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—”

Various small brawls break out during the Feast that simmers into a surly, low-grade riot. Half the village wants to leave. Murry keeps the gates closed and orders the guards to use cudgels to keep the riot from the gates. Ishta and Sonata plan an evacuation: word is sent to Tully to return his seven-league boots. He flies back for a shower and a break and hands off his boots. But there’s a trust problem: would rioting villagers trust a magus to walk them down to Cliffside? Maybe sleeping potions, instead, so they can’t hear the Judge’s call? —Sonata suggests shrinking the villagers that will be evacuated, so more can be carried at once. Jerry’s at the lawn, trying to quell the riot. Ishta and Sonata head to the gates, where a batch of villagers and refugees are trying to batter the gates down. (Other refugees are trying to get their wagons hitched up and ready to go.) They’re pelting Murry and his troops with stones. The Naapisachii Pickler is one of the ringleaders. Murry orders his troops to fire a volley at the stone-throwers; shocked, the refugees turn and flee back up to the covenant.

Ishta levitates and throws sleeping potion down on the fleeing refugees. The Naapisachii Pickler, seeing this, remembers. Her! he cries. It was her! She tags him with potion. This would be easier if you weren’t birds, she snaps at Sonata.

Sonata assembles on the wall and tells Murry to have the troops gather up the sleeping bodies and return them to the covenant. There’s six folks hit by arrows, two dead, two dying, two hurt; those are gathered up as well. Ishta orders Murry to put the Naapisachi Pickler in jail. Sonata heals the two dying folks. Those four are put in jail as well.

Nipi urges the Finger to give a speech in support of Jerry; Sonata finds him and casts Rightful Authority on him, so his speech goes over well; they disperse before the sleeping rioters are brought back.

Sonata and Ishta discuss the mechanics of shrinking the refugees. Cameron’s dug up some shrinking spells, one of which works within the range of the caster’s voice; Ishta’s got a strengthening potion; they need a couple of big crates. Ishta and Jerry and one of the priests go about, noting who’s asleep and will be sent down; Sonata prepares to cast the spell. Ishta tries to determine who wishes to be immediately evacuated, or who might be related to the 30 or so asleep in the courtyard who’ll be sent down regardless.

A large number of refugees and villagers (a couple of hundred) want to leave now; Sonata allows some to observe her casting the shrinking spell on the sleeping 30. Nishoba drinks the strength potion, takes someone down to Cliffside with the seven-league boots and back, to show it’s on the level, then he takes a crate-load of sleeping rioters down. Of the couple hundred, about sixty decide to go. They’re shrunk and taken down, where they can oversee the thirty sleeping rioters. Soldiers are sent to keep them safe from barn cats.

About three or four in the morning, some of the refugees who’d been trying to hitch up their wagons take over the Scarecrow King

7th Desire (cont’d)

Tully seeks out Lætitia to ask what she’s got in mind; he warns her about the sheer scale of the weather the Judge cooks up. There’s lightning, she says, and I’ll be a lightning rod, and send the lightning back! Good luck with that, says Tully.

Ishta, Lætitia, Nishoba, Assface, and Murry go down to the dungeon at dawn to speak with the Naapisachi Pickler. He jerks awake when the sleep-spell dissipates. They’ve pulled in chairs and a table and there’s melos and pastries. Ishta asks if he remembers the night before. What’s to be done with me? he asks. I don’t know, you’re delusional. For now, for your own protection, you’ll be our “guest” down here. Is there anything you have to say? I’m sorry, says the Pickler, but I remember what I remember. What you remember isn’t necessarily as you remember it, says Ishta. You’re the one with the big guard, says the Pickler. I don’t think we have anything to talk about. —Lætitia reveals that she’s checked with Manu Tenére; some of his family is there. Good news! says Ishta. Anyway. Until such time as you’re no longer a danger to yourself or others— Myself? says the Pickler. Attacking the gates like that, says Ishta. How many were killed? Two. Which two? I don’t know. Nobody knows. The Pickler is unconsoled. We’re doing all we can, says Ishta. If there’s nothing more? Are you sure? says Lætitia. I could pass word to your family. Do they remember? says the Pickler. They’ve lost some days. Is there a short glass man here? says the Pickler. Not in the room, says Lætitia. In the covenant? Not that I’ve spoken to. If you could pass word to my family that I am alive, says the Pickler. And well, says Ishta, and taken care of. Ishta offers to have some books brought down to pass the time. —Nishoba suggests they need to kill him, or wipe more of his memory. The difficulty, says Lætitia, is those who remember what he’s done.

Ilba didn’t sleep in her room. She slept in the main room, surrounded by alphabet dancers, as Perdix worked over Nil’s spell. She wakes up when the dance shifts and slows; Perdix explains they need to get past the glove to make the spell work. What do you know about Millers? What has Nishoba told you about Millers? Nothing, says Ilba. We don’t have long philosophical discussions when we get together. Oh, says Perdix. Why don’t you ask Nishoba? I will. But you’re here now.

Nishoba asks Ishta to get Ndapé back to the covenant. He reveals the “whole thing” changed after the thing with Gi. She warns him not to overstep his bounds. Calvus is not a man to mess around, and Ndapé is his investment. Yeah, yeah, just like me, says Nishoba. Yes and no, says Ishta. I’m not going to get into that with you. There’s a random knock on the door. That’s Perdix’ knock, says Nishoba. How do you know? —Nishoba lets Perdix in; plans are discussed. Perdix demands to know everything about Millers. Ishta doesn’t want Nishoba endangered due to his Miller-apprentice nature, what with the Quintus Opacans and all.

Honey’s freaking out over her husband-to-be being cooped up in the Scarecrow King and all. (He’s making a big breakfast for the hostage-takers.) Tishkilla collects Honey and takes her to have some drugged tea.

Waakimbala and Assface discuss the plusses and minusses of an embassy to the Judge from the bugs. Or perhaps the bugs and the Wolves working together...

