Hannah looks at her fellow doctor. "Doctor, I'm going to put him up facing outward. Just give me a check that everything looks good, he's not falling out... you know. Baby safety." She slips the cradleboard on her back, the white raven now obscured behind her hair. "He should be sleepy."
Kyril examines the child with interest and care, doing everything that's reasonable under the circumstances with the technology they have available before walking around to face Hannah and pronouncing him perfectly fit. "It's probably better he stayed on your back. Unless we end up in a fight ourselves, he's safer with you."
Solange takes up watch while Kyril is examining the infant so the group is not left unguarded.
Hannah nods at him. "Thank you for saying that Kyril. I feel a little silly. I would have left him with my mothers or father, or even my sister," a fond and somewhat grieving smile passes by, "for a few hours, even this soon, and not thought twice on it. But there would not have been trumps to go through and... whathaveyou at the palace." She turns to look at him. "Have I told you about the 'curse' on the women of my mother's line?"
Her eyes flick to Solange and she says more quietly, "Well, maybe I shouldn't, but if you're re-entering negotiations with my sister, the two of you should talk about it." She looks back at Kyril and shrugs.
Kyril looks her in the eye. "I'm my own man, and serve the King. And Solange and I haven't really talked since her exile was lifted, so I can't say I know if we are 'negotiating', if that's what you're calling it nowadays." He pauses for a beat. "Tell me about this family curse."
"Well, I'm wanting to test it, of course, but that'll take some time. Prince Gerard's mother died giving birth, or shortly after... I'm not sure...to her third child, who was our mother. Our mother, I think, lived awhile after whichever of us was the third, but she was worn out. I think it was Solange was the last, based on visions. Anyway, I think the curse is feeling compelled to have the children, and I think it was linked to the world where she ruled as a goddess, sacrificed men, because... the nature of the place, I guess.... that the children would then be pulled into the cycle again. But the world is broken and abandoned, and I feel no compulsion toward children or that place or the bloodletting of men." She grins. "It doesn't make sense to me. But to have such a connection to a place twisted in such a way would be nothing but a curse. If it does... turn out to be an inheritable genetic trait, then my sisters and I will have to unravel how it ended up with this nature and figure out how to undo it. But I suspect Robin already did that on her own.
"Does that clarify anything for you?" she asks.
Kyril shakes his head, and smiles. "I already knew that your lives were insanely complicated compared to mine, and I wandered from a war zone to space alien fantasy land. I have between zero and negative experience applying scientific principles to ancient family curses. I've seen women who wanted children badly enough that they risked their health or even their lives to have them.
"How do you intend to test your curse? Or should I say 'How do you plan to do so in a way that doesn't put yourself or your sisters at risk?'"
Hannah smiles slowly, laying out tarps and packages to attempt to set up a sterile surgery. "Just myself. How else would you test it?"
"When Pacifica was trying to fight what I later found out was a cross-shadow war, we developed a bomb. Now, about half of our scientists thought there was a possibility that the bomb would, when tested, ignite the atmosphere. They lost the argument, and it turns out that it didn't ignite the atmosphere.
"But the point is, if you only have one atmosphere, or yourself, it's usually best to keep planning your tests until you come up with a version that isn't fatal if it fails. We don't want your kid being bereft of a parent just yet. Especially as his father seems to be the 'rides to war' type."
"Not just yet. Since I have the potential to be very long-lived, I thought I'd wait until he was grown to have another. Since, it appears, one may have a thousand year old child and also a... young one, if one is careful enough. It's hard to think about on that scale, so for now, the time will wait until the little tiger is an adult. Beside which, it sounds like I'm going to be busy enough trying to keep his father from trying to teach him 'everything'.
"I just mentioned the curse because, well, I'm the steady sister." She raises her eyebrows at him.
Kyril raises an eyebrow. "And the others are..."
Hannah glances at Solange, smiles, and looks back at Kyril. "This one lets her heart lead. Usually, that is the best way to be. But when her heart shows her a way, she can be impossible to move from it, regardless of the consequences. Robin is much more instinctual and more in touch with the animal world, which means she is a creator but also quicker to violence. We're all stubborn as they come, of course."
He keeps his eyebrow up, but it's mostly for show, Hannah thinks. "I'll take that under advisement. I've never seen symptoms of pigheadedness in Solly, of course."
