Chapter Seven
Exiled

Once outside the gates, everyone paused.
"So where do we go?" asked Injarda-o.
"Decide where you wish to go to finish your trumps" I suggested to him.
"I just got back myself" muttered 01
I was still feeling a little testy about all this. "I'm not going to tell you where to go." I added.
01 and Tekvar started muttering about places they might go.
"Have you guys been told what I'm doing a trump of?" Injarda-o interjected.
"No, we were told where we were going..." began Tekvar
"No, we were just ...."started 01
Exasperated, I broke in. "He's working on a trump of the black and white place, now he needs somewhere safe to finish it, there now you've been told" I blurted out.
"That was pretty good, actually, I'm kind of surprised" said 01. "Everyone else would just beat around the bush for a while."
"I don't see the point" I shot back.
"Fine, let's go." said Injarda-o. A few people started asking where again, and he looked as exasperated as I felt.
"Anywhere. Take me anywhere" he said.
"We're going to a shadow off in the middle of nowhere" said Gwen, decidedly
"Where?" I asked, "How far?"
"In terms of time?" she said, "It's about ten times as fast, as Amber."
"Good idea" I said, although that's not quite what I had meant.
"Are you coming?" asked Gwen.
"Yeah" I replied "I suppose I have to."
"Well, we'd like it if you would" said Gwen "I do believe.."
"Because I'm trying to get those of you who have been accused of murder to get your names cleared" I stated "I need to get the evidence that you didn't do it, so I can take it back to Merlin. See, I'm trying to help you, whether or not you like it."
"We were pardoned" Tekvar protested.
"I do believe she was saying Merlin wants to know the actual truth..." 01 started to say
"You were pardoned in Amber. You weren't pardoned in the Courts" I retorted loudly. Tekvar really pisses me off. "THAT's the people who want you dead" I continued. Talking to him was like trying to explain things to a simple, petulant child. "Amber" I shouted "didn't particularly CARE! You haven't caught on to this, have you?!"
01 intercepted "I think she's trying to determine the truth, and she's indicating that she does not think we did it."
"I am inclined to believe you are innocent " I told him "but I need proof".
"The truth is irrelevant" Gwen stated "the problem is proving to Merlin and Ghostwheel that we didn't do it. Which happens to BE the truth", she added hastily "but that's irrelevant."
Timtallagay sighed. "Now can we all pick a nice, quiet spot where we can go, get another trump made for that black and white place, and then go there, as a group and clear our, as a group, names. Please"
"Yes, I..." 01 began. "We're ready to go."
"And can we all" Timtallagay went on "be quiet and calm and non-violent"
Half of the group began walking down the road from the castle.
"And not immediately throw accusations " Timtallagay continued "or daggers or spells or abilities or anything, but just TALK with one another..."
Injarda-o turned around, "What the hell did you people do?"
"You don't want to know" I told him.
"Probably not" he said, but he didn't look convinced.
"Did you notice getting suddenly thrown out of the castle?" I asked. "Something sparked it, huh? Random didn't just suddenly have a temper tantrum. Although" I added slowly "that is possible... it didn't actually happen."
Gwen and Timtallagay dissolved into peals of laughter.
"There was actually a cause" I continued through the laughter.
"So" Timtallagay said "can we all agree to make this one unified effort, with cooperation? I'm going to try."
While Timtallagay was speaking, Injarda-o hastily scribbled a note and handed it to me.
Noticing this, Tekvar got upset.
"I'm definitely not going then" he said. "I don't know, first I don't trust this person cause she's screaming at everyone". Of course he was pointing to me. I rolled my eyes at Gwen.
"And Gwen tried to take over my mind" Tekvar (the clueless wonder) continued. "And now they're passing notes..."
"I didn't try to take over your mind" Gwen protested.
"Yeah you did" Tekvar squealed.
"No, I merely tried to gain some information" Gwen declared.
"No" I said in response to Injarda-o's note "he's not going to. That's why I'm here." The note wondered if Merlin could eavesdrop on us. Like he has the time or anything. Geesh.
Turning to Tekvar, I said "In case you want to know, since you seem so curious, Injarda-o wishes to know if we should just let Merlin kind of psychically eavesdrop on the whole thing and get the evidence himself. I was just pointing out that he's not going to do that, he's kind of busy being King - one of those things. Do you feel better now that you know what he wrote?"
"I guess" Tekvar sneered "I don't have any proof that was what was in the note"
"Injarda-o" I said, "Give me the note." Injarda-o rescued the crumpled piece of paper and turned it over.
"Here" I tossed the note at Tekvar exasperatedly. "Uugh!"
Tekvar read it ( at least I think he can read ), shrugged and gave it back. Waving the note in the air, I asked "Would everybody like to pass it around? So we're sure I was telling the truth? Please! Feel free..."
Timtallagay turned to 01, "Would you like to see it?" he inquired.
"Not particularly" 01 replied.
"I don't need to see it" Timtallagay continued.
"Injarda-o!" exclaimed Gwen, "are you coming?"
"Yes!" Injarda-o seemed annoyed.
"Then take my hand" Gwen retorted. Gwen was holding a trump in her other hand. "Is anyone else coming?"
"Yes" I answered, "trump to where?"
"That nice shadow in the middle of nowhere" Gwen stated.
"Better make it all or none" I commented "anybody on their own is dogmeat!"
"Shall we?" Timtallagay asked.
Gwen stopped, looked annoyed, and said "What?", apparently to nothing, although it quickly became clear she was receiving a trump contact. She gets a lot of calls.
While Gwen was indisposed, 01 asked "Does anyone know exactly where we're going. Besides Gwen?"
Timtallagay turned "Gwen has several trumps to places that she knows. They are..."
At that moment, Gwen's turned rainbow, and she called "Anyone coming, come through now"
Injarda-o reached out and took Gwen's hand. I caught hold of Injarda-o's hand, and I felt someone behind me take my other hand.
We all started through the gate, but something went wrong. The rainbow effect faded, and I heard Gwen shout "01, stop it!" Gwen groaned, grabbed her head, and tossed the trump to Injarda-o, "You do it!"
Injarda-o stared hard at the trump, studying it carefully. He was about to activate it, I believe, when Gwen suddenly called out, "Injarda-o, don't use that trump! Use this one." Gwen was holding out a different trump.
'Is it dead?" Injarda-o asked.
"It might as well be" Gwen said in a disgusted tone. "01!" she added.
"Oh that" said Injarda-o. Injarda-o stored the 'dead' trump away, saying he would put it with the last one. I had no idea what all that was about.
Injarda-o activated the new trump, and the rainbow effect started. A trump gate opened, large enough to step through, so we all did.

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