"Now These Her Princes Are Come Home Again"

SESSION 4.20 - The Ruler We Deserve?


Session 4.19   Index   Session 5.1


Notes Taken by Samantha and Alastair Beadle.


With the Unicorn gone and things settling down, the crowd in the Amber Throne Room disperses.


In The Hospital shadow, to which Whippoorwill has taken the injured Amber nobles, the staff have leapt into action, and the nobles are being treated. Whippoorwill has brought the detached arm of the noble which had it cut off, and the Hospital staff take it off to reattach it. The Hospital staff seem very happy to have the work. While the nobles are treated, Whippoorwill goes to the Early Learning Centre shadow to find Jim. However, upon arrival he finds that Jim is gone.

He asks the people there about him and is told that Caitlin moved him elsewhere. He then tries to find the route she took, but there is no sign of it. He sits down and decides to do some finger-painting. Some of the other people in the shadow join him in this.


After a while Whippoorwill goes back to The Hospital, and picks up the nobles, who are all now fully recovered, when the one who lost an arm.

They thank him profusely for this assistance as he pulls out his Trump, concentrates on it, and when the link opens up takes them back to Amber.

He tells them they must not be so backward in coming forward to the other Amberites for help when they need it. Yes, that'll work...

As they leave the Amber Arrival Courtyard, Whippoorwill sees a secretary carrying several copies of the Constitution passing by. He acquires some of these and passes them on to the nobles after a brief explanation of what it is.


Also from Amber, Godofos Trumps back to Thinwhistle. This takes a lot of effort, but eventually the Trump link open up, and he steps through into the small, single-doored room which he has selected as his arrival point. Its door only locks from the inside, and Godofos has the only key.

He lets himself out and makes his way to his quarters, overhearing whispers from the servants regarding his hell-spawned powers as he goes. Upon arrival members of his harem help him rest, eat and so on.


Jihx Trumps back to Rebma. The guards on the Arrival Courtyard there greet him, and after being admitted he goes off for a rest.


From wandering about in shadow, Caitlin returns to the safe Trump-barred lunar Early Learning Centre shadow where she had left Jim. He seems to have absorbed various bits of the landscape, and is now twice as big as he was before. He seems to be asleep.

She exits the shadow and Trumps Jihx.


In Rebma, Jihx is dozing, but not actually asleep, when he feels a Trump call coming on. Identifying the call as Caitlin, Jihx answers. Jihx sleeps naked, but Caitlin ignores this.

He and Caitlin discuss what to do with Jim.

Jihx suggests taking him back to The Hospital, putting him in a secure ward, and not giving him lots to eat. Perhaps a xeno-paediatric psychiatric (XPP) ward is the place to go.

Caitlin agrees to do this, and the link is dropped.


Caitlin goes back to Jim, wakes him up (prodding him with a stick when Trumping him fails, as she does not want to be absorbed), and manages to communicate to him that she wants them to go elsewhere.

Jim happily follows her, growing a few eyes of tentacles as he do so. En route she tries to explain to him about not eating everything. However, Jim does not seem to understand the concept. He gives the impression of having been hungry for a long time.


In Amber, Whippoorwill goes off to help sort out the arrangements for the election. He begins by finding neutral observers from the majority of noble houses without votes.

After recruiting them he explains the concept. They do not seem to completely understand what is going on, never having been exposed to much in the way of democracy before, but they go along with the idea.

With this sorted out, Whippoorwill then attempts to Trump Caitlin.


In Thinwhistle, Godofos wakes up. It seems that no-one tried to kill him in the night, so this is a good start to the day.

He wakes up realising that he has also figured out how to memorise Trumps into his own head. Useful.

After breakfast, he assembles the army of Thinwhistle on a large open training ground outside the city walls, and puts them through their paces to discover their capabilities. As shadow armies go, they are not too bad, but any decent army would tear them to shreds. He begins to train them up into a more formidable force.

He also learns what he can of some of the nearby lands in the same shadow, and other nearby ones, planning invasions for the future.

He also spends some time memorising some superTrumps, of the rest of us, Thinwhistle, Amber and so on. He discovers that he can memorise at most six Trumps.


