Alaric in Mirabeau part 4: Paolo’s Day
In The Doom that Came to
Amber
Paolo’s Day
You accomplish your mission, waking late next morning to the sound
of banging on the door and Paolo’s voice inciting you to wake up; talk about deja vu.
Deja vu indeed. Is the painting still there?
Your bleary eyes tell you it’s still there, silhouetted against
the far window.
Hide the ridiculous dress under the bed – pull breeches on and
invite Paolo to come in if he’s got coffee on him!
“I’m a guest; make it yourself!” He comes in, looking his normal
self as far as you can tell, though he averts his eyes from your latest work. “You
look like you had a rough night.”
Hmmm, why is he averting his eyes from my work? “Do you like it
then – or, might it bite you” – Alaric gestures towards the painting “on second
thoughts maybe give it a miss, Paolo – it’s...live, as it were.”
He gives you a sour look.
“And your portrait of Laura isn’t? – I’ll bet that the portrait
has at least the potential to be an Icon? Let it lie,
Paolo – your skill was inherent. Salli will be
furious. A friend would put some coffee on Paolo. I hear the call of the
possessed to get some more oil on canvass – I’m hungry again,” he pats his non-existent
tummy and stretches; and sniffing with a look of distaste on his face – “…and I
need to wash” – and he does.
Paolo grunts sardonically and starts setting the fire. Without natural
gas or electricity, it is a more tedious operation than in those places with
quick-boil kettles.
“Good man – well done,” says Alaric approvingly. “A busy night rather than rough Paolo, and you? Or, has
Laura not returned to town yet?” Alaric grins blearily at Paolo as he sorts out
soap and razor.
“I’ve not done any painting for a couple of days and no, she’s not
back, yet.”
“No painting at all?”
Paolo shakes his head. “I’ve been relaxing; just enjoying life.”
He puts a kettle of water over the fledgling fire and starts
pounding coffee beans in a mortar. “Um...I wondered if you wanted to do that
mutual painting thing today? You know your idea of us
painting each other. What do you say?”
Paolo tries to sound nonchalant but you get the feeling that he’s
got an ‘agenda’.
“Hmmm. Yeah, OK Paolo but I need to eat first.”
After a few minutes of fiddling with a razor Alaric says “An odd
thing Paolo but I could have sworn when I suggested the mutual painting thing
that you were none too keen on the concept – have you come to terms with
something I should know about or are you expressing an unsubtle interest in my
shallow but muddied past?”
Paolo shrugs as he fiddles with the coffee pot, his back to you. “The
idea grew on me once I’d slept on it. Um...how should us
painting each other reveal anything about our pasts?”
“Why? What are you trying to hide?” Alaric says this glibly but he’s
watching for Paolo’s response.
“What?” He seems genuinely surprised at the question. “I haven’t
got a past – that you don’t know about, I mean. I just wondered why painting
should reveal anything about yours?” Paolo is not good
at dissembling; you’d say the notion hadn’t occurred to him until you mentioned
it.
“I’ve heard it said that the soul is visible in the eye of the
sitter – but no, I should imagine that a portrait of me would be no more
revealing than a reading of my coffee grounds. I will be interested to see how
you interpret me. It has been some time since anyone drew me. Maybe we should
start the day off by drawing each other in spilt sugar. I don’t know Paolo. I
feel as I have known very little for a long time. Now, I’ve just got to get
that bit under my nostrils and I’ll be done... “
Paolo doesn’t seem to be paying much attention to your small talk.
“Sure! Mind if we go somewhere more my style? I thought the wine
waiter at that bistro was going to sponge down our seats when we left.” He
chuckles. “The look on that girl’s face when you said you’d pay with cash.”
“I thought the look suited her – I’m far too good to accept cash
in lieu of art – but then I’m far too untalented to be able to create art of my
own. A long title for an unworthy subject,” Alaric attempts to recreate the
look.
Paolo laughs back. “Careful! If the wind changes you might get
stuck like that.” He pours the grounds into the metal strainer after lining it
with a paper. Then he positions the contraption over the ornate coffee pot.
Alaric finishes shaving. “How was the hangover then – have you only just emerged from the loving embrace of
alcohol?”
He shrugs again, facing you this time but with a smile. “Well I
didn’t get up until the afternoon, but I felt OK once I’d drunk something and
had a bite to eat. I notice you took the spare wine and left me the washing up.”
