names

Tabli (“to cut apart”), a Naapiisachi rebel, played by Emily;
Kapko’ (“hackberry”), the Naapiisachi Bitterman, played by Kip;
Nittakki (“early morning”), a Naapiisachi rebel, played by Kip;

7th Desire (cont’d)

The Naapiisachi Bitterman is hauled to the dungeon, out of earshot of the Pickler. Ishkish’ishkobo’ and Nannimponna inform Murry, who tells them to get someone fixing the hole in the floor of his office.

Iba, Parker, Hayapo, the Scarecrow brothers, are all in the Scarecrow King. The youngest is making tamales! The rebels discuss the letter to be sent, and write it, with much crossing-out. It’s addressed to Woochi, and demands the return of their Pickler, an answer to what happened at Naapiisachi, free passage out, also reasonable reparations, and if possible a return of their memories. The letter’s handed out the window to Shoha, who discusses it with the other priests. Honey wants to call in the military already. Woochi thinks his Bittermen could handle the rebels, no sweat. They should wait out back to see if they can distract enough of the rebels to break in.

Murry breaks Kapko’s fingers, demanding to know what he was yelling. Kapko’ doesn’t remember. Murry’s satisfied, and doesn’t execute him.

The rebels get nervous at the discussion outside and yell that they just want to talk. Gieron and Tishkilla and Woochi and Honey head into the Scarecrow King to negotiate. It isn’t going well. The priests aren’t entirely sure what happened, and can’t do much about the Pickler, who anyway started a riot (though Gieron thinks it’s more that the Pickler pissed off Ishta). —There’s a knock at the door; one of the rebels looks out and is shocked to see a giant dragon-man, burnt black, knocking on the door.

Murry and Tabli negotiate. It’s not going very far. Murry confers with the priests, and dithers over whether to actually execute the Pickler, or say he did, and heads across the street, chatting up hookers, while the priests decide what to do.

Gieron offers to return the Bitterman. The rebels want their Pickler. They want to know what the Pickler remembered. If we find out what he remembered, and give you your Bitterman back, will you go? We’ll talk about it, says Tabli.

Murry takes Woochi to speak with Okakmi’. Okakmi’ asks about Ishta, and the little glass man, and the short, nondescript man with him, who attacked his village. She was flying, and throwing vials down, and people were falling over, and he didn’t remember it until she did it again at the gates. Okakmi’ tells Woochi what he now can remember of the battle of Naapiisachi. They’re lying to us, says Okakmi’. It wasn’t the Judge, and it wasn’t the Crow. It was the short man, and the little glass man, which I know sounds weird. Oh, I know what you’re talking about, says Woochi. And her, says Okakmi’. I got hit with some of the liquid she was throwing around, and I don’t remember anything more. That’s very disturbing, Brother, says Woochi. I don’t think they’re going to release me, says Okakmi’. I don’t think so either, says Woochi. Do you have any pull to sneak me out? I’ll try, says Woochi. Do these guards all work for the dragon-wizards? We all work for the Prince, says Woochi. —Okakmi’ writes a note telling his rebels to leave and tells Woochi to give it to Nittakki. Talb can’t read. Oh, and can you bring me a cushion? And something to knit with? Sure, says Woochi.

Woochi tells the priests what he’s learned. Gieron suggests telling the dragon-wizards that they know the secret of Naapiisachi, and they’ll keep it, but the dragon-wizards have to let the Pickler go. Wipe his memory better this time, but let him go. He shouldn’t be locked up forever to cover up their fuckups. They agree.

Half the rebels fall asleep. Hey! says Talb. Hawashko, the youngest Scarecrow brother, is shivering with terror by the tamale pot. There’s something in the beer! says Talb. Just what Gieron put in it, says Hawashko. Tamale? Hey! says Talb. There’s something in the tamales! Hawashko panics, shrieking. Honey pulls a knife. Talb orders the hostages out! Out! The Bittermen, hearing the screams, break down the back door. Gieron and Woochi and Tishkilla come in the front. —They get the rebels to agree to leave with the Naapiisachi Bitterman, who’s been promoted to Pickler in Okakmi’s letter to the rebels. Talb and the remaining rebels haul their sleeping fellows out to a wagon and wait for the Bitterman.

Tishkilla tells Heshe that Tully and Marzipan and Ishta destroyed Naapiisachi. Woochi tells the Wolf Priest the same thing, in case the magi decide to attack them. They go speak with Palpebra, who’s lying in his cot, half-burned. Bloody-back’s taking care of him, one arm in a sling. Palpebra listens, over Bloody-back’s protests, and isn’t thrilled to hear what they have to say. He sends Bloody-back up the Great Hall to find a mage. —Bloody-back finds Nil; Nil asks him to take Perdix and Ilba up to their rooms, while he goes to speak with Calvus. He tells Calvus what Bloody-back told him, and suggests Calvus speak with Woochi. Woochi’s usually pretty smart. —Bloody-back tells Nil there’s no one in that parlor to put in any rooms.

