Chapter
Twenty-four
Wednesday, December 8, 2987
Felix appears in Gérard's cell. He sees Gérard sitting
on a stool. The only other thing in the room is a fire hydrant. He
realizes that he no longer has contact with Brand. Gérard asks
what he's doing there. Felix says he thinks Brand has tricked him. He
fills Gérard in on what's happened since Gérard left Amber.
Felix asks what the fire hydrant is for. Gérard thinks it's a
joke. Gérard has faith that someone will rescue them soon, but
Felix isn't nearly so sure. Felix learns that from Gérard's point
of view, he has been imprisoned for two weeks, and gone from Amber for
almost a year. Gérard is surprised to learn that Rygat is still
alive and that she is Benedict's mother.
Mebd bitches to Alex about Mary while he helps her move.
Heather looks for Driscoll in his quarters, but can't find him. She
asks a page, who says he hasn't seen Driscoll since dinner. Heather tries
to Trump Driscoll, but doesn't get through. She goes to Random's quarters
and finds they're under heavy guard. The guards tell her Driscoll is
inside but won't let her in until morning. She finds a quiet spot and
Trumps Eris. She gets through, but Eris is asleep. Heather opts not to
wake her.
Ahab wakes up in the middle of the night. He mumbles something,
trying to see if he can hear yet. He can't, but the noise wakes up
Ariana. She makes psychic contact with him and tells him he's being
rather noisy. Ahab tries to move his arm, and discovers he can, but it's
rather painful. Ariana asks why Rygat attacked him and learns the details
of why and how. Ahab is somewhat disgusted that the cloud of razor blades
was the best Rygat could come up with. He soon grows tired and goes back
to sleep.
Alex leaves Mebd and tries to find Merlin. The pages don't know who
Merlin is, so Alex uses the Logrus to find him. Merlin turns out to be in
the library, reading a book. Shard is still there as well. Alex asks if
he can ask Merlin some questions about his parentage. Merlin looks
suspicions. Alex asks if Merlin has walked the Pattern. Merlin says
that's a rather forward question, and figures Alex would know if he had.
Alex says he feels it would be rude to poke Merlin with the Logrus. Shard
tries really hard to ignore this conversation.
Two days pass for Felix in prison. While Gérard is sleeping,
one of the walls in the cell begins to sparkle and Brand steps through.
Felix glares at him. Brand says that's one hell of a reception. Felix
blames Brand for leaving him there in the first place. Brand points out
that since they are dealing with a shapeshifter, maybe Felix was stranded
by Rygat. Felix reluctantly admits that he hadn't thought of that. Brand
asks if he's going to stand there all day, or if he's ready to go. Felix
wakes Gérard up. Gérard isn't sure if they should trust
Brand but Felix points out almost anything is better than being stuck in
the cell. Brand takes both of their hands and brings them back to the
main hall of Amber. After they arrive, Brand dusts his hands and says,
"No, no, hold your thanks." Felix isn't sure they really are in Amber.
He tells Brand that he came back once and found Brand on the throne.
Brand replies, "I guess Utopia does exist," and leaves. Gérard
goes to his quarters to see Isabeux. Felix grabs a page and asks how long
he's been gone. The page looks confused and says that Ariana was looking
for him that evening, and it's now two in the morning. Felix opts to take
a bath and then eat.
Heather draws a sketch of herself and one of Vialle. She Trumps
Vialle and says she needs to talk to Driscoll. After making sure it's
important, Vialle agrees to send Driscoll to her location. Driscoll
arrives soon afterwards, sporting his protective sunglasses. Heather
suggests that retrieving the missing Amberites is a task for which she
would be most useful. Driscoll asks if she's asking his permission.
Heather says she thought it appropriate, given her deal with Random. He
tells her to be careful and leaves. Heather decides to try and manipulate
Merlin into helping her. She sketches a Trump of Merlin and Trumps
him.
Shard notices Merlin look around nervously and ask who's there.
Heather identifies herself, and Merlin tells her he's still in Amber. She
gives him the sketch of herself and says he may find it useful, but she
won't say exactly where she's going. She says that if Mandor calls,
Merlin should say that she's keeping a close eye on him. They both smirk
at each other. Heather breaks the contact. Shard sees Merlin role up the
sketch and put it in his pocket.
Heather tries to Trump Benedict, but his Trump doesn't work. She
Trumps Merlin again and asks if he knows where Alex is, saying she needs
someone with his skills. Merlin asks if he can get a message to him.
Heather says there's no time, prompting Merlin to asks what's the hurry.
