An Imperial Audience

["baudouin @dune3" <dieu_li_volt@hotmail.com>]

Players: Baudouin, Fredhrick, Janus.

Dune III - Sunday, February 28, 1999, 4:24 AM
---------------------------------------------

Cannon Green -- Imperial Palace (Kaitain)
This green sits between the Bridge of Emperors and the Reception Hall of 
the Imperial Palace. It is the shape of a semi-circle with its radius 
extending 300 meters. In the center of the green, resting on a bed of 
gravel and surrounded by a one meter tall chain-link barricade, is an 
ancient cannon.

Some Imperial courtiers and tourists walk around the green while others 
sit and stare either toward the city or the palace. Representatives of 
the Imperial Historical Society are available throughout the green for 
conversation and to answer questions passersby may have.

The green is divided neatly into four sections by a series of walkways. 
At the center of the right and leftmost walkways are patios, each with a 
black stone table and four seats.
Players:
 Baudouin                              Fredhrick                            
Objects:
 Page                                 
Exits:
 Grand Entrance <N> leads to Reception Hall -- Imperial Palace (Kaitain) 
 Stairs <D> leads to The Pipes (North) -- Imperial Palace (Kaitain)

The sound of boots rise from the stairs leading to the pipes like the 
stompings of an honorary guard arriving to do surprise duty. Soon three 
men appear. At the head of the small group the Templar Grand Master 
walks, a great bull of a man who lets his gaze sweep over the green and 
immediately locates the Emperor. In his wake an escort of two Templars 
in plain and unadorned white uniforms walk, armed with swords in the 
ancient, straight Norman style. The group moves briskly closer over the 
grass, stopping at the customary distance of ten steps. All three kneel 
and bow their heads in unison.

The Cannon is empty today, the numerous Sardaukar Guards posted at all 
entrances keeping the general public away from the Emperor. For his 
part, Fredhrick sits alone on a stone bench looking over several 
documents of state. When the three Templars kneel before them he pushes 
the papers aside. "And to what do I owe this honour, Grand Master?"

Baudouin remains kneeling, but answers in a clipped, rumbling voice that 
seems to be his usual mode of speech, "I thought it high time that we 
met, Your Majesty. To praise your wisdom in signing our Order's letter 
of recognition and privilege, and to offer you my services."

Once corner of Fredhricks' mouth curls up into a half-smile. "It appears 
you are a few days late for that Grand-Master. I could have utilized 
your services four nights ago at the Moritani Masquerade." He stands as 
he speaks, signalling that you may do the same.

The Grand Master heavily comes to his feet, and a heartbeat later his 
two men rise with feline grace. One of them glances at the nearest 
Sardaukar, outwardly the perfect opposite of the Templar in his black 
uniform but perhaps not so different beneath the surface. Baudouin makes 
an almost imperceptible hand-gesture and the two escorts bow and back 
away, returning to the stairs where they take an easy guarding position. 
"That is regretful, but my first duties are to the One True God. He is 
my only Lord. He leaves no time for idle follies or ventures of 
entertainment." Pausing for a second to clasp his hands behind his back, 
Baudouin concludes, "On the other hand - If you had requested my 
presence, Majesty, I would have postponed prayers and weapon exercise to 
guard you in person."

Janus climbs up the Stairs.
Janus has arrived.

Janus emerges from the transport area, flanked by two Templars devoid of 
all weaponry save their archaic, ceremonial swords.

"I would not think of taking you away from your lifes work for any 
longer than absolutely necessary, Grand Master. I would hate to think 
that your missing prayers on my account would bar you from your eternal 
place in Heaven." Fredhrick pushes his cape over his shoulders so that 
all the material hangs on his back. "I trust that all is well within 
your temple?"

Janus gives a concearned furrow of the brow as he sees the Templar Grand 
Master conversing with none other than the Emperor himself. The Cardinal 
motions for his escort to remain near the stairs with the others, and 
quickly strides forward to speak with the two.

Baudouin grunts in affirmation of the Temple's wellbeing. "Since it is 
as yet only spiritual in shape, thus made up by my dedicated corps, it 
could not be better." In the corner of his eye Baudouin catches sight of 
the approaching red shape of the Cardinal. He turns to bow, waiting for 
an opportunity to kiss the Holy Ring.

Janus smiles strainedly at the Templar and extends his hand, baring the 
Ring of the Vicar for his humble servant to kiss.

Baudouin kisses it humbly, accompanied by a rumbling, "Your Eminence," 
from out of his bushy beard down below.

