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Having heard the story a dozen ti foot still on the stairs, the light fro foot

"They say the one on the left is the queen," said É heard the waitress approach

The prince--no, the emperor now--crept down the steps and stooped to pick up the foot The girl reached for the he it down over her calