names

the Pickler from Naapiisachi;
the Second Assistant Lover from Naapiisachi;

4th Desire (cont’d)

Sonata has hidden the pulsing fleshy lump from Gratuitus in her unmentionables drawer. Gi’s gone to collapse; the wounded have stopped coming up the people-mover; so Sonata’s headed out to the gate where Cameron has been taking care of any wounded or ill there. Nil’s down in the basement, waiting for Sonata to show up. Lhimpat (and her glass doll) is down in the kitchen, doing what chores she can to help the overstressed staff.

Aponta’s collecting rocks on his way back to the Great Hall. Ishta’s in the Great Hall, drinking and looking at her lantern. Iiba-lokshi is looking for Mrs. the Finger.

Aponta heads into the kitchen, looking for Lhimpat. He’s got his bag of rocks. He tells her he needs her help; is she busy? No, she says, handing her potato and knife to her glass doll, who starts hacking it up. He tells her about being in charge of the orphans. You’re so lucky! she says. I need help making toys for them, says Aponta. He reminds her of when they drew faces on rocks, so he was going to try to sculpt faces on rocks— Pet rocks! says Lhimpat. You should make dolls. I don’t know how to make dolls, says Aponta. You think your master would let you make dolls? Yeah, says Lhimpat. With some straw. So I could make some rocks and you could make some dolls and that way they’ll have a choice, says Aponta. —Some discussion of their respective masters; how Calvus beats Aponta, only he calls it something else; what the magi got from Gi when he came back from the other part of the castle. Aponta heads off to get stuff for doll-making. Lhimpat goes back to the kitchen and upbraids her doll for chopping the potato into a starchy ooze.

Iiba-lokshi goes to the Finger’s quarters to find Nipi Hapayyima’. He comes straight to the point: she knows his brother (the Red Moon intendent), and they feel it’s time to do something. The dragon-wizards who run this fortress have senses beyond all mortal ken, says Nipi. Let’s go for a walk. (Nil pings Sonata and asks her to listen in on Mrs. the Finger as she walks about the garden.) —They talk about securing enough food—specifically, grain, to be ground into flour—for the refugees, and ensuring that the Valley realizes that the new regime is just as capable of protecting them as the old regime was. Iiba-lokshi’s pleased that the covenant was putting newcomers to the test with all three colors of liquor. Nipi says the major problem is ensuring the dragon-wizards are sufficiently respectful of the fact that the protection they provide comes through them from the Prince. She thanks them; the birds in the trees flutter about as they take their leave; Yabo’kachi and Hankha wonder if maybe Nipi is just a dilletante.

Calvus goes looking for Murry. The gates have been closed? Yes, says Murry. Calvus asks how many priests came through; Murry knows about the ones from Yanalli, Ndapé knows about the ones from Naapiisachi. He pings Ndapé who tells him about the melos social he’s arranged with the visiting priests. Good, says Calvus. Calvus then checks in on Aponta, and talks to him about the, um, rocks.

Honey grabs Yabo’kachi on her way out of the gardens and has her help with distributing the grain into smaller piles. Woochi pulls Honey aside and asks her to keep an eye on Yabo’kachi’s suggestions to other people. Just in case. There, there, he says. You’re doing fine. —Honey’s wound a little tight.