Calvus explains to Woochi that the Pickler led a riot, and so should be executed. Woochi explains the situation, and how they’re unhappy with being misled, and they wouldn’t normally otherwise ask, but the Pickler’s a priest, and Naapiisachi was hit hard, so could there be leniency? It would lead to good relations with the Valley. You could wipe his memory. Calvus explains the Pickler broke through a memory-block before. Besides, they took hostages. —The priests understand.

Calvus goes to speak with Palpebra, explaining the situation; Palpebra understands the need to execute him, but what are we going to do with the priests? —There’s an argument over when Palpebra intended the council meeting to be held. Palpebra wants to know why they had to lie. Keeping all these secrets is a bad policy. It creates problems. Calvus agrees. I want that to change, says Palpebra. That will take a great deal of work, says Calvus. Magi enjoy their secrecy. Do you need anything? No, says Palpebra. Except I would appreciate knowing when the next council meeting is called.

The Bitterman is released. The rebels agree that Murry is a scary motherfucker.

A messenger is sent to Woochi, asking if he wants to be there when the Pickler’s body is presented to the villagers. He does.

Gi finds Hoopoe, and asks why the heck he isn’t down there with Sonata. It’s boring down there. He remembers he has her proxy. Council meeting! he yells. Gi sighs. It’d be more fun down there if I was a bat. But I’m not a bat. Am I. I’d hoped you might have lost your intelligence under the circumstances, says Cameron. A loyal familiar would have.

Calvus opens the cell door. Yes? says Okakmi’. You are to be executed now. Do you wish to kneel? How will I be executed? says Okakmi’. Your head will be severed from your body. I’d better kneel, says Okakmi’. You people are terrible, terrible people. Go ahead. Calvus does so.

An hour or so later, someone comes by with a cushion.

Gi finds Nil in the front parlor, lying on a table. A sheet of linen flutters behind him, sprinkled with symbols. He briefs Gi on the disappearance of Perdix and Ilba. Outside, Ishta bobs by, a leash attached to her ankle. Nashoba’s keeping an eye on her. How are you? asks Nil. From what I can tell, you’re fine. I’m tired, says Gi. Can’t imagine why. I’m hungry. You hungry? No, says Nil. I’ll get you some food anyway, says Gi. He thinks better of leaving Nil alone, and calls a servant over. —They see Calvus, and check in with him, and Calvus lets them know Lætitia’s alive, just trapped in Somnex’ dream world. Huh, says Gi.

That’s Evansendia out there, say Perdix, only big. Not as pretty as I expected, says Ilba.

How do I get out of here? asks Lætitia. You have to go on a quest, says Somnex. You’re shitting me, says Lætitia. When have I ever joked about this sort of thing? says Somnex. —He goes and fetches Aurelius for her. Messengers deliver her instructions, and announce her armor’s prepared. Shall they hang her life-berries about her head? What does Circumsessor say? says Lætitia. He’s very proud of you, says Somnex. You went and helped Nemus Animæ. No idea why. Bunch of lame fuck-nuts. I’ll feel much better, she says, if you tell me what happened. I’ll check, says Somnex. Anyway, you should find your companions. Crap, says Lætitia. Is one of them a talking animal or something? Oh, darn, says a miniature hippo in parti-colored hose. I’ll just go. He bumbles off. —That champion followed me all the way from Tyr, snaps Somnex. He reveals that’s actually Aurelius, and not an imago. We had an agreement! snaps Lætitia. You asked to see him, says Somnex. That clearly makes the agreement null and void. Does he have to go on a quest too? No! yells Somnex. There are rules! Nobody reads my books. I went back and checked. Twice they’d been checked out! I pity-checked them once, says Lætitia. I know, says Somnex. He promises to put Aurelius back and leave an imago. Her armor is brought, and her life-berries.

The shield of the Jasper fæ is appearing on one of the columns in the Moon-Pool. And the double-axe of Eléanor is written on the stone under the water! Sonata is pleased. (Sonatas are pleased?)

Perdix and Ilba discuss where they might be and what they might have to do. Perdix explains as they understand it that they’re in a puzzle, and the puzzle has to be solved. They think that’s what they have to do. Ilba explains that Perdix can’t ever leave her behind again. She’ll be his apprentice and do all the stupid stuff and speak Cholæic with perfect grammar and even not see Nishoba ever again if they ask but they can never leave her again. Agreed, says Perdix, and they shake on it. A door appears. That was easy, says Ilba. It’s not over, says Perdix.

