or
Recorded for Posterity by Iain Walker.
Notes typed up by Jane Winter.
In Castle Girasol, we leave the guest quarters and go down to dinner. The dining room table has room for a couple of dozen people, but only eleven places have been set at the moment. Its windows look out down over the city and to the sea beyond. Except for servants, no one else is present.
Tamarind scans the Trumps (still unable to get over Caine's not being active) and sees that Osric's Trump is active.
The servants distribute drinks to those who want them.
After a few minutes, Osric and Sandrine arrive. With them are a number of others. Introductions are made on both sides. The newcomers are:
When Alicia's hand is kissed by one of the male Amberites, she returns the favour. She and Beltaine kiss one another's hands.
"Why do you smell like the moon?" she asks Beltaine.
Beltaine explains her link to Tir-Na Nog'th and how it came about.
We sit down to dinner. And while we eat, we talk.
Tristan asks whether there has been any change in the Ordnung since we arrived.
Osric tells him that it seems more active now than previously.
"Is it resistant to magick?" Beltaine wants to know.
"Yes," says Osric. "It's very Real. Even swords don't work in its immediate environment."
"They become blunt objects," clarifies Sandrine.
"Although," adds Osric. "That only tends to happen in Shadows it has 'eaten'. When the Ordnung 'eats' a Shadow, the 'space' of that Shadow is still there but the Shadow veils disappear; so the Shadows it absorbs all become one."
Tamarind wonders if Chaos could be siphoned off from the 'pseudo-Abyss' and used to poison it.
Osric says this does work, but only slows it down.
"Is it vulnerable to Shadow Storms?" asks Ibrahim.
"Oh yes."
Damien notes that our people on the other side need to be warned not to destroy Corwin's Pattern on the other side.
Beltaine thinks we should minimise the number of trips across the Pattern, and should decide what else we need to go back for first.
We wonder how Corwin and Merlin, and later Owen, were nabbed by the Ordnung.
Tristan thinks it hadn't reached the Pattern when Corwin and Merlin came through, and they just blundered around exploring until they found it or it found them.
"Does it take prisoners?" asks Ibrahim, doubtfully.
Osric says it did in the early days, to learn from them. Especially about the Pattern. Uh oh.
"Would the Impossigon hurt it?" wonders Tristan.
When the Impossigon is described to him, Osric thinks the Ordnung would probably react violently to it...
"We could go and get it," suggests Tamarind.
Tristan points out, however, that there would be a problem bringing it through the Pattern.
"Could we somehow link up all the mini-Abysses?" wonders Beltaine.
Tristan likes this idea.
"Since the Jewel of Judgement is on your side of the Pattern, why not just draw a Pattern by the Abyss to create a conduit to this side?" Sandrine suggests.
"Um... The Pattern reacts badly with the Abyss," says Tristan. "We know this, because we saw what happened when a Pattern blade was thrown in."
Osric and Sandrine are shocked. "Why???" they exclaim.
"Ask Lord Mortlake," growls Tristan.
Damien shrugs. "I didn't want it."
"And you didn't think that one of the pre-eminent weapons in the universe should be preserved for someone to use?" asks Osric, incredulously.
"No one else had any right to it."
"Who decided that?" demands Osric. "What did your King have to say?"
"I didn't ask him. It wasn't his business."
Osric looks as if he is about to choke on his next question.
"King Random is very tolerant..." sighs Tristan.
"Oh - could we drain the Ordnung using the spikes?" asks Beltaine, keen to change the subject.
Tristan explains about the life-force draining spikes, and also shows Osric and the others the life-force lens. As he does so he does a quick check of everyone present. Everyone here is clean, and Evan is very low indeed on life-force.
Tristan asks if Osric has given any more thought about our offer to evacuate to Amber?
"No," says Osric. "We would want to send envoys to Amber first. It would also help if some of the family here could go through to walk the Pattern on Amber."
"We'd rather not just leave," says Sandrine. "We've spent tens of thousands of years putting down roots here."
"So it wasn't a case of holding on until relief arrived?" comments Damien.
"No. Especially after it became clear we weren't going to be relieved at all."
Tamarind wonders whether Corwin and Merlin might not be cocooned off somewhere, like a pearl, if, for example, the Ordnung reacted badly to Merlin's Chaos ancestry.
Beltaine suggests somehow linking up all the Pattern blades, by some sort of resonance between them, as a weapon or as a means of finding Corwin via Greyswandir. She looks down at her persistently solid hands. "I like it here," she adds.
Tristan asks Osric where he got his Pattern blade.
Osric coughs, and admits that he 'borrowed' it from Oberon.
"So," says Tristan. "First we get Corwin, Merlin and Owen back. Then we go back through, taking envoys. We also see if Random could come through with the Jewel..."
"No! What if we got stuck here?" interrupts Beltaine.
"Well, they'd just appoint a new King in Amber. Or we'd draw a Pattern here and go back that way."
There is a discussion over whether drawing a Pattern on the Ordnung would damage it. Having Corwin's Pattern just appear certainly damaged it, and seemed to set it back a century or so.
Upon consideration, Osric and Sandrine like Beltaine's idea of setting up a resonance between the Pattern blades.
Tristan admits that a similar resonance effect was used to communicate with him when he was blocking attempts to rescue him by radiating Pattern energy. Could Osric do this?
Osric thinks he could.
Dinner comes to an end.
Tamarind thinks we should report back to Amber before doing anything else.
Tristan and Beltaine would both prefer to actually do something here first so as to have something concrete to report.
We adjourn to the sitting room next door, where drinks and cigars are served.
Alicia slowly eats her cigar, not unlike the way Sebek does.
Osric produces his Pattern blade, Galendrath, which is a large bastard sword.
Ibrahim draws Chrysanthir.
Beltaine 'listens' to the blades. Chrysanthir sounds like Amber to her, while Galendrath sounds ... different. Definitely not the same.
Osric concentrates on his sword and on the Pattern. We all feel the Pattern energy radiating from him. Suddenly, Chrysanthir resonates sympathetically, more mystically than physically, but Tristan and Beltaine can certainly sense it.
"How many Pattern blades are there?" asks Tamarind.
Osric says Dworkin made five, one for each Pattern. Chrysanthir seems to be Amber's; Galendrath is the Primal Pattern's; Vigilant is Rebma's and Greyswandir Tir-Na Nog'th's. So Bleys' sword must have belonged to Ht'gon An-Rit. Which we have never heard of...
"Doubly redundant then," observes Damien, to looks of disgust from everyone else.
Osric tries the same resonance trick again, this time trying to pick up any possible resonance from Greyswandir. After a while, a faint resonance is felt, feeling very distant, though this is only sensed by Tristan of all of us.
Tristan suggests triangulating, Osric with Galendrath, himself with Chrysanthir, and Sandrine, who is also skilled with the Pattern, to note the direction.
Ibrahim suggests that a baseline of more than six feet is probably required, however.
"Garrison One is about as far away as one can go and still be safe," says Osric. So it is to there that we all decide to go...
As a result, Sandrine pulls out a card and Trumps us all through to the world of Garrison One, which, upon arrival, looks much like Garrison Six. That is, the place appears to be a World War One-style fortress/factory, rocky and mountainous, sculpted to provide maximum cover and defence in one direction and none in the other, with no visible vegetation. There is no sun, but the sky is all swirling pastels (unlike the glowing white sky of Garrison Six).
Nicholas, who rules this place, proves to be seven feet tall in his black metal armour, which Tamarind senses is Trump-powered. The rest of us sense that it is also very magickal, and Tristan also senses some moulding of the Shadow environment coming from it.