With Caitlin currently in a Trump-barred shadow, Whippoorwill doesn't get through to Her, so he gives up.

At this point there is a knock on the door. When Whippoorwill answers this, it proves to be Vialle. He invites her in.

She tells him that she is going to run for election as Queen. Random and Martin have apparently nominated her. She tells him she is going to canvas the other Amberites for their votes.

Whippoorwill congratulates her, and tells her that she will make a great Queen.

She leaves to talk to more members of the Family.

Whippoorwill then tries to contact Jihx but fails there too, as Jihx is asleep. So he goes to sleep too.


In Rebma, Jihx sleeps for an hour or two, then wakes refreshed with plans to go back to The Hospital to find Caitlin and Jim.

He gets up and dresses. As he does this there is a knock on the door, which, when he answers it, proves to be Moire.

She comes in and sits down, then asks him about his swearing loyalty to Amber and Random.

"Errr..." goes Jihx. He then tells her that he only did it on condition that the new Amber Constitution be put in place.

"I thought that your loyalty lay with Rebma," she says in a rather hurt fashion.

Jihx tells her he will always support her and Rebma, against Amber if need be.

She seems somewhat mollified by this, and asks where he is going.

He tells her about Jim, and suggests that perhaps Caitlin's influence may have something to do with his behaviour.

Moire agrees that this may be a problem.

He then takes his leave and Trumps off to The Hospital.


Caitlin takes Jim off back to The Hospital, in places him in a padded room - or cell - in the XPP ward. Various linguists and speech therapists are assembled and begin to work on Jim, from the other side of a thick glass wall, so they will not be absorbed.


Upon arrival at The Hospital Jihx is directed to the XPP ward and follows the puce lines on the floor to it.

Upon arrival he finds Caitlin and Jim inside the ward, and lots of doctors and so on outside.

He asks one of the medics how it is going.

The doctor suggests that if Jim could talk it would help. He also mentions, in a whisper, that Caitlin could also do with some serious psychiatric help.

Jihx suggests that he tells her that himself.

He declines.

Jihx enters the ward and Caitlin tells him what is going on, that Jim can now make noises.

Jim displays his new skills in a series of farting, burping and honking noises, which he seems very pleased by.

Jihx gets the linguists to provide assistance from outside, and they begin to teach Jim.

Progress is slow. At one point Jim extends a tentacle, wraps it around Caitlin's wrist and tries to absorb her, trying to use the power of his mind to bend her flesh to his will.

Fortunately, Caitlin's mind is strong enough that she shrugs this off, and tells him off too.

They continue to teach him.

Caitlin thinks he is funny, but Jihx does not.

Leaving Jihx and the medics to work on Jim, Caitlin begins to work on adjusting The Hospital's shadow so that the shadow is no longer Trump-proof, at the same time snipping out the ward where Jim is and keeping that Trump-proof. This takes some time.


In Amber, Whippoorwill wakes up and again tries to Trump Jihx or Caitlin. As they are still in The Hospital, again he fails.

He then decides to draft a list of everyone who could vote in the upcoming elections, then find them and see whether they wish to be considered Amberites (and thus able to vote in the election) or Rebmans, and not.

With the list complete, he then goes to find everyone on it and get their opinion. Benedict initially wishes to be on no list, but once Whippoorwill explains in more detail Benedict accedes to be an Amberite, but will abstain. Other than Benedict, once the situation is explained to them all of the Elders, plus Vialle, Lillian, Martin, and Finndo Junior signal themselves to be Amberites.

By this point Bleys and Fiona have also arrived back. Bleys seems none the worse for wear, and announces that he too is running for King, nominated by Fiona. They too sign up as Amberites.

Caine tells Whippoorwill that he will be voting for his brother Julian, who he has nominated.

Fiona asks Whippoorwill to vote for her brother.

When he speaks to her, Whippoorwill discovers that Florimel is also running for Queen, Gerard having nominated her.

Corwin, Merlin, Skyrie, Arun and Etienne, the various children and grandchildren of Jihx and Greta are not available to be asked. Whippoorwill briefly visits shadow and sends birds of desire explaining the situation to all of them except Etienne.