Here! (They’re back.) Perdix gets a ping from Nil, fuzzy and far away. Nil? Are you all right? Nil’s glasses aren’t working. We’ll be there in five minutes, say Nil. —Nil apologizes to Lhimpat; Lhimpat doesn’t know how to respond. (Nil was so happy just minutes before, on a Quest! With Lhimpat! To Candy Mountain!) Gi pings Ishta; Ishta tries to get Gi to get Calvus to get Ndapé, but Gi doesn’t say anything other than we’ll be back soon. Ishta pings Tully and asks him to be ready to ask Ndapé to fly back.

Calvus and Nil and Gi and Lhimpat arrive at the doors to the Great Hall. Ishta’s waiting there. She tells him they need Ndapé. The Moon Trio— Calvus shoots her a Look. I understand, says Ishta. I feel the same way. But the magus Perdix insists this is the only way to stop the Judge. —The Here is telling the four of them they need to go to the Pool. Nil’s maps are online, but the Here is doing something; Nil shuts them down. Calvus, sighing, goes to look for Ndapé. He steps to the roof; steps down to the far side of the covenant—and is promptly dragged back toward the covenant by the Here. He smashes through some shattered ruins and immediately steps back, chagrined.

Over the Pool, Perdix is spinning hand-in-hand and chanting, trying to find the Axis. The Axis isn’t interested. It’s something to do. Ilba snorts. They flick her; the Pool dumps them into the water. They float back out, and the water runs off them. Huh. They flick a sniggering Ilba again, and are dumped back into the water. Sonata suggests maybe they don’t want to be chanting when the Here does what it does. Okay, says Perdix, floating over to the shore. —Calvus, Nil, Gi, and Lhimpat walk into the Pool, and the magi step each into one of the pillars and melt away; Lhimpat melts into the Pool itself.

Cameron, Nishoba, and Ndapé are being drawn inexorably toward the Pool. Ndapé turns his flyer around and heads back to the covenant. —Nishoba and Cameron bump into each other in the basement; fancy meeting you here! Did you get Murry? No, says Cameron. Maybe we should. You could go up as high as the kitchens and send someone. I can turn around, says Cameron. I can turn around.

The Pool and the Here are doing what they’re doing. Nil is worried about Lhimpat, but also Gi and Calvus. Gi wants this to work; he wants it to protect the people, and he’s wondering why. You’re the moon priests, says the Pool. Oh? You’re the Green Moon, says the Pool. Nil is the White Moon; Calvus is the Red Moon. Calvus is angry and seething and hoping this upsets the power of the Gætani priests.

Lhimpat’s on a totally awesome scary adventure with lots of underground caverns. —The Pool notices that Lhimpat’s part of another trio, and that trio isn’t here.

Ndapé crashes the tub into the gallery overlooking the cliff and heads through the Great Hall and down the stairs two at a time.

Who is the ruler of the Three Moons? asks the Pool. The three magi are confused. The moons are Love, Reason, and Wisdom. Who rules Love, Reason, and Wisdom? You’ve brought me here, says the Here, to be the rule of the three moons. Who is the ruler of the three moons? —New symbols are appearing on the pillars: House Ægidius; Clan Sursenure of the Andariens; the Custodire triangle; a couple of boar’s heads. —The Here and the Pool and the magi are trying to sort out who rules, who protects, and who orders. Who is the ruler? asks Gi. The Life-force, he says. Life rules Love, Reason, and Wisdom. You’re the ruler, says the Pool No, says Gi. We work together. So no one is above you? Love, Reason, and Wisdom are above all. (Nil’s answer invovles a lot of sleight-of-hand with prepositions.) There is nothing above Love, Reason, and Wisdom, says Calvus. Which is foremost? demands the Pool. Wisdom is foremost? Everything comes from Wisdom? Who does the land come from? Wisdom, says Calvus. Wisdom, I guess, says Gi, reluctantly. Love and Reason emanate from Wisdom, says Nil. But all is dependent on all, says Gi. Though Wisdom does equal the land.

The Pool turns to the other trio. Who rules over the moons? Rulership is an interesting concept, says Cameron. Rulership should be thought of as a cycle. The Here wants to drag Cameron under and rip the answer out of him. The Sun, says Nishoba. Celestial magic is beyond the purview of Cholæic magic, says Ndapé, but the theory holds that we are the center of all and the moons circle us. Who rules the land? Love and Reason. Who rules Love and Reason? There is no one above Love and Reason. Who is paramount among Love and Reason? Neither. They both emanate from Wisdom.

So: What is Wisdom? What is the Land? —Nishoba’s asked what the Sun is, and he tells them. What’s the Earth? It’s as old as the Sun and it doesn’t move except in anger. What’s the Earth? The thing under your feet, source of life, says Ndapé. What is Earth? Source of life, says Gi. What is Earth? An interesting question, says Cameron. Some say Earth is life, says Cameron, but we speak of death as returing to earth, so perhaps earth is the complete cycle of life, but that’s unsatisfying. Consider the works of Lem— Calvus explains Earth is the cycle of life, though with more emphasis on the mountains. Flat earth is where prey lives.

You will serve Wisdom, says the Pool to the Here. And create, says the Here to the Pool.

What of the Judge? —Nil thinks the land is the place the Judge is from; to deny him the land is to deny where he’s from, making him an unsuitable candidate for the Judge. We cut him off, says Gi, though the Judge himself doesn’t need the land for power.

Nishoba, Ndapé, and Cameron begin their ritual. Murry’s told to strip down and go out into the center of the pool. They walk a lunar circle about him, four times, twice, and once, and their pillars keep step with them.

What does the Earth create? Everything. Everything. Much as a vase is created from clay. The earth creates nothing, says Nishoba. We build from the earth, but when the earth creates on its own, it creates monsters and warfare and earthquakes and war. It asks Gi about earth-fæ.

Murry is kitted out with invincibility rings and protection rings: auram, terram, weapons, corpus, animál, and sent out.