“I didn’t want you to wake up with your mouth feeling as though
Beaufort’s hounds had been kennelled in it and the only liquid within your
grasp would have been ‘more’ wine. Besides I had the greater need – I was still
thirsty and still, it should be said, more sober than
you.”
Paolo grunts sardonically. “And more selfish.”
“No, no Paolo I was only thinking of my well being...”
“I rest my case!”
Alaric grins. He’s not chastened at all. He’s in far too good or
excited a mood to take Paolo’s complaint to heart.
Paolo’s not so charmed by your brazen egocentricity.
“…anyway I’m sure the portrait sessions will be more enlivened
with a few bottles. We’ll pick some up on the way back – er,
where do you want to paint. Here, or at yours?”
He shrugs. “Wherever.”
“Yours then Paolo – what a
magnanimous offer. But no Laura? I can honestly say that I’m
disappointed not to meet her in the flesh err hemm! –
It’s always interesting to meet the model you’ve seen interpreted in oils – and,
before you jump down my throat I’m not interested in her – and I doubt that she’d
be interested in me.”
He shrugs again, still watching the kettle. “I’m sure you’ll meet
her soon. She’s only been gone a few days and she says her family’s estates are
some way away.”
“What do you think, shall I start my day
wigless? Yes, why not? Richard Allars
of the red hair and ‘hard’ look.”
“You should bin the thing or give it to a needy bald man,” he
picks up the near boiling kettle, “…or woman, it’d suit either.”
“No. I’d never commit such a crime. It’s been a part of me for far
too long and we share some very happy memories. How’s that coffee getting on
Paolo?”
“It’s almost done! Keep your hair...um...be
patient!”
“Seen Salli recently? Shown her that
portrait of the Lovely Laura yet?”
“I spent most of yesterday in bed but I’d like to ask her opinion.”
He grins wryly as he hands you your coffee. “I don’t think it’ll be to her
taste but she’s honest, she’ll tell me whether it’s good and won’t bear a
grudge for me rejecting her schooling on style.” He looks you up and down. “Yeah! You look better. Mind if I paint you like that?”
“It’s a very good painting Paolo – and you know it!”
He pulls a moue of modest agreement.
“As to painting me au naturale well,
maybe it is about time that I acknowledged my heritage. Renaissance man ta daaaa” and Alaric bows
mockingly.”
Paolo smiles at your antics.
Alaric stands again and runs his hand through his cropped red
hair. “I am not entirely sure that I could get used to this again. It might
defeat you from achieving your purpose of learning my past...”
Paolo’s eyes crease in puzzlement at the repetition of your
reference to your past.
“Ohhh, its all
a performance Paolo. My past is just that, the past, and I’m sure we could
extract a far more interesting life history from the first person we met on the
way to breakfast.”
His puzzlement deepens, perhaps into concern. “Are you feeling
well, Richard?”
“…it would be a mere distraction. Gods, but I’ve got some thinking
to do Paolo and a good mug of strong coffee and some food would be just the
things to get the old creative processes going. I really could do with a
servant – would Laura like some later morning work?” Alaric smirks.
“I don’t think a highborn lady like her would appreciate skivvying for you, especially when I tell her you left me
the washing up and took the wine two nights ago.” He observes you critically as
you examine your hair in the mirror. “You seem very full of yourself indeed. I
take it everything’s gone well for you while I was asleep?”
“I feel rather more confident this day – as to whether everything
is going well or not I have yet to discover. Come on Paolo, let’s leave. Ahh, coffee,
thank you my friend.” Alaric attempts to sip it. Blows across it to try
and cool it down then pours some cold water in it to cool it down.
“Damn you, Richard!” Paolo explodes, “I’ve just made you that
after your whinging and now you abase it after saying you need ‘strong coffee’.
Well I’ll be buggered if I’ll hurry mine and you can bloody well wait on me for
a change, you self-centred git!”
Alaric stops dead in the act of bringing his coffee up to his
lips. He waits for a few seconds and puts it back down and looks at Paolo. “Self
centred git? I’ve not been called that before – dilettante
wanker ... yes.”
“Oh, then someone else knows you better?” ripostes Paolo
sarcastically.
Alaric gives Paolo an indulgent look – he is not going to loose
his temper over coffee and name-calling.