With the Amberites spoken too, Whippoorwill then arranges to speak to the heads of the five noble houses who have also been given the vote, houses Chantris, Feldane, Rein, Cumbernain and Achnia, to explain the situation to all of them, too.


Some time later Godofos returns from Thinwhistle to Amber, and is also spoken to by Whippoorwill, who tells him about all of those nominated.

Godofos asks if Whippoorwill wants to be nominated.

"Not this time," he replies. "Maybe next time."

Godofos asks Whippoorwill to be contacted in time for the election if he is not in Amber at that point.

Whippoorwill agrees to do this.


In The Hospital Caitlin has modified the shadow as desired, and left.

After some time attempting to teach Jim to speak, Jihx realises that it will soon be time for him to visit Cormorant Island with the Chaos Ambassadors. That being so, he Trumps back there.

Leaving the Arrival Courtyard, he sees the Ambassadors just boarding a closed coach to go down to the harbour. With their permission, Jihx climbs into the carriage and goes with them.

The carriage leaves the Castle, crosses Castle Park and heads down the Royal Way to the edge of the plateau upon which the city of Amber sits. The coach then heads down the zigzagging road to the harbour level and through the streets to the gate of the Amber Navy base. The coachman announces who his passengers are, and they are admitted.

The coach rattles through the dockyard to a quay where there is a small two-masted schooner docked, with its captain on the quayside, waiting for them.

He greets Jihx and the Ambassadors as they climb down from the coach, and tells them that the ship they are about to travel on in the HMS 'Flying Fish'. They board the HMS Flying Fish, the crew efficiently casts off, and they sail out of the Amber Harbour towards Cormorant Island.

The weather seems ideal for sailing, and the HMS Flying Fish makes good time to Cormorant Island. It is the largest of the various Islands of the Sun, which make a small archipelago a few miles north-east of Amber, and also the closest of the Islands to Amber itself. It is some four hundred metres long and three hundred side, its sides rising steeply out of the sea (to the extent that, from looking at it, the tide never reaches the top) to form a fairly flat top rising, at most, some ten metres above the sea. Apart from a few salt-resistant plants scattered here and there, the island appears barren. The HMS Flying Fish sails around the island until, on the land-ward side, a small quay and set of steps appear, carved into the rock of the island.

The HMS Flying Fish docks at the quay, and Jihx, Mnemosyne and Telemachus disembark and climb up the steps. From the top the island looks much as it did from the sea - rocky and barren. From up there they can see Mount Kolvir and the city of Amber looming from the sea some five miles away. There is a lighthouse visible quite close by, on the Island of the Sun that is furthest from the shore. Far away to the south Jihx sees the huge Lighthouse of Cabra protruding from the sea.

The two Chaosites wander about the island, examining it. Telemachus seems to be concentrating, staring into space. Jihx notices that small blood-red dragonfly-like creatures are appearing from the arms of Mnemosyne's robes and flying off around the island. When Jihx asks, she tells him that they are Blood Creatures.

After several hours the dragonflies all return to Mnemosyne and vanish back into the sleeves of her robe. Telemachus rejoins them, and he and Mnemosyne tell Jihx that Cormorant Island is pleasant and acceptable to them. However, Telemachus recommends additional fortifications (to any that might be built) in some areas of the Island.

Mnemosyne tells Jihx that they will, with the permission of Amber, ask some other Chaosites, of the Builder Coterie, to come here to assist with the construction of the Embassy.

By now the captain of the HMS Flying Fish has set up a picnic, with a large folding table, a windbreak, chairs, and lots of food. He invites them all to sit and eat. This they do.


In Amber, Whippoorwill meets up with the heads of houses Chantris, Feldane, Rein, Cumbernain and Achnia. He tells them that they are all potential electors in the forthcoming Amber elections, and asks for their agreement to participate, following an explanation of how it will all work.

Once they have mulled this over, they all nod in understanding, and all accept the votes they have been given.

Then Lord Chantris, who seems to be acting as a spokesman, asks about the other noble houses of Amber.

Whippoorwill tells them that this is the first step, and that possibly other houses will be included at the next election, or votes may be given to houses as rewards.

