Deirdre's Folly

Part I: Geryon's Lament

Geryon smiled across the table at Merlin, keeping his head as still aside.

"Well, Merl, I hope you have been well. It has been centuries for me since we last met."

A little over ten feet separated the two. Neither was willing to get much closer than that, even though they considered each other friends. The easel at Merlin's side was filling quite nicely with the portrait of his younger cousin, the basic lines completed in a matter of moments. Merlin nodded as the brush in his left hand worked the canvas at a reckless speed.

"Indeed I have, Gery. How goes your war at home. Any more land lost since we last spoke?" The smile slipped from Geryon's lips at that and he nodded briefly.

"Aye, that there has been. We lost the last three port cities we had on the mainland. Lugborz is now building a fleet at Karat'Tiel. We harass him as we can, but the laser cannons are no longer effective. He has found a way to shield his cities from their effect." He shook his head slightly and Merlin frowned at him.

"Keep still, Gery. I know how you must feel about this, but I have a job here." Merlin's brush continued to fly across the canvas as he chided his cousin. "So, what are you planning to do about it? I would suggest suicide raids if you weren't so far out numbered already." The smile returned to Geryon's face as he once more struck his pose.

"Hehe, well he won't be launching any ships while I am away. I don't think he will be that foolish anyway. And if he is then he will loose them with all hands. Wood no longer floats if you get more than a hundred miles from shore. I will change that again when I get back, but for now my regent has been ordered to stand fast on the islands and let that bastard Lugborz build whatever fleets he wants. Teleportation is no longer a problem since the Wizards College figured out how to redirect all incoming ports to the bottom of the ocean, and if he wants to try sending a flying contingent against us again, well, lets just say that the Dragon races are still holding to their oaths. I figure I wont be needed at home for at least four to six years local time. I just hope His Most Royal and August will let me get back home in that amount of time. If not, then I may need to ask you or your dad to look in on it for me."

Merlin chuckled and said, "I would be willing to do it if necessary, but what is the time dilation at your home now?" His brushwork was slowing as he began to work the details of Geryon's face and form. Geryon smirked slightly, the calm smile returning to his face before Merlin could chastise him.

"I lowered it back down to one to one. I doubt if Uncle Random will be keeping me here that long, but one never can tell with kings."

Merlin laughed at the irony of Geryon's tone.

"Too true. Emperors like yourself are much easier to read, are they not?"

Geryon chuckled in turn and said, "Of course. At any rate Shadow emperors are."

The smile faded from his lips for a moment as thoughts danced behind his eyes.

"I may need to ask you and your father to stop by anyway. I am beginning to believe that the death of my father was the beginning of the end for Bryton. I am not sure I can hold the gateway for much longer." A single bead of sweat appeared at his left temple and rolled down his cheek into his beard. "If Bryton falls and Lugborz escapes it could go badly for Amber and her allies. I have recently proven that he is indeed a Lord of Chaos, although his House is still a mystery."

His eyes hardened and he continued, "I hope the King finds it in his heart to let me return home soon, or the Shadow of Bryton may well be renamed as Deirdre's Folly."

Part II: Private Thoughts, Public Actions

Hidden amongst the stacks, wearing servants garb, a man thinks in his head. He thinks loudly. Plots, plans, perhaps even a realization or two bounces around his head. He thinks as if he was speaking.

" Cousins." He has thought long and hard on that one thought. "Cousins, not just a brother or a sister, nor two or three, but 'Cousins', capital C, and lots of them, all of them thinking of Random as King. As if Oberon had never reigned, as if Eric had never seized the throne, as if people hadn't paid dark prices and taken deep wounds to wrest it from him. Cousins, loyal to little Random.

Two sit here, not disturbing me, not quite, yet filling up the room with chatter. It must have been like this for Oberon. So many of us around the same age, give a century or two. How long are Amberites children anyway? Does time in shadow even count? These two, a son of Corwin, a son of Deirdre, so similar in appearance they might be brothers if not cousins.

There are so many more of them, underfoot. Jullian had Duncan hiding in Arden for centuries. Who knew Eric had Derek stashed away? Caine had two in hiding, that odd woman Strykr, and the nasty one Lark. Fiona has two, Geheris & Marke. Flora & Llewella each have one, Zachary & Rilla. Random had Martin of course, but who knew he would find a son of Osric stuck in a slow shadow, barely 500 years had past for him though 4000 had in Amber. Now Galvar, the big galoot, is Random's bodyguard. Benedict had even brought that young war goddess out of shadow, Doria, a daughter of his and Lintra's no less.

One can't forget dastardly Delwin, suddenly high in the king's council, and his grim sister Sand. They brought a whole brood. Vance, who looked at me like prey, the midget bear Houk, a freak if I ever saw one, and that...delicious girl, Nadine. Nadine. There is one who amber will chew up and spit out whole. I might even give her a go myself.