“I suppose that by some standards I am self centred and, I suppose
I might feel inclined to apologise for my earlier behaviour...” Alaric looks
sincere when he says, “Paolo, I am sorry for presuming on our recent
acquaintance, or friendship, if I may be so bold. I am not used to preparing
coffee in such a way and I failed to adequately appreciate the craftsmanship and
love that went into its preparation and I must therefore beg your indulgence
for my behaviour. This whole day, Paolo will be dedicated to doing what you
want to do, where, when and with whom you wish to do it,” and he quietly sits
down to finish his coffee looking up craftily to observe Paolo’s reaction. “But,
if you will indulge me further – I need to eat,” and he smiles brightly at him.
He seems slightly mollified. “Are you taking the piss?”
“No, Paolo. I am not, taking the piss, as you so eloquently term
it – but apologies come very rarely to my lips.”
He sighs. “Oh, I don’t know, Richard. It’s just that sometimes you
seem to take everyone around you for granted.” He downs his coffee, probably
scalding his throat if it was as hot as yours was. “Come on, then!” He heads
for the door. “Though I really don’t know how you keep your friends. No wonder Salli doesn’t like you.”
“Salli doesn’t like me? Well I do not
feel that this new knowledge comes as any great surprise Paolo but I am not
sure that it is something that Salli meant for you to
repeat to me. Salli strives very hard for her art and
perhaps resents that I represent a different interpretation of art or, if you
prefer a different means of attaining the same ends. That is hardly uncommon.”
“Yeah? Well you don’t know her.”
“Salli is a very fine artist and I
admire her for that. She may also resent you spending time in my company.”
Paolo just shakes his head, eyes on his feet.
“That is neither here nor there. Salli
also resents me for having questioned her use of drugs to achieve her aims. She
works strongly through her self-proclaimed celibacy and to all the world is
living the life of an Iconer in waiting. I live
differently. I live for art in my own way. And yes, I do have a tendency to take
everyone about me for granted – please indulge me and put it down to an
unfortunate upbringing. I will do my best not to take our friendship for
granted – and I would be pleased if you, in return, would do me the honour of
guiding my behaviour – in a subtle way mind, and we shall see. But come now
Paolo – I have put myself at your disposal for the day. What shall we do with
it?”
“Well I guess we’d better find breakfast.” If anything, Paolo
seems even more nettled by your long speech but he seems to be controlling his
temper.
Alaric will look for his Trump deck before leaving his rooms! When
found, he will pocket them and keep them with him at all times.
He finds them on his bedside table in full view.
Alaric takes quick look at the first few cards to make sure that
they are his trump deck and pockets them quickly.
You notice the topmost in the case is very like Dworkin’s of Mira but the style is different, less formal
and more intimate – presumably Mira’s own. The reverse shows a dragon rending a
unicorn.
Alaric winces at the reversed image and places it to the bottom of
the deck. “Where do you propose for breakfast Paolo?”
“The first eatery we come to. Come on!”
He leads you to a sludgehouse round the
corner where they serve hot coffee and a variety of breakfasts. There are a lot
of people there but you find one free table.
Alaric waits for Paolo to sit and then seats himself. He waits for
Paolo to order and orders an Amberite sized breakfast
[and don’t skimp on the waffles:) ].
Paolo goes for a substantial breakfast but nothing quite like
yours.
During the meal – Alaric will wait and see if Paolo comes up with
any conversation over breakfast. Alaric realises that something is wrong with
Paolo and is hoping that Paolo might come out with it during breakfast. If not,
Alaric eventually says, “Paolo if there is something playing on your mind – you
seem very distant towards me and I am worried that I am the root cause of your
current displeasure.”
“Oh I was happy when I knocked on your door but you just spoiled
my mood. Shut up and eat. I’ll be OK once the food’s inside me.”
Once the meal is over, he does seem a little less brooding and
actually smiles at you over his coffee. “You’re wrong about Salli,
you know. Dead wrong! She’s one of the least resentful people I know.” He pours
a second cup for himself. “She...um...just warned me about you the day before
we went to the church. She said you were out for yourself rather than other
people; that your art wasn’t for the Goddess.” He sips his coffee pensively,
watching you before dropping his voice. “And that’s the one thing I can’t
square with you being an undercover Iconer. But yet
you paint icons.”
“My perception of things may have changed a little since the day
before we went into Church. Do you still like me Paolo? Do I still create art?
