Bathsheba’s Diary part 20:
The Awakening
in Brave New Worlds
The Awakening – New Year’s Day 3659 – (Kretas)
Date:
At present, unknown
I’ve
been struggling for a bit on how to begin this record, and decided to start off
with a precis of where I am and what’s happened.
The
realm is called Ellas, technology at about late Roman
stage but with some magical potential. The area I find myself in is called
Minoa, an island which is one of two (the other being Rinnae)
making up the centre of the Minoan Empire. It is dry and hot, surrounded by the
Meterrani sea, which is in
turn almost entirely surrounded by land on three sides.
The
capital is Kretas, I have a palace there but the
Pattern is at my main palace at Kenossa, about 15
miles away.
I
am Avtokrator and Goddess of the Moon (known as Selene). Not sure how the latter works or even quite why,
but I must have wanted it on some level, for some reason. The patron deity of
the island is Dittna – into snakes, apparently.
Of
the people I came here with, the Guardsman were scattered all over the island,
but now have all made their way to Kretas, which is
where I am now. For the record, they are Captain Fallon, Julek,
Heller, Ti Nar, Palati and Kordoc. I offered them the chance to go back to Amber but
they decided to stay here – on the grounds, mainly, that it’s ‘more
interesting’ here.
Fallon
and Ti Nar are already talking to the generals
supplied with the shadow (Merakia, Paethia and Haekatori) about
military matters and no doubt carving out little niches for themselves. I will
leave it to Fallon to find the rest a role in Ellas,
he will get my approval but the details are with him.
Helga
is my High Priestess, and married to my Chief Tax Collector – Hamakik. Nice bloke, getting on a bit but very sociable.
She seems happy enough, anyway.
Now
for some recent history:
I
seem to remember, when I first woke up in this place, I used words along the
lines of ‘Alone. Again’.
I
should have known better than to give the Universe a challenge like that.
At
first, there were no people around – no animals, either, just land, sea and
plants. After a day or so, I encountered Deirdre, who was as solid as I was.
She is still a ghost and we reprised our conversation of Tir-na-N’Oghth,
with added threats from her side. There was no shadow-shifting, so I hope she’s
patient. Over the next few days, she became less substantial.
Then
I stumbled across the little ‘surprise’ the Universe had in store for me. In
order that I wouldn’t be lonely, I have been provided with companions – to
whit, Luke and Dalt.
Oh
fun. Given a choice, these two wouldn’t even make my top 500 list of ‘people
I’d like to be stuck in a strange shadow with’.
They
seem to have brought Delwin and Sand with them, of
whom I know nothing apart from they don’t trust me because I’m Eric’s daughter.
I wasn’t overjoyed to see any of them (I think they may have noticed) but after
a bit of self-pity and adolescent tantrums I came back to a rational frame of
mind.
I
couldn’t get rid of them (at least not at the time), so I decided to at least
learn who and what I was dealing with. Luke is still doing his ‘Used Car
salesman’ act ( I use the present tense advisedly), so it’s logical to surmise
that there is something he wants from me, for whatever slimy reasons he has,
which is why he’s here. I don’t trust him but I suppose he’s not actively
incompetent.
Dalt and the others are here because of Luke – Dalt
worries me. I talked to him, trying to get an idea of who I was dealing with –
the best description is he moves in straight lines. He’s not stupid, but not
subtle either. Luke has told him I’m OK, so he seems to accept that unless,
presumably, I give him cause not to. May be an asset, if
handled correctly.
I
talked to the others as well – Delwin described
himself as a ‘dilettante technician’ – I think he means a sort of dabbler in
technical things. Very bright and incisive, impatient with those who don’t keep
up mentally. Get the feeling he wasn’t that impressed
with me.
Sand
is more diplomatic, quite elegant and charming when she wants to be. A trump
artist, and ex-ruler of her shadow, she has all the characteristics I don’t.
She doesn’t look a weakling, but I’ve yet to see her fight.
I
think she views me as a sort of female Dalt, though.
Well,
at least Luke likes me – or pretends to convincingly enough.
In
the course of a week or so, the denizens of this shadow became solid and took
up their daily life. It seems fairly well set-up here, with enough stability to
give it a chance to develop, and plenty of scope for interaction with foreign
powers. The food is quite good, too.
As
a last echo of Alaric, I seem to have been given two of his paintings, one of a
fogbound ship and the other of Lyon Abbey. They’re in my apartments in Kenossa – don’t now who chose them or how they got here,
but I can’t be bothered to remove them.
To
bring the record up to date, Sand advised me a few days before that Trump was
now working. My first instinct was to report in to Random (or whoever was
ruling Amber) but a strange thought occurred to me.
I
wasn’t beholden to Amber anymore – I was my own boss, now, and I rather liked
the freedom it gave me. If the King (or Queen) wanted to talk to me, they had
my trump, but their problems weren’t mine anymore – not
to the same extent, anyway.
The
first call I got was, unsurprisingly, from Asmark –
true to form, he was the one organised and conscientious enough to Trump round
the relatives to collate information. He and the redheads are in some place
called Absinthe (wonder if he is related to them?) – Amber still exists, and
Random is still King.
Chatted
a bit about Ellas, and I mentioned in passing that Luke and Dalt were here – he seemed solicitous but I’m sure Amber
would be advised shortly. He offered to come and do a trump of my Shadow at
some stage.
Sand
has already done me one of Kenossa, and Luke offers
me one of him. I’ll have to ask Sand to do a trump of me,
don’t think I have a spare.
A
day later Asmark trumps me again –
Sod
it, if it comes to it, there must be other Shadows out there I can live in if I
have to. Contact Asmark to say I’m coming.
After
a few preparations, I am helped through the Trump. I am early – the redheads
are all there, Fiona, Bleys et al, and some others, family and non-family I
recognise.
Random
and Peter trump in, then
Random
already seems to have a bit of a scrum round him (including Bleys), so I go to
join the more genteel queue round Morwaith. On the
way, I’m intercepted by Peter. “I like the dress,” he says,” very feminine.”
After
a brief bout of incomprehension, I realise I’m wearing my Selene
outfit – grey silk chiton and silver half-moon
pendant. I suppose it is – it’s just another uniform to me.
We
chat of various things - the new universe, a putative banquet arranged to be a
proper family get-together, a conversation echoed by every other chattering
group. Then he looks at me with an impassive face and suddenly his mood is
focussed, serious.
We
talk then, in tones which do not attract attention either by audibility or
obvious inaudibility, of other things – of how the universe could yet change,
of daring to think the unthought-of.
Surprising in a number of ways. Out of caution, I commit to nothing
specific, but I am intrigued to find out how things may develop.
But
I do not play games.
I
speak to Morwaith about setting the Stone in a
pendant or some-such, and we arrange that he will contact me when he has time
to do it. After a meal, and the required social interaction, I return to Ellas.
It’s still mine.
Somehow, I doubted it would be otherwise, but it’s nice to be proved right.