Tristan checks him thought the life-force lens. It turns out that, although he is clean, under the armour he has only one intact limb, his right arm. His other arm and both legs are just stumps.
Tamarind tells Nicholas that the Ordnung is breaking through into the universe on the other side of the Pattern here, and that we are here to rescue Corwin and his sons.
"Corwin drew the new Pattern," adds Damien.
Nicholas does not seem impressed by this.
Tristan begins to radiate Pattern energy about himself to resonate Chrysanthir. Nicholas wobbles as this seems to begin to affect his armour... Oops. Tristan stops.
"Why don't you do that elsewhere?" suggests Nicholas.
The rest of us agree that this is probably a good idea.
Nicholas summons a short, but very broad leonine man in a First World War-type uniform; his skin is leathery-looking, his eyes are cat-like and he has small claws instead of fingernails. Nicholas directs him to escort us to a sitting room and provide refreshments. This is done. Sandrine accompanies us.
In the sitting room, Tristan begins to repeat the resonance trick Osric performed previously.
As he does so, Tamarind Trumps Osric to tell him we are beginning, and counts both of the men with swords down from 'three' so that they can start together. This they do...
The two blades resonate to the Pattern.
After a while Tristan, confirmed by Sandrine, senses a resonance from a direction that Sandrine says is towards Girasol. A little later a faint third resonance is sensed from another direction. Sandrine notes the direction and says that, comparing it to what she senses in Girasol, it's coming from somewhere in the realm of the Ordnung.
Tamarind steps away from the Pattern energies and tries once more to Trump Corwin. He does not get through, but can now tell that both distance and unconsciousness are making contact impossible.
Beltaine idly suggests resonating Greyswandir more, to try to wake Corwin up.
Tristan nods, and concentrates harder. He is joined in this by Sandrine. The level of Pattern energy radiated by Chrysanthir leaps.
Beltaine and Damien help Tamarind with the Trump, just in case.
Osric seems to have got the idea, and from the resonance seems to be powering up Galendrath too.
Three-way Pattern blade resonances vibrate through the universe.
The Trump link, Tamarind can now tell, is now also being slightly blocked by Pattern energy. This is actually good news, since it suggests that Corwin is indeed to be found close to Greyswandir.
After a while the level of exertion tires Tristan, and he stops. Sandrine also stops, and before long we sense Osric stopping too...
Tamarind tells us that Corwin and Greyswandir are close together.
Beltaine suddenly wonders whether she can still walk through walls here. She concentrates, and with more effort than usual finds that she can indeed still go de-solid here. But she also ends up rather ... fractured in appearance, not unlike the patch of sky where Tir-Na Nog'th might have been expected to appear here. And it feels odd. She stops concentrating, and snaps back into solid form much faster than usual. "Yuck," she says.
Tamarind looks at her in concern. "Are you alright, Bel?" he asks.
Beltaine says it felt odd, and was harder than usual, but she does think she could 'fade' one other person with her. It remains to be seen whether she can fade through the Ordnung.
Tristan asks Sandrine if it's safe to travel into the lands of the Ordnung?
"It can be done," she says. "Horses are the best mode of transport. You should keep everything basic, because complex modes of transport, and indeed complex anything, will stop working there."
Sandrine says she will supply our escape route. She gives us a couple of Trumps of herself, and we give her ones of us.
Tristan also gives her a Trump of Corwin, which she says she will pass on to Osric.
Tamarind does a quick sketch of Owen and gives that to her too.
She looks impressed at his speed in producing it.
Tristan asks if we can rest here for a while before setting out.
"And change out of our dinner clothes," adds Ibrahim.
"Of course," says Sandrine.
In the background, Damien magickally adjusts his clothing.
"Show-off," mutters Beltaine. Then adds hopefully: "Can you make me an outfit that does that?"
"No, but I can find one," says Damien. "Do me a sketch of your preferred design sometime."
Sandrine leaves via Trump.
We are shown to Garrison One's guest quarters by another of the leonine people, and stay the night there. Over the course of the night (which is only nominally night-time - the shadow does not get dark or anything which might give an enemy an advantage) there are occasional sounds like gunfire, and once a huge magickal detonation wakes everyone other than Tamarind as the Shadow's magic goes off (and he is woken by Beltaine's reaction to it). A couple of minutes later there is a huge, deep, distant rumble as the sound reaches us.
The next day, the servants of Garrison One provide us with breakfast, and tell us that Nicholas has instructed them to tell us that we can take our pick of equipment from their stores. Once breakfast is over, they lead us there and we help ourselves to various items. Damien helps himself to a bec de corbin (a type of warhammer).
And that done, we head for a gate out.
Nicholas comes to see us off. He tells us that physical attacks break the Ordnung's creatures much more easily than the Ordnung itself. Exuding these creatures is its main form of attack, but it can also hose people down with the disorder it collects. There is not much defence against this, though radiating Pattern apparently helps (he has been told by Osric and Sandrine). He wishes us luck and off we go. Nicholas watches from the gate.
We ride out and away, with Tristan shifting Shadow. Going is slow at first thanks to the resistant shadow properties of Garrison One, but once through the barrier around the place, we race onwards, heading in the general direction of Corwin's Pattern, but slightly off to one side.
The landscape is still barren and lifeless, and begins to flatten out as we continue on.
We travel through shadow for five or six days. Everything becomes more 'samey' the further we go. Time flow rate tends towards that of Amber, and magick grows weaker. Less and less life is present. Garrison One had a fast time flow and lots of people, but the further we go, the more deserted shadow becomes. It also becomes harder and harder to use the Pattern to locate supplies.
And eventually we reach a dull, flat plane. Some kind of change in Shadow is visible up ahead. There is another mini-Abyss with bridges and crystal tendrils disappearing off into Shadow, the land monochrome and texture-less on the other side, all very similar to the place we visited before.
Tristan thinks we are now a day or so away from Corwin.
We decide that taking horses into the Ordnung is not a good idea, so we will carry on on foot. We pass the horses back to an inhabited Shadow through one of Tamarind's Trump sketches.
We climb up onto one of the crystal tendrils and walk along them and over the bridge. Bubbles of abyss are seen and sensed drifting through the crystal underfoot. Nothing bad happens. Yet.
We reach the other side. The crystal tendrils seem to be fading away into thin air, with a Shadow discontinuity where they begin to do this.
We step through the discontinuity.
Sound immediately becomes flat and muffled. We ourselves become monochrome and sketchy in appearance, as if reduced to our essentials. Our voices sound the same - flat, uninflected monotones. No magick is going to work here, and of us all only Tristan is able to shift Shadow. We slide down the crystal tendril to ground level.
The psychic presence of the Ordnung is all around us, but it still seems unaware of our presence.
We travel on through the featureless landscape, trying to be inconspicuous, for another day or so, not stopping to rest or sleep as we think that would be a bad idea. There is not really any day or night, just a dull half-light. Our food supplies are bland and tasteless, but do still seem to be nutritious.
And ahead of us crystalline structures come into view. A dome, or bubble, apparently condensed out of the air (or whatever passes for that here) on the outside, so that it fades in apparently from nothingness, with a solid crystal surface on the inside.
"I think Corwin's in there," says Tristan.
"Let's go and get him, then," urges Beltaine.
"Um - let's check he's there first?" suggests Ibrahim.
"How?"
"Um - by going up and looking?"
"Oh, yeah."
We approach. As we get closer, we can see things moving about, both inside and outside the dome. Some are human-sized with four sharp-bladed arms and four legs; some are bigger and more arachnid, though still more like four-armed four-legged creatures than actual spiders.