These are surely the more important questions. It may or may not be for the
Goddess – but that is for Mira to adjudicate. Not for Salli.
I have, shall we say, a relationship with Mira but, I am not an undercover Iconer Paolo. I am starting a new path. I am still nice to
know.” Alaric speaks this very quietly, but with certainty to Paolo. “It is all
fine. That much I promise you.”
Paulo nods slowly at a few of the things you say but you get the
feeling he does so in agreement with private thoughts, not with your words. “All
art is for the Goddess, Richard; good or bad. You have to understand that.” He
looks at you critically through the steam of his coffee. “Sure!” He says after
a pause, in a cold, grim tone. “Sure I like you!” He throws back the last
mouthful and rises. “Coming?”
In a cold grim tone – that sounds worrying to Alaric. Alaric will
try and catch his eye and look harder at him basically to try and determine if
Paolo is intending him harm. To do so Alaric touches Paolo on the shoulder to
stop him and holds him until Alaric is next to him. He says to Paolo, “All art
is for the Goddess Paolo,” and looks for the response in the whites of his
eyes...
He seems to search your eyes in much the same way, looking for
something. There’s an air of desperation in his searching. He throws a rolled
cartoon on the table and some change for a tip and gestures with a nod to the
exit.
Alaric follows him out (and in to the clutches of the
You find no Moonies but Paolo walks quickly to his digs, as if in
a hurry. He does lighten up enough on the way to arrange for wine, bread and
cheese to be sent up after
He lets you in and sets about setting up easels. He gives you the
best; his rocks a little and he wedges it with a rag.
He opens the shutters in the roof window as wide as possible and you have to
admit his attic is superbly lit. He pours the last of a bottle of red into two
glasses and offers one to you. “A toast, Richard! To
the Goddess, and may she grant us insight!”
“May she grant us insight,” Alaric repeats aloud – “and may my
addled wits defend me from all harm” he thinks to himself and fains taking a drink from the glass.
Paolo quirks an eyebrow and tosses his straight down before
picking up a pencil and standing before his easel.
“Have to keep a clear head Paolo. This is art!”
Since it’s clear you painted your last work while seriously drunk,
Paolo treats this with the contempt it deserves.
“Pistols at dawn for a start? Aha! Then array yourself Sir –
if you will? For I intend to begin my work with a sketch of my friend Paolo.
And I shall array myself for the onslaught of your brush.”
“What’s a ‘pistol’?” inquires Paolo with his eyes shut, then without waiting for an answer, “Richard, you don’t half
talk some incomprehensible rubbish at times.”
Alaric grins at him.
Alaric is looking for a chair in which to lounge in. If there is
one he will flop across with his body at a diagonal and with the leg farther
away from Paolo raised up into a reversed V shape and
against this is his drawing pad. His left arm is draped across the top of the
chair. If such a comfy chair does not exist, or, if Paolo wants it, Alaric will
sprawl onto the floor and his body is arranged into a similar disposition.
He is wearing black breeches and a white, very full shirt, which
has had its stock completely, loosened at his throat. He is concentrating on
Paolo but is using his skills to concentrate on his subject. He starts with a
series of preliminary sketches to get his creative brain working.
You find your lounger and start drawing.
Paolo OTOH seems to be practising his deep breathing, almost like some form of
meditation.
Alaric clears his head of the usual crap and starts to work. What
sort of a picture is he getting of Paolo?
At the moment, you’ve just got a couple of brusque sketches of him
as he stands in the light. I need to know if Alaric is going for some sort of
trump. Remember it requires a subtle form of psychic link and that takes a
while to produce. You suspect that Paolo’s ‘meditation’ is something similar.
Yes, I have two distinct pictures of Paolo. One of a dilettante
artist [like attracts like:) ] and the other as a
dedicated Miran and artist in her name. I would like
to make sense of both and unify the two in Trump. Start proper work on a sketch
and start to establish the link I need to prepare a Trump.
You approach your easel and start applying your pencil. As you do
so, Paolo opens his eyes and starts sketching you. You both fall into the
semi-trance required of trump artists, barely aware of what you’re doing but
concentrating hard. It’s not usually quite as intense as this, perhaps that’s
Mira’s influence. OTOH, you don’t feel the heightened senses you had before.
You finish sketching and are both applying oils when a quiet knock
pulls you back to the real [?] world. “Luncheon for party of Scipbas!”
