Bathsheba’s Diary part 11: An Unwelcome Guest at the Funeral

In The Doom that Came to Amber

 

27th Bull 3658

 

-1-

I am writing this on board Bleys’ flagship. I’m not even sure it’s still 27th Bull.

 

The day started early, with preparations for the funeral. Morwaith came in looking tired – he spent most of the night at the cathedral, apparently some worshippers got carried away and started doing blood sacrifices. Pleasant. He seemed a bit nonplussed at finding Peter there – I realised he hadn’t been there yesterday so quickly introduced Peter as the latest addition to the family.

 

Alaric, Aylwin and Asmark would be going in to the ‘family enclosure’, Asmark as Bleys’ representative (rather significant). I slip him a hip flask – several hours with Clarissa in close quarters, he’ll need it.

 

-2-

We went through to Amethyst – Khitan was there as well. Don’t know what to make of the Cordoban part-time demon; he seems likeable when not scaly. He warns me against Clarissa, but doesn’t go into specifics – I’m well aware of how much she likes Amber, and everyone who isn’t of her cabal.

 

Whilst wandering around, meeting and greeting, I met the man of my dreams – well, of Tir na Nogth’s dreams, anyway. King Rinaldo of Kashfa – very smooth operator. Reminds me of a used-craft salesman, but his interest is genuine – he genuinely sees me as a vehicle for political gain. He’s Brand’s son, what did I expect?

 

In conversation with him, though, he lets slip a few things which set me thinking – throwaway remarks about being ‘undercover’ in Amber and ‘doing his bit for the old man’ and his motto ‘Live and let die’. Is he trying to tell me he was Caine’s killer? Does he think I’d be impressed? He goes into the family enclosure – of course, he’s Clarissa’s grandson.

 

Also spoke to an old man from the Ophidian Archipelago. He started the conversation with the rather startling question ‘Isn’t it dreadful about the thousands of deaths?’ before warning me about the ‘Unholy Alliance’ and that the gods themselves war over Amber. From what followed later, that was the light relief.

 

There is a fanfare and the enclosure opens, revealing the palace steps. Amethyst’s ruling family goes up, then the riff-raff form an orderly queue - I’m first, which at least gets it over with.

 

Clarissa is at the head of the line. Clearly underwhelmed by grief – the slight dampness of the eyes is a good touch though, and you can’t even smell the onion. I murmur something suitably anodyne and move on down the line.

 

I’m most shocked by Fiona – everyone else (apart from Rinaldo, who looks like he’s up for ‘Salesman of the Year’) is subdued, obviously, but she looks fresh back from an extended tour of the bad areas of hell – I’m not even sure she knew who I was. This isn’t Fiona the powerful sorceress; this is Fiona with the personality ripped out of her. It’s scary!

 

In the lull which followed I was engaged in conversation with quite a few people – I couldn’t see the small man from the Archipelago, though – there are a lot of people here. Rinaldo swans over with Anya in tow, all smiles and bonhomie. He is fairly gentlemanly in getting Anya to go away, though she does notice and the petulance, as ever, is not far away.

 

Anya, you could have him and be welcome. Unfortunately, you don’t hold enough rank to interest him.

 

The church service is sombre, Clarence lying in his crystal coffin. The light is fading fast, there are very dark storm clouds gathering. I suddenly feel threatened, remembering that the Jewel of Judgement can control the weather, and its shadow could do the same…

 

The wind’s whipping at our clothing as we stand outside – Clarissa gestures at the tomb after the coffin has been placed, and a bolt of lightning welds the door shut. She turns to go back into the tent, looking bad-tempered.

 

Khitan elbows his way through the crowds and implores me to leave at once – he looks really worried. There is a gasp and all look upward to the clouds, where a huge face forms, female I think but difficult to be sure. Is this Clarissa’s doing? I can’t see any other explanation at the moment.

 

I grab Khitan and begin to Shift, starting with the sky. Something is wrong, though – we are still in a graveyard (though the stones are bigger) and the stars are in the shape of that face we had hoped to leave behind.

 

-3-

Undead things start coming out from the tombs, there are a lot of them but they are fairly weedy – my pattern dagger and a fallen tombstone do the job. Unfortunately, in letting go of the tombstone (to get the dagger), I dropped it on Khitan’s foot. Hope it isn’t serious.

 

I manage to Shift again – this time we are in a dark field and the stars drift to normal constellations. Khitan thinks his foot may be broken – not a lot I can do about it at the moment.

 

I trump Asmark – he is ok, the thing had gone but Aylwin & Fiona had fled. I try Aylwin,but no response. Khitan is hanging a spell, I think. I try to trump home but there’s too much interference.

 

Try Aylwin again, not sure why but if he was OK he would have taken my call.

 

He is treading water with Fiona in the sea just under a cliff. K and I pull them through – Fiona is in seriously bad shape, Aylwin immediately tries heart massage on her.

 

We’re starting to panic – I can’t raise anywhere and Fiona needed hi-tech intensive care ten minutes ago. Bleys is the only option, but of course the shield is up (I am told, after raising nothing more than a migraine).

 

We’re doing this wrong – I give the card to Aylwin and take over CPR on Fiona. After forever and a half, he gets through and I go through with Fiona who is rushed off to IC almost before I’m through.

 

Bleys wants to know what happened – I give him a summary to the best of my knowledge but for details within the enclosure he’ll have to speak to Aylwin or Asmark.

 

After a shower and change, I go to the Chapel. She’s the only one who can help now – all we can do is wait.

 

I’ve just reread my journal – my tenses are all over the place. Too tired to care, really.