He lowers his voice. "I do worry that she'll be one day back from banishment and get banished again, but at least it'll be a group thing. I've only heard bits and pieces and I'm about the most concerned for you lot that one of the King's poker buddies can be."
Hannah nods, thinking through how to address this. "Solange should go, and if there is any risk they might use your safety to compel her obedience, you should go for your own sake. I should like to stay, one way or another. Someone has to stay. My family is here, my father and my people. If I'm here, I might be able to heal some people, at least." She reaches back to lay a hand on the cradleboard, then grins. "I used to show my new mothers how to tie babies around in front, because they could hardly stand to not be able to see them. And here I find myself reaching back to feel his breath, even though I can feel his weight and know he's there. I might have to leave this one in the woods with his grandfather, if there are any milk sisters out there."
Kyril looks over her shoulder. "Yep, still there. You're a new mother. It's understandable to want that visual and physical contact. And I should remind you that many women have difficulty with the way their bodies re-balance their hormones when they stop carrying a child. It won't have hit you yet, but just be prepared for there to be a difference between what you know as a clinician and what you experience as a patient. Doctors make the worst ones.
"But if you want to stay and you think the child is at risk, I know of a couple of women from the castle-visiting class who are near the right stage to be milk-mothers. Or you might want to ask Scarlett, Max's mother who she knows. She joined the last few poker games and seems to be in touch with the town folks."
He frowns. "I'd tell you he needed to stay with you, but we both know that that's good advice only if all other things are equal."
She nods. "I've been through one shock after another since I arrived in Amber. I will cry all I must, and I do know myself well enough to know having work to do and doing what," her mouth quirks, "I believe to be the right thing will help with the loss of control."
Half satisfied with what they've set up, she begins arming herself with medical equipment, starting with two aprons in an attempt to save the dress.
"Did you ever think about doing something other than medicine?" she asks him.
"Half my time I do things other than medicine. But everything I do is affected by my knowledge of how people work, my desire to help them, and my busybody nature that wants to tell people how to be better, so in some ways, I'm always doing medicine."
Kyril stops, as a Ranger enters the clearing. The woman looks surprised. "My Lady," she says to Hannah. "Have you seen signs of the Moonriders this far west?"
"Nope," Hannah smiles. "The Unicorn breezed through but that's it for folks I wasn't expecting. How goes the battle?"
"Passing strange, my lady. The moon riders challenged one of the Young Princes to single combat, so we were not to fight. The Unicorn graced us by interrupting the fight, and the riders gave way. We took their leader prisoner and we followed to make sure they were abiding by the rules. I had the western flank.
"Unless things change again, there will be no casualties."
"Wow," Hannah responds, rather amazed.
Martin moves into the clearing, just ahead of Edan and Folly. "There won't be any killing tonight, looks like," he says, following it with an "At ease. Against all odds, we avoided a bloodbath, but I'm not sorry we were as ready as we could be.
"Now the question is 'What do we do next?' Also, how's the kiddo?"
Hannah tilts her head. "Mine seems good. Yours is where you sent her. If we have the Marshall, I imagine we should be asking him questions." Her eyes flick back to take in Edan, and she narrows her eyes and tilts her head the other way.
Edan inclines his head slightly and crosses most of the distance to Hannah. "Not the Marshall, but his daughter, First-to-the-Fray. She basically surrendered to prevent her father from raiding Xanadu, so I understand the Marshall is now pursuing some ancient grudge against Benedict." He pauses. "Turns out she considered herself engaged to me after all, another plan of her father's. I have put that belief to rest and formally apologized in front of Riders and Family alike. We shall have to wait and see how she reacts and how the Gheneshi react."
Solange moves to stand with Hannah as well, ready to get between her and Edan if needed, but doesn't say anything.
Martin, being a married man himself, also keeps his mouth shut because he may be an idiot, but he's not that kind of idiot.
Hannah's expression turns comical as she looks at Edan with both sympathy and barely-repressed mirth. She manages to get all this under control and tells Edan, with utter sincerity, "I can't wait to meet her. It was a plan of her father's she made hers, Edan. Are you alright?"
Edan starts to shrug, then thinks better of it. "Physically, yes. Lots of Sorcery and running around for nothing. Has Amber's gossip paper moved to Xanadu yet? I can't wait to see what they say about me. I hope I can at least shoulder what they will see as a scandal and steer it away from the Order." He glances back the way they came. "Got to get them mostly out of town anyway. Things have changed. And we need to make plans for where you and the little cougar want to be."
