VAERREK AND AZRIEL IN LONDON BELOW

Vaerrek tracked down Azriel in a small mansion heavily staffed with near-naked muscle-boys. He shifted to match and talked his way in. Azriel acted moderately pleased to see him. They talked a while. Azriel claimed she wanted some time and quiet to deal with her new acquisitions. She attributed her more heinous actions to Sligspholl’s influence. Vaerrek acted like he believed her; after all, it might even be the truth. Azriel mentioned that Door might be hiding from her, due to a little attack done under Sliggy’s lingering influence. Vaerrek suggested she walk the Pattern to clean out the bugs. He volunteered to find Door and make sure she was safe.

Azriel Trumped Portia (with a Portia-made Opener Trump). Portia was cautious but brought the two through. Azriel explained, and Portia relaxed a bit. Portia said Door’s Trump was cold but her sister wasn’t answering. Vaerrek started shapeshifting some olfactory antennae tuned to Portia, figuring that Door’s scent should be similar. Azriel, Vaerrek, Portia and Portia’s colleague Petra discussed the growing concern about Tiberius. Tibby was now the Church’s representative in the Diet as well as Master of Rituals. Azriel said she thought Tiberius was faking his madness. Azriel said she’d been invited into Tiberius’s and Ving’s boys club by Ving. Perhaps she should go to the Owl Tower and check it out. After walking the Pattern.

BRANNON IN SHADOW

Brannon acquired some new minions – a pair of investigators named Mulder and Scully. He gave them some training and then had them accompany him on his errands.

He visited Queen Prue. Prue was enjoying being queen without Avril or Corinthian around to bother her. She was mildly concerned that queen-wannabe Krista had produced an heir for Titus. Prue mentioned that Livilla and Drusus had moved back to the Palace of Amber.

Brannon and his minions went down into the palace deeps, logged by the remnants of the guardian apes. The Blue Room was still marred by bloody footprints. Moving further in, Brannon realized that he was shifting through shadow veils by passing from room to room. He could, in fact, walk to rooms that fit his desires. Others had done the same. Brannon found that ‘virgin’ rooms were easier to shift. Oddly, his path behind him was no path at all: he left no traces. He experimented – an armory, a room containing a fierce, Beryl-hating hound. He did not stumble upon Sepulchrave’s library.

KRISTA IN AMBER

Krista and Titus moved into suites in the best section of the Palace. Queen Prue did not seem to be concerned. She was busy organizing a search for King Corinthian. Meanwhile, Tristan and Valery quietly rounded up more support among the family and in parliament.

She did something SECRET involving Tiberius. Tibby told her to pray to the Unicorn. Krista left in a huff with her infant son.

TIBERIUS IN AMBER

Hour after weary hour conjuring new apes to replace those killed in the battle with Borel and Beryl. He gave orders that Brannon or other family basement explorers not be interfered with. Yet. Later he consulted with Titus about doing the Rituals correctly.

Off in his weird science shadow, he investigated the possibility of Guag the Shoggoth multiplying. One wasn’t enough.

Back in the Palace, Tiberius made the rounds introducing himself to the newcomers. He waited out Verity’s interview with Prue and Brannon to talk with her. She seemed to be a nice, warm motherly type. Tibby explained about the Rituals. Verity was highly interested in the details and theory behind them. She was willing to participate. He supervised her as she did a walk-the-halls Ritual. Afterward, she went to consult Mother Eilett.

Tiberius did much the same with Demelza, a cute, short redhead. She was involved in Infernal (Chaosian) affairs and had lots of contacts in Hell (the Courts). He asked it she knew Krista, Vaerrek, or Amethyst.

He checked in on the Diet.

Rumors. Fabius was helping Agrippa and Balthazar on a project. A Beryl had been seen since the battle, somewhere near Castravalva or Catland.

Catland? Tibby had never heard of Catland.

VAERREK IN SHADOW

Vaerrek went to Catland via the big hole in Shadow he’d made with Primal Chaos—and found that the hole was much smaller. The locals seemed to worship Krista, to judge by the statues. Vaerrek shifted to Krista-form and looked the place over. It seemed to be harmless, and the food was good. He proceeded into Catland and through to London Below. Logrus tendrils gave him direction but he refrained from getting too close with them. Most people reacted poorly to being grabbed with Logrus. He picked up her scent and followed it in dragonform (with feathery scent-antennae). The trail led over a bridge that disappeared into suspicious-looking darkness. Vaerrek probed with a tendril and received a Pattern-level shock from somewhere inside the darkness. Interesting. Later. He trotted down to another bridge. Pale, attractive prostitutes fluttered around him, stroking and admiring. Their touch chilled and numbed. Vaerrek bit a hand off the most forward one and the group fled shrieking curses. He crossed over and picked up Door's trail at the other end of Night’s Bridge (he asked). He passed through a bazaar crowded with a wide variety of odd people and creatures. As a man-sized, copper-colored dragon attracted a fair amount of attention but not as much as he’d expected. Eventually he came to a sort of grove of gallows. The decaying corpses shouted or mumbled threats; they seemed concerned he might eat them. Door jumped out from behind a crypt and swung at Vaerrek with a faintly glowing saber. He dodged, flitting a few lengths away. Hey! It’s me, Vaerrek! Belatedly he remembered that she’d never seen him in any but human form. He shifted rapidly to man. Door was hiding from Azriel, Croup and Vanedmar. Sliggy was dead, he told her, twice, and his henchmen with him. D’Olby might be around though. Door hadn’t seen the demon. Vaerrek explained that Portia was worried, and that Azriel claimed to have been under Sligspholl’s influence when she attacked Door. And that Azriel should have already walked the Pattern by then. Door agreed to go with Vaerrek to someplace more pleasant.

IRULAN IN SHADOW

We meet Irulan happily going about her duties as enforcer for the wizard Ygder. While technically a legbreaker, at 15 Irulan’s reputation is such that mere threats suffice nine times in ten. She felt/saw something vaguely serpentine in the air that morning, smelled a faint whiff of fire and brimstone. Hours later two foreign women, very important by their attitudes, approached her and asked her name. She told them. They were called Livilla and Saleri and claimed to be the sister and wife of one Drusus Berumen --- Irulan’s father. He had hidden her in this place during a vicious civil war. They were pleased with her progress in shapeshifting. Do you want to leave this nasty little hellhole you’ve been in for the last 200 years? 200? Try fifteen. Irulan begged off to complete her errands for the day. Upon reporting to Ygder, he told her that he was going out to discipline two interlopers. Irulan watched him challenge them, and Saleri offhandedly manifest the serpentine power to beat the crap out of the powerful wizard. The bored expression never left Saleri’s face. Irulan started to carry Ygder back to his house. Saleri whisked him there with her power. They produced chairs, a table, food and drink from nowhere, sat Irulan down and told her a wild tale of Amber, Chaos, Pattern, Logrus and her family. Irulan didn’t believe it for a second, and watched the women closely. Livilla’s movements were smooth and her eyes caught every movement around them, anticipating Irulan --- she might be as dangerous physically as Saleri was with that bizarre power. So when they insisted Irulan accompany them on a walk, she agreed.

The walk was a long one. Irulan quickly realized that either they were fooling her senses, or had drugged her, or they really had passed into other worlds. Her home was all desert and they passed into wetter climes, then boarded a boat to cross a shallow sea. They came to a strange monument, a sort of eight-petaled megalith that acted as a kind of scrying device. A number of other people were there taking notes. A view of an odd man with his hair stiffened out in a sort of long halo got the most attention; the man was going on about some kind of rituals. Her alleged father Drusus was there. He introduced himself and took her hand. Information. Family members. Customs. The Pattern. It was a little painful. He sat her down on a big, overstuffed chair. He explained that he’d hid her for her protection. Several other children had been killed or hurt. It was less dangerous now, ordinary family backstabbing rather than open war. Her training should serve her well.

AZRIEL & BRANNON

SECRET STUFF.

Azriel Trumped Brannon and told him she was looking for Corinthian.

Brannon thought he would be in a brothel in Shadow.

Azriel wanted to see to it that Corinthian and Prue made an heir.

Brannon thought any shapeshifter in the family could make a better heir.

They went to An Briongloideach – no Corinthian channel. Seeking by Pattern led them towards Catland. Brannon had to explain why the Castravalvan path to Catland was no good. One of Beryl’s clones was stuck there in the Machine and quite unhappy about it. Anyone going there would probably end up bound to the Machine in her place, so the family was avoiding it. Brannon Trumped Piper and got a Trump of Catland from her. They went there and crossed paths with Mr. Mephistopheles, who was happy to see Brannon, Vaerrek’s friend. Vaerrek was well liked in Catland. Mr. M. and Azriel flirted while they explained their mission. Mr. M said that a non-cat male and small female had gone through. They were hanging out with Rumpleteaser. He took them to her vicinity via a spell. Corinthian and a cat-woman were busy with vigorous sex. Miette was outside, playing with kitten-kids. They (mostly Azriel) convinced Corinthian to come with them. Cor collected Miette and they made their way out via Krista’s shadow and Trumped to Amber. Corinthian and Prue went at it and Miette attached herself to Azriel. They stole the couple’s Trumps. Azriel sent servants to find Vaerrek. Brannon went into the Underpalace and found/made a Fertility Room. He and Azriel Trumped them there. Azriel Trumped someone --- she wouldn’t tell Brannon who --- to assure the royal couple’s safety. Brannon made/located a child rearing room but found that room-time was not variable.

KRISTA IN SHADOW

Krista took her son off to her shadow in Chaos without mentioning it to Titus. She was told that she’d been seen there two days before, had wandered about and had a meal, then left. She corrected them. They begged forgiveness. She introduced the new godlet and there was much rejoicing. Krista took a native with her to Helgram and showed the baby off to the family. Thorathane took them to a fast (100 : 1) shadow suitable for raising her son in. A three month (Ambertime) stay would allow her to emerge with an adult heir. She sent a note to Titus saying she was on vacation. She had Helgram family visitors from time to time. Teyr, Droom Lady Corkith helped instruct the boy.