There are about six of each of these, with a clearly very regular and orderly patrol pattern. Occasionally they take turns to go and touch the side of the dome, as if recharging themselves.
Tamarind checks the Trumps, and confirms that Corwin, Merlin and Owen are all very close.
Tristan asks Beltaine if she can go de-solid here. She can, with the same caveats as earlier, but isn't wildly enthused at the idea of walking through the dome wall.
Inside the bubble, we can see crystal spires and struts, and three secondary crystal bubbles, two one above the other in the centre of the dome, one off to one side and apparently installed as an after-thought.
Tamarind suggests using Trump sketches to peer into the bubbles and see the layout, then doing another sketch of the actual inside. Then we Trump in, get the inmates, and Trump out. This has worked before (when getting to the gate into Chaos, for example) so we decide it's a plan to follow.
Tamarind does the first Trump sketch, of a point just inside the main dome, about halfway up. He activates it, and we all join the link and look through. The inner spheres are each ten metres in diameter. Finer crystalline ribs and struts can be seen inside them, along with humanoid figures - tall, dark-haired male ones, one per sphere. A sword is visible embedded in a smaller crystal between the two central spheres. The crystal around it appears cracked.
Using what he can see through the Trump sketch, Tamarind sketches the interior of the upper sphere and peers in. The figure inside is clearly Corwin, naked and enmeshed in crystal. His heart and brain are exposed. There is a large incision in his chest and the entire top of his skull seems to have been removed. The heart, still beating, is held away from the body on a crystal spike, connected into his body by crystalline blood vessels that run into the incision. Crystalline tendrils run into his exposed brain.
"Should I make him de-solid?" asks Beltaine.
"Or we could suffuse him with Pattern energy and force the crystal to retreat," suggests Ibrahim.
"Or cut him free, then get him to a Shadow where magick works and we can carry out surgery..."
Tristan decides the best option is for Beltaine to make Corwin and the others de-solid. If that doesn't work, we can just break them free.
Tamarind wants to set things up back at Girasol before we do anything else. Sounds sensible.
Damien tries Sandrine's Trump with no success.
Tristan joins him but still no contact forms.
Meanwhile, Tamarind sketches the interiors of the other two spheres.
Peering through the links we can see that Merlin is in the one above Corwin's. Crystal tubes run into his chest and crystal tendrils into his head, but any wounds seem to have healed. Owen is in the third sphere off to one side, his heart out of his body in the same way as Corwin's, but his head uninjured.
That done, Tamarind sketches the cave where some of us hid after discovering that Shadow Eucalyptus was a huge trap, which is a shadow where magick works. When this is done, Ibrahim is passed through the link to hang a mass Stone Binding spell.
While he's away, Beltaine rests and meditates, and Damien amuses himself watching the crystal patrols and predicting their moves if they were to be distracted. Everyone else rests.
Far off in shadow, Ibrahim finishes hanging his spell and Trumps Tamarind. When he gets through, he does not return to us outside the dome, but holds the link to Tamarind open.
There is a brief argument as to whether we do the rescues one at a time or split up and try them all at once. We decide to stick together. Tamarind, who can keep multiple Trump links open at once these days, will keep links open to all three spheres and to Ibrahim in the escape cave.
"Do we have a sterile plastic bag for Corwin's heart?" asks Ibrahim over the Trump link.
"We've got pockets," shrugs Beltaine. Well, Amberites do not get ill at all easily...
And Tamarind Trumps us through to the first sphere...
Beltaine touches Corwin (and his heart) and tries to make herself and him (and it) desolid. He resists unconsciously, but she overcomes his mind. They fade to insubstantiality. She then moves him off the crystal filaments, and makes them all solid again. We push his heart back into his chest and push him through the Trump link to the cave with Ibrahim.
Tamarind then Trumps us to Merlin's sphere for a repeat performance. Again, Beltaine overcomes his mind (much more easily than she did Corwin's) and makes him and his heart desolid. Merlin's heart is dumped in a bag, and he and it are sent through to the link to Ibrahim.
In the cave, Ibrahim examines his new charges. He quickly realises that Merlin has grown himself a new heart.
In the dome, helicoptera are now beginning to grow out of the inside of the spheres.
Tamarind takes us to Owen's sphere and he too is retrieved. The helicoptera are now almost fully-emerged.
We head through the Trump link to the cave, Tamarind taking a helicoptera in the back as we do so. Ouch.
When everyone arrives, Ibrahim Stone Binds the three bodies to ensure we have the time to save them properly.
Tamarind, out of paranoia, jams the Trump to the cave.
Once the Corwin clan is immobilised, Tristan starts moulding the Shadow to make it high-tech while keeping the magical environment the same, so that we can find a secret lab and do surgery here.
"Ooh, a Batcave!" exclaims Beltaine.
Damien checks the bodies to see what surgery will be required. Merlin needs none. Corwin and Owen need their hearts re-connected. And Corwin needs a new top for his skull.
Tamarind considers Trumping Sandrine to see if they have the requisite medical facilities, but we decide to handle things ourselves.
After an hour or so, the Shadow has been altered so that it has always been high-tech, and there's an entrance to some super-hero's secret base and medical facility at the back of the cave. The superhero in question is otherwise occupied on the other side of the world and will not be returning until long after we are done here.
Tristan finds the secret door and types in the entrance code - B-A-T. The door swings open.
We take the bodies into the lift that lies beyond the door and head down into a well-equipped base, whose facilities include a small hospital and operating room.
Ibrahim and Damien scrub up.
"Are you ready, Dr Nazir?"
"Let's do it, Dr Mortlake."
While they work on Corwin. Beltaine finds a shower and cleans up.
Tristan watches the operation.
Tamarind scans the Trumps.
At Tristan's urging, he begins to create a proper Trump of the crystal pillars over the centre of Corwin's Pattern.
Beltaine finishes her shower. As she's combing out her hair in front of a mirror, she sees a pale, unhappy Gerard reflected in the mirror, behind and to one side of her own reflection. But when she spins round, no one is there. She comes and tells the rest of us.
"A vision?" wonders Tamarind. Or has Gerard come through to this side of Corwin's Pattern?
Tristan tries to Trump Gerard, but there is no response, even when Tamarind joins in. Tamarind feels that the block is still akin to that between universes.
Ibrahim and Damien re-connect Corwin's heart to his circulatory system and sew his chest closed. That done, Ibrahim sends Tristan to 'find' a skull we can use as the source of a transplant to replace the missing top of Corwin's skull.
He and Beltaine go to do this thing. As they wander the base they find a huge cave full of what appear to be vehicles, laboratory equipment and trophies, these last including a life-sized model tyrannosaur, a giant coin and some giant playing cards. In a display case they find what is labelled as the skeleton of 'Dr Silvanus' and steal its skull.
When this is given to them, Damien and Ibrahim sterilise it and cut out the required section of bone, fixing it to Corwin's own skull. Damien gets a skin graft going to provide cover for the new skull.
Once Corwin's operations are finished, Tristan asks that we take some of Corwin's blood, in case we need to destroy his Pattern later and he isn't co-operative.
Ibrahim doesn't like this idea, and Damien says this is not a good idea when he's just had major surgery. So no blood is taken.
Tamarind finishes his Trump.
Ibrahim and Damien rest, then deal with Owen, re-inserting his heart in the same way they did Corwin's.
Then they check out Merlin. He has definitely just grown a new heart and top of skull. That being so, they're done. The patients are put to bed in a recovery ward.
"Round of golf, Dr Nazir?" suggests Damien.
"Don't think I'd be up to my handicap, old boy," pleads a tired Ibrahim.
They go to sleep on other beds in the recovery ward.