Insomnium, noticing the door to Nemus Animæ has been left open, sends a penumbra through, but finds himself in a blank white space. A woman made of glass stands there, looking down at a trunk. Huh, he says. This is not what I expected to find. He and Ishta converse. Is that normal for you? Made of glass? When my parma’s down, says Ishta. Does this have to do with Perdix? says Insomnium, looking at the trunk. He knocks on it. It disappears. Cool! Maybe this is a new power! —I don’t think I’ve ever been this bewildered, says Ishta. I think I’m stuck, says Insomnium. Can you do something about the decor? A comfy chair, maybe? Ishta tries to make a chair. (In the Great Hall, a comfortable chair appears under Ishta.) Anything? says Insomnium. Nope, says Ishta. (The chair disappears.) So I guess I’m stuck here till you work through whatever it is your enemy did to you.

Nil goes down to the Pool-room. Hi, says Hoopoe. Bits of Sonata flutter down. One of her birds is out in the water, trying to dive down to see something. Wouldn’t a duck be better? says Nil. She’s not very good at ducks, says Hoopoe. Can I have a moment alone with your mistress? No, says Hoopoe, no, no. No. Can I bribe you to go away? No. No. No. I’m keeping an eye on her. I can do that, says Nil. No, says Hoopoe. No. I think I can ask you to leave. No, says Hoopoe. Fine, says Nil. Cone of silence. (“Animál,” sneers Hoopoe. “Not mentem.”) Nil casts it properly. Sonata flutters angrily. —Some discussion of the ramifications of the Pool-room’s curse. Sonata notices that Ishta’s symbol is gone. Hmm. Nil briefs Sonata on the Twilight of the other magi. (It occurs to Calvus that Ishta’s symbol has disappeared. He hadn’t known there were symbols down there. He’s pissed.) Sonata’s taken with the Custodire symbol. Nil says he has no idea. Well, this is not my symbol, but I believe you know what it is. She hands Nil her book. I wish I were surprised, says Nil. It’s in better condition than the others, says Sonata. Others? says Nil. How many others? Three, says Sonata. Though the introduction indicates there might be as many as seven. —She explains how she found the first one: a book in the bargain-bin at Sofia, bound as mine-records from Ysrillien for 380. She found the book because of a cypher from several other books read together. You know, says Nil, if that happened to me, I’d flee all civilization. And so you find me, says Sonata. You know, says Nil, I don’t think you went far enough. And another has found me here, says Sonata. Gi found his— Nil sits, heavily, all color gone from his face. Yeah! says Hoopoe. Nil! You and Gi! Nil shakes his head. Let’s not distract the dear Nil from the topic at hand, says Sonata. —She points out the ramifications of the room help to explain why she’s saying what she’s saying down here. Ah. So you two have been communicating about them? says Nil. Yes, says Sonata. Not a great deal. Gi feels the books were found due to coincidince, and doesn’t wish to toy with them. He is an Ægidian. Can I ask why you told me, as a representative of the Cristoférian council? I’m not telling you as a representative. I assume members of the council are entirely corrupt, so it would not be safe to tell you as a representative. I think we need to investigate this, and I have been unable to get Gi’s assistance. I’m not asking you to help me with Gi— What is your goal for this investigation? asks Nil. I want to know what it is they’re trying to do, says Sonata. To what end? I want to stop them, says Sonata. Isn’t it obvious? I felt I should ask, says Nil. That’s fair, I suppose, says Sonata. There are those who do not believe all of Eleanorean theory is— Corrupt? says Sonata. Dangerous? Well, deleterious, says Nil. As we are doing here? says Sonata. Conquering Gætan? says Nil. With ritual magic! says Hoopoe. There are differences, says Nil. Well, yes, says Sonata. These presumably used Gætani gods, and Eleanorean spells—well, we really don’t know. We should investigate. I’m very tired, says Nil. What do you want me to do? I’d like to lend you one of the books, and for you to read it, so we might discuss it. Nil counts off how many times he could be executed for this. Well, I do believe I could actually say no, says Nil Of course you could, says Sonata. Gi does. But he does not have your devotion to the Order. That’s a phrase, says Nil. Regarding Gi, says Nil. Are you planning on informing him?

Ishta finds a lens, a symbol for Sonata; Sonata feels a cold wave of nausea up her spine. I am not well, she says. I understand. Perhaps we should discuss this later. Should I tell him, or you? You could wait, and we could tell him together. I’ll give you one of the ones I’ve already read, says Sonata, taking back her book. Fucking fuck fuckity fuck, says Nil.

Gi’s talking to Jerry.

