At Random's urging, everyone moves into the sitting room. Fitting the new, large, version of the family into the sitting room is tight, and some people have to stand; others drag chairs from the dining room in to sit on. (None of the elders sits on the floor, although there's more room there than anywhere else.) Nobody has quite as much personal space as he or she might want.
People who ate dinner in the sitting room generally get to keep their own seats, especially the ladies. Caine, however, gives his chair to the Queen, and stands casually leaning against the wall nearby.
Jerod, being Jerod, considers for a brief moment about giving up his chair, but then comes to his senses and stays in the comfy chair, with the soft cushions...and in no way expects the Spanish Inquisition. If one didn't know better, people might swear he either knew in advance, or had correctly guessed that Random would take the family in here. (a terrifying thought if one delves too deeply).
Brennan stands, staking out a position next to Caine to lean up against the wall, with a chair in front of it so Benedict can sit or stand at his desire.
Vere takes a standing position near his father. He'll maneuver so as to be able to see as much of the room as possible, naturally.
When the others arrive from the dining room Ossian will offer his chair to the first arriving lady.
Lucas seems content leaning next to a cousin or two.
Paige cops a squat with Folly and Merlin, sitting on the arm of the couch next to Merlin.
After everyone has settled, Random begins to speak.
"OK, um. Let's start with the big one. Dad didn't run Amber by getting his sons together after dinner to yak about it. So, I'm not Dad. Maybe in a thousand years, we'll do things some other way. Right now, I'm pretty fond of Gerard's council model. Hell, it'll be some time before things settle down here anyway. Who knows what I'll be king of next year?" He looks up at Cambina and says "Don't answer that." He smiles in her direction, eyebrows slightly raised. She meets his gaze.
Brennan considers making a smart-ass remark. He reconsiders, though.
"But that's a problem for later. My goal for tonight is to figure out what you all think has to be done and figure out who'll be doing it. I'll ask for your preferences afterwards, but there is a lot to do, so don't count on it being easy and don't count on my being able to give you what you want.
"So, first we need a threat assessment. I'm looking especially for problems we may have before the coronation and for problems that are so big that we're in trouble no matter when they arrive. Once we have that, we can plan out the next few weeks. Long term problems, and we have a metric buttload of them, will have to wait a bit."
He looks at Gerard, as if he isn't sure if he should say something. Ultimately, he decides not to.
"Brennan and Vere first, please. After that we'll add to the list. For now, high level, please. We could be here 'til breakfast if we have to brangle over each one just to get it on the list."
Random looks up, waiting. He has a notepad and a pencil in front of him. Those near him can see that he's already got a doodle of something. Anyone looking very closely can see that it says "Made you look..."
It's fairly clear that Brennan and Random had spoken at some point this afternoond, and that while he wasn't sure of the timing, Brennan was sure he was going to be asked for his opinion. As such, he's ready, and he takes a step forward away from the wall.
"It's hard to know which of these are going to be threats in the next week, and which are going to choose their time and venue, so I'll run through the big ones that I know of. I'm not sure there's an order to put these in."
Brennan's got a good speaking voice, and stage fright is about the last thing anyone would ever accuse him of. It's obvious that he's used to addressing large groups of people and projecting his voice, so there's no difficulty in hearing him. It's also probably apparent that he's no stranger to taking charge and giving orders, though he's not taking charge here, as such.
"First and foremost, we have an army that's been through three kinds of Hell, sitting out in a nearby wilderness. I'm given to understand that, while we've been away a few weeks at best, that five years have passed, here. I don't know what the state of the City is, but I don't think that dropping large numbers of soldiers into an Amber that's not seen hide nor hair of them in five years is a good idea. We'll have to figure out some way of breaking the news to them that they've been gone a lot longer than they think, if the gossip hasn't broken already. We'll have to figure out some way to phase them into the city gracefully, and to get them some R&R in friendly Shadows first if at all possible. And I'm sure they'll be interested in getting paid, at some point.
"Not to mention, we have Shadow allies, like the Little Furry Guys. The Little Furry Guys alone, in my opinion, have earned their way into paradise.
"Second," he looks at Benedict, "There are Moonriders. We saw them at Oberon's funeral, and Bleys and I saw them again on the ride home. I'd never met the High Marshall before, but his manners bear improvement. Oberon's passing is enough to whet his appetite for a re-match, from what I've seen. If he knows the current situation, so much the worse.
