"An honored High Demon tradition. Take what you want and give nothing in return." Kara glared at her grandfather.

"What?" He stared at her, a puzzled frown on his face.

"Mom. I'm going home, Aunt Glinda." Kara skipped away.

"What happened to the world that made the suppressors?" Lara asked. Her grandfather said it was a dead world, now.

"Wars," Garde said. "Everybody trying to control everybody else. The suppressors were designed to be stronger and stronger through subsequent turns, controlling more and more things, until the various factions destroyed one another with them. There weren't enough left alive afterward to save the race. They are all dead, now."

ith="+0">"I hope that technology died with them," Lara shuddered.

"So, my father and alien technology killed my mother." Glinda stared at Garde.

"Glin, it's in the past. Do you think your father wouldn't regret that, if he were here?"

"I would hope so. My mother might have gotten away, only she couldn't."

"What was Kara talking about?" Garde asked.

"She misses Mom," Lara said.

"And she blames me for that."

"I didn't say that."

"You don't have to."

"Aunt Glinda, I'm going home." Lara skipped away.

"You didn't need a suppressor, did you, Garde? You had those girls."

"Is everybody out to beat me up?" Garde flung up a hand.

"You haven't talked to Lissa, have you?"

"No, why?"

"Radolf and Ilvan were embezzling from the restaurant. While living in Reah's house."

"That took testicles."

"You don't care that they were stealing from Reah. Mistreating her. Did you get what you wanted and now you don't care anymore, Garde? Is that it?"

"No! I wish you would all lay off. I didn't mean to hurt her. Truly. It just turned out that way."

"You wouldn't treat Lissa that way."

"Lissa is my mate."

"So, since Reah isn't your mate?"

"All right! I blame her for Tory's desertion. She cost me years without my son. Are you happy now?"

"Don't ever say that again within my presence." Kifirin was there, suddenly, smoke billowing from his nostrils. "None of that was Reah's fault. Someday, perhaps, you will know the full truth of this. For now, blame the King of Karathia and your son's sensitivity and swift anger. My daughter had nothing to do with this."

"She said he was too young."

"In private and to another. And she qualified that afterward, saying he was getting better. Only that wasn't passed on, was it? Your son is immortal. You have plenty of years to spend with him. Do not persecute Reah for this. She has suffered enough already, and my part in that is not small." Kifirin disappeared.

"Wylend's meddling did this, Garde. Tory would never have known otherwise. Do you guard every word that you speak to Lissa or do you speak your mind in private?" Glinda paced in front of Garde.

"What's going on?" Jayd walked into the room.

"Ask your brother, I'm going to look at the gishi fruit groves." Glinda skipped away.

I didn't like staying alone in the apartment. Ry had helped me handle being on Stellar Winds. Made me feel safer. I felt every one of the twenty-five years I'd been out of the ASD. I wanted to skip here and there to investigate this or that. Felt horribly restricted because I couldn't. Zendeval came by the kitchens at least twice a day, spoke to Perdil each time but watched me [t wibly rewhen he thought I wasn't looking.

I sent mindspeech to Lendill, now, since Ry wasn't here to do it. So many people had come to depend upon Rylend Morphis. Teeg sent him to take care of sensitive situations he didn't want to involve himself in. Lissa even asked him for help at times. So much weighed on his shoulders, but like his father, he managed all of it with a beautiful smile and a diplomatic word. Now, I hoped he was coming into everything he desired. He deserved that and more.

"Reah, we're having a rush tonight in the bar," Jerves was at my elbow and I hadn't even heard him walk up; I was too busy preparing plates of desserts. "Mr. Rjjn wants the employees to dress properly and be out on the floor to make sure everything goes smoothly."

"He wants an orgy to go smoothly?" I stared at Jerves in shock. That's what a rush was. I'd seen news programs that showed portions of a rush held in this bar or that on Stellar Winds. A rush was an event that drew certain types of crowds—the ones who enjoyed group sex.

"It will be recorded," Jerves admitted nervously. "We want it to go well, in case we wish to advertise with portions of it."

"And what does he expect me to do?"

"Dress appropriately and make sure it keeps to sex. No violence is allowed. Call the guards if anything looks to go in that direction."

"Dress appropriately?"

"Nicely. As if you belong in the crowd."

"Ah. Slutty. I left my slutty outfit at home."

"Reah, there are plenty of shops here. Go find something and be there at twenty-two bells. That's when it's scheduled to start."

