After his conversation with Dworkin, Reid settles down for the night, strategically positioning his sleeping roll in a position protective of Papillon, yet at a distance that would be considered "proper".
The next morning as they break fast, he addresses Vidar. "M'lord, if our services here are done, I think I should return my guide to her homeland. While it has been an honor to serve you and Asgard, the circumstances of our departure put her at a disadvantage. When we had set out, it had not been our intent to travel so far. Therefore I respectfully ask your leave."
Vidar nods gravely at Reid's request.
"I would not have you fail in your obligations, Reid, so of course you may go. Brita has given me your card, your 'Trump', so I may call on you when I need your counsel again."
Reid nods.
Papillon nods. "Will you bring me with you when you leave Paris again, Reid?"
"Would you like that?" Reid is caught a little off guard. "Our one adventure together so far hasn't really worked out like we planned..." Reid nervously refastens a strap that was perfectly fastened to begin with.
"I'm sure I could arrange a release of your services from Nadar. He won't be happy about losing an assistant as valuable as you, but I'll try to smooth it over."
"I'd like that, Reid," Papillon says, a little nervously. "I mean, I'd like it, just because. But ... you should know that there are people in Paris who don't like you very much." She looks down, then looks back up at Reid through her lashes.
"Really? I didn't think I'd been around long enough to make enemies. Do tell?" Reid shows a bit more concern for his reputation than he has in the past, perhaps due to current company.
"Anyone who spends time up at the palace, even occasionally, evokes a lot of suspicion. There are people in Paris who'd rather have their secrets and their power left intact. Someone like you ... threatens that, Reid."
Papillon turns her attention to her own gear for a moment.
Reid chuckles in relief. "Power? Threaten? I visit the palace in Paris as a mere courtesy. My blood ties to Corwin are tenuous at best... my grandfather happened to be his father, but that hardly makes him special. He has given me no additional reason to offer him my allegiance. I have no interest in power in Paris, nor particularly in Paris itself, save for the few individuals who have befrended me." He smiles warmly at Papillon hoping to make eye contact.
Papillon looks up from her gear-fiddling to meet Reid's gaze for a second before dropping her gaze again. "Reid, they don't know that. They're afraid of you. I think ... I think they tried to kill us in the sewers."
"Well, it was raining, and we were in a storm drain, so I really don't know how much control over that situation any enemies might have had. Who do you suppose these enemies are?" Reid asks.
"I don't know for sure, Reid, but they keep an eye on who spends time with you."
After a moment, she adds, "Reid, I have a little brother." She sounds like she might cry.
Reid doesn't deal well with crying... "We can take care of him. Either put him under protection of the palace, perhaps finding him work within its walls, or we could relocate him, or even take him with us," he rattles off.
The list of suggestions seems to startle Papillon, and she looks up. But she's not crying.
The whirlwind of suggestions is brought back down to a more conversational pace. "What is his name?"
"Furet. His name's Furet. He's fifteen," Papillon says. She sounds uncertain, but vaguely hopeful and less like she's going to cry.
"Well, let's see to him then, shall we?" Reid asks, as he holds his trump of Cafe Tubulaire in one hand, and extends the other to Papillon.
Papillon finishes fiddling with her gear and takes Reid's hand. She smiles tremulously at him and lets him take her through to Paris.
Brita assists her Father through the week and ponders the Trump sketch difficulties. She wonders if a real Trump would be any better and determines to ask her Mother or maybe great-Grandfather about it. She at least still has the Trump of Jotenheim to return as needed. Brita glances towards the far peaks jutting above the Forest of Idayoll and then her eyes drop to the forest itself. /I wonder if Da will rebuild there as well/ she thinks.
After a week of assisting, Brita decides it is time to return to Amber and find out what she must do next. Brita approaches her father on the evening of the seventh day. "Da, I feel I should return to Mother's land to assist in the rebuilding there. You have Master Reid's trump and he has mine if you need to contact me. I will talk to Mother or Great-grandda to see if there is anything that can be done about the Trump Difficulties for you."
"I am glad you could stay so long," Vidar says, but it's clear he's sorry to lose her. For all that gods and creatures have slowly begun to arrive at the new hall he's building, it's clear he'd rather have Brita.
"It's not for ever, Da. I will return and if you ever need me, call."