They seem satisfied with this, and leave, talking to one another.

Whippoorwill then pulls out his Trump of Jihx, and concentrates on it.


In Thinwhistle, Godofos continues to train his troops. Realising that this is going to take some time, he first trains up a few special forces by moving them through shadow and enhancing them as he goes, then uses them to train the others.

When he disappears with them, and returns with them being that much more powerful there are, again, more whispers of his possessing demonic powers, and having done something horrible to the changed troops. Godofos does not mind, considering it a good thing for a ruler to be feared, but not for them to be hated.


On Cormorant Island, Jihx, the Chaos Ambassadors and the captain of the HMS Flying Fish are just finishing their picnic when Jihx feels a Trump contact coming on. He identifies the caller as Whippoorwill, and accepts the link.

Whippoorwill asks him about his position in the forthcoming election. Will effectively be an Amberite, and thus eligible to vote, or a Rebman, and not?

Jihx tells him that he is a citizen of Rebma at present. He also tells Whippoorwill about Jim, how he is getting on, and his present position.

Whippoorwill thanks him, and the Trump link is dropped.


Meanwhile, Caitlin Trumps back to Amber with a desire to visit the Primal Pattern. She leaves the Castle and heads up around the side of Mount Kolvir, following the route we took there many years ago.

As before, as she goes the sky and ground become textured, as if painted on, then suddenly everything changes, and it seems as if things around her are vast then as if she has become paper-thin from side to side, and perspective changes so that it seems the horizon is right in front of her. There is another change, and the sky goes black, the ground glows, and everyone and everything becomes transparent, the light gleaming through them from below. Then everything goes brilliant (but non-blinding) white, then absolute black. Before long, the black clears and Caitlin is moving along a rocky surface with a deeply blue sky and a huge golden sun overhead, both them and the landscape highly textured, looking almost painted on. There is a huge silence. Ahead of her the rock drops into an oval depression, and beyond, where the rocky area drops away, can be seen the sea, which glitters in the sun, and seems to be moving far too slowly to support the waves it carries. It is impossible to see where the sea joins the sky. Caitlin moves to the edge of the depression, and looks down. Below there is a pink and gold Pattern burning within the rock on the floor of the depression, and as before the headless skeleton of a dragon-like creature to one side, with the skull nearby. A metal collar is around the headless neck, and a chain leads off out of sight. A track leads down the rocky slope of the depression to its floor, and down this Caitlin goes.

Reaching the side of the Primal Pattern, Caitlin sits down and begins to study it.

After a while Caitlin sense that it is different from all of the other Patterns she has seen. It is even more Real than them, and in it she can see elements of the Amber and Rebma Patterns. However, she can see nothing that looks like Corwin's Pattern. Hmmm...


From Amber, Whippoorwill goes to The Hospital to check up on Jim. On his way to see Jim he passes the hospital gift shop and buys a 'study box' for him, containing a large (thirty centimetres long) caterpillar with some vegetation for it to live on. As this grows, pupates, and turns into a butterfly, Whippoorwill hopes Jim will learn something about himself.

Reaching the XPP ward, he finds that Jim is pacing the room in an unhappy way.

The doctors tell him that Jim is not answering the Trump call.

Jim head-butts the door in a frustrated manner.


Godofos meanwhile leaves his rock-hard troops in shadow Thinwhistle to train up the others.

He goes off into shadow, finds breeding stocks of potatoes and tobacco, and returns with them to Thinwhistle, where he sets about introducing them to the populace.

The potatoes go down well, but when he has some of his nobles smoke the tobacco, in pipes, one older man coughs and coughs, then keels over and dies. Strangely enough, tobacco does not catch on in Thinwhistle.

After this he decides to go back to Amber, and with a lot of effort opens a Trump link and steps through.

After being let out of the Arrival Courtyard, Godofos questions some of the Castle servants about the election. However, he finds that they servants are not interested in the election as it will make no difference to their lives.

Instead, he wanders off to talk to the candidates, and see if he can get anything out of them in return for his support.

He goes to see Vialle first. She tells him that she brings her great experience of running Amber with Gerard to the post, with the assistance of Random and Martin, and would like to fill all the posts left open after Etienne's invasion. Presumably with those who support her...

