Alaric’s Diary part 10: A School Visit, a Patternwalk and Groombridge

In The Doom that Came to Amber

25^th Bull 3658

I was still in Faerie when I was Trumped by Khitan, and due to the Trump situation went through to him in Cordoba to have our conversation. He has asked me help him with his plan to assist Nathan in his immediate endeavour to locate Corwin’s daughter, Sarah. A swift conclusion to this search would expedite Nathan’s investigation of the current problems in the Sea of Sands and in turn Khitan offered me his assistance with what were alluded to as my current problems – and indeed most, if not all of these pertain equally to Amber.

As Nathan was known to be heading for the Grand Canyon in Shadow Earth, I brought Khitan through to my Paris apartment and advised him to take Concorde across to New York. Our conversation was interrupted by another Trump call – this time from Bathsheba informing me that I was expected at a debriefing meeting on the Faerie Summit.

I left Khitan in my apartment for the debriefing and walked straight into Julian’s tiresome sarcasm. Gifts were also discussed and Benedict fixed Peter Thrice with a look of extreme interest when he set eyes on the arrow gift the elf had returned with.

Julian insisted that we all read our poem gifts aloud. Bathsheba and Peter did so. Aylwin attempted to evade the request by reading out the main message given to all of us. I refused to read mine at all. Julian expressed his desire that we should come to him privately with our poems – if we failed to do so, he would be disappointed.

We discussed the overall message from faerie and I disagreed with Aylwin’s interpretation of their promise for I had read Faerie as promising to assist their friends in Amber – making the promise at best ambivalent.

The meaning of the term ‘tree’ was discussed. I bow completely to Benedict and Julian’s analysis of Faerie intentions – after all, together with Bleys they have the best knowledge of Faerie. Benedict discussed the meaning of tree in terms of fractals – I admit I had read it more in terms of the oak representing Oberon and his children and our generation failing to fill the vacuum left by his death. Our parents, aunts and uncles are just as pathetic as we are in many ways, they just happen to be considerably older and sometimes wiser.

The problems at Lyon Abbey and the funeral of the Archmage Clarence were discussed. Aylwin, now the custodian of my Trump of Lyon Abbey, was integral to both expeditions. Julian strongly advised him to treat Lyon Abbey with urgency. Aylwin has decided to take Bathsheba with him. I have refused the invitation to go as I can do little to assist there having neither sorcery nor Pattern weapon. Aylwin said I would be as useful at the other end of a Trump.

After the meeting I informed him that he would attend Mira Church services and that he would be at the 5pm service or there would likely be consequences for both his absence and his general inaction. He got angry with me but I did not budge on this. Aylwin has probably signed a similar document to mine and he seems to have done little to support either side. I will no longer tolerate his fence sitting and I doubt that Mira will either.

I returned to Paris and poured myself a glass of absinthe whilst Khitan engaged his sorcery to define Nathan’s present locale and investigate the extent of the rents in Reality.

I sat, watching him work his arts and as I did I noticed that he was turning into something else – something not entirely human. He was frog-like in aspect and definitely, definitely not human.

I brought Trump defence to mind and challenged him with it. He withdrew his explorations swiftly and we had a conversation about what exactly he was.

He explained a little of his background and that since his last in-depth research into the things that have been appearing at Lyon Abbey he was suffering from an inability to maintain his own form. He said that he had found a rent in the Grand Canyon and that it had been recently opened by someone – presumably Nathan. I had tried unsuccessfully to contact Nathan by Trump earlier in the day and I tried again then and there but again without success.

Khitan explained his theory to me that the Unicorn Church was deliberately established over nodes of power in an attempt to keep these creatures from invading our reality. The recent decline in Unicorn worship was enabling these things to make their presence more and more evident – and that these things were worshipped in Rebma. Oh deep joy!

Khitan was obviously disturbed by his discovery and he wished to return to Cordoba to meditate upon them. I was about to Trump myself through to Cordoba when Uncle Bleys contacted me, wanting me to join him for dinner immediately. I explained that I would be but two minutes before I could join him, broke the contact politely and went through to Araby.

I found myself a quiet alleyway and brought Khitan through to me. It was then I realised that there were two ruffians now at either end of the alleyway. I really did not have time to deal with this – Khitan dealt with them admirably, merely stating his name caused the ruffians to take flight!

I bade Khitan farewell and trumped Uncle Bleys, who took me immediately through to his flagship off Zircon’s waters. Bleys was well aware of my part in Mother’s illness and he had the sense not to rub my nose in it as much as I deserve. He also knew something about the Mirabeau business though I know that I gave a fair bit away. But because the lecture came from Bleys I guess I wasn’t quite as angry about it and it’s really no use being defensive, my current problems have got to be solved.