Tristan, tired from all his Pattern use, also goes off to rest, as do Beltaine and Tamarind.
Some time later, Tristan wakes, and goes to check the recovery ward.
Merlin is just waking up. His eyes open and he stares about wildly. "Ahhhhhh..." he yells, shapeshifting wildly.
Tristan tries to overpower him physically and mentally, but doesn't get very far. He is faster and mentally and physically stronger than Merlin, but not sufficiently so to be able to quickly stop him when he is in this state.
The noise of all this wakes Damien and Ibrahim. Damien sits up, wanders over and knocks Merlin out.
"Remind me about the 'Do no harm' bit again," he mutters to Ibrahim, who shrugs.
Merlin is still shapeshifting while unconscious, and becomes a blob.
Tristan still can't easily overpower his mind (though Merlin is slightly less strong mentally).
Beltaine and Tamarind arrive, also attracted by the noise. Beltaine and Tristan use Merlin's Trump, smashing through his mental defences with ease. They freeze him in place and Beltaine thinks soothing thoughts at him. They can feel that he wants to run and hide.
Beltaine convinces that him here is a safe place to hide. In response he liquefies and flows out, disguising himself as part of the floor.
Over the Trump link, Tristan thinks "Remember me? It's Tristan."
Merlin continues to think "hidehidehidehide..." After fifteen minutes or so, they get him calmed down a bit, but everyone now has little choice but to stand on him, as he has become one with the floor...
Beltaine gives up on the Trump contact and uses a Soul Touch spell to contact him instead. She soothes him some more. He regains consciousness but isn't too lucid. Helped by Beltaine, he drifts off into real sleep.
Tristan goes off and finds some restraints for Corwin. Returning, he then manacles Corwin to his bed. Just in case. As he does so, he also realises that Merlin is attuned to the Impossigon. "And he never mentioned it," he mutters.
We decide to wake Owen first and talk to him.
Damien suggests we first casting healing spells on him and Corwin so that their hearts don't fall out again when they wake up and panic. Sensible.
Tristan volunteers to cast the spells while Damien and Ibrahim get some more rest. This they do.
Time passes. Beltaine monitors Owen's dreams. He is dreaming of being chased by crystal spiders. She makes his dreams more colourful, and less menacing. The crystals are now musical. She goes and gives Merlin (whose dreams are roughly similar) pleasant dreams too.
Then she checks Corwin. He is also dreaming about crystals, and of how he created his Pattern with the Jewel of Judgement.
"It was trying to make him think about it," notes Tamarind when he is informed of this.
Beltaine tries to make him dream instead of Amber's Pattern.
Corwin is also dreaming about the death of some woman he found buried under a bush and who he re-buried with all her jewellery. And of Deirdre. Beltaine works at cheering up his dreams, though he tends to default to his Pattern and the Jewel.
After a while, Tristan casts the healing spells and Corwin and Owen are off the critical list. Owen will probably wake up in an hour or so.
Beltaine curls up and sleeps in the last empty bed in the recovery room. Tamarind and Tristan watch the patients.
And indeed, an hour or so later, Owen wakes up. He's dazed, but lucid, and seems to recognise us.
Tamarind asks him what happened.
Owen tells us that he went through Corwin's Pattern, and the crystal creatures were on the other side. Not knowing any locations on that side beyond what was immediately visible, he couldn't teleport very far away, so they caught him. They put him in the crystal sphere and asked him about the Pattern, how Patterns work, and how to make them.
He asks how long he's been missing.
"It's three years now," Tristan tells him.
"They took my heart out," recalls Owen in horror.
"We put it back again," Damien reassures him.
"Do you know why?" asks Tamarind.
"So I couldn't escape, I think," says Owen.
We tell him how we got here, summarise the newly-revealed history and tell him about the local Family branch. He says he has heard of Osric.
We tell him that Corwin and Merlin are here. And also that Merlin is the floor.
Owen looks over at Corwin. We get the distinct impression he's considering doing him some serious harm. Or would if we weren't there and he weren't recovering from major surgery.
No one is terribly keen on the idea of being in the middle of them fighting it out.
Tristan suggests moving Corwin to another room, after searching said other room for Greyswandir so that he can't just find it behind a cushion or something.
Damien also suggests changing their drips to muscle relaxant.
Both of these things are done. Corwin's new room is brightly coloured, to give a contrast to the Ordnung lands.
Ibrahim stays in the recovery ward with Owen and Merlin.
In his new room, Corwin starts to wake up. He looks around wildly and tries to get up.
Tamarind (who is out of sight) Trumps him and ties to reassure him.
Beltaine tells him that Tristan is here.
"It's in my head," moans Corwin.
We assure him that it isn't.
He screams.
"It's really not there anymore," say Tamarind and Beltaine.
"Want a drink?" adds Beltaine.
"Unicorn, yes!"
A drink is brought. And drunk.
"Who are you?" demands Corwin.
Tamarind introduces himself.
Tristan then introduces the rest of us who are present.
"We need you to get your head together," says Tamarind.
"What about the crystal stuff?" asks Corwin.
We tell him we'll take him to people who can help - Osric and Sandrine, and the others.
Beltaine mentions that his creation of a Pattern has let the crystal things through to our side of the universe.
Corwin has the look of a man thinking 'D'oh!'
We allow that Oberon and Benedict could and should have mentioned the problems inherent in Pattern-creation, so it's not wholly his fault.
Ibrahim comes in and introduces himself.
"You don't look like Eric," says Corwin.
"Well, I don't look like Brand, either," says Beltaine.
Damien allows that he was Bleys' son.
Deirdre's status (alive again, but now the teenage daughter of Tamarind and Beltaine) is mentioned, but explanations reserved for later. Corwin seems willing to accept this. For now.
We tell Corwin that Owen is next door.
"Owen?" roars Corwin. "That treacherous little scumbag?"
We try to persuade him to promise to postpone his quarrel with Owen. Given the apparent seriousness of the current situation, he agrees to do this, so we unchain him. He starts to get up, then winces and decides against it.
We explain that we had to put his heart back and give him a new cranium. He is disturbed by this, but soon gets back on track. Merlin's current state is also mentioned. Corwin says we should leave him to sleep it off.
"Would you like to see Owen?" asks Ibrahim.
"It would be useful in the short and medium term if you could call a truce," adds Damien.
Not directly answering this, Corwin tells us that when he came through his Pattern, it looked much the same on this side as it did on Amber's, but with no Drasil. There were certainly no crystal entities there. He and Merlin went exploring and when they came back to the Pattern (years later) they found crystal spires and bugs all over the place. There was a contest for access to the Pattern, which the Ordnung won.
We give him a brief history of Amber, the Patterns and the Ordnung. We also tell him that though we are still on the Ordnung side of the Pattern, we do have a way back.
We then wheel him out to find Greyswandir in the Bat Cupboard.
Beltaine takes Owen some sandwiches and asks if he can put hostilities with Corwin on hold, on account of the universe being in peril.
"Suppose so," he says, grudgingly.
Tristan tells Corwin the next part of the plan is to go back to Amber with envoys from Osric, and report in.
Tamarind explains our route between universes.
Beltaine rejoins us.
We give Corwin a rather jumbled history of the last one hundred and twenty-odd years. Bleys and Fiona are dead. The Courts of Chaos are dead. And so on.
Damien 'tsks' when it's mentioned that Bleys broke his oath a second time.
"You know, not everything is about you and your father, Damien," sighs Beltaine. "When are you going to get over it?"
"Got over it when he died," says Damien nonchalantly. "This is nothing to do with me and my father - it's about me and Random."
