Aylwin’s Diary part 21: The Council of the Realms

in Brave New Worlds

Goat 3659 – Absinthe

Flora Trumps me, we discuss the family banquet, there is to be a meeting at the Hotel which she thinks suitable for the banquet. There will be as many representatives as we can manage from those family members who have been in touch. It seems that there is already a realisation that the meeting will be more than just a social occasion. Asmark and I will contact Anya.

Asmark and I meet with Bleys, there are too many Patterns and there will be competition between them to survive. He tells us to keep the discussion at the meeting to date, location and food. Find out who is where: where are Mira, Clarissa, and Adam? I Trump Anya, she will come to the meeting but Julian will not.

21^st Goat

Peter brings us through to the hotel that Flora has chosen. We come through in a very nice suite; Merlin is there, as is Terisa. We are introduced to Ann, a redhead I do not know, rather too thin, with a haunted look.

We are taken down to view the banqueting suite. In reception, a man called Omar, who was apparently at the redrawing ceremony, introduces himself and attaches himself to the party. We are in the process of giving Omar the brush off, this is a family occasion, when he reveals that he has been with Mr Dark, so we take him to the banqueting hall where we can get some privacy.

The banqueting suite is magnificent and we are served a meal well up to the standard required. I am prepared to accept Flora’s knowledge of the hotels in Paris; it is far too long since I have been here.

Omar reveals that Dworkin is with Cougar and Dark’s Circus. This causes Ann to pale. She says that she knew them when she was in Belsen; they quite literally thrive on other people’s misery. I saw the reports on Belsen and visited other camps; that would explain her nervousness.

There is some discussion on Ann’s origins. Born in 18^th Century Paris, she cannot be my child. Married to Alaric, we hope she is not his, though who am I to worry! Bleys, Brand and Rinaldo are all possibilities, but her lack of the usual family robustness puts me in mind of Timon, though I think that we are safe from that.

The next topic of discussion is the location of various family members: seen from outside there are apparently sixteen ‘places’. Seven of these we know are Pattern realms, three are shadows, one more is Omar’s demi-pattern realm, called Nur. There is speculation that two more are Rebma and a new Amethyst, but that still does not account for all of them.

Peter seems unduly pleased that Bathsheba has taken to wearing a short Greek chiton on some occasions and has been seen hot and sweaty after wrestling Morwaith. I had not realised that Faerie was so parochial. We are the family of Amber; whatever we choose to wear, or not wear, is right, as are any relationships we might choose. I suspect that the mere fact that our only taboo is incest accounts for its attraction to some of the family. Given Morwaith’s origin I don’t think that he counts as close kin anyway.

Our final topic of conversation is the nature of Godhood, I only have experience of tasting it in the shadows of my desire, but I have lost my taste to worship anything, Peter does not want to even believe anything. Morwaith discusses a theory that there may be an afterlife separate from our current existence. I leave him to his theory.

As the meeting breaks up I agree to join Peter in the search for Benedict in Fairie. I speak to Anya to send my regards to Julian.

Since there is the rest of the Amber day to fill, several of us decide to spend a (Babylon) night or two. I have long been planning to discuss the nature of Trumps and Mirrors with Terisa but I may as well show her the local sights. Babylon is a place worth knowing. Her life until recently has been spent in a medieval shadow and her horizons are thus limited, where better than Paris to open her eyes to the endless diversity.

I start with a high fashion shop; “Sans Honi” roughly translates as “No Shame”. She is… impressed with the exiguous scraps of silk and lace that they sell as dresses. I then take her to the most old-fashioned and straight-laced place I know of, probably more to her current taste. Tonight we will go to the theatre and follies.

As we go around, I tell Terisa about Trump and she tells me about her mirrors. Curved mirrors reach other worlds, flat mirrors the local shadow but they are much easier to do. She is most intrigued with television and we discuss the possibilities it may offer – probably none, but something to be tried in the future.

Whilst we are in Paris I want to take the opportunity to paint a Trump of the city. Plenty of places to obtain materials: rather than a smock to keep the paint off my clothes I buy a loose shirt, white with black detail seems appropriate. I go up to Sacre Coeur and settle down by the wall where the view is vast but not too open. It seems to flow better than it has done for ages. I choose a view where I can draw mostly architecture but manage without having to resort to a ruler.

Asmark and the others wander by. He and Ann think that my style resembles Alaric's, I suppose it does a bit but it's none the worse for that and Alaric played with so many styles.

We leave Paris; Peter is collecting more members for our expedition to look for Benedict in Faerie.