Aylwin’s Diary part 18: Metaphysics, Politics, and Weirdness in the Dungeon

In The Doom that Came to Amber

5^th Snake 3658 – breakfast

It is morning, the next morning, though I only know that because I am told, I feel as though a week has passed. I can tell that I have been sedated. I feel dreamy and concentration is hard. Mother is there, her first words are to apologise for neglecting me. Protected from caution by a veil of drugs I remind her of her promise of acknowledgement and actually ask who my father was. Caine! I had never suspected that.

My foot is once more in plaster and I have to be helped to breakfast.

A prophecy is being discussed which refers to Oberon's youngest son; as far as my studies of the family tree have gone that would be Dalt but there could easily be others.

Morwaith and I discuss the number of elements. Here there are usually four or five elements, though I know of up to 7; in Babylon and some of the Technocracies they have over a hundred but I have always felt their definition was rather different. Is Void an element?

Are the Sarah and Deirdre seen in the Void really there, or only in part? Was the Deirdre killed by Bathsheba a shadow?

Chalcedony is under attack by something. The King is going to have to deal with this, Morwaith will have to seek for Adam alone.

After breakfast Morwaith helps me up to the battlements, there is no sign of the rangers, they must have been driven off. I look out over the city; it is only the city itself that the fog is attacking, away to the south the air is clear.

I Pattern-sight the fog; it is semi-real with sorcerous tendrils running through it. The tendrils spread from a large source of power under the harbour. The power has a filthy Mythos reek to it.

There is a buzzing; even as I reach for my sword, I see that the cause of the noise is Puck zooming up over the battlements. He greets me by repeating my verse of his song…

“You sold your soul for artifice:

Be sure your sins will find you out.

Salvation lies in sacrifice;

More Sire’s son than Dam’s, no doubt?”

He says that he has the ear of both the King and Queen of Fairy and means only good to Amber. He then asks for permission to visit Asmark, Khitan and Terisa, which Morwaith grants whilst I am wrestling with the idea that Puck could ever mean only good to anyone or anything.

With a grin that confirms my concerns, Puck flies away. I call a servant and send messages to those concerned; Terisa especially will need warning of Puck's nature!

I go to see Danesh; he seems much better and is sitting up and talking. I run the usual battery of tests, the results are good but there are inconsistencies that worry me and suggest he is trying to present the results that I would be expecting.

I adjust my vision to study him through Pattern sight, Mythos is growing within his head! Morwaith is talking to Khitan outside so I call them in so that they can examine the patient. Though Khitan is sure that this infection has nothing to do with his procedure, I can’t help thinking of the grim effect of his healing my foot.

The discussion is interrupted by the arrival of the wounded from the Northgate, which Bathsheba is evacuating via a Trump link to Asmark at the Castle. Four of the injured have physical injuries, not too serious, but six have cracked up and five of them are in a very bad way. All we can do is restrain and sedate, even Hanson, the one who is not as bad, seems to have moderate shell shock.

I go and settle myself in the library, amid my collection of books on sorcery. I am not fated to continue my studies. Khitan comes in to discuss Danesh, he reveals that he thinks that he is of the Blood and that he wants to walk the Pattern. This would indeed confirm his membership of the family (if he is wrong he will not be in a condition to care) and it would also remove any possible taint.

Bathsheba comes in next and joins the discussion. We agree that Pattern is the best weapon that we have and that it is the only possible cure for Danesh though it may be a little brutal (i.e. possibly fatal). Even as we talk Bathsheba gets a Trump contact and legs it out of the room. Khitan then asks where Deirdre's rooms were then starts some magical procedure and promptly blacks out. Since he is in an armchair I leave him there.

Terisa arrives shortly after this and we discuss Puck and Mira. Asmark joins us the possibilities of meeting and negotiating with Mira to try and deal with a common enemy.

Even as we discuss her, Mira trumps Asmark. I can only hear one side of the conversation but can deduce that Dark is with her. Terisa rests her hand on Asmark's shoulder. After the conversation ends they tell me that Dark is Mira's Grandfather.

We all then go to see the King.