Rebma or Bust

The personal diary of Sorashi, daughter of Deirdre, pt 21

So, we are in the city and we are victorious, it seems. Most of the residents must be in the army, if any remain they are staying well out of our way. I make sure there are perimeter guards, just in case.

There is nothing I need to do immediately so I take a look around. A fire in front of the mirror seems to be fuelled by bones – from the size and thickness, I guess the locals’ involuntary contributions. The flames burn blue-green and seem to writhe – I cannot feel pity for the lizard-men, their city seems built on the pain and murder of others.

I should break up the fire but my skin crawls at the prospect of getting near it. It will burn itself out on its own.

Caine Trumps through with his Marines and secures the area, relieving the guards I had set not half an hour before – given they were all battle-weary, none of us are resentful. Flora Trumps me, Margrath and the lizard-priest through. The priest seems oddly deflated in mood – though seeing your god killed in front of you can do that, I would think. A runner is sent to go and find Kageorgis to translate, whilst the priest is dumped with the remaining prisoners.

I Trump William and everyone from the city is passed through – William shortly after goes to the medical tent, looking more tense than I have ever seen him. He pauses only to ask me to inform Benedict of his location.

Which I do, then go and see to Tajal – to reassure her that I am still alive. She saw almost no combat, our little adventure in the City seems to have had unlooked-for success on that front as well.

Sometime later, I pass the medical tent to see William still there – he had not left DeLambre’s side since arrival. An impulse of pity arrives on me (though I would never admit it in William’s presence) and I procure food and drink for him, leaving it by his side with a brief comment and then going. The last thing he needs is my inadequate attempts at comfort and sympathy, but he does need to eat.

My sleep is strangely dreamless, though I do not feel joyous the next day. Just as well, there is a meeting called at breakfast.

Fiona advises there is more than one way back to Amber, Llewella has a sufficiently large mirror to get a smallish group to Rebma, where Fiona would be better able to work Trump enough to find out what has happened. Volunteers are asked for but I hang back as I cannot think of any particularly useful skill I have.

I have a second breakfast with Tajal and Surpanakha – unsurprisingly, Surpanakha enjoyed her fight and seems slightly disappointed it did not last longer. Tajal regales me with her helpfulness in the medical tent, and I tell her the (edited) tale of what happened in the city.

Family time is important – even more so here.

Constance wants aerial reconnaisance – Surpanakha volunteers, which means I don’t have to so I get to spend the day with Tajal.

Surpanakha comes back very pleased with herself after an encounter with the local flying wildlife (relatives of those we had previously met) gave her a chance to indulge in her favourite hobby of hacking things into bits.

Tajal is fortunately not revelling in the gory details, but listens politely – I do have to deter Surpanakha from getting too descriptive, though.

That evening, Tajal and I have dinner with Mother (a rare occasion in itself) – Rebma being matriarchal, she thinks we should go through the mirror. Before, I would have demurred, protesting my uselessness but now, although a little surprised, I say I will speak to Fiona or Llewella about it.

I cannot find either of them, but come across Benedict and ask him to relay my request to Llewella. He asks why I think I would be useful, so I cite my sex, reliability and shapeshifting. He grunts and says he will tell her.

It seems to have worked – both I and Tajal (Mother’s work, I assume) are to be included on the forward party to Rebma. Which leaves Airavata and Surpanakha – after speaking to Darig, then Dirk, then Allitta, it is arranged that she will look after them. She, at least, is a demon herself so will understand them better than the Amberites – my demons seem to accept this happily, which is a good sign.

There is a briefing in Llewella’s tent mid-afternoon.

In essence, Rebma has Amber’s sexist attitudes but in reverse. Also, clothing is rather more scanty than Amber is used to. Constance asks about breathing underwater, to the relief of the younger members of the team – the trick is to breathe out before going through, then breathe in the water (and try not to panic, one assumes).

William is joining us, presumably as the ‘muscle’ and Margrath as either the sorcerer or as Sand’s envoy, I cannot recall. The rest of us are women – a refreshing change!

Some time later there is a buzz in the camp – Gerard has been pulled through!

There is a small crowd of family round as he tells his tale – it seems Oberon was fixing the Pattern with the Jewel (I missed what the original problem was) on 26^th Satyr when he fell in the centre.

Gerard recovered the body and, whilst it was with Dworkin, the Unicorn came up to the body, touched it on the breast. Dworkin looped the Jewel over her horn and she left.

The funeral cortege left on the remains of the Black Road and then – nothing. For three years, no word or sign from us. He ruled as Regent (with Martin’s help) until a Trump call from Random led to him being pulled through. He was acclaimed king ‘unofficially’ until the family returned.

Only we didn’t.

Then came the earthquake – a large one which destroyed the north wing of the palace and collapsed the chamber leading to the Pattern. What is more, when he tried to find Rebma, it wasn’t there!

He then set out along the Black Road to try and find us, but the shadows had changed. He had no Trump deck to help, as they were at a premium in Amber, so wandered for 10 days until he met a woman with no eyes who told him Amber had vanquished Chaos but had itself fallen.

He tried to return, but the way back was blocked. So, the only way was forward, away from Amber.

He encountered old stories of a wanderer – seeking his lost brethren, sometimes his comrades in arms, sometimes his home – and realised the wanderer was him.

He was never more relieved than when we Trumped him, but still worries for Amber.

The rest of the family – well, the older ones – look concerned as well. I am not sure if any of the younger ones have ever been there – Constance is probably the closest to it.

But that is a gourd to be filled another day.

Llewella prepares our transport and the mirror shimmers, then changes to what looks like an underground room with a young woman standing in it. Fiona goes through first, then we all pass through – breathing water is like remembering how to move stones hot from the fire, remembering the technique is the key. I help Tajal, who has never experienced this before and looks panicked.

Llewella goes to the young woman and hugs her, saying it was good to be back and asking the date – it appears to be 24^th Leviathan (Serpent in the Amber calendar) 3658. I have no way of knowing how much time has elapsed, no doubt we will find out in time.

The young woman is Nerine, Llewella’s daughter (yet another cousin) – the ladies are introduced first, then the men. Llewella busies herself writing a note, presumably requesting an audience which is granted with surprising speed as 2 guards turn up to escort us to her presence.

The large reception room we are led into has a wooden throne in pride of place and on this sits a woman, grey-haired with hints of emerald-green and wearing a metallic-green kilt and little else. From her demeanour, this is the Queen.

She is flanked by 2 other women – one southern-dark, the other pearl-white in complexion – advisors I assume. There is another round of introductions of the women and then Llewella gives a precis of the Chaos War to date.

In return, we hear of what has happened to Rebma – there was an earthquake, leading to damage to the buildings and the area, but more concerning was that the stairway to Amber now leads to an unknown beach – it seems that Rebma has been turned 90 degrees to the left in relation to Amber.

I am left to wonder what cataclysm would have caused that – the Shadow-storm on the fields of Chaos must have been the last dying ripples of something with the force of a thousand suns.

Fiona is asking if she can walk their Pattern – this (after a whispered consultation) will be given due consideration. In the meantime, a formal dinner is to be arranged and we are led to our various quarters.