TIBERIUS IN AMBER

Tiberius finished up making new monkeys. He returned to the Palace and received a strange report; he investigated. Helena was in the Pattern room, sloshing water across it and then recovering most of it via a wetvac-pig creature. She then left the Palace and set off into Shadow. Tibby sent a protocol ape with a message: he needed to speak with her about the water on the Pattern thing. Helena returned to the Palace and met with Tiberius in a safe spot. Tiberius was concerned since there might be bits of Livea in the liquid. Helena said that she was investigating the possibility that ordinary shadow-folk might be transformed by taking in Pattern-water, might become more Real. She didn’t like the idea of Livea-contamination either. They joined efforts. Tibby centrifuged the solids out and found mostly Beryl-bits, showing influence of Old Pattern, Magic and Shapeshifting. He put some work into reconstituting that sludge. The purified water did have a strong Real essence. Tibby found a bum in an Amber City bar and bribed him to be a guinea pig. They set him up with a slow intravenous drip and periodically checked him for signs of regenerating. Tiberius brought in Claudius the research gorilla to help.

VAERREK IN LONDON BELOW

Vaerrek took Door to a spa in a fast (5 : 1) Shadow. He found out that the Opener power she shared with her sister was hereditary. It had its limitations; she could Open a door to any place she was familiar with, or to places that fit simple parameters like "a safe place". She hadn’t been to very many places, though. Vaerrek took her on a short tour of the cosmos, places on both sides of reality, including the edge of the Abyss. Door seemed more comfortable with the Chaos side of things, since it felt more like London Below. He found her a place to hide on the Amberside: a shadow where Pattern and Logrus and Trump didn’t work, though there was at least one shadow path leading into it -- a pleasant, cosmopolitan Renaissance world. Door was very pleased.

Vaerrek parted company with Door and went to Dreaming Central. He waited for the other watchers, who included Livilla, Drusus, Saleri Berumen and a young, athletic woman he’d never seen before, to be busy with other things – in this case, watching people around Tiberius – and brought up the Thjarand channel. She was in Chaos, working on Feddrin’s Dreaming Chair. He cut off the picture and plopped down in the Comfy Chair next to the newbie. She wasn’t much interested in talking or beer. Livilla approached Vaerrek and asked him to take the young woman – Irulan, daughter of Drusus – to Amber and introduce her to Tiberius. Vaerrek agreed and told her he’d get right on it after one quick errand. He Logrused away and found a magicless shadow to Trump from. Thjarand answered readily enough. Apparently his timely appearance during the battle had made an impression. She, Thira and Sorgny were the only survivors of Larcan. They had been adopted into Helgram. Thjarand was working with Feddrin on the Dreaming Chair; it was nearly ready. Vaerrek explained about walking the Pattern to rid himself of Sligspholl’s lingering influence, about Sliggy’s deaths and just what being One With the Logrus had entailed. Unfortunately, some factions in Chaos still wanted to mindrape and/or dissect Vaerrek. Politics were unsettled. Hendrake was on top, barely. Cyngra opposed Hendrake and Helgram more or less backed her just to spite Hendrake. So there was no king yet.

IRULAN IN AN BRIONGLOIDEACH

Irulan couldn’t tell if this Vaerrek person was flirting or digging for information. He seemed to be inordinately proud of the couch, and was possibly a drunk. She didn’t cooperate either way. Livilla (aunt Livilla) asked him to take Irulan to Amber (rush of associated images) and introduce her to Tiberius --- the fellow with the hair and the blue apes. Great. Vaerrek had to run an errand first. Irulan watched the scrying devices and watched the people using them. There was a discussion about ‘Cyngra’s’ chances of becoming empress of Chaos (big rush of images). A young woman walked out of the side of a megalith and joined the group. She introduced herself to Irulan as Door and told her a very unlikely tale of her homeland, of cat-people and other fables.

Vaerrek returned in a rush of serpentine power and asked Irulan if she was ready to go. He produced a card with the picture of cityscape, stared at it and produced a prismatic shimmering effect, with a bigger view of the city in it and people moving about in the scene. He made to pull Irulan towards the shimmer. Irulan shrugged off his effort. She was considerably stronger than he, though he hadn’t really tried to force her. He impatiently turned into a coppery-colored dragon, shifted the spines away and invited Irulan to mount. She did so with some misgivings. He launched into the air and flew up to a respectable height, then started changing the landscape like Livilla had done. After some hours they reached the city of the card, and landed. Vaerrek assumed his human form and asked Irulan if she wanted a couple of drinks before meeting the family. She accepted. They found a bar with tables outside, ordered beers and watched the city’s people go by. This bit of normality (Irulan was from a wizard-ridden society and used to a diverse crowd) soothed a bit of the tension away. She asked about some of the stranger people but Vaerrek was not well informed. He bought a merchant – one Lyg of Tarbor -- drinks and encouraged the man to hold forth on the passers-by. The merchant did so at length. He praised Queen Lorial, he disliked Seleenes and Luvians, and he talked of Deigans, Begmans and Rogmans.

AZRIEL & BRANNON IN THE UNDERPALACE

Corinthian and Prue eventually exhausted themselves. They took Prue off somewhere SECRET. Azriel returned and walked the Pattern, rearranging her Pattern powers as Brannon had warned her.

They set out to find someone SECRET, probably Krista, from Shadow Skye. They wound up at a very fast-time shadow deep in Chaos. Brannon was forced to retreat some veils away as shapeshifting was really necessary there. Azriel made inquiries – the shadow had belonged to Hendrake but now, who knew? They didn’t dare leave the fast-time zone to get help lest too much time be lost. Azriel Trumped Livilla and persuaded her to help. She and Azriel sent Logrus (?) tendrils into the target shadow, searching.

Krista, meanwhile, had done some SECRET STUFF. Then she became aware that her castle was under attack by multiple foes. She held tight to her son and raised Logrus Defense.

Brannon sent Pattern tendrils in, guided by Azriel’s Logrus ones.

Krista maneuvered the groping tendrils into winding together. SHOCK. She struck back at Azriel with her own tendrils, both of them switching back and forth between Logrus and Pattern for defense or attack.

Azriel and Brannon switched to psychic tendril attacks and Krista Trumped Feddrin. Krista was pulled through just as Brannon knocked her out --- and Azriel terminally fried the kid’s mind. Brannon had time to be horrified before Feddrin knocked him and Azriel remotely.

TIBERIUS IN AMBER

Corinthian was back.

Tiberius practiced with weapons, very carefully, drawing a crowd of amused guards and family members.

SECRET STUFF.

VAERREK & IRULAN IN AMBER

Vaerrek and Irulan were directed by guards to the salle d’arms where Tiberius was practicing in front of a large crowd of the curious. Lots of laughing. When Tiberius finished Vaerrek introduced Irulan respectfully. Tiberius was in an expansive mood. He lectured Irulan on the importance of the Rituals to the Pattern and assigned her an easy one: rearranging chairs in the Pattern’s antechamber. Irulan was nonplussed. Tibby told Vaerrek he was relieved of Ritual duties for a while – he’d been doing them backwards. Vaerrek pretended surprise --- he’d followed directions precisely. Very sorry. Won’t make that mistake again. He asked Tiberius about arranging for Irulan to walk the Pattern. Tiberius asked her if she was really, really sure she was Drusus’s daughter. Reassured that Drusus and Livilla themselves said so, he led the way to the Pattern room. Irulan had had the basics from Drusus, and Tiberius and Vaerrek offered more advice. Irulan walked it in near-record time and wasn’t really all that tired. Vaerrek was openly impressed. Tiberius lectured on the ‘Claudian Point of View’ while arranging for Irulan’s – and Vaerrek’s – rooms in the fashionable Claudian wing. Vaerrek was surprised and pleased that he’d been acknowledged. He recalculated upwards the odds that Drusus was his father. Tiberius mentioned the Owls before leaving and Vaerrek did his best to explain them. Irulan obviously thought that letting things take bites out of you was insane. Vaerrek agreed.

AZRIEL IN CHAOS

Azriel regained consciousness and Trumped Droom Helgram. She explained that removing Krista’s child was nothing personal. Just business. She was sure he’d understand, yadda, yadda, yadda. Droom suggested that if she married him immediately, the family would just have to accept her. OK. Where? They asked Cyngra, now styling herself Empress of Chaos, to perform the marriage. Cyngra accepted and did that thing. Then they were off to Helgramways to meet the family and honeymoon.

 BRANNON IN CHAOS

SEVENTEEN

TIBERIUS IN AMBER

Tiberius continued his martial training. He was so bad that some of the castle guards sold tickets. Irulan offered to help, Tibby declined. Later he went off to pray – actually to place some # 9 Creatures with protocol monkeys as lookouts.

He checked in on the Helena Project. The Pattern-water subject had acquired the ability to Shift rooms in the Undercastle, an ability that faded as he used up his ‘charge’. Helena charged more water and Tiberius stole half of it. He put it in tanks in the Owl Tower.

Tiberius journeyed to Shadow Lurk and worked on # 7 and # 8 Creatures, then taught the Eights to use the Sevens and drilled them on their mission parameters.

Back in Amber he met with Piper, then Fabius about getting a Castravalva Trump made, using Brannon’s impressions of the machine room there as Tibby made mental contact with no one, ever. Brannon showed signs of having been tampered with by Beryl. Tiberius strongly suggested Brannon walk the Pattern.

