| Scene 1 | |
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Llewella, distraught, approaches Quinn. She informs Quinn that Nathaniel is
missing and requests Quinn's aid in finding him. Quinn interviews Llewella and
finds out that Llewella can't Trump Nathaniel, that he spend a great deal of
time either in his room or at the Remba Pattern, and that none of his
possessions seem to be missing. Llewella asks Quinn to use her spells to
attempt to locate Nathaniel. She agrees and begins her search at the Gates of
Castle Amber. The spell tells her that he has not been in Amber recently. They
Trump to Rebma and try the spell again from Nathaniel's room. There is a very
strong sense of him about his room. It is as if he spent all his time within a
small circle of space in his room. Quinn's also traces a flow of movement that
leads them to the main Rebman audience chamber where Moira is conducting some
sort of royal business.
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| Scene 2 | |
"She knows everything, and she likes to tell you she knows everything. That's how I knew she knew everything." "It's very dangerous. That's why they keep it in the basement. If it wasn't dangerous they'd keep it in the living room."
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After getting the location of the Begman princesses' rooms from a page Connie
arrives and chooses the correct door to knock on. He gives Coral a flower and
invites her to accompany him to the Pattern room. She accepts. Connie, unsure
of the exact location of the Pattern room excuses himself briefly to ask
directions. He is told that it is in the basement and that there is a stairway
leading there from the main audience chamber. They make their way down stairs
and meet up with guards allow them access to the room. Once inside Coral is
awe-struck. She has many questions for Connie which he fields to the best of
his knowledge. He explains his experience walking the Pattern and what Fiona
told him about the dangers of the Pattern. Coral pleads with Connie to let her
go closer and closer to the Pattern, but he keeps her from getting too close to
the pattern. He demonstrates one of the dangers of the pattern by tossing a
coin onto it, but Coral is unconvinced. She shares her a theory that she read
that says the anyone can successfully walk the Pattern, and that Amberites
created the myth of its dangers so that they could keep its power to themselves.
Connie decides that it is now time to leave and walks Coral back to her room.
He hints that he would like to continue the evening, but Coral seems
uninterested. After escorting Coral back Connie gathers up his notes from Mandor, and Trumps to Ygg
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| Scene 3 | |
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Simon drops off a change of clothes, and a book for Jessica in the Texas shadow.
He also drops off a solid gold fire hydrant and a big bad book of spells for
later. Jessica and Locke insist on covering the next set of Jade watching
shifts, so Simon Trumps to Connie at Ygg.
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| Scene 4 | |
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Quinn's spell alerts her to a strong signature in the audience chamber
which matches Nathaniel's signature. She and Llewella explain to
Moira that they are searching for Nathaniel. They get permission to
visit the Pattern. Before they leave the audience chamber Quinn takes
note of a stranger who is eyeing her. She cast a spell on him and
senses ambivalence, admiration, and envy. Once at the Pattern Quinn's
spell tells her that Nathaniel was indeed there. Llewella finds
Nathaniel's glasses - cracked. Another one of Quinn's spells reveals
that they fell from his hand. She sees a gull and senses panic. The
images become confused. She sees her horse, something familiar,
corpses back from the dead, and other disjoint images.
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| Scene 5 | |
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Connie reviews his notes from Mandor and tells Fiona about the two
options that he suggested. The first plan involves spilling Jade's
blood on Eric's pattern and having a shape shifter walk through the
broken Pattern to retrieve the Jewel. The second plan involve Jade
walking a Pattern to transport herself to the center of Eric's Pattern
at which point she would unwalk the Pattern erasing it with her blood
as she went. Fiona favors the second plan. She notes that someone
familiar with the Jewel of Judgment would have to use it to fight Eric
when he arrives. Random and Corwin are both options. Simon and Connie return to Castle Amber to gain the Queen's approval of the plan.
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| Scene 6 | |
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Jessica reads the book of plays and talks to Jade on her watch. She
sleeps while Locke watches Jade. When she wakes up she receives a
Trump call from Mandor. He invites her to dinner and she accepts.
After making some arrangements Mandor pulls Jessica through to his
place in Chaos. They have a pleasant dinner and make small talk.
Near the end of the meal Mandor has trouble describing some feeling he
has around Jessica. He departs to get something and is ambushed by a
Fire Angel. Three balls surround Jessica while Mandor fights the Fire
Angel. Jessica remains very cool. Mandor is able to defeat the
demon, but is visibly drained and tired. He warns Jessica that Fire
Angels attack in pair just in time for her to prepare. They both
battle the second Fire Angel. When Jessica distracts it Mandor
summons Primal Chaos to engulf it. He explains that someone is trying
to kill him, likely because of what he suspects about a certain
Chaosite's involvement in Merlin's death. This is nothing new to him.
He is used to people trying to kill him.
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| Scene 7 | |
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At breakfast Connie explains how he plans to deal with Eric's Pattern.
He tells Vialle that Fiona found this to be the most acceptable
method. Vialle blesses the plan. Simon tries to Trump Random, but
makes no contact. Next he Trumps Benedict. He explains the plan and
asks for if Benedict knows where Random is and also for tactical
advice for dealing with Eric. Benedict doesn't know where Random is,
but he suggests Random is probably in a certain shadow he likes to
hide away in. As for tactical advise, he suggests that Corwin or
Deirdre might be able to occupy Eric. He doubts Eric will have many
troops with him. Connie sketches a Trump of Quinn on a napkin.
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| Scene 8 | |
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The mysterious stranger reveals himself as Darien. He tells Quinn
that Nathaniel was working on the ability to walk the Pattern in his
mind. Darien suggests that wherever Nathaniel went it is likely to be
underwater. Quinn tells him about Eric's Pattern and undead universe
and relates it to her visions. Darien requests to see the visions and
he identifies an item that had eluded Quinn, but was very familiar to
her - a lighthouse. Darien suggests it is either Eisley or Cabra.
Quinn has heard tales of Cabra from Corwin. Llewella draws a Trump of
Cabra and Quinn and Darien use it to travel there.
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| Scene 9 | |
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Jessica and Mandor have dessert. He shows her a few shape shifting
forms he prefers including a giant gargoyle and a snow owl. Jessica
brings up the topic of Merlin's death and asks about Martin's motive.
Mandor says that Martin's data jack was probably tampered with and
that he fell in love with a certain Chaosite shortly afterwards.
Jessica thanks him for the meal and returns to Amber. At the gates she meets a young woman named Cayt who claims to be Simon's daughter.
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| Scene 10 | |
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Quinn finds a corpse on the shore near the lighthouse. It is very old and withered - drained of life. Both Quinn and Darien suspect it is Nathaniel. |
| Scene 11 | |
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Simon Trumps Quinn. She tells him that she has found Nathaniel's dead
body. She would like to bring the body to Castle Amber, but not to
the breakfast table. Simon, Connie, and Gerard go to a room and prepare it for Quinn's arrival with Nathaniel's body. Connie Trumps Deirdre to tell her about the latest news and ask her to be prepared to help battle Eric when the time comes. Jessica Trumps Simon and pulls him through to meet his daughter. Connie Trumps Simon to get his sketch of Quinn back. Jessica introduces Simon to Cayt, but when he tries to hug her Cayt decks him. Connie trumps Quinn and brings her and Darien through to Castle Amber. They discuss Eric's involvement in this death.
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