February, 4, 2001

The image of Brand is riding through a thick wood, the mottled light of the sun casting dappled shadows across his white horse. "Ah, Lisle. I had wondered when you would call."

To the image of Brand, Lisle says, "I confess I was waiting to open the Observatory, but it seems that may not happen as soon as I hoped. If you're busy I'll contact you later." Blue eyes show interest in the surroundings.

The image of Brand says "I am engaged in nothing that cannot bide. Would you come to me, or I to you?"

To the image of Brand, Lisle says, "If you are in Amber, I would come to you. If not, then I cannot come, and you could come here, to Flora's."

The image of Brand says "I will attend you." He pats his horse on its cheek and dismounts. "For what reason is your travel circumscribed?"

To the image of Brand, Lisle says, "Because Joshua, my cousin, tried to kill me. I had hoped I would be freed from this promise to stay in Amber, after this peace was made, but so far, nothing." She offers her hand.

You offer to pull Brand through.

Brand grasps your hand and you pull him through.

Lisle smiles, ghost of a dimple at the corner of her mouth. "If you like, we may ride here. Spring is coming to Amber and the countryside is very fine. Or if you'd rather, there is the library."

Brand:Of average height and slight build, Brand is physically unimposing but his flame-red hair makes him far from inconspicuous, and his emerald eyes are intense, so very alive. His clothing is comfortable, casual, and green. A ring, white gold with a thin red line, decorates his left hand.

Brand says "The knowledge of nature competes with the rarefied atmosphere of learning. Which do you prefer?"

Lisle says, "Learning." And she looks into Brand's own green eyes with a directness that belies a serious nature. "But my Aunt's house is full of cousins, perhaps even more of a distraction that nature."

Brand chuckles. "It is so. Whether desired or no, family is terribly diverting. Let us then go riding."

Lisle bows her head graciously. "Besides, I know a relatively dry place to sit, and in the afternoon sun it should be pleasant." She opens the door, looking down the hallway, and departs.

Down and out of the house, two horses are found. One by the name of Chaussily -- Lise's horse. The horse is slim-chested and long of limb, bred for jumping and tempermental. This seems to delight the girl, at least, who speaks to the horse in soft tones, and there seems to be some trust there. It's only a few minutes, over a low hill, and they are out of sight of the house. It is only then Lise turns to Brand, looking at him curiously. "My Aunt tells me you know much about things I would learn."

Brand selects a white horse for himself, if one is to be found. In good humor, he replies, "There is much that I have studied and much information that I possess, but the truth of this statement depends on what it is that would be."

There are certainly white horses in Flora's stables. Lise thinks about this, turning them down a well worn path open to the afternoon sun. Trees rise up on one side, the other showing a view of a brook. "I'm interested in physics, science of all kinds. In the shadow where I was born there were many theories about the origin of the universe. Very little was understood about there being more than one universe, however. So of course, when I came to Amber I became very curious how ll these things fit together." She's looking off toward the water, body's motion easily moving with the horse. "I want to know how pattern fits in with things I feel I do understand. And Sorcery. And the trump art."

Brand says "A grand theory of all things? This is no trivial question." He appears amused. "There are any number of analogies I might draw upon, some more useful than others at illuminating different aspects of this problem. You must tell me more of the physics that you know. I presume you have come from one of the structured worlds, in which mathematics is the key that unlocks the puzzle that is the universe."

"This is the case," Lise replies to Brand as she turns Chaussily off the main path. Around the corner is a copse that overlooks the grounds, the house's tallest peaks just within sight. "But I have a few theories for this place. It seems to me mathematics must ground everything. This case is made more difficult by not having one-to-one mappings, and irreversible processes. I imagine this is because there are many universes, all expanding." The wind ruffles blonde hair, one flaxen locke curling under her chin.

Lisle says, "I have this idea that, with pattern, two things might be able to occupy the same space."

Brand says "Mathematics is but a single brush in the collection of the artist. A flexible and powerful brush, to be sure, but you will find that, if you restrict yourself to it, there are lines that cannot be painted by you. Not all the universes expand. Not all ground is solid. Not all fire burns." He reaches into the air to pluck from it a fairly weighty coin. He guides his horse closer to Lisle to offer it to her. "Consider this."