Sonata heads down to the basement to meet with/be ambushed by Nil. So, says Nil. So, says Sonata. Sonata wants to know if it’s customary for Cristoférians to maintain arcane connections with all their fellow magi. All of them? says Nil. Something gives me that impression. It’s for safety, says Nil. I’m surprised there isn’t a network in place for everyone. We tend to value privacy, says Sonata. There tend to be many crises here, says Nil. You wished to meet with me? says Sonata. —Some discussion of what Sonata has found about her book, which she feels it would be premature to discuss. It’s related to some work I’ve been gift, and I’d probably seek out Gi’s opinion. —Does it differ from your published research? says Nil, who has three copies. Yes, says Sonata. Regarding the Finger’s wife, what did you think? They’re conspiring about something, says Sonata. But there’s no hostile intent towards us. What did you think? —I think they’re agents of the moon-priests, says Nil. Yes, says Sonata, but not agents of the proper moon-priests. Is there some sort of moon-cult among the Prince’s court? That’s a reasonable hypothesis, says Nil. Sorry I interrupted you. I’ll do my best to respect your privacy. Thank you, says Sonata. I hope to reach a point at which I will be able to discuss my work in more detail. Nil thinks they could be a good resource for each other. —Some discussion of the relative fidelity of Lemmites and Cristoférians. Sonata reveals that she thinks the subject of her research is dangerous, and she must be quite careful who’s even aware of her research. Oh, well, the Eleanoréans, says Nil. But that’s in poor taste. —Nil says the last sustained research Sonata was involved with was quite dangerous, and he hopes she’d involve her fellow magi to some degree to prevent its repetition. Sonata says her current research is more formal and abstract. Does it concern you at all that some mysterious force has granted powerful objects to all of us? Nil says he had something of a presentiment while it was going on and, though it’s irrational, he can’t help but trust whatever-it-is. He can’t think of it as sinister.

Soha and Hankha are talking about important Fisher-priest business over mushrooms.

Ishta presses the flower-button on the lantern in the Great Hall and is rewarded with the scent of flowers. After about ten minutes, rose petals start falling from the ceiling. Ishta closes the lantern.

Sonata attempts to destroy the connection Nil’s holding. She wonders if she should call a Council meeting to discuss her concerns. She heads up to Gi’s room (missing Nil by mere minutes). Gi wakes up slowly to Sonata’s knock. Sonata asks if Gi’s aware Nil spies on him. No, says Gi. Not more than usual. What do you mean? Sonata explains he has arcane connections to all the magi. Without our permission? Does he have your permission? No..? says Gi. I didn’t realize that. I must admit, says Sonata, I don’t know that he uses them to spy on us. Not continuously. Sonata says Nil’s interested in her gift. Do you remember the gift you gave me? It’s a book, says Gi. Yes, says Sonata, pulling it out and showing him the cover. A very, very special book. Gi hides his head in his hands. This is not as theoretical as our other books, says Sonata. It’s quite practical. —Some discussion of the other gifts the other magi received. Sonata explains she’s promised to explain the subject of her—their—research. Ah, says Gi. Sonata also reveals that the Yanalli priesthood and the Finger’s wife are possibly involved in some moon-priest conspiracy. We just need a Cow, says Gi, and we’ll have the full set. We need to find out who their Brewer-priest’s brother is. Did you ask Nil to figure that out? No, says Sonata. So what should we do about Nil’s indiscretion? says Gi. I suppose it would be impolitic to call a council meeting and file a formal complaint? Gi sighs. How has he used his knowledge so far? I don’t know, says Sonata, but he is extensively connected outside the covenant. Yes, says Gi. But I think we’ll be okay. If I felt certain Nil would only use such a connection to speak messages to me when it was necessary, says Sonata—but it’s frightening to be reminded that someone has that sort of access. —Sonata reveals that

Late that night, Nipi pours a measure of green liquor into a wide plate, and tosses a handful of spruce needles into the liquor. The divinatory pattern urges action. Nipi sighs, dips her fingers in the liquor and dabs her forehead, eyelids, and cheeks, pours the green liquor out on the floor, and goes to sleep with a heavy heart.

Ishta presses the button that looks like maybe it’s a moon, or two moons. The table catches fire. A little drunk, she grabs a bottle of something and splashes the fire. It’s white baby. The fire roars up blue and hot and catches the next table. The little Tullys climbing up and down his pillar stop and stare goggle-eyed and tsk her. She bumbles about looking for a bucket of something else and heads into the kitchen. Help, she says. I just set the Great Hall on fire. A couple of the kitchen staff stumble out into the Great Hall and peer at the three tables that are now on fire. Yelling begins. Ishta’s pushed to one side. She grabs her lantern and spies the water button. She presses it. Water shoots out, knocking down the kitchen staff who were bringing buckets of water. She’s laughing too hard to do much about the fire, though. —A kitchen staffer comes up and thanks Ishta for her help but they have it all under control and it’ll be messy to clean up so maybe she would like to retire to her tower?

