Chapter 038: A Slight Problem
"Some
people think
That
if they go too far
They'll
never get back
To
where the rest of them are
I
might be crazy
But
there's one thing I know
You
might be surprised
At
what you find when ya go!"
A
Token of My Extreme - Frank Zappa
We were in some remote part of the castle where I had never been before.
It was rather cool and quiet, but not dusty, which wasn't very surprising since
this place was one of Aunt Fiona's special workrooms. When I had told her that I
had found something that I needed her opinion on, she had brought me here. It
was a nice spot, away from a lot of inquisitive eyes.
The peculiar black and white Trump fascinated her, of course. She said
she had never seen anything like it before and wanted to know how I had come by
it in the first place. So, I told her my story of finding Liret in Shadow, only
leaving out Tiziane's involvement and any references to Blood Curses. Naturally,
Fi was a bit suspicious as to that coincidental meeting with Liret, but I just
shrugged and said that there was no such thing as coincidence, keeping from her
the knowledge of who had actually engineered this chance meeting.
"Well," she said after looking the thing over for a bit,
"it's clearly a Logrus Trump, I can sense that much. So you were just
thinking, let's go and have Aunt Fiona try the thing, were you?"
"No, no, of course not," I said. "I
simply hoped that you'd be able to tell me more about it."
"Hmm." She didn't seem altogether
convinced. "What else did you learn about it?"
"It's supposed to be a very old artifact, a
heirloom of that Chaos family. The lady's name was Liret Grendyn."
"Grendyn, eh?" She walked over to a table
on which there stood something that looked like a computer, but which turned out
to run on magic instead of on electricity. Quite useful in a place like Amber.
She tapped a few keys and a moment later information started scrolling across
the screen.
"It's an old House," Fi said without looking up from the
screen. "They used to be a major power in the Courts, long ago, although
now their status is less certain. The House was founded by some younger son of
another Major House, which later died out altogether. Well, politics, you know
how it is..." She frowned. "House Grendyn seems to be well past its
prime. There seems to be a lot of ill fortune and misery in their past."
She switched off her computer. "However, there's no reference to this
object in my data base. You did not happen to make any connections with any
living members of the House, did you?"
"Well, actually...," I said hesitantly,
"Liret did have a sister called Alexa."
"You contacted this Alexa?" I nodded. "And you kept the
Trump." The latter was not really a question, but I nodded all the same. It
was as if Fiona would have been very disappointed in me if I hadn't decided to
keep it. "Do you have the impression that she knew more about this
Trump?" I relayed all Alexa had told me on the subject, which wasn't too
much. The fact that the thing was allegedly something of a jinx didn't really
seem to bother Fi. When I had finished she admitted that she didn't know what
the Trump was; she had never even heard of something like this before. Also, she
didn't recognize the artist's style, although by now she thought she ought to be
familiar with most of the important ones. That she was highly fascinated by the
thing was plain to see, though, and she even cautiously
inquired whether or not Alexa might be willing to relinquish the thing. I simply
ignored her remark: it was never my intention simply to give Aunt Fi the Trump,
I needed it myself. If I only knew what I was supposed to do with it.
While I looked on, Fiona proceeded to do some tests on the Trump, none of
which seemed to be conclusive. Finally, after she had been dawdling for a couple
of minutes, she turned around and told me that she had decided she would
tentatively try and make contact with the Trump. I gave her a rather-you-than-me
look and told her to be careful, but she seemed to radiate sheer
self-confidence. Well, who was I to argue with her anyway?
While I kept an eye on her from what I deemed to be a safe distance, she
took the Trump and started concentrating. For a moment or so nothing seemed to
be happening, then Fi's expression turned to one of surprise and she slumped
forwards. Oh damn! First thing I did was grab a book from one of the tables and
knock the still active Trump from her hand. I checked her body: lots of lights,
but no one home whatsoever! Oh great! What was I supposed to do now? I glanced
over at the Trump and saw that it had begun to pulsate with something that I
identified after a moment as being Pattern energy. Pattern in a Logrus Trump,
that's not right, is it? Seeing that it wasn't active anymore, I gingerly
reached out my hand and picked it up from the floor. As soon as I touched the
thing I was in contact with Fiona's mind. She was cursing, but not really
excited or in a panic.