Lisle's eyes show too much of her expression, and now they show some doubt and a terrible interest. Her hand comes out to take the coin, holding it in the palm of her hand. Here she slows the horses to a stop. And there is a stone bench, warmed from the sun. She does not dismount, though, her attention is fixed upon Brand.

Brand says, "Regard the obverse, turn it over, and again. Repeat."

Lisle follows these instructions, wrist turning this way and that.

The coin is quite a bit heavier than it appears, but not so much as to be awkward. On the face is a simple line. On the other side is a triangle. But when she turns it over, there's a new symbol, and continues to be each time she does. They start with simple geometric objects, but grow increasingly complicated the more she looks it over.

Lisle does this half a dozen times, looking, finally, up at Brand. Geometry she understands, but much of this she does not. "I will admit there should be many brushes to paint all the colors of existance," her face warms at the cheekbones, the color of red on a ripe peach, "I admit I probably do not know all."

Lisle does appear, however, to be a bit uncomfortable, as if surprised, perhaps.

Brand holds his hand out for the coin's return. "The confession of ignorance is the first step toward knowledge. If you never realize your blindness, how could you wish to see? A pity that you are restricted to Amber. Demonstrations here are restrictive, of necessity. There are places far away that I would show you."

Lisle hands it back, and then dismounts from the horse. She lets it wander over the field, at that, shoots of green grass just beginning to show. Her boots thump against the ground. "I would prefer to start here, only because I'm still restricted. I hope not to be in the near future -- I think my father waits on purpose to see if I disobey him." She moves toward the bench, then, cloak swirling perfectly to her ankles. "I'm embarassed to admit this, also. But I did promise." A hand comes through her hair. "If it were up to me I'd persue all this very agressively, immediately."

Brand makes the coin vanish up a more-or-less metaphorical sleeve, and gets off his own horse. "I would not wish to have you break a promise to your father -- certainly not without greater cause." He shows his teeth, white and even. "Where, then, shall we commence?"

You feel a tingling sensation in the back of your head. Someone attempts to make contact with you. Type '+trump/answer' to answer it, '+trump/page' to request that the caller page you, or '+trump/ignore' to ignore it.

Lisle smiles very generously, flash of a dimple again. She says, "Here, for now. It's out of sight of the house, mostly, and quiet." She sits on the bench, chin tilted up to regard Brand very closely. "I think, still, he will give me freedom soon. You know, I think, it's hard for me to believe in sorcery. And I will not be allowed to take the pattern until later -- because of the King. I would meet with you reguarly, Brand, if you would." Her jaw tightens.

Lisle's blonde brows come together.

You have established contact with Strat.

The image of Strat smiles, "Hioya Lise. I'z beens looking all overs for yas and caint finds ya no wheres!"

Lisle looks as if she's been forced into a trump contact, or that she attempted to resist and failed.

To the image of Strat, Lisle is outside, green trees behind. "Strat. I'm with my uncle and busy. I'll come and find you later." She looks terribly serious.

The image of Strat nods, "Ok. Which Uncle?"

Brand says "There are few things that please me more than to have a hand in the broadening of the education of such an inquisitive and --" He cuts off to regard Lisle.

To the image of Strat, Lisle says, "My uncle Brand. I must go."

The image of Strat waves.

You break off the Trump contact.

Lisle turns to Brand, finished, apparently. "Was that my imagination or were you saying you woudn't mind having a too-inquisitive niece around."

Brand says "In short, yes. I would gladly assist you in what you are seeking, when I am able to make time for you. I see that there is much that you have yet to learn."

It's relief in her expressive blue eyes. "Ah, very good. I of course plan to learn what I can on my own. I hope I won't be too much trouble. I'm just fearfully interested. I was going to start the Observatory, try to use what I know to make sense of some things I don't." Her hands curl around the edge of the bench. She smiles like the summer, well pleased.

Brand nods. "Tell me what you believe you do understand."

The light grey stallion they gave Brand to ride is named Diamond Jim. He's a little frisky, but otherwise well behaved.