"I will, Brita."
She will coordinate with Reid if he is still around, but her intent is to call her Mother for a hand back to Amber.
[Per Chuck, Reid and Papillon are headed in a different direction, and you may have already said your goodbyes.]
When the conversation with Vidar is complete, she moves to talk with Survivor Lif and Lifthrasir to thank them for their hard labor and support in rebuilding Asgard. She wishes them well and encourages them to ask Lord Vidar if they need to contact her for anything.
They thank Brita, and then Lifthrasir draws her aside to ask for any special blessing she might have for the babe she is sure is growing in her (Lifthrasir's) belly.
Brita smiles, "A new life for a new world; a true blessing for Asgard." Brita lays one hand on Lifthrasir's shoulder and the other on her stomach. "May your pregnancy be as smooth as the ice that covers the Lake of Memories in Deep Winter; May your child's birth be as gentle as the trickle of the First Stream; May your child grow strong and sure as the Great River; and may your family's hapiness be as strong and endless and the Ocean waves." Brita speaks to the small one "Be good to your Mother, young one." Brita glances back up to Lifthrasir. "Have my Da call me when the birth is imminent. I would be pleased to meet your young one when he enters the world."
Lifthrasir smiles and assures Brita she will.
She will say a brief and formal good bye to Cousin Magni and Modi.
They're sorry to see her go. Modi seems a bit less leering than usual, even.
Afterwards, she withdraws from the camp, draws forth Fiona's Trump, and concentrates on the card.
"Brita. How wonderful to hear from you. Are you still in Asgard?" her mother's voice says. As the picture forms, Brita can see that she is in a room in an elaborately decorated palace. From the look of it, Brita thinks her mother must be in Paris.
"Yes, Mother, I am still in Asgard, but I have done what I could for now and wish to return to Amber to continue my duties there. Can you assist me?"
"Of course." Fiona extends her hand and brings Brita through.
When Brita looks around to take stock of her surroundings, she sees that her mother is speaking with a pretty green-haired woman. "You remember your Aunt Llewella, from Rebma, don't you? Llewella, you recall Brita, Conner's sister, of course."
Llewella rises and says, "Of course. How nice it is to see you again, Brita."
"Aunt-Princess Llewella," Brita nods, "You are well, I hope."
Llewella returns the nod with a friendly smile.
Brita turns back to her Mother, "Mother, did you come here directly or have you been to Amber since I spoke with you last?"
"I've only been here," Fiona replies, "but I've talked to your uncle Bleys, who has returned to Amber with Brennan and Paige and the twins. If you'd like, I can ask him to bring you through. You can spare me that long, can't you, Llewella?"
"Please, go ahead. I wouldn't want to come between you and your maternal duties," Llewella says.
Fiona smiles, catlike, at her little sister as she waits for Brita's answer.
"Yes, that would be helpful, Mother. Please thank King-Uncle Corwin again for me. I have yet to use all my new gifts, but his assistance in gaining them was appreciated."
Conner also keeps up his mirror watching. He keeps an eye mostly on Brita and Montage since he has little time to focus on such things aboard ship.
Brita is standing in a snowy field near a fire at night. She seems to have found her father, or at least his home.
Montage's image comes quickly clear in the mirror. He is standing with Valeria in a room with mirrors on all the walls. Hello, Conner, you see his lips move in an exaggerated way, we knew you'd try this again.
He looks very smug.
In between the fleeting moment of blind panic at being discovered and the complete focus needed to command the mirror, Conner files away the knowledge that either Montage is cleverer than he thought or someone knows more he thought.
Conner immediately attempts to cut the contact.
Conner doesn't seem to be able to cut it. It's like moving through ice water.
In one of the mirror images, Conner sees Valeria's face. He reads her lips as well. You should turn yourself in and face your punishment, Conner
"You should seek the truth instead of endless reflections of your own bias." Conner replies out loud somehow sure they can hear or see him. "I do hope you two haven't wasted much time sitting around waiting. I know how that sort of thing can put a crimp into one's style." Conner smiles back easily.
Inside, Conner is much less confident but prepared to play the waiting game. At the moment, talk is all they seem able to do and his body is free to spin the mirror face down and end the conversation. Conner does worry that this might be an attempt to trace his location but all they could see is a bit of ship wall and even in they could track him in shadow whom could they send after him? So he is content to see where they go with this.
