"Good Turning, Threntz." Roman replies.  "How stands it with Chanicut ?  Is my Uncle Senghiz well ?"

"Chanicut stands as it always has - on its own feet.  There are houses allied with Chanicut, and houses opposed to it.  Some of the allies were enemies when you left, and some of the enemies were allies then.  House Sordash, a loyal friend in all times, has been broken, divided among the enemies who threw it down." Threntz explains in perfect, albeit hideous, harmony.  "When Sordash fell, there were some in Chanicut who were alarmed that Feldec and Vorn might be emboldened, and strike.  But they never did."

The demon shifts its weight slightly, scales and plates sliding over each other with a soft rustling sound.  "Your uncle was well when last I saw him, which was recently.  I believe that Mistress Chanicut is visiting him at his demesne, though, as I said, she is expected home shortly."

"Thank you, Threntz.  Do you think that Uncle Senghiz will return with the Mistress, or must I seek him out at his demesne?" Roman asks, while considering his options.  Leaving immediately might be taken as rude...

The question brings a prolonged silence as the demon appears to rack its memories, until finally it speaks again, "I cannot say for certain, Master Roman.  I have not been informed that he will return with Mistress Chanicut, and I have not been categorically told that he will not."

Its faces bear an expression which is probably as close to apologetic as they have ever been, "If I might make a suggestion?  Were I in your position, I would wait inside, in comfort.  Mistress Chanicut should return soon.  If your uncle is not with her, then you will not have wasted very much time in waiting.  An alternative course would be to make your way to his home by the most commonly used route, thus increasing your chances of meeting them on the way, should they in fact be coming here."

"Good advice, Threntz."  Roman answers on consideration.  "I believe that I will go in, refresh myself, rest a little and if the mistress is not returned after I have rested enough, I will then decide what to do."

Threntz bows and stands aside, gesturing for Roman to enter the portal.  "As you wish, Master Roman.  I shall inform Mistress Chanicut of your presence immediately upon her return."

The Ways of Chanicut are much like any of the others in the Courts, insofar as they are entirely dissimilar to any of the others in the Courts.  Thousands of years of occupation by the same family tends to imprint their dominant traits onto their environment.  While that environment shifts constantly and unpredictably, certain forms of matter and energy eventually start to appear more often than pure chance would dictate.

Gradually the occasions when those forms appear become... not exactly more common, but less uncommon.

Thus it is that Roman finds himself passing through familiar chambers.  Places that he has known all of his life, sparsely populated by people, many of whom he recognises as servants, and a few as distant relatives.  He finds his way to a place where he can clean up after his journey, his body shifting constantly to accommodate the conditions around him, even as those conditions shift to accommodate his presence.

Then he finds himself a place to rest.

And a short while later, as such things are measured in the Courts, a whisper passes through the chamber, coming from the very walls themselves... Mistress Chanicut has returned...

Threntz had promised to inform her, and Threntz would not fail in so simple a thing, so Roman waits a while longer in case he is sent for.

If that does not transpire,  in a reasonable time then he sends a servant demon to deliver his card, requesting an audience, to pay his respects.

Roman does not, in fact, have to send a servant.  Instead one comes to find him and request his presence in the parlour of Mistress Chanicut.

He is led through the shifting halls of the House, and eventually shown into a chamber decorated in a style which was referred to, some time ago when it was still popular, as "Static Baroque".  The walls  are all of solid stone and wood, carved in intricate rectilinear patterns.  Tapestries hang on the walls, partly concealing them, and the images on those tapestries do not move.

The rugs upon the polished wooden floor are likewise still, as is every item of furniture in the chamber.

In the centre of the floor is a shallow pool of water, where brightly coloured carnivorous fish swim, feeding on live mice which are occasionally taken from a large metal bowl and dropped into the water by the matriarch of House Chanicut.

She sits near the pool, surrounded by a shroud of shadows, even if the rest of the room is brightly lit by candles.  The shadows move, and not all of their movements match her own.  Senghiz stands close by, smiling at Roman, with his head cocked to one side, though he says nothing.

And then the woman extends a hand, her arm stretching to reach past the pool.  The shadows flow with it, swirling like smoke in a draught.  "Welcome home, Roman.  To what do we owe your unexpected return."

Roman advances to briefly take the offered hand, bowing over it.  "My Lady."

Releasing the hand he takes a step back.  "My Lady.  Travelling in Shadow, I discovered creatures of power, that I had not heard of before.  And I learned that one faction of these - a large faction - wished to erase both Poles of our Reality, to remake it all as they wished, and they may have the power to do so.  Certainly they can travel in Shadow.  The creatures are called Archons, appearing as wheels of metal blades, fire or lightning.  THe detroyers name themselves Seraphim."

