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"There’s always a party," said Mae

The aide cleared her throat "U’s office" She looked distinctly uncomfortable, probably because she’d never actually heard any of the prætorians here speak--or seen theht," said Justin, still transfixed by the easy banter between alleged killing machines "Thank you We’ll take it fro into the office He felt like he’d be depriving Mae of so if he took her away "You can stay if you want," he said "You don’t even really need to co I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s a wait"

He would’ve expected dutiful Mae to protest, but instead, she turned that suess that’s what you have to do for the s you again

When he’d told her there’d be a wait, Justin had mostly said it to justify his offer He hadn’t actually expected to be stuck in the reception area for a half hour Mae stuck her head in three ti away, and he waved her off each tihtily when Justin reminded him they had an appoints run over"

Justin wondered if that was true or if Lucian had simply fallen asleep in his office In the old days, that wouldn’t have been out of character

But when the door finally opened, two official-looking woratitude for his time

"The senator will see you now," said the receptionist

"There’s a woets back"

"Of course there’s a woman with you," said Lucian "There always is" He shook Justin’s hand and beckoned hie of his desk and shook his head "Unbelievable When I saw your naht it was a joke"

Justin took a few moments to assess his old friend and roo, with that neny hair color that the saleswoht the sa for consul" Justin walked over to a bottle of scotch sitting near theAt least soed "May I?"

"Knock yourself out" Justin could feel Lucian’s eyes weighing him "The election’s old news, but then, I hear you’ve been away"

Justin poured a glass "Yeah? How’d you’d hear that? Iall the calls I know you must’ve ating when I saw your naer faded "What the hell did you do? People don’t get exiled And they certainly don’t come back from it"

It was a relief to know that Lucian’s access didn’t stretch that far, but Justin wasn’t surprised The round

"It’s not really that interesting of a story," Justin said "Especially coulated pets riding on public transportation became a candidate for consul"

Lucian took the hint and sain "You don’t think I care about our country? And its pets?"

"I think you’ve always been the type to take the easy way out You always tried to get by under the radar"

"Yeah, well, one day, I et" Lucian’s brown eyes narrowed as he drifted into soet rid of the last of the mandates It was supposed to be off the record--but wasn’t The next thing I knew, Lucian Darling was the chaenetic freedom My party rode that popularity and convinced me it was an opportunity we couldn’t miss" He spread out his hands "And so here I aest consular candidates in history"

"Having to own your words"

"It’s not that bad I really do believe in what I do, you know" He nodded toward Justin’s scotch "What do you think?"

"Excellent Of course, I’ve been in the provinces, so hed "I heard that too You knoho gave it to ious-freedom lobbyists"

Wow Lucian really was involved with heavy platfore days and dor to break open everything Genes and religion It really is a new age"

"I never said I supported them" Justin noticed Lucian also didn’t say he opposed them either "You worried you’ll be out of a job?"

"I’ll just run for public office I hear it’s not that hard"