Well, at least the waiting is over now. I have a promise of training in swordsmanship from Simon and am now to be his third in his duel with Darien tomorrow. Fine. Legion is still an arse. No surprises there. Xandra, surprisingly, appears to know a lot about swords.
I do wonder what Simon is doing when his attention is elsewhere, though. Presumably it is another power of which I currently know nothing, much like the way he disappeared just before we had to rescue him.
And now we have an hour to wait for Rayner. The gods only know what could happen in that time given how quickly things changes in Rune's office. We shall, I suppose, have to see.
I wonder why Rayner did not wish Simon to come with the rest of us?
We have been requested to fill the time waiting for Rayner by talking with the Chaosites Rankin and Tamora. Rankin has said little. Tamora has another message, this time for myself and Crystal. Now we both have sick relatives in Chaos who only we can save. In Crystal's case it is apparently her father. Who my relative is, Mandor has, allegedly, not told Tamora. One assumes that this is on the assumption that a display of petty vindictiveness will impress me so such I will instantly rush to Chaos to discover their identity.
As with our previous conversation, this time Tamora has no evidence to support her words. Nothing other than Mandor's request for our presence. I almost feel pity for her and Mandor. But to be honest any pity is overshadowed by something else. Contempt. How difficult would it be to release a convincing modicum of information? Or concoct a convincing lie? But no. Either Mandor continues to hold us in such contempt as to think it unnecessary, or is so fixed in his ways as to be unable to consider that something beyond the way he behaves in Chaos may be necessary in this case.
It is even possible that he is acting out of friendly motives towards us, but at this point I cannot help but think that irrelevant, given his apparent attitude.
What will you do if Tamora fails to bring myself and Crystal back this time, Mandor? Who else will suddenly acquire a sick relative in Chaos? Xandra? Legion? Who?
I take that Mandor, and Tamora, expect me - us - to put family over all, including out gods-given common sense. Wrong. Blood family is irrelevant, to me at least. The ties of friendship are what I consider important. When will theyr realise that? I already have no faith in Llewella, who I have, at least, met. Do they think I hold the Chaos half of my blood, who I have never met, and who also left me in Timashkurabad, in any higher regard? Do you think I play to the same idiotic rules as you?
Not that I have any intrinsic objection to assisting those of Chaos who are related to me. I simply object to Mandor attempting to blackmail me into doing so when, to be honest, there is no objective evidence at all that they require my assistance. Only words, from someone I feel less and less inclined to trust.
It would appear that Tamora is one of those people for whom everyone is either an friend (for her this probably equates to those who do what she says) or an enemy (everyone else) with no shades of grey in between those two extremes. How very ... childish.
Unfortunately, though, Tamora's 'message' appears to be having its desired effect on Crystal. She appears to value this father she, from her words, does not know and has never met, to the point of weeping at the mere mention of his existence. The very possibility of meeting him.
I hope this does not bode what I think it may. That is, her doing what Tamora wants. Mandor's bidding. Going to Chaos. I just hope my and Xandra's words can convince her to wait for more information.
And now Tamora resorts to schoolyard taunts rather than answering properly. One imagines that this is because she cannot. In addition, she makes the standard self-justifying reason of the honour-ridden for avoiding the disgrace she claimed she would be covered in after failing in the delivery of her last message.
Perhaps I am not the only one to find Tamora irritating. I certainly did not expect Xandra to react so annoyedly to her words. But I agree with her. Perhaps asking Mandor to come here would resolve matters. Certainly there would be no reason to talk to the monkey were the organ grinder himself present. And perhaps Mandor will feel free to 'reward' Tamora for the sterling job of persuading us to come to Chaos she is doing.
It comes as no great surprise that Darien has been, so Rankin says, disowned by the Hendrakes and his post as the Hendrake's ... ambassador ... given to Rankin himself. For all his apparent affiliation to Legion, Rankin does seem to be the most sensible of all the Chaosites I have so far met.
And should we ever need to go to Chaos his offer of assistance while there may prove to be useful...