"That really didn't go as planned," she muttered.
"Now what?" I asked.
"Well, for starters, I would really appreciate
it if we kept this little matter between the two of us." She managed to
hide it pretty well, but naturally she was worried about the effect something
like this would have on her reputation.
"Okay," I said, "but that doesn't
answer my question, does it?" Fi sighed mentally.
"I appear to be stuck here," she
admitted. "This Trump turns out to be more than it seems. I think it's some
kind of storage space, but with very good security. The good news is that
although I am stuck, I was still able to send a message to the outside world.
This gives me reason to believe I will be able to acquire some control over this
place, but I won't be able to free myself and return to my body without some
help. I propose that you go and talk to Alexa again, and try to find out
everything you can about this Trump. I don't care how you do it, just do it.
When you know everything there is to know, you use the Trump and join me here.
I'll take care of the security measures, you can tell me what I need to know to
set us free, we get out, and all of this will remain our little secret. How
about that?" I looked doubtful at her overly optimistic plan (to put it
mildly). What if I wouldn't be able to find enough info on the Trump to get the
both of us out of there? At the moment these thoughts found their way through
the murky pathways of my mind, I immediately felt Fi's resentment at my apparent
lack of faith in her, accompanied by a overwhelming feeling of really having to
help her. Damn, was I that easy to influence?
"The only alternative," she said, "is me taking over your
body right now and finding the solution myself." I could tell she wasn't
joking.
"No, thank you," I said, chilled by the
prospect.
"Alright," she said cheerfully,
"it's a deal then." Yeah, right. Next time I would think twice before
asking her advice.
"What about your body?" I said. "I
can't very well leave it here, can I?"
"Perhaps it would be a good idea to take it
with you to the Courts," Fiona ventured. Hah! I already saw myself walking
around with her apparently lifeless body under my arm. And she was the one who
wanted to keep this quiet!
"I don't think that would be...," I
began, when suddenly I thought of an elegant and rather obvious solution.
"No, wait," I said, "I've already found a way."
"What's your plan?" she wanted to know.
"Never mind," I said. "Just leave it
to me." Before she had time to object, I tucked the Trump away among its
more ordinary cousins, thereby cutting our connection. Making her trust me a
little as well would serve her right, I figured. I picked up here unconscious
body and transported both of us back into my children's little world. I found a
quiet guestroom in the mansion with a door that could be locked, and deposited
her body on the bed. Smart thinking, if I may say so myself: this way I could
take her with me without attracting too much attention. Of course I warned Anna
not to let anyone enter the room; I didn't think Fiona would be very happy if
she found out that she had been a plaything for my feline kids. Anna didn't
object, although she muttered something about the indecencies of high-placed
folk.
Since I was there anyway, I first spent some time playing with the kids
before acting upon Fiona's plan. I was in no hurry to leave the comforts of my
own body and join her in the abstract space of that weird Trump, but I also
realised that it might not be a good idea to keep Fi separated from her own body
for too long. In a way I found the situation a bit amusing: Aunt Fi has this
reputation of knowing anything and everything about magic and Powers and stuff,
and suddenly this Trump comes along and proves that she still has her limits,
just like the rest of us. Of course I wouldn't tell anyone else about this, I
owed her that much. Nevertheless, it sure helped to put her rather glorious
image in a quite different perspective.
Like I said, I played a little with the kids, then I ate a meal there,
before at last leaving the pocket to try my hand at contacting the Lady Alexa
once again. I may not have mentioned this before, but a Trump call to the Courts
of Chaos is not the easiest thing to do. It takes a lot longer before the
contact is really established, and when it finally is, you have to pour a lot
more energy and concentration in it to keep it going. This time I managed yet
again, although as an extra I had to use a Chaos Trump, which is physically
rather nauseating to one of Amber descent.
"Lord Dorian," Alexa said, greeting me with a nod, "what
can I do for you?"