Hannah looks about at everyone quickly, then in Martin's direction says, "Will you excuse us a moment?" She closes the space to Edan and kindly takes his elbow to steer him a little further away.
Martin nods, once, and lets Hannah draw Edan away. Solange is partway between the two groups.
She looks up at him and says, "I will stay and help Random, however I can. Can't you just send them to lose themselves in the Rangers? There is much to learn there, ways to still communicate with them, but a time delay between strange orders from the King and the ability to carry them out."
Solange waits to see whether she's wanted or not, but if she's not she stays a little nearer to Hannah and Edan than the rest of Martin's crowd so she can help Hannah if needed.
Hannah gives Solange an impatient look and shoos her off.
Edan shakes his head a little. "Some of them are going into Broceliande, yes. But we made the creation of the Lamp too public, tied it to the city and the Watch. We have to be here. And I need to stay too, be a filter between them and the King. Keep them calm. I brought them here to fight Moonriders, and now they are in a strange city with no clear enemy and even allies are questionable."
"I'm confused," she says, not looking at all confused. "A moment ago you said you needed to get most of them out of town because things had changed. I thought that meant the Order due to 'possessions'. I'm likely overextended right now, and you likely are too. Let's be careful with each other while we find the best paths. Here, take him a moment, and let me get you some water and rolls.". She slips a few knots quickly and brings the ornately beaded cradleboard around to hold out for Edan. His son is swaddled tight, just a chubby baby face visible. She starts over to one of the pile of supplies.
Edan handles it, but awkwardly. "Sorry. I probably should have said some of them, not most. There have to be enough of the Order in town to be recognized, and there are very few of us as of yet."
She nods, and hands him a canteen. "I think I understand. Tell me everything you know about the powers of the Moonriders, so we can figure out how to best protect the baby." She sits, motions for him to sit, and takes back the cradleboard so Edan can take a roll. She pushes her foot against the edge of the cradleboard to make it rock.
"There's a lot." Edan glances around. "Were we somewhere else, I'd offer to go mind-to-mind. Let's see...they can be killed. They are masters of the Principle of Time, and they can be affected by Time far more than us. Family, I mean. Their Queen, the one we think has ensorcelled Random, she did this to them in a ritual ages past. She is monstrously strong in Sorcery, and her son the Marshall is a rival to Benedict in skill.
"They have friends and allies in Chaos. I saw them riding the air, which might have been by filmy or by Sorcery. They may not have manipulation of Shadow as we do, but are proficient in following natural shadow paths. Imagine all the tricks you could do with Time. Avoid hazards, warn your earlier self of an earlier blow or mistake. Displace people and things through time. Change little things in the past or alter the future. They can do all these things."
"Sounds like a curse. They must be taught to be careful of what they change, or they could not have survived for so long. You would end up chasing your tail in circles. Here, I did this - let me go check if it worked. Oh, it didn't, I will do this other thing instead and also try to prevent this consequence of my action in the future by changing it like so... now let me go check if it worked. Oops, new strange consequence! Do they age when they go 'forward' and regain youth if they go 'back'? Time is a circle, it rolls and rolls over itself. How do they handle running into loved ones who are dead in a different time, and not warn them they must stay away from a battle, even if it means their people lose that battle? Damn," she curses, wiping tears from her eyes impatiently. "Baby tears. So you're saying their Queen... ensorcelled them in the past, and that is how they became... enlivened with the principle of time? What do you mean they're affected by Time?"
"Time magic. Time Sorcery. We are...grounded, for lack of a better word. Whatever their Queen did, I think she broke the anchor that connected them to what we think of as linear time. It would explain why they seem to be mostly immune to paradox, but I also think hurling the right Time spell at them would prove them especially vulnerable."
"So, if all you sorcerous cousins could just get together and anchor them again, we'd be on more even fighting ground. I don't understand though, how did she manage to wind up Random, on his sacred land, close to his source of power? It doesn't make sense." She keeps going, not expecting him to know the answer to that. "So how do we anchor the baby when even the King can be ensorcelled."