"Third, there is Dara. I think everyone at the Funeral witnessed the Dara drama. Condensing a long story, she wanted to prevent Merlin from departing the Courts of Chaos, and did her best to hinder all of us from leaving after that, and to harass us. Even money says, when she settles her affairs, she'll try to take Merlin back. I think that would be bad, on several general principles. If nothing else," and it's clear from his tone of voice that Brennan thinks there is plenty of 'else', "We owe Merlin protection for his efforts in getting us back home."
Folly unconsciously reaches a hand toward Merlin, like a mother instinctively protecting a child. She catches herself a second later, though, before she actually touches him, and gives him a concerned look instead.
Brennan continues with the third point. "Now, not to put too dark a setting on this, or anything, but... my impression is that Dara is descended of Oberon, as well as being a shape-shifter, yes? We know that at least one shapeshifting spy has been here in the past," he nods at Aisling.
Aisling tilts her head to the side, her expression one of blank politeness, and looks around the room with queenly grace to see if anyone's reaction to this outing is untoward.
"The combination of shapeshifting and Oberon's blood raises the unhappy spectre in my mind that Dara has the same power over Shadow as do we. Can anyone confirm or deny?
"Fourth, on principles, I am not convinced that the Courts of Chaos are finished, yet. They may have lost their best access to Amber, but I'd be surprised if there weren't factions still willing to try and prosecute a war, especially if they have a champion or champions with the ability to walk in Shadow." Brennan gives Bleys and Fiona a glance.
"Fifth, if there's anyone hasn't heard about the Beast in the Basement, they're not keeping their ears to the ground. Not only does that need to be fixed for metaphysical and aesthetic reasons, it only increases the chances that problems One through Four will come to kick us while we're down."
He stops, thinks, then closes with, "There's probably more, but I think those are the big ones." He yields the floor either to questions or to Vere.
As soon as Brennan has finished Vere takes a half step forward, just enough movement to draw everyone's attention to him. "As Sir Brennan has said," he begins, "There are a great many minor problems which we need not go into at the moment. The recovery of Amber will take decades, for now we must turn our attention to the most vital issues." He pauses and frowns slightly, then continues, "The city has achieved a certain uneasy balance over the years of the Sundering, but it is delicate and based upon the expectation that there will be an improvement once the King returns. Your Majesty can expect a certain degree of jockeying for position by the various factions, complaints about actions of the Regent's Council, and so forth, but I anticipate that a show of firmness and fairness will be enough to keep discontent to a minimum. They must believe that the economy will be undergoing an immediate improvement, and that Amber will once again reclaim her rightful place as the Queen of Cities.
"The soldiers are a delicate point. While I agree with Sir Bennan that their sudden reintroduction into Amber will be disruptive, to delay their return will spark ever more dangerous rumors, and will be an undue hardship on families already separated for too long. All parties need to be made aware of the time difference as quickly as possible, but I also believe that the longer the delay before they are returned the more we risk hard feelings against the Crown. As well, it would be good to have additional forces in place in case of an attack of any sort, although I do not anticipate one. It is always best to be prepared, however."
Brennan nods through this.
Whether the best approach turns out to be phasing the soldiers in, or infusing them as rapidly as possible is not Brennan's immediate concern. Having the general problem known-- and Vere's agreement on the situation is a very good sign-- is Brennan's immediate problem.
Vere glances briefly at Bleys, then Jerod, then back at Random. "The fleet from the Land of Peace is a cause for concern, as they could cause us damage if they were so inclined. I believe they are too cautious to do so without provocation, but the fact that they could must be considered."
"It's also worth considering," Folly adds, "whether reintroducing our soldiers to Amber while the Land of Peace sailors are still here will make the situation better or worse. The soldiers could be a deterrent to serious incident, or they could be a match on a powderkeg. The mood dockside is already tense."
Vere continues: "Recent events in Rebma were most alarming, and may indicate a danger from that source. A mission should be sent there, in my opinion. As well, we should investigate what may be learned from Tir-na Nog'th." Vere glances at Cambina, "Although I would suggest extreme caution in any such undertaking, we do not know in what ways Amber's current metaphysical situation might be reflected there."
For the most part Conner simply listens attentively watching those speaking as much as hearing what is said. Once Vere, brings up the word Rebma, he shifts forward to focus.
