Asmark’s Diary part 6: Gerard’s Legs

In The Doom that Came to Amber

16^th Bull 3658

Asmark followed up Helene Saan’s invitation by phoning her (after a slight difficulty working out how to use the phone, being unused to technology) and, being vague over the (probably tapped) telephone, arranged a meeting at a nearby restaurant, each to bring one other. Asmark and Bathsheba arrived at the restaurant and were shown to a private room that they suspected as being surveillance-proof. Helene Saan was with ‘Harold’ (an individual who wished to remain anonymous but seeming to be senior to Helene).

Helene suggested that ZEiTec was probably involved in the laser-cannon attack on Kolvir at Beltane. They confirmed that ZEiTec’s new generation of technology is associated with their discoveries in the Mareb Trench. Whereas CyGen have information sources inside ZEiTec, they have not managed to penetrate the divisions involved in the Trench, which are particularly closely guarded.

CyGen seem generally sympathetic to Amber. They warned that there was likely to be a demonstration of force against the Amber fleet. After the meeting, Bathsheba trumped Gerard to pass on this warning.

Asmark and Bathsheba returned to their hotel and continued diplomatic discussions on re-establishing an embassy. The Zirconian officials seemed far more accommodating than was expected.

Meanwhile Alaric and Nathan were in the sick-bay of Gerard’s flag-ship. A nurse brought a mobile-phone to Nathan and he took a call. He became agitated during the call and Alaric overheard a male-voice at the other end telling Nathan that he had to leave within ten minutes. Alaric asked if he needed to be somewhere else specific or just off the ship with ten minutes. Nathan said it was the former but Alaric thinks he was lying.

Alaric trumped Gerard to warn him. The fleet was going to action stations when there was an attack which sank the flagship. (It was sometime before this became clear), but it seems that it was a laser (or similar) beam from above that cut the ship in two. Gerard was very badly injured but survived.

Bathsheba and Asmark learnt of this when Bathsheba was trumped by Random (after Alaric had returned to Amber) and Bathsheba & Asmark were recalled to Amber. They briefed the King on the situation in Zircon.

Random seemed to be under great stress. However he gave orders for relaying to Benedict, who had taken over from Gerard, to “execute plan F”. Bathsheba trumped Benedict to forward the orders, and was told to try to locate Gerard and Nathan, who were missing. Because of the King’s apparently disturbed disposition, Flora was sent for (message carried by Peter Thrice) to provide any help that he might need.

Bathsheba and Asmark went looking for Alaric. He would not let them into his room but agreed to meet in the library. Attempts to contact Gerard and Nathan via trump was entirely unsuccessful, both being apparently beyond possible contact. Alaric told what he knew about the attack on the fleet.

He then did a trump reading on the question “To what degree was Corwin implicated in the attack on Amber’s fleet in Zircon waters”: Significator: Ten of Coins; Aspirator: Corwin (Knight of Swords); Instigator: Random (Page of Pentacles); Cryptic: Oberon (reversed) (King of Pentacles); Culminator: Ten of Swords Pivot: Moon; Conclusion: Corwin was not involved, but it is definitely a family (rather than external) matter.

Flora had strong opinions about who should be consulted, especially on the subject of the King’s mental health. She was very much against this being discussed with Fiona, Bleys or Deirdre.

Bathsheba and Asmark (trumped) to Cordoba to report that Khitan seemed to have been impersonated by a shape-shifting daemon.

After about an hour they were seen by the Vizier Ahmed-ibn-Daud who called in Hafiz, the Kingdom’s chief mage. The Vizier sent Hafiz back to Amber to examine Khitan.

On arrival back in Amber, Asmark looked after Hafiz, while Bathsheba checked the dungeon and found that Khitan had disappeared (trumped out by Alaric). She then checked Alaric’s rooms. As she arrived, Alaric, Khitan and Peter (Thrice) trumped through to Lyon Abbey. Bathsheba found only Aylwin, who told her that Khitan was with Alaric.

Aylwin remained behind and spoke with Bathsheba. It was agreed to put Hafiz in trump contact with Khitan via Aylwin and Alaric. Hafiz was unable to come to any conclusions about Khitan, but was certain that Alaric and Aylwin are heretics.

A return to Zircon was considered, and trump sketch of the hotel room made. However when Benedict was consulted, he ordered not to attempt direct contact. He had withdrawn the fleet from Zirconian waters.

17^th Bull 3658

At breakfast Benedict appeared briefly to collect Bathsheba to go together to see the King. Shortly afterwards, a messenger arrived saying that Julian had arrived to demand a Privy Council meeting. A meeting was held, which took all day. It declared Random unfit to rule, and appointed Julian Regent. It also made the following Privy Council appointments:

Admiral of the Fleet: Bathsheba

Warden of Arden: Aylwin

Overseer of the Golden Circle: Asmark

The Queen has asked for all reasonable assistance to be extended to Isabelle of Lyoness in investigating the murder of her husband.

Bathsheba has requested that diplomatic contact with Zircon be re-established if practical.

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Asmark will:-)

- send his remaining spare trump of himself to Julian with a note requesting a full trump deck (or at least the trumps of the rest of the Privy Council)

- send a note to Paulette observing that the King was directly involved in Chalcedony’s problems with Deiga & Braem. Is there any thing that the OoGC should be doing (or not doing) while the King is indisposed?