While Paolo lets in lunch and arranges plates, you have time to
appraise your work so far. Well you can see a straightforward sketch of Paolo
painting in the sunlight but aside from that it would seem a little uninspired.
However, you know from experience that it will develop during painting.
Then Paolo offers you lunch.
Alaric stops himself from saying, “why are we stopping for lunch
when we should be painting?” because it is Paolo’s Day. So Alaric puts down
what he is working on and says, “Wonderful! Food! May I wash somewhere Paolo?”
Having washed he returns to the food and thanks Paolo for its provision. He
will attempt to eat a polite amount of food [for Mirabeau]
and will determinedly follow Paolo’s lead in returning to work. Alaric has
little or no conversation – he is still deeply involved with his portrait work.
He would sooner be painting but has himself on a leash
of sorts so as not to irritate Paolo further this day.
Paolo seems in better temper. He offers you a cheese-platter ploughmans with a rough red to wash it down. “How are
things going for you? Has the Goddess granted you ‘insight’?”
“No. Not as yet Paolo.”
“Perhaps you should have toasted her with me, then.”
“My insight doesn’t generally develop until a little later. You? What have you made of your model thus far? Hmmm, nice
cheese, thanks!”
“It’s a good selection, isn’t it?” Paolo bites into a pear. “Yes,
I think something’s coming; I think I’m capturing the ‘real you’. Shall we get
back to it?”
“Yes. Let us recommence work Paolo.” Alaric starts back to work
immediately. “How long do Iconers generally take to
produce work Paolo?” He asks over his canvas.
“Mmm?” he replies, meditating, “how
should I know?”
The two of you quickly get back into your respective grooves.
Paolo is clearly full of inspiration, applying paint in a frenzy and using a
wide variety of colours but you soon lose yourself in your painting, as usually
happens, becoming barely aware of what’s going on around you or even on the
canvas until you’ve finished.
Paolo breaks you out of your reverie in the early evening. “That’s
enough for today; we’re losing the light.”
You stand back and view your work critically. It’s coming on; you’ve
clearly caught Paolo’s essence as an innovative artist, slightly bohemian in
his long smock. Tomorrow you will address the background but at this rate it
will take a few days to complete.
“Hmmm? Yes. Right.
What would you like to do with the rest of the day Paolo? I am at your disposal
if you wish my company?”
“Day?” Paolo looks out at the fading
light. “Do you mean ‘night’?” He flashes you a brief but possibly sincere
smile. “No, I’m a little tired and we want to be at our best for tomorrow. Go
and get a good night’s sleep and I’ll see you in the morning.” Something about
his words suggests to you that he regards this little mutual painting prank as
important. Paolo nods wearily, stifling a yawn as he shuts the door on you. It
occurs to you that he’s far tireder than just a few
hours painting would warrant.
That Evening – Miscellaneous Trumperies
Alaric really wants to go back to his room and get back to his own
work on painting shadows within shadows – but he is trying to be good today to
Paolo.
Well he can make his way back to his own studio but is he
intending to paint throughout the night?
Naaa. He’d be too tired to work
properly in the morning. He will however do three things. Firstly he’ll have a
look at the painting again and see if it has held its qualities – and to look
at it more rationally now that he is merely a little tired rather than falling
over exhausted. Is it as good as he thought it was before?
Yes! It’s superb! It may be the best thing he’s ever done but the
quality of the trump itself isn’t the entire story, he also knows what
convolutions he went through to get to its essence. When you add in that factor
and the speed and conditions it was painted in, it’s little short of
miraculous!
The second thing is to reacquaint himself with his Trumps. Go back
through the deck and check to see if any are missing and what has been added.
Are any of the Trumps [other than Mira’s!!] cool to the touch and do they feel
changed in any way?
I don’t know what cards you had in your deck but none seem to be
missing and only Mira’s has been added. I can’t say which are active without
knowing what they are but Mira’s certainly is.
Standard deck minus the five
that are hidden in the Tower en route to Mirabeau. They are Fiona; Queenie; Aylwin; The Abbey;
Alaric’s Chamber at Castle Amber. If anything he will check his Chamber Trump
to see if it is live.
All those you’d expect seem active but only Mira’s seems to have
that incipient coldness you associate with immediate function. Doubtless that
trump barrier.
