Oh dear, settled for just two weeks, and off playing tourist again. We spent the day in what is apparently a shadow of Avalon. Or a direct copy, or something - not sure I understand excatly quite how close it is to the real one. (Or what it was, anyway).
Anyway, the day started badly, with Clare leaving before we were up. Didn't want us along to screw things up, perhaps? Or maybe I'm being too suspicious - she was planning to walk the pattern, apparently.
Breakfast was... interesting. Tamash was a kitten, and Coenna wasn't speaking to me. What is up with that woman? She disdains me, insults me, crawls into bed with me (although she later denied remembering doing this), and then ignores me some more. Pausing occasionally to smile at me as though she only did it to embarass me. If it was one of the serving maids back home, I'd assume she was playing hard-to-get. But really, she isn't in danger of being got by me. Well, assuming I've got the trick with alcohol - I think it's working, certainly I'd normally notice that much brandy.
During (or, strictly speaking, terminating) breakfast, we were joined out of the blue by Prospero. A refugee from the courts, again, it would seem - he was residing on an island, until he heard of our great quest to explore the universe, and came to join us. I've not seen all that much of him yet - but he has a slightly stronger mind than me, and some nice tricks with the logrus. Other than that? Well, he's a sorcerer, of course - carries a staff, not a sword, and likes to play with fire. Or rather demons. Seems nice enough, and gets decidedly distracted rather easily. Oh, and he has no common sense as regards using his powers - WHY did he do anything except walk upstairs when trying to talk to us? Honestly...
After some faffing around (Coenna made some pretty stupid suggestions to Tamash, despite some strong hints (not that she gets hints) and Prospero worried us rather with his chosen method of communication) we left for a walk, while Prospero summoned a demon.
Did I mention that Tamash was still a kitten? Well, it made jewelry shopping more exciting. He wanted a black horse for Claire, fair enough, I suppose - but he had me interface with the staff. Just like home, they were, and just as easy to deal with. I found a nice necklace for Elaine, too - emerald set in silver, with a mermaid theme. Silly of me, really - I could just reach out and get one - like I do with the gold, but it wouldn't be the same. We were overcharged, of course, but no more than the usual. And really, it's only money, if it makes them happy, great...
Around this point, we were accosted by a number of thugs - it was a back alley, I suppose, but really. Some places. anyway Coenna seemed to be having such fun slicing them that I didn't want to deny her of any of the fun. The leader was carrying an unmarked letter from the queen, suggesting a metting in the rose garden at midnight. Presumably to her lover, but why was it in the hands of thugs?
In search of a decent lunch, we visited the castle, to return the letter - I, at Tamash's suggestion, went as a kitten. Which I have to say felt decidedly weird. Anyway, Coenna ambled through the guard, and handed the letter to the queen in open court. We managed to avert serious damage by distracting proceedings before the king got too suspicious (do you have any *idea* how silly it feels to lie there thinking 'I am cute, I am cute, I am cute' when batting at a King's beard?) and made our escape. Lunch was decidedly unsatisfying.
The Queen, not being one to take a hint, had us (clandestinely) deliver another letter, on the same theme, to (presumably) her lover. Some random noble, judging by the mansion. Lucky him. Went as a kitten - I'm getting better at the telepthy.
Then we went for lunch as humans, somewhere quite fancy - big one by the upper market, red curtains. I recommend the steak, but suggest you avoid the seafood starters. Prospero trumped in mid-meal (did I mention his subtlty?) with his (thankfully invisible) demon, and ordered half the menu. To their credit, the waiting staff took it in their stride.
Next, still waiting for Clare to get in touch, we sent the demon on it's merry way (looking for a logrus-munching monster Tamash wants dead - but doesn't want to search for using the logrus). Then we went for a peek at Corwin's Pattern.
Scary things, Patterns - but mostly because they just sit there, and promise destruction. This one wasn't actually very scary to look at. Perhaps that's why Prospero was playing around so much. I couldn't think of much to do to it - sort of draining out all the competing effects from the region, and then trying the logrus. Alas, that didn't help, and seems to have intefered slightly with Prospero's experimentation.
There was some messing around with shadowwalking (Tamash said he'd give me some pointers on that one - which might be rather handy) an suchlike, while Prospero just stood there playing (crazy fool...) - and then we tried a few times to get in touch with Clare. Tamash even went to see Martin to try from that side, but with no luck. Martin appears to be a relative of Clare's - although nobody's mentioned how. Everyone in that family seems to be just 'cousin' anyway.
Anything else? Oh, Coenna really does have all the power of a mental sledgehammer - and, if Tamash is to be believed, all the finesse and subtlty, too. I shan't be letting her near my mind, I think... Also, Clare was somewhere quite 'tough' because all of us trying together couldn't reach her. That's unusual, I think. Tamash gave me his trump, which makes two - although I don't think I'll use the one of Elaine until Clare's had a look at it - she seems to know te things, and I think I can trust her more than 'powers unknown'.