Asmark’s Diary part 4: Lasers at Beltane

In The Doom that Came to Amber

13^th Bull 3658 – Beltane

Four months later, Bathsheba and I are back in Amber from our tour of the Golden Circle. Beltane approaches and various diplomatic missions arrive for festivities. These include Khitan of Cordoba, Jason of the Courts of Chaos and Ferla Quist of Begma. (She has come in place of Nayda, due to Nayda’s ill-health.)

Asmark spends much of his time welcoming the various diplomats. Khitan is clearly primarily interested in the problems with the Sea of Sands. Ferla Quist requests a private interview with Asmark and suggests the unrest in Kashfa is likely to overflow into Begma and requests that Amber intervene. This does not seem to agree with our other intelligence from the area that suggests the situation is reasonably stable. Asmark reports this to Bathsheba, who feels intervention is to be avoided if at all possible.

The festivities begin with a series of entertainments. One particularly interesting is a magically illustrated story by Peter Thrice.

After the entertainment there are three formal investitures. Martin is formally acknowledged as Prince, Bathsheba as Princess and Asmark as Lord. There is a general round of congratulations. Asmark briefly talks with Peter and learns that he was found by Florimel in Sapphire. He is also quizzed by Bleys about the Eregnor situation, and they exchange Trump.

The festivities continue with a procession to the top of Kolvir, where a bonfire is to be lit at sunset. Shortly after the arriving, the royal party came under fire from a laser cannon being fired from another peak about 4 miles west of Kolvir. After the initial confusion almost everyone got to safety on the eastern slope of the peak, the most notable exception being the ambassador for Sapphire who suffered a direct hit.

Aided by a flying spell that Khitan casts on her and by a laser-pistol Michael had with him, Bathsheba sets off to investigate the attacker. Jason also sets off shortly afterwards in his demon form to the same destination. On arrival, Bathsheba engages the cannon operator. The cannon explodes, killing the operator. In the confusion following this, Bathsheba shoots and injures Jason.

Bathsheba brings Jason back to Kolvir. Asmark fetches blankets from Garland House and forms part of the rear-guard while everyone else trumps or walks back to the castle. Back in the castle, Asmark concentrates on attending to the diplomatic corps while the elders are in conclave considering the situation. Ferla Quist suggests that the attack could have Kashfan connections.

Asmark asks Nathan what he knows about the Kashfan situation. He says there are two main contenders: Arkans, who is more peaceable, and Henman, who is more hawkish and populist. Nathan suggests that the contest is too close to call but could resolve without a civil war. This suggests to Asmark that actually Begma might have more reason to be worried about a united Kashfa under Henman than a civil war there. He has doubts about Ferla Quist’s motives.

Due to all of the confusion, Asmark’s Pattern walk is delayed. Nevertheless it is held a day later with due ceremony. A considerable portion of the Elders are present.

I would have preferred to have been better prepared. If I had realised that I was likely to be allowed to walk the Pattern so soon I would have discuss it with as many initiates as possible. However, I was as surprised as the rest of the court when the King declared me a Lord of Amber. There hadn’t really been any free time since.

14^th Bull 3658

It was the next day and in the meantime there had been an attempt on the King’s life that had left a Golden Circle Ambassador dead. My role at the Golden Circle Office had kept me, as much as everyone else, very busy. Nevertheless, the King thought I should walk it straight away. I don’t know if there was some special reason for this. More likely it was a distraction that he wanted out of the way. Whatever it didn’t seem a good idea to demur.

There was an impressive, flattering even, turn out of the family to watch. I think all the Elders who were in residence were there. The door was closed indicating that no one else was expected. The King may have given me a nod, I don’t remember. It was clear I was expected to start. I walked up to the Pattern slowly. It is strange how something that you have always wanted to do can suddenly become much less attractive when it is imminent. I mentally hesitated but I don’t think I slowed down, and step straight onto it.

I immediately felt some relief at having committed myself. For better or worse the decision was taken. I had started and I knew there could be no going back. The sparks, crackling and tingling were all expected and a comfort. They were confirmation that things were as they should be. I settled into a slow steady dogged pace, concentrating determinedly on moving forward. After a few turns, I felt the resistance rising. I redoubled my concentration then suddenly it collapsed. I was through the First Veil. It had not seemed that difficult, perhaps I deluded myself.