VAERREK IN AMBER

Vaerrek met with Portia and sounded her out on her own plans. Portia had very little influence in London Below. Her whole family had been important mostly as advisors and specialists. Livilla had found her there and introduced her to the wider world. Portia was solidly in Livilla’s camp. The Church business was really just a cover for Livilla’s people. Catland’s politics, in as much as they had any, were in chaos due to the deaths of Old Deuteronomy and Skibbleshanks. Vauxhall was merely one of Livilla’s supporters. Vaerrek told her that his own interests and hers should dovetail nicely, now that Livilla was showing something of a friendly interest in him. He borrowed a Trump of Vauxhall.

BRANNON IN AMBER

Brannon continued to disagree with Tiberius about Beryl. Beryl was a fine person and Brannon certainly couldn’t allow anyone to try to kill her. He left, picked up Mulder and Scully, and went to see his mother. Someone tried to Trump him and he resisted for a while. The caller pulsed the attempts. Brannon took it, went through. He argued with Piper about Beryl. Verity joined in. Guards gathered. They convinced him to walk the Pattern. He took another Trump call just before walking. The story came out – the assault on Krista and the death of the child. Lots of Trump calls. Brannon cursed Beryl vilely. Beryl had compelled Brannon but not Azriel. Azriel had conned Livilla into penetrating Krista’s secure shadow for them.

AZRIEL IN HELGRAMWAYS

Feddrin and other notables of the House were waiting for Azriel and Droom. Feddrin asked politely for the Master Spikard. Azriel tried to Trump away – blocked. She did manage to evade them for a time, then was surrounded by demons. Hours passed. Then, without explanation, she was released.

Azriel Trumped to Portia, who was with Vaerrek, and asked after Livilla. They Trumped to An Briongloideach and saw that Livilla was talking to Drusus and Miron about Irulan. Azriel told them she wanted to walk the Pattern. Portia Opened a portal to the antechamber of the Pattern and all went through. Into the Pattern room and there they saw Brannon standing in the center and a man and a woman standing beside it. Brannon wished himself over to them.

"You’re not very popular right now," he told Azriel.

Azriel didn’t respond.

"So why is Azriel not popular right now?" Vaerrek asked uneasily.

"She got over-zealous thwarting one of Krista’s plots and killed her and Titus’ kid."

Vaerrek and Portia flinched.

"But she could have been compelled."

Azriel began her Pattern walk.

IRULAN IN AMBER

Irulan began her Ritual Moving of Chairs in the Pattern Antechamber. She heard voices from the chamber itself. Two people odd clothing, Vaerrek, Brannon, a Unicorn Priestess and Azriel. Azriel was walking the Pattern. Brannon was sitting on a ritual chair.

"I need that chair."

"Get your own chair."

Irulan explained. Brannon stood. Vaerrek said there really was something to Rituals. Irulan asked questions that led to a discussion of Compellings and people who did them. Meanwhile, Azriel finished her Pattern walk. She turned bright, furious red and stamped her feet, unable to talk just yet.

Brannon called over; "Beryl did something?"

"She told me to kill ---- and then she ---- ARGH!" She used Brannon’s Trump of Agrippa to contact him. Agrippa gave her a Trump deck.

A protocol monkey delivered a note to Brannon. He sent one back setting up a meeting at breakfast on the morrow.

KRISTA

Demanded vengeance.

SECRET STUFF.

Azriel’s poster and reward notice got posted everywhere. EVERYWHERE.

TIBERIUS IN AMBER

Tibby worked on the basement defenses. Next he found Ving and gave him a No Girlz Club Secret Decoder (psych barrier) ring. He asked after Kamron and Krista. Kamron had not been around since walking the Pattern the previous day. Krista had been gone a couple of days. SECRET STUFF involving Ving’s Seeking ability.

Tiberius met with Mother Eilett and discussed his plans to spread the Unicorn Church throughout the Golden Circle. Specifically, her faction of the Church. Tiberius would go out with a bunch of acolytes to make the deals. Eilett decided to send Onda, Lorette, Laerdun, Vauxhall and Mercedes. Tiberius said he’d invite Irulan to go as well.

AZRIEL IN AMBER

Azriel said she wasn’t sure she’d actually done it. Beryl took the Master Spikard from her prior to her battle with Krista but she’d used it during the fight. Brannon pointed out that Beryl might have given her a substitute spikard. Azzy was confused. Who could be trusted to scan Azriel and confirm her innocence? Livilla?

VAERREK IN AMBER

Azriel said that she did have a spikard with the right powers to do all she’d done in the fight. Vaerrek and Portia got up to leave.

"Where are you going?" Azriel asked.

"As delightful as your company is, just now I’d rather forego it --- all things considered." Portia Opened a doorway to her rooms and they used it. Vaerrek sent a note via servant.

Vaerrek Trumped Vauxhall and said he wanted to talk. Vauxhall had just received orders to go on a mission. He suggested Vaerrek impersonate Onda and go with them. Then they could talk at leisure. Vaerrek agreed.

BRANNON IN AMBER

Brannon advised Azriel to avoid the Castle and left with Irulan for breakfast with Tiberius. Brannon agreed to give Agrippa an impression of the Castravalva machine rooms. Brannon explained about the murder: he’d been compelled and possibly Azriel had too. Tibby asked after young Ambericus’ body. Brannon assumed that the Helgrams had taken care of it. Tiberius invited Irulan to go on the Church’s mission to the Golden Circle as his bodyguard. She accepted. Brannon accepted a Unicorn Horn Headband, which warded off evil influences. He tried it out on Mulder first. Psych Barrier device, natch. Irulan asked for one.

After breakfast Brannon went down into the Undercastle and found an equivalent item, without hooks. Hopefully. Then he gave the impressions to Fabius indirectly, via psych recorder. Next a tactful, sorrowful letter to Titus which even mentioned that Azriel had been screwed by Beryl too. He Trumped Balthazar and got him to deliver the letter and two Beryl-hating hounds.

AZRIEL IN CHAOS

Azriel tracked Livilla down in Berumenways. Livilla didn’t know what Azriel was talking about. She had been right there with Drusus since the day before. Azriel confirmed that this Livilla was the real one with her Trump. Livilla asked why she would want to kidnap Krista’s child. Azriel mentioned the killing. Drusus asked if she’d walked the Pattern lately. Azriel said yes and they said she should do it again. Azriel told them that she’s released Beryl from Castravalva. They’d thought that Tiberius had killed the real Beryl. Drusus granted Azriel sanctuary --- and put her under house arrest. He was, after all, a Claudian. He asked Uther to join them and started making calls.

Azriel cooled her heels and tried to locate the Master Spikard. Off towards Amber.

IRULAN IN AMBER

Tiberius had Irulan outfitted with really good equipment. They hit Shadow Deiga first. Tiberius let Irulan take the lead in dealing with Councilor Morkin. Irulan vacillated between threats and trading sexual favors for a good appointment slot. Morkin took pity on Irulan when he found out she was a virgin and pretended to have nailed her. They got the slot though. Tiberius told Irulan that, yes, most men were easily led around by their dicks. Irulan seemed to think this had real possibilities.

KRISTA IN AMBER

The Castle was in an uproar. She learned right off that Brannon was innocent, that he had been compelled by Beryl. Titus wanted to talk to her about effective shadow security measures. Honey, come here --- SECRET. Meet with Tiberius --- SECRET.

TIBERIUS IN SHADOW DEIGA

The meeting with Councilor Morkin: Tibby showed Irulan how it was done.

"I am Tiberius Drusus Nero Berumen, High Priest of the Unicorn, Master of Ritual, Keeper of Owls, and High Master of the Monkey Horde!" He promised to personally introduce legislation giving Deiga an edge over the rest of the Golden Circle. Morkin wanted it in writing – a big contract that Tiberius signed with a misspelling – and the legislation passed first.

Next to Begma, where Irulan tried force. Crossbow bolts chased them away.

Rogma…

VAERREK IN SHADOW

Vaerrek and Vauxhall became friendly. Vauxhall was a normal Amberite mortal (so far as he knew --- Vaerrek had trouble believing that the Number Two Swordsman in this half of Reality was some mortal schmuck; he suspected an Amberite in the woodpile) though an initiate of the Dreaming. He seemed to think that a friendly Family member was a good thing. Vaerrek thought Vauxhall was underpaid. They made the switch with Onda and Vaerrek left.

Vaerrek played with the slipping-to-Catland effect and was dismayed to find that it didn’t work for shit any more. Only in a few places where the interface was naturally (?) thin did it work. The zipping-around effect that the Cats could do outside their realm didn’t work for him at all, though he could zip around Catland. Some sort of Cat-power? And maybe the interface resistance was cyclic. How to figure the cycles in all the varying timeflows of Shadow would be a bitch and a half. He searched out a Shadow where nothing but Shapeshifting worked, on a thin interface point.

BRANNON IN SHADOW SKYE

Brannon sought out psych-impression recorders in Shadow. It took a while to find some that traveled well and lasted any length of time. Back to Amber where Krista was back, Azriel was missing and spies were everywhere. He took Scully & Mulder with him to the Undercastle and searched for Sejanus’ old library. He found empty shelves and cat footprints. He followed the tracks into the Blue Room. He experimented and found that he could shadow-walk in the Blue Room to Shadow Skye. He found Krista’s shadow and tied a cloth to the door to it.

AZRIEL IN BERUMENWAYS

She sent a message to Cyngra. Before a reply reached her, Drusus reached agreement with the others. Valery arrived to take Azriel under safe conduct to Amber Castle. No! No! No! Valery frowned. There was a blur. Her head hurt, she was in Amber Castle and Verity confirmed that she had been compelled by Beryl. All present --- most of the family --- were disturbed by the notion of Beryl armed with the Master Spikard. Azriel wanted Krista scanned by Verity. Krista refused. Verity insisted. Krista collapsed in tears. Verity scanned her anyway, and confirmed her story. Feddrin had tried to save the child.

