Well, after a pleasant dinner with Samiel, events were, as is normal, pressing. So I returned to Amber to chat with Gabriel regarding my assaying of the Pattern as quickly as possible.
She gave me some interesting insights into how it is done, and then we went to practise in one of the Amber courtyards.
It was interesting, how many times that courtyard must have been used for this kind of pre-Pattern practise. The assaying of the Pattern in our blood. Sufficient, with sufficient power being used, to leave an indelible imprint in the courtyard itself, perceptible to the Aleph Sight.
'Walking the Pattern' there by focussing on the Pattern in ones blood was certainly quite interesting as well. Not as stressful as staring into the Eye of Aleph, but enough so to make me suspect that the real thing may be as tiring as that.
I did not let Gabriel know that her corrective strokes to me legs, to guide me successfully around the 'Pattern' there, while I felt them, were totally blunted by the protection provided by my bracer. I did not think it ... relevant. And I did, after all, get the message.
Though I cannot help but think that, come the time to walk the real Pattern, I will not be quite as hindered as some. I think the Aleph will allow me to see the life-giving path of the Pattern regardless of the sparks and light it may generate. However, taking precautions just in case that should not be so, is, I think, the sensible approach...
But still, I will require the permission of King Random before I am allowed to actually walk the Pattern. How easy that will be to obtain we will just have to see. Not too much so, I would hope...
One thing that did arise from the practise session with the Pattern in my blood is that I appear to have no Logrus 'taint' to hinder my accessing the Pattern within me. Gabriel and Raphiel warned me regarding such, that it might make it harder to assay the Pattern. But there seems to be no such within me.
I assume this is because father had had no deep contact with Chaos when Iliskos and myself were conceived...
With Pattern practise complete, we - myself, Gabriel and Raphael - moved into the Castle to where there would allegedly be refreshments and the opportunity to eavesdrop on a meeting. Matters turned out rather differently from this, however.
Many, many people were there - Bleys, Benedict, Gerard, Flora, Corwin, Malanka, Bethalinda, Anubis, Random, Finndo, Eric, Iliskos, Venus, Iris - and as many I did not know, later introduced as Tyek, Mefestis, Delwin, Sands, Chronos, Cedric and Finndo. Many previously ... lost ... relatives - children and siblings - of Oberon. Including Mefestis, the former ruler of Sol'na Reg'th, the realm of the Fire Pattern.
The fact that he was there with Finndo, who was introduced by Benedict, his full brother, as the 'breaker of the Fire Pattern', certainly tends to imply, to me, that Mefestis did not entirely object to the actions of Finndo in damaging or changing the Fire Pattern. Or that he has, at least, forgiven him for them...
But anyway. Essentially the first thing discussed was the fact that, it seems, everything rides upon just four of us, out of everyone. Myself, Iliskos, Iris and, alas, Venus. Everyone else in the entire universe is of, it seems, lesser importance.
The reason for this?
The universe is, so we are told, a computer game. We four are the characters within that game played by the people using their computers to take part in that game - in my case the mysterious 'Tony' - while the entire rest of the universe is run and controlled by a person named Jason. To whom some of the people here - such as Kyre - have been linked since he was ten years old.
To be perfectly honest, this is information I could well have lived without knowing. Lived forever.
To prove his point, this 'Jason' possessed, or directly too over, Chronos, and spoke through him. A rather strange experience, to say the least, as he changed so utterly. To something beyond my abilities to fully appreciate. Something from outside everything we know.
And he told us what was to come. To arrival of the Mother and the Father. The decisions to be made. The decisions that cannot be made, such as the genocide of any of the major races, or the destruction of any of the major powers. Our role in them, and how he will be facilitating us. Or at least our 'players'. Hmm.
I cannot help but be more than a little dubious of all this, but we shall, I suppose, have to see.
Learning that one is a puppet in a game manipulated at the whim of some distant game-player hardly motivated me, at least, to give my all for the future of the universe and all of its inhabitants.
Of course, how much of this is the reaction of this 'Tony' and his opinion on the current progress of the game I do not know...
But regardless, it has been pointed out that matters are still pressing. Even if a game to others, the universe is not so to us. So we continue.
With some help from Venus we have persuaded everyone present that an exchange of information, on both matters pertaining to the current crisis and to each other is in order. And this has begun with myself.
I wonder how forthcoming the others will be, in reality? As was pointed out, Amber's long history of internal conflict and mistrust may be a rather large stumbling block in our way...
Venus was her usual self pitying, whiny and irritating self, still as un-likeable as ever. Only now she has the added bonus of speaking in an incredibly obscure and elliptical manner that means that one has to think about what she is saying rather than letting it wash over one, as was the case before. A most unwelcome development...
To be honest, upon consideration I must admit that, from what I am seeing, I am rather concerned regarding Venus. I am putting up with her, pandering to her even, for the sake of co-operation in the current crisis. As hard as that is. And as little, apparently, as she appreciates it.
Unlike Iris. Who is, I think, unimpressed with Venus to say the least. A point of view I quite understand.
But still, I am concerned. Not contemptuous of her; she seems to be below that, a person to pity, not hate. But a pale shadow of what she should be. A neurotic child, rather than a Princess of Amber.
I wonder why that is? And what, if anything, is to be done about it? I stand by my assessment that getting her out of Amber, getting her a life of some kind, is the way forward. Precisely how this might be achieved though? Were I a nastier, and more manipulative person, I would let her own views, her seeming near-desire for self-imposed exile do the job. And it might be all for the best. But then what? And what of the universe if she is one of the keys to its future shape?
No. Best to keep her close by, for now. Despite her problems, and her whining, and the sheer irritation she provokes...