As Related by Prince Dermot McRath, Minister of Aesthetic Affairs
It’s no use – I’ve tried several times to contact Tara on this datapad, but she isn’t answering. It doesn’t seem to be malfunctioning. What is going on out there?
Unfortunately, we have no idea. Tielo is in the garden, spinning in place.
I decide to bring the datapad with me to the Moth and Lamp. I can feel the excitement radiating through the connected branches: Ailann’s group has finally encountered the group heading towards Ophion. It’s a fragmented conversation since none of those branches have been recognized. I have to keep backtracking to the branch memories to replay the interactions.
They’re greatly surprised that Ailann’s group has managed to arrive at Ophion before them. They knew nothing about the hovertrain. They know nothing of what’s been happening. Ailann is trying to explain without being able to show them directly. I don’t know how humans manage their day to day communications in such an awkward fashion.
When I arrive at the Moth and Lamp, Lorcan is painting furiously. He’s now covered two canvases with black and has applied an aqua wash, so that the black seems to be soaked in streaks of blue. One canvas is covered with random splotches of color.
« He became suddenly inspired, » Aran explains.
Solomon is on beer seventeen. He peers at Lorcan’s creation, his eyebrows raised unevenly, one eye wider than the other. « It looks like those candy sprinkles on the frosting of children’s birthday cakes, » he says.
« Jackson Pollack he’s not, » I murmur.
“Davy Gannon, Master of Puppets. 12th to emanate, 62 in the color scale, resonates to 293. 1.677 meters tall, cock size 15.66 cm when erect, apparent age 28. Toymaker and biodesign consultant. Totem is Araucaria araucana , the monkey puzzle tree, fixed star is Procyon, before the dog, also called Nangar, the carpenter, or Puana, blossom. Esoteric symbol is the Minchiate trump Il Papino, the little archon, juggler or puppeteer. Dessert is gummi moths. Function is creative insight, proto-conscious tendency is creativity, designated Make. Blazon is argent, within a bordure Davy’s gray platy, a marionette proper.”
« Davy got an achievement? What happened? »
« I remembered something important, » Davy says.
We wait in anticipation for Davy’s revelation. Actually, we wait for him to tell us that it should be obvious.
« It’s hard to explain, » says Davy. « When Ailann said that Molly was going to Mt. Ouroboros, I just knew that we should go too. I can show you why when we get there. »
« You’ll never make it in time, » says Tommy. « The area is too isolated. We’re trying now, but especially in this weather, it’s futile. The only hope is the mecha. »
« We can just take a flyer, » says Davy. « That’s faster than a hovertrain anyway. »
« We don’t exactly have a flyer, » says Ross, quite reasonably.
« I’ll just make one, » says Davy, and he does.
There’s a lot of excited shouting. « Damn, » says Beat, « if we’d only had him from the beginning. »
As everyone piles into the flyer, Ailann signals a halt. « Not Harsh and Malachi, » he says.
« What? Why not? » asks Harsh angrily.
« Because Malachi and Daniel have been on the swan boat, to the Ashvattha Island, at the Yggdrasil train platform and now here at Ophion. All one of them has to do is go back to the treedominium, and he can get #43: “Travel to all six strongholds of the pleroma.” We can really use Malachi’s insight, but I don’t want him to travel alone. »
Is the unspoken text here “Harsh is useless in a battle,” or “Ailann wants to protect his boi”? Perhaps both. I’d be more inclined to send Ellery for those reasons. But then again, Ellery is probably afraid to leave Ailann’s side.
« Go with him, » says Beat. « Malachi can use your help. »
The unspoken text is definitely that Beat wants to protect his boi.
Lorcan continues to paint. In the second attempt, the splotches of paint are swirls. They bleed into each other, blotting out the background. It’s more like Van Gogh than Pollack. Impressionistic.
No, Van Gogh was an expressionist. And Lorcan is definitely an expressionist, too, the bold lines, provocative use of color, a sense of angst which perhaps resembles Munch more than Van Gogh. But still, there’s something impressionistic about the painting.
It’s impossible to really appreciate a work of impressionism from up close. I take a few steps back, then a few more. Solomon sees what I’m doing, and rises from the bar. He staggers a bit.
« Hey, » he says, « it’s some kind of weird flower. »
From across the bar, I can clearly discern that the insane swirls of color are part of a pattern. And that pattern isn’t just a flower. It’s a ten-petalled lotus, and the colors are in the position of the color scale mandala.
“Sir Lorcan Fearghus, Chevalier Noir of the Arbor. 23rd to emanate, 75 in the color scale, resonates to 379. 1.651 meters tall, cock size 15.77 cm when erect, apparent age 25. Poet. Totem is Tsuga heterophylla, the Western hemlock, fixed star is Algol, the ghoul. Esoteric symbol is the Minchiate trump Il Diavolo, the devil. Dessert is nau’gsh spice cake with kasmilcrème fraiche. Function is creative resistance, proto-conscious tendency is perversity, designated Inversion. Blazon is oxblood, a pelican in its piety, argent.”
« It’s a diptych, » Lorcan mutters, holding up the completed painting. « Before and after. »