"Couldn't say for sure." James gives his characteristic shrug.

"I don't know enough about current deployment, equipment and morale.  Give me twenty minutes with one of your field commanders and I can tell you."

James is confident that it won't take him long to assess the situation.  Once he has a better idea of the flow of the battle he can start to make more specific plans.  And then he would ask Tahirah for a reading.

It's probably just as well that James' mind is taken up with other things as it helps mute the surprise he feels at Banglen-Yp's announcement.  Either Banglen-Yp's idea would be as nonsensical as some of her other pronouncements or it would be a piece of unorthodox brilliance - and James wouldn't be prepared to bet either way.

Well I wish you'd told me how to do it.

Random opens his mouth to say... something.  Then closes it again.  He turns away from Banglen-Yp, his expression more than a little puzzled, and speaks to James instead, "I'll see that you get some time with at least one of them."

Back to Banglen-Yp again, and another attempt at speaking gets a little further, "Why don't you... " a rethink, followed by, "I'm the King, which means that the traitor is my enemy.  I'm not likely to be the traitor, which means you can tell me."

"I know most of the people in this room, very well, and you know the ones that I don't.  I believe everybody in this room is trustworthy.  At least in this case."

"If you know who the traitor is, or know how to find out, I'd be interested in hearing about it."

 

Another bright smile and then she nodded slowly to the King, even if she did not think he really looked much like Elvis.  But she had seen worse.

•• It is in two stages •• First one is really simple ••

•• All you need to do is tell everyone a different thing • or every group if there are many suspects •• Then you check to see what the enemy acts on • which tells you from where it came ••

•• Now • if there are but a few then it is easy • you have your traitor there • but if there are many • which I suspect there is • servants • guards and others • well • then we move on to stage two of the plan ••

She had started to pace back and forth, waving a finger about as she explain, the other hand at the small of her back, glancing from person to person.

When she finished she stopped and turned to look at the King again.







•• The second stage ••

It was said slowly and clearly.


•• Is as simple • but I need the help of you all • to prepare for ••

•• You are • some of you anyway • far more familiar with these Archon than I am • and thus I could do with a few pointers • since it is important to be as similar as possible • plus once the traitor is exposed you should all be there anyway ••

 

Roman refrains from pointing out the number of Amberites in the room.  Contradicting a king without a very good reason is rarely a good idea.  Especially if the contradiction might be considered an insult in itself.  (Even though the Princess Fiona does make a very plausible suspect).

The first part of Banglen-Yp's idea isn't bad but the timing is off - it may be a little late for that.

"I don't want to be too negative, but it seems to me that it would be difficult to get quick results from such a plan.  Unless something of the sort has already been set up ?"

"That depends," Tahirah says quietly, "On the importance and the urgency of the information planted.  A traitor's position is inherently unstable; it does not often take much to unbalance it."

"The first part of the plan is good." Random muses, "I'm sure we can come up with something that will send our traitor running to his masters as quickly as possible, and stir up an immediate response from them."

"I'm not sure that I follow the second part, though.  Are you proposing to disguise yourself as one of the enemy?  I was under the impression that they are wholly inhuman in form." the king glances around at the others, "Is that not correct?"

"It would be easier, if we had any idea who we might be looking for." adds Fiona, "But, since we don't, any plan that helps to narrow things down, even a little, can't do any harm."

 

A nod to Random's musings then a smile at the King.

•• Yes • disguise myself as one of them • to help the traitor feel safe &bull or not • depending on their initial reaction ••

•• It will take a moment as I am not accustomed to their shape • yet • but I also need pointers from those who know them better so I can achieve near perfection ••

A gesture towards her companions foremost.

•• Allow me to show you ••

She squatted down and slow, almost so that an observer could be fooled to think it was a trick of their eyes - or indeed the light - she began to change into something else, something wheel-like.

 

The clothes fade first, seeming to merge with the flesh beneath, even as that. flesh becomes something... not flesh.  Slowly, over the course of several minutes, the crouch evolves into a more foetal position, as the Lords and Ladies of Amber watch, their faces a mix of fascination and revulsion.

Banglen-Yp's face vanishes, becoming a blank oval, and her hair appears to retreat into her scalp.  Nothing happens for long moments...

And then, in a change so sudden that it draws gasps of startled shock from some of her audience, a blade, eight inches long, and shaped like the fin of a shark, erupts from her back, just below the right shoulder blade.  A second follows almost immediately.  Then another, and another...

In moments the thing which used to be Banglen-Yp is covered with visciously hooked blades and its skin has become plates of polished steel and brass and bronze.

And she moves, tilting forward into a roll, and before it is half completed, there is only a hoop of spinning blades, about four feet across, rising to hover in the air.

"Gods!"  All but forgotten, back in the corner with Aaron, Chrissie looks embarrassed at her outburst, and raises one hand to cover her mouth.

Random's reaction is a little less shocked.  "This might just work."

 

•• It is not prefect • I am sure • but that is why I need help ••

The cheerful voice of the blonde came from, well, the would-be Archon, clashing more with the appearance than one would think almost possible.