"Justice is patient, and the mirrored view allows one to see when a viper is behind you, poised to strike. I'll keep it and not worry overmuch about my style. Conner, you fled Amber as you fled Rebma, one step ahead of justice. Eventually you will run out of luck and your house of cards will crumble."
The light from the mirror seems very bright, the reflection of the candles in all the mirrors. Or perhaps it is getting dark in Conner's cabin.
"All you offer is vengeance. If you truly offered the justice of Rebma, all you'd gain is the spectacle of a sorcerous duel with my mother and my innocence." Conner retorts and takes a moment from this game of mirror tag to see if it is indeed his cabin getting darker or the mirror lighter.
Both, it seems.
"I've discovered who killed your father by the way." Conner says off handedly but with a lack of dissembling in either voice or face. At that point Conner looks about him with his thrid eye. Valeria did not go to all this trouble to simply bandy words with him and perhaps that unexpected bit of honest news would buy him a moment to see what she was up to.
"Looked in a mirror, did you?" She's putting up a good front, but Conner seems to have surprised her with that comment.
"If that was all it took, you would have discovered it long before I." Conner replies still looking about him for any trace of magic other such energy about him.
If there is it isn't anything concrete or stoppable. The light effect comes from the mirror.
"I've been tracking back some of your father's dealings and made a few trades for information. Be sure of this Valeria." Conner unconsciously slips into a more stately tone reserved for formal speeches. "I'm not running. Merely making sure my return home will be worth the voyage."
"We'll be waiting for you Conner. You need to look over your shoulder and around the next corner." She smiles. "Someday, and perhaps sooner than you think, you'll find you can't run away or lie away your crimes forever."
The light from the mirror suddenly becomes overwhelmingly bright, enough to at least temporarily blind a lesser man. Conner blinks once and the image is gone, and the room is again normally lit.
Conner lets out the breath he was holding in a long relieved sigh and puts away his mirror. His first stop is the bar and Conner is halfway to pouring another brandy when he catches sight of his reflection in his shaving mirror. On impulse, he flips it around to face the wall.
"That's what I get for trying to teach a Rebman to swim." Conner murmurs pouring his brandy. "Still, if it kept or keeps Valeria and Montage stuck in her room waiting, then perhaps it has gained me something there after all. Conner resolves to learn how to block such scrying attempts at the earliest opportunity. A weak offense and no defense is no way to go into battle. Conner drains his brandy and goes on with the day.
One day late into the voyage, Conner sets the course for the Sun and then informs the crew and Thalia that he will be in his cabin for the day and not to be disturbed for anything less than the boat sinking.
The crew nods, and if they wish it were them undisturbed in cabin with Thalia for the rest of the day, they do not mention it within Conner's exceptional hearing.
Conner then stops in the ship's galley for a bit of food and drink and raids the ships stores for some nails and a hammer.
Once in his quarters, Conner observes the bare wall for a moment. Then he strides forward and decisively hammers two nails into the wall roughly in the center. Conner picks up his mirror and rests it on the nails placing it with the glass towards the wall. Once more he simply observes it for a moment. With a nod of satisfaction, Conner withdraws the piece of chalk from his pocket and begins to draw.
For hours all anyone listening ouside Conner's cabin would hear is the patient scraping of chalk on wood, the occasional nail being hammered into the wood, and his own jargon filled mutterings.
The end result is an elaborate design surrounding the mirror at its center. It is somewhere between a dreamcatcher and a Seal of Solomon in appearance with good doses of mathematical symbols thrown in for good measure. Here and there a pocketwatch lies suspended by a nail forming the nucleus for dense clusters of lines and symbols connected to the rest by a more flowing curving lattice of lines.
Conner looks upon the whole with satisfaction and a takes a small break to refresh himself and stretch the muscles. Then he strides forward to his creation once more. The first part is easy. Conner turns the mirror over and conjures forth his image within it. Soon he sees himself but not from the angle a regular mirror would show it.
Conner places one hand upon the mirror's frame and his other upon a central watch in the lattice. He pours his will into both commanding the energies of the mirror to meld with that of the lattice. To strengthen it, to focus it, to send it beyond the veil of the present and into the future. For this trial run, Conner attempts to look a week into his own future, perhaps to catch a glimpse of what the cards warned him of.