The third thing is to attempt a Trump reading. He is curious as to
why Paolo should regard the portrait painting with such importance. Alaric does
appreciate that Mira may be eavesdropping on his reading.
It’s a curious reading; there’s no Major Arcana or Court cards for a start. It seems to
indicate that Paolo’s doing this exercise because of something within him, a
mental factor. The one important card that comes up is Amber itself – as
something to be found in the future. The ‘pivot’ card is the 3 of Coins, the
card of the master artisan indicating rewards for skill and craftsmanship. The
aspirator is the 7 of Cups: ‘The card of choice. The querent
is faced with several alternatives, one of which is of exceptional promise. But
great perception is needed for this to be seen. Also indicates mystical
experience of an inspiring kind. Observation + meditation = inspiration.’
Alaric knows that he can offer Paolo another option – that of being an artist – without all of the palaver that
goes with the station in Mirabeau. Could Alaric teach
Paolo Trump artistry? Alaric is having thoughts about establishing a school of
painting in Amber. He may have to have a conversation with Paolo about the
theology of Mirabeau in the morning.
Well, everything leads to Amber, according to the cards, but it
sure feels like an odd reading.
After this lot, Alaric picks up the Trumps and his sketchbook with
pencils and goes out to find food – say around
He sketches freely and easily and the management are quite happy
to accept a couple of the sketches in payment.
Having fed, and asked about any music performances that night, he
will either go to hear a gig or return home and paint.
It turns out some musicians are playing in the bistro tonight.
They’re not bad at all and you spend the rest of the evening relaxing.
With regards his painting Alaric has in mind a landscape which
features a large country house. The landscape (very close to his own early 18th
century Wiltshire Estate) is in fact a Trump – but he wants to embed the House
itself as a Trump within a Trump – [like a Russian Doll]. Just
preliminary sketches at this point. Scribbles and
scribbled ideas.
Let me know when you start.
Not tonight. He will be up and out in time to arrive at Paolo’s by
A New Day – Painting for Pleasure and Profit
Paolo looks distinctly bleary-eyed. He claims he slept well and you’ve
no reason to doubt his word. Perhaps he was a lot more tired last night than
even you thought.
This time you make him coffee while he freshens up. Then you both
start painting again. As soon as he gets a brush in his hand, he seems to
regain his vigour. You’re little slower but both of you are surprised to be
brought out of your painting trances by lunch arriving.
Paolo talks a little during lunch. He’s clearly pleased about how
things are going and several times mentions he’s doing something ‘new’ but also
complains it’s very tiring.
After lunch you both get back into it until Paolo again calls a
finish as the light fades. Although he was painting deftly till just a minute
ago, he looks ghastly now with deep rings around his eyes. “Just let yourself
out.” He says as he collapses on the bed. “See you tomorrow,” he mutters and he’s
asleep.
Your own painting is really coming together now though you notice
you seem to have put in some odd shaped windows in the background and there’s
no sign of a ceiling. It must be a very big, roomy building.
The ceiling will appear – swirlings of
green and gold – the gold merging with the architectural decoration at the top
of the walls.
Oh yeah! Just like the Cathedral of the Church of the Unicorn in
Amber! Yes, that fits really well. Suddenly you can see the entire picture
crystallise in your mind with total clarity. Paolo in a priestly smock creating
an icon of Mira in Amber’s greatest cathedral; all the windows replaced by Mirabeauan stained glass. In the background, a priest
administers the sacrament of the Cult of Mira to a flock of the faithful, some
offering small works of art in sacrifice to the Goddess. The big eastern window
over the altar depicts Mira casting down an evil Unicorn with bloodied horn and
muzzle. This vision hits you and then it’s gone but you know that’s how your
icon of Paolo will turn out.
“Oh no you don’t,” Alaric says aloud. “This is my
Trump and my experimental work – let me work on it alone!” He is more than a
little irritated by this imagery. It is suggestive of an option, and one which
Alaric will not consider if he can help it. The option he would prefer is the
establishment of a formal school of painters in Amber – and a clandestine way
of introducing Mira’s use of Icons into Amber without direct confrontation with
the
You can’t detect any influence from Mira in your vision. Don’t get
me wrong, it’s not an epiphanic ‘vision’, you’ve
merely tapped directly into your own psyche by realising where the “swirlings of green and gold – the gold merging with the
architectural decoration at the top of the walls” come from. [Penny, these were
your words – what are the mythical colours of the City of
So let’s work on the idea but change it so that it works for art
but does not directly antagonise Amber. Let’s take Paolo for a visit to Amber!
