Desiree gets filled in on an interesting bit of gossip that she missed while away in Europe. Apparently Duchess Day adopted an heir perhaps four years ago, a teenage boy (perhaps fifteen?) and after a year was about to formally annouce him as her heir when something happened. The big party was cancelled and nothing more was said.
Miles is tending bar at Mallory's late one night when a strange albino, wrapped in dusty white rags, comes through the Door. "Such exquisite pain," he says... Miles talks with him a bit an learns only that he is a messenger, and that he's perhaps a little more into pain than seems like a good idea.
It is a Saturday morning, and Desiree is grading papers in her office when who should arrive but Sir Ten. He's a bit nervous, and the reason is soon clear as he asks her to a picnic in the Dreaming (it's sunny there, whereas in Boston the weather is icy/melty. She accepts. Soon after he leaves she starts hallucinating little conductors - it's clearly time to stop grading.
On his way through court Sir Ten is waylaid by Sidone, who manages to get herself invited on what was intended to be a date, even though Sir Ten first claims to be going to visit Mathland. Soon everyone else also gets themselves invited. Milton notes Sir Ten's pain as his well-laid plans are derailed. Well, it's off to a lovely picnic in the Dreaming. After eating, Sir Ten leads Desiree off alone to see another waterfall.
Unfortunately just as he is about to say something romantic, they are interrupted by a green-clad archer. "Halt!" he says. Everyone else comes straggling up the path at the sudden noise. The archer is the Master of Five Arrows, and this area is claimed by him and his brothers. Soraya recognizes that they are now on some sort of story path and should not stray off it as that is the way of the Dreaming. Sir Five (who looks a lot like Sir Ten) will let them pass if they can defeat him in a contest of accuracy.
They choose accuracy in history, which is allowed after a bit of protest. Desiree and Sir Five go four rounds of bizzare Dreaming history questions before she finally stumps him. Defeated, he says that surely his brothers will defeat them, but should they defeat all four of the brothers he would be honored to enter the service of such worthy opponents. They continue on down the path.
Entering a clearing they see a sorcerer in yellow. He announces himself as the Opener of Seven, and soon a contest is established to allow them to pass, a contest of magic. Miles chooses alchemy, the transformation of a blade of grass. Sir Seven (who also looks like Sir Ten) turns his grass into a shield vulnerable to nothing - unfortunately, in testing, Madga is able to split it with the Tenth Child. Miles makes "the elixir of the broken heart" and feeds it to one of the archer's minions, who promptly falls in love with Sir Seven. Miles is judged the winner, and they continue.
Climbing a rocky hill they come upon a blue-clad beefy man named Sir Eight. Sidone comments "This is Mathland!" upon hearing the latest numerical name. He challenges them to a contest of strength, which turns out to be Indian wrestling with Magda. She wins, and he repeats that he's sure that the last brother will defeat them, but should he not Sir Eight would be glad to serve them. They crest the hill and look down on the valley below, which is filled with a small army.
It is the Ninth Legion, all uniformed in red, and their leader is the General of the Ninth Legion. He greets them, expresses surprise at their defeat of his brothers, and challenges them to a contest of leadership. He attempts to sway Sir Ten to his side by promising to explore the reasons why Sir Ten and the brothers look so similar. Sir Ten almost gives in, but damnit he came for a picnic and he's going to get one. Sidone then goes to work on the soldiers and in short order wraps one around her little finger, getting yet another piggyback ride. The General and his brothers surrender to the heroes, and everyone travels on a little way until they are overlooking the swift fields.
At this point the brothers and Sir Ten begin to remember something, and suddenly they all recombine, leaving only and somewhat older and more confused Sir Ten. This path is over, so the heroes travel to the lighthouse of abandonment, where they take ship with some blue seamen who are transporting regret (in tins) across the ocean. From there they head through the fat farm and a few other places before entering the forest of lies and from there into the Darkwood due to someone being overclever with the road signs.
The Darkwood is creepy - after all, the white fomorians were
imprisoned here. The heroes encounter some knights of the Rose, whose
order patrols the forest, and hear that lately things have been
stirring in the forest. After a fight with a monster warped by some
strange fomorian energy, they retreat by balloon to the Citadel of the
Rose. Returning home they worry that the white-clad messenger might
have been influenced by the fomorians, and they tell the Countess.
She is upset and asks them to quickly and quietly find out what's
going on. But, "I am more worried about the message than the
messenger" she says.