit.
From the box we have a fine view; in front of the boxes are two
rows of seats where sit the folk of the lesser houses and the ambassadors of
other realms. Between these rows and the stage is an enormous horde of demons
somehow confined in a limitless small space.
After a short delay Lord Tobias of Unman appears on stage and
announces the start of the Royal Command Performance.
The performance commences with Suhuy and
Dworkin taking the stage and telling the history.
ACT 1
In the first interval the family are more concerned with watching
Julian who is visible in House Karm’s Box, if it is
indeed him. I chat to Despill
ACT II
In the second interval Magdalene of House Karm
knocks on the door of our box. She looks human and not unpleasing but smells
like the morning after a battle as the crows descend. Constance and William go
to Karm’s box to see Julian. I borrow his Trump and
try to initiate contact, despite what we can see he is still dreaming.
ACT
In the third interval I watch
ACT IV
So now I am on, playing myself – refusal
is apparently not an option. I am taken below the stage and fitted into a
harness so that I can appear suddenly behind the throne to say the words I now
know by heart. All through the play King Gus has been drowsing, seemingly
paying no attention. At the moment of the on stage crowning the Norns have spoken and I say the lines.
Gus himself leaps to his feet calling it a lie and saying that he
will have my tongue ripped out, there is apparently no
gratitude for being volunteered for his damn Royal command Performance. Then
everything hits. Demons swarm towards me in their thousands, I will take down a
lot but they will swamp me. At the same instant a Trump contact starts to form
but before I can respond a shadow drops from above, lift me out of the harness
and we rise up as if bouncing.
Then down again, not among the swarming demons but into the peace
of the Duomo. My rescuer looks like a tar baby,
female of form but burned black, dark holes are the only eyes though they seem
to see, the mouth is open but there is no tongue.
She carefully places me in a small enclosure behind the altar,
apparently the place of sanctuary, before vanishing with a scream into a
momentary hole in the floor. Shortly afterwards