Lætitia pings Perdix to find out where the hell everyone is. I can’t say, says Perdix. Can’t? Or won’t? Can’t, says Perdix, but things should start happening soon. So I should start the lightning rod now? Keep an eye out for Murry, says Perdix. The big black one. You remember. Oh, yes. Okay. She pings Somnex and tells him to keep Circumsessor ready.

Murry climbs the walls and leaps down to the other side. It’s dead silent and a little creepy. The Judge approaches in a column of lightning. Palpebra’s down, in horrible shape; Tully’s on the ground with his silencing device. Lætitia up on the wall is surrounded by a nimbus of St. Elmo’s fire, her hair upright, crackling and popping.

Sonata hands Ishta a feather so she can call in and asks her to head out to the gates. Ishta gives her a glass ring.

Murry and the Judge trade blows. The Judge wants to throw Murry at things. Murry wants to grab and hold the glove. Nishoba has begun a ritual of unmaking. Murry’s tossed a hundred feet; the Judge heads toward the gate.

The Here is the entire circle of life. All goods are creates. The life it actually creates is neither human nor animal, is at times mischievous. Fire comes from it. It is itself. Part of yet self-ruling within the trio of the moons. Opposed to the Gætani gods that come to attack it. Both male and female. It breaks the Judge from the land by eating the Judge to deny him the sky.

Lightning’s striking Lætitia and her rod. Ishta opens her lantern with the fire symbol; it putters out. It needs more vis. Tully hands Ishta the silencing horn and heads into the inner covenant. The Judge builds up a great lightning blast to strike the gates; Lætitia gears up to suck in that blast and turn it into an auram blast to blow the Judge back; she takes in the power, and disappears, appearing in Somnex’ dream-realm. Fuck me, she says.

Lightning spelling out REPENT appears in the sky. Unease is filling the villagers, who see the lightning, but can’t hear the battle or the thunder. We did something wrong, they’re thinking, but what? Murry’s gripping the Judge’s leg and the glove-arm; the Judge pries him loose and throws him at the gates. The enchantment on the gates hurls Murry back at the Judge. The Here steps in, and the Judge’s immobility is canceled; Murry and the Judge go tumbling ass-over-teakettle. The pillars and the apprentices conjoin, and at that moment the glove crumbles. The Judge howls silently.

Perdix? says Sonata. Perdix and Ilba wade out into the Pool and begin to cast Nil’s spell. The Here and the Pool know the spell, from Nil and Calvus; they pass the knowledge on to Gi, so this trio can help Perdix and Ilba.

The Here’s denying the Judge the sky by swallowing him up: the Judge and Murry are falling into the earth. Murry’s trying to drag the Judge back up to the surface to keep him from dying before Nil’s spell takes effect, but they’re pulled into a chamber under the earth. They can speak! I assume you’re going to kill me, says the Judge. Why haven’t you yet? I’m Murry, says Murry. We’ve fought once before, but you know that. I’m a priest of the Judge, says the Judge, but you know that. I’ve been thinking of fighting you for a long time, says Murry. My god is looking for someone, says the Judge. Oh? Me, says the Judge, or anyone else. Will you kill that mage for me? Which one? says Murry. The skinny one, with glasses. Why do you want to kill Nil? says Murry. So they’re dragon-wizards? Really? I have no idea, says Murry. I’m not from here. Please, kill Nil, says the Judge. It’s my dying request. You’re not dying yet, says Murry. Oh, bullshit. When you kill me it’ll be too quick for a last request. A last request is a steak! says Murry. Not kill my ally because I don’t like him. He’s really named nothing? says the Judge. Oh! says Murry. I hadn’t noticed. This is a trick! says the Judge. You really think I’m that stupid? You have any food? No, says Murry.

One of the Naapisachi Pickler’s apprentices, who had been at the gates and escaped the sleeping potion, finds himself chanting certain prayers he’s never heard before. He’s in the Scarecrow King. People are starting to look at him funny.

Perdix casts the spell. It’s a success, but they feel something big way the hell off thataway turning to look; they block it, but it throws them into Twilight. They try to save Ilba, but she dives in after them, and the backlash from the block splashes onto Ishta and Sonata. Ishta’s left floating in midair, hugging her lantern. Sonata is a flock of birds swarming up and down, trying to shape itself into a person.

Circumsessor appears on the wall, and is briefed on the Judge and the current situation; he finds Tully, coming out of his tower with all the tools he’s assembled to fight the Judge. It’s over, says Circumsessor. Damn! says Tully, tossing his tools back into the tower. He finds Ishta and takes her to her labs.

Nil’s lecturing Lhimpat on not staying in that sort of thing any longer than absolutely necessary.

Cameron’s pleading for help with the birds. Gi’s calling the flock to him, sweetly, and they sit all over him and swarm about him, fluttering. Cameron heads up to get birdcages from Sonata’s chambers. Calvus says, apprentice. We need to speak when you have time. Ndapé busies himself carrying Perdix and Ilba to the front parlor to make them comfortable.

The Pickler’s apprentice walks out of the Scarecrow King, chanting; the lightning’s stopped, and the uncertain feeling’s gone. The guards jump him and haul him off.

Nishoba comes into Ishta’s labs. How’d that happen to her? he says. I bet she went into Twilight to keep it from happening to you, says Tully. Crap! says Nishoba.

Sonata is arranging her bird-selves on the symbols on the walls. Cameron’s brought down birdcages, but Nil and Gi suggest she might be happier if she remains down here.

Ilba and Perdix are in the trunk, on the ground floor, in Ilba’s study room. But there are windows, that look out on the streets of Evasendia, in Perdix’ old arrondisement. Only the people walking by outside are enormous. The trunk is lifted and carried somewhere. They can’t speak to each other yet. They’re all three vaguely nauseated.

meta

The successes we needed for the Big Roll:

• Murry’s God sees all.
• Clipping the Judge.
• Totally the clipping the Judge. (5,6)
• Twilight for Perdix. (6)
• Twilight for Ilba. (5,6)
• Twilight for Nil. (5,6)
• Twilight for Lhimpat. (5,6)
• Twilight for Gi. (5,6)
• Twilight for Calvus. (5,6)
• Twilight for Cameron.
• Twilight for Nishoba.
• Twilight for Ndapé.
• Twilight for Sonata.
• Twilight for Ishta.
• Judge imposes Dragon on Here.