Heather explains that she needs Alex's Logrus skills. Merlin wants to
know what she needs the Logrus for. Heather is evasive, saying she is
looking for people who are key to Amber's defense. Merlin sees through
this and asks if she's found Benedict yet. Heather says that if Alex is
unavailable, she'll just have to muddle along on her own. Merlin warns
her that she shouldn't be messing around with the Logrus. This last
statement gets Shard's attention. He puts down his book and stares at
Merlin. Heather insists she'll be able to figure it out. Merlin says she
needs to have the appropriate lineage. Heather refuses to reconsider her
plan. Merlin asks who he should notify if she doesn't come back. She
says no one will miss her. He suggests there's at least one person. She
says to tell Mebd that she'll do her best to return. Merlin tells her
that wasn't who he was thinking of. She suggests Mary, Fiona then
Driscoll. Eventually Heather says he can't be thinking of Mandor. After
all, she's supposed to be watching Merlin, and Mandor would be most
unhappy to learn otherwise. Shard keeps trying to get Merlin's attention,
but Merlin continues to ignore him. Merlin tries to get Heather to take
reinforcements, or to wait for some to be available. Heather insists
they're not necessary and breaks the contact.
Shard asks if Heather's going to do something stupid. Merlin says if
she succeeds she will be a hero. Shard seems to think that they should
help her. Merlin is pretty much of the opinion that Heather would have
asked for help if she needed it. Shard persuades him to talk the matter
over with Alex. Merlin uses the Logrus to find Alex, who is in Mebd's
room.
Felix gets some wine and goes up to the battlements to brood.
Alex is helping Mebd move furniture again. Feeling particularly lazy,
he decides to use the Logrus. He explains to Mebd that the chest is going
to move on its own, then uses the Logrus to lift it into the air. Mebd
screams as the chest levitates. Shard and Merlin hear this and run for
her room. They find Mebd pressed up against one wall, crossing herself
repeatedly and calling Alex a sorcerer. Merlin doesn't understand what's
the problem. The screaming wakes Ariana up, so she goes to Mebd's room to
investigate. Alex sets the chest down and moves towards Mebd, which
causes her to scream even louder. Shard comforts Mebd by taking her
shoulders and shaking her. He tries explaining that Alex's family can all
do what he did. Ariana explains that the Logrus is to Chaos as the
Pattern is to Amber, which calms Mebd somewhat.
Alex and Ariana leave, discussing how the Logrus works. Ariana learns
from Alex that Mebd claims she is adopted. Alex also mentions that
Heather kicked Mebd out of her room in favor of Mary. Ariana finds this
very interesting. Alex thinks Heather's behavior is rather non-Georgian.
Ariana asks if Mebd has figured it out yet, but Alex thinks she's hiding
it from herself.
Shard continues trying to calm Mebd down. He says the Alex's feelings
were hurt by her reaction. She says she'll talk to Alex in the morning.
Shard comes out into the hall and tries to get Ariana and Alex's
attention. Eventually they finish talking and notice him. Shard tells
them that Heather is doing something stupid involving the Logrus. Ariana
and Alex show no interest in getting involved. Ariana asks if Shard knows
any more details. Shard looks for Merlin, but he took off as soon as he
left Mebd's room. Shard wants to stop Heather before she leaves the
Castle. Ariana points out that it is odd for Heather to be directly
involving herself, as opposed to tricking someone into doing her dirty
work. They try to find Merlin to get more details, but he's left pools of
Logrus scattered around the Castle, which makes it impossible for Alex to
find him. Ariana is rather annoyed by these heavy concentrations of
Logrus and resolves to have a talk with Merlin when she next sees him.
She and Alex lose interest in the whole mess and go to sleep. Shard rides
out in search of Heather.
Heather rides through the camps in Arden and finds Ariadne dueling
with Ahab's Shadow. Ariadne makes a fool out of the Shadow before drawing
first blood. She seems happy to see Heather. Merlin Trumps Heather and
tells her that Shard was looking for Alex. Heather continues trying to
trick Merlin into helping her. Eventually she succeeds and Merlin steps
through. Ariadne looks him up and down and says, "Yum!" Then she says,
"Wait, you're my grandson." Merlin doesn't look real comfortable upon
hearing this. Ariadne asks what Heather's doing with her grandson.
Heather explains that she's trying to find Benedict. Ariadne's surprised
to hear that he's still lost. They try to Trump him one last time, but
the card still doesn't animate. Heather and Merlin ride off, while
Ariadne rides back to Amber.
Ahab wakes up at seven in the morning and checks to see if he can hear
again, waking Ariana up once more. She makes psychic contact with him and
tells him to shut up. He says he's bored. Ariadne shows up and joins the
conversation. Ariana tells her that Felix has been captured by Rygat.
Ariadne is surprised to hear this, saying she saw Felix not long ago.
Ahab tells Ariadne about the letter he wrote. Ariadne tells him that
she's seen the spell that Rygat used on Ahab before. It's a customizable
spell that Rygat's used on previous occasions. Ahab is disappointed by
Rygat's lack of originality. Ariana and Ariadne hear Julian moan. Ariana
walks over to check on his condition.
