A Knight at the Opera pt3

The personal diary of Margrath, son of Sand, pt 7

I dreamt. I was in terrain that seemed familiar.

On one side there was a wood which could have been Corillaine. Looking in to the wood I could see many spider webs. I felt relaxed and not threatened although the place was warmer than the Corillaine that I remember. This could be a new Corillaine or somewhere similar, a shadow like Corillaine. Although I was reasonably sure that I was dreaming and so it could just be a dream realm, like Corillaine, but not exactly.

This is a similar place to the place I visited in my last dream.

On my other side there was brush with grazing animals. There was tall grass with the occasional tree. It was dark and there was a village, surrounded by a wooden palisade. This was not the village of my last dream.

There was a trail leading to the village and so I started to walk along that trail.

After a short time I was aware that there was a person walking along the trail, towards me. As he came closer I could see he was black skinned and walked with a loose gait. He had not dressed for the weather here. He was wearing trousers with a broad check pattern, a shirt, a waistcoat and a jacket. He also wore lemon-yellow gloves. He was about five foot six inches tall with a spare build. He had iron grey hair and was very theatrical in his manner. This man felt familiar, although he had the look in his eye of one who practices the art of deceiving others.

I felt I had been here for about fifteen minutes and had noticed no change in the lighting. It was not getting any lighter or darker. As all worlds can be reached through shadow, and all possible combinations of worlds would seem to exist somewhere, one can speculate that there are shadows that remain permanently in dusk or dawn. There are also, by extrapolation, shadows that are permanent night or noon. It would be interesting to visit these worlds and observe how they differ from shadows where the daily cycle of night and day exist, although I have probably walked through some of these places on my journeys between the places in Chaos.

The man greeted me with a 'Hello'. He came forward skipping, almost as if he was trying to perform some form of dance. He told me that he was hot, which I was not surprised by considering the clothing he was wearing, and that he wanted to go home where it was cool.

He told me he was there to help me with my problem. That there are two homes, but maybe not the ones I think they are. Both have gone away and come back again, by which I assume he means Amber and Corillaine went in what I suppose we could call the Interruption, and now have come back, but not as they were. He said I can go back but never go home – reinforcing that possibility that shadow disappeared and has reasserted itself, and that even though a place may look the same, it will not actually be the same place.

One must ask though, if two places look the same, and contain the things that look and act the same – places, animals, plants, people – does it matter that the new place is a recreation of the old?

He talked about having a choice between going with him or with the horsey girl, by which I believe he meant Constance. This I take to mean a choice between Corillaine, or somewhere very like Corillaine, and Amber – maybe an even deeper choice that I have considered before, between Great Spirit and the Unicorn.

We parted then, again in a very theatrical manner. He said something about us singing together on stage and I will make them worship me – although now I am wakened from the dream I am not sure whether it was me or him that would be worshipped.

He bids farewell with eight hand slaps and as he turned away I could see he bore a red hourglass on his back. As he walked away he said that next time we meet I should bring him a watermelon and that it should be somewhere drier. He said he doesn't mind the heat but he wants it drier.

I walked away and woke back in House Sumi.

This has been a strange dream, but then again all my dreams here have been strange and most have been more than just dreams. Was this some incarnation of Great Spirit as Spider. The eight hand slap parting would seem to reinforce that possibility.

He also seems to have said that Corillaine is still there, as I have known for a while because I feel the connection that is the source of my power. But he also indicated that it is not necessarily the Corillaine I used to know. The inference is also there that Amber has changed, but that is less believable. From what mother has told me of Amber, that place is unchanging.

I dressed and went to the refectory to eat. There Mokoto joined me and passed on an invitation from Mandor to join him in the personal box of Archduke Gramble of Sawall in the Opera House for the Royal Command Performance of 'The Resistible Rise of Magnus Matricide'.

Mokoto also told me that Hyobashi Mikado wanted to speak to me about Ibemo.

From the refectory I was shown to what I can only describe as a throne room, where Hyobashi Mikado bade me sit before him. He talked about Ibemo leaving with me and he impressed upon me that House Sumi is Ibemo's home and that he will be returning here eventually. After this he gave his blessing for Ibemo to travel with me, for which I thanked him.