He thanks Vialle for her time and goes to see Bleys. Bleys appears pleased to see him, and greets Godofos as his son, clapping him on the shoulder. Godofos claps him on the shoulder in return and almost knocks him over. It seems that he is stronger than his father. Bleys tells Godofos that he expects Godofos to vote for him, and that he has so far got the votes of Fiona, Julian and Llewella. Godofos is dubious about this, but does not immediately challenge him. Bleys also tells Godofos that there are vacant offices that need to be filled.

Godofos then goes to see Julian. Julian tells him that he should be King as he will rule Amber with a strong hand, with faith in and the blessing of the Unicorn. Godofos congratulates him in attempting to kill Bleys. Julian tells Godofos that he will not be voting for Bleys. Godofos tells him he will also not vote for Bleys. Julian looks pleased at this. He reiterates that he will be a strong king and will, if elected, introduce both incentives and penalties to prevent family infighting in the future. He will also do his best to expand the power of Amber out into shadow and protect it that way, also. However, he says that, at present, he can only claim Caine's vote.

Godofos then goes to see Florimel. When asked, she tells Godofos that Amber needs a face-lift and would, if elected, redecorate. She tells him that she would delegate many of the important tasks, such as defence to others, as she does not really understand them. Hmmm... Godofos compliments her and then leaves.


Elsewhere, Caitlin, having learnt all that she can from observation alone, decides to walk the Primal Pattern, and steps onto the glowing gold-pink line. As she proceeds around she finds the Primal Pattern more difficult to assay than either the Amber or Rebma Patterns.


At The Hospital, Whippoorwill decides to take Jim for a walk around its walled grounds. Jim is quite happy to be led there. By now he has learned how to say "Jim", and to make a rather mangled attempt at "Whippoorwill".

Whippoorwill has van deliver lots of food delivered to the gardens, to see what Jim likes and, perhaps, sate his appetite. Jim approaches the nearest pile of food - ice cream - and sticks his head (or at least his front) into it. However, he quickly backs off making little distressed noises. Perhaps he doesn't like the cold? Whippoorwill demonstrates that it is good by eating some.

Jim watches him do this, but still doesn't try any ice cream. Instead he goes to the next pile of food - chocolate. He tries this, and absorbs it all. Jim then tries all the food, and eats - or absorbs - everything but the ice cream, becoming considerably larger in the process.

Whippoorwill thinks that perhaps Jim needs to learn more about bodily functions, otherwise he will just grow forever. He brings out a horse, shows it to Jim and shows him it shitting on the grass.

Jim does not seem to get it. He ambles over, scaring the horse away, and eats the horse shit shows no signs of developing bodily functions.

By now Jim is the size of a brontosaurus.

Whippoorwill considers what to do with Jim now. After a little though he leads him off through shadow to a jungle world where in a clearing there is a school which can teach him more of how to be human, stop absorbing everything in sight and so on. The teachers will be defended behind glass.

As Whippoorwill leads Jim through the forest Jim absorbs more and more of the trees and so on, doubling in size once again. Coming out into the clearing, he approaches the school, then starts to absorb it. Despite the best efforts of the ice cream cannons mounted on the roof he carries on absorbing it.

As the school is absorbed around them the teachers try to escape, running out of the back door. However, Jim sees this, and catches each of them with a tentacle, which begins to merge with them, sinking in the teachers' bodies.

Whippoorwill wants to stop this, and tries to contact Jim by Trump. Jim's mind is weaker than him, and he gradually manages to force through the Jim's mental defences of Jim, but not before the teachers are half absorbed by him.

Having made contact, Whippoorwill tries to stop Jim and teach him that this is a bad thing he is doing.

Jim is confused, as if does not understand the distinction between food and people.

Whippoorwill tries to pull on the teachers out and explain that they are not food.


In Amber, Godofos hangs about, occasionally popping back to Thinwhistle to keep an eye of things there.


Having seen the Chaos Ambassadors back to Amber, Jihx then returns to The Hospital and tries to find Jim.

He quickly discovers that Jim is not there, but that there is a large pile of melting ice cream on the lawn, and signs of something very big having been there. He can also sense that someone has moved off through shadow from here.

