I have to leave for the airport shortly, and then it's off to the UK and a reasonably stressful week. Next week should be better :)
Runes Memnith frowned. "Don't do that," he said. "That's -- though I suppose you're not in a position to know -- how the King's Servitors introduce themselves. It's not what I'd call appropriate anywhere, but here in Carcosa...." His gaze was unflinchingly direct. Lord Derby looked startled and glanced at Tomasz, who shrugged. "What's a King's Servitor?" he asked. "And... you see nothing different when I do that?" Memnith's face changed from annoyed to worried though the frown persisted. Brown eyes stared intently at Ernest, running over every inch of his face and the air six inches around his head. "I see nothing out of the ordinary," he said. "What, exactly, are you expecting me to see?" "A yellow cloak," said Tomasz, his accent suddenly strong. Ernest wondered if that was a give-away that the man was actually scared of the yellowness. "After we left the Temple of the King Derby could manifest a yellow cloak around him and the statues that line the approach to the Temple stopped talking to him." "A Servitor of the King," said Elizabeth into the silence that followed. Memnith had taken two steps back and his hands were in front of him, his fingers moving in a complex fashion. "Lord Derby, since you asked, the Servitors are usually priests, people who have given their lives to the King's service. They are, in reality, just shells animated by his power, but they can act like real people for a... disturbingly long period of time." Lord Derby looked from Elizabeth to Memnith and then back again. He sighed softly, and looked at Tomasz. "I said I might have to remain here," he said, his voice steady but low. "It seems I was right. At least now you know it's not heroics." Tomasz stiffened and looked away.
"You're not registering as a vessel," said Memnith. His fingers had stopped moving at last, but there was a soft silver glow in the air around his hands. "Elizabeth, please confirm that for yourself. One opinion alone is not enough in these circumstances. And Ernest, what exactly did you do in the Temple. Think particularly about what you said." Elizabeth's hands began to move as she worked the same spell as Memnith had previously, and Lord Derby related his time in the Temple. Now and then he turned to where he expected Samual to be standing, to corroborate, but of course Samual wasn't there. Eventually he finished, and gestured to Tomasz, who was still staring at Grace as though wishing she would move and give him an excuse to hit her again. "Tomasz and Samual were waiting outside when I was able to leave, with Grace remaining inside." "He's not a vessel," said Elizabeth. Her hands were wreathed in the same silver glow. "But that doesn't explain how he was able to produce the Yellow Shroud." "And you've denied the King," said Memnith. "It shouldn't be possible for you to produce the Yellow Shroud." He looked Derby directly in the eyes. "I would like to ensure you're free of the taint," he said, "but I have to have your permission. This spell will directly affect you, and if you are tainted... it will hurt. You might die." "Will it eradicate the taint?" "If there's any, then yes... but if there's a lot...." "Do it." Elizabeth and Memnith moved quickly, like striking snakes, each grasping a shoulder, and the silver light exploded over and around Lord Derby. Runes appeared over his clothes and skin where it was exposed and burned brightly. Grace moaned and tried to bend away from the light that spilled over onto her, and a yellowish glow seemed to surface from her body and try to push the silver light away. The runes became painful to look at, but then they seemed to sink into Derby's body. For a moment he glowed himself, and then the light went out. "Ernest?" said Memnith.
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I have to leave for the airport shortly, and then it's off to the UK and a reasonably stressful week. Next week should be better :)
Runes
Memnith frowned. "Don't do that," he said. "That's -- though I suppose you're not in a position to know -- how the King's Servitors introduce themselves. It's not what I'd call appropriate anywhere, but here in Carcosa...." His gaze was unflinchingly direct.
Lord Derby looked startled and glanced at Tomasz, who shrugged. "What's a King's Servitor?" he asked. "And... you see nothing different when I do that?"
Memnith's face changed from annoyed to worried though the frown persisted. Brown eyes stared intently at Ernest, running over every inch of his face and the air six inches around his head. "I see nothing out of the ordinary," he said. "What, exactly, are you expecting me to see?"
"A yellow cloak," said Tomasz, his accent suddenly strong. Ernest wondered if that was a give-away that the man was actually scared of the yellowness. "After we left the Temple of the King Derby could manifest a yellow cloak around him and the statues that line the approach to the Temple stopped talking to him."
"A Servitor of the King," said Elizabeth into the silence that followed. Memnith had taken two steps back and his hands were in front of him, his fingers moving in a complex fashion. "Lord Derby, since you asked, the Servitors are usually priests, people who have given their lives to the King's service. They are, in reality, just shells animated by his power, but they can act like real people for a... disturbingly long period of time."
Lord Derby looked from Elizabeth to Memnith and then back again. He sighed softly, and looked at Tomasz. "I said I might have to remain here," he said, his voice steady but low. "It seems I was right. At least now you know it's not heroics."
Tomasz stiffened and looked away.
"You're not registering as a vessel," said Memnith. His fingers had stopped moving at last, but there was a soft silver glow in the air around his hands. "Elizabeth, please confirm that for yourself. One opinion alone is not enough in these circumstances. And Ernest, what exactly did you do in the Temple. Think particularly about what you said."
Elizabeth's hands began to move as she worked the same spell as Memnith had previously, and Lord Derby related his time in the Temple. Now and then he turned to where he expected Samual to be standing, to corroborate, but of course Samual wasn't there. Eventually he finished, and gestured to Tomasz, who was still staring at Grace as though wishing she would move and give him an excuse to hit her again. "Tomasz and Samual were waiting outside when I was able to leave, with Grace remaining inside."
"He's not a vessel," said Elizabeth. Her hands were wreathed in the same silver glow. "But that doesn't explain how he was able to produce the Yellow Shroud."
"And you've denied the King," said Memnith. "It shouldn't be possible for you to produce the Yellow Shroud." He looked Derby directly in the eyes. "I would like to ensure you're free of the taint," he said, "but I have to have your permission. This spell will directly affect you, and if you are tainted... it will hurt. You might die."
"Will it eradicate the taint?"
"If there's any, then yes... but if there's a lot...."
"Do it."
Elizabeth and Memnith moved quickly, like striking snakes, each grasping a shoulder, and the silver light exploded over and around Lord Derby. Runes appeared over his clothes and skin where it was exposed and burned brightly. Grace moaned and tried to bend away from the light that spilled over onto her, and a yellowish glow seemed to surface from her body and try to push the silver light away. The runes became painful to look at, but then they seemed to sink into Derby's body. For a moment he glowed himself, and then the light went out.
"Ernest?" said Memnith.
Greg - good luck with your trip!
This was fascinating and worrying and I hope it all works out for the best.
It better.
Just so you know.
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