Gi goes to speak with Nil. He asks if Nil can come speak next door. —Gi mentions Sonata’s conversation with him. The moon-priests? Yes, and the arcane connection. Well, says Nil. Usually you ask, says Gi. Well, I owe her an apology, says Nil, but I thought the situation with the wounded, and the conspiracy, required immediate action. Who do you have connections with, among the magi? All of them, says Nil. Should I destroy them? If you don’t have their permission, says Gi. Nil agrees. Anything else? Gi kisses him. I’ll see you in the morning, says Nil.

In a snit, Nil destroys all his arcane connections, except the one to Perdix.

After a moment, there’s another knock at Nil’s door. Lhimpat opens it. My master was expecting you. Nil laughs. Gi says I’m not surprised. —Gi wants to know what Sonata knows. Of? says Nil. Good night, Nil, says Gi, after a moment. Nil follows him out into the hall. My apprentice is in there. I know, says Gi. Do you think I would tell Sonata? No, says Gi. Love and Reason, if Sonata knew, I’d throw myself off a cliff. I’m a very discreet person. I understand, says Gi. That’s all I wanted to know. Good night. I didn’t come here to spy on the covenant, says Nil. What did you come to spy on? says Gi. The region, says Nil. Headache yet? says Gi. We’re dangerously over-extended, says Nil, and dreadfully behind schedule. —And Gi’s concerned that some Opacans might have slipped into the covenant with the refugees. What do you want to do about it? says Nil. I could write to my father. I thought you would anyway. Yes, but I could use a particularly beseeching tone. Well, it depends on why they’re here, says Gi. With the chaos and the fighting and the Monkeys and the giant bugs and Tully and our priesthood... Nil sighs. It’s too late at night to worry about Quintus Opacus.

5th Desire

Calvus drags Aponta out past the castle walls very, very early in the morning. Take this axe, says Calvus, and focus on the trees over there. Then swing the axe, here, low to the ground, at them. Aponta does so. The trees sway in the breeze from the axe. Calvus takes it back. Disappointing, he says. You will have to do better. Yes, says Aponta. Calvus swings the axe and knocks down a small grove.

In the Great Hall, Calvus wants to know what happened with the burnt tables. There was a fire, he’s told. But you dealt with it? Good. How quickly can you deal with this? A couple of days. How many people have seen it like this? Just the staff, says the staff. And who caused this to happen? Illuminata woke us, and then she hosed a lot of water out of her lantern.

Ilba reads a letter to Perdix from Nil about how the Finger’s wife and the priests from Yanalli are maybe a conspiracy of moon-priests and the Yanalli Brewer’s brother is involved. And I’m supposed to do what? says Perdix. —Ilba asks if they can go outside. You didn’t go on the picnic? says Perdix. You asked me to stay. Oh, says Perdix. Well. It is nice to have someone to fetch melos and such. But you could have, says Perdix, and then, oh, but Great-Aunt doesn’t like you. You don’t think she— Ilba shoots them a look. Can’t you do something about that? says Perdix. You’re the mage, snaps Ilba. I could make you look different, says Perdix. Why don’t we go to town, they say. Dressed like that? says Ilba. Don’t you have other clothes? Didn’t you used to live here? When I was this tall, says Perdix. Fine. Let’s go shopping.

Nil and Lhimpat discuss arcane connections. A handkerchief is involved. Nil gives Lhimpat a small wooden box to deliver to Sonata. Lhimpat heads down the hall and knocks, and Cameron opens. Thank you! he says, taking the box and closing two door. She knocks again. He opens the door. Is your mistress in? No, says Cameron. I need to give it to her directly. I see, says Cameron, handing the box back. Lhimpat heads back to Nil, who puts a courtesy lock on it, and Lhimpat returns to Sonata’s roons and tells Cameron she doesn’t need to give it directly to Sonata anymore. Okay, says Cameron. —When Cameron returns the box, Nil asks Lhimpa to detain him momentarily; she gives him a breif monograph on a subject he’s interested. Thank you, says Nil.

meta

“What do you think of your counterpart?” “—Oh! The whatsit, from the where.”