The Cardinal, upon having proper obeisance paid, lifts two fingers in 
benediction and says in a monotone voice, "Rise, Son Baudouin."

Baudouin straightens with a slightly wheezing sigh. He smacks his lips 
and holds his silence, waiting for his betters to speak.

Fredhrick turns to face the Cardinal and the Grand Master, "Your 
Eminence," he gives a nod of his head in deference to the other man's 
rank, but does not even come close to bowing. "It is good to see you 
again. We have not supped together in far to long."

Janus nods to the Emperor and again extends his ring hand. "God be 
praised for keeping you well, my Imperial Son."

Were there any way for him to avoid kissing that ring in his own house, 
Rest assured that Fredhrick would utilize it. As there is not, the 
Emperor lifts the Cardinal's hand as high as it will go so as to reduce 
the distance he must bow before kissing it. "Indeed. His foresightedness 
at surrounding me by friends has proven to have most beneficial 
results." The ring is kissed and the hand lowered.

Janus grins in satisfaction as he retracts his hand. "That He saw fit to 
preserve you at that masque at the Moritani Estate shows quite clear 
that you have been divinely annointed and protected."

Baudouin nods and growls in accordance with the Cardinal, "Providence 
steps in where Sardaukar fail." It is clearly intended as a humorless 
factual statement.

Janus gives a grave nod to his Grand Master.

Fredhrick says, "Indeed. It appears that my sanctioning of the Templar 
Order has pleased the Holy Creator." Yeah. Right. Whatever. "To what do 
I owe the honour of two such Holy presences as yourselves?""

Baudouin stares unblinkingly at the Emperor. "As I said - to meet and to 
serve. If Your Majesty have any insight in whom it might be that intends 
to disrupt the order of society supported by the Living God pray 
illuminate me and Justice shall be meeted out."

Janus replies, "We but go where the Lord calls Us. We thought to come 
and to hear your confessions, Son Fredhrick. It has been long indeed 
since you last bared your heart before God, and He has deigned now, 
after this recent brush with death, to order it a good time."

Baudouin nods silently to the wisdom of this profound truth.

"Indeed it shall," Fredhrick responds to the Templar. "Affairs of man 
have kept me from visiting you in person, Your Eminence, but rest 
assured that the One God knows my heart better than I myself."

Janus smiles warmly. "That He does, my son."

Fredhrick says, "Does that not then make my presence at the confessional 
somewhat redundant?"

Baudouin's brow goes deeply furrowed with concern at this spiritual 
flimsiness.

Janus shakes his head. "It is not that the Lord does not know your 
heart. It is that He desires that you admit to its flaws and the sins 
which have blemished it. It is a matter of obedience, my son. Not logic. 
The Lord God transcends such arbitrary concepts."

Janus reminds, "The reason that Moses was unable to enter the Land of 
Honey was due to the fact that he disobeyed. He bothered to question God 
and disregard God's will, and as such forfeited the blessings which he 
would have otherwise enjoyed."

Baudouin says, "Yes, and consider the stone-throwing. How could Your 
Majesty order his men to the attack without a clear conscience? 
Confession does that, wipes you clean and gives your sword-arm strength! 
So let your sins fly and take up any stone you like, I say."

Janus gives a thankful nod to the Templar for his added words of wisdom.

"And by so doing, secured the faith of his people. Let us not forget 
that important item as well," Fredhrick points out. "What does it matter 
whether I go to the land of honey or the land of nothing if my own 
people will not share in the benefits. That is the road of selfishness, 
is it not?" He shakes his head, "My conscience could never be clean in 
knowing that by obeying the One God I have neglected some temporal 
aspect which would bring suffering to the citizens of the Imperium."

Janus raises a curious eyebrow. "So are you saying that the Imperium 
comes before your God? Do you not trust in Him to keep you and your 
people as he did Abraham? As he the Judges and the Kings? Why would His 
power be any more lacking today than it was in time immemorial before 
the universe was formed?"

Fredhrick shakes his head, "Not at all what I am suggesting, Holiness. 
Rather, God will understand that I Labour as I do for the good of my 
people. His people. Good Work is as much a requirement for passing the 
gate of Heaven as the Holy Communion or the Confession. These last few 
weeks have left me in a state where attending to one of those duties 
would have required that I ignore another. So I chose the duty which 
would have benefit to the greatest number of people instead of just 
myself."

Baudouin lets out a short, sharp laugh. "The citizens suffer a 
thousandful worse by an ungodly ruler than by a pious one. Agnosticism 
attracts the Devil like flies to that honey you mentioned. And worse - 
some ignorant pyons might loose faith altogether if their anointed 
Emperor falters and they would then have to be slain. That would be a 
great disservice to the people, would it not?"