"I concur with sending a mission to Rebma." Commer commments. "Something is happening there and I think it behooves us to determine what. The vandalism of Llewella's townhouse certainly shows anti-Amber sentiments grows from some quarter. Whoever it was sent Tritons to dissaude me from investigating." Conner smiles thinly. "And that means someone in the Royal family."
Vere continues: "There is also the matter of the Paresh prophecy, which, if we take it seriously, would indicate that Amber will cease to exist in a matter of weeks. This may mean almost anything, of course, and it may be merely the ramblings of a man who did not understand the visions that he underwent. However, Elder Germaine's description of..." Vere pauses for a moment, and when he speaks again his voice has taken on a slightly deeper tone. "'Vast hordes of horsemen, pale, menacing and ghostly, watching as the city dies, but unable to do more than rage at it.' I believe those were his exact words." Vere considers for a moment before continuing, "I am sure you can see why I am concerned that this may refer to the Moonriders. I have other reasons for believing that Elder Germaine did have a true ability to see visions and spirits, even if he may not have understood what he was seeing." Vere glances at Jerod once more, then looks down and seems to be observing something upon the floor. He continues speaking while still looking downward.
Brennan's eyes narrow when Vere quotes this prophecy. His hands tighten into fists for a moment, and those close by can hear the knuckles crack quietly; it's obvious that Brennan both agrees, and has no great love for the Moonriders.
He catches Vere's eye and gives a nod-- the description is close enough.
"The absence below is our greatest weakness currently, and must be our top priority. It must be determine what has moved, Amber or the Pattern," he smiles slightly, "If such a question even makes sense. And we must locate it and, if possible, rejoin with it. There is also the related situation of the possible loss of people to some sort of Shadow-related effect, this should be investigated by those who understand such things."
He lifts his gaze to lock eyes with Gerard for a moment, then looks directly at the King, "We cannot be without all our resources right now, and they must be restored to completeness as quickly as possible."
At this, Brita stirs slightly from her position by one of the alcoves. "All of our resources, Cousin Vere, should include Cousin Robin, Uncle Julian and the others who are not here."
Ossian is quiet. But his fingers work on yet another origamy piece.
Lucas quietly considers others, keeping his opinions to himself for now.
Vere nods, but does not speak in answer. He takes a step back towards the wall and lets his face go carefully neutral.
Brennan adds in a tone that's much more conversational than his briefing voice, but still carries, "Sir Daeon, whom I believe some have already met; and Sir Jovian, who is already on his way to Amber with his forces. They were a little too large to come through the Trumps. Both are sons of Julian."
He glances at Vere, "Jovian's forces might eventually become their own issue, if they stay. On the other hand, they might help solve some others. They're dragons. Large. Scaly. Firebreathing. Dragons."
Then he looks back at the group, "I've not met Robin, yet. Are there any others who aren't here?"
"Not that we know of, cousin. Grandfather pointed us to Folly at the last moment, and given Shadow's seeming survival of the Black Rain, one could speculate that there are others out there. We all were hidden for years, cneturies for some," Paige offers.
Somewhere in there, [Brennan] also shoots a look more sympathetic than apologetic to Aisling, as she's looking for reactions around the room-- it was going to come out anyway.
Aisling nods.
Her mein through all of this has been attentive interest. She is of the opinion that Random and Corwin can best answer the question of Dara's Patternwalk, Merlin the question of Dara's future hostility, and Bleys and Fiona the question of Chaos's future hostility... But there is a bit that she knows which should perhaps be put forward now:
"I spoke with two Moonriders who were, perhaps, the equivalents of Brennan and Vere, at Oberon's funeral. One claimed he did not believe Amber anything more than a legend until his Marshall called him to fulfill an ancient promise, and ride to the funeral. I wonder if ancient legends alone would be enough to stir those that did not remember to come at us again... Though it seems like promises would," she says with soft clarity, and she looks questioningly to Benedict.
Lilly has been listening and watching with much interest. The talk of the moonriders tugged slightly at her memory. They had seemed keenly interested in her at the funeral but she had lacked the courage to speak with them. For that she was now mentally berating herself. Still their interest was something to keep in mind even if she did not feel the need to bring it up just yet.
Then there was the matter of the trump deck tucked neatly away in her quarters. Those she felt she should mention. "It might be important to note," Lilly began in a voice that was strong and self assured, "that I am still in possession of the Trump deck Cousin Daeon was carrying. I do not know if the cards were his or not. I had thought to return them to either Daeon or Uncle Julian but since neither is here..."
