So, me and the boys are chilling at "Bloody Marius'", trying to pick out duds for the Royal Shindig. I decide that this time Eric's getting a special surprise gift. Last time he got the gold chain that he never seems to wear, I'm not sure why. Maybe saving it for a special occasion? And he got some good Texarama Import Wine. The good expensive stuff like they have at fancy eating joints. This time I figured I'd cozy up a bit more, maybe find his heart's soft spot, so I can try for a bigger title. So I got 3 cases of Mad Dog to pass out at the party, saving a couple of the bottles special for him, and a box of Cuban blunts. No, not just regular cigars, though it looks that way at a glance, but some big fatty weed. I got warned what hallucinogens'd do to Shadow Walkers, so I stayed with the mind mellower instead. That'll take the starch out of his shirt! Of course, maybe I should have told him they weren't tobacco, but I'm assuming he knows what I mean when I say "blunts". I mean, who doesn't know that?

So, we get to the party, showing up fashionable enough late that we don't have to deal with Flora trying to redress my impeccable taste in wardrobe. We get there and meet some big guy, name of Lars, that turns out to be some big family member older than even a lot of the main family! Great, another Uncle. In fact, if I know my genealogy right, I'm thinking he might be closer to the Throne than even Eric should be, but it ain't my place to complain. I'm one of the lowest on that list.

Kaoru and Ansom were looking real stiff in Flora garb, making me chuckle, though only to myself. Either of them could probably kick my ass in a fair fight. But then, who ever said I fight fair?

Lars got to sit by me, at the part of the seating arrangement designated for us nieces and nephews low enough on the totem pole to not be a Royal threat, but high enough to be at the big table. Hey, at least we're not being served with the servants!

So, we give Lars the scoop on Amber happenings and family gossip for the past thousand years he's been gone. I even learned quite a bit considering I only showed up here a little before Oberon disappeared.

Then we notice Eric getting a note, then Julian gets whispered at and jets for the door and Caine takes over babysitting Corwin, who seems to be trying to embarrass Eric with his drunk and disorderly antics, being the reviled prisoner and all. Ferrin followed Julian and Lellyn tagged along behind. Now me, being the kind of guy I am, use the resources I have available, my ace in the hole, so to speak. Not saying how I do it, but let's just say I can sometimes look in and see things other folks can't. So anyway, I don't see any reason to leave a perfectly good meal, so I keep eating, while keeping a watch on where Julian and company are heading. Out at the south wall, the council hall gets blown sky high and a bunch of masked silver rose wearing bad asses jump the group, actually doing a bit of damage in the confusion. Follow that with snipers and you got a pretty mess. Lellyn has a crossbow bolt sticking out of her, and Ferrin's out cold. So, I'm quietly giving a play by play to the cousins still at hand which gets old Lars to his feet and Kaoru out the door. Lars hooks up with the gang in time to see the bad guys Trumping out, and Kaoru gets there to see people being brought to the castle nurse for a patch job! Now ain't that a pretty how do ya do? Last I heard, Trumping is reserved for our little family circle!

So, after comparing notes, there's the usual pointing of fingers, even some suspicion towards Lars (who I forgot to mention showed up in a mask), but it finally boils down to putting the blame on a bunch of Corwin supporters called the League of the Silver Rose. Maybe it was, maybe it's red herring. We'll find out eventually I'm sure.

So, back to the party, after all this crap was done with (excitement for the night, I guess), I'm pretty much done with my dinner and dessert, so I debate whether I want to stick around. I notice Alice is being harassed by some geek on the dance floor and figure it's time for some amusement of my own! First, I try to cut in. No luck, and not ready to start a scene unless I have to. So, I get a message over to his companion that his carriage is on fire, which gets both the geeks out the door real fast like, leaving Alice in my capable hands.

Now, a thing about Alice. She seems a bit naïve. Maybe overly sheltered, living with all girls in some kind of church nunnery or something. And her daddy is more than a bit protective of his little girl. But this is the Amber Royal House we're talking about! The biggest bunch of conniving backbiters ain't to be found in any shadow. The in family plotting and backstabbing is enough to write several paperbacks on court intrigue, and that's not even counting us nieces and nephews. This girl, if she's really this sheltered and it's not all an act, is going to be severely unprotected if any devious plans notice her tight little innocent butt! So, what's cousin Vinnie to do? I invite her, and her bodyguards (daddy's personal best?) up to my chambers for a cappuccino. If I can take her under my wing, teach her a few of the harsher ways of the world, without her getting hurt in the progress, she might, and I do mean might, be able to muddle through the family's manipulations. Trust nobody but yourself, and him only half the time. That's what I always say.

So, we're relaxing in my room, Alice is a bit hyper after her first dose of caffeine, probably in her life, when someone shows up at the door. Kaoru, Ferrin, and Lellyn, big surprise! Now, I already know what they want, but I'm playing it cool. Remember my unusual display of clarity back at dinner? You think I let folks get a sneak peek at one of my most secret advantages if I didn't have a reason? Oh, I hear what they say when they think I'm not around. They are only just now beginning to notice that I see all, I hear all. Well, maybe not exactly 'all', but they don't have to know that! They will never think I'm just a worthless thug again. This little visit is proof, and they know it as well as I do.