As spellcaster(’s player), Kip allocated dice. Perdix protected everyone close to the spell by eating a failure for Twilight; Ilba, seeing this, blew her success, allocating it to the off-the-table “Pool strengthens Perdix and Ilba’s Monkey-bond” success. (Other off-the-table successes included Lhimpat getting her dungeon.)

Next session: clean-up!

“We’ve got to wait for the Here to come back.”

Tully grabs some equipment and Marzipan and goes to silence the Judge. He’s fitted Marzipan’s mouth with a magic ring that shoots balls of lightning. That way, in case they chop off his hands, you’ll still have a means of defending yourself.

Gi and Calvus seven-league it to Manu Tenére, and Calvus heads off on his tour of the villages. Gi calls for Lætitia. Gi attempts to ignore the guards. Lætitia arrives with sleeping infant in a back-sling. Some pleasantries are exchanged. How can I help you? (She whispers. “We’re a little colicky.”) Gi describes the Judge problem, and the mystery of the disappearing town, and how it was decided she should come along and explain it to the priests. Explain? Why you had to make it disappear. The town? No, just some people—well, maybe the town. I’m not so clear. Tully did something. Tully killed them all? Let me explain; I forgot, Perdix isn’t at the covenant now, so you’re not up on everything. Perdix isn’t at the covenant? —Lætitia explains the contest to name her kid, which the drawing will be held this evening, so if you have any suggestions, the hat’s in the hall. So, says Gi, Judges, attacking. And one big Miller Judge, who’s been deputizing more Judges. And some of the magi went to deal with him. And Tully’s attack went very badly. The Judge had the entire village attack him so Tully had to kill them all. And Ishta wiped the memories of the survivors for the past two weeks. And Tully made the bodies disintegrate. But the priests who survived and fled to Nemus Animæ want an official report. So what’s the official report to deliver? Well, part of what you owe us for the flood is to deliver that message. Someone else will come up with it; you just need to say it prettily. Also, there’s a problem with the damaged crops. And a moon conspiracy. Big or little? says Lætitia. I don’t know. What sizes do they usually come in? Well, I can come along. That’s what you want me to do, right? After your kid is named, says Gi. Well, I can’t miss that. And Calvus is welcome to stay, too.

Circumcessor arrives and is brought up to speed; Gi tells him the Miller Judge is headed down the valley for Nemus Animæ. —Some discussion of travel arrangements for Lætitia and her child. Why’s the Judge on the move? asks Circumcessor. Um, well, says Gi, who explains about the deputized Judge. Gi also explains Tully’s plan to prevent the Judge from raising an army. So, the amnesiac refugees. You have some? I suppose that’s the work of someone in your covenant? I’m surprised Calvus hasn’t told you. That would be the first village Tully destroyed? He destroyed more than one? says Gi. That one, and the one where the Crow manifested. Perhaps he didn’t finish that one. Gi shrugs. Gi also explains about his odd encounter with Sol Media Nox. Really, says Circumsessor. Gi asks for access to Manu Tenére’s library, to find spells that prevent or protect against possession. Check under Somnex’ mattress, suggests Lætitia. You did get your name in, didn’t you? Not yet, says Circumsessor. This is your last chance, says Lætitia. I was thinking Claude. With an “AU” and not an “O,” right? I was thinking “AWE.” —Gi brings up the question of his contacts with Tansie. Too distracting? If you keep it to dire need, or once every ten days—and after dinner, says Circumsessor. Of course. But we do need a more direct form of covenant-to-covenant contact in the case of dire need. We have a mirror communicator that works very well for Bethelion, says Circumsessor. Could we pass on the notes to your Touccians? Ishta would be perfect for that, says Gi. —Some discussion of a suitable replacement for Mens. Who do we have in vim? asks Circumsessor.

Lætitia takes Gi to see Tansie, whose midday lecture is about to end.

Tully and Marzipan attempt to attack the Miller Judge, which is as futile as before; they are successful in surrounding him with about a half-mile of silence. But the spell is fixed in an ear-trumpet, so they have to keep pace with the Judge to keep him surrounded in silence. Palpebra suggests digging a big hole and burying the Judge to slow him up. Palpebra carries the trumpet while Tully heads back to the covenant for digging tools.

Cameron’s in the library, studying the daisy drawing he was given. There are three tiers of petals, one with seven, one with 12, and one with 32—the three moon cycles. He’s switched the position of two of his fingernails. He’s painted them different patterns to make sure he can keep track.

Ishta and Sonata both are down in the pool room. Ishta’s naked and has let down her hair and turned off her parma, so her skin is glowing glass. She’s looking for moon symbols in the pool room that match the symbols on her lantern. She doesn’t find any. She starts putting symbols on the columns. Sonata watches. She asks Ishta to explain what symbols she’s added already.

Cameron’s working on a spell to protect him from mind control, in the form of a tattoo ringing his head under his blue hair.

A people-mover arrives from the covenant, with a packet of tiny bundles of cloth and a note reading: Dear Ishta, stack with plenty of space, love, Perdix.

Lætitia draws a name from a hat. (Calvus has returned in time. No one attacked him; no one renounced the Prince; he told the one person who had Fuck the Prince written on their roof that they needed to clean it up before he came back.) The name is Aurelius, suggested by a guard.

Cameron has set up his link to Nishoba so that he can hear what Nishoba is doing. Then he writes a separate spell to induce a sneezing fit in Nishoba while he’s nearby. Nishoba sneezes; Cameron is pleased, then tries the experiment again, only this time casts the spell inside an anti-mind control protection spell to see if it can make it out. Nishoba almost sneezes a few times, but doesn’t execute. Cameron decides the protection isn’t strong enough.