"Having obtained information about these creatures - a story in itself - I thought to bring it here, in the hope that we might assess the danger and prepare if necessary.    Or - if it is good, there may be some other advantage in it."

The hand withdraws, the arm that supports it reducing to more usual proportions, and the woman smiles, and there is genuine warmth in the expression, even seen through the umbral cocoon, "We know of these... Archons.  Agents throughout Shadow have reporting their activities almost daily of late, but unfortunately we had, thus far, been unable to ascertain their intent in any detail."

"We knew they were hostile, and destructive, but that was the sum total of our knowledge concerning their goals."

The shadows move around her, and she stands, dropping one last mouse into the pool as she walks around towards Roman.  Senghiz follows hard on her heels.

"If you have more information concerning their objectives and methods, then we would gladly hear it.  Walk with us, Roman."

The wall to Roman's left parts, the edges of the opening flowing back over themselves as the gap expands to reveal a blizzard and admit a blast of frigid air, and the Mistress of Chanicut steps through, the shadows hardening around her to become a glistening translucent shell...

"There is much to say." Roman answers, accepting the invitation to follow.  "THe first is that they are riven into factions and are susceptible to further division.  A faction calling themselves Nephilim opposes the destroyers, and the Seraphim defeat at Charyk has doubtless caused some within that faction to question their loyalty - some even seem toe have gone rogue, working only for themselves."

Trusting to a combination of his shapeshifting and the Mistresses magic to handle the cold he goes on.  "One of the Seraphim's most potent weapons is a thing called 'Broken God', fragments of a dead hero.  These fragments possess the ability to dampen all - or nearly all - uses of Power in their vicinity.  We shall need a counter to that, fi we are to be ready to face them."

"We had heard that these creatures possessed the ability to prevent shifting, but our source at that time was... unreliable."

Senghiz chuckles, his heavily furred shoulders shaking, "He was House Feldec, and you were expecting reliability?"

"We were assured that the methods being used would produce reliable results.  As it turned out, they did.  Roman has confirmed that... unfortunately it is too late for our source.  In future we shall take the time to investigate even the most outrageous claims thoroughly."  Mistress Chanicut pauses suddenly, "Ah... but we were forgetting... " and a ghostly apparition appears before her.  Lexy, Alexandra Boisjolis, as she was last seen at the Courts.

"What of your cousin?  Did you hear aught of her in your travels?  Her father grows increasingly concerned."

"I met with some people who had travelled with her for a time - but they had parted company, and...other concerns seemed to be more pressing." Roman answers.  "After the battle at Charyk, the Seraphim threat seemed of greater concern."

He continues "However, I did obtain information concerning the Archons that may be of use.  Although a certain personage who may no longer be among the living attempted to claim it for himself..."

"A pity.  House Boisjolis have always supported us.  It would have been good to repay some of that support."  The apparition fades.

"Was the person who tried to claim the information known to us?" Mistress Chanicut leans closer, smiling hopefully, and there is a predatory gleam in her eye.  "I hope you will not attempt to kill me if I ask for the information, my dear Roman."

"Do you have it with you, or is it all... " her hand lifts to tap one finger against the side of Roman's head, "... in here?"

"It was Qiexz" Roman replies.  "he sought to claim this knowledge for himself, alone.  Making a rather bad enemy of a surprisingly capable Shadow Sorceror in the process.  I decided that protecting him from the consequences of his greed was none of my business.  If he still lives I fear he may be upset at that, and seek to pass on a rather different story - even though I saved his life. But ingratitude is to be expected from one such as he."

Roman smiles.  "Fortunately for us, I am not so greedy, and I happen to have a copy with me.  Indeed, consulting with wise Senghiz was an important reason for returning to our homeland."

"Qiexz!" she spits the name, dripping with vitriol, from a mouth twisted into a snarl of hatred, "That fool has long been a thorn in our side, but protected by Helgram and Minobee, ingratiating himself with them, and using their friendship to advance his cause, while our own people, like good Senghiz, have languished in growing obscurity."

"If he is dead, and you had any part in that, even if your report is the full extent of that involvement, then you have our gratitude."

Mistress Chanicut turns to Senghiz, "Speak with Roman.  We grow weary."

"Yes, of course, My Lady." Senghiz replies, with a deep bow.  She starts to walk away then, and Senghiz smiles at Roman, "Shall we talk here, or would you prefer somewhere more stable?"

"'Twould be less risk to the documents to take a more stable position" Roman points out.  "Shall we proceed to the library?  Or have you somewhere else in mind?"