Jihx follows the path through shadow to a jungle world, where he finds Jim and Whippoorwill, struggling over the teachers.

Whippoorwill tells Jihx what he is trying to do.

Jihx joins the Trump link and psychically attacks Jim, sending pain down the link.

Jim is sad and confused about why they are being so nasty to him. He gives the impression of still wanting food.

Jihx tries to explain to Jim that people are not food.


Caitlin meanwhile is walking the Primal Pattern. Pinkish-gold sparks rise up about her as she makes her way around it. She pushes through the First Veils, and begins to again relive her history. She struggles on, pushing through the Second Veil, sparks rising higher and higher as she goes, on and on. It is very hard, but eventually she pushes herself through the Third Veil and collapses unconscious in the middle of the Primal Pattern.

When she regains consciousness, she finds that she feels more Real, and gets the impression that her Primal Pattern imprint cannot be overwritten by those of Amber or Rebma. She also no longer has the blurry psychic aura she had been developing since eating the apple from Tir-Na Nog'th which Deirdre gave her.

She teleports from the centre of the Pattern to her bed, and instantly falls asleep.


In the jungle shadow, Jim drops two of the teachers but remains partly merged with the last one. He is very confused.

Jihx loses patience and chops the tentacle holding the last teacher off Jim. The teacher falls, but remains partly merged with that tentacle.

Jim is very upset.

Whippoorwill tries to explain to Jim what a person is.

Jim grows a head on another tentacle and complains about Jihx chopping off his tentacle.

Whippoorwill asks if he can put the man back together.

"I can," says Jim. He says that he can do this because he has now read the man's brain and understands how language and the human body work. Jim can still make farting noises too, though. He says that he couldn't merge with Caitlin as her mind was two strong, and that he does not need to eat any more. Or at least for the moment.

Jihx suggests that it would be better if he was smaller than his current blue whale size.

Jim breaks down into several pieces. One is human and seems to be a rather androgynous person whose appearance is a mix of all four of us. The other parts become animals that wander off into the jungle.

He tells us that he now understands that he shouldn't absorb people.

Jihx and Whippoorwill suggest that he goes to school, to learn more of the world and how to be human.

Jim agrees that this is a good idea, so Jihx Trumps him off to school in shadow Ahnel, one of the places where Jihx's children were raised.

With Jihx and Jim gone, Whippoorwill Trumps to Amber.


The two Chaos Ambassadors talk to Prince Regent Random, and get permission to bring assistance from Chaos to help with the construction, from members of the Builder Coterie.

Whippoorwill offers the assistance of various Amber craftsmen to 'assist'. The Chaosites turn down this offer, but Whippoorwill has them turn up anyway, to learn, and spy on the Chaosites. However, the Builders seem quite adept at working in such a way that what they are doing is kept secret from anyone watching, and the Amber craftsmen learn little, other than what they can learn from examining the finished work.

The Chaos Embassy seems to be shaping up into a well-defended, but also quite luxurious fortified manor house, with gardens of rock and salt-resistant plants, and a wall running around the entire island, which is now renamed Embassy Island.


As the construction continues Queen Moire is introduced to the Chaosites, and arrangements for them to act as the Chaos Ambassadors to both Amber and Rebma are finalised.


Moire and Jihx also spend some time together. Moire is very happy that Jihx has declared himself a Rebman rather than an Amberite.


Time passes. The four nominees for ruler of Amber go around trying to drum up support for their various causes. Vialle is campaigning under a ticket which basically involves maintaining the status quo. Bleys is doing likewise, though with some variation from Vialle's campaign. Flora is also campaigning for what is basically the status quo, though also with lots of redecorating. Julian is campaigning for a stronger Amber, with tighter controls of many things to avoid the problems that Amber has had in the recent past.

For his own reasons, Godofos canvasses support for Julian. Thanks to his efforts, Houses Chantris, Feldane and Rein agree to vote for Julian. Vialle seems to have a good deal of support from the Family. Bleys rather less, and Flora essentially none at all.

Similar canvassing also takes place in Rebma, as their elections are also quite soon.