Lætitia arranges for a wet nurse and leaves Aurelius with Somnex. She departs with Gi and Calvus. Before they leave, a pigeon arrives at Manu Tenére from a young, Picardian female Cristoferean lecturer (with a mild background in necromancy) at Bethelion, writing a letter of inquiry for the open position.

Nil and Lhimpat are about halfway through the Judge code. Nil’s put a wooden panel over her window.

Nishoba goes looking for Cameron. How do we fend off a Judge? We turn his brain into a pig’s, says Cameron. But this one has withstood every attack we’ve thrown at him, so I bet you’re wondering how we do it in a non-Cholæic fashion. Nishoba nods. Can we work with it, or do we merely do its bidding? We’ve made it work for us before, says Nishoba. We should try something. I think it’ll have to be Ndapé. That gets fed to the Judge? says Cameron. Well, that’s the spearhead. Maybe we should bring up some water and do something ceremonial. Okay. Should we get Ndapé? Yes, says Cameron. Do you know what your mom’s doing down there? Sorry, your parens? says Nishoba. Am I my parens’ keeper? says Cameron. If you’re smart, yeah. Well, she’s down there now. She’s down there all the time, says Nishoba. You think we should wait till she isn’t, to get some water? Well, she has been tolerant of that sort of thing. Let’s find our third wheel and go see. You know where he is? —Strangely, Nishoba does, as does Cameron: he’s down by the pool. Huh. (“Oh, my parens wants me to knock myself unconscious if I encounter the Judge,” says Nishoba. “I could help you with that,” says Cameron.) —Some discussion of the water-connection, and whether it overrides parma, or acts as a Cholæic arcane connection in any fashion. Cameron casts a spell to change Ndapé’s eyes to violet, to test it; did you turn everybody’s eyes to violet? asks Nishoba. No, says Cameron. Why? Because your eyes are violet. Really violet.

They arrive; Ndapé’s watching Ishta wander about, naked. —Some discussion of nudity as a magical technique, and how it works better with the pool; Ndapé reveals it would be unwise for him to drop his parma. Tully used to do that to me, too, says Ishta; Cameron complains to Sonata that once more he is not receiving the training of his peers. Well, I could attack you if you drop your parma, says Sonata. Heck, I could hook you up, says Ndapé. Actually, would you? says Sonata, and then, no, we are not Derlethians. But we are Diaspora... —Some discussion as to whether they are a Trio, and what Calvus might think of that, and how perhaps they’d better not be so free with that term. Nishoba is given a brief history of Trios within the Order. The Trio takes their measures of water, and agree to meet by the lake in half an hour or so. Ishta returns to her lab. On the way, she meets Lætitia and Gi. How wonderful to see you! says Lætitia. —Some discussion of the hurricane, and the baby, and who the father is, which Lætitia won’t reveal. (“Don’t worry, it’s not you,” says Lætitia; “Well, duh, I mean, two women,” says Ishta. Gi goggles at that.) But the whole Eleanoréan connection? Oh, no no no no no, says Lætitia. Au naturel, says Gi. Would you mind entertaining Lætitia for a bit while I go speak with Sonata? says Gi. Lætitia titters.

Lætitia sees Ndapé walking past with a pitcher, and summons him over; she asks if it’s from the pool, and Ndapé tells her these things shouldn’t be spoken of openly; he congratulates her on her son, and Ishta’s distressed to learn he knew what she didn’t. It’s a testament to your industry in your lab, says Ndapé, who takes his leave.

Ishta finds a note from Nil on her lab door. She has her guard tell Nil he’ll meet with her, but there are conditions, and she needs to summon Nishoba. She and Lætitia head into her labs.

Nil tells the guard he can’t leave his chambers, so she must meet him there; there will be refreshments. He’s exhausted. Lhimpat’s fingers are all different colors. Nil won’t let her leave his chambers, either. Oh, and if you see Gi on the way, says Nil, tell him I’m here.

Calvus heads to the Scarecrow King after visiting the orphanage.

Gi shows up at Nil’s door; Nil’s feverishly paranoid about the Judge and the sky and leaving his rooms. The hallways have windows, says Nil. So if you can defuse such a connection—well, I’d like to leave at some point in the next five years. I don’t know if it only connects me with this Judge or if it’s a lifelong blemish. Gi fetches food and books and keeps Nil company.

Tully and Palpebra dig a big hole and bury the Judge. How long does it take to get out of this thing? says Tully. The last time it happened to me, it took me a day and a half. They decide to turn the dirt around the Judge into diamond, so Tully calls on Ishta, who’s entertaining Lætitia. Ishta sighs; Tully, who’s seven-leagued his way back, knocks on her door. Lætitia makes herself comfortable. Tully and Ishta discuss tactics; Tully decides to do steel and not glass or diamond, since dirt to steel is easier, so.

Nil and Gi dicuss the prospects of war between the Order-backed Prince and the moon-backed King. Either we need to get out or establish eight more covenants in the next year, says Nil. Why didn’t he move earlier? says Gi. It’s probably not been worth it to him, says Nil. —Nil notices the Judge is not on the map and starts to freak; Gi tries to calm him.

Tully turns the surface of the earth over the Judge to steel. They dig a trench around the cap and start to turn the disturbed earth into a steel wall going down into the ground. Palpebra calls Nil on the shell Nil gave him to try and find out why the Judge isn’t on the map. Palpebra sends Hans back to the Judge’s barn to get some blankets or something else the Judge has touched so Nil has a chance to have a connection to the Judge. Gi tries to get Nil to sleep until Hans gets back. Tully starts destroying the trees that grow through the steel plate.