Senghiz shifts to a more human form, and drops into an overstuffed armchair with a relieved sigh.

Because of the delicate nature of most of the contents, a great deal of effort goes into maintaining conditions in the library within a range which is most tolerable by those contents,

By the looks of things, Senghiz appreciates it too.

"Ah, Roman, my boy... I'm glad that your documents forced this choice on us."  He stretches and yawns, "I know she's your grandmother, and all, and head of the house, but I think the Lady Derris is becoming... " he pauses for a moment, considering his words carefully, "... ah... confused would probably be the most polite way of putting it."

"She has, of late, permitted the Ways to fall further and further towards Primal Chaos.  And while she has always been a little harsh, she has become increasingly cruel.  Just last week she had two of the servants put to death because her tea was served at the wrong temperature.  The worst of it is that the servants in question where a gardener and a chimney sweep, and just happened to be the first two she saw."

"I'm doing my best to protect her, and I've persuaded the servants to maintain this room, no matter what she may order, but it is tiring."

"The good of the House comes first, of course." Roman answers.  "And I must admit that Mistress Chanicut seems to have grown...a little eccentric since I was here last."

"But let us consider the Archon situation - it wou;d be good to before it becomes a crisis."  Roman continues, and starts to lay out the documents.

Senghiz starts reading through the documents, occasionally going back to examine points again, or asking for clarification and explanation.  Twice he asks if Roman has witnessed the behaviour described, and both times Roman is able to confirm that he has.

In both cases, Senghiz responds with a frown and a shake of his head.

Finally, after some considerable time, he steps away from the table, looking at the papers as if they were some sort of poisonous reptile he had just found coiled up in his bed.  "I believe we may have a problem.  This information does not match that which Derris has been given.  Unless she has lied to me about it.  She recently spoke to myself and other senior house members, and told us that the Archons are a threat, but one that we can easily deal with, if they even come here."

"Either she is lying to us, or she has, herself, been lied to.  I rather hope it's the latter, because if she is lying to us, then we're probably going to be arrested soon, and very likely put to death.  But if that was the case, why would she permit us review and discuss these documents?"

Roman shudders.  "They're a threat.  I could have told you that.  I hope our defences are good enough, but I'd definitely want to warn Suhuy.  They want to destroy the Logrus, and they might have the power to succeed.  I don't know the limits of their Broken God, but they'd be dangerous even without it.  In fact I hope that nobody here has thought of talking to or, worse. allying with the Seraphim - they'd be too good as assassins.  And with their agenda, anyone trying to use them, would be more likely to be used themselves"

"They definitely do seem to be a threat."  Senghiz's lips curl into a humourless smile.  "I can warn Suhuy for you, if you like.  As for the rest... you know how things can be here.  I could easily believe that some of the other houses might be trying to forge an alliance with these Seraphim.  Particularly the weaker ones.  They might believe they would gain a useful advantage, while not fully realising the danger the Archons represent."

He glances at the documents again, frowning, "Do you really believe they could destroy the Logrus?"

Senghiz picks up a sheaf of papers and starts sifting through them.

"I have no idea if they could really destroy the Logrus.  I am sure that they think that they can, and it is certainly possible could do a lot of damage trying.  I don't know the limits of their Broken God."  Roman rubs his beard.  "But then I'd have found it hard to believe that a sword could cut Logrus tendrils, before I saw it happen."

"Speaking of swords, there is a weapon that might be able to counter Broken God.  But it's well guarded by Archons."

That brings a sharp glance from Senghiz, "A weapon, you say?  That sounds useful.  Do you think you could get it if you had some help?  I might be able to persuade your grandmother to release some of the house troops to assist you."

He starts to pace back and forth, talking exitedly and gesturing with the sheaf of papers to emphasise his points...  "Imagine if somebody from Chanicut were to save the Courts from these creatures.  It would likely improve our standing among the other houses, and that would likely improve that person's standing in Chanicut.  And if somebody, such as myself were to sponsor that person, obtain resources for them, especially if few others are taking the threat seriously, then that sponsor's status would also be much improved."

A sudden stop, and Senghiz wheels to face Roman, "What do say, my boy?  Can you do this if I can get you some men-at-arms to accompany you?"

"it might be reachable, but it would require a specialised and strong force - capable of fighting the bladed Archons, at least.  I'd want some capable of dealing with the lightning Archons too." Roman answers.  "And we need to be able to tunnel through ice.  Any surface or air approach would be mobbed by an army of Archons."  He looks Senghiz straight in the eye "Nothing less would be even worth trying"