She gives up and turns to a different problem:
"So, Corwin, what's your problem with Owen?"
"He bloody well destroyed Shadow Avalon," says Corwin hotly.
"Did he?" Beltaine sounds impressed. "Why?"
"He found out some things he didn't like and destroyed Avalon trying to kill me. After he ran me through a couple of times, I was forced to run him through and blood curse him."
Damien mentions that now Owen has walked the Pattern his blood curse has gone.
We go see Merlin, who gradually reforms out from the floor into human form. He seems rather better now.
We supply him with a drink, and clothes.
Corwin makes introductions.
Owen has moved to another room.
Beltaine goes to check on him.
He says he's happy to meet people but would rather not get up just yet.
Damien puts another healing spell into him.
Corwin is wheeled in and a frosty silence ensues. Merlin is introduced to Owen.
Corwin reluctantly suggests a truce until the threat to the universe is ended.
Damien suggests that plus two months Amber time.
They agree, and reluctantly shake hands on it.
We decide now is the time to return to Girasol. Tamarind Trumps Sandrine using the Frame.
She takes the call and when things are explained to her goes somewhere rather more spacious and brings us all through.
Damien runs back at the last minute, fetches Merlin's original heart, and gives it to him.
"Er ... yeah ... thanks..." says Merlin. He also pauses to find his spell rack and Trumps in a cupboard before going through the link.
Beltaine introduces Corwin, Merlin and Owen to Sandrine, who appears impressed that we got them back from the clutches of the Ordnung.
"Has the Ordnung been acting up?" we ask her.
She says it's been attacking more often. But it is also directing its attention towards Corwin's Pattern.
Ah, we think - time to go home then.
Sandrine Trumps Thomas and Alicia and brings them through to join us.
"You drew the Pattern? That was a bit stupid, wasn't it?" Alicia greets Corwin diplomatically.
He looks a bit angry, but also chagrined, and does not reply.
Tristan asks if Sandrine has any messages for the Other Side.
She says they want friendly relations - and a few Patterns on their side of the universe would be nice. She does, however, agree that Ordnung must be completely dead before any Patterns are created here.
We ask how to create barrier Shadows against the Ordnung.
Sandrine tells us to make sure that the Ordnung has to go through those Shadows, then fortify them.
Tristan is not sure he can manage the former on his own.
There is a good deal of speculation regarding how much of all this Random is likely to agree to, but decide that the best way to find out is to head home and ask him.
Sandrine Trumps us to a hospital Shadow where time runs quickly, so people can recover before clambering about in crystal branches.
This Shadow is very conducive to healing - we all feel a boost as we go through the Trump link. "Welcome to Lazaret," says Sandrine.
Tristan can also sense that this is a shadow of destiny, and has some other features with which he is unfamiliar.
Medics run up. Sandrine instructs them to find a place where we can rest.
"Food, drink, all that," Alicia adds.
Sandrine wishes us luck and leaves.
We are led off to a luxurious suite of rooms not far away. As we go, and from the rooms themselves, we can see that this place is a vast neo-classical hospital complex, mainly in white stone, with various statues of dragons dotted about.
Once we are settled in, Tamarind has a look through his Trump of above Corwin's Pattern. The crystal shafts going down to the Pattern are a bit thicker than they were before, and there are several helicoptera buzzing about. And a crystal scythe-armed thing is visible climbing about in the branches.
Thomas and Alicia join the Trump contact.
Tamarind tells the rest of us what he sees.
We discuss the best way of getting to the centre.
Thomas tells us that the Ordnung is getting wise to distraction-type tactics.
Alicia splits into three smaller versions of herself. One stays to listen to the discussion; the other two go off and dance together in a corner.
Damien suggests Trumping in to the Pattern in two groups, to two different points in the branches.
Tamarind agrees that this is a good plan, and starts sketching.
The door opens, and a woman dressed all in white medical-style clothing who we recognise from the portraits we saw earlier as Una (Sandrine's daughter) comes in and introduces herself. Those of us with magical powers can tell that the cameo on the choker she wears is magical.
Tristan realises the Shadow is somehow linked to her, so that she can control it, or at least aspects of it.
"I hear you're going to get us a Pattern," she says.
"We're not sure what we can do yet," says Tristan. She wishes us luck, and goes off, saying she has lots of work to do.
Alicia's three diminutive 'selves' rejoin.
Tamarind finishes his Trump, rests, and then we are ready to go.
The final plan is to simply all Trump through, drop down to the centre of the Pattern and leave immediately. On the other side ... what do we do then? Alicia and Thomas have never been there, and so can't teleport to Amber. And we don't know how far the crystals have got by now, so there may be nowhere in sight at ground level that's unaffected. We decide that parachutes and teleporting into mid-air as far away from the Pattern as possible is the way forward.
Corwin and Owen are up and about by now, looking much recovered. At their request, servants bring them armour and weapons.
Thomas goes off and returns in motorcycle leathers with gun and sword, a motorcycle-type helmet under his arm.
Alicia turns down any offers of weapons or armour.
The servants also supply us with anti-helicoptera nets. And parachutes.
Beltaine asks Alicia whether people see ghosts here.
"In some places," she says. "They're not real, though."
Tamarind makes Trump links to Damien, Ibrahim, Beltaine and the two points in the branches of the Ordnung over the Pattern. Then he adds Corwin and Owen too, since they're injured. Merlin looks impressed at this display of Trump skill.
He asks for a recap of the plan, which Ibrahim provides - Ibrahim and Damien will go first, and the rest of us go through to them.
Merlin grows armour and wings.
Beltaine worries that Corwin and his sons might go into shock again when faced with the Ordnung.
They all deny the likelihood of this.
And off we go. Ibrahim and Damien are passed through the Trump link, slide down to ground level, and catch the rest of us as we come through and drop down.
Helicoptera descend towards us. We go through to the other side of the Pattern.
As we arrive on the Amber side, we cannot help noticing a commotion over by the side of Corwin's Pattern. Benedict is there fighting crystal things. Caine is there too, holding a large barrel.
"Go now while you have the chance!" he shouts, and throws the barrel. It splits in mid-air and proves to be full of blood.
"Oh, bloody hell," mutters Corwin.
We all have time to teleport into mid-air some distance away before the blood hits. Beltaine hangs onto Alicia. Damien hangs onto Thomas, pausing only briefly to throw the bec de corbin at Caine.
From our new position up in the sky we see that Castle Rosa is covered in crystal. There is a dome over the Pattern and crystalline creatures are arrayed in ranks around the frozen Rosa town. Further away are signs of other armies. Drasil is visible through the dome, looking much the same as before.
Nothing seems to have happened to Corwin's Pattern, though the blood will certainly have hit it by now.
People fall, or fly, or deploy parachutes.
Tamarind Trumps us in turn to pass us through to Amber, holding the link to there open at the same time.
Beltaine goes through first, with Alicia. Then Ibrahim, who takes Damien and Thomas with him. Then Corwin, Merlin and Owen.
Then Tamarind (still falling) Trumps Benedict. He's blocking. Tamarind then tries Caine, who takes the call.
"What's the plan then?" asks Tamarind.
"The plan was to destroy the Pattern, but it doesn't seem to have worked."
"What did you use?" asks a disgusted Tamarind. "Cranberry juice?"
"My blood, mostly."
Tamarind offers Caine and Benedict a way out. They accept this kind offer and come through, Caine carrying Damien's warhammer. They then go through to Amber too.
In Amber, people arrive. Parachutes collapse down onto us and silk spreads everywhere.
Beltaine hugs Tamarind (he having arrived a little after everyone else), then turns to rant at both Caine and Benedict.