"My lady, it's good to see you again. I called
to tell you that I've managed to find your family heirloom." I smiled
pleasantly, but at the same time I noticed her frowning slightly.
"You have?" she said. No, she was
definitely not very enthusiastic about getting the Trump back.
"Yes," I replied, "and I must say
that I find it to be quite intriguing. You have already told me a few things
about during in our previous conversation, but I was wondering whether you could
tell me some more. If it's not inconvenient or anything, of course."
"Well," she sighed, "as I have already mentioned earlier,
the object is supposed to be very powerful. Not everything about its history has
been handed down to me, but I do know that it was most probably created by
Nisse." She regarded me meaningfully, as if this name should be instantly
familiar to me. Of course, in a way it was, but then I knew nothing about this
person Nisse except that he was supposed to be the one who might be able, and
perhaps even willing, to give me information on how to get rid of my Curse. So I
kept my expression carefully blank and asked her who this Nisse was.
"Nisse is a curiosity of sorts," she said. "It is said
that he was Lord Suhuy's predecessor. As far as I know he is still alive today,
but time has not been kind to him: he resides in an institute for the mentally
unbalanced."
"Hmm, but he was a very powerful figure in his
time, wasn't he?" I said.
"Yes, he is quite ancient and used to be very
famous. I don't know for what kind of purpose that he made this Trump, but my
family was at one time chosen for the task of guarding it and keeping it
safe."
"Might there be some earlier records detailing
the Trump's function and purpose?" I asked.
"There could be," Alexa replied
hesitantly, her expression suddenly downcast. "My sister had been studying
a lot of the family records before her untimely death; I found several books
from our library in her chambers. Perhaps you would like to come over and have a
look at them yourself?"
"Thank you," I said, "that would be
most helpful." She extended her right hand and once again guided me
through.
As we walked towards her sister's room, I noticed that Alexa was not
altogether certain about what she should do. Of course the Trump was a family
heirloom and as such she, as its rightful guardian, had to claim possession of
it, but in her eyes the thing had already killed her sister, and I felt that she
would rather be rid of it altogether. My professed interest in the thing was a
clear signal to her that I would be willing to relieve her of her duties, but
with the Trump's reputation of being a jinx she could never ask me, a Lord of
Amber, to accept it, could she? Now, perhaps if I were the one to ask her,
things would be different, especially if I had enough information to know what I
was getting myself into.
The family chronicles proved to be a bit of a disappointment, though, for
nowhere was the Trump ever really discussed in any detail. It was mentioned
cursorily here and there, but nobody had ever taken the time to write down all
the information they had on the thing. Perhaps they had never imagined that this
knowledge would at one time not be available anymore. Where the Trump was
mentioned, it was always in relation to the question of whether or not it should
be put to use. In the end the House Grendyn had always voted against using it,
irregardless of the problems they had had to face, which had ranged from
vendettas to all-out civil war. There were enough references in the texts to the
Trump's power and the dangers involved in using that power, and here and there a
name cropped up of a certain Calor who had been the only one ever to use it.
Calor's fate was never mentioned, but judging from the texts it must not have
been a very nice one.
I doubted whether this information would be enough to get Fiona out of
there, so I asked Alexa for some more information on Nisse. She told me that she
was relatively certain of his current whereabouts, and when I admitted to being
interested in meeting him, she gracefully offered to escort me. With a nice
little black carriage, drawn by two small winged dragons, as our mode of
transport, we made our way through the Courts of Chaos. Since this was my first
real visit there, not counting my earlier short trip bringing home Liret's body,
I kept a curious eye open while exchanging smalltalk with Alexa. What can I say
about that place, except that it was just plain weird? Now and again I saw
demonic shapes fly, glide, slither or just walk by under the brilliant
multi-coloured sky. The architecture was completely alien and at the same time
hauntingly familiar, with angles and curves that would be impossible in normal
Euclidean space. All in all, it was a feast for the eye, and I promised myself
that I would spend a nice vacation here sometime, if time and circumstances
allowed for it.