•• The change will also go quicker the more I use it • it is all a matter of habit ••

A matter-of-fact statement if ever there was one.

•• So • what do you say • all I know from these are from the one that cut me in half and the other two I met briefly ••

Another all too cheerful and carefree statement in stark contrast to the meaning of the words, this one apparently mostly aimed at the followers of the, well, would-be Archon, as it swings towards them, dancing about happily - or how to describe such a movement from a hovering wheel.

 

"Hmm, you could try spinning a bit faster"  Roman comments.  "Otherwise, it looks good."

Hope she doesn't get dizzy

Tahirah watches Banglen-Yp's change, and is glad for the heavy cowl hiding her face.  Slack-jawed amazement is not the impression she likes to make.

As soon as the newly minted Archon speaks, though, she snaps back to herself, and walks in a half circle around it, turning as she does to keep her facing.  "Superficially," she says in a tone of agreement.  "But no deeper.  The Archons move with purpose.  The knives of a butcher, not a juggler.  If you would convince anyone that you are one of them, you will have to focus."

James can see rather more flaws in the first part of Banglen-Yp's plan than he cares to admit (leaving aside the possibility the traitor was a family member and now forewarned).  It was all very well feeding out partial information and watching for a response.  It was the strategy that he would have used had they more time to unmask the traitor.  But it required that the traitor act on the leaked information.  A clever spy (and any spy that could elude Fiona had to be considered very clever) or a clever handler would know that sometimes you had to decline an opportunity in order to avoid suspicion.*  James considered that the approach would require a counter-espionage campaign, not a single juicy piece of bait.

It's a pity Meredith wasn't here, James muses.  Loathe as he would be to push her to use her talent, Meredith's reading ability would be invaluable here.  As it was, Fiona was right, regrettably.  James would have to provide the sparse information that he had about 'Corey' and hope that someone else could make the connection, but first he wanted to see what else Banglen-Yp had in mind.

It was worth waiting for.  "That...is very impressive."  James had seen Banglen-Yp in a variety of forms: sex kitten, actual kitten and dolphin to name a few, but he had never seen her transform or to take on such an alien form.  It was rather unsettling to watch.

"Roman and Tahirah are both correct.  If I may: your blades are too highly polished and too regular.  Think steel rather than quicksilver."

"Also, while the blades need to appear more random, the movement of the blades is more deliberate.  Quite a task that, but then I don't know how much you're having to concentrate on the movement of the blades.  If it helps, try slowing down then think of a pattern - like looking down on a ballroom full of dancers, or knitting, where each row of blades is a thread.

"Once you've got that down, you'll need to speed up.  You should know you're getting close by the noise.  The blade Archons can spin silently but they tend to clink or clatter as blades knock against each other.  I think it's almost like an aural signature."

James lists the points that spring immediately to mind.  There was enough diversity amongst the Archons that he was confident that, given practice, Banglen-Yp could pass scutiny, except in one regard.

"Tahirah is more correct than perhaps she realises.  Superficially, you may pass as an Archon but you don't have the psychic presence.  I don't think you can mimic that.  Some of the Archons might mask themselves, but I doubt it's common.  You would fool most of their servants, which may be sufficient, but if you meet another Archon, or even a trained sorceror, you would be in trouble."

"It's a pity Berd isn't here, he's a master at that sort of thing.  I don't suppose you could fake an aura at range, Fiona?"

James stiffens, "Hold that thought." he adds in a distracted tone, "I have an incoming call."

*OOC: There is a story from WWII that during the German bombing of England, a raid had been predicted against London.  Churchill, knowing from the broken Enigma code that the bombers would strike Coventry went up to the roof of his London HQ and watched, knowing that he could have given warning but knowing that if he did the Germans might deduce that their code was ineffective.
This message was last edited by the player at 14:07, Mon 03 May 2010.

 

•• Faster • purpose • steel • noise • physche ••

A list, spoken as if indeed taking notes.

Then...

•• She's making a list • and checking it twice • gonna find out • who's naughty and nice • Banglen-Yp is comiiiing to toooown ••

A spurt of singing and then a clearing of a throat that does not exist.

•• The mental bit I have never really done • or not in this life as far as my memory go • which is not all that far • but I will try •• Hopefully • though • that will not be needed • if we at all get to this stage •• But a long shot in the dark is better than none in broad daylight ••

She, it, is making sense again.

•• I can always put up my block and appear blank ••

•• Oh • and no • I do not have to concentrate once I am a form • because I am that form then • but I must learn it first •• So • do tell • how do they speak ••

A question rounded of the mixture of nonsensical and slightly more sensible speech.

 

Fiona considers James question carefully, then shakes her head, "I don't think I could do it convincingly.  I don't have a wealth of experience with these creatures, so somebody who had experience of dealing with these things might be able to spot the difference."

"Frankly, it might be better not to try.  Leave the person thinking they were dealing with an Archon that's trying to hide its presence from me, for instance."

