Chapter 35 of 74 · Book 6, The Eye of the Bedlam Bride

Chapter 35 — Emergency action items

Book: The Eye of the Bedlam Bride · Part: Havana · Previous: Chapter 34 — Family business · Next: Chapter 36 — Nekhebit · Floor: Floor 8 — The Ghosts of Earth · Series: the series

Opening

“I must say,” Odette laughed, “in a day filled with surprises, that was a, how do you say?

Summary

Odette's set is now a baroque Larracos theatre with peeling posters ('Session of Love': a camel and a swooning saccathian in a yellow wig); on screen a submerged viceroy of the Madness is eaten by a shark — 'the cherry on top.' Donut: 'Is there a blue balls equivalent for food?' The Semeru keep the castle submerged and feed the pit daily; Carl's club stunt ejected the trapped officials into the water — thirty-five devoured or failsafed, one warlord, Commander Stockade of the Lemig Sortion (the caterpillar whose mother's photo Carl holds), torn apart by concierge sharks. Five teams demand sanctions. 'A happy little accident, as that afro guy says.' Carl's defence: they could have died and regenerated any time; 'nothing more than a huge wuss'; 'They should be thanking me.' Harbinger's avatar too tall for the room, head clipped by the ceiling, ready to end the interview at any privileged word (Juice Box above all) — and if it ends before the word 'adjutant', Katia's deal dies; Donut knows only to go quiet at that word. 'Politics.' The rejected action items the system lets viewers see: Captain Enormous (the crowd roars; Quasar forbids the story; Donut supplies it 'hypothetically') — then three emergency items from Empress D'Nadia: delete all Larracos NPCs; bar crawlers from Faction Wars; remove the Princess Posse and/or delete Carl and Donut. 'That bitch! I thought she was my friend! […] I'm starting to think maybe she really did vote against Mongo in the pet show!' Emergency items are decided by the system, three per team; the others spent theirs on the flood, the team purchase and the castle drop. That 'is why you need to pick your adjutant as soon as possible' 'Adjutant?' — referee and consultant, physically present, cannot fight, calls fouls, a daily on-air recap; protected whatever the vote (so Huanxin's plan for Odette is out of Carl's hands; Mordecai, Odette and Huanxin are tangled in an old beef that left his brother dead and Odette arrested). Three floating candidates — 'I was going to ask […] but unfortunately, I won't be able to participate as an adjutant this season.'

Characters

• Odette — A theatre for a set; the word Carl needs, then the twist.
• Carl — Baits the trap and waits for 'adjutant'.
• Princess Donut — Betrayed by D'Nadia; 'Captain Enormous' on the record.
• Harbinger — Looming, clipped, distracted.
• Quasar — Thumbs up, then a firm no on the story.
• Princess D'nadia — Three emergency items to erase them.
• Commander Stockade — The Lemig Sortion's caterpillar warlord, shark food.
• Zev — Watching with Lexis.

Locations

• Production trailers — A virtual Larracos theatre in the production trailer; Odette in Earth orbit, Lexis the only one really there.

Motifs

• Faction Wars — Emergency action items; the adjutant defined and protected.
• The show — Rejected items as content; a press conference disguised as an interview.
• The Celestial Ascendency — The deal hinging on one word.
• Secrets — What Donut is not told; what Harbinger would stop.