The insecuritities that saw Lilly artfully avoiding any sort of conversation or even eye contact with Caine seem to have fled. In mid sentence she found his eyes and held them for a moment. It was not so much a look of challenge but one that simply said I did what I felt was needed.
"I apparently missed this bit. Was this a trump deck of much regard?"
"I think the most important resource to restore would be the Pattern," Paige says. "If someone else were to gain control of the source of our Family's power..." She leaves the worries unvoiced.
Random speaks up. "OK, this is what I have so far..."
Random reads from his notpad.
"One Army, large, victorious, and unpaid. including allies from shadow, who should be sent to paradise, but not in the obvious way.
"Moonriders, rude.
"Dara, bad chick. Remind Corwin not to date ever again."
Corwin stirs in his chair but says nothing. Merlin looks at Corwin, as do a number of other family members. The polite ones aren't smirking.
Lucas smirks.
Brennan isn't smirking, but his eyes are saying "...Also rude."
A flash of a smirk goes by on Aisling's face, since she's met Dara, but then she frowns, and then she looks blank.
Paige actually looks to Martin on this one, tickled by the joke, but not smirking.
Jerod does a brief check to see which family members look at Corwin, which ones are smirking and which ones are not. He's neither smirking nor saying anything else.
Folly is neither looking at Corwin nor smirking, but her intense scrutiny of her own thumbnail that has left her strangely sparkly-eyed.
Ossian looks at Corwin but looks more surprised than smirking.
"How defeated are the courts? Can you defeat a place where there are no rules?
"The city, including the army.
"The foreign fleet, including their reaction to the army,
"The local fleet: all dolled up & no place to go.
"Tir. Tir, I think will have to wait. Rebma...we'll see. That may be a bigger problem.
"Missing Prophets will probably have to wait.
"Julian's Kids [ooc: "Dunno we can do until we introduce milk in cartons, though...."] and their amazing firebreathing dragons.
"Speculation on even more relatives can wait, unless anyone wants to fess up now and save us the guessing...
"And, of course, The pattern. That's my problem, and not before the coronation."
[Brennan]
"Meaning what, exactly?"
This elicits no reply from Random.
He puts down his pad.
"Anyone have anything else?" Random says, looking around the room.
Vere narrows his eyes and frowns slightly. His gaze remains on Random.
Brita's attention to what the King is saying seems to have stopped somewhere in the list. Her eyes are fixed on the middle distance and her head is cocked to one side as if listening to something, just not something in the room....
"Familial obligations, your majesty." Jerod says, looking at Random for a moment before looking over at Gerard in his wheelchair, and then back to Random. It's a deliberate look and it's meant to be noticed.
Having said that, Jerod takes a drink of his scotch.
Aisling watches Random...
Random nods. "Yes. Didn't I say that earlier? OK, on the list."
...and then she turns her attention to Vere and Gerard.
Vere's face has once again become completely calm and expressionless. He seems unaware of Aisling's attention.
Jerod is also studiously not watching anyone in the room, though in fact he can easily observe Vere and Gerard from his seated position, and there is just a fraction of a smile on his lips as he takes another sip, knowing his cousin Vere (and his expressionless behaviour) better than he might realize.
"Your Court. They won't wait for a coronation to begin hounding you your favor and their due redress for both imagined and real injustices during the Regency," Paige comments. "You come with the disadvantage of not having the following in Court that some of your brothers do, or at least did.
"Vialle will be invaluable there, as she's done well with the ladies of society."
[Random]
"Right, We'll need to stuff them in a sock for the nonce, yes..."
He scribbles an unreadable note on the bottom of his list.
[Lucas]
"I still haven't heard what's so special about the trump deck."
Lilly looks directly at Lucas. Speaking in a low voice she says, "It is not the trumps that are special. It is Daeon's lack of them."
Lucas "Ohs", and shrugs, then turns back to the meeting.
Reid counts the above mentioned items off on his fingers as Random goes through the list. "Those seem the significant items as far as threats go. There are probably others, but it would be a waste of time to sit around scratching our heads to figure out what they are."
Folly takes a breath, hesitates... and decides she might as well say it.
"Uh, seeing as how Fate is probably more than tempted enough already, could we maybe try not scheduling the coronation for the day the world's supposed to end?"