"I feel remorse about what happened," Azriel said.

"So what do you think is a proper punishment?" Valery asked.

"Give me Beryl’s head!"

"No, your punishment."

"I don’t deserve any. There were Pattern and Logrus tendrils both!"

"Again, what is suitable?"

"You can’t punish me --- you’re not the King or Queen!"

"Banishment?"

"Hey, Valery, you and Tristan and Balthazar killed Daljit in front of everybody! Only those who murder of their own accord escape punishment!"

Azriel left Amber – officially banished? Probably not. Then she Pattern-teleported to just outside the Undercastle royal love nest. She shapeshifted in and abducted their son (now 4 years old) while Prue and Corinthian screwed. SECRET STUFF. Corinthian and Prue returned to the Castle and agreed to Azriel’s banishment.

IRULAN IN SHADOW ROGMA

Rogma, a kingdom, was an easier nut to crack. Tiberius led them in flattering noble egos, Irulan worked on her feminine wiles and they appealed to greed. The king insisted on gaining some sort of mystic power. Tibby said he’d make the king a priest of the Unicorn – and cut the rituals to a minimum.

The cavalcade returned to Amber.

KRISTA IN AMBER

Krista made sure that Azriel actually left. Corinthian and Prue reappeared shortly after and Verity did things to them. The royal couple made ready to leave. Krista approached Prue and made a passionate speech calling for a truce between them. She ended up as one of Prue’s Ladies in Waiting.

TIBERIUS IN AMBER AND SHADOW LURK

The real Tiberius finished up work on the Type Sevens. He gave one a Trump and sent it off. The second one he sent towards Elsenore.

Tiberius2 returned from the mission and briefed his master on what he’d done. Tiberius1 got Mother Eilett to swallow it. The details didn’t matter, he said, the whole thing was just a spy organization anyway. Eilett said she’d investigate finding hooks on the other GC rulers – and that Tibby had to do all the work running this organization.

Tibby conferred with Tristan about little shadow power sources. Tristan pointed out Livilla’s Dreaming source. Tiberius asked about the rumored Twilight power. Valery wouldn’t admit to having the power but all the Warfare masters were suspected of being initiates. Tibby wanted something smaller. Tristan agreed to look.

VAERREK IN KRISTA’S RIFT SHADOW

Vaerrek attempted to speed the natural closing of the rift with Probability. Nada. Trying again on the Catland side, he made some kind of barrier but no closure. He zipped to the point corresponding to his Safety Shadow and translated over. He immediately ran into Beryl --- in a place where almost no powers worked. He attacked. She fought back with strength and combat skill equal to his. He had to outlast her. He rested for a while, closing wounds, after she was dead. It wasn’t Beryl. It was some kind of construct. He dragged the thing out of the shadow, intending to Logrus-scan it. He’d just found the gunpowder in it when half a hundred gargoylish things popped up around it. He Logrused a few, dodged a couple of lightning bolts and fled through shadow. He did grab a few bits for Thjarand to examine. How the hell some assassin found his shadow in one damned day he couldn’t understand. Further, for the construct to function in his ‘safe’ shadow, he either had to have flubbed his search, or someone altered it in his absence.

BRANNON IN THE BLUE ROOM AND SKYE

Brannon stabbed a dagger into the soil of Skye. He couldn’t Trump to the Blue Room as it was within the Castle defenses. He made his way there and back through. The dagger was gone --- but reappeared with concentration, along with a temporal disturbance. He pulled the dagger out and the hole disappeared. The dagger was oddly slippery. He left by a different door and found Mulder and Scully, who thought he’d been gone for half the time he calculated. Back in the Blue Room the dagger was less slippery. Now it was heavier. Back to Skye: now there were two daggers, both too heavy, attracted to each other. They merged and weighed less, but still more than it should. He found a door to the Skye of five years in the past. He found a door to Berumenways. He used the Pattern Lens there and set off all kinds of alarms. He left. The Blue Room reminded him of Catland in some ways. He tried to find Dworkin --- faint, untrackable traces. He found a door to psych recorders. He went back topside and heard about the royal couple’s return. He consulted Piper about the Blue Room. Sepulchrave had warned them never to go there. Extended exposure to the room was deadly. Catarina knew the most about it. There were a number of rumors, none of them solid, as to why Catarina stayed down there.

AZRIEL

SECRET STUFF.

Wasted time looking for an honest relative. Was hiding something in Shadow. Got a status report from Prue.

IRULAN IN AMBER

Rumors: the royal heir was well hidden. Valery and Piper were lovers. Krista had nobly made up with Prue. Azriel banished for murder despite blaming Beryl.

She went to Chaos for some sort of lessons. She gathered some gems, the best currency in the Golden Circle.

KRISTA IN AMBER

 AZRIEL IN SHADOW

Azriel, ensconced in a nice Trump-resistant shadow, considered which of her relatives were honest. More or less. It was a surprisingly long list: Verity, Ving, Vaerrek, Minon, Monserrat, Fusia, Valery, Piper... She moved to a Trumpier shadow and made some calls. Azriel explained to Verity that she didn't want the twins raised in a corrupt court, and that she'd obtained their majesties' permission to take the kids away. She explained that the child assassination had been presented as a way to keep the Mavens on top. Verity was somewhat reassured; she agreed to contact Valery about training the heirs in the arts of war. Azriel, normally unavailable, would contact Verity.

BRANNON IN SHADOW

Brannon had Mulder and Scully trained in psychic defense as well as swordplay. Next he studied the propellant from Tiberius' diadem-rocket. It was VERY REAL, so much so that it strengthened things around it. Organic. Avian. It had to be from the Owls. He searched for and found dung-hoarding rodents in shadow.

VAERREK IN AMBER

Vaerrek located Tiberius at the Tower of Owls. Tiberius talked to him from a window. Vaerrek told him about the Beryloid construct. Tiberius said it was his work, sent to assassinate Beryl. No idea how it ended up deep in the shadows of order. Tiberius asked about Portia and Door's special powers. Door had popped up inside the Tower at some point. Vaerrek suggested Trump, Magic or Dreaming, or some combination of them. He described London Below as a strange place, somewhat dangerous and full of odd creatures. He asked about the Owls. Tiberius said they were Pattern manifestations. Referring to the sign, Vaerrek asked why Azriel was a member of the club. Tib said Ving had invited her in. Tiberius said he might have an errand for Vaerrek, and that he'd make it worth his while.

Vaerrek went to see Piper and found her talking to Valery. He asked about Tiberius' constructs and learned that they were being watched, that there were better Conjurors in the family, and that, no, there wasn't any easy trick to taking constructs out. Vaerrek sucked up a bit, saying that they were some of the best of the lot --- they kept their agreements and didn't try to dun a fellow for their own gambling debts. Let him know about any little thing that they wanted him to do. An afterthought -- Valery agreed to talk to Corinthian about giving Vaerrek license to do a bit of Logrus scanning in Vaerrek's rooms daily.

TIBERIUS IN AMBER

Rumor said that Corinthian and Prue were fine, and not nearly as upset at their spawn’s abduction as one might anticipate. Tiberius (one of him) continued training with Irulan in his hopelessly inept fashion. He met with Krista and explained what he was up to in the Golden Circle, strictly a Church matter, no need to worry, be a nice spy network in time. He refused to take on another apprentice Master of Ritual before she could ask. He was more than happy to help out his relatives on the throne but wasn't about to stick his dick on the figurative chopping block.

SECRET STUFF. Check with Helena. MORE SECRET STUFF.

IRULAN IN AMBER

Tiberius was utterly incompetent. Livilla gave her lessons in seduction and sex. Livilla was Really Good at shapeshifting. They went to Chaos for a tour of different environments, then protocol lessons. Back to Amber, where Irulan noted that Opal and Mercedes kept an eye on her. One day Livilla asked SECRET STUFF.

KRISTA IN BEGMA

Krista and Ambericus [ALIVE! Quel suprise! And in his late teens.] Visited the cathedral construction site in Begma. Tiberius (one of him) started instructing the kid right away. Tiberius was Number Two in Creation, following the Unicorn. He explained what the Church was up to and offered Ambericus an Archbishop position. Ambericus accepted, catching Krista off guard. Tiberius introduced Ambericus around.

SECRET STUFF.

AZRIEL SOMEWHERE SECRET

SECRET STUFF.

Azriel Trumped Verity and learned that Tristan had agreed to tutor the kids after the walked the Pattern. Next she briefed Prue. She and her charges kept up the Moving Target thing.

BRANNON IN SHADOW

One rodent got caught. Brannon's chemists re-created the propellant despite medieval conditions. Their isolated island showed suspicious signs (craters) of previous use as an explosives research area.

Back in the Blue Room he tried to find a door to London Below, Present Time. He did, a crude Opener-style door, which led to a very nice museum. He tried next for an event he'd heard about in Sejanus' time. It looked right. Next an event he personally remembered; looked right. Next he tried Skye, some hours ago when he had not been there. He got the garden, deserted. He tried earlier. Earlier -- a gardener present. He asked the gardener if he had talked to him earlier. The gardener said 'No' and looked worried. Next a door to the site of a historic battle. He memorized the terrain and then tried for the time of the battle. He got a misty view of ghostly apparitions. It looked like the battle, near as he could tell. Brannon did not step outside for a better look.