The Trio is discussing the best plan for testing the pool-water. Perhaps trying to ward Gi’s summer-lab, and then attacking it? Ndapé suggests rather an abandoned house in the lower town. As they turn to leave, a monkey appears, chittering; some discussion of whether monkeys talk, and whether Gætani worship monkeys (“You do know the Monkey visited this covenant, right?” says Nishoba). —Off to the lower town! The monkey follows them, but stops at the wall into town. —The Trio discovers they selected pitchers of an appropriate color: white porcelain, green glass, red clay. Ndapé must then circle the building 4 times, as Nishoba circles 3 times, as Cameron circles once. They do so. Nothing suggests itself to them when they’re done. It starts to rain, lightly. They realize they’re inside the circle, despite their efforts to end up outside; they head into the shed. There’s boxes and crates and a half unpacked wagon. Cameron looks for a bowl and finds a nice one in a crate, and they pour their water into the bowl. (In the covenant, the Finger wakes up, feeling curiously at ease for the first time in days; a fleeting memory of his Great Aunt, and her fruit service; the bowls are still packed away somewhere, as there’s no room in the rooms for all their things.) —The bowl has four signs: one for each moon, plus the King. They realize a fourth must be added to their Trio to make a full set to confront the Judge; that fourth should clearly be the Finger. But Murry is also a protector of the covenant; Murry could also be ennobled, baptised, and that might serve as their attempt to bend the magic to their will. They make the sign of the King on the wall, pour out the water, and pack the bowl away, leaving their pitchers by the walls without the King-sign.

Ndapé stops by Lætitia’s rooms on his way back, and tells her the name of the Cristoférian she was asking about (Mortem Obiratrix); he then asks himself in, and then asks if they need to keep speaking.

6th Desire

Towards dawn, the Judge can be heard pounding on the steel cap. Tully has invented a device that he can skid along the steel to peer down and see what’s under, and they’ve been skating about looking for the Judge. The booming knocks announce the Judge’s location. The steel is denting up under the power of the Judge’s Miller glove. Tully and Palpebra talk tactics. Palpebra makes a hole in the steel near the pounding, so Tully can reach the dirt with his jerry-rigged device. The pounding’s stopped. The ground is trembling. Tully’s started the device working, but it takes a minute and a half to do its thing; the Miller glove bursts out of the earth and grabs the device, levering the Judge up and out; he gets his face free as the spell finishes. Lightning blasts from the sky, striking the steel plate, and starts to hit repeatedly, cracking the steel and trying to hit Tully and Marzipan, destroying the plate and cracking the Judge free. The forest about them starts to smolder. Up in the sky, Palpebra’s team is dodging lightning bolts. The Judge stalks after Tully, catching lighting from the sky with his glove and flinging it at Tully, until a wall of lightning jacobs-ladders between them, and the Judge, howling silently under Tully’s spell, turns and heads back toward the covenant. Shrugging, Tully and Marzipan follow.

Gi goes to Calvus’ rooms to catch him up on the Judge. The Here has told Gi that if negotiations are sped up, the Here will deny the Judge the land. Gi wants to borrow Calvus’ boots to go and negotiate with the Here. —Gi then heads up to Nil’s rooms; so you want to go talk to the Pool? asks Gi. Yeah, sure, says Nil, exhausted.

Tully wakes up Ishta with a mighty ping. He warns her the Judge is fifty miles away and will be on the covenant in two days. They need to prepare to manipulate his environment. Come up with something to blot out the sky above him. Get ready! Call a council meeting!

Sonata is surprised to see Nil and Gi arrive at the Pool. They’re there to negotiate between the Pool and the Here. What does the Here want? says Sonata. To complete negotiations with the Pool, says Gi. I suppose it’s the case that not many influences not already in here, says Sonata. And the Here has already been here once, says Gi, who takes up a mouthful of water so the two of them might speak. One of the children appears in the water, splashing about, noticing Lhimpat and playing near her, shaping itself to look like her. —All three of them (Calvus, Nil, and Gi) must go, taking water. They tell Sonata they’ll be back in 12 hours. Should we call Perdix back? asks Sonata. Yes, says Gi. All right. And Lætitia could help—she’s a weather-sorcerer; she could turn back the lightning. And word needs to be gotten to Tully and Palpebra—I’ll send Ndapé to assist them, says Calvus. And could you get some blood from the Judge we killed? asks Gi. Of course, says Calvus. —Sonata decides to go in person to fetch Perdix and Ilba. (“Did we just leave the covenant empty except for Ishta and Lætitia?”)

meta

“If by pretty much you mean no, then yes.”

Shoka (“to kiss”), the Lover priest of Yanalli, played by Dylan;
Hatip (“hips”), the Second Assistant Lover of Naapiisachi, played by Jenn;
Okakmi’ (“ice”), the Pickler of Yanalli, played by Barry;

5th Desire (cont’d)

Nipi sends her amenuensis away, then pulls her chair into the middle of the room, sits in it, and says, “I am alone, and wish to speak with whomever is listening to me.” She repeats this every couple of minutes until Nil arrives. —She then confirms what he suspected with re: the moon-priest “conspiracy.” They agree that the conspirators’ spycraft is not so practiced, nor their commitment to Love and Reason, but their loyalty to the Prince is not to be questioned, and the priests of Yanalli are worried about the possible famine resulting from the hurricane.

Nil knocks on Gi’s door. Council meeting! says Nil chipperly. You going to turn yourself in? says Gi. Nil shoots him a look, and brief’s Gi on his “very enlightening” conversation with Mrs. the Finger. Oh! Also, there might be a famine with the trees being harmed by the hurricane, so we might want to look into that. Gi is confused: Moon-Priest conspiracy? Oh! Right! That was Sonata I was talking to about that. And the trees is a myth, says Gi. But a myth is enough to start a religious civil war. So could you go look at the trees? And focus on the food agriculture plant aspect of this? I’ll speak to someone else about the rest of it. I’m a city boy, says Gi. But plants! says Nil. They grow. —Nil goes whizzing off to see Calvus.

Palpebra grabs Nil by the arm on his way to Calvus and says, I’ve got something for you. And he drags Nil to a side parlor where there’s a man tied up with his feet cut off and his lips sewn shut (though that’s not obvious under the gag). The horn? says Nil. Palpebra hands Nil the horn. He deptutized four of them. We’ve killed the rest. So he’s fresh? The Judge growls. Palpebra hits him. You might want to sedate him, says Nil. Palpebra hits the Judge harder.