"Sorcerers are like artists," Edan says. "You might not be able to combine abilities if one is a cubist and another impressionist and a third art nouveau. And even if we could combine our abilities, I don't know if we could overcome Her charm." He looks away. "They won't touch the baby. They'll use him as leverage against us. And if they did something stupid, well," He turns back, and his eyes are gold. "I will do what is necessary to make things right, and probably be executed for treason. It would take them years to rebuild. I respect your choices. I doubt I could prevent you, even if I didn't want you here. But it will be very dangerous to all three of us."
"I can hear my father in my head, talking about choices. And I chose this." She looks at the baby. "I am mad you get to be a man right now and I have to be a woman. You want me to go hide somewhere while you get to do your damnest to change things. This is why I could never bring myself to have a baby. I knew..."
She looks annoyed and away, back at the half assembled field hospital, and without really looking back at Edan, says, "Give me a moment to see past my... desires.". She makes to get up and walk, leaving the baby with him.
Edan picks up the carrying board and rubs noses with his son; then he looks away. What would solve this problem? That they both leave? That Hannah stay? Use Paige and her kids in Broceliande? A guardian?
He looks back. A guardian was not impossible to arrange, if that idea would float. He takes a moment to consider the details.
Martin turns back to Folly and Kyril and says in a low voice, "I'm only getting in the middle of that if blood's about to be shed."
Solange accepts being waved off with good grace and returns to their group. "Men," she says to Folly.
Folly smiles in response, but only half-heartedly; to the extent that she's in any sort of a 'battle of the sexes' right now, it's a naked intergenerational mud-wrestling match that she's pretty sure she started.
Martin and Kyril look at each other and Kyril puts up his hands momentarily by way of surrender.
"As soon as they get things settled, we need to figure out what we're doing tomorrow, and where we're going. Which is mostly down the mountain, but--honestly I'm not sure I want any of us to sleep in the castle. Maybe down to Ash's?"
"Good plan," Folly says emphatically, glad to be on solid conversational ground again. "We're well past due for a band meeting. And I want to see how they're doing." She does not add '...since they were recently in close proximity to Random and Vialle,' but Martin at least might intuit that that is one of the things on her mind.
Martin nods once. "That's high on my list, but we also need to make sure Hannah and the child have somewhere to go. I don't think anywhere close is going to be safe for Hannah. I'd say have Corwin take her to Paris when he goes, but I'm not sure how much that will help." He puts a hand up to quell Solange, who's clearly about to protest. "They have a functioning Pattern and Corwin's not not under the influence so far as we know. And he's not under attack like Ben is."
"Yeah, but that leaves us with him," Solange reminds Martin.
"Which is why I'm not sure it'll help. I just haven't thought of anywhere better yet."
"If you're looking for a working Pattern there's also Rebma, which might suit Hannah better," Folly offers. "And I'm sure Lark would enjoy helping look after the baby... which might in turn give her a useful outlet for some of her energies." She smiles, wry but also a bit wistful. "Unless those advantages are outweighed by the possible risk of putting all our younglings in the same place."
"I'm unhappy enough about having to send Lark there without either one of us," Martin points out, but he adds, "If she'll go with, that would make it easier. She might not like it because of the water, though. Will you two go with her?" he asks Kyril and Solange.
"If she'll have me," Solange says.
"If you'll have me," Kyril says, and Solange grabs his hand.
Martin nods, once. "We'll ask her. I can't say I don't care where she goes, but I don't want to bar her, just make sure she and the child are safe. And Xanadu isn't going to be safe."
Folly nods. "It's her choice to make. At least there are some maybe- not-completely-terrible options." She tilts her head slightly in Hannah and Edan's direction: should we go talk to them now, or give them a few more minutes?
"Let's see if they're ready," Martin says, and waves to get their attention before giving Hannah and Edan a questioning look.
Edan is currently sitting alone, but he waves back to bring them over.
Hannah paces out her frustration and regions the group, looking grim but calm.
"Cousin," Martin says with courteous care, "we need to resolve our course of action, and seeing to you and your child is our first step."
"When the head makes one decision and the heart another, there is always conflict," Edan says. "We have such a case here. I believe the heart has won out. We will stay in Xanadu." Turning to Hannah, he adds, "I think I have a way this can be done. The boy needs a guardian."