VAERREK IN AMBER

Vaerrek Trumped Brannon and asked if he knew the route from London Below to the Undercastle. While talking it over he realized that Amethyst had to have used it and could be watched from An Briongloideach. He said as much and Brannon decided to go with him to see. Vaerrek's AB Trump didn't work. They went there and found that the shadow was blocked. They Trumped Livilla. She agreed to let them in this time. Vaerrek spoke aside with Livilla and offered to work for her. She let him in on how to get into her shadow, something possible only because he was an initiate. They watched the Amy channel in reverse and saw that Amy had come into the Blue Area via a corridor in Catland that resembled parts of Castravalva. Meanwhile, one of Livilla's people kept an indirect watch on Tiberius. Evidently Livilla thought he was important. Vaerrek tried the Titus channel and they watched him in conference with Tristan. Titus convinced Tristan to tag Valery when Valery went to visit Azriel and the twins. Valery had refused to help Titus locate them. Azriel kept them moving around.

TIBERIUS2 IN BEGMA, T1 IN AMBER

T2 made with the suckage in Begma.

T1 found a chain of rodents making off with Owl dung. He froze them with a Pied Piper spell, selected one, dissected it and then mindraped [In An Briongloideach the Tibby channel suddenly came on. There was a second Tiberius in the Tower of Owls!] another. He located their route leading off into Shadow. He memorized the rodent's impression of the destination shadow, then located rodent-friendly holes -- lots of them -- in the Tower.

SECRET STUFF.

IRULAN IN THE COURTS OF CHAOS

Livilla returned from an errand shaking her head and muttering something about dung. They finished their preparations and went to a formal affair for Cyngra's faction. Irulan, resplendent in her snazzy new demonform (and strangely lacking the vile aura of Pattern), was formally introduced to the court as a member of House Berumen. Backing Cyngra, Berumen's fortunes were rising. Cyngra asked Irulan if she'd heard from Azriel recently. Irulan said she'd contact Cyngra if she did. Irulan was introduced to a host of Chaosians, among them Kort of Morba, Miron Udrek, Mandor Sawall and Wylialea Minobee. She caught some admiration and some jealousy. No faux pas. Afterward, she joined Tiberius, Krista and Ambericus at the big Begman bash. For that she wore something thin, revealing and elegant.

KRISTA SOMEWHERE SECRET

LOTS OF SECRET STUFF.

AZRIEL SOMEWHERE SECRET

SECRET STUFF.

BRANNON & VAERREK AT AN BRIONGLODEACH

As the left Vaerrek asked Brannon if he'd be willing to close up the rift to Catland in Krista's

shadow, now that they knew how to use the back door. He agreed, but had some things to do first. These consisted of covering his tracks before Tiberius could find the research facility. He left the place an empty ruin. He tried Trumping Vaerrek, no luck, and Sought him out on the Castle battlements, eyeing the Tower of Owls. They went to the rift. Brannon easily sped it's natural closing, from years to minutes, while Vaerrek kept the locals off their backs. Vaerrek assumed Krista's form and the locals went berserk. Spells flew. Brannon shut down magic in the area and they left. Vaerrek mentioned that Tiberius was sniffing after the Opener power.

TIBERIUS IN SHADOW (LURC?)

Tiberius found Beryloid3 and sent it along the Wizard of Rodents' trail. The wiz had decamped. Back in Amber he noticed Vaerrek and Brannon looking at the Tower from the battlements. There was entirely too much interest in the Tower of Owls.

SECRET STUFF.

IRULAN SOMEWHERE SECRET

MUCH SECRET STUFF.

KRISTA SOMEWHERE SECRET

SECRET STUFF.

AZRIEL SOMEWHERE SECRET

SECRET STUFF.

BRANNON IN SHADOW

Brannon found a nice, isolated canyon and set up a little refinery. He ended up with one pony-keg of gunpowder. Back to the Blue Room where he looked into the origin of Ving's brain damage at Castle Howard. Corinthian had been hitting on Azriel but ended up in bed with Livilla; he escaped. Ving was overpowered by Borel and others and taken to Beryl. The mindraping looked normal to Brannon. He found Helena cleaning the Pattern room with lots of water. She said that, so far as she knew, Beryl was dead -- and she'd walked the Pattern just last week, thank you. She explained the cleaning as one of Tiberius' bizarre rituals. Brannon, having noted the watervac pig, was not convinced. The water seemed to be very Real, though slowly losing that quality. He took a sample as stealthily as possible. A servant approached with a list of rituals for Brannon to do, which Brannon eventually took. They weren't too bad.

VAERREK IN SHADOW, CATLAND

Vaerrek experimented some more with the shapeshift-to-Catland trick and found that it worked a hell of a lot better far from power sources. He went to Catland and visited their great library. It had been ransacked. The cats told him that the vandals had attempted to disguise the point to their work, but that books on early Catland history, the interface between Catland and the other regions, and guides to London Below had been cleaned out. Just the things Vaerrek was interested in. He told them he'd try to help find who was responsible. They said they'd try to find people who remembered the things he was after. Vaerrek went to An Briongloideach and played back Old Deuteronomy's and Skibbleshanks' last moments. They'd died before the ransacking, murdered by Croup and Vandemar. C & V did not hit the library. C & V did have a really interesting trick of combat-teleporting around wherever there was shade. Vaerrek was really happy he'd never faced even one of them alone.

TIBERIUS IN AMBER

The spy on the Pattern room told Tiberius about Helena and Brannon's conversation, and the sample. Helena told him she'd done the best she could to throw Brannon off the scent. They checked on their Patternwater subject. The old wino was more Real. Tibby tried some on a conjured creature. Later, he sent to T2 to speed up work on the cathedral.

IRULAN IN THE COURTS

SECRET STUFF DONE AND DONE WELL.

 IRULAN IN THE COURTS OF CHAOS

Irulan hung out with Queen Cyngra until the party died down. Afterwards, Livilla contacted Saleri about a problem. Irulan offered to help. Tristan had informed Livilla that the shattered shadow he and others had been using to get into Catland was nearly sealed/healed up. Irulan went through to Livilla and Tristan. They were near a smallish gray hole in a place given over to the worship of Krista Helgram. Livilla explained about Catland being an area older than the Logrus, located between the shadows; also about Castravalva and its Machine. Beryl spent a lot of time in Catland; Livilla got along fine with her. Beryl was interested in eliminating Corinthian and Prue’s kid, possibly because Azriel was raising the boy. As for the hole to Catland, she assumed that someone had tried to seal it off to hinder access to that place. Livilla wanted Irulan to slip into Catland and find out whom had been lurking around there recently and what they were up to.

Irulan went through in demonform. She found herself in grayness, standing on a stable misty surface, with only a few parts of objects visible – rather as if most things were mostly transparent. A catman came out of the gray and introduced himself as Mungojerry.

"What form of creature may you be?"

"This is a shape I wear."

"You wear shapes? Could you be a circle, or a square?"

Irulan assumed a catgirl form. Mungojerry eyed her with interest.

"Are you any relation to Vaerrek of the Gray Area?"

"My cousin."

He told her that Vaerrek was popular among some of the females for his amatory and other entertainment value. He didn’t know why the hole was closing, or even that it was, but was happy at the prospect. The cats didn’t see it as being cut off from the rest of the universe. Their world was the world and the hole was a gray void. Vaerrek claimed otherwise and the girls tended to humor him. Other visitors were the Beryl twins (!!), Portia, Door, Livilla, Borel and Brannon. Mungojerry was vague about time. Vaerrek was the most recent visitor, then Brannon and the twins. Vaerrek had gone off with Demeter and Bombalurina – two catgirls with admirably strong libidos.

BRANNON IN AMBER

Experiments showed that Pattern-water made anything that could absorb it more Real.

SECRET.

He went looking for Piper and stopped to eavesdrop at her door. She and Verity were trying to convince Queen Prue to show some discrimination. She was the queen, dammit. And it wasn’t a good idea to let Azriel wander off with the royal heir, either.

Brannon stepped into the room, "Where is the royal heir?"

Neither Verity nor Piper was surprised by his entry. "In Chaos," Verity said, "in a place where nothing but Shapeshifting works. Azriel comes out from time to time to communicate."

"We think it’s a good idea to keep the kid with AZRIEL in CHAOS in this no-power place?"

Prue was defensive. Verity said that someone had been lurking around Azriel’s location, searching for the way in. Valery had been going there to train the kids – Azriel’s child was there too – but hadn’t caught the skulker. They decided to send Brannon and Gordon to fetch the heir back. Gordon didn’t fight being drafted and led them deep into Chaos.

VAERREK IN SHADOW

Vaerrek took the time to suck up to Valery by Trumping him to tell of Titus and Tristan plotting to trace Valery’s movements. Valery seemed to believe him.

Vaerrek found Portia in the Unicorn Basilica. He informed her of Tiberius’ interest in the Opener power. Livilla seemed to take Tiberius seriously, she should as well.

Back out in Shadow, Vaerrek Trumped Door. She came through to him. She didn’t know much about Night’s Bridge in London Below aside from the fact that it took a toll – a life – from groups that crossed it. They discussed the Marquis de Carabas. The Marquis was knowledgeable, tricky, capable and ambitious. Perfect. She agreed to take him to see the man. A quick stop-off in Catland first, though.

TIBERIUS IN AMBER

T1 practiced his swordplay. T2 went into shadow searching for serial killers. He observed some executions, dug up the bodies and took them to Lurk. A week gave him five of them.

T1 told Helena that Brannon was one of Beryl’s spies. They took the Pattern-water bum off the stuff to see if the effect would last. Tiberius now needed a Trump of Castravalva made without actually making mental contact with anyone. Helena had been there.

T2 returned and reported. T1 slipped off to Lurk and worked on cyborg zombie serial killers, replacing arms and legs with mechanicals. Tongues and genitalia were removed. (The shoggoth ate the bits.) Tibby fired up part of the Necrocephalomech – arousing the horse, the serial killer and cousin Cora. Cora turned out to be an excellent conjuror, better even than Tibby himself. He got a list of what she’d made, where it was and how to control it. She seemed to go in for small, toy-like mechanicals. The horse was not a spy for Chaos. It was a horse; now a confused, undead horse. The serial killer gave him his pickup lines.