Brennan mutters, "Spoilsport," just barely loud enough to carry.
Ossian chuckles silently.
Vialle turns towards Folly's voice. "The coronation," she says, "must take place before, or better yet during, the Spring Festival. Amber will have a King to bless her fleet this year."
Random nods and says, "Yes, the sooner the better. It's a huge undertaking, but Vialle has it all under control."
Vialle smiles, and for all that she seems a little pale and drawn this evening, she positively glows at Random's words. "The people of Amber will hardly want the coronation, or the festival, to be spoiled by the vague mutterings of a religious person."
"Indeed," Folly says, but she's got that _If you'd just go back and listen to what you just said, you might figure out part of the problem_ look on her face. "But it's not the weatherman you have to worry about -- it's the hurricane.
"Whether the guy is right in his forecast or not, though, I agree with the King: the sooner the better. Maybe make the coronation the kick-off to the Festival. And if there's anything I can do to help, let me know."
"We should not be to hasty. A coronation should be grand." Ossian says "But two weeks should be enough if we work hard on it. If we are not attacked by the moonriders before then, of course."
He places a small paper horse with rider on the nearest table.
Random looks at Folly and smiles. "Thanks for the offer, and the same goes to everyone who has offered to help. OK, we've got the list. Now we have to figure out who does what. I know what some of you will be doing, I've even told a few of you, either that or you've told me..." He smiles.
"OK, volunteers? Who wants me to assign them to what?"
[Lucas]
"I'm certain your majesty will find some task for me to do. Something
social and shmoozing I'm certain."
Vere tilts his head slightly and raises an eyebrow, his attention apparently still focused solely upon Random.
"We need more Trumps, don't we?" Ossian asks "And the coronation. I might be able to help a bit there too."
[Brennan]
"If you're keen on continuing the council model, then in addition to
assignments and tasks at large, I also suggest something along the
lines of a foreign policy council, running in parallel with what
sounds like an already existing domestic policy council.
"Since I've never set foot in the City before today," he looks around, not at anyone in particular, but at the trappings and the room itself, "I don't feel qualified for domestic. Mark me down for foreign policy, probably on the 'teaching people manners' sub-committee.
"And along the lines of foreign policy, something you might want to put on your radar are the establishment of formal diplomatic relations with the Courts, and establishing a presence of some sort at or near the Tree. I don't know where those should fall on your priority list, though."
Jerod remains silent for the moment. He knows what he'd prefer to do, but he's curious as to what Random might assign to him...how much the new King is willing to dish out on his own is sometimes a good indicator...
"Well, I think that all of that is going to fall under my 'after the coronation' list, which is getting jotted and squirreled., but not acted on." Random looks around. "Let's start over. I know what my brothers and sisters can do, and I think I have an idea what they want to do and I even think I have a glimmer of what they are going to do.
"I have a list of problems and brace of nephews and nieces, whom I know very little of. I'd like to get a clue what you all think you can assist with. I suspect that you all have that clue. So, again, tell me which problem from our bright shiny new list you think you can work on. Don't make me pick one of you to go first...." He says the last with a smile.
Reid arches his eyebrow. "Well, we had a Clue, but I think we released him after we got his statement."
Going through the list mentally for his own benefit:
Army -- Nope
Moonriders -- Never heard of them
Dara chick -- likewise
Courts of Chaos -- nada
Foreign fleet -- don't do sailors
Local fleet -- see Foreign fleet
Tir / Rebma -- never spent enough time in either to be worth much
Missing prophets -- low priority
Julians kids -- no clue (see above)
Pattern -- Random's taking it...
"No, I don't see anything on your list that I'm particularly suited for. The majority of issues are either Chaos or Army/Navy related, and I'm not well versed in either. I suspect I'm not alone in that, among those of us who were in Amber while you were away. I can back Ossian up in Trump production, but that really uses very little of my skillset. I know you said the missing prophets are low priority, but I tend to have a knack for investigation. Likewise, if someone were to feed me as many details on the Moonriders as are known, I may be able to percolate that into something we can use. You want to back-burner the pattern, but if there's any prep work I can do for you on that front, I may be able to help."
He shrugs feeling useless. "It would be too easy to say, 'That's a pretty good list of problems. Let me know how that works out for you...', but I'm not particularly interested in bailing when things have gotten so interesting..."