He can be a Trump artist without being a Priest – especially if he doesn’t
actually want to be a Priest!
So you’ll take Paolo to Amber – could be stage 1 of your icon
coming true?
Or maybe it’s not stage one of that particular reality...
Dear, dear, Cassandra; so naïve: let me get this logic right. You’re
painting a picture of Paolo in Amber, so taking him to Amber will do something
to make that possible future not come true?
However, Alaric is very concerned about Paolo – could it be that
he, Paolo, has been given the skill but doesn’t have the physical strength to
match the speed at which he wishes to interpret his subject? Alaric knows he
has Amberite Endurance. Paolo doesn’t.
You kind of realised late in the day but that’s almost certainly
it. Paolo does not have more than mortal endurance. OTOH, other mortals in Mirabeau create Trump so perhaps he just needs to pace
himself.
He goes back around to Paolo’s room to see if Paolo is there – and
asleep – or if he’s off somewhere else. This will be about
Well the door’s shut and you can’t open it from outside without
breaking the latch. Listening carefully, you can just hear faint sounds of
snoring coming from the other side.
He snores therefore he is alive. Alaric leaves him to it and goes
back to his own room. He’ll go back to Paolo’s room in the morning but he will
knock on the door around
That Night – A Second Visit to the Cathedral
The Cathedral is never shut save for occasional very special
ceremonies of which only the priesthood are allowed to partake. It takes you 20
minutes to stroll over to the cathedral. What do you want to look at?
Alaric wants to get a sense of the iconography of Mirabeau. Depictions of events/religious
stories; particularly representations of the defeat of the Philistine.
So he’ll do a more depth wandering about of the Cathedral than he did during
his visit with Salli et al. He will also have a look
about any private chapels that are off the nave of the Cathedral. Now he’s not
so concerned about the whereabouts of his own Trump he will be looking for any
obvious Amberite Trumps. If he can access any private
Chapels he will compare the style and subjects of works within and without the
Chapel.
You’re going to do all that at
You spend a few hours looking at the larger murals and
stained-glass windows. You manage to divide her Iconography into 3 groups. One
of the two larger parts deal with her acts in Mirabeau:
her coming, the challenge to Philistine, their battle, her defeat and
destruction? Her resurrection? And
her final casting down of the old god. A second large part shows the
acts of her apostles and the creation of her church.
The much smaller third group seems to deal with other events that
you can’t fit in with the rest. It may refer to ‘side’ stories in the main
gospels, of course. [Just like the single-issue deviations from main plot in
the Sandman graphic novels.] But then again they may be something else; a ‘prequel’,
perhaps?
They seem to involve a group of figures: Child, Unicorn, Dragon, a
Dwarf or dwarves and a Lady, and a series of places: a forest, an ultra-modern
city of silver, green and gold, a cave and a mountain. You rationalise the
pictures into the following groups...
1) A Child [Mira?] runs from a cave in a mountain pursued by a
Unicorn.
2) A Lady [Mira?] rules a city of
3) A Dragon hides a Child from a Unicorn in a cave.
4) A Child is raised by a Dwarf or perhaps by several dwarves
under the ground [Snow White?]
5) A Unicorn and a Dragon look down on the City, [just like the
one above] and have some sort of falling out. They fight but it’s inconclusive.
This is the most difficult of the scenes to decipher. They might not be fighting, they might be doing something else.
6) A Dragon attacks a Lady in a
Alaric will do quick sketches of these 6 groupings and will start
playing with them to bring together a sequence of events. Sometime soon he will
go back to the Cathedral to meditate upon icons within these groups to see if
he gains a greater insight into the events that they depict.
The last may not be that easy, you’re a trump artist, not a Buddhist.
:-)
He will also sketch the individual people within the groupings to
take them home to Amber and compare them against the family mug shots – equally
the City of
Let me know when you try. You get the feeling that this is not a
time sequence. The trouble is, of course, that you’ve pieced these together by
looking for common details in perhaps a hundred different pictures by dozens of
artists.
He’ll pay respect to Mira in her Cathedral – she is probably
watching! And head off home around
It’s gone two when you pay your respects at the altar, light a
candle and leave. You get no particular sense of Mira’s presence and it’s