Janus states, "There is some wisdom in what you say, my son, but it is 
imperative, for the spiritual good of the very people you rule, that 
your own heart be cleansed of its ininquities."

Fredhrick sighs. Doubleteamed as he is, there is little escape for the 
Emperor. "I shall make an effort, then, to visit the confessional this 
week." The statement comes through figurative clenched teeth.

Baudouin grins and raises his log-like arm to slap the Emperor on the 
shoulder, then thinks the better of it and lowers it again.

Janus nods his head, "Your faith is admirable, my son. You shall be 
richly blessed for your obedience."

This conversation is starting to get tiring. "Could I interest either of 
you in refreshment? I received a wonderful orange brandy for my birthday 
and have just been waiting for the appropriate persons to share it 
with."

Janus is about to reply when one of the guarding Templars comes up to 
him and whispers something into his ear. The Cardinal frowns and growls 
something in return before turning back to the Emperor. "Perhaps Grand 
Master Baudouin might be interested. We, however have just been 
appraised of a few heretics who are attempting to set fire to one of our 
statues in the Cathedral courtyard. You will pardon Our exit, but the 
will of God waits upon no man."

Baudouin bows to the Cardinal. "If Your Eminence so wishes."

Janus gives a parting glance to Baudouin, and a respectful nod of the 
head to the Imperial person before turning and following the Templars 
out and back into the Pipes.

Fredhrick instinctively makes motion with his hand indicating that your 
'request' to be dismissed from the Imperial Presence has been approved. 
"Indeed. That it does not. Go deal with your heretics, Cardinal. I 
understand the need to enforce that Will and would not wish to prevent 
you from doing so."

Janus descends the Stairs.
Janus has left.

Baudouin waits for the Emperor to take the lead.
"Come Baudouin, we can share drink in my private meeting room." With 
that, Fredhrick turns and begins the walk from the Green to the Palace 
Proper.

Baudouin follows silently, with a gesture for his Templars to stay where 
they are.

---------------------------------------------
Here the Emperor and the Grand Master walk through the Imperial Palace, 
to
arrive at the Conference Room.
---------------------------------------------

Conference Room -- Imperial Palace (Kaitain)
I conference room, with a table that seats maybe 10 people. Softly lit, 
low-ceilinged, wet-bar.
Players:
 Fredhrick                                         
Exits:
 Dark Metaglass Door <S> leads to Antechamber -- Imperial Palace 
(Kaitain)

Somewhere along the route from the Cannon to the conference room, the 
Emperor's personal Seneschal - an older man by the name of Sebastian - 
has joined the troupe. "Ahh, Sebastian. Please, the bottle of 
Orange-Brandy that your nephew gave me for my birthday and two glasses." 
Looking towards the Templar the Emperor asks, "would you care for any 
food to compliment the flavour of the drink?"

Baudouin shakes his head as an answer to the offer for food. "I have to 
decline. We eat only regulated meals on regulated hours. Had my share of 
porridge yesterday, and I couldn't sit here and stuff myself with choicy 
delicacies while my lads fast." Baudouin lets his eyes sweep the place, 
taking it in, before nodding to himself. "So, Majesty," he begins in 
that rolling basso of his as he lets the Emperor take seat first, "I 
know not who is friend and who foe in this cursed city. It is hard to 
tell the difference between them snakes. In order to do greater service 
to the good order of society I could use a Majestical hint or two on 
whom to shake some sense into and whom to pray for, among the Siridars 
and their followers I mean. This high-strung poof that has climbed to 
the helm of House Moritani, for instance - is that rat of an ungodly man 
anything to trust?"

"Count Moritani," Fredhrick says, "for all his faults, is a good man. A 
soul for which you should pray. Were he to give up his devilish ways and 
live a life more in accord with His will, then we would all be better 
off for it." Pushing his cape aside, the Emperor sit in the chair at the 
head of the conference table, motioning for you to join him.

Accepting a glass and sitting down Baudouin continues on the subject of 
the Moritani, "Perhaps Your Majesty then knows why this goodly man 
torments a professed believer in the One True, namely the pious Lady 
Marconna? What kind of a man could do a thing like that if he willed it 
not?"

Fredhrick says, "I'm not familiar with the torments the Count is 
imposing upon the Lady Suk. Perhaps you would be so kind as to enlighten 
me?"