KRISTA IN BEGMA

SECRET STUFF.

Krista endured the misery of pregnancy once again. She sought out Portia at the Unicorn Basilica and not only recruited her as a Lamaze partner, but arranged to shelter in the church for the birthing.

IRULAN IN CATLAND

Irulan studied a much-admired femcat named Victoria. Small, white, enticing walk… she got all the details down. She also learned things. Brannon had been in Catland at Vaerrek’s behest doing something mysterious by the gray void. She tried some Pattern tricks and found that they were very difficult to do at all in this place. Irulan left through the hole and found Tristan opening it up further. He seemed to have the hang of it now. Given an opportunity, Tristan expounded on the wonderfulness of Pattern Editing at great length. Out in Shadow, no other ability compared at all. Irulan got away eventually and briefed Livilla via Trump. Would Vaerrek resist the re-opening? Who was in charge in Catland? Livilla thought Demeter and Bombalurina were influential.

BRANNON IN CHAOS --- partial turn

Gordon got them in. The kids were 17-year-old leatherboys who seemed to be overly friendly with each other.

VAERREK IN CATLAND

Vaerrek told Door about the ravaged Catland library, with its pre-Logrus books, Serpent stories, spikard tomes, histories of London Below’s formation… The oldest cat alive now was Grisabella, said to be in her dotage. He heard that Irulan had been asking after him and the other visitors, including the Beryl twins. Beryl! Twins! Vaerrek blackened Beryl’s reputation with nothing but truth. He asked to be kept apprised of outsiders’ movements in Catland. He led his girlfriends and Door to the hole. It was wide open again, with some damned Pattern Master working on it from the other side. Demeter and Bombalurina were not happy about the widening hole. Vaerrek asked Door to hide and said he’d play a trick on the void opener, if feasible. He assumed the outlaw catman Macavity’s form and looked out to Kristaworld. Tristan was unfortunately quite close to Livilla and some catgirl. So much for grabbing him and beating the crap out of him anonymously.

TIBERIUS IN AMBER

T2 worked on how to measure and channel Pattern energy. T1 hunted Cora’s creations with a butterfly net and command codes, and some monkey guards. Deep, deep, deep down, below the Blue Room to a partially ruined area. He found and took 20 scarab things and some octopods and some squids up to the Tower. The scarabs were overjoyed at the quality of the dung available. So happy that he had to negotiate with them for his own cut of it.

KRISTA

SECRET STUFF.

BRANNON IN CHAOS --- continued

As Brannon and Gordon approached Azriel and the boys a door opened in a wall. Two Beryls, a demonformed person and Portia stepped out. The Beryls attacked Azriel’s guards with swords and HORRENDOUS skill. Borel’s skill, perhaps. They joined Azriel and the boys in bugging out. The Beryls & Co. were barely slowed by a continuing flow of hapless men at arms. Azriel shifted them out of the shadow and Brannon Trumped them all to his Shadow Skye. (Not even the Opener power worked there, Brannon having long ago mindraped that information out of Lord Portico.) He informed Piper of the situation via Trump. She had no better hiding place available. The Beryls showed up within the day and fought their way in. Brannon slowed them with hordes of soldiers, then nullified Conjuration around them. The Beryls’ equipment went mundane. Brannon turned off Pattern around them and they were slaughtered in seconds.

SECRET STUFF.

Azriel claimed one kid was hers. Brannon confirmed this with DNA tests. The boys acted like angels around Azriel but on their own they were monsters. They raped, tortured and killed two women in three days. They were nearly as adept at corpse disposal as at buggery. Brannon wrestled with his options.

IRULAN IN CATLAND

A catman stuck his head out of the void for a few seconds. Minutes later, Vaerrek came out in dragonform and Irulan slipped inside in catform without him noticing. Irulan introduced her white, fluffy self as Saucytail and attracted a lot of male interest. While learning to act like a cat she slowly learned to shift her perceptions to match theirs. No more gray fog but a fairly normal looking world. She learned some ancient cat history. The Serpent was something they’d vanquished ages ago. Sligspholl was some sort of relative. She attended the gathering to select a new leader to replace Old Deuteronomy.

BRANNON IN SHADOW SKYE

The Boys --- Bengt and Chander --- were not psychic giants. Brannon brought in psychotherapists. Then ones with stronger wills and stomachs. The Boys played with them. Brannon argued Azriel into mindraping them to prove their innocence. She was shocked.

VAERREK IN KRISTAWORLD

"Why are you opening this thing up again? I just got it closed."

Tristan and Livilla wanted it open as a route into Catland. Did Vaerrek have some other route in? Vaerrek reluctantly told them about the Blue Room entrance. He had to show them, had to go to Amber, down into the Underdeeps and fumble around the Blue Room to the door that led to Catland and Castravalva. He pointed out that Beryl, Borel and his horde of demons had entered the Underdeeps through the hole into Catland --- which convinced Tristan to close the hole up. Vaerrek privately told Livilla that he hoped he hadn’t interfered with any of her plans --- he was puzzled since he was sure she had her own ways into Catland, why would she worry about the hole? She wasn’t annoyed and wasn’t forthcoming about her reasons.

Vaerrek went through into Catland. He found the electioneering, such as it was, in full swing. Four cats wanted the leadership: Bustifer Jones, Rumtumtigger, Skibbleshanks and Grisabella. Demeter and Bombalurina didn’t seem to care. The cats were leaning either towards Grisabella, for her age and possible wisdom, or Rumtumtigger for his dynamic maleness. Vaerrek tried to influence the crowd towards Grisabella, with Rumtumtigger as her lieutenant. Rumtumtigger didn’t seem too bright. Vaerrek met Saucytail, a new catgirl, in the course of things. She didn’t feel like an Amberite or Chaosite but he jumped to the conclusion that she was the catgirl he’d seen next to Tristan. Saucytail backed Rumtumtigger, who won the vote. Tumblebrutus let him know that Ving had been seen in Catland fairly recently.

TIBERIUS IN AMBER

Tiberius detected Pattern Particles. Initiates radiated them and left trails. He learned to focus streams of them. They became threads… and time slowed in their vicinity. He installed focusing devices disguised as statues in the Pattern room, aimed at the Tower of Owls.

He checked on things: family movements. The Church – Krista had moved into the Basilica for Church protection and was hanging out with Portia. Portia had disappeared for a short time on some errand. The Golden Circle – most rulers there were happy that the Amber royals were disorganized and ineffectual these days. The Heirs – Prue and Corinthian’s kid should be walking by now.

KRISTA IN AMBER

SECRET STUFF.

Studying Shadow Skye’s defenses. Talking to Piper.

SECRET.

Walk the Pattern again.

SECRET.

IRULAN IN CATLAND

Rumtumtigger won the election despite Vaerrek’s low-key opposition. Irulan jumped the winner’s bones. Later, she asked him to keep an eye on Vaerrek. Vaerrek looked her up and asked her if she needed a ride home. Home? Vaerrek smiled skeptically and left – disappeared completely. Irulan found that the hole had closed up – much rejoicing among the kitties. Tristan found her the next day and took her out through the Blue Room, giving her the not so grand tour of endless hallways, bad lighting, blue monkeys and shit on the walls. Irulan was surprised, sort of, to meet Ambericus in the Castle. Not dead and not a child, rather a charming young man who’d already walked the Pattern. She checked in with Livilla and reported success. Got some trinkets. Cousin Kamron was back, unscathed, simple minded and pleasant.

BRANNON IN SHADOW SKYE

SECRET STUFF.

Alarms went off all over Brannon’s castle. The Boys were missing. A thorough search discovered a path that led out beyond Skye and suddenly stopped. Azriel was enraged. There was evidence they’d Trumped or been Trumped away.

In Amber, King Corinthian accused Azriel of getting the kids killed. Also in Amber, they found Ambericus alive, well and adult. Azriel wanted Brannon to help find out who’d set her up. He said it was obvious: Krista. Azriel and Brannon got mindreamed by Piper and Verity to determine their guilt or innocence. Brannon gave them every detail of the Boys’ habits and character, and his actions. They approved. Titus found himself under suspicion along with Krista. Krista refused to leave the Basilica. Brannon found some Kristahounds and gave a pair to Azriel.

SECRET.

VAERREK IN LONDON BELOW

Door arranged a meeting with the Marquis de Carabas and attended it herself. Vaerrek said he wanted to help the Marquis. Both smiled. He explained that what he wanted in London Below was a reasonably secure refuge and the power to help or hinder his relatives who came there. But as an ignorant foreigner, and one often busy elsewhere, it made much more sense to back a native of London Below in a power grab. A clever, capable, knowledgeable, ambitious person --- the Marquis. The Marquis liked the idea. Vaerrek demonstrated his shapeshifting abilities and his martial expertise. He and the Marquis were about equally proficient. Vaerrek would find out who and what he could bring to London Below, including a really excellent warfare consultant. Experimentation showed that Vaerrek’s Pattern and Logrus barely worked there. He’d practice and ask Portia for advice.

TIBERIUS IN AMBER

Krista sent Tiberius a note requesting a meeting. He agreed. Krista wanted Tiberius to baptize her child. He would. They discussed where to find quality bodyguards.

Tibby went to the Owl Tower to kill T2, who was starting to show signs of independence. The Owls were gone and the Tower full of Pattern threads. Clocks slowed if they were brought close to the Tower. He checked the Pattern room and examined the Pattern. It might have been a little dimmer. The focusing devices were turned off. Back at the Tower, a close inspection revealed that all its imperfections were disappearing, filling in and smoothing over. Tiberius informed Titus of the exciting new discovery. Titus, Krista and Valery were concerned. Titus was to try to drain off energy with the Jewel of Judgement. Tiberius set a number of relatives to work at a ‘new ritual’, washing the base of the Owl Tower. Maybe they could erode some of the threads away.