Caine says Benedict did tell him about the trans-Pattern menace, but claims he knew anyway. And didn't tell us before we went there. Or tell the King.
Beltaine loses her temper completely.
"And when," she adds finally. "Were you going to tell us about the Pattern that was destroyed in Arden?"
"These are matters to discuss before the King," says Ibrahim, rather desperately.
"Watch me care!" retorts Beltaine. "He was going to leave my daughter an orphan. Oh, Benedict, are you still here? Haven't you got a drink to go to? Is this a record?"
He glares coldly at her.
Alicia watches interestedly, as if this is all some kind of fascinating entertainment laid on for her benefit.
Tamarind quickly Trumps Random.
"Oh good - you're back," says the King.
"We bring envoys from Osric and Sandrine," Tamarind tells him.
"Tell him Corwin's here too," urges Beltaine.
"Corwin? Great!" says Random when he is informed of this news.
We all go through the Trump link to the King, who is in his office.
Beltaine is still muttering abuse at Caine and Benedict.
Tamarind gives her a large glass of wine, in the hope of diverting her.
Ibrahim introduces Alicia and Thomas.
They greet Random in King Osric's name. He greets them in return.
Corwin and his sons then greet Random, who looks pleased to see them, or at least Corwin .
Tristan pours everyone else a glass of wine, except for Benedict, who gets orange squash.
"Benedict has something to tell us..." announces Beltaine brightly.
"And Caine," adds Damien.
"I'll even shut up for the explanation," Beltaine promises.
"Well, yes, we did know," Caine says. He is evasive on exactly why neither he nor Benedict saw fit to share this information, even with the King.
Beltaine forgets her promise to shut up. "Yeah, well, Benedict is a useless moron - what's your excuse?"
There is a stunned silence, during which Damien surreptitiously loosens the peace-bindings on Dashwood.
"How far has the stuff expanded?" asks Ibrahim into the silence.
"Several Shadows," Random tells him.
"Look," says Beltaine. "I can't see any reason for Caine withholding this information except to get rid of us."
Caine claims telling us would have biased our observations on the other side. But then he decided too much time had passed, so it was permissible to try to destroy Corwin's Pattern and seal us in.
We all look unimpressed. Beltaine points out that we weren't made aware of any timetable.
"It was for the good of Amber," says Caine, airily.
"Indeed," agrees Benedict.
Beltaine turns on Random.
"Are you going to let him just get away with this? As usual?" she demands disgustedly.
"No. Caine, you're sacked," announces Random.
Caine looks stunned.
Ibrahim presses Benedict for an explanation. "We'd just like to know your reasoning," he says.
"I'm sure," says Benedict helpfully.
"Like Caine, you didn't want us to come back," says Tristan.
"Maybe in case we learned things from Osric you didn't want known?" guesses Beltaine.
"Look, Benedict. You can't go on being half in the Family and half out. Stop sitting on the fence. I'm sorry you feel bad about things - but everyone does, sometimes. Either you're the King's loyal subject, or you aren't. So either get a grip, or fu- ... go off and be an exile."
Random looks unhappy, but says he would let Benedict leave, if that were his choice.
"Then," says Benedict. "I will leave. For now."
"Would Prince Benedict consider helping Osric fight the Ordnung?" enquires Ibrahim.
"Yes," says Benedict, and leaves.
Random throws Caine out.
"Well, I'm off to the beach!" says Caine brightly.
Damien tells Caine that his debt to him is discharged, and he's welcome to keep the war hammer. Caine nods, and leaves.
Beltaine mentions that she saw an unhappy Gerard in the mirror back in the Batcave.
"He was out fighting the crystals," says Random.
Tamarind tries to Trump Gerard, but gets no reaction. From the feel of the Trump he thinks he's dead.
At this news Beltaine collapses, and is caught by her husband. Application of alcohol soon brings her round.
We suggest calling the rest of the Family together. And telling Altair.
"Let's check whether he's really dead first," suggests Damien, and asks where Gerard was.
Random says he was moving troops to Corwin's Pattern by sea, on the new 'Unicorn's Flight'.
Damien Trumps Altair and tells her something might have happened to Gerard. Does she have a Trump of the 'Unicorn's Flight'?
She does.
Damien goes through to her, and they concentrate on the Trump of the ship.
Meanwhile, Tamarind mentally Trumps Chalice.
The call quickly gets through. Chalice seems to be in school. When Tamarind asks how she is, she says she's fine, and doing algebra (which she likes).
Tamarind says goodbye, and breaks the link.
A distraught Beltaine insists that Caine and Benedict let Gerard die.
Random says that they already had a good idea of what they were up against when Gerard was sent out.
"But Benedict fought it before," says Beltaine.
Tristan suggests we tell Random what we know. But first - are there other Family members fighting it right now?
Random says Flora (behind the lines), Julian, and Margot.
We suggest Thomas and Alicia tell us what works against the Ordnung and what doesn't.
Thomas nods, and does so, with brief historical explanations for the sake of context.
As this is done, Tamarind checks on Flora and Julian via the Trump. They both seem to be alive.
Ibrahim describes Osric's Barrier Shadows of Destiny, and describes our other ideas, such as using the life-force draining spikes.
"What happened when Oberon redrew the Primal Pattern?" Corwin asks.
We note that it has been sealed off ever since, so we don't know.
Thomas and Alicia recall that Osric mentioned noticing something at the time. Presumably Oberon knew how to avoid creating anything on the other side.
Random concludes that it might - indeed must - be possible to draw a one-sided Pattern.
Tamarind is still checking the Trumps. Caine's is, of course, active. He then concentrates on Julian's Trump.
Elsewhere, Damien helps Altair concentrate on the Trump of the 'Unicorn's Flight'.
A link opens up. The ship is above water, in a harbour. Phew.
They go through, and demand to know where Gerard is. A rather surprised-looking sailor tells them that, he led the troops off to join Julian.
So they Trump Julian, Altair giving him little choice but to accept the contact.
As the link open up, they see that Julian's arm is in a sling, and he looks rather singed. They go through to him.
"Where's my dad?" demands Altair.
"We engaged the enemy," says Julian. "But they had a weapon we had never seen before ... directed gouts of ... Abyss. They wiped us out."
"Crap!" exclaims Altair.
"That's the answer I was expecting," says Damien. "But where is Gerard?"
Julian leads them through the large military camp in which they have appeared to a morgue tent, then leads them inside. Most of the bodies there seem semi-dissolved. The further in they go, the less is left of the corpses. Eventually they get to Gerard. He has been reduced to less than half a head.
"I tried to save him," says Julian. "Will he be able to come back form the Land of the Dead like this?"
Damien takes a deep breath. "Not on his own," he says. "Someone would have to go and get him. And after ... recent events ....there may be considerable resistance to such a plan."
Another deep breath. "I'll go if you like."
"Tell the King first," says Julian.
Just then, Tamarind's Trump call to Julian gets through. Julian shows him what's left of Gerard.
"An Abyssal spray," he explains. "A weapon we did not expect." He adds that Margot is injured but alive, and that he has people who need evacuating.
Tamarind conveys all this to the rest of us in Random's office. Then he checks on the rest of the family, continuing to use the Trumps.
That done, with Random's permission, Tamarind then Trumps Llewella and when she takes the call brings her up-to-date too. She thanks him for the information.
Tristan, on hearing that Gerard is definitely dead, suggests to Random that he should start working on Osric-style defences. Given the small number of shadows infected by the Ordnung so far, this should only require the re-writing of a few shadows.
Random agrees that this is a good idea.
Ibrahim wants to go see Margot.
