054. Checkers

The motley rests, and inadvertently stumbles upon a "new" threat.

***"Some games, when you finish them, are done. Some games, though, you're immediately ready for the next one."***

As the crew from Quebec City heads up into The Spark, Patches takes a moment to speak with the young nocker from the Chateau Frontenac. She invites him to stay as long as he needs, but since there's "nothing for him here", he decides to leave. Patches leaves him her phone number in case of any trouble.

Sophia orders Kyoko and Alnek to report to Dr. Sayley, injured or no. While the sluagh takes Kyoko off to make sure she's alright, she privately informs Sophia that Alnek might be too far gone to be saved. The sidhe is adamant that no one give up on any Kithain, despite the Forgetting being a fact of life.

Sophia and Patches install Elevator Slug in his new elevator, where he seems little less pleased with the simple nature of his job (as is Zistor with the new addition to the freehold). As the two begin poring over the Duchess Eloyse's journal, Braum brings her armoire full of Changeling blood into the dungeon for safekeeping. Once there, he encounters a bewildered, unenchanted Talus, still locked up and begging for answers. When Braum tries to tell him that he might simply have forgotten some of the terrible things he's done, Talus dismisses amnesia as total nonsense. "It *is* real!" the troll roars, slamming the bars of Talus' cell. The one-armed man retreats to the back of the room, whimpering. Braum quickly calls for Sophia and Patches, worried about Talus' safety.

While Patches and Braum try to make him more comfortable, Sophia decides to try to soothe Talus with a song. She swears to help him in a few days, as long as he doesn't try to escape. Playing the song she and Talus sang together at Pennons so long ago, the rush of emotions awaken something deep within the satyr, and he is re-enchanted! "I end up bringing life to a monster when I only wanted to end suffering," the sidhe complains. While Talus' memories and his status as a Dauntain come back to him, Sophia reminds him of the oath he made, asking him for a few days. Talus begs her to let him see Zistor, but she flatly refuses: "That bird on your shoulder tells me that you don't love him."

Patches recalibrates Keypad to inform her if Zistor accesses the dungeon in the coming days, worried that he will be tempted to see Talus again. They venture up to the Exhaust where they wish Sir Xaeron farewell, as he "has a Branch to rebuild". Sophia hopes against hope that the Crystal Circle will want to aid them in healing Talus' soul, while Zistor takes Patches aside to tell her that he is excited to take her to the Grand Bes Din ("since they owe me one!"). Patches and Sophia continue investigating Eloyse's journal, learning that she has dates and times of various meetings dating back at least a decade… including one with Kay, only three days before the doomed assault on Abford Pharma. Sophia takes this as proof that Eloyse was in league with the Ventrue who own Abford, aiming to destroy the Red Branch. Braum needs to know for sure what happened, and asks Sophia to possibly investigate Lauren's dreams for traces of Kay's past, or perhaps Sybil's.

Zistor, suspicious of the music he heard earlier, begins to head down to the workshop, before the motley stops him. Furious, he demands to know what happened, and the motley tells him of Talus' re-enchantment. He asks each of them in turn what they think the satyr's chances are of "being brought back": Braum and Patches are realistic, telling him that this has never been done before, but Sophia is optimistic, knowing that they have to try.

Coming back inside, Braum is reunited with Fala, who tells him of her time at the Grand Bes Din. Some elements of the gathering were indeed seditious, although the full list of the treasonous group has already been handed over to the new High Queen. When Braum starts to apologize for taking her on so rashly in the Kingdom of Willows, she stops him, telling him that she shouldn't be thought dumb for wanting to serve him. At the same time, Patches is talking with Padraic, who wants access to Talus. She lies by omission, neglecting to mention his recent re-enchantment, instead telling him that they need a couple of days before the Unbroken Circle can take him. Padraic also proposes that he and Patches have some fun together, which she readily accepts.

Sophia encounters Ramzia, telling her that she's worried about the meeting with the Crystal Circle. She finally admits that she plans to ask them for a big favour: attempting to cleanse a Dauntain, in order to "make the world more beautiful". Ramzia keeps her cool, but advises Sophia to focus on explaining why she believes it is important. "The Circle does things because they believe it is best to weave Glamour back into the world." She admits that they also seek power… much as she is seeking her dream lover.

In the Exhaust, Patches and Claude share a drink, and the boggan asks if there's anything he can do for her. "What do you need, Patches?" The nocker turns the question, asking instead what Claude wants now, given that his Red Branch mission to watch over Braum is complete. She inadvertently brings up a painful memory when mentioning Sophia to him, as Claude remembers his forgotten wife.