The image blurs and fades, then brightens. When focus returns, Conner looks on an image of himself from behind. He sees another figure rushing up to his future self from behind. Conner is oblivious to the figure, who has a bright, shiny knife in his hand. Conner of the present watches, unable to warn himself, as the figure puts the knife into his future self.
The future self doesn't seem to notice at all, and is still smiling when the image fades.
Conner gapes at his own shocked visage for a moment and then sighs. "Why I do I freaking bother with this?" He yells at himself tossing the mirror from its place on the wall to the bed making sure its lands face down. "Can't even see something as simple as being stabbed without ambiguity."
The watches come down off the wall as Conner silently fumes and turns over the image in his mind.
"I'm either drugged, ensorceled or have a really clever plan." Conner murmurs at last dropping the timepieces into his drawer. "Horn and hoof, I hope I have a clever plan."
Conner drops onto the bed beside the mirror and gazes sourly at it before replacing it in its hiding place. Fishing into his pocket he once more come up with the sketch of Brita in his hand. "I don't know if I want guidance or help or company." He whispers to it. "Maybe I just want to talk my sister."
Conner concentrates upon the sketch.
On the other end, Brita cocks her head to one side and then excuses herself from her Mother and Aunt for a moment. She steps away a short distance and says "Who calls?" in a formal voice...
...and then an "Eee! Conner!" when Brita recognizes him, followed by a quick frown and a "You look...tired?" /worried? stressed?/
"I've spent all day at a casting, dear sister." Conner says brushing aside such concern with a wave of his hand. "I've had some disturbing portents of late and decided it was past time I check in and let my nearest and dearest know what I was up too." Conner suddenly blinks and smiles even wider. "I love what you've done with your hair." He chuckles admiring her now red head.
Brita's blush almost matches her new hair color, but she gives a slight flick of a braid over her shoulder and, grinning back, says, "I took a walk and ended up at Uncle Corwin's new Salon." A little more serious, "I think my Berserker has asserted itself more through my walk. What have you been casting? I cast for my Da recently; it took me out for most of a day....And what portents? Do you need any assistance?"
"A trump casting pointing to a discovery of mysteries and possible healing or short sighted destruction as the possible outcomes of my current shadow journies." Conner replies with a sigh. "And on top of that a attempt to scry my own future that hints at a coming betrayal if not foretells an actual stabbing in the back. I would love some assistance, Brita." Conner gives her a sad but genuine smile. "Are you in Amber sister? Or Amber bound perchance? Much as I would love company on the journey ahead I think I need more someone to take care of a task for me there."
"Yes, I mean, No. I am not in Amber yet, but Paris with Mother. She is going to help me get back to Amber though shortly. How can I help you?"
"When Jerod and Solange returned from the Land of Peace with the pirate fleet, they also brought back a man called Chi-lin. He was in Bleys's service and helped with coordinate the war effort. He was placed in the castle under a house arrest I thought under the watchful gaze of cousin Paige." Conner says that last bit a little wryly then stops a moment.
"You know I just realized you may not know of this." Conner stops for a moment to switch tracks. "After Dara's card trick and your adbuction," Conner grimaces slightly, "we discovered that Deamond Har'garel, of the Har'garel trading family in Amber, was drowned in the champagne fountain. He was instrumental in my escape from Rebma and Valeria's father and otherwise ploitically connected. Many fingers have been pointed several of them at me." Conner pauses and takes a sip of water.
"At you? Why would anyone think you would kill one who had helped you," Brita is incredulous. "I had heard of the murder from Master Reid - he was investigating for the Crown, but he said he was having difficulty finding clarity in the picture."
"From a source in the Land of Peace, I have reason to believe it was Chi-lin that killed Har'garel." Conner says matter of factly. "I can't prove it just yet though, so take no immediate action there. But I also have reason to believe that Chi-lin himself will soon meet with fatal accident of his own possibly from Rebman quarters. I need Chi-lin watched and guarded preferrably without his knowing it. I hope we will catch someone in the act. Can you do this for me sister?" Conner treats her to one of his most brilliant of smiles.
