The Diaries of Cordelia Chan

It was just over four hours later that the appearance of a rainbow door way signified Llewella's return. I'd swum for nearly an hour, done an hour of Tai Chi, spent a couple of hours in the sun and finally returned to the pool. Archie was trying hard not to watch me, and failing miserably.

Isla stepped onto the terrace first followed by Llewella, who looked disapprovingly at my complete lack of attire - a look I'd seen her use on Flora on occasion. As they both went inside I dived into the pool again and swam a couple of lengths, by which time Llewella had returned carrying a robe. As I climbed out of the pool she handed it to me.
"Put that on and sit down. You need to learn a few things."

And so I got a lesson in the ins and outs, pitfalls and possibilities of the uses of the Psyche. I also got a severe dressing down for lack of control and an explanation of what had happened with Isla. In addition Llewella gave me a set of exercises and techniques I could use to process the memory meals I had gained from both Isla and Archie. She also hinted that with training it was likely that in a conflict of wills I might be her equal. That surprised me.

It also concluded our lessons in the basic use of Trump, and we all returned to Rebma via one of Llewella's trumps. After the events of the previous two days both Archie and Isla were giving me a very wide berth.
We left Llewella's studio and returned to our rooms.  I was a little surprised to find out that whilst four days had passed for us only a little over eight hours had elapsed in Rebma.

Rebma/Amber - 1 ^st Apavich PPF5

We left Rebma the following morning and were surprised to find a groom and 4 horses waiting for us at the top of the stairs. Isla and Archie were still standoffish and I rode back in silence.
By the time we returned to the castle it was a little past lunch. I retreated to my room to change with a view to going shadow walking when there was a knock at my door and Random walked in.
"Glad you're back. Hungry. Course you are, you've been in Rebma for a few days. No need for anything special as long as you're decent. Good. Lets go then."
And with that he put his arm round my waist and steered me out of the door.
"Where are we going?"
"You'll see. Nice place. Very popular with certain members of the family. Great place to unwind. Your father especially liked it. Wish I knew what happened to him."
We made our way out of the castle and down through the North Gate into the city. About a quarter of the way down the hill we turned right into what appeared to be a merchant district. After a few twists and turns into the back alleys of the merchant quarter we came to a pub. It was of timber frame construction and looked like it was about to fall down at any minute. Smoke darkened glass blocked what little light could enter from the porthole sized windows. A rickety old sign of a boars head, now substantially faded, hung outside. Underneath the sign hung a broken plank of wood upon which several names had been written and crossed through in red paint.
Random pushed open the rickety door and ushered me inside. The inside was no better than the out, and we crossed the stained and gouged floor boards towards a door at the left hand end of the bar. A couple of drunks stirred themselves momentarily as we passed and returned to their stupors. As we reached the end of the bar a gorilla appeared from the shadows to the left but a gesture from the barman sent him scuttling back to his cage. Random knocked on the door, and a set of eyes appeared momentarily behind a inspection window, and the door swung open.
This room was a complete contrast. It was well decorated and well furnished and upholstered. There was even a pair of Steinway piano's on a stage at the end of the room. Random moved over to the bar, pulled up two stools, and sat on one.
"Welcome to Dave's."
As the barman came over, he continued. "Dave. Meet Cordelia a new addition to the family. Cordelia meet Dave, The finest barkeep in Amber."
Dave set a bottle of Jack Daniels and two glasses on the bar next to us. Random filled the glasses and proposed a toast "To Naked Exercise"
I laughed "Is there anything you don't know "
"Not much. Wouldn't be much of a king if there was. Now drink up. We've got at least this bottle to finish."

Amber - 2 ^nd Apavich PPF5

I didn't have a clue what time it was when I woke but Random had gone. As I sat up grogyly, I heard a vaguely familiar voice say "Marlene she's awake."
The room swam a little and I realized I was in a bar. A woman of late middle age appeared from a doorway at the end of the bar and made her way over to me. "Lets get you up, and then we can get you sorted. That Random should know better, you being Corwin's daughter and all. He never could out drink your father you know. Haven't seen him in a while though, is he all right?"
She prised me out of my seat and into a more private room where a bath was being readied. "The privy is just through there. Your bath should be ready presently. I've sent out for some clean clothes. I'll get you your orange juice and coffee shortly. I've also got some fresh rolls in the oven if you'd like."

By the time I'd finished bathing and had breakfast I felt more human again. Marlene was Dave's wife and they'd been running the place since Dave won it 15 years earlier. The decayed facard and front room was deliberately maintained to discourage the yuppy merchants and their loutish sons from frequenting the place. Dave had a select clientell who appreciated discretion and he deliberately kept it that way. He was running low on a number of things however. I told him to make a list and I'd see what I could arrange.

It was late into the afternoon before I made my way into the family library in the castle. Random was snoring in a chair in the corner, obviously still slightly the worse for wear from last night. I carefully selected the heaviest book I could find and then tossed it into his lap. It had the desired effect." So what have you done with the other two?"
It took him a few moments to organize his response. " Isla has gone to Maenous on a diplomatic mission, and Archie has gone to The Courts to learn about Rune Magic. I trust Dave gave you a shopping list?"
"Yes"
"Well I suggest you take care of that first. Most of it you can get from Earth. The others won't take much finding. Whilst you're shopping I suggest you get a peace offering for Llewella, good Chinese inks and brushes, decent cut crystal, or a bolt or two of satin velvet in a deep colour always work well. That is if you want to take the study of Trump further. You seem to have a talent for it."

"Anything else you want fetched and carried whilst I'm at it? Isla gets the posh jobs, Archie gets to play, and Cordelia, well she's not much use for anything except a roll in the hay or fetching and carrying."

"God! You're so like your father at times. He never got the bigger picture either, until somebody drew it for him. When are you going to realize tt's never the 'big names' you know that can get things done for you but the 'nobodies', those that are generally overlooked; want to really know whats going on in the castle spend some time in the kitchens, want to know what's going on in the city talk to Dave, want to know who's coming and going at the Courts talk to the other Dave at the Inn of the Spreading Yew. Now I'm hoping that you're sufficiently like your father that you're not going to play the family game. I need at least one person, other than my wife whom I can trust do do things, whom I can trust to be my eyes and ears. I had thought that was the job you wanted."

Suitably reprimanded I left the library and made my way back to my room. I'd made a complete idiot of myself, not for the first time, which coupled with the stresses of the last few days reduced me to a blubbering wreck. 

How long Vialle had been knocking at the door when I eventually realized someone was there and pulled myself together to open it I don't know and Vialle chose not to say , although she did ask if I was alright. She then said "Random tells me you're going shopping, could you get a few things for me" which set me off again. She was surprisingly gentle and after a few minutes of holding me and saying very little she had not only calmed me down but had extracted the complete details of what had happened over the last few days. As I pulled myself together again I felt a sense of relief  and managed a brief smile.  Vialle pulled the service cord which summoned a servant and ordered tea and cakes.

By the time she left a couple of hours later I was indeed feeling better and had a much better understanding of how the family worked and where the political dimensions lay. Random had been correct in his assessment, it was not a game I was interested in playing.

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