Even Gerard had found some woman slow enough for him to get over on. Will wonders never cease?

But those are for tomorrow, today it is these two. They are young, fit, newly risen to power, and newly minted by the pattern. Random trusts them because, except for Martin, these Cousins are not schooled in our ways, aren't tainted by Patternfall and imperial ambitions. They don't have centuries, even millennia, of practice maneuvering to take the throne. All my hopes blasted, all gone, all forever out of reach. Even treachery might not win the throne, if the Unicorn can just show up and point an accusing horn at the guilty. What to do now to while away the lengthening centuries? No hope, no plans, no friends, no hangouts. Like Dutch said, Just what you pick up, and what you need.

So make friends. Take a century.

He finishes his thinking, his plotting, and his planning. Now it is time to take action. Like many plans they begin small, and grow. He approaches the easel, walking as a servant would, unobtrusive, humble, and for the most part, invisible, till he stops by Merlin's work, and draws back his hood. He stands erect, revealed, and examines the painting as he talks.

'Deirdre's Folly? I like that! Deirdre would have howled. So you have enough control over this shadow to manipulate timeflow, hinder teleportation, and sink wood at sea, but you can't squeeze out one Lord of Chaos? Perhaps what you need is a bigger stick to hit him with, nephew? Sounds like something fun to do, and I have the time. I don't believe we have been properly introduced. I believe you are Geryon? Son of Deirdre? Well met, I am Bleys, Son of Oberon. Why don't you tell me about this Chaos Lord and what he has against you?"

Part III: Strykr's After Action Report and Caine's comments on it

Caine,

Sorry about the handwriting, until I get a secretary to type these reports, this is the way, I'll turn them in.

As discussed, I, Geryon, Doria, Vance, Bleys, Benedict and fifty thousand troops left castle Amber for Geryon's World. 1st Trump portal to Julian in Arden. Second, one day journey to the passage's (about 500 to 600 feet across and 100 miles long) entrance in the Golden Circle Kingdom of Diego, Benedict left 5K troops to build a garrison post. This continued everyday till we reached the chamber, which had about 500 of Geryon's troops, including 5 Kzinti.

The chamber is about 6 to 8 thousand feet across, with 6 exits. The 1st passage is from the Golden Circle Kingdom of Diego. Geryon says that the 2nd passage goes to an opening 50 feet down on the Shadow-side wall of the Abyss, 3rd is a passage to a place near Ygg, 4th is a passage to an earth-like world (not Corwin's), 5th is a passage to a ring world, 6th is a staircase leading up to Geryon's throne room.

We continued, into Geryon's palace, where he briefed us on the Chaos lord, Lugborz, seems to have taken over most of the world with local troops.

The leader, Fleece has fur that is yellowish white, tightly curled, and soft to the touch. He resembles a sheep more than a sheep dog.

Bruiser, the second largest is a dirty black & brown with patches of white, graying and ugly. The left side of its face is marked with scared skin stretched taut over jaw, teeth, and brow. Its blue eyes are the color of the sky and its teeth are yellow and strong.

Swift is sleek, black, clean, swift. Probably third in command.

Dwarf, the smallest of them is little bigger than the wolves that follow them. Brown with patches of white, speckled.

Ripper's claws are anointed and engraved with mystic runes. One eye is a rheumy red, but the other eye is a bright yellow jewel, the size of a walnut has been implanted. Probably one of the Jewels of Mandalay.

I, Geryon, Doria, Vance, & Bleys teleported to a hill, rendezvoused with the wolves and their five hundred follows. Close was a tower, where Lugborz was ensconced. Disintegrating the gate, Bleys disassembled the tower. As the wolves, lesser and greater, Vance and I held a perimeter. Geryon, Doria, and three of the greater wolves killed Lugborz.

Recommendations: Intell & Ops could use a working arrangement with Benedict's garrison posts (if such an arrangement with the Army in general does not exist). as well as safe houses in the shadows where the passages end.

Good report.

I don't need the details of every conversation, and thankfully you did not give those. I would like a little more detail in the future about what spells people, especially Bleys, uses, and any other information Bleys, and other people give you about details of themselves. One never knows what will be handy.

The institutional rivalry between our operations and Benedict's are substantial. His people are like him, dour, proper, formal, and rarely jovial.

I have heard of Fleece and his pack. They are Chaos Lords, nasty ones at that. I have just spoken with Bleys and he confirms your report and adds that Fleece and the pack are now sworn to Mandalay. This is an important change in allegiance. I have had Lark send an Intel guy to our station in Chaos to work with the Station Chief there. They will ferret out the amount of loss of lords chaos has suffered since the creation of Mandalay.

What disturbs me is that according to other sources in Chaos, Fleece is in good favor there. With the discovery of Fleece's allegiance I wonder how many of the people in Amber are secretly sworn to Adrian. Something to look into here at home. I think I will get the secret police looking into it.

Caine

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