"Would Chi-lin have been allowed at the Masquerade?" Brita asks rhetorically. "Do you have any idea how soon this double cross might occur? Would you want me to alert Master Reid of this suspect, or any one else? Do you think the attack would be sorcerous in nature? How can I protect the room against such attacks?" Brita stops the barrage for a moment and returns Conner's smile with a wry one of her own. "Of course I will help you, Brother. Just tell me how you wish me to proceed. Do you want the accident prevented or the attackers caught in the act?"
[Brita can see that Llewella and Fiona are eyeing her with interest, but no one is interrupting.]
"Chi-lin was not allowed so far as I know. He used a magical servant in his possession to do the actual killing." Conner replies. "I've no idea when only that I dropped a hint of this to Valeria recently. A long story involving a magic mirror and me being an idiot." Conner tells her quickly before Brita can ask. "The surprise I saw looked more like someone trying to hide a secret. I think it better to have Chi-lin guarded sooner rather than later. If you wish to bring in Reid or any of our immediate cousins feel free." Conner brushes back his red hair to clarify his statement.
Brita smiles slightly and nods in response, but says "Master Reid had no immediate plans for Amber, but I will pass word to him of your suspicions."
"I am more interested in catching the attackers in the act rather than saving Chi-lin. Uncle Bleys might feel differently about it of course but.." Conner shrugs. "As for sorcery, your guess is as good as mine. If you are with Mother, I am sure she could advise you much better than I. Keep an eye on mirrors though. That is certainly the Rebman way of doing things."
"I will do my best, Brother, and I will probably ask Mother for her wisdom on the matter. I would want to be prepared." Brita's face grows stern, "You, too, must remained prepared, Brother - no unnecessary risks or uncharacteristic idiocy. I am not as close to protect your back as I would like to be, but," her brow clears, "I am only as far away as the depth of a Card." Brita smiles fondly at her Brother.
"Only necessary risk and characteristic idiocy I assure you." Conner smiles back. "Take care sister." Conner passes his hand over the card to cut the contact.
As the connection ends, Brita turns back to her Mother and Aunt. "Mother, Conner has need of my assistance back in Amber to watch one Chi-Lin who is under house arrest. Is there a way I could monitor him or put an alarm on him to alert me if an attack was imminent?"
Fiona and Llewella have both been watching the exchange with some interest. "It would be easier to monitor him through mundane methods than magical," she says. "An alarm would be a particularly interesting magical problem."
Llewella says, "It would be easier to watch him with a mirror, I would think. How does this Chi-Lin relate to the murder that Reid was investigating, Brita?"
"Mirror Sorcery I have not learned, yet, and I have only recently learned Sorcery," Brita notes. "I can watch him myself, I suppose. As to your question, Aunt Llewella, my Brother has reason to believe Chi-Lin relates to the murder as the primary suspect. However, he also believes Chi-Lin may be next in line for the same treatment - perhaps to clean up loose ends? Chi-Lin must not be the Instigator, therefore. Watching him to find out who tries to kill him may lead us closer to the Core of the Plot." Brita turns to her Mother. "I would not want Chi-Lin disposed of by someone else so we can maintain evidence of Conner's innocence in this matter as well as clear his name in others."
"Of course we wouldn't want that," says Llewella.
Fiona nods, as if she's considering possible responses. After a moment, she says to Llewella, "I think I should send Brita back to Amber now."
Llewella nods her agreement. "I think you should. There are many people who would be very interested in that information, both in Rebma and in Amber. Be careful, Brita. Not everyone is as well-intentioned toward your brother as I am." She offers Fiona a thin smile.
"Of course, _Aunt_ Llewella," Brita responds with a Conner-like smile.
[barring objection from Brita]
[No objection]
Fiona ushers her daughter out of the room and down the hall toward her own chambers.
As they enter Fiona's rooms, she says quietly to Brita, "Llewella is younger than your uncle Bleys and I, but older than your Uncle Brand. Relations between the Rebman branch of the family and our half are sometimes difficult."
She moves to a desk and draws out her deck of cards, shuffling through them until Bleys comes up. "I believe your uncle is back in Amber now. You should tell him about your talk with Conner." She comes over to Brita and gives her a kiss on the cheek, something that she can only achieve on tiptoes. "I'll miss you."
"Yes, Mother. I will miss you as well and hope to see you again soon."
Last modified: 9 December 2004