"I..." Hannah is lost for words for a moment as she glances between Martin and Edan. Then she smiles at Edan and nods. To Martin she says, "I understand the danger, and if a threat manifests or even becomes too likely, I will take the baby and flee. I want to try to help your father; Edan and I were speaking of this before the festival. I don't know what yet... but the very notion of anyone corrupting his will sickens me."
Folly nods her agreement, emphatically; the situation sickens her the way a jagged tear in the fabric of the universe that is also her own viscera sickens her. "Do you have a fast path out if you need one?" she asks.
Then she adds to Edan, curiously, "And ...guardian?"
"I'll guard the baby," Solange says, "if you'll have me." She's holding Kyril's hand.
It's Edan's turn to be surprised. He looks from Solange to Kyril to Hannah and back again. "I have no objection," he says. "Though I had something more...Sorcerous in mind."
Hannah's expression softens with love. "Of course I'll have you." She quickly hugs Solange. "And I'm also interested in whatever Edan has thought of, because you and I have some of the same vulnerabilities."
"What kind of guardian do you have in mind, given the limitations of summoning one here in Xanadu?" Martin asks.
"We will hie us to a place that I have consecrated outside of Broceliande," Edan says, "a place where I can still talk to the Old Tree in the Blue Earth. A summoning will work. The problem is finding a guardian strong enough to protect and give us a warning in time. I know someone who might be willing to look after one of his people. Especially this one. Raven."
"But..." Folly looks at Martin. "Didn't you just send Raven with the Gateway team...?" she asks slowly, and then turns back to Edan and Hannah, a quizzical look on her face. It is clear from her tone and expression that she is sure she is missing something here.
Hannah is grinning. "The Raven, family namesake - le Corbeau. Also, a spirit being of the blue earth, where I come from. The Raven is known among the coastal tribes for protecting young humans, and among my people for transformation, wisdom and sometimes, mischief. I suspect he is also my father's spirit guide."
"So we're breaking up here, and you four--" Martin gestures at Edan, Hannah, Kyril, and Solange, "--plus our newcomer are going to Broceliande, and Folly and I are--" he sighs "--going to figure out what to do about Dad on our way down. Is that the plan?"
Hannah nods to this. "But let me suggest something for the two of you to consider. The King's condition is a symptom of the larger issue, which is that their queen has, with or without compliance, possessed ours. I imagine she has focused on Random and not others in addition because keeping him tame takes most of her attention. The vague descriptions I've had of Vialle's behavior changes would be indicative of dementia praecox, were it not for the powers. Still, if she doesn't understand herself possessed or controlled, she might perceive as pregnancy-related sudden mood swings, blackouts, hallucinations, and so on. And those around her might perceive this behavior as madness. Who knows what Vialle might have complied with for the promise of a pregnancy? I would assume nearly anything. So all that said, I'd give your father your hearty congratulations, and focus on trying to find a way expel their queen from ours, with the qualification that I am guessing and could be utterly wrong. I am mildly worried that swearing oaths to or for the child will tighten her grip on Random. I don't know how to get around it without getting hung, or whatever it is we do here to punish treason."
"I do not intend to swear any oaths I haven't already sworn," Folly says. "But... what powers is Vialle manifesting, besides her unexpected ability to walk the Pattern?"
She gives Martin and Folly a grim, sad grin, and shrugs. "Take care. We'll be back as soon as we can."
"We should make it back in time for the meeting," Edan says. "Even if we don't really want to. I will see you there," and offers to clasp arms.
"Take care, all of you," Folly replies as she offers hand-clasps and hugs to all.
Martin gives clasps all around before dismissing the larger group. Solange hugs Folly extra-long.
"She walked the Pattern," Hannah repeats slowly. "That, casting powerful spells, which is new to me, and the dogged belief of my sister's that she might try to possess my son instead of waiting for Vialle to come to term... and a general personality change that has the staff really afraid of her.". She shrugs. That's all she's got.
"Thanks for that," Folly says, and nods; that squares with what she's heard. "Be safe."
Martin waits until the other four members of the party are out of earshot to look at Folly and express his opinion of what's going on. "We are so fucked."
Folly drapes her arms over her head and looks up at him in agreement, apology, and wry amusement wrapped around a tight core of dread. She manages a tight-lipped smile as she observes, "Well, it's your father's realm, after all; that is so very one of his favorite default states that I almost -- ALMOST -- feel bad about trying to unfuck it."