Calvus and a soldier and a bloody sack and Woochi and Tishkilla find the Naapiisachi rebels. Your name is Talb? asks Calvus. The Naapiisachi rebels stare at the bloody sack. Your Pickler has been executed for his role in last night’s riot, says Calvus. Do you wish him to be buried here, or to take him home with you? We’ll take him home, says Talb. Do you wish anything further? Help, says Talb. Our village has been destroyed. Any help to rebuild it would be appreciated. I will help fell trees, promises Calvus.

Sonata and Hoopoe discuss whether Gi and Nil are having sex.

Ishta’s got her glass-blower and an apron. That makes you look domestic, says Insomnium. Now, if you could whip up a stove and cook us something to eat... Ishta starts blowing Sonata’s symbol. She finishes it and starts blowing another: a double-headed axe. Eleanor! says Insomnium. I miss them. They were great. Ask me no questions and I’ll tell you no lies. So you think Perdix is an Eleanorean? I think, says Insomnium, if you squint just right, a double-headed axe looks like something with wings.

Nil waits until Gi returns to his rooms and has been there 20 minutes or so. He checks in with Lhimpat while he’s waiting; she asleep. She cried herself to sleep, because Nil’s angry with her. Nil droops and leaves Omphalé with her and heads to Gi’s rooms. —I thought I’d drop by, says Nil. Gi lets him in. Nil explains about Lhimpat, and his parens, and discipline. Nil leans in and kisses Gi. Smooths his hair. Why don’t we sit down? Gi is sitting down. He stands and helps Nil sit. Nil casts a cone. How long have you had an Eleanorean book? Um, says Gi, thinking back. Wait! —The maga Sonata sends her apologies. She’s recovered. Since 421, says Gi, explaining about Gratuitus. Gratuitus, you say, thinks Nil. I was an apprentice, and that was another bad time, Gi’s saying. He explains Gratuitus scribed a copy for Sonata. But I haven’t read much of it. I don’t like it. When Gratuitus took it away I got angry. It was my book, and I wanted it back. I didn’t like that. I don’t know if reading it cast a spell, or— You didn’t destroy it? I didn’t want to. Why not? It’s knowledge? says Gi. It’s unique? Are you angry? No, says Nil. Why not? says Gi. Well, I certainly wouldn’t tell me about it. I wanted to, says Gi, but I promised Sonata. Well, Sonata wants me to read one of hers. Are you going to? Yes. You think I shouldn’t? I couldn’t say. But I’m glad I know. I suppose I’m confused, says Nil. So am I, says Gi. Do you trust me? says Nil. Yes, says Gi. That’s very flattering. Knowledge itself can’t be evil, says Gi. It can be used for evil. I can think of several reasons why the book latched onto you. Self-preservation, for one, says Nil. Yes, says Gi. Doesn’t mean I have to like it. Can I see your book? says Nil. I don’t have to open it or anything. Now? Not unless you have some other evening plans, says Nil.

Insomnium suggests if he kills Ishta in the dream-space, she’ll wake up. Or die forever. Go ahead! cries Ishta. —Nothing happens.

Nishoba’s puzzled by the symbols Ishta’s generating.

Sonata returns to her labs; Cameron’s there, reading a treatise on Twilight. Back so soon! cries Cameron. I suppose I’m done with this. I’d thought I might have—months.

Nil’s reading the Eleanorean text in bed by Gi. Gi jerks away in the middle of the night, startled. What a bad idea this was, he’s thinking. They discuss what a bad idea this had been. Nil doesn’t like having been a vessel. Nor is the involvement of the apprentices comfortable. They did something with Murry, says Gi. What did they do to Murry? They invested him with a temporary title or stewardship— Gi groans and rubs his eyes. And Lhimpat? asks Gi. Unsettled. Sonata’s back? Yes. And how are you doing? Fine, says Nil. No, really, says Gi. You’re never just fine. I’ve given up on that level of fine. I’ve lowered the bar. Your goggles? They’re working. They’re running at about half what they normally do, but I can compensate.

Sonata and Cameron discuss the possibility that Miller-magic undid the Miller-glove.

8th Desire

Calvus is thinking of Eleanoreans as he’s meeting with a Good Friend. He deliberately does not think of them, nor does he pay attention to the impulse to head down to the Moon-Pool.

meta

Dylan and Charles are our initial focus characters.

Gi’s and Sonata’s Eleanorean texts were written to be hidden and found later: desperate chronicles of Eleanorean knowledge. Well-structured. Gi’s is the first volume, with an introduction. It makes it clear the books were supposed to have remained in Ysrillien.

“You know, darling,” says Gieron, “I’m such a fucking great diplomat.”
“Somnex is pretty good at hiding all his porn under the mattress. It’s a pretty big mattress.”
“Hoopoe, wearing a cunning mustache—”