I do not think I am getting a very good impression of Chaos and it people from those I have met so far. They seem divided between cryptic and manipulative individuals, such as Mandor, and others, presumably ruled by the manipulative types, who are not terribly bright but honourable to the point of being suicidal about it. I wonder into which category Darien falls? Time will, no doubt, tell.
Tamora certainly falls into the 'honourable but not too bright' category. First she takes me aside to tell me the message she bore in private. This led me to believe that there was actually some meat to it - enough to justify such privacy. But instead it was a simple 'Mandor says come to Chaos; there is a problem only you can solve'. And that was it. She had been given no other information, and without more information I refused to go blindly into an entirely unknown situation. When I had made my opinion entirely clear Tamora claimed she would be terribly disgraced to return with her mission unfulfilled (despite its failure being due to Mandor, not her) and requested that I kill her to save her from this dire situation. I suppose she could have been attempting to blackmail me on the assumption I had some scruples about killing strangers in cold blood. However, I have no particular objection to doing so; we were at war with them two weeks ago, one assumes she knows the 'fate worse than death' she would be returning to, and culling stupid strangers is never something I particularly object to. Stupid friends and, perhaps, family are a somewhat different matter, of course...
However, as I was about to land the killing blow Dworkin (well, I assume it was he; it certainly looked like his Trump image) appeared through a solid wall and stopped me by taking the knife from my hand while it was in motion. Then he sent Tamora off somewhere by means of some power. I am impressed he was fast enough to do what he did. More impressed at his ability to ignore solid matter. I wonder if I could learn how to do that? It would certainly be a useful thing to know!
Why he intervened so, I have no idea, but from Tamora's point of view she is still disgraced and I see nothing which should have changed her opinion that she is more willing to die than return to Chaos unsuccessful in her mission. So I wonder what she will do? Seek me out and ask me to try to kill her again? Or develop some intelligence and live with her 'disgrace'? Or come after me for having failed to kill her 'honourably'? Well, I shall be ready, whichever course she may choose.
No wonder Chaos lost the war, though, if all its warriors are constrained to such idiotic codes of honour.
I did not survive so long on Timashkurabad by being as stupid as going to Chaos based on no information whatsoever would make me. So, until Mandor realises that I am not his lap dog, and do not come without question at his whim, here I stay. Perhaps when he develops sufficient respect to tell me what this concerns, or at the very least to come up with a convincing lie or threat, then I may go. Until then, no. He can stew in his own juices.
I do wonder why the guards brought Darien (Darien Hendrake) to me. I must be the least qualified of all of us there! I cannot help but think that I was simply the first Amber family member they happened across upon whom they could foist the problem. This does not make them look very competent. Not compared to the Oricarians, or even those guards I met when I Trumped into Amber. And now that Darien is doing something dubious, they come back to me, rather than going to Simon or Tobias as I asked them to!
I think I did not make a very good impression on Darien (or Tamora). I was hardly very diplomatic. But I was there to do something useful not waste time with wandering Chaosites, especially ones of the same family as one I personally killed. I wonder if Darien would have reacted differently had he known I killed Tanisla? Or had they known I simply happened to be there to talk to Tamora, not in any official or diplomatic capacity?
And I should definitely mention this disease that Tamora mentioned to someone who might be in a position to know something about it. Assuming, of course, that the entire matter is not some Chaosite fantasy.