In Amber, Caitlin wakes up from walking the Primal Pattern to find that the blurriness in her psychic aura has returned, though at a reduced level.

As she gets up, a pigeon of desire arrives from Whippoorwill asking her for her allegiance in the upcoming elections. She contacts Whippoorwill and declares herself for Amber.


Whippoorwill gets no replies from the Skyrie and Arun on this subject. However, Lillian and Finndo Junior also declare themselves for Amber.


A few days later, Tir-Na Nog'th appears in the sky over Amber as the sun sets on the first day of the full moon. Caitlin goes up to Tir-Na Nog'th for a visit.

She quite quickly find the Tir-Na Nog'th throne room, and sees Osric, Selene and Gilgamesh there. Osric clutches his equivalent of the Jewel of Judgement - the Heart of Dreams - power flows from it, drawing Caitlin into the vision-world of Tir-Na Nog'th.

She tells them everything that has happened since last they spoke. They listen interestedly, asking pertinent questions at relevant points.

After this, she and Deirdre walk, and talk privately again. Deirdre gives her another apple, which she eats. And as dawn rises over Amber, she leaves.


And Election Day finally arrives. The polling station is set up in Amber, next to the Pattern, to avoid anyone trying any jiggery-pokery. The various observers are acting as if they were neutral even if they aren't really.

Whippoorwill votes for Vialle. Godofos votes for Julian. Jihx doesn't get a vote, having declared himself a Rebman. Caitlin also votes for Julian. And when the votes are counted, it is found that:

Which means that Julian is now the elected King of Amber.

Many people, particularly in the Vialle group, are surprised and disappointed by this result. This does not stop Julian quickly being crowned, and the result announced to Amber as a whole. Shortly after his coronation, King Julian is initiated into the power of the Jewel of Judgement by Random.

Following Julian's coronation, a week-long celebration party is held in Amber.

As one of his first acts as King, Julian makes some appointments:


Soon after the Amber election, the Rebman election is held.

To the surprise of few, Moire is elected as Queen of Rebma, ensuring continuity of rule there. With his approval, she appoints Jihx as the new Rebman Ambassador to Amber. She also appoints one of her nobles to the position of Ambassador to the Courts of Chaos, with Connor and Nemain as part-time assistant Ambassadors.


And Amber begins to adjust to its new regime...


Not too long after the election in Amber, Etienne finds that she is receiving a visit from her mother, the Princess Fiona of Amber.

"Honour thy father and thy mother" sayeth the Lord, so Etienne accords her every courtesy, and offers her a fancy title, 'Empress Mother of the Kingdom of Eden', to be given at a crowning ceremony involving lavish pomp and ceremony. Fiona will be given a pretty palace (Schloss Neuschwanstein) to live in, as well as servants and guards. There is an open invitation for Fiona to visit as often as she likes, and to stay as long as she likes.

However, believing that all Amberites eventually go mad, and being concerned that Fiona must be very powerful, Etienne and God intend to watch Fiona like a hawk whenever she is in residence.


Etienne is also concerned about the regime change in Amber. She will gently grill her visitor for information:


Etienne is assuming that Fiona will not be receptive to the idea of embracing God and Christianity, but is alert to any signs that this might not be the case and that she might be willing to be Saved. However, Fiona shows no signs of embracing Christianity.

Fiona thanks Etienne kindly for her hospitality, and asks to be shown around Gods Garden.

She does not immediately show any signs of madness, though she also does not treat Etienne in a very mother-to-daughter fashion. More like teacher-to-perhaps-promising-student. That being so, Etienne is quite happy to learn any new stuff from Fiona that isn't entirely blasphemous. Fiona teaches Etienne a few tricks and hints with Advanced Pattern which gives her a bit more effective control. She also has a few lessons in mind-strengthening exercises that she teaches to Etienne.

And there are a few times neither Etienne nor God simply cannot watch what she is doing...


Etienne arranges a full tour of Gods Garden for her mother. This includes:

Fiona observes everything interestedly, and asks pertinent questions now and again. She does not show much of a negative reaction to Hell, just a bit of distaste. She is polite to God.


Session 4.19   Index   Session 5.1

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