Calvus is walking past to the parlor next door, to meet with the Yanalli priests. Nil signals him over. Ishta’s walking past as well, carrying her lantern. Calvus asks they all step inside to speak privately. He’s impressed with the Judge. Nothing I do will be damaging, says Nil. If you need to damage him, that’s fine, says Calvus. Nil reveals that some of the Yanalli priests are moon priests. From over the mountain? No, loyal to the Prince, more of a reversion to the old ways. They’re worried about famine, and might be desperate, and so must be handled with care. I see, says Calvus. Is that door the only way out of the room? says Palpebra. And they might suspect my source, says Nil, so any dealings should either be final, or soft-pedalled. Let’s make it final, says Palpebra. Rather than letting on what we know, says Nil, we should make it clear we understand their concerns. Anyway, it’s Manu Tenére’s concern. Well, they should tell the priests themselves, says Nil. I could arrange for Lætitia to come speak with them personally, says Calvus. Oh, and my cousin was hoping to meet with them, says Ishta. She could help as well. Indeed, says Nil. Calvus suggests a message be sent to the Finger and Mrs. the Finger to let them know about the meeting he’s having with the Yanalli priests. Should I tell her about the conspiracy? says Nil. Why would we include her and not her husband? No, no, I just meant telling her, says Nil, but both, yes, most certainly. Could we have him moved to my study? Yes, says Palpebra.

I think Nil’s overreacting a little bit, says Ishta. The priests seem fine to me.

A message is delivered to Nipi, informing her of the meeting with the Yanalli priests; she goes to speak with the Finger, who’s in a depressive funk, drinking white baby like water. She tells him she’ll go to the meeting, so he can take the afternoon to shave and bathe and pull himself together.

Palpebra delivers the captive Judge to Nil, who’s prepared his room with heavy drapes to block out the sky. Nil asks Lhimpat to fetch his rosewood box. The Judge, still tied to the chair, is laid on his back. Nil starts inserting needles into the Judge’s ear canal. He asks Lhimpat to roll out the paper. Palpebra describes the interrogation of the three candidates, what they learned, how they selected the most likely candidate once the Judge had converted them all. This one is young, has no parents, was in fine mental health and physical health aside from the missing foot. (“We only had to cut off the one,” says Palpebra.) Nil sets up the Judge to be read over a couple of long, boring hours, and Palpebra offers to leave his guard. Nil asks if Palpebra could give him a connection, to facilitate communication; Palpebra isn’t too sure, so Nil gives him a shell. Thanks, says Palpebra. You need me, you can always reach me through Claudio, my assistant. —If you do decide to unstitch his lips, be careful. Of course, says Nil. Because among other things, he’s a biter.

Ndapé introduces the magi and the priests to each other. Yabo’kachi is dressed ritually: white gauze, bare feet. Wahalla’s belligerantly drunk. Shoka’s jerking her foot repeatedly. Okakmi’s worn out from a night full of bad dreams. Iiba-lokshi’s impressed to meet the Calvus. —Some discussion of how important it is to have a town that’s peaceful enough to pickle in, dammit. The priests want to know what’s happened to all the other priests from Naapiisachi. Calvus and Ishta promise to look into it all. How quickly do you intend to have things settled? asks the Yanalli Brewer. There’s a knock at the door. Ndapé goes to answer it: it’s Palpebra, who informs Ndapé that the Judge in the Valley is on the move. Ndapé tells Calvus, who promises to cut the meeting short as soon as he can, and asks Ndapé to summon the magi to the council chamber.

Palpebra goes to Nil’s rooms to fetch him, but Nil’s deep in the spell, reading the Judge, kneeling over his head. Palpebra fetches Gi to help him find out if something's wrong with Nil. Lhimpat lets them in and they see Nil actually kneeling on the Judge's head, work wires into his subject's ears. The Judge is sing-songing through the gag and his sewn lips. Gi goes ashen and is stunned by the scene; Palpebra asks if this how usually things were done. Gi, appalled, says no, doesn't think so, then goes out into the hall and vomits. As Palpebra discusses with his guard what might be done, Nil completes his spell. I’m done with him, says Nil, rolling up the paper. The guard points; Palpebra shrugs. The guard stabs the Judge in the throat, bundles up the body, and takes it down to the dungeons, as Palpebra heads out to take flight back up the Valley after the Judge.

Calvus and Ishta retire to Calvus’ room; Ishta’s talking about arranging a dance to raise morale. Calvus asks if Ishta is going to experiment with her lamp, she use the underground labs, and not the Great Hall.

Nil heads down to Gi’s room to apologize. Nil points out, for what it’s worth, there was little to no physical pain involved. Having your mouth sewn shut? says Gi. I didn’t do that, says Nil.

Okakmi’ and Iiba-lokshi are in the Great Hall, talking about the decimation of Naapiisachi. Nipi joins them, and pledges to do what she can to expedite an invetigation of what became of the town.

Servants are running about, summoning the magi to a council meeting. On their way down, Nil and Gi meet Nipi, who asks them to look into investigating Naapiisachi’s demise. It’s vitally important. We’ll do what we can, says Nil. Should I summon my husband to the council chamber? We need to see what kind of meeting it is, first, says Gi. Thank you, magi, says Nipi.

Gi then pulls Nil into an empty room on the second floor to make out; Gi needs to reassured and is having problems articulating it verbally.

Ishta sends a bird to Perdix with a note: buy as much clothing and bandages and cloth as you can and send it on.

Tully comes into the council meeting with a cat. Ishta’s got her lamp. Calvus is there already. Gi and Nil show up a little late and dishevelled. (“No,” says Jenn, “Gi has grooming spells.”) Tully wants to know who called the meeting. Palpebra, says Calvus. Sonata’s flutters in from the basement. Some discussion as to whether the meeting was intended for tonight, or immediately, since Palpebra called it, and Palpebra is already on his way to deal with the Judge, who’s on the move, toward Nemus Animæ. Likely because of my interrogations, says Nil. Who were you interrogating? says Sonata. A Judge, says Calvus. Footless, says Gi. —Sonata is brought up to speed.