He asked me what the most important thing in the world is – and I replied art. He laughed and said that I was as obsessed as Benedict and that I’d been spoilt and indulged by Mother – and that she’d rejected his suggestion to put me in the Navy to instil me with a sense of discipline and duty. He had taken an interest in my growing up and Mother had sent him to observe my first Command in battle.

He continued to say that I had shown great potential but had never pursued it and had instead become self obsessed with art and had in effect skived from my duty and in essence was still doing so today. I was a weakling and needed to improve my musculature and fighting ability.

I got angry when he referred to my teeth and attempted to leave then and there. He smiled as I was within his magical barrier against Zircon attack and I would be able to leave when he chose and not before. He said that I wasn’t too big enough to be put across his knee and spanked. I smiled as I was being sulky and I knew it!

I mentioned that I had been thinking about asking Deirdre for fighting lessons but he dismissed this saying that she’d changed since the Patternfall War – she had become bitter and he wasn’t sure that even Corwin would like her any more.

He offered to start giving me fighting lessons to begin on his return from Zircon. Good old Bleys! Make me resent him and then love him within a minute.

We discussed Rebma, Lyon Abbey and Amethyst and he bade me to protect both Fiona and Anya from Clarissa. I’ll do my very best to do so. I told him that my first trump Shadow was nearly complete and he advised me that he and my Mother had made a few between them and they were a waste of time.

We also discussed Mira and Mirabeau and the stories I was told by both her and her Archbishop. He confirmed them. He was a little peeved that I’d discussed the legal implications with Bill Roth, a mere servant, and his advice was to issue Mira with a counter-threat that she destroys the contract or the Family take out her worshippers in some form of Mutually Assured Destruction. He dismissed me back to Amber, counting me down so as not to leave the fleet under threat for too long.

I Trumped myself through to Khitan and we spoke more about nodes of power. I tried to Trump Nathan again and made contact but as he was clearly sound asleep I left him to it. I left Khitan to attend Church services in my role as Prophet.

I spoke briefly with Paolo and after the Mass spoke to the congregation. I felt strongly that worship should be dedicated to Mira and to the art she champions rather than to be against something else. Deirdre – who’d just been singing a hymn to Mira with tears of joy in her eyes – shot me a hostile look as I spoke.

I really pushed art as the focus of Mira worship although I spoke of the place of those of her followers who fought for her as well and then announced that in the next few weeks art classes would be held in the Church and that all would be expected to attend.

I left Church to join Khitan and took him as my guest to dinner. Only Flora of the elders was present. She engaged Khitan in conversation and he has agreed to get supplies of silk and spices through to her in Amber. Khitan has decided to attend the funeral of my Great-Grandfather in Amethyst in his role as Ambassador of Cordoba. I left the family to go up to my room and begin my investigations of my first Trump Shadow.

I activated the Trump of Groombridge and got there easily enough. I immediately turned around to see lions sunning themselves on the rocks behind me and started a mental list of things to change on the Trump.

I walked up to the house and was greeted by Mary, the laundry maid, and Evans, the footman. The dogs seemed pleased to see me and the interior of the house was as my mind had formed it.

A woman with two small children walked elegantly downstairs towards me. She greeted me and asked after my walk. It was clear that she was my wife and these were our children. She looked like Mira – and it took my breath away. The girl was like me, the boy like their mother. They were sent off and we sat to breakfast discussing the domestic arrangements of the day and the days to come.

Quiet place, Groombridge. We were to have dinner with the Trelawneys next Tuesday and she needed to replenish the kitchen supplies of cardamom and cinnamon. I suggested that she asked the signaller page to send the order off. And Father Paul expected me at Matins.

Groombridge and my new family felt surreal – as though my imagination had spilt out into reality. Was this the real Alaric? Was this my true desire of rural domestic bliss? Did I desire Mira as my wife? Or was it a mixture of muddled thoughts in my head?

I love Groombridge. It reminds me so much of my Wiltshire estates. My head is spinning as I marvel at the work and worry at the consequences. What else is there to explore?

My wife and I walked through to my painting space. I asked Evans, the footman, to fetch me port. Mira was disapproving and I wonder if I am setting the footprint for my past history in this place.

After discussing our plans for the afternoon and organising horses for us she left me for her needlework. Oh how I just long to break in that white stallion and to shower love and affection on my wife and children and remake the scenario I created for my poor Earth family. But this is not reality. Amber is reality and I must remember this one salient fact.

I returned to Amber and the time was close to midnight. Time moves at a much slower place than Groombridge.

I spoke briefly with Mira. She admonished me for my speech at her Church and said that she knew what I was trying to do. I was trying to encourage art, Mira – that is all I have ever wanted to do.

We spoke about Aylwin and she said that I was her Prophet and her weapon and told me to take what measures I desired – with a caveat that she in turn would punish me if I overstepped my authority.

I told her about Groombridge and she warned me to be prepared for what I might find in the deep and dark corners of my house. With this I turned to sleep for I have a funeral to prepare for and a Mother and sister to protect.