Seeing that his glass is empty, and figuring that he'll lose his chair to get it re-filled, Jerod figures this is the best time to finish up the briefing so everyone will get out of the room and on their way. That and he'd like to get out of there early as he's got a few drinks to have with people after this.
So he looks over at Random and picks points from the list, taking a moment each time to be sure that he's going to want to be involved in those items.
"Pattern". Jerod knows he doesn't have a hope in hell of getting on that project, but if you don't speak up, you don't even get rejected, so he might as well put his name on that one and it get out of the way.
"Rebma". It's good (and bad) to have your mother as sister of the Queen.
"The foreign fleet. I did promise to take them back home. Might be a nice idea to actually keep our word once in awhile. And we still need more supplies.
"The Paresh.
"None of the rest".
"If you green light a mission to Rebma, I'm your only guide." Conner comments. "So put me down for that. Else you know my skills lie in diplomacy and organization. I'm already involved with the army in Arden and could keep on in that capacity."
"While I'm not as organized as my cousin, I've probably got my hand on the pulse of the Court as much as any of the Council. I'd cede that position to Jerod in a moment, but he seems to have other plans," Paige comments.
"If that's a secondary concern, I'm at the King's command," she smiles. "I'm of a mind to work with the Pattern issues if I'm needed, but I don't believe I have the command that will be necessary. I'd also keep Conner company, gladly."
Cambina shifts in her chair. "The official phrasing is 'I serve at the pleasure of the King', I believe. Your majesty knows my preferences, but from this list, I could also help with the foreign fleet, if need be. And any research projects you need done, as well. I'd like to go to Tir. I think we can find some answers there." Cambina's glance goes through Random and out over the moonlit sea.
"I suppose I'm on Army detail," Brita says. "at least until Cousin Robin or Uncle Julian get back."
Brennan shrugs expansively.
"I'm good at killing things, individually and in the ensemble. I have a lot of experience out beyond the Tree. Put me down for foreign policy, comma, teaching people manners. Moonriders and Dara. Hopefully that won't have to be both at the same time."
"My talents are mainly with painting, design and stuff like that." Ossian says "Plus I know most of the artists of any sort in the city. I think coronation preparations could be something for me. I'm not good at killing things."
"Likewise," Folly says, grinning, "although my artistic talents are more musical than visual. In addition, I've got a pretty good rapport with the docksiders, so if you need someone to act as a go-between or keep an eye on things there, I'm your man -- er, woman. File me under 'city-slash-coronation, hold the slash'."
"I'm an excellent scout. I'm intrigued by the stories of the Moonriders, I may have an insight or two on Dara. I will attempt to stay in contact with Chaos, though I may not be best-suited for it. I may still have a honest friend or two in the city and army and fleet." Aisling shrugs. "I'd like to try my hand at familial obligations," she ends, glancing over again to Gerard and Vere to see what reception this hideous presumption gets. She doesn't appear to notice the pun.
Vere meets her eyes and nods his head fractionally, gratitude in his eyes despite the lack of any other obvious signs of emotion.
Solange, who has been sitting quietly on the floor near her father and brother, with her skirts spread in a pretty puddle around her, meets Aisling's glance with a pleased and grateful smile.
Aisling exhales, with a blink, and her gaze goes in a different direction, happening to notice Brennan:
When Aisling mentions what he would class as foreign-policy interests, he looks pleased at the prospect of her company. And somewhere in his head, something sparks a thought process that ends up with him looking from Aisling to Lilly and back again with what Lilly especially should recognize as his "I've got an idea," glimmer in his eyes.
He seems content to hold his thought for later, though, after he can bounce the idea off them.
The corners of Aisling's lips curl up merrily. And then she winks. Her attention demurely returns to the king.
As her cousins finish their volunteering Lilly looks to the King. "I will do as your majesty requests. My strengths lie in my sword and in my ability to plan for defense."
She pauses momentarily as a thought crosses her mind. "With that said, what sort of protection do you feel you and the queen will need for the coronation? If I were planning to bring armies into Amber to attack, that might serve as an opportune time to do so. It is something that should be considered."
Martin answers last from his position behind the couch where Folly is sitting. "Is that everyone? OK, do you want my preferences?"
Martin breathes in and Random shakes his head, "Nope, I've got a mission for you. I meant to tell you earlier, but I got caught up in stuff. We'll talk tomorrow about it."
Martin nods once, abruptly.
Last modified: 21 August 2002