Jean and ecto-ilk, a couple of shadows over from the fight, watch
Benedict and his line wrestle with Erica for a while.  Eventually,
Erica collapses.

There's some discussion of whether or Erica is allergic to pattern.
Neville, elsewhere, reports that there's no liquid pattern or anything
to put into her system to drive it out.  If she can't walk it, it's
not clear to him how to get the evil out.

Jean asks Benedict to use Janus's sword to test whether Erica is
allergic to pattern.  Benedict can't quite figure out why he would do
that - we won, after all?  Johann takes the sword and stabs Erica's
left sole - and smoke pours out to the accompanyment of sizzling.

Cagliostro assures people that she's doped up.  Amaranth says "It
*went* somewhere!  It's *here* somewhere!"  A tentacle goes up, Gil
steps on it - and it grabs her instead of being stepped on.  Johann
dives in, pattern-blade first.

(Elsewhere, Ilk saturates the shadow with variable pattern.  A small
chunk is resistant - but that chunk isn't Erica. 

A boil of tentacles surfaces, with signs of Johann, a pattern blade,
and an occasional 'yee-ha!'.  He yells "Ride 'em, cowboy - oh, wait,
tell me I didn't say that."  A familiar donkey arrives. 

The donkey is of the opinion that Johann has forsaken it for a new
mount, and attacks in a jealous frenzy.  [Hell hath no fury like a
donkey scorned.]

"Do you suppose the donkey will eat the former head of the mage's
guild, or the former head of the mage's guild will move into the
donkey?" Ilk expresses surprise that the donkey arrive - which made it
an old lord. Jean discusses the donkey with the Dancer's Guild, who
have no record of the donkey other than from Jean.

Jean warns Natasha about the donkey and its history with the reality it ate.

Gil borrows Martin's sword, drops a few more scones, and starts
wailing on its back.

Amaranth grounds very nasty magic (the orb of Aldur?) and asks Jean to
dump it someplace.  Jean suggests holding onto it until the situation
resolves, since the sucking thing is in the middle of the battle.

The cuisinart also makes a pass on Erica, sucking little things out.

Benedict has a bit of a sit down.

[Ilk is preparing the thank-you note to the Serpent for the cuisinart.]

Johann asks Ilk to check in on him every so often on his ride back.

Erica is revived, and the group at large - including Jean - help fill
her in on what happened since she left the castle.