In the back corner of the room, Aaron and Chrissie are whispering quietly as the man apparently points out various features of Banglen-Yp's disguise to his multiple-times removed granddaughter.

The fake Archon, meanwhile, begins to change.  The patterns of its movement first, and a gradual dulling of the metal which comprises its form.  Slowly, it begins to look even more menacing.  The increasingly irregular blades start to produce a faint whistling, interspersed with the sounds of metal scraping on metal.

"Put up your block..." James echoes Banglen-Yp's comment rather vacantly. As the thought registers, his voice rises "Sweet merciful heavens!  You mean that blank that everyone frets about is a block?  I figured you had to be some kind of null."

Abruptly, James realises how rude his interjection must seem.  "Sorry, I didn't mean any offence.  You're doing great.  Maybe just a little less whistle.  But I think you'd pass muster without any difficulty now.  Don't worry too much about the voice.  The Archons I've heard didn't have any particular way of talking."  As it happens, James thinks that Banglen-Yp's slightly alien phrasing will be an advantage, but he doesn't articulate the thought.

"Anyway, I hope you'll soon have a much more qualified guide." James turns to Random, "I've just had trump-contact from one of our friends.  May I bring the rest of the group through?"

 

•• Well • it is my natural state • but I believe a block is the right word • from what I learnt •• I know little of my kind • as I do not remember much yet in this life • but yes • what you would call a block is my normal state • I still need to learn to control how much I open • though • as to not drown you with my essence ••

A quite cheerful reply, as is usual for the normally strange blonde, now but a detached voice.

•• Now then • I am certain they do not sound like a human female • so please do bring them here ••

The voice changed slightly, becoming a bit metallic but still quite human.  More like a human talking into a metal can, causing weird effects to be heard.

•• Oh • and no offence • of course • and thank you for the pointer about the whistle ••

The whistle had indeed died down a little again.

 

Standing up, Random stretches, then starts to circle around Banglen-Yp, studying her from a variety of angles as she continues to adjust her appearance.  As he walks, he starts speaking, "So... we have a plan which has two major elements then."

"First, we need to stop the attack currently aimed at Tyr, and attempt to capture whoever, or whatever, is in immediate command of it."

The King of Amber looks at James and the others that he considers de facto agents of Amber, even if some of them would deny it themselves, "Second, and not necessarily at the same time, we will attempt to leak false information, and use Banglen-Yp, in an attempt to locate the traitor that we believe exists in the castle."

"Is there any more to be considered?"

Roman looks around, seeing that nobody else seems to be answering.  "That seems to be about it, your majesty.  However, if we are to join the battle, it would be helpful to know the nature of the foes."

Before the king can answer, one of the other family members speaks, the slim man, dressed all in green, "I've had spies out in Arden for the last few days.  As far as we know, most of the enemy appear mostly human.  There are a few that seem different, a whole brigade of red skinned giants, about nine feet tall, and wearing mail of what appears to be green glass rings.  Also a number of creatures that look to be more lion than man, which seem to be archers of great skill."

"But apart from those, the army seems to be human, with minor differences.  The number of different differences is very great though, as if the army had been drawn from very many different places."

Banglen-Yp, meanwhile, continues to make small changes to her appearance, under onstruction from James and Tahirah.

"Thanks, that's good to know.  It's Cain, isn't it?  I don't know that we ever properly introduced when I was here before." James answers.

Cain's response allayed some of James' fears.  At least the enemy troops were conventional, relatively speaking.  The numbers were doubtless unfavourable but if Jonny could deliver on his promised Brintizzi, James wouldn't favour the invaders' chances.

"Random, sorry to repeat myself, but you didn't say whether I could bring Cyan and the others through?"

Random rubs at the back of his neck, his expression thoughtful, then, "By all means, I think we need as much assistance in this as we can get."

"Yes," Tahirah says, softly.

 

♦♦ INDEED ♦♦

The voice was now far more metallic and ominous, sounding like someone dropping a crate of heavy knives on a metal conveyor belt where the knives got stuck and make grinding noises.  Perhaps not perfect mimic yet but it was getting closer, same with appearance, with countless blades whistling and touching each other in a nightmarish swirl that promised pain to anyone foolish enough to venture too close.

♦♦ IT WILL NOT BE EASY ♦ IT MAY NOT WORK ♦ BUT THERE IS NOTHING TO LOST IN ATTEMPTING THIS PLAN ♦ BUT IF IT WORKS ♦ THERE MIGHT BE A LOT TO WIN ♦♦

The entity that not long age was a blonde human female slowly rolled side-ways as it spoke, seemingly not bothered with up or down or front or back any more.

♦♦ INTERESTING DESIGN ♦ THIS CREATURE ♦♦

 

"It all sounds possible."  Roman comments.  "Would it be a good idea to try our imitation Archon out on the attackers, or is it better to keep her secret ?   It could be a good test of her ability to pass for a real Archon."

Around James a rainbow nimbus starts to form, hazy and indistinct at first, but growing more clearly defined with each passing heartbeat...