Long Live the King

The personal diary of Darig, son of Lorraine, pt 14

Returning to Stoneguard, I compliment Elektra on her good behaviour. Kalavryta is pleased but still at odds with her daughter. I think the personalities clash and I may need to speak to Demissa about this.

I ask Nico about the Ixtramarini: they are aspirant or ex-members of the Thelbane. Royal decree, as yet unchanged, forbids contact, so Coprolith cannot take me there.

Now I need to visit Havelock, he will know if the kids are old enough for Trumps. He will also be able to do the reading that I need about parentage and to discuss Benedict. He would also know if there is a way to boost a Trump signal.

When I meet Havelock he wants to get straight on with the reading… Parentage:

Where we are now: Knight of Swords reversed: Corwin is not my father or is lying.

Where I want to be: King of Wands: Benedict as my father.

How did we get here: King of Swords: Eric

Hidden influence: Caine is keeping secrets. (What a surprise)

Inheritance: Amber & the Pattern.

Pivot: is Constance or someone like her.

Havelock then rests. The children are probably still too young for a lasting Trump. Boosting the power of Trump – only Fiona has the power to do it by sorcery; a relay station would be vulnerable to attack and a Trump ‘tunnel’ would be vulnerable at both ends. He also talks of Cyrillic Trumps but this is rather technical.

We discuss Benedict: the loss of his arm seems to have opened a wound in his psyche. Havelock has a plan that involves getting hold of an artefact and getting William to act the role of his father Finndo and to let Benedict drain his guilt.

We then travel to Brứ-na-Bóinne. A large meeting of the ‘great and good’: Mandor, Belissa, Hector, Suhuy, Dworkin among others. Melvyn is in the middle of it all looking unhappy. He is asked if he will be King but says both yes and no. He asks to speak to his kinsmen: Havelock, William and me. We advise a conditional yes, he does not want to be a cat’s-paw for either Mandor or Suhuy. He takes our advice and gives his answer.

After that, Dworkin takes us deep into Brứ-na-Bóinne, into the chambered tombs, past one to Conal and Donal and on, and on, finally we come to a round room and, upon a plinth, two armoured skeletons. One has a silver arm. On Dworkin’s advice we take it for Benedict. Havelock reveals his plan and William tells him to go to hell. A problem: my fighting style is adaptable, none more so, but against Benedict, who has taught me so much, I would give myself away and how many others could survive the experience and are trustworthy?

On the way out Corwin hijacks us and asks that a message be taken to Dara asking her to be his consort in a place of his own. I had no immediate plans so Havelock and I head straight to Woodstock. When we arrive it is Dara herself who greets us. Both of us have apparently been asked to get her a place when Amber leaves and both have the answer, ‘Yes’.

Havelock makes a drink. I deliver Corwin’s message: she seems pleased and says that she is prepared to talk to him about it.

She also says she will show us something else. She takes us to a small room which she unlocks. Within, on a small table, stands a picture of Fiona. Before it is a piece of her needle point, a stole in her colours and a pair of shoes – to all intents and purposes a shrine. Apparently there are others around Chaos, one to Flora in Zigo, one to Benedict in Hendrake. They are kept both as a matter of respect but also an element of control. There is a feeling that the especially the women of Amber are bred to accept worship. Gerard, whose strength is physical, might have been especially vulnerable.

Coprolith and I return to Brứ-na-Bóinne and I am just talking to Maugrim when I get an urgent trump call from Havelock. He brings me through to the Royal Chapel. Most of the cousins are there. Cymnea is there too, in a simmering rage.

Oberon’s body has been taken from the Chapel Royal and the guards, two Amber soldiers and two demons, are slain! There are footmarks around of several different sorts: webbed, clawed, booted, and boney. Cymnea names the houses that might fit: Chanicut, Treblinka, Amblerash, Couatl. I am not the greatest tracker and certainly have not made a study of Chaos foot shapes.

The rangers follow the tracks and we follow the rangers. Sorashi takes tiger form and I call Gae Bolg. The tracks lead to the Whispering Bridge. Around it there are bodies: fishmen, serpent men and a mobile corpse, William finds one alive, Ludmilla of Treblinka. Willaim and Cymnea question her. They had been going to throw Oberon’s body into the Void as an insult. William then cuts off her head.

As we prepare to continue, a cloud of stinking smoke forms in the corner of the court behind the bridge. A huge shape in canine form, a Hound of Tindalos! It jumps straight for William, colliding with a clatter, both seem unhurt. I thrust with my spear and his great sword falls upon it. In moments it is down but the stench is unbearable. I could restrain the nausea but I would fight better without it. I throw up on the corpse – it was disgusting anyway – a swig from my flask and once more to the chase.

Cymnea advises me that the stink of the Mythos will linger until I have used the Pattern.

We go on. Sorashi finds a corner of the banner that draped the coffin. We follow a trail of scraps to the Duomo. The signs of another fight; four corpses: Flense, Alhazred and one female Amblerash – another lies holding her guts in. They had, apparently, been returning the coffin to the Duomo when they were ambushed by Ixtramurini.

Havelock contacts Oberon to pull us through. Apparently he had been in touch already and this time, lead by William, we burst forth from the coffin. We turn up among eight ‘people’ defending the coffin: 3 human and 5 grotesques, they are surrounded by a larger force of beast-men. I leap to the assistance of a young lad who is under pressure, take the throat from a goat headed creature and then the legs from a Formori. The lad finishes it. One of the goat-heads shouts ‘Run away, it’s a trap!’ and I take him down with a throw of the spear. My sword is out but there is nothing to fight; we went straight through the enemy, taking no harm. I catch the returning spear and sheath the sword.

The coffin thieves are House Kunstkabinett of the Ixtramurini. The humans introduce themselves as Penelope, Jack, and Raffles. Cymnea has come through and is speaking to Oberon who, looking remarkably well for a corpse, joined in the fight. They go off to talk in private.

Around us seems to be a deserted city, only the Kunstkabinett showing signs of life. Their explanation for taking the coffin is that they were confounding an Amblerash plot to rest time to before the formation of Amber.

The one called Raffles gets punched by William, mostly I think for being too smug about their cleverness. Their Grotesques will carry the coffin back to its rightful place, once Oberon and Cymnea have finished their conversation.

An elegant man emerges from the House and introduces himself as Tradescant, Keeper of House Kunstkabinett. They are thieves, gentlemen bastards and collectors. Their house is indeed crammed with interesting and valuable artefacts and the food and wine that they supply are exquisite. Penelope takes Sorashi away and finds her clothes, in nearly her colours but not her usual style.

Once dressed, Sorashi and Constance look outside and say that the conversation is ending. Oberon is apparently tired and re-enters his coffin. We return it to its rightful place where a new rota of guards have cleared away the remains of their predecessors.

With no more than time to change we are summoned to Melvyn’s coronation. He has chosen his bodyguard from Amber, which causes a few frowns, but we are also Barimen. Along with Havelock, William, Benedict, Bleys and Corwin, I have been chosen for the honour guard.

Melvyn is crowned; he looks resolute if not happy, as good as it is likely to get.

Long Live the King!