Hyobashi Mikado then turned to another matter. House Sumi have received letters from representatives of other Houses who have heard, how he did not say, of the 'help' I have afforded House Sumi. They are asking for my help in the same way for their Houses.

Hyobashi Mikado has said he will send some of the letters on to me so that I can decide whether I will 'help' these other Houses, but with the proviso that I will take care in which Houses I 'help'. As with all actions in the Courts, 'helping' some Houses would upset the balance and give them the advantage that I have given to House Sumi, thus lessening the advantage of House Sumi. Naturally that is something I would endeavour not to do to the House that has hosted me so graciously. Hyobashi Mikado was very clear that some letters would not be passed on.

Hyobashi Mikado also informed me that my mother wished to see me, as does Mage Lord Argoleb who is staying with House Noman. At the races I had a bet with the Mage Lord, from which I won training, although I understood that this was to take place in Atlantis. We shall see what he wishes to discuss.

I called Chang to take me to House Lanfranc where my mother is being hosted. Palatine is an ancient castle set in a wood, surrounded by a wooden palisade.

In Sand's rooms I talked to Sigebert who had taught me about the Ty'iga. We talked about the teachings and he told me that he would like to be present when I use the Ty'iga spells. I wonder if this is just curiosity about the interaction between Ty'iga and someone who is was not born and brought up in the Courts, or if there is some other motive.

Sigebert left us then so that I could talk to my mother, although here I doubt either of us believe we could not be overheard.

Mother is distressed about not being able to hold a funeral for Delwin until after Oberon's funeral. She feels that Delwin may now be an ancestor and naturally should be afforded the proper respect due. This also adds weight to his opinions which she feels should be heeded. She has spoken to him and he thinks we should bury the hatchet and move on. He also believes that Corillaine is no longer there and that it may have been replaced by a similar place that is not Corillaine. I spoke of my dream and we agreed that this belief fits with the points made by the person I met there. Sand confirmed that the person I met is a spirit aspect of the spider spirit which Annansyth is also an aspect of, and which can be found all over Shadow.

We also talked about my cousins and her siblings. It was obvious that she was worried about me travelling with them and about me trusting them. They are, after all, of Amber.

As we spoke of my cousins I mentioned that I thought Lady Constance may have connections with the fae.

We spoke of my previous dream where I had been a part of bringing back the spirit of the Lady Deirdre from the Abyss. Mother believes that this may be worth a favour from Deirdre and that I should speak to her about this.

We also talked about the interest I had roused from other Houses in the services I had provided for House Sumi, and their interest in my providing similar services. She warned me then of the basic magical fact of linkage. Each being here that I form a connection to, by siring, is a link back to here and such links could be used against me at a future date. So I am again cautioned to be careful in choosing the Houses that I decide to help.

I told her I had been invited to the Opera, and I bade her farewell and hoped that she would soon rest easier.

I then had Chang take me to Woodstock to meet with Lord Mandor.

I arrived at Woodstock to find my cousins Darig, Havelock and Sorashi already arrived, along with Deirdre still posing as Kali. Mandor and Dara were there to greet me and all of them were packing rucksacks. All of the cousins seem to have brought rucksacks with provisions, as had I, as we have no way of knowing how long we would be at the Opera.

After a short while Constance arrived. She and I talked about Brand. Apparently he is aware that there is someone that Constance knows who can put his spirit back in his body, although I do not believe he knows it is me. This seems to be a major goal for him at present, which makes sense. It would stabilise him in the Courts and allow him to act further. However, it presents an interesting question from the point of view of power and foci.

The Jewel of Judgement: there appear to be three jewels – one retrieved from the Abyss and given to Random by the Unicorn. One on the body of Brand and one on the spirit of Brand. Brand's spirit wants to be returned to his body, but if his spirit is a shadow from the alternate time line, maybe the Jewel worn by the spirit is a spirit of the jewel and returning him to the body would unite the two aspects of the Jewel. Can an object have a spirit? It is after all a powerful item within the Courts as well as in Amber and Shadow. Could these be alternate shadows of the Jewel? I wonder if the spirit world that I knew from Corillaine transgresses the boundaries of Shadow and connects to other shadows – maybe only accessible to those who can enter spirit and walk Shadow?