Lisle's hands come out, palms up, revealing the enormous sapphires at her wrist. "I believe I have an excellent grasp of mathematics, and that, being more a philosophy, shouldn't change here. I believe I have an excellent grasp of the physics of my own shadow. And I believe at least some of those laws apply here, though they do change. I fiercely want to understand why." Stubbornness is revealed in a flash of passion. "And in fact, that's all I know, or believe. I've heard there is sorcery. I know the pattern exists -- from my father. I know there is trump. But all these are ideas that when I first discovered, made my heart beat fast."

Brand says "Sorcery, ha. There is not one sorcery but many, and each the study of a lifetime. Indeed, what one man calls magic is simple law to another. Nonetheless, there are principles of the arcane that find wide application indeed. This motley collection is what is commonly titled sorcery."

An oceanic serenity finally settles upon her formerly stiff shoulders. "But is it not true, Brand, that there must be some common laws that govern all. Not just physics and chemistry as I define them, but these powers you talk about. They cannot be unrelated, disconnected. We're all made of the stuff of the universe. There must be unifying threads. Intuition tells me so."

Brand says "Must there be? The world is stranger than you imagine. Which is not to say that there is no validity to description, only that you must not be disappointed when only more questions arise from your search for causes."

Lisle's hands come together, clasped in her lap. "There must be some general understanding of the world. I do not mean a set of well-understood equations. But you know, concepts like entropy." Her voice is velvet, face turning to look off toward the rooftop of Flora's manor. "But this is what I tried to study in the shadow where I was born, before I knew that shadows existed, perhaps independently of each other. I was used, even there, to raising more questions than obtaining answers." A half-smile. "It will not break my heart to find things different than I imagine. I will enjoy every step."

Brand says "That is very well. If it seems I take pleasure in uprooting your preconceptions, it is no malice on my part but a sincere wish that you should gain. Your hunger for knowledge is a precious flame that must be tended. Its rarity inthe family frankly astounds me."

Lisle flashes Brand one of her best smiles, the kind that is seen from the depths of her eyes. If Eric had that he might soften a kingdom. Then she chuckles. "Then you will not mind if I take delight in posing perplexing questions and being at your side a little more frequently than you should like. But I won't be offended if you smile when I stumble or ask to continue anther day. I thought there was no other in the family of my disposition. I am grateful to find you."

Brand declares, "I shall not resent your inquiries." He comes to sit on the bench beside Lisle. "I have no anticipation of leading you everywhere you shall go, as well. While I would be delighted if you reach the same conclusions I have, I have the full expectation that you will derive your own from the evidence we uncover together. All I ask is for your open-mindeded."

Lisle turns a bit to better face Brand. "This you shall have. I have already spent a few years here being surprised and understanding, finally, how little I know. You have not found me totally niave and fresh from shadow." She makes fun of herself, there, smile still lingering. "Further, I may not have abilities that you have, even if I have the desire to learn. Time will tell, I suppose. I would start immediately if I could."

Brand says "I can give you exercises, simple and otherwise, to test the boundaries of your talent. In particular, I would commence with the arcane: with all your training, the laws that you formulate would be myopic without an exposure to the world of the working of the will. In Amber, the potential is much dampened, but if you become capable here, every other world will be much less of a struggle."

Lisle's hand idly fumble with the clasp at her throat, an idle gesture that matches the thoughtfulness of her expression. "I'll do my best. Tell me of these exercises, I will be diligent. Until I've sworn to Amber and the King lets me have the Observatory, so I cannot try any 'ususal' science until then. Well, I've tried a few things before. Electromagnetics. Chemistry."

Brand says "Answer me two questions. First, have you had any experience in meditation? Second, how do you perceive the seat of the self?"

Lisle answers with a straightforward gaze, "Much experience meditating. I was always interested in myth and ideas of the hero's journey -- that is, stepping outside the bounds of society. Mediation was part of that. The second? I do not even know what you mean."

Brand says "When you say 'I', what part of you is speaking? Whence the motive, the whim, the intention?"

Lisle says, "I mean," she looks up at the sky, "My mind, body, soul." Looking back at him, "Those are the only three things that I know of to identify with 'I'."

Brand says "There are peoples that believe the seat of the self is located in the largest toe of the left foot. Others feel that the brain, the heart, the spleen, the liver is vital to expression. I say that none of these is the case. The essence of the self transcends any part of the whole, even the division you have stated. When you meditate, of what are you aware?"

