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Back to the diary entry for A Night At The Theatre.
Chaos is certainly a fascinating place. I wish we had had more time to explore it ... and for Khortez and I to visit the Abyss, our mothers last resting place. But such was not to be.
When Morgalyn came to me, saying his (and my!) little cousin, Rebecca, had been kidnapped by Brady, and asking for my help in saving her, how could I refuse? Morgalyn's request seemed sincere, and while I had never met Rebecca she is still a child, and family, and Morgalyn obviously cared for her. So I helped him, as I hope he would help me under similar circumstances. A pity the ending turned out to be so much ... under a cloud.
With the help of the King we arranged an expedition to Chaos; I never knew Random had a sister, and that she was Ambassador there. Whatever, she was very helpful. I was almost shocked when I was put in charge of our expedition. That's much more Zenobia's kind of thing. Am I getting too responsible in my old age? I even had to refrain from carousing quite as much as I might, because I was supposed to be in charge, and that was depressing!
What has happened to Tony recently? He seems to have turned from fairly open and naive to far more cynical and sceptical. I wonder why? I hope it isn't simply exposure to the rest of us which has wrought this unpleasant change on him.
When it all went horribly wrong, we discovered Brady actually knew nothing of the kidnapping of Rebecca, and we were all arrested by the King of Chaos' guards, they disarmed us all. When they took Curetana, I realised how much I treasured it, as my only link to, and relic of, mother. I don't know what I would have done if they hadn't arranged for its return after our release. Something stupid I suspect. I can't believe that Tony just fled when things started to go wrong, before anything irrevocable had been done. What was he thinking? Does he have no family loyalty, or concern for a kidnapped child, at all?
I was surprised, and impressed, when the King of Chaos let Morgalyn out of jail to save Rebecca before his death-duel with the representative of House Caradoc. And with Morgalyn taking responsibility, completely voluntarily as far as I could tell, for what had happened. I wonder if I would have the courage to do as much under similar circumstances?
When it finally came to recovering Rebecca, I was quite surprised that Sallaghmour and Arran agreed to assist Morgalyn. Not at all what I would have expected from them. I wonder why they did it? And Arran is a Trump Artist. I didn't realise that. Something to keep in mind for future reference, I think.
I know that Morgalyn and I have not always seen eye-to-eye, particularly after the little incident last year, when he discovered his true parentage. But he is still a cousin, and, it now becomes apparent, a worthy man who stands by his family, no matter what. When he asked me to be his second for his duel with Deakin, the representative of House Caradoc, I was so choked up with emotion that I couldn't speak - unusual indeed for me! I hated seeing a cousin in such mortal peril, and being unable to help him. Deakin obviously outmatched him, but despite this Morgalyn fought honourably, much more so than I might have done. The frustration and, yes, I admit it, fear for him were almost unbearable. If the circumstances had been anything other than what they were, nothing would have stopped me from trying to assist him.
I was so relieved when Deakin refrained from killing Morgalyn. I can't think why he did it. He obviously enjoyed slicing up Morgalyn, and it came as a surprise when he was allowed to live.
I was quite surprised when Morgalyn chose me as his second. But when I asked him, later in the infirmary, why he had done so, and he replied "Because you care, and because you're a friend," I realised that he had the right of it. I found it quite shocking to realise that perhaps I'm not really the hardened and cynical bitch-queen I thought I was. I realise I give the others of our generation a hard time now and again, but that's just to keep them on their toes. I still care about them - they are family after all. I wonder if the same could be said of the likes of Sallaghmour or Arran? Thinking about it, considering the others of us who were there, only Khortez stands out as an obvious alternative choice for second, and presumably Morgalyn had his reasons for not choosing him...
Maybe, because of what Morgalyn did, I even understand, a little, the chivalric ideals they tried to instil in me on Praxis. After all these years, that is a shock!
In the aftermath, it appears, by the dagger which ended up embedded in Morgalyn, that this whole incident was either the latest part of a very long-running vendetta between Delwin and Caine, or an attempt by someone else to restart that vendetta. I hope it doesn't rekindle their enmity, but I fear that it will. It's such a pity Morgalyn had to learn about this now, especially as the cause of the vendetta was Caines killing of two other sons of Delwin, which I think he never knew about. Knowing Morgalyns temperament, I can't help feeling nothing good will come of this. What a stupid idea vendettas are!
It was bad enough that a child like Rebecca was used as a pawn by whoever was responsible, but her throat being cut as a last vindictive touch was wholly beyond contempt. I would never countenance such an act, not even as Malachite. At least Khortez, Delwin and I were able, together, to save her. Sometimes the machinations of the family make my games on Gotham seem very much like a child's picnic, alas.
I just hope that we will be able to return to Chaos in the future, when this ... incident has blown over.
On to the diary entry for A Matter Of Security.