TWENTY

 AZRIEL IN SHADOW

Azriel tracked the missing kids via spikard to very near Castravalva. She Trumped Prue. Prue was upset about what Brannon, Verity and Piper had told her of her son’s character. Azriel wanted scouts/guinea pigs to go into Castravalva. Kamron was already on a holy mission, with Helena. Azzy insisted.

TIBERIUS IN AMBER

Tiberius was summoned to meet formally with the King and Queen. He went. They wanted Kamron released for a royal mission. He graciously agreed, saying he’d take her place himself.

AZRIEL NEAR CASTRAVALVA

Kamron, Corinthian, Verity and Prue came through to her in short order. They tried to enter Castravalva and couldn’t find it. The spikard traces quit. Logrus search indicated they were everywhere at once. So was the Master Spikard. They Trumped back to Amber and Azriel determined to get the help of her dead mother. She had Avril dug up. No body, just rocks in the casket. This caused quite a stir. Other graves were checked and found to be empty. All the recently dead Family members’ corpses were missing. Steward Hendon and Mother Eilett were called in and mindreamed. They knew nothing. The rumor mill kicked into high gear --- were the missing dead really alive, plotting? Azriel mindprobed the local fauna, hanging out in the graveyard overnight. She eventually got impressions of mostly lots of priests, some of whom dug things up instead of burying them.

TIBERIUS IN AMBER

Tibby helped Helena scrub the Pattern room and noted that everything looked new and perfect. Next he went to Lurk. He separated Sejanus’ head from the circuit and turned it on. Sejanus took his odd state in stride, so to speak. He wanted the Primal Order mess fixed and had some ideas. He also wanted raw material to make a body for himself. Tiberius offered him Claudius. Tiberius returned to Amber and went down to the Blue Room with six bodyguard apes. He found black, blue and red ribbons on doorknobs. He removed the black and red, then opened the door marked by blue. He saw a city floating in space some miles distant. Catarina’s place? He sent an ape through with a message for Catarina. It fell to the city and splatted. After a time, he saw buildings in the city move and change. The city got closer to the doorway and ‘docked’. Tiberius went in with two apes.

VAERREK IN LONDON BELOW

Vaerrek finished up with the Marquis and Door. He made his way to his native universe, well into the Chaosian side of Shadow. He found that there were currently no permeable spots closer to Amber. Odd. He Trumped Portia—no answer. Then Trumped to Shadow Solimar, with some difficulty, and flew to Amber. Verity was not present. He Trumped her and learned of the apparent disappearance of Castravalva and the missing kids. They arranged to meet later in the Castle. Vaerrek took the opportunity to walk the Pattern, after first doing some half-assed experiments to see if he’d freeze up on it, as people did in parts of the Primal Pattern. No problems; the Pattern seemed unusually vibrant. He wished himself to the kitchens and ate an enormous meal.

BRANNON IN AMBER

Brannon opened doors to the Pattern room fifty years in the past. He sent Mulder in to collect Pattern Water and tested the stuff. It was real. He sent servants in to gather a lot of the precious fluid.

SECRET.

He heard of the grave robbing/faked deaths in the castle. He Lensed the Tower of Owls – it was much like the Primal Pattern area. The Owls had taken over the castle tower farthest from their old home. He laid his will on the Over-Orderly area and tried to make time untwist there. Seconds later Mulder nudged him and told him he’d been staring into space for an hour. Brannon went to see Piper and found her talking to Verity about Castravalva and the grave robbing. He told them about the Primal Order in the Owl Tower and the temporal effects. They paled. They’d heard of the library fixing itself but nothing of this. They reported to Prue and Corinthian. Tiberius was the obvious suspect. Guards sent to the Basilica to fetch him were not allowed to enter. Corinthian surrounded the church with soldiers. Piper, Verity and Brannon inspected the Owl Tower from a distance. P & V probed it and froze. Brannon shook them out of it. They said that some conjured creature was trapped inside. Vaerrek showed up, looking for Verity. They told him about the ‘Primal Order’. He said he’d walked the Pattern an hour ago without any ill effects. Brannon used poles to set clocks at varying distances from the Owl Tower.

VAERREK IN AMBER

Verity said she’d help with the de-compelling experiments, but insisted on doing the ‘I’m not a Compeller dance’. After the current crisis. She told him about Castravalva’s disappearance. He asked if they’d tried to go there by the Blue Room route; they hadn’t. Vaerrek was stuck with finding victims for the research. He thought disposable shadow peasants would do fine to start.

KRISTA

SECRET.

Krista went back to the Basilica to have a sudden eucatastrophic weight loss. Mysterious conversation with Livilla about finding SECRET; Livilla and Portia would help. Not Titus: he, Valery, Balthazar and Tristan were holding a meeting somewhere.

AZRIEL IN AMBER

Azriel went to the Pattern room and found a crowd: Verity, Piper, Brannon, Vaerrek. She attempted to do something on the Pattern privately and was followed by annoying lookyloos. She did it anyway – nothing was obvious – and failed. She needed someone with Old Pattern tendrils. Minot, Monserrat and Verity had retained theirs somehow. She convinced Verity to help try to make a Pattern Ghost of Avril to find the missing kids. Tomorrow. Azriel left and went to the basilica in the form of a male priest. She found it under siege. She sneaked in anyway to find lots of priests in armor, lots of dead guards an lots of magic in the air. Subtle probes revealed that nobody knew who had dug up the graves. Tiberius hadn’t been there since morning. Livilla’s main people were gone, though Vauxhall had organized the defenses earlier. Tiberius’ cell was unused. She stealthed out and went to the Owl Tower. She noted its new perfection, climbed up to a window and saw the white haze inside; looked just like Jewel Zone haze. She made her way to the Owls’ new tower and tried a careful psychic contact spell. She awakened lying on the flagstones in front of the tower bleeding from a few little Owl bites. She tried talking to them. That worked much better. She learned that they saw Tiberius as a fine dung-removal man. He was responsible for the Primal Order. How, they didn’t know. He’d dug up the bodies and taken them off into Shadow. He tended to talk to corpses. They said that Tiberius was currently in the Owl Tower, trapped with several apes in the PO. Azriel informed Verity of this. Verity told her that they didn’t talk to the Owls. Next, Azriel went to An Briongloideach but couldn’t get past the barriers. She wanted to contact her son via his dreams.

TIBERIUS IN CATARINATOWN

"I did a BAD thing," Tiberius began, speaking to the amazingly ugly Catarina. He told her about the Primal Order and Sejanus’ suggestion that he seek her out. Catarina’s questions led to a cascade of admissions: grave robbing, the Necrocephalotron (but not about Sligspholl’s head), Lurk. Catarina bemusedly led him to her library. Tiberius noted many titles stolen from Amber’s library. They started looking up helpful facts. Tibby learned that Amber was built on Chaos, and Chaos on something else, with Catland between the shadows. The Blue Room was a sort of counterweight to the Pattern, which kept it from freezing up in Primal Order. Its partially chaotic nature accounted for the decay in the lower reaches of the Undercastle. Sejanus had mentioned using microbits of Primal Chaos to erode the Primal Order. Tibby knew nobody capable of that. Catarina thought some other family members should be informed. They discussed bodied for Sejanus. Tiberius suggested Corinthian’s; Catarina liked the idea. How to lure him in? Tiberius went out to the Blue Room and just beyond to Trump Sejanus. The moment he took his ring off someone tried to Trump him. He gave Catarina Sejanus’ Trump.

VAERREK IN SHADOW

Vaerrek Trumped to Chaos and contacted his grandmother for compelled lab rats. She told him that his idea had been tried and wouldn’t work. Compellings were too strongly bound to the victims’ minds. Draining off the energy flushed the psyches as well. Vaerrek pretended to accept this at face value. He told her about the wave of Order and what appeared to have caused it. She agreed, should it come up, to help. For a price. Vaerrek wanted 10% to broker any such deal. He asked about Krista Helgram and her relationship with Beryl. Rumor. And Helgram was not allied to Beryl. Nothing new about Vaerrek’s father’s identity except that Miron was a dead end. Vaerrek left and went to An Briongloideach. He gave Livilla some of the news and was there when the person monitoring Tiberius got a few seconds of contact. Vaerrek recognized the locale. He went to Amber and finked out Tiberius to Corinthian. The siege was breaking up because they’d already learned that Tiberius was not there. Vaerrek calmed Corinthian’s suspicions by telling him how he’d found out. He tagged along as Corinthian, Prue, Azriel, Verity and Piper trooped down to the Blue Room with guards to fetch Tiberius.

TIBERIUS IN CATARINATOWN

Catarina took over Sejanus’ re-embodiment. Tiberius supplied some Pattern Water, which came in handy. Eventually Sejanus walked in, oozing power and confidence. Catarina was smug. Tiberius warned Sejanus about the boobytrapped crown. Sejanus knew.

AZRIEL IN AMBER

Corinthian, Prue, Piper, Verity, Azriel, Vaerrek and a horde of soldiers trekked down to the Blue Room to fetch Tiberius. The soldiers killed Tiberius’ apes as they encountered them, taking sizable losses. They reached the Blue Room and found Tiberius, Azriel, Catarina and SEJANUS. The guards froze as Tiberius did something to them through their weapons.

Sejanus smiled menacingly, "Is this how you greet your monarch?"

Pause. Vaerrek spoke up respectfully, "Surely, Sir, you’d think the less of us for taking this at face value."

Sejanus looked them over. "Lady Verity, come here and confirm my identity."

Verity went to him hesitantly, made mental contact. She said he was indeed Sejanus.

