Anywhoo, after getting a good mouthfull of food, I decided to greet the family, starting with dearest Florimel. She disappointed me in that all she did was look mortified and possibly struck temporarily paralyzed. Maybe she's getting used to me. Might have to try some other things now.
Random looked at me and blinked a few times. "Hungry much?" My mouth was full, and i didn't feel like losing any of the food in there, so I simply smiled at him.
I was most intent on eating, but whenever something was said that I absolutely had to respond to, I tried my best. For example: Flora made a comment: "Eriiiiiic...." she whined, "Can't we start yet? I have people to see! Things to do!" Now certainly this was too easy, but I was feeling jolly. I tried to say something very mean, but only one word was even closely comprehensible, that being the word versa. If you can't figure out what I said, I'm not going to tell you. We're all smart enough to have figured it out, anyways. I guess everyone just decided to ignore it, though.
Llewella, having been here longer than I had, apparently decided that nothing was going to happen, so she got up to leave. Eric asked her to stay, and then looked over at me: "I suppose I was a fool to expect we'd all actually wait for the entire family to show up before we actually started eating... you know, have breakfast AS A FAMILY..." He shrugged. Before I could answer, Flora said, "Ummmm...." Flora interjects, "Uh...I don't really want to eat what HE'S eating," she pointed at my plate, "I'd have to walk up and down Kolvir 100 times to work that off..." It seemed that everyone had the initiative on me for replying to things, because then Random looked her up and down and said, "You sure that'd be enough?" He had a grin and a joking tone in it, but I forgave him that. I said to Eric, "Hey, I've just finished excersising. I've been up since before the sun. Can't a guy get some food when he's hungry?" And as I said that, I could hear Flora whining about why everyone always picked on her. I just went back to eating until something else interesting happened.
People were talking about stuff when Gérard stumbled into the room, as much of a lush as he ever was. This is wher emore fun things happened.
It took him a second, but Gérard finally noticed that Eric was sitting in Dad's chair. I grinned to myself. This was going to be good. Gérard managed, "Get the hell off of that chair or else I will break you in two." Eric rose from the chair, smoothly. "Good morning, Gérard." He matched Gérard's gaze and stepped closer to his towering brother. "I suggest you sit, and drink some coffee, and mayhaps sober up." The situation entertained me no longer, so I returned to my breakfast. If you're wondering why it no longer entertained me, it's because I could already tell the outcome: Eric would move. Nor was I wrong.
The next interruption to my breakfast came when Corwin did. Trying to be the showoff he always is, he summoned a silver rose in front of each of us. Feh. Silver roses. Anyone can do dead plants. Now living demons of the Eighth Circle, now *that* takes skill. But to show Corwin that I acknowleged his entrance, I picked up the rose and began to pick my teeth with the stem. I don't know if he noticed.
More talk happened, and Gérard threatened Eric's life when the lug thought that Eric was trying to take the throne. Flora jumped up between the two and tried to hold Gérard at bay. Eric spoke some words, as if he didn't even notice Flora, and Gérard backed down. You could almost see the steam coming from Flora's head as she walked away.
Brand finally decided to join us after that. He didn't say much of anything, just looked at everyone. Eric asked Brand if he knew where Fiona or Bleys were. Before he could answer, Gérard sat down at the table with an entire pot of coffee. Brand responded with a negative, and Deirdre made a comment about the high level of testosterone in the room.
Responding to that, Brand said, "Remind me to keep all essential limbs away from the table." In response to that, I said, "Don't reach across the table for food. Random did, and Flora almost bit his hand off because of it." I waved a now bare turkey leg at Brand; no one noticed where I got the turkey from. "Just a word of advice." It was here that Julian dilivered another one of his soliloquies. The family decided to take this time to debate things a bit; Julian's soliloquies have a tendency to do that. Flora responded to my comment with, "Come now, brother," she looked at Brand, "you know me. I would never bite someone's hand off..." she paused for effect, "Unless there was a very good reason for it." She smiled broadly. I don't think anyone was impressed.
Conversation continued, and my meal continued, until Deirdre spoke something of interest:
"Well, as they say, 'While the parents are away the Children Play.' I say that we have a party. You know the kind kids have when the parents leave on vacation and such. Would give the proper cover story and not let the populous at large know what has happened. Besides it'll give us a chance to talk and plan."
I belched quietly, fist covering my mouth, and said, "Hear, hear." I then picked up my empty platter, walked over to a counter, set it down, and grabbed a pitcher of milk and a long straw. When I sat down at the table again, I put the straw in the milk, put his forearms on the tabletop, huched over, began drinking the milk, and continued to listen. The conversation finally had something of interest.
Then something disturbing was said.
It wasn't surprising that it came from Brand. He said that Amber needed people protecting it while others looked for Dad and Dworkin. His exact words were, "With Julian, Caine and Gerard still here, Amber couldn't be safer." I stopped drinking my milk, a quizzical expression on my face. The milk in the straw dropped back to the level of milk in the pitcher. I wasn't completely sure, but I was almost positive that he was trying to destroy my chances for a party.
After that, the breakfast generally degenerated, what with everyone walking out. Some of us were still in there, still deciding what to do. I had finished my milk and sat thinking. After a few minutes I asked all that were left, "Has anyone tried Trumping dad?"
The only response I got was from Random. He said no.
I sat thinking for a few moments more, and in the middle of Julian talking I got the idea. I sat bolt upright in my chair and shot from the room. I think Julian stopped talking while I left, but I wasn't sure. He must have, though, for one of his dogs followed me as I ran for the Patern.
When I got there, I walked it, the hound watching me all the while. When I was at the center, I looked at the hound and said aloud, "Take me to that which will be the most beneficial to retrieving Oberon and Dworkin."
I found myself in a strange place. The sky was blue, then red, then a swirl of both. I looked down and saw hardened lava; I could tell that there was still some molten stuff beneath it. I started turning and then saw it.
It was sitting down, but it was still towering over me. I estimated its standing height to be about ten feet. It was also very wide; demons come in all shapes and sizes. It just looked at me as I turned around. I thought to myself, ~Of course the Pattern would send me somewhere with my back to a demon. Why not?~ I sighed. "Greetings to you," I said to the demon. "Might I ask your name and purpose?"
All it did was continue looking at me. But that's when I noticed the house behind the demon. Shortly after that is when I noticed that the house was moving towards me. No, it didn't have wheels, nor did it have chicken legs. It was just getting closer. And no, I am sure that I wasn't moving towards it. But houses moving under their own power is enough for me, so that's when I implemented the Trump of Amber proper I had readied before I left.
As i was Trumping out, it felt to me as if there were a large gap between me and Amber. I pushed harder with my mind and the contact solidified. Once I was back, I went to my rooms. I had something I wanted to do there--never you mind what--and then I went to check on what had happened in my absence.