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

In The Doom that Came to Amber

5th Snake 3658 – dawn

Had an early breakfast (not my favourite activity!) so I could make a start on the food transfers. Lots of the others were there, unfortunately Peter smelt like a decaying kipper when he arrived and his jacket appeared to be rotting away. He didn't seem aware of how unpleasant he was until it was pointed out to him and he went away to get changed.

Morwaith went off to find Adam and asked whether there was anyone else he should keep a lookout for; several members of the family are missing at the moment apparently.

Khitan, the ambassador, suggested I look at Rebma to see what was going on. If we could identify the ringleaders, Peter and Bathsheba could lead a strike force through. I said I would take a look before starting on the food transfers. Unfortunately Bathsheba went off to the Northgate before I had a chance to speak to her about Rebma. She was going to join me when I looked through the mirror and I really need to know what information she needs. I can't go to Teran to sort out the food until I have dealt with Rebma. I decide to wait for her.

Flora came in looking for coffee and pointed out that Bathsheba may not send a message if she gets called away and cannot get back to look at Rebma. She thanked me for helping the day before.

We talked a bit about Paulo and his three personalities, Bathsheba's withdrawal from the city and whether it may be best to join forces with the Mirans to defeat the Deep Ones. I told her that Random had asked that she deal with this, with Rupert (her son). She said I would probably like him if I met him. She left saying we must chat again soon and promising a favour in return for my help yesterday.

As she left I heard a tapping at the window and saw a small, hairy human with wings and pointed teeth. Ignoring him, I finished off my breakfast as a message arrived from Aylwin warning me about a small hairy, winged creature called Puck who is looking for me. Puck is mostly an ally but has lewd tendencies, which make him Annoying at best and a total shit at worst.

After picking up a poker from the fireplace (just in case) I opened the window enough to be able to talk to the little charmer but not to let him in. Somewhat surprisingly he delivered a message from the King and Queen of Faerie in the form of a riddle:

Damsel of a Dark Reflection,
Sighs 'Mother, Mother, on the wall'
Life dwells not in cold confection
Learn well from another's fall.

Children! The tree keeps the sapling
from the light; so are eclipsed your hearts
Yet as the Oak falls, grows the sprig
The whole is stronger than the parts.

I asked him to convey my thanks to their Majesties when he next saw them (not being entirely sure why, if you want someone to know something why not just tell them instead of giving them a riddle!!). He asked whether I knew where Asmark or Khitan were but I was unable to help him. I closed the window and, after leering at me through the glass, he flew away.

After waiting for Bathsheba for about an hour and a half, I decided to go to my rooms and start searching Rebma from the outlying areas in towards the centre. The mirror stands away from one of the walls, but facing the wall so the location cannot be easily identified should someone look through it, other than myself.

Out of habit I stand to one side as I pull off the cover. The mirror is tuned into my room in Rebma, which has been comprehensively ransacked. A bloated frog-like creature is asleep (on my bed!!!!) in a sitting position with a cutlass across its knees.

Redirecting the mirror, I see that the city is generally in better shape than Amber. People look scared but still move round the city. There are Deep Ones moving round in groups of 2 or more, generally low-level thugs in appearance. As I start to look towards the civic building the image is taken away from me and the mirror shows a woman dressed in purple/green, a similar style to myself, with auburn hair. She is not as tall as me but her power over the mirror is breathtaking, so far beyond my own that I cannot begin to comprehend its extent.

She seems slightly puzzled by my use of the mirror and asked where I was, when I didn’t reply she asked me whether I was in the castle, I confirmed I was.

She introduced herself as Mira and said that she wanted to build bridges between the two factions, or rather that she wanted to ‘bury the hatchet in Martin’! She asked me who I was and I explained I was Llewella’s daughter.

She asked me whether it would bother me if Amber’s religion changed. I replied that as someone born outside Amber I do not feel particularly strongly one way or the other (yet) and think we need to sort out the Deep Ones before tackling the religious debate.

She looked at the frame and says that after this we could learn a lot from each other. She mentioned Alaric and said he wasn’t a good person to talk to at the moment. As I have only been here a short while, I don’t know many people yet. I ventured to suggest speaking to Random as he had asked Aylwin to deal with the Miran issues via Rupert.

She told me that Grandfather is talking about sacrifice but he hates Alaric so much that he doesn’t want him to be the sacrifice. Grandfather says that once this is over none of us will remember ever Alaric existed. It is all coming to a head and soon we will all need to go ‘up the hill’ (what is it with people and bloody riddles?!!)

Mira asked whether I had heard of the Primal Pattern, she grew up near it and Grandfather says it has to be re-drawn (a process he described as ‘ticklish’) and anyone not close to it or in a place of protection will cease to exist, so presumably he intends Alaric to be elsewhere at the appropriate time. Mira asked me to pass on her love to Alaric, if he should manage to save things he knows how to get in touch.

She hopes we will meet in the flesh soon (oh lets, it will be so much fun!!) and then the mirror reverts to my room in Rebma. As the creature on my bed has woken up and is looking in my direction I break the contact and re-cover the mirror.

I leave my rooms to go and find Random as a servant arrives with a message from Aylwin saying he is in the Library and would like to speak to me. I send the servant back with a message that I need to see the King urgently and will come to the Library afterwards. I also asked the servant to leave a message for Bathsheba that I had gone to find the King and subsequently would be in the Library should she want to see me about Rebma.

I had to wait half an hour to see Random as he was with Julian. I repeated my conversation with Mira and the message from Puck. I also commented that Puck had been seeking Asmark and Khitan. He explained that Mira is the Goddess of Trump (oh great, just what I need on top of everything else, but it explains her power!).