She wisely concludes that perhaps now is not the right moment to mention the irony of her proposed method of unfucking.
She holds out a hand to Martin. "C'mon, I want to sit by the pool a minute and listen, and think. And then we should probably head into town to talk with the band."
"As good of a plan as we're going to get at this point," Martin agrees, and heads back down the mountain toward the pool with her.
They talk of nothing in particular as they move toward the pool; Martin can probably tell there are a lot of things on Folly's mind, but she is keyed up and anxious and distracted by her task.
She starts at the rock above the pool where the unicorn first made her appearance. Folly runs her fingertips lightly over the stone, feeling the minute details of its surface. As she did before with the ground near the pool, she presses first her palm and then her ear to the stone, feeling and listening for vibrations -- not the unicorn this time (she guesses), but the ambient sound of the land itself, which is also Syd.
The land has a sound-- all lands do, but most people can't hear it. It's too slow and too omnipresent to notice, like noticing water at the bottom of the ocean. Folly makes a point to really listen to it, and it sounds like Syd. Syd didn't get sick much in Texorami. Neither did Folly or Brij, for that matter. Syd had gotten food poisoning a few times from some of his least cautious dining choices. He was a lousy patient--and now the land was like that. It was fighting something unpleasant off. Folly can feel it in the way the song strains instead of soaring.
After she feels she has heard all that she can, she turns her head and presses her forehead to the stone. She whispers something that Martin can barely make out: "Hold on. I'm coming for you."
Then she moves to the pool itself. She kneels beside it and lays her palm lightly upon the surface of the water, closes her eyes, and listens in a meditative sort of state, tilting her face up toward the moon. After several long moments of stillness, she lifts her hand from the water and touches one finger to her forehead, leaving a drop of water about where her third eye would be, as if anointing herself for whatever comes next.
She takes a deep breath, opens her eyes, and looks at Martin.
If she expected to see something different about Martin, Folly may be disappointed. He looks exactly like himself, which is to say, Syd's older and more responsible brother. Also worried. "What did you get?" he asks, and the worry is in his voice, too.
"He's unwell -- but he's still himself, and he's fighting." She's also clearly worried, but her voice carries an undercurrent of hope. "Now we just need to figure out the best way to help him do that."
She gestures for Martin to bring her the boots she'd discarded just before the unicorn arrived, near where he's standing now. She brushes the dirt from the soles of her feet the best she can, pulls them on again, and gets a hand up from Martin. She keeps her hand tucked in his as they start down the mountain.
"The unicorn's appearance -- what do you think it means?" she asks, and it doesn't entirely sound like a non sequitur. "I... I've got an idea or two, but I want to hear your take first."
Martin shrugs. "I don't have a sense of What It Means for that kind of thing. That's not my part in the family band. She did stop me from going back down and putting a large set of large holes in Vialle, though, so that's what it meant to me."
Folly nods. "I asked a question, in a way, and she showed up -- but she didn't show up just for me, or even just for us." She gestures broadly with her free hand in a way Martin takes to mean the family generally. "She was there for the Moonriders as well, who also seemed to honor or at least acknowledge her. And so now I'm wondering if that's part of the answer to the question."
She hesitates, sorting her thoughts. "You know I'm always for the peaceable solution where possible -- looking for the compromise where everyone wins. But since I found out Vialle was pregnant, I've known something was wrong. And the more I find out, the worse it gets, you know, with... with people I love being violated and stripped of their free will. And it's been all I can do not to claw my way right out of my own skin and straight through someone else's throat to try to make it right, you know?" Her grip tightens on Martin's hand as she speaks; he can feel her shaking. "And then I've got cousins and at least one uncle saying, 'Under no circumstances do we let these people return to their homeland' -- but what if that's the exact wrong answer?"
She takes a couple of deep breaths, trying to calm herself, but it doesn't seem to do much good. "So... we know there's a problem with Tir, and as far as I know this is Attempt No. 2 to fix it: Arrogant, self-absorbed, solo rapey-murdery madness-inducing or at least madness-spawned Attempt No. 2. And I just--- There HAS to be a better way. I think---"
She stops walking and gently pulls Martin's hand so he's facing her. "You know, when we came here I had every intention of finding some excuse to avoid the whole fealty-swearing gathering. But now... I'm thinking I need to try to talk to the Queen. Or at least see if it's possible to talk to her, through Vialle."