From the battlements, Felix sees four horses riding for the Castle
with a white flag. He tries to Trump Random, with no luck. When he
pushes the contact, he almost thinks he hears an ouch as the card goes
black, but then he loses it. He Trumps the first elder he comes to in his
deck. This turns out to be Caine, who is shaving. Felix tells Caine
about the riders. Caine tells him to tell the guards in front of Random's
quarters, since Eric and Driscoll should be notified. He asks to be kept
informed and breaks the contact. Felix tells one of the guards, and a
short while later, Driscoll emerges, carrying a spyglass. He asks Felix
some questions about the riders, then belts on his sword and heads
downstairs. Felix Trumps to the main hall to beat him there. Driscoll is
not amused. He sends a page to alert the Captain of the guards while he
and Felix wait at the front entrance.
Ariana finds Julian is gaining consciousness. From what she can
observe, there doesn't seem to be any brain damage, but Julian is not
being very cooperative. Ariana, Ahab and Ariadne talk some more. Ariana
Trumps Felix to find out how he got back. After learning what happened to
Random, Felix decides it would be wise not to take the call, so he
activates his psychic barrier.
Heather and Merlin dismount in Arden, unaware that Shard is following
them. Merlin takes Heather's hand and starts to focus on a Trump. Shard
picks up the pace, which causes him to make a detectable amount of noise.
Merlin looks around nervously and suggests hurrying. Heather asks if
Merlin has any defenses, since she wants to learn who is following them.
Shard sees Merlin stretch out his hands in front of him. Shard calls out
to Merlin, who balls his fist and tells Heather it's Shard. Heather asks
Shard how Battlestar is doing. Shard tries to persuade them to delay,
saying that since Ahab isn't there, there's no reason to charge blindly
into danger. Heather claims that she had a guide. Merlin isn't confident
about his ability in that regard. He points out that it is rather foolish
to go up against something that can hold Benedict. Merlin starts to have
second thoughts about being involved in such a risky endeavor. Heather
says she's going whether they accompany her or not. Shard tries to
persuade her that she's needed in Amber, but can't really come up with
anything she's needed for. They continue to argue.
Eric, Gérard and several guards arrive to wait for the arrival
of the riders, who now appear to be six in number. The riders dismount,
march across the courtyard, and announce that Amber is to unconditionally
surrender and deliver itself over to Chaos. Eric says, "Kill them." The
riders pull automatic weapons and open fire. Felix yells, "Tell Grammy to
bugger off," and looks for something large to throw. He finds a small
wagon and hurls it at them. It lands on three of them, pinning them under
its weight. One of the remaining three points at Felix and uses a Power
Word on him that causes him to writhe in pain. Gérard advances on
the Chaosite responsible for that. When his sword glances off the
Chaosite's armor, Gérard simply rips his arm off. The Chaosite
sorceress casts a spell on Gérard, causing him to clutch his chest
and fall down. Felix grabs the Chaosite whose arm Gérard ripped
off and throws him at the sorceress, knocking them both down. Driscoll
and Eric start fencing with two of the Chaosites that are still
standing.
Ariana, Alex, Ariadne and Julian hear the gunfire. Ahab can't hear
anything, so he is quite surprised when Ariadne goes out the window. She
descends on the fight with a scream, blade whirling. Ariana grabs a
crossbow and some quarrels and heads for the battlements. Alex follows
her. They arrive in time to see the sorceress struggle free and cast a
spell that covers Ariadne with hot lava. Ariadne screams in pain. Felix
runs up to the sorceress and kicks her in the head several times,
effectively taking her out of the fight. Eric seems to be winning his
fight handily, but Driscoll is getting beaten. All but two of the
Chaosites have been disarmed. Ariana tries to shoot the gun out of the
hands of the one closest to her. She doesn't succeed, but she manages to
screw up his aim.
Heather eventually lets Shard persuade her to return. They Trump into
the Main Hall to the sound of gunfire. Shard goes up to the battlements
to investigate. Merlin pokes his head out of the front entrance. When a
bullet whizzes by, he decides to seek higher ground as well and follows
Shard. Heather Trumps Mary and asks for her whip.
Out on the battlefield, Felix picks up a fallen gun. He shoots the
one whose aim Ariana ruined, but the bullets ricochet off of his armor.
Next, Felix picks up the smashed wagon's axle and swings it at the knees
of the Chaosite who is fighting Driscoll. The Chaosite falls over, giving
Driscoll the opportunity to skewer him. In the end, the only Chaosite
left alive is the sorceress. Felix finds that Gérard is still
alive and calls for Eric. Eric himself is bleeding profusely. He
examines Gérard and tells Felix that he will live. Driscoll, also
bleeding profusely, sits down rather heavily. Alex uses the Logrus to
clear the lava off of Ariadne. Ariana tells him to cool her off and then
apply some ointment to her burns. She gets some medical supplies from the
infirmary and heads down to the courtyard. Since Eric is taking care of
Gérard, she starts working on Driscoll. Eric bitches continuously
about Corwin bringing gunpowder to Amber.