Mykal's Journal, Page 14

Spent the time since assisting King Random *reassemble* Shadow Earth helping mom recover, and she is not happy about having to reestablish her shadowearth network... again.

I have been assisting her do that, and exploring the changes in shadowearth itself... it has jumped from a mid 1980's era in the original to the split earths of different times then back to a 2005 timeline, quite a few changes in a 20 year gap.

Mom Trumps me to Amber to meet a new *cousin* she found wandering earth after the reassembly. Sam (Samantha) Spade, private detective, someone has a sense of humor. Seems to be a nice enough person, but time will tell. I just have to go find a copy of those old novels...she seems to be oblivious to the link. She meets Random and on a nickle tour of the castle, identifies King Oberon as having initiated her in the pattern (from the library paintings), same thing as Andre..so he is trumped to see if they recognize each other, they dont and Andre is busy so doesnt come back to Amber. Mom offers to take Sam shopping and I decide its time to bail...i learned long ago that anytime Mom takes me shopping, I end up with a ton of junk to carry. Not if I can help it, i'm GONE.

I stop in at the Townhouse and check on the household. The guards we took to rescue Tyler in Chaos seem to be adjusting pretty well, one is slower than the others but seems to be comeing around.

Satisfied, I head for Rebma and drop in on Lady Saithryn. She has my gift sword ready and we chat a bit about whats going on. She is interested in the Corwin thing since rumors are floating around about Dierdre and Llewella being...unhappy... currently. Hopefully I was less than informative, but that woman is VERY perceptive. As well as lovely enough to melt steel. She does indicate Melissandra is having difficulties as Heir and Queen-designate, so I decide to go *visit*. Melissandra is very busy, since the coronation is supposed to be in 3 days.

I take my leave of the Lady, store the sword in a safe place, and head for the audience room. Cousin Mel is in a hearing of some sort.. and as bored as I've ever seen her. She spots me and signals me to wait a bit. She finishes her current case/supplicant/whatever and calls for a recess. She looks frazzled and pale, and hungry. So I offer to buy lunch, I know this sweet little Turkish style restaurant in a 4x shadow that will turn her 2 hour break into 8, and its right on a beach. She agrees and decides she can get away with only one bodyguard since i'll be there. A high compliment indeed. A little sun, good food, and fresh air does her wonders, and we chat about *of course* Uncle Corwin. I brief her on the situation as it stands now, she is family and may need to know. After a long lunch she has to head back to Rebma, and heads for the little girls room. Little witch uses Glamour to clear the room and gets her male bodyguard to go in there and they trump out. Heh, glad i'm not that guy, though they did kind of act like he might have already seen all that she is anyway, but thats just embarrasing.

I spend some time at my Studio in this shadow, and experiment on Trump protecting a rose as a secondary gift for Mel. I plan to gift her both on her coronation and formally urging her to lead her people with either one or the other as she needs. The Trump should protect the flower from decay.

Later I get a weak Trump contact, seems to be from Andre with Jade and someone else *pushing*, they want me to gear up and head to Chaos for a rescue attempt for Thera. I agree, grab my battle gear and Trump through. It would be easier if one of them would spend some time learning more about Trumps, very tenuous contact and hard push from my end to actually strengthen the contact enough to get there.

Surprise, they are in conference with Uncle Brand. We are in the Courts. And we are planning to attmept a raid on a Black Watch citadel. We begin to prepare and gear up. Strategy sessions, introductions to Brands people, final prep. We will go soon.