Lisle's head lowers, eyes looking at her feet. Her posture is a casual slouch. After a moment, she replies, "I may not have words for it." A bit more confidently, "I do not have ~a~ word for it. It feels more mental than physical, more spiritual than mental, but I'm right back to the three divisions I started with."

Brand says "The initial exercise I would have you undertake is to mediate with the aim of seeking the seat of your self. Focus your attention inward without forcing your attention inward. Once you are confident in having found it, make effort to translate it to different positions within your body."

Lisle replies thoughtfully, "I'll try my best." There may be doubt in her voice but its directed inward, not at Brand, all revealed in subtle bodylanguage that makes dark-rooted blonde lashes look down.

Brand says "That will do for a beginning. Understanding of what is within must preceed understanding of what is without. If you like, I will loan you some books that assist in the illumination of principles, and give you directions to continue."

Lisle looks up, "I would like this very much indeed." She smiles again, but her disposition is more benign, as it usually is when she's thinking. "It always helps me to read, even if I must truly learn through doing."

Brand says "Unfortunately, it will not help to know that all magic is based upon analogy, but I will say this anyway, as it is one of the overarching principles you are seeking."

Lisle's blonde brows come together, "You mean metaphors?" A hand comes up to feather too-long blonde bangs from her eyes.

Brand says "Yes. At its crudest, the will constructs a mold to shape the application of power. The world then conforms. The elegance of the mold is an art, of which the world is the critic, the superior mold leading to a more effacious and efficient usage of power."

Lisle says, "This I understand a little. Right? In mathematics the symbols go on the page, each one representing some fundamental idea, and the form of the proof is just as important to the artist as the conclusion in beauty and meaning." A pause only and she continues with a velvet voice, "Or like art, I suppose, the way an idea is conveyed intellectually and viscerally." She clears her throat, "It's like seeing the bones of good archetecture even in a ruin?

Brand says "Yes. You could call the critic the law to which the world is bound, and you would not be wholly mistaken, though a critic may be persuaded to take on a different set of values when approached in a particular way. And what of the critic of critics? That too is law, of a different order, only because other tools than the usual must be employed against him. This is one view, or a single metaphor."

Lisle listens to this so carefully her eyes are off on the horizon. How many times will she think of this analogy in the next week? The next month? Her mouth is drawn in a straight line, and finally she concludes, "I see your point." Hands smooth downward over the brocade of her vest.

Brand's mouth quirks. "Do you? Tell me what you see."

Lisle turns to regard Brand through the veil of dark-rooted blonde lashes. "I see this as a matter of scale. The same laws that describe the motion of galaxies are the same laws that create the swirls and eddies at the edge of Amber's ocean. But when you focus in on the one, you can be blinded and not see the other. It all depends on your focus, your point of view. If you apply forces at one scale, you may or may not see it at another. There is a critic of critics in this case, you see? But this is one metaphor for one universe." One might call her demeanor shy.

Brand says "A fair effort. It will serve."

Lisle's smile is tremulous at best. "Despite my promise to keep an open mind, I still only have what I know to begin with."

Brand says "Naturally. There is always a starting point. This is not a shameful admission. In your case, there is a great deal to integrate. In time, we will widen your experiences."

Lisle's smile blooms into something more genuine. "I'll look forward to it. Now all I have to do is charm my father into giving me a little freedom."

Brand says "You do not appear in any wise short of allure. You will wish to avoid the implication that you intend to spend much of the portion of your increased privilege in my company. I have my doubts that your father would approve."

Lisle has to laugh a little at that. "I have my doubts that anyone would approve. But if I did as he wished all the time I'd be in a tower in Amber and he'd visit me evenings for a chess match." But the laughter fades and she adds at the end, "It will depend largely on how stubborn he is at the moment. "Anyway, Uncle, perhaps we should ride back before Flora becomes alarmed."

Lisle adds, "I'm quite sure Aunt Flora would love to see you."

Brand says, amused, "I do have a certain reputation to uphold." He nods, however. "Very well. I should not like to cause her undue concern. Do you know that she asked me when I would call again when last I spoke with her? I almost believe that she has come to look forward to my visits."

Lisle stands, and there is spirit in the way she walks toward the horses, who have drifted off a little bit. Lise walks backward so she can grin at Brand, "I think she does. I know I do."

They go off to Flora's Folly