Thomas offers his help. He says he will postpone walking the Pattern to go and help with our containment strategy.
Beltaine suggests that Brand and Deirdre may be of help.
Random nods and tells her to bring them through. She begins to do this thing.
Tristan, Ibrahim and Thomas Trump Julian and when he takes the call go through the link and join him (and thus Damien and Altair) in the camp.
Ibrahim leaves the rest of us and quickly finds Margot. She is not badly hurt, though missing a finger, burned off by a jet of Abyss, she tells him.
Tristan goes off, finds an empty tent, sits down, and begins re-writing this Shadow to make it a place the Ordnung is destined to go through, boost its magick and focus it on the place he is specifying the Ordnung must enter the shadow.
In Amber, Beltaine has meanwhile brought Brand and Deirdre through and filled them in on events.
Corwin greets Deirdre a little more enthusiastically than might be considered proper, hugging and kissing her soundly.
"Corwin, I'm thirteen," Deirdre kicks him in the shins and disengages herself.
Off in shadow, Damien attempts to Trump Tamarind, but does not get through. He gently asks Altair for help. She nods and together they concentrate on Tamarind's Trump.
After a while the link slowly opens up.
At his request, Tamarind brings Damien through.
Damien reminds Tamarind that Trumps work, to some extent, in the Abyss - Tamarind was, after all, able to save - well, not Damien's skin, but at least the rest of him via Trump. Could they use Trump to open up a link between the Abyss and the Ordnung, and fight fire with fire?
"Hmmm..." muses Brand.
"Feel free to contribute at this point," Beltaine encourages him.
Brand says Trump might not work, but something might be constructed that would do the trick.
"Something like the link between the Land of the Dead and the Land of the Living?" wonders Tamarind.
"A more likely line of research," agrees Brand.
Beltaine is still keen on using the spikes, until it's gently pointed out that draining life-force from the Ordnung to the Abyss might result in a 'living Abyss', which no-one really thinks would be a good thing.
Brand asks Random's permission to walk the Pattern. Now.
"Are you really up to it?" Beltaine wants to know.
"Yes, mummy," he says.
"And you'll come right back," she persists.
"Yes, mummy."
Tamarind allows that we probably need Brand's knowledge and ability at this point. He asks whether Brand knew about the other side of the Pattern.
Brand says he didn't, though he had sometimes wondered...
Random accedes to Brand's request. He can walk the Pattern now.
Tamarind asks Merlin what he knows about the Abyss.
"It's Raw Chaos," says Merlin. "It kills you. Some demons can go in for short periods, but not too deep. No-one can survive there for long."
Hmmm...
Beltaine, Tamarind and Brand leave and discretely and illegally Trump down to the Pattern room. Caine's been sacked, so who's going to care? Also, the Trump is entirely within Tamarind's mind so it is reasonably secure...
"Tsk, tsk, daddy," comments Brand.
Beltaine gives Brand a hug.
"Good luck; come back," says Tamarind. "And if you can't make it, give me some indication and I'll try and Trump you off."
Brand nods, and steps onto the Pattern.
In Julian's camp, Ibrahim talks to Margot about what happened. Then they Trump Tamarind, which is very hard, but he eventually accepts the call from the Pattern room.
Ibrahim apologises for interrupting, but he wants to come through - there is the matter of a small oversight - they forgot the life-force draining spikes.
Tamarind brings him through and he heads for the door. And realises it's shut. And locked. From the outside. He sighs, Trumps to the arrival courtyard and, after establishing his bona fides and being let out, heads for Random's office.
As he does this, Beltaine and Tamarind watch Brand slog his way round the Pattern.
In Random's office, Damien 'asks' the King's permission to go the Land of the Dead and bring Gerard back before Anurerishkigal gets him. That is, he makes it clear he'll do it anyway and force Random to exile him if the King says 'no'. He says he'll need a Trump artist, but Altair will probably be hard to stop. And they'll need someone to seal the hole in reality afterwards.
Random sighs and (not that it matters) gives his permission.
At this point Ibrahim arrives and asks Random for the life-force draining spikes. Random goes off to get them.
While Ibrahim waits, Damien tells him he'll probably see him later - he's off for reinforcements. Ibrahim blinks. "You're going to risk Anurerishkigal?"
"Yes."
Ibrahim sighs. He himself is resigned to not coming back when he dies, and tells Damien so.
"I'm not," says Damien. And leaves.
Damien leaves Random's office and goes to fetches his (Fiona's) life-force lens. That done, he tries to Trump Altair, but doesn't get through. He then tries Flora but she also does not answer.
He goes back to Random's office, and hands over the life-force lens, pointing out that whoever watches over Damien and Altair will need it to check returnees for infection.
"Good thinking," nods Random. Quite as if he would know what that was.
Ibrahim and Damien concentrate on Altair's Trump.
Meanwhile, Brand finally reaches the centre of Amber's Pattern and collapses there, unconscious. Beltaine and Tamarind watch concernedly. After a couple of minutes he recovers, staggers to his feet, and disappears...
To reappear beside Tamarind and Beltaine. He falls over again. Tamarind picks him up. Brand squeezes both their hands.
Tamarind Trumps them all to shadow Haven, and Brand is put to bed.
"Ultimate cosmic power is mine once again," he says weakly. "Ha, ha, ha. Oh - and ha."
His 'parents' regard him indulgently.
Beltaine Trumps back to Amber and goes looking for Random.
Altair accepts Ibrahim and Damien's Trump call and brings them through to the mortuary tent. She is still by Gerard's body, her eyes reddened.
"Are we going to be able to bring him back?" she asks.
Damien points out that Martin and Nitocris's injuries healed.
"I thought it best to come back to somewhere we'd come back to before," says Damien. "But Tristan's sealed them off. And he's probably busy right now..."
"Sod it," says Altair. "Let's make more holes in Reality."
Meanwhile, Tristan has sent Castle Corvallin off to drop rocks on the Ordnung. Big metal spikes, too.
Ibrahim goes to find Tristan.
Tristan is still in the tent, re-writing this shadow. Ibrahim enters and gives him the life-force draining spikes.
Tristan offers him a choice between going up and spiking the Ordnung in person, or just dropping the spikes into it from a height.
Ibrahim prefers keeping the power under their control.
They decide they need to talk to Thomas about close-quarter tactics.
Beltaine finds Random, still in his office, and tells him that Brand made it.
He in return tells her what Damien and Altair are planning. She's horrified. "What if they come back possessed?"
"By the way," she adds. "Just how far had the Ordnung spread when you gave the order to cut us off?"
"About twenty Shadows," says Random.
"Just wanted to know what we were worth," she mutters.
Beltaine leaves and Trumps Damien.
When he takes the call she goes through to him (and thus Altair too) and tells him she thinks this is an ultra bad idea. But if he's set on it - is there anything she can do?
"If we come back infected, make sure someone pulls the plug," says Damien, grimly. "If there's any sign of trouble..."
"In your case, that might be somewhat difficult," points out Beltaine.
"There are ways round that - like what we did with Corwin."
Beltaine gives Damien her two remaining soulstones. Probably they won't be any use, but Caine did manage to use the others to trap bits of Anurerishkigal, so you never know...
"Wear them for luck. You and Altair."
"Thank you, "says Damien. "And one other thing ... if I don't come back ... please visit Sebek."
Beltaine nods.
Damien gives her a hug.
"Promise me one thing," she says.
Damien nods, looking wary.
"When you come back, you have to let me share some of my life-force with you," she says. "You're already low."
Damien is non-committal.
Beltaine hugs Altair too, and also wishes her luck.