"Right."

"Let your assistants handle the desserts. Go now." Jerves was beginning to fidget again. I figured Rude Rjjn ordered his assistant to come and tell me because he was too cowardly to do it himself. Forcibly preventing myself from blowing smoke, I tossed my apron aside and stalked out of the kitchen.

"She wasn't happy and said she didn't have anything appropriate to wear," Jerves almost had a nervous tic as he spoke to Zendeval moments later. "I told her to get something at one of the shops and be there at twenty-two bells."

"Keep the assistants in the kitchen. Perdil and Master Cook Dardell will be on the floor, helping."

"How many guards do we have?" Jerves was now shifting from one foot to the other.

"Twelve. Not enough, but Nedrizif took away six of mine tonight for another project."

"Of course. If you need my assistance with anything else," Jerves sincerely hoped that wasn't the case.

"Get images of Reah tonight. Bring them to me only, do you hear?"

"Yes, sir."

The dress was nearly identical to the one Ry had bought for our visit to Starshine. I bought shoes that didn't have quite as high a heel. I had jewelry that was good enough to wear already, so I hauled my purchases up the elevator to change. I didn't have much time.

By the time I got back to the bar, the music supervisor was already making the an [makavenouncements for the rush. A crowd had gathered and most were drinking and likely taking drugs. I saw several who were already slipping out of their clothing. Feeling completely out of place, I went in search of Master Cook Perdil.

Perdil came to my shoulder, but I wasn't that tall. He hadn't gotten the instructions to dress appropriately, I noticed. He had on the slacks he normally wore, with a white shirt, the sleeves folded back a time or two. He wore his hair shorter than most dwarves I knew, and his eyebrows were trimmed.

Master Morwin, the Amterean Dwarf who'd tutored all of Lissa's children, wouldn't dream of trimming his eyebrows. Perdil wasn't Amterean. Likely he was from Liffel II, but I wasn't going to mention it to him. Most Liffelithi were too involved in crime and amassing fortunes to even think about cooking. Perdil was unusual as a dwarf, and he and Master Cook Dardell were standing together when I found them. Dardell appeared ready to participate in the rush, in my estimation.

"We're short on guards tonight," Perdil informed me over the noise of thumping music. Strobe lights were beginning to search out participants. Employees ran through, tossing thin mats onto the floor. The ads I'd seen had depicted people on the floor, the chairs, standing, against the walls, on the bar, everywhere.

I'd also seen images of the bartenders pouring alcohol in a participant's mouth as they were having sex. Of course, the ads made much of a single male getting attention from two or more females. I shook my head in disbelief as the first couple disrobed to the music and dropped to the floor. That opened the gates, with screaming, shouting and frantic searching for a partner.

Perdil jerked his head toward the western edge of the floor. I skirted frenzied bodies as best I could and took up a position so I could guard against violence.

I discovered my thoughts about Master Cook Dardell were correct; he grabbed a young woman who was already disrobed, lifted her onto a stool at the bar and buried his head between her legs.

"It's something, isn't it?" Zendeval had found his way to my side.

"I don't recall that this was part of my job description."

"It says other duties as required," Zendeval Rjjn pointed out.

"Then I'll delete that from my next application," I snapped, arms crossed tightly over my chest as I scanned the crowd.

"You look lovely," he almost shouted to be heard.

"Sure," I said, still keeping my eyes on the crowd. Was anyone expecting it? I wasn't, and I was watching. A young man was suddenly screaming as he leapt upon the bar, a knife in his hands. Zendeval ran, but I was faster. My foot barely hit the barstool as I used it as a steppingstone onto the bar, and I had the knife in my hand and the man's head whacked against the top of the bar before anyone else knew what was happening.

Chapter 10

"My records show I was conscripted by the RAA." I was trying to explain myself to Mr. Rude Rjjn.

"I saw. I just hadn't realized that you were more than I imagined."

"All conscripts get the same training."

"I know that." He didn't, he was lying. I knew it. He just didn't know that I knew it. He had no idea wh ^cia><="+at kind of training Regular Alliance Army got. "What did you do for the RAA?"

"It's in my records. I served as a cook." One of Lendill's rules was be as honest as you could. Always. That kept you from living more of a lie than necessary. According to my temporary records, I'd served as a cook for a military installation on Tulgalan. All six years. It listed my age as thirty-four.