I was surrounded by images from my childhood, from school and of wondrous places I had never been. My feet seem to know where they were going of their own. I began to enjoy myself. With hindsight it is obvious that I was getting dangerously over confident. When I hit the Second Veil, it was like hitting a slightly padded wall. I very, very nearly stopped completely. One thing I had been told was NOT to stop. I pushed as hard as I could, but I didn’t seem to be able to speed up at all. I was near to panic. For the first time failure seem not merely possible but probable. It took all of my self-control to contain my fear and keep moving. I have no idea how long the Second Veil took me, but it seemed like a very long time. Finally I was through. I consciously moved slowly now. Slower than I could have done. I knew that I need time to recover a bit physically and prepare myself mentally, if I was to have any chance of passing the Third Veil.

I was surrounded by images again, but they no longer seemed enchanting but frighteningly distracting. I wondered briefly what the spectators thought. Were some of them expecting me to fail and were here to watch? Where does the Pattern kill those it kills? I had never asked that. I had assumed that those who are not of the blood die at the first step, but no-one had actually said. Many anyone can get to the Third Veil? Perhaps I was not of the blood after all, perhaps I was doomed.

There were spectators among the images too. Out of the corner of my eye I could see mother just behind my left shoulder wearing her favourite ball-gown. There was a man behind her with his arm around her. I was sure it was my father and a longed to turn and look at his face to see who he was. However I was sure I would stumble if I did.

As I took the Grand Circle, I settled into the slow steady pace that I had started with and should have kept up. I managed to clear my mind of distractions and concentrate utterly on the Pattern and walking. I felt the resistance of the Third Veil rise slowly, and realised that the Second Veil had started like that too, but I had been too lost in my reverie to notice. I tried to maintain my pace, to keep my momentum. It was impossible, the resistance rose and I slowed. I remember feeling the resistance as I lower my foot and wondered if I could possibly have the strength raise the other foot. Then quite suddenly I was through. The Third Veil had actually seemed easier than the Second. Of course, really it was just that I had tackled the Third so much better. I also realised that if I had had my lapse of concentration at the Third rather than the Second Veil, I wouldn’t have made it.

I staggered onto the centre of the Pattern. I very nearly fell over. It needed another real effort just to stay upright for those first few seconds. As I started to recover I was aware of muted polite applause. I nodded an acknowledgement to the King and then the rest of the assembled company. I had made it. Not a performance that with hindsight I was particularly proud of. It had been far too close to failure for comfort, but on the Pattern succeeding is far more important that style you do it in. There are no consolation prizes.

That’s about all I can remember.

What next:-

-----------

Immediately

-----------

If I remember correctly, we left Asmark in the middle of the Amber Pattern. Prior to his walk Khitan suggested that he might try going to where the laser cannon was made, and offered him a bit of the cannon to take with him. He decided that actually carrying through the Pattern given that it may well be a Pattern device might have had an adverse effect on the walk itself (not the sort of thing to try first time) or might have affected the fragment. Accordingly he didn’t actually carry it. Nevertheless on arrival in the centre he will try “take me to a place overlooking the place where that laser cannon was made”. If this doesn’t work, he will try “take me to the place where Mum’s chest is”. If that doesn’t work, he will try “take me to where my mother was born”, using Mum’s trump if it will help. I don’t think he really knows what shadow that is. If none of these work, he will try for a peaceful, comfortable fast-time shadow where he can have a couple of days’ holiday and trump back the same evening.

Other non-time consuming bits:-

1) He will visit Garland House (his home on South Shore) to announce his new title and brief the servants. He intends to keep up the house. He will make sure that the servants (and hence their extended family in the surrounding settlements) are on the look out for strangers. No doubt there were similar arrangements when Dad was regularly visiting Mum here. Mum and especially Dad where much more experienced at this sort of thing than Asmark is so probably had the servants better trained than Asmark could manage. He is probably best referring them to “my mother’s instructions” without necessarily knowing what those were.

2) He will have a word with Florimel: He understands she has been in Sapphire recently, where she recruited the story-teller. Did she learn anything about the political situation while she was there? Also he will ask if he could have a suitable room for when he is staying in the castle. [I assume as an acknowledged family member he will get one. This is urgent as he doesn’t strictly need one but it would be convenient.]

Time consuming:-

----------------

Clearly he will continue to run the office of the Golden Circle, and that will probably continue to take up most of his time. However the domestic distractions of sorting out the Will are over so he might have a little more time.

Draw a trump of Mum’s chest. [Unless of course the Pattern took him there.] Make a three more copies of his own Trump. (He had two copies but he gave one to Bleys and I think that he gave one to Michael.)

When he has the time he still wants to learn to shape-change to snake.