Baudouin slurps at his drink, then says concernedly, "She seems to hate 
the idea of being the redhaired scoundrel's heir. Would only accept it 
on Imperial command, she says. The Count keeps her from going to Mass, 
as far as I can divine, and her soul is deeply tormented by thirst for 
God's Holy Word. And that rat dares to critize the Lady for her concern 
for the masses upon which he stands with his polished Siridar promenade 
shoes." Pausing to make an emphatical gesture Baudouin concludes, "And 
what else outrages that takes place behind those Moritani walls I know 
not."

"I cannot speak on the outrages which occur within the walls of the 
House, never having been there, save for the Masquerade." Fredhrick 
swirls his glass a bit before taking a sip from it and continuing. "Nor 
was I aware that the Lady Marconna did not wish to be Heir. She has told 
me something different, though I must admit I have my reservations about 
declring a Suk, and a female, as Heir to a House Major."

Baudouin grunts his aye to that. "I have little love to spare for the 
Moritani. Sweet-talking cowards, all of them. Perhaps with the 
occasional exception. A woman Siridar serves them right! I gather Your 
Majesty has little mirth to spare for that self-righteous Duke Atreides 
and his Landsraad gang either. Want us to go over and ruffle his 
feathers a little?"

Fredhrick shakes his head, "I think the Duke's feather's have been 
ruffled enough. In a near unprecedented event, both the Guild and the 
Imperium voted to quash his pet item for consideration in the Congress. 
Let him stew over that before we press any futher buttons."

Baudouin downs his drink. "True." He sits still for a moment, savouring 
the taste of the fine brandy, then mumbles a hasty grace to the Lord for 
it. Gazing levelly at the Emperor he lets a few heartbeats pass, then 
says, "While we are on the subject of women - Your Majesty knows that 
God looks unfavourably upon the Bene Gesserit witches, no?"

That's not surprising, considering that the Church looks unfavourably on 
anyone who's not a die-hard believer. "I have heard as much from His 
Holiness the Cardinal."

Baudouin purses his lips. "We are not fanatics, merely deeply concerned 
when faced with the work of the Devil. The Church wishes only good for 
the people who flock to it, and those are very, very many. It is, for 
instance, good for them to have a wise and divinely supported ruler. All 
who profess to the faith of the Living God acknowledges that. How can 
then the Emperor object to it?"

Fredhrick says, "Who says I object to it?" Indeed, he encourages it. If 
the Masses are more easily swayed to his line of belief because of 
belief in some God that may or may not exist, then he should be 
grateful.

Baudouin lifts a massive hand to his beard, letting his fingers twirl 
slowly there as he continues ruminating. "Now, the so-called 
Truthsayers' every actions are directed toward the goal of perverting 
the Word of Our Saviour and put it to their own twisted uses. We have 
certain knowledge of this, and are aware of something they name as their 
'mission,' which in reality is nothing else than an effort to sway 
people from truth. Crafting blasphemous lies are the singular art they 
excel in, I say! Why would one blessed with Your Majesty's wisdom risk 
the ire of the Almighty by associating with such wormstongues, not to 
mention risking the purity of his own immortal soul? Remember who 
tempted the Original Man to taste that fateful apple!"

"I will associate with whomever necessary to keep Imperium stable. My 
Truthsayer has her uses, and until she does not, I will continue my 
reltionship with her." He takes another quaff of the brandy before 
adding, "I am careful to guard my soul against their machinations, Grand 
Master, as well as the souls of those dear to me."

Baudouin makes a dismissing gesture and barks, "Ach!" He lifts his 
emptied glas and sniffs at it, putting it down again with a grimace 
possible to interpret in more than one way. "It is not my concern. The 
Emperor does as the Emperor wills. And he has the Vicar of Our Lord to 
guide him, a holier man than me." After a while he continues, "It is my 
hope to be allowed to join House Corrino at various occasions if it 
pleases Your Majesty, to assist with sword, faith and perhaps a small 
measure of comradeship too, if that would not be unseemly." He taps 
himself on the breast. "No treacherous double-motives in here. I swear 
it in the name of the Lord! I admit that the morose Bene Gesserit woman 
will sour my mood, but I shall make an effort to bear with her." A final 
pause and then the Grand Master grunts to himself and abruptly rises. 
"But now I have other duties, if Your Majesty will excuse me."

Fredhrick rises with you. True, he may be Emperor and not required to do 
so, but you are a guest in his home. "We shall talk of that another time 
Grand Master. Perhaps my Sardaukar can learn from you, no?" He walks 
over towards the door, opening it for you. I anxiously await you next 
visit."

Baudouin bows silently, face neutral. He then briskly marches out of the 
room.


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