"Uhhhh I'm not sure she's going to really want to talk," Martin says. "I hate to be all bloody-minded but she did murder Cambina. One of them did, anyhow, and for all that I can't stand Vialle, I'd like to think it wasn't her. That's separate from the Moonrider question. Even if they belong up there, how do we know she belongs down here?"
"That Vialle belongs here, you mean?" Folly asks, to make sure she's following him correctly. "You're right, one way or another there will be some kind of reckoning for what happened to Cambina. But I expect the shape of that reckoning will depend on whether it was an act of madness and desperation, or of clear-minded malice.
"As for Vialle," Folly continues, "my gut says she's... if not precisely innocent, really just a pawn in all this. But... whose pawn, exactly...?"
She frowns and looks up at Martin. "Just how long is your grandmother's long game, would you say?"
"Probably not as long as Grandfather's or Ben's, but pretty damn long," Martin says. "I'm not sure this is her planning, though. And, no, I didn't mean Vialle. I mean whatever's wearing Vialle. I mean, that is the supposition, right? That she's not herself any more?"
"I think... not entirely herself, might be more accurate," Folly replies. She starts down the hill again, her hand still in Martin's. "My best guess, based on the brief conversation I had with her before coming up here, and what I've gleaned from others who've been around her recently, is that Vialle is still there, but sometimes the interloper is steering the boat, as it were. And it sounds like Vialle may be unaware of those times. Either that, or Vialle has been entirely replaced by someone who does a very good imitation of her, until she doesn't."
Even though there's nobody else around to overhear, Folly lowers her voice: "My concern... my horrible suspicion... is that Vialle is still generally herself, and it's... you know, her pregnancy... that is serving as host to the outsider. Either by way of a legitimate pregnancy that has been infested somehow, or there was never any baby but our unwelcome guest is growing a new body there somehow, and she's controlling Vialle at least some of the time from there." She shudders. "Which is why all the big fuss about fealty to the new baby -- it's really fealty to HER."
"I'm not liking any of the answers I come up with for how to deal with that if it's really the problem either." Martin frowns. "So what do we do? Kidnap Dad? Because swearing to the baby is out of the question even if it's not, you know."
"My first thought, actually, was to kidnap Vialle and remove her as far from Xanadu or the other pattern realms as possible." There is an undercurrent of steely resolve in Folly's voice as she says this, the attitude of a mama bear protecting her territory and her family from an outside threat. "But," she shakes her head, "Bleys indicated that whatever enchantment your father seems to be under makes him want to return to Vialle whenever they're separated -- makes him unable to do or talk about anything else, really -- and might actually damage him if they're too far apart, or apart for too long. I think the latter is conjecture on his part, but the evidence does support the possibility. So figuring out how to... un-sorcell your father is probably the safer bet. I've... ah... got a couple of ideas for that, as I mentioned, but it will be tricky. Which is why I'm toying with trying to actually talk to the Queen as an alternate plan, which is tricky and dangerous in a different way." She looks at Martin for his thoughts.
Nothing about that pleases Martin, or at least that's what Folly intuits from the expression on his face. "What do you want to get out of talking to whoever's living in Vialle's head? Or he belly, if that's how it is?"
"Best case? We open a dialogue to understand exactly what she's trying to accomplish and -- assuming it's not directly counter to the needs and safety of Xanadu and the rest of reality -- we find a better, less mindrapey-murdery way to do it, together."
Folly looks up at the wispy moonlit clouds. "That's assuming she's trying to solve 'the problem of Tir' or something similar, and that we can find a reasonable way to do that without breaking other important things, like the universe. And by 'we' I really mean the redheads who've done enough research to have an inkling of where to start."
She lowers her gaze again. "If, on the other hand, her main goal is and always has been, 'subjugate you peasants and/or destroy this place to prove that I'm the winner,' well, at the very least perhaps we can get her to show some of her hand."
She hesitates and clears her throat. "Of course, worst-case scenario is that she doesn't like being called out and lashes out in some way."
"Here's the thing: she obviously thinks _now_ that mind-raping people and murdering people is the way to get whatever she wants. That indicates that a dialogue that fails is going to involve a lot more murdering. Assuming that Cambina didn't wreck her with a good curse, anyhow. But clearly she doesn't care enough about getting a Death Curse to let it stop her from killing Cambina. What makes you think you're not lining up for the same treatment?" Martin unballs his fist. "Especially given everything going on with you and Dad. Present and past."