Then there is the third Jewel given to Random. However, I only saw it from a distance so cannot say what it was. Maybe some third aspect drawn from the Abyss by the Unicorn, or maybe just a symbol of the power of the Unicorn?

These things need to be pondered at a later time.

Constance also had news of another dream she has had. In this dream she fulfils her role as the horsey woman as she was riding Morgenstern. She is very hopeful that Morgenstern will be able to lead her to, and rescue, Julian.

William and Lady Rachael (an angel with no wings) arrived, followed soon after by Dirk.

Once we had checked we had prepared, we set off for the Opera, led by Mandor and the Lady Rachael. This passage was much smoother than previous journeys led by demons.

We arrived at the Opera House, which was much as we had last seen it. Mandor led us up to the Sawall box where the family were wearing Barimen form, as have many denizens of the Courts while we have been here. While all of our packs were taken and stowed, we were introduced to those in the box. There was Mandor's brother Despil and his half-brother Jurt. Mandor's aunt, Whone, and Archduke Gramble who muttered and asked Mandor, 'Where is she?' to which Mandor replied 'Safe.'

We were then introduced to the cast list and found that Darig, Sorashi, Constance, William and Mandor were to appear in the Opera.

After the pleasantries were over we settled in for the Opera – The Resistible Rise of Magnus Matricide, An Interminable Opera in an Infinite Number of Acts, Scenes and Musical Interludes.

As we waited we looked around the Opera House and noticed that the area around the stage, where the demons are allowed, seemed to have many more demons that should be able to fit in that area. At least in the area as we had seen it on our previous visit. This is Chaos though and we have seen enough places here to not be surprised at flexibility within a building as well as without.

Unman came out and announced the Opera.

During the period before the first act started, Constance was watching the box belonging to House Karm. She was sure that there was a figure at the back of the box who looked very much like Julian.

The Opera itself was a strange thing, with singing and storytelling, but in a much grander and theatrical way than the stories that are told in Corillaine. Those stories are more understandable because of the use of spirit to illustrate the text, and because of the aim of the stories to pass on views of the ancestors.

The Opera House is very grand and the Opera is written to live up to that grandness, and became difficult to follow, and was overshadowed by what happened during the periods of calm that are called intervals.

During the first interval I employed my sorcerous sight to view the place. The whole place is, as I might have guessed, a conjuration. Not perhaps a conjuration formed by people putting forward the design of the fabric of the place, but more a conjuration brought about by the idea of the place, the need for an Opera House. Where that need comes from I do not know.

The place, as we have been told and witnessed, is overshadowed by something that stops the use of magic, at least active magic. Passive forms like sorcerous sight, which may in fact not be treated as strictly magic, do not seem to be impeded. This includes items of magic. Through the sight I could see that there may have been more items of magic in the box of House Karm than in most other boxes.

Constance noticed a figure at the back of the House Karm box, dressed in white, which she believes could be Julian. Through the sight I could make out a figure on either side of the man in white, who most probably are guards – though I suspect if asked, House Karm would claim they were not there to contain Julian but to protect him from outside attack.

The brightest box to the sight was that belonging to House Amblerash, which was located next to the box of the King.

Act 2 was followed by a second interval. During this interval Magdalene of House Karm came to visit us in the Sawall box. She had come bringing her father's regards to Constance and she was worried that they, House Karm, had caused Constance distress.

We talked with Magdalene and Constance made it plain that she wanted to see Julian straight away. However, Magdalene claimed that she did not have the authority to agree to that, but that this could be discussed after the Opera and some arrangement could be reached.

This did not satisfy Constance, who I believe, then threatened a repeat of the House Diptera incident. She was restrained by Mandor, but this seemed to have had the desired effect on Magdalene and she agreed to take Constance to see Julian straight away, and would waive any fee. Constance chose to take William with her on this visit.

From the Sawall box Havelock established and maintained Trump contact with William during his and Constance's visit to the House Karm box, trump contact being an active process but using a passive medium which is not stopped by the proscription on magic in this place.