Nipi goes to look for her husband, but he isn’t in their rooms, or the baths, or the Scarecrow King.

Nil brings up Naapiisachi. Calvus mentions the priests don’t remember what happened, but a unified answer is required. I’ve informed them we have no real answer, but that villagers went missing from the town the Crow was born in. We could say the Judge led them off to, says Ishta, trailing off. Precisely, says Nil. Do we admit to, says Ishta. Slaughtering them all? says Sonata. That would be unwise, says Nil. It would also be unwise to imply that Crow has struck twice, as that would cause panic. We should say they fought back and the Judge destroyed them, says Nil. That would have all the desired effects. Yes, but the Pickler from Naapiisachi implied the Judge had been there for almost a month, says Ishta. Which means there was a couple of weeks of them knowing, at least, while the Judge was walking about. That’s a long time to debate and fight. We could I suppose tell them there was a town meeting of some sort... Do you think one of them will stand up and say no, in fact, our people sided with the Judges! says Nil. But the people vanished, says Sonata. If there had been a fight, there would have been a battle. The Judges don’t make people go away. What do Crows do? says Gi. We could say the Judge incinerated them all, says Nil.

Gi asks for a briefing. Tully explains: the Judge had total control of the village, and was using villagers as shileds. How many people were killed? He had, essentially, and army of 1 – 200 people. And most of them were killed. I killed them, because I had no choice. She wiped the memories of the survivors, and I destroyed the corpses of the dead. —Nil gets up to leave the meeting to process his experiment. —It’s decided Tully will handle the Judge. Calvus will look into the towns attacked by the Judges. Gi will drag Manu Tenére into the story of what happened to Naapiisachi: the Crow struck, attacking the Judge, and Manu Tenére destroyed the bodies, and who knows why the Crow wiped their memories?

Perdix? says Ilba. How are we going to get all this back? You see those men over there? You see those crates? They’re going to repack all our bales of cloth and put it in those crates. And then you’ll spend an entire afternoon packing them onto the people-mover. Oh, joy, says Ilba. If you’d asked nicely, says Perdix. Ilba rolls her eyes. Perdix smiles. Did you really think I’d spoken with those ruffians and negotiated such an arrangement? You’re constantly surprising me, says Ilba. Well, watch this, says Perdix, and their shipment shrinks. Go put it in your pockets, says Perdix. No! says Ilba. You think the spell will break? Like all those times in the chest, and the castle... You pushed me out a window, says Ilba. Go fetch our things, says Perdix.

After Gi and Nil leave the council meeting, Sonata remembers to bring up the priest moon conspiracy, and some pieces are put together that Nil had tried to keep under wraps: namely, Nipi’s role as the Green Moon intendent. Nipi? says Ishta, who sticks up for her cousin. She’s just a social climber. There must be some mistake. I suppose, says Sonata. It’s been rather vague. There doesn’t seem to be any hostility towards us, and I may have misunderstood. Still, says Calvus, with her position as the Finger’s wife. Our family is very loyal to the Prince, says Ishta. They’re all loyal to the Prince, says Sonata. And she was in the Love and Reason festival! says Ishta. —I suppose they’ll get their miracle, says Sonata, if Gi will get Manu Tenére to deal with the aftermath of the storm. We just need to make sure they realize it comes through the magi from Love and Reason.

Sonata suggests they might at some point discuss the gifts Gi brought back.

meta

Some discussion of goals: what we collectively might want from where we are, and how to get there. “It seems a little like we’re playing Sim City at the moment.” Why do we have refugees? —Yanalli fled before the Judges arrived, worried they’d be forced to turn on the Prince; the priests also wanted to force Nipi’s and Calvus’ hand in protecting the Valley. The folks from Yanalli don’t intend to stay any longer than it takes to restore order. (“Only that long?”) —Other plots: the pig herders (that will happen in Fall, along with the Hunt); the war itself, and the Savacions, and the Quintus Opacans, and the outstanding order for a Judge and a Miller; the Elearnoréan experiments; the return of Yem and his father; the outcome of Hurricane Lætitia; Nil and Gi’s Excellent Adventure to Here; the (eventual) return of Perdix and Ilba; further exploration of the magic of Nemus Animæ (and Sol Media Nox)—the ghost, and Gi’s trip, and the gifts, and the three apprentices.

It’s suggested to start off each session by focusing on a specific character, and go through the scenes that follow from that; if a scene does not suggest itself, return to that character (or move on to the next, as needed). —Giving the session an anchor. Jake suggests going around the room at the beginning of each session and having each player say what they’re interested in getting from the session, to provide some focus. —Number each plot and roll a die at the beginning of each session?

Tonight, because it’s Kip’s birthday, and also because Nipi’s is the most pressing plot, Nipi will be the focus character. We’ll go about the room clockwise, so next week is Jenn’s turn.

Also, some discussion of babysitting logistics.

Some discussion of Judge-magic: once a Judge prays to the Judge, the Judge can reach them through open sky. When the captive Judge is brought into the room with Nil’s Valley map, the Judge could do something small and ineffective through the sky implicit above that map...

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.”

Stamos, a Procopian, played by Jake;
Yanalli, a town near Naapiisachi;
Hankha, the Fisher-priest of Yanalli, played by Jake;
Yabo’kachi, the Corn-maiden of Yanalli, played by Kim;
Wahalla, the Pickler of Yanalli, played by Kip;
Iiba-lokshi, the Brewer-priest of Yanalli, played by Charles;

1st Desire (cont’d)

Calvus is sending a messenger to the Prince, to report on the current situation, and ask for incursions over the border into the King’s lands.

The Finger and Mrs. the Finger are preparing a report for the Prince: there’s been an invasion of Judges, but they are weak, and the dragon-wizards have handled it well enough. He need not take direct action for now, though the situation bears observation, but envoys should be sent to Aafalakto’, to make sure the Lovers have recovered.

4th Desire

Calvus returns at dawn from a night reconnaissance. Palpebra’s been dropping a bucket of cold water on the Judge’s head from a great height.