Folly nods. "It's definitely a concern. But I keep trying to look at it through the lens of whatever the unicorn was trying to tell us, which I think maybe is that as long as we keep treating one another with nothing but animosity and suspicion, we will lose, on both sides. I mean, there's an argument to be made that she chose your father for this job in part because he was willing to show mercy -- even to Brand, even after what he did to you." She brings her free hand up to cover his for a moment, a protective gesture.
"Still," she acknowledges, "there's bridge-building, and then there's abandoning all sense of self-preservation. I'm willing to take on quite a bit of risk for the chance at healing and reconciliation -- and I do mean me, personally, in this situation, rather than merely in the abstract, for a whole bunch of reasons but not least because I maybe feel a tiny bit responsible for what's happened---" Martin can hear the strain of massive understatement in her voice at that last, "---but I would prefer not to be instantly murdered if I can avoid it."
She sighs and wipes her hand over her face. "Which, speaking of your dad, brings us to the other plan."
Martin doesn't sigh because he's not that type. "I'm not going to like this one any better, am I?"
"Wellllll," Folly replies, in a tone that doesn't really ease his concerns, "this is the one where I try to help him throw off the enchantment by reminding him of who he is, which will probably need to involve some combination of music and sex. And we'll need the band for... ah, at least one of those. And for the other...." She gives a little shrug and raises her hand, a bit sheepishly.
"On the plus side, she adds mock-brightly, "I think in this scenario I'm a bit less likely to be instantly murdered."
"No." It's flat. "You're not as likely." Martin rubs his eyes and pinches his nose. "So basically what you're doing is saying I have to stand as door guard while you do this plan."
Folly bites her lip, then says, "Depending on precisely how and where it all goes down... I suppose someone would need to, anyway. I'm... still working on the details. Many of which will need to be improvised in the moment, I'm sure, depending on what we find there. But... contingencies are good."
She's quiet for a moment, then adds, "I wish I could think of a better way that would help him without hurting you."
Martin pushes what ought to be his bangs but is really too short to be out of his face. "Look, I knew what I was signing up for when I married you. It's not what I wanted but it's what I expected. If we have to do it, we have to do it. But--I'm not explaining this to Lark when she's old enough to ask. That's got to be your job."
"Yeah.... That's fair." Folly blows out a breath in a not-quite-sigh. "I just hope when that time comes she remembers what she heard before the Unicorn came. It would maybe help the whole thing make more sense."
She looks sidelong up at Martin and adds, "I mean, I knew things would be complicated, too, but this is---- You know I wouldn't even be suggesting it if I didn't feel in my gut that it may be our best shot at getting him back."
"We can always go back to my original plan." Martin doesn't look too happy about that idea either.
"You mean the kidnapping one?" Folly asks, and gestures for him to go on; she doesn't need the monopoly on Terrible Ideas.
"No, I mean the one the Unicorn talked me out of." Martin draws a fingertip across his throat.
Folly shakes her head in an emphatic 'no', but says, "Only as a last resort -- if it's either that or lose somebody else, or lose Xanadu. I'm still holding out hope that Vialle is a more-or-less innocent bystander in all this and can be saved, somehow. Plus, the repercussions would be...." She shakes her head again.
"If Vialle's an innocent bystander, it's one of the first times. I can believe she miscalculated and got in over her head, though." Martin shrugs.
Folly nods slowly as she ponders that. It makes sense, but she wonders what Vialle thought she was getting into, and who lured her there, if it wasn't her own volition.
"If it's her or Dad, I'll do my duty and take the curse. If it's her or you--tell our daughter I love her."
"She knows," Folly says with a sad little smile, "but yes." She runs over what he just said, her brow furrowed. "Whose curse? Are you thinking the interloping queen will have one?"
"Somebody walked the Pattern," Martin points out, "so there's a curse to be accounted for if she's killed. I know you care about the theory but as a practical matter all death curses are potentially terrible. It'll be worse from the Queen of Air and Darkness but I assume at this point Vialle is capable. But I took an oath and if fulfilling it gets me killed, I still have to fulfill it."
Last modified: 10 April 2019