Another pregnant pause. "Good timing, milord. We have this problem with Primal Order in the Owl Tower," Vaerrek said hopefully.

Sejanus went up, followed by everybody but Catarina, Tiberius and Azriel. Sejanus went straight to the Owl Tower and hit the Primal Order with very small packets of Primal Chaos from a spikard. The top of the tower blew off. Vaerrek stepped rather close to Sejanus on the theory that raining masonry would land somewhere else.

BRANNON IN AMBER

The clocks worked, but something had blown the tower up in Brannon’s absence. He learned that Sejanus was back, having been cared for by Tiberius during his… indisposition. Sejanus had a spikard and he’d used it to throw Primal Chaos at the tower. Tiberius was below, under Catarina’s protection. Brannon looked in on the throne room and saw Sejanus haranguing Corinthian. Corinthian’s reign was receiving poor marks from the king.

AZRIEL IN THE BLUE ROOM

"What did Avril do to you to make you want to kill her?"

"It was convenient," replied Catarina.

Azriel turned to Tiberius after Catarina. "Where is my mother?"

"She’s hooked up."

"What?"

"I haven’t turned her on yet. Don’t think Sejanus wants me to."

Azriel explained that she needed Avril, or at least her head, for a search. Catarina asked why her son was important to Beryl. The boy was Corinthian’s son.

BRANNON IN THE DEEPS

Brannon took Mulder and Scully to the Blue Room. Nobody was there, so he took the opportunity to use it as a viewer. He watched the Tiberius – Catarina – Azriel conversation and the Sejanus sequence. Then he went up to the castle to report. He found Verity and Piper planning to pretend Sejanus was king.

KRISTA … SOMEWHERE

Krista got Portia to take her to London Below. They took the subway out of the city and to a huge garden and Castravalva. She met Bengt and Chander coming in. They weren’t nasty at all. They conducted her to a chamber that contained the Master Spikard, etherealized and electrically active, a bodiless demon at the center with it.

Beryl walked in, "Ah Dear, how are you doing? Is Ambericus well? Being properly trained?"

"Sejanus is back."

"Only a short term problem."

Krista brought her mother up to date on current events. Beryl was very interested in Primal Order and in getting hold of Tiberius to find out all about it. The missing bodies interested her as well.

"What a busy boy that Tiberius is. I’ll have to recruit him."

Krista gestured to the boys, "What happened to those two?"

Beryl smiled, "Livilla planted some compelling devices on Valery. It disturbed people and here they are." She shook her head, "Azriel raised them so bizarrely in a happy land. I freed them from that."

"What is this place anyway?"

"A trap Sejanus constructed. I put a ty’iga in it. It works so much better now. The ty’iga is more suited to the job."

"Azriel won’t quit looking for her kid."

"I’ll trade him back for a favor. Let her know."

"Right," Krista said, sounding like ‘not real soon’.

"Tell Vaerrek or Brannon of one of the others who talked to Azriel recently."

AZRIEL IN AMBER

Azriel went to see Sejanus to ask a favor: find her son. He said he’d help her. They talked. He said he’d walk the Pattern later, without the spikard, after things settled down. Some, like Verity and Piper were plotting against him. Others were busy sucking up. He agreed to send her to see Avril’s head. He gave her a gray stone with orders for Tiberius. She found the Blue Room empty. She soon opened the blue-marked door and saw the city in space. She stepped through, fell, shapeshifted and made it without injury. The place felt more real than Amber itself. She was found by some of Catarina’s minions – pale, corpselike fellows in black that levitated around at a good pace – and taken to their mistress. She presented the stone to Tiberius, Catarina told him the things were attuned to the intended recipient, he absorbed the info and sent her off to Lurk with an ape guide. In Lurk Azriel discovered that the place had been cleaned out of family heads. There was still the Daljit clone maid and the ape Claudius. Claudius gave her the sad news that the heads had been burned and the ashes fed to the ‘shoggoth’. Spells confirmed that Avril’s head had been there. She Trumped Verity and returned to Amber.

TIBERIUS IN CATARINATOWN

Tiberius read and fumed. All his beautiful schemes exposed. What a world, what a world. New ideas, even better than before, started to germinate. He learned things. The Blue Room worked a little like shadowshifting. One could get stranded in another time though. Twilight was a very early power, handed down in families. Something to do with a militant religious order, and oaths. The necessary bloodline was part of Amberite genetics. Its manifestation was located in an ancient area. Catarina thought Valery had the power. For that matter, any number of non-royal Amberites or even shadow folk might be initiates. Tibby sent a message to Sejanus: was he still Master of Rituals? What did he want done about the Unicorn-chosen, Titus? He sent monkeys to find out who was in the castle and what they were up to. He made a preliminary death list, and took notes for additions to the Book of the Unicorn.

VAERREK IN AMBER

Vaerrek watched Sejanus. After a few hours he talked privately to him. Sejanus seemed to really think he could take Beryl mind to mind. That’s why he was willing to use a spikard. Vaerrek asked for a favor and Sejanus granted it. He sent Vaerrek with a message rock to Valery to see about acquiring the Twilight power. Livilla eventually pointed him at Titus’ shadow and Vaerrek found Valery there. Valery talked him out of it. He said that he didn’t think it would let him get close to Beryl, the way Vaerrek thought it could. Beryl knew of it and almost certainly had defenses. Vaerrek accompanied Valery, Titus and Tristan to Amber.

BRANNON IN AMBER

Brannon examined the ruins of the Owl Tower. The rate of growth of Primal Order had stopped but the mass was very nearly the same. Tibby the clone was splashed across a wall. Brannon took a nearly intact frozen monkey to a Patternless shadow and mindraped it of what little it knew.

PART 2

Then he did the three remaining monkeys. He now had some notions of how Tiberius had done his trick. He also knew of the Pattern Room peephole in the Tower. He decided that the reaction that started Primal Order began best with Pattern Water or Owl dung. Brannon collected his mother and went out into Shadow – in Chaos -- to experiment. The effect started with just a few molecules and didn’t grow on its own. He found that he could agitate the PO molecules and destroy them. PO was completely immobile. Mindwalking made the PO grow by leaps and bounds. Agitating a large amount of PO blew the shadow apart.

KRISTA IN THE BLUE ROOM

Krista found the door to Catarinatown and flew down to it. Catarina’s Gentlemen met her. She explained that she was looking for Azriel. They arrived at the palace just in time to see Azriel and a blue ape disappear into the distance, watched by Catarina and Tiberius. They were not expecting Az back any time soon. Tiberius declined to perform the scheduled baptism for her newest child unless they did it in Catarinatown. Krista took off after Azriel and found her via Logrus search in a lab. Krista entered and found Azriel, ready to fight, and a blue gorilla. She told Azriel where the kids were. Azriel said Beryl must be there too. Krista admitted that the kids’ bad behavior was due to compulsion implants. Azriel guessed who had made those implants. Krista agreed to let Verity verify her claims, which did not include a price for the kids; she hadn’t been told one. They Trumped to, and annoyed, Verity--- who complied anyway. Azriel tried to sneak in a probe as Verity was finishing up and had a nice nap.

Things learned:

• Irulan, Door, Portia and Vaerrek had been involved in the kidnapping in one way or another.
• Beryl was up to something in London Below with the Master Spikard – which was now far more powerful than before
• Both Krista and Azriel had slept with Corinthian to get a kid, both had used Prue’s shape
• The plan had been to kidnap Ambericus; Azriel had decided on her own to kill the kid when thwarted
• They’d unknowingly been working in parallel against one another for some time

Krista declared them even. She declined to go with Azriel to see Beryl. Azriel Trumped Valery and twitted him about trusting Livilla, who’d used him to get the implants to the kids. Azriel went up with Vaerrek to the Castle. She told him – both blocking the Dreaming -- where Beryl was. Vaerrek suggested they used his London Below contacts to sneak up on her. Azriel said that Beryl knew she was coming.

TIBERIUS IN CATARINATOWN

The monkeys reported that the family heads, and Sligspholl’s, were missing. Incorporated into Sejanus’ body. Sliggy was probably the spikard. Not Good. Sejanus wrote that the secret of Primal Order was out in the open. No need for more secrecy. Tiberius wrote up the details of his discoveries, had lots of copies made, and sent them out to the whole family by monkey-messengers. Tibby went up to the castle with an escort of Cats provided by the thoughtful Catarina, freezing guards along the way with his keyword. He found Azriel, Vaerrek and Balthazar waiting near the throne room. He discussed the heads more or less openly with Azriel while the other two listened. Tiberius said he’d take vows to become a more useful member of the family. He told them the resonant frequency of spikards. Azriel accused Vaerrek of helping kidnap the Boys. Vaerrek denied it. Azriel suggested he walk the Pattern. He said he had. She asked if he was sure. Valery and Tristan came out of their meeting with Sejanus meaning to do something about Beryl. Vaerrek suggested they recruit Portia and Door. Valery asked just what could they do. Vaerrek told him, thinking it was some kind of test – they hadn’t exactly hidden their talent. Valery declared they had to die. Vaerrek protested. Valery, amazed, insisted and Tristan agreed.

BRANNON IN SHADOW

More experiments with Primal Order as Piper watched carefully. Creatures who touched PO froze. It was possible to generate it on top of creatures. He tried to Trump Vaerrek. Vaerrek was blocking. Brannon went to Castle Amber and found Vaerrek there, along with Tiberius, Azriel, Valery, Tristan and Balthazar. He got a copy of Tiberius’ instructions and took Vaerrek aside to talk. He traded some psyche balls for an exact impression of the Dreaming power. Vaerrek arranged for Brannon to spot him walking the Pattern; Azriel’s insinuation had hit the paranoia button. Vaerrek told Brannon about Beryl’s alleged location and involvement in the Boys’ evil ways.

KRISTA IN CASTLE AMBER