Darig, meanwhile, attempted to make Trump contact with Julian with the same result Constance had had earlier, namely that there was difficulty making contact and then the contact was with a dream state, as though the target were asleep and dreaming. Darig broke contact as soon as he touched the dream state. We have been informed that contacting someone while in a dream state will result in an attack from the target, as they will see the contact as a monster of some sort.

I should ask Havelock whether this also holds true for a person who is lucidly dreaming, as I have been recently, who then attempts Trump contact from within their own dream?

It also strikes me that here a dream may be as real a world as anywhere else, and if Julian is being kept in a sleep like state, and our attempts at contact are touching his dreaming self, maybe there is another way of travelling to the dream world where a part of him is captive?

In fact this dream world may be Julian's prison, rather than a physical place where his body is kept. If a part of him is being kept separate, in a dream shadow, there may not be need of any drugs or physical imprisonment. If this is so any attempt to rescue Julian would have to take this into account, and would require the safe removal of his dreaming self from the dream shadow. This dream shadow, if it exists, may well be under control of one of his captors and merely retrieving his physical body may not return him to health, or remove him from House Karm's control.

Havelock brought Constance and William back to the Sawall box via Trump.

There followed another act. During the next interval Hugo arrived to take William and Sorashi away, to prepare for their appearances in the Opera. Sorashi quickly returned to tell us that William was in a fight in the corridor and Darig, followed by Sorashi and Havelock, went to William's aid.

Shortly Havelock returned with a body that had been killed by William. Between Mandor, Despil and Constance, the body was identified as Bo of House Shang. It was noted though that there was a wound in the back of the body, which was thought to be an odd killing blow, though not having been in the fight, any thoughts on this are merely speculation.

In this act William appeared on stage as himself and it could be seen that he had a bandage on his left arm and blood spattered down his boots, but otherwise he appeared intact and I could see no effects from his fight impinging on his performance.

The final scene of act four was a duel between William and Tybalt. Within this duel both used shields as representations of their respective Eidolons, and uncovered them as a symbol of calling upon that Eidolon. I could clearly hear, due no doubt to the interesting effect of the Opera House that brings activity on the stage into close focus for all of the audience, Tybalt calling his Eidolon ‘Logrus’. At the end of the duel, with William’s uncovering of his shield, symbolic of the Pattern, House Diptera was again destroyed.

During the interval after act four, Darig made a point of warning us that the casting for act five meant our two best warriors would be away from the box.

Act five saw Darig playing the portent phantom appearing to the king at his coronation, when the third Norn refused to prophesy. This seemed to rouse the king who called out that this was not how it was and also called for the arrest of Darig, and removal of his tongue for libel.

At this point Darig was suspended from some harness, having appeared to the king in the Opera, and was not in an ideal position to defend himself, although having seen Darig in combat I do not doubt that he would have acquitted himself admirably. He is not a person to be underestimated. Havelock also attempted to Trump Darig.

However, this scene was interrupted by the swooping arrival of a creature that plucked Darig from his place and spirited him away, disappearing from view most likely in the same way that it had appeared, seemingly from nowhere.

The sight showed me that this creature was not unlike the creature that had brought undead William to the Races.

Mandor and Despil seem to believe that this apparition may have been the Lady Zae, in some transformed state. Whether this is a transitionary form that she is passing through during her inauguration or a final form she has arrived at waits to be seen. The creature was making some form of attempt at speech, but even the Opera House could not make it clear for me, however, Kali (Deirdre) says she believes it said 'Sanctuary' twice.

Darig was gone, saved it would seem from the King for the time being. Mandor asked if Havelock could re-establish the Trump contact which had been broken by the creature disappearing with Darig, and Havelock reported that Darig was apparently in an area behind the altar in the Duomo. This area is possibly a sanctuary and Mandor said that that may be the best place for Darig to stay, at least until the events of the Opera can be discussed in Council.

Havelock then asked Mandor about the author of the Opera who, it would seem, prepared the entertainment with the view of provoking some, or all, of the responses we have witnessed. Mandor pointed out that he does not know of the author, and that their name does not appear on the playbill.