Meanwhile my conversation with Alexa had drifted to her own family. It
turned out that with Liret dead she was the only remaining living member of the
House Grendyn. There were a few loyal servants left in Grendyn Ways, but Alexa
admitted that it was rather hard making ends meet nowadays. As the Lady of a
once Major House she had a seat in the Minor Council, the congregation of Minor
Houses, and she was generally still treated with some respect, but it was quite
uncertain whether House Grendyn would survive beyond these current hard times. I
couldn't help but feel a bit sorry for her. Maybe I could find some way to help
her out after I had finished my business with Nisse and somehow got Aunt Fi out
of that Trump. After all, Alexa had been, and still was, pretty decent to me,
while I on the other hand had not been entirely truthful with her right from the
beginning. Not that I would have changed my behaviour if I could, but... Well,
damn, I liked the lady, alright? Right.
About twenty minutes after we had left her mansion, Alexa's carriage
entered the driveway of what can best been described as the Courts' version of
Arkham Asylum. Picture a large, dark, gothic building against that weird
multi-coloured sky and with those geometrically impossible angles, and you get
the general idea. Various old figures of both demonic and human appearances
wandered around the grounds, and when we were getting off the carriage an old
demon came up to us inquiring loudly as to the whereabouts of his spectacles.
Fortunately, a nurse appeared at his side to lead him back inside. Alexa and I
followed them (at a safe distance), and once inside Alexa located the reception
area where she inquired after Nisse.
"Whose child are you, then?" I heard a croaky old voice ask
beside me. I turned and was faced with a positively ancient woman in human form,
squinting up at me to get a better look.
"One of Deirdre's," I answered, deciding
that it was better to humour her.
"Who's Deirdre?" the little old granny
wanted to know.
"My mother," I said quickly. Something
told me that it was better not to mention Amber in this place.
"Which House?" granny insisted. I was
about to make up a name, when Alexa reappeared at my side, just in time to save
me from further embarrassment.
"Lord Dorian is here incognito," she
whispered to the old woman, who turned her glittering eyes to me and winked
knowingly before strolling off again. I gave Alexa a thankful smile.
As we walked towards Nisse's room through the depressingly dark corridors
of the asylum, our escorting nurse told us that Nisse had been quite catatonic
of late. It might be that our visit would be inconclusive, but she argued that
it wouldn't do any harm either way.
My first impression when I entered Nisse's room was of entering a vault
that had been left alone for many, many years. A quick look around told me that
the room was quite well taken care off, though; it was simply the figure seated
in the middle of the room that radiated this palpable feeling of age. I noticed
a lot of books and other old objects lining the shelves, some of them faintly
throbbing with the power of the Logrus. Nisse himself was beyond ancient: even
in his current demon form his usually tough scales were cracked, and here and
there his skin hung in loose wrinkles. I moved around to face him and saw that
his expression was completely blank. Not a single spark of life glimmered in
those misty ancient eyes.
At my insistance Alexa sent the nurse away, leaving me with a chance to
figure out a way to contact the old demon. I felt right away that it would not
be easy. I began simply by talking to him, telling him my name and origin. For a
moment I thought I saw something flicker in his eyes, but when I looked more
closely it was gone, and no matter how much I talked the sparkle of interest
didn't return, even when I showed him the black and white Trump, his own
handiwork. After ten minutes non-stop talking I was ready to give up. There
seemed to be only one way left in which I might be able to get through to him:
by making direct mental contact. If I could have, however, I would rather have
avoided that, since Nisse was not only supposed to be very powerful, but had
also been locked up in this mental institution. I had never before been in
mental contact with a certified lunatic, to put it crudely, and I regretted
having to start off with a powerful certified lunatic at that. Still, there
seemed to be no other way open to me.
I turned to Alexa and quickly told her what I was planning. I could see
that she wasn't entirely for it, but she wasn't about to argue with me. Good
girl. I asked her to keep an eye on me while I was at it, smiling reassuringly
and saying that I would probably be alright. I got a second chair and seated
myself right in front of Nisse, so that I could look into his eyes. Then I
started concentrating...