Once in the room they ask me what the note said. Now, I never saw the note, just the results, and I tell them as much. Besides, it ain't the Amber way to give something for nothing. Now, I realize that we got some missing players in the little game so I look for Ansom. And rescue him. From dire peril. A drunk and horny Auntie Deirdre! Hahaha! Boy, if he ever needs a reminder of who owes who, I know which situation to bring up!

So I get asked to do some of my information gathering, on the spot no less, and I figure, what the Hell, why not... But I ain't ready to let them in on the exact how's yet! I gather up some candles, my cappuccino, and a couple other little things that could maybe look like I was getting ready to do some voodoo of my own. And I know voodoo, or at least what it looks like. You should meet my mother sometime. I figure I got my good looks from her and my wild nature from dad. Once in the other room, I sit on the bed and do my thing. I check out the still burning building, fires being put out by Julian and his Arden crew. I check out all the family members that I can find, but realize I can't find Eric or Caine. And their rooms are blocked from any form or scrying. Well, there's probably spells that could get past those wards, but not without being noticed, and that ain't my gig anyway. So, I go back out, tell people what I found, which wasn't much. But here's a thought that's been bothering me since the explosion happened. If gunpowder don't light in Amber, what could be volatile enough to blow that kind of building to smithereens? Even Mad Dog cocktails wouldn't do that! So, time for a different approach. I Trump Eric, to let him know I have some presents I want to give him since I wasn't able to present them during the party. Cain was with him too. So, we know their locale. That's something. Not much, but something. Eventually, after mucho discussion, people head to bed. I hope Alice was able to come down off the caffeine long enough for sleep. And I'm still not sure if Lars was ever dropped of suspicions. Me, I reserve suspicions for people until I'm definite. Maybe it's my brushes with the law in the past that have led me to this attitude.

Okay, next day I got an appointment with Eric, perfect time to drop his booze and blunts on him. I show up same time as Ferrin. Seems he's got incoming orders too, but hey, I'm the guy with the gifts. I drop off the gifts and I'm sure I can tell Eric is digging on them, he just doesn't want to drop that 'I'm such a serious King' image he's got. I can dig that. Anyway, so what's the job he wants Ferrin and me to jump on? Info baby. It's what I do! But now I'm getting more turf to cover. Too bad I got this Ferrin guy to baby-sit. Maybe he'll be useful later. I don't know what's up with that Ansom guy. Some of his actions seemed to suggest that he had similar orders on info collection. But he stayed out of my way, so that's cool. As long as his investigations don't interfere with mine. Now we just gotta find that League of the Silver Rose. Maybe I can find them first and see what kind of deal they have to offer that may be to my benefit...

I look in on Lars, who's at his dad's grave. He brings me through, tells me he's off to Rebma on some mission for Eric, and not too happy about it. I fill him in on a couple of the suspicions about him, but am tactful enough not to piss him off. He'll prove himself to the others more than likely. He tells me a bit of his reason for hating the Rebmans, and water in general. Makes sense, but I tell him it's been a long time, maybe almost time for him to move on? We'll see if he mellows with exposure to the Rebmans.

So, Alice Trumps me from church, saying people are snooping around her digs, dressed like Priests, which they definitely ain't, so I offer to bring her to me. After she runs her report down to me and Lars, I figure I might be a help to her. Lars goes his way, leaving us to check on her spies.

I manage, with a little work, to track them down. I Trump Caine, who's in a close enough neighborhood that we could make it over to the guys we're tracking. Once we get close enough, I give another call to the castle, this time getting a message to my Boys to meet me at my present location. They get there after the spies have split, but I track the guy they were meeting a ways, making sure who he is. I got his face. I can find him again. He's one of the Bayle boys.

So, that mess done with, for now, I decide to take Alice to "Bloody Marius'" for some good food and drink. I think she likes the cappuccino.

Going over the latest and enjoying our food, I get a call from Ansom, now in Rebma with Lars and Kaoru, who says they need help. They bring me, my Boys, and Alice through, then Trump Ferrin in to join the party. Now we're all wet, I can't light a smoke, and it turns out Lars is down a trench somewhere maybe being eaten by squiddy monsters. I Trump call him, he's barely conscious, and we bring him through. He manages to tell us the Tritons are back and ready to eat our faces before he's out for the count. Well, Eric is definitely going to want this info! We give him a call, get Trumped into his bathroom where he's brushing his pearly whites, give him the best report we can while dripping all over his apartment. That's what the maids are for, I figure. That and occasional sex. Lars and Kaoru get shuttled to the nurse and the rest of us go to our rooms to get some dry clean duds. What an entertaining couple of days. I think I'm heading back to "Bloody Marius'" to finish my pasta. Maybe I'll see if Alice wants to join me. More later.