Amber worships the Goddess of Pattern (hence the question about religion). She feels Martin is behind it all. (Martin is Random’s son following an affair in Rebma. His mother killed herself after he was born and Brand tried to use him as a ‘Pattern eraser’ – no wonder he’s gone off the rails!)

Random said I needed to go and talk to Mira (thanks!) to find out what she knows and what she wants but remembering that Asmark is heading up the negotiations with Rupert (Flora’s son). After being dismissed by Random I went to find Asmark before going to see Aylwin – so much for organising food supplies.

After about half an hour I found a servant who said that Asmark went down to the dungeon, I tried to go down there but the way was blocked by two guards. They tell me that Asmark went down there about an hour ago but they couldn’t let me follow him. I left a message with them for Asmark saying I needed to speak to him about Mira and would be in the Library.

I finally get to the Library where I find a sitting Aylwin and an unconscious Khitan. Aylwin said Khitan had done ‘something silly’ but would be OK. He looked distinctly unwell to me but I didn’t enquire further as to what he had done.

Aylwin wanted to know how I had got on with Puck and I explained our conversation and the riddle.

Aylwin also enquired about the food and I explained all the interruptions to date. As we were talking Asmark came into the library and, after he had enquired about Khitan, I was able to tell him about my conversation with Mira and her message for Alaric.

According to Asmark, the Miran camp is being heavily influenced by Wirminbone Dark, who is speaking through Paolo’s body and giving instructions to Rupert. They want the Eye of the Serpent to redraw the Pattern. In addition, something is rising out of the sea.

Asmark decided to see Flora before going to negotiate with Rupert as a matter of urgency. Before he could leave he got a Trump call from Mira (no less!) who had ‘hijacked’ Alaric’s Trump call to Asmark. Asmark put my hand on his shoulder so I could be party to the contact (I have much to learn about this Trump, it's so different from my mirrors yet so similar in other ways).

Mira speaks first of Aylwin and says she remembers their contract and will still honour it if he will. Aylwin says that he only broke the contract when he lost his Trump power. Mira referred to us having a worse enemy than each other; Asmark agreed, so now we just have to sort out the terms of agreement.

According to Mira, Grandfather needs the Eye of the Serpent and access to Kolvir. In return they will offer everyone in the castle (except Alaric) a place at the ceremony. Asmark queried whether the ceremony involved re-writing the Pattern and Mira indicated that this would be the case. Asmark suggested rebinding as an alternative and Mira went distinctly ‘frosty’ saying that the Unicorn had tried to kill her in the past and re-binding was not an option!

Asmark said he could agree to rebind the Unicorn and to religious tolerance but not a re-writing of the Pattern. Mira asked what we wanted and, being unused to Trump contact, I accidentally thought “get out of our city” (Oops, did I say that out loud?!!). Mira replied that it was not so much getting out of the city as getting the Unicorn out of the city.

Asmark queried ‘re-writing the Pattern’ and what it entailed and also had the presence of mind to ask who Grandfather was? He was known as Wirminbone Dark. On being asked whether he was related to Dworkin, the originator of Trump, Mira seemed a little put out and informed us that she didn’t know who Dworkin was and she disputed anyone being the originator of Trump.

A hand appears on Mira’s shoulder and a tall man joins the contact. I didn’t recognise him but he had a much stronger presence than Mira. Another thought slips out “If anything kicks off we are screwed” and Mira answers that if we don’t do what they want us to they will force us to, otherwise we all cease to exist.

I query why she is convinced they are right and got the response because they are – so much for reasoned debate!

I mention that Oberon wants the Unicorn shod – despite being dead he seems to be fairly active! The man asked what we wanted; Asmark replied that we want no aggression or hostile action and co-operation to deal with the Deep Ones. The man said that to bind the Unicorn we needed someone attuned to the Eye of the Serpent, which they have. Nonetheless they want the Unicorn destroyed but Asmark challenged this drastic step.

Apparently when Oberon re-drew the Pattern a few years ago he made a mistake, hence the shattered Patterns throughout the shadows. He should have erased the Pattern by first binding the Unicorn to prevent it escaping when the Pattern is erased.

Mira and the man said they would keep the Deep Ones away from us for a while so we can discuss it with Random (as a gesture of goodwill!) – it looked like it was the man who decided to break the contact by squeezing Mira’s shoulder – who is he, given that a goddess defers to him on occasion?

Asmark comments about Roger’s interrogation of ‘Paulo’ resulting in Dark’s voice, this being the identity of the man with Mira. It was advice to Rupert about the ritual to destroy the Unicorn and redraw the Pattern. Dark was willing to betray Mira and destroy her in the process. He is therefore willing to betray anyone (what a shit!). Asmark believes the sacrifice will be Nayda, the daughter of someone I had never heard of but with the family blood (a necessary requirement for the sacrifice apparently).

All three of us (Asmark, myself and Aylwin) go to see Random, having arranged for the still unconscious Khitan to be taken to his rooms. While talking to the King someone tries to Trump Asmark, he blocks both this call and a following call.

Asmark tries to Trump Morwaith but he appears to be asleep (it is apparently not good to Trump someone when they are asleep). Random is annoyed and says that we must stall until we can either find out what progress Morwaith has made or the thing from the sea arrives on the doorstep.

Random remembers that he has Alaric’s Trump deck and finds a Trump of Mira. We must not however contact Dark or Mira; if they contact us we must stall them. I ask whether food is still required, Random says yes, so I go to Teran to organise the transfers in and out and send a message to mother as she had promised to help with returning the empties!