In the camp, Ibrahim finds Thomas, who is lecturing Julian and his Rangers on fighting the Ordnung. Ibrahim also listens to what he has to say, and waits for him to finish.
In Haven, Tamarind quickly draws a Trump of the crystal branches over our side of Corwin's Pattern. Then he Trumps Benedict, who resists but to no effect in the end, and who eventually takes the call.
When Tamarind asks, Benedict allows that he is still willing to go through and help Osric.
Tamarind gives him the Trump he's just drawn, and one of somewhere he can Trump to on the other side of Corwin's Pattern, from which he can go and join Osric.
When Tamarind tells him how Gerard died, Benedict says he didn't know about the Abyssal spray before now.
Tamarind thinks he's sincere.
Benedict wishes him luck.
The Trump link drops.
Wishing of luck done, Beltaine Trumps Tamarind and when he takes the call asks if he can get them to a high-tech medical facility where they won't ask too many questions.
"I'm sure you can guess why," she adds, in a strained voice.
Tamarind, once he's told that the arguments for and against what Altair and Damien are about to do have already been aired, agrees to do this.
Beltaine tells Damien and Altair to come back in one piece.
"I'll die first," says Damien. Oh. Ha. Ha.
Beltaine gives him a despairing look and goes through the Trump link to Tamarind in shadow Haven.
By now, Tristan has finished re-writing this shadow. This has not been an easy task, what with it being so close to Corwin's Pattern and all. The Shadow is now a trap waiting to be sprung.
He has the life-force draining spikes beside him, put there by Ibrahim, including the receiver spike.
He Trumps Ibrahim, who is finding out more detailed anti-Ordnung tactics from Thomas. Via the Trump link he learns that it is indeed possible to get close to the Ordnung.
Tristan tells Ibrahim the Shadow is ready for Julian to start fortifying it.
Ibrahim passes this information on to Julian.
Over the Trump link, Tristan hears Thomas saying that the crystal creatures are independent of the Ordnung once they are separated from it, though they can recharge from it. They are not as tough as it, and run out of energy after a while, at which point they go 'pop'.
Damien feels a Trump call coming on, which he accepts. It's Random.
He says he's been thinking things over, and feels what Damien plans is a Bad Thing.
Damien points out that they are going anyway, whatever the King says. He outlines the precautions he has planned.
Random sighs. "Do it," he says in a resigned tone of voice.
"Thank you."
From Haven, Tamarind Trumps to Amber to set things up for Damien and Altair's trip to the land of the dead. He finds Random (still in his office) and asks to borrow Fiona's life force lens. Random nods, and fetches it for Tamarind to borrow.
In Haven, Beltaine has meanwhile collected as many purple koalas as she can find in Haven, and curled up hugging them.
Altair and Damien take the remains of Gerard back to Amber.
In the infirmary, Damien and Altair are spiked in the head, causing brain death.
And they wake in one of the cold and empty stone houses of a city of the dead, in the Land of the Dead.
Tamarind Trumps all three sets of remains to the edge of the Abyss. He restrains them, then with the aid of the soldiers in the fortress there sets them on tilting platforms set up so that he can, if necessary, drop them into the Abyss at the flick of a dead-man switch. Separate dead-man switches, one per person.
Then he sits and waits...
In the land of the dead, Altair and Damien concentrate on Gerard's Trump. The Trump glows silver and a line of light arcs off across the land of the dead before the link opens up. Gerard appears to be out away from any city of the dead, on a dark plain, walking. He seems pleased to see them, and is quite happy to come through to them close to the castle and Brand's nonagram. His head has a large scar along the line where what remains of his body in the land of the living would have joined the rest of him.
They bring him through, then head for the castle. On the way Altair pulls out her Trumps and checks them.
When they get to the castle, they collect spikes from Brand's hidey-hole. All of the spikes seem to be in the hidey-hole. They drive them into their chests (ouch!), and they seem to work as before.
When they ask him what he wants to do, Gerard says that he is willing to come back with them, even if he is only half a head in the land of the living, so they go down to the obelisk room and Damien begins to enact the ritual.
Black mist rises and they begin to swirl back to the land of the living. Nothing seems to follow them, but as they swirl up into the terrible sky of the land of the dead they feel that they're being drained of life force. A lot. Oops...
On the edge of the Abyss, Tamarind notices things happening to the three bodies. Through Fiona's lens he sees life force beginning to flow from a point inside the chest of the corpses, a point in such a position that Brand's spikes would go right through it. The life force flows out from there to fill the whole body, taking a few seconds to do so. Once the bodies are filled then they begin to regenerate (taking a few more seconds) and it is only then that the formerly-dead people began to show signs of life, such as starting to breathe and waking up. That is, there is plenty of time to spot any signs of contamination and tip them into the Abyss should that be necessary. Tamarind refrains from doing so.
They wake to the normal screaming agony.
Gerard's head has re-grown ... to about halfway down his chest. No more. What there is, is alive now but will not be for much longer.
"Did it get us?" Damien asks Tamarind, taking note of their surroundings.
"All of you," says Tamarind, continuing to look at them through the life-force lens. "You each have about one twentieth of the life you had before."
Damien grits his teeth.
"Did Anurerishkigal possess us?" he asks.
"Not as far as I can tell," says Tamarind, coolly. "You might want to do something about that," he indicates the partial Gerard.
He releases them from the tipping platforms, and Trumps them back to Amber.
The Amber infirmary is not up to helping Gerard in his current condition, so Tamarind quickly Trumps them to a high-tech medical facility which he has access to.
Meanwhile, in Haven, Brand wakes up.
Beltaine tells him what Damien and Altair are up to. "I has no references any more," she says. "We murdered Bleys, we didn't execute him, it now seems to me. Damien's stupid, and selfish. Random's useless. Nothing makes sense anymore."
She cries, and Brand tries rather awkwardly to comfort her.
When Thomas completes his lecture to himself, Julian and the Rangers, Ibrahim takes him to Tristan.
When asked, Thomas gives Tristan a few more pointers regarding the defensive Shadows, which he takes on board.
That done, Tristan thinks of it and Castle Corvallin flies down, returning from attacking the Ordnung. She has been hit by helicoptera, but has done a fair bit of damage herself.
Tristan sends Thomas, accompanied by Ibrahim, up with Corvallin to get an aerial view and do more damage. While they do this, Tristan himself sets to work engineering the second defensive Shadow.
Tamarind Trumps Random and when he takes the call returns the life-force lens. He tells Random that Altair, Damien and Gerard are back and not infected by Anurerishkigal.
Random nods.
"If you don't need me, I'll be taking some time off now," Tamarind adds.
Random nods again, rather resignedly. Tamarind drops the Trump link.
"Thanks for not tipping us into the Abyss," says Damien.
"Yes..." says Tamarind, slowly. "Can you handle things from here?"
"We can," says Damien.
Tamarind thus Trumps off to shadow Haven.
Upon arrival he quickly locates Beltaine, her pile of purple koalas, and Brand. He finds Brand feeding her a cup of tea, and tells them how things went, then they Trump Deirdre through for a group hug.
"I've only just realised that Random's useless," says Beltaine. "If it was right to get Gerard back, then we murdered Bleys...."
Tamarind confesses himself to be similarly confused. He gives her a hug.
In the shadow to which Gerard has been brought, the hospital technicians keep Gerard 'alive' for long enough for Damien to cast Stone Binding spell on him, halting his slide towards death.
Then he and Altair begin to work out what is needed long-term. Several decades hooked up to lots of machines, it looks like...
Beltaine's Diary for This Session
Beltaine's Alternate Reality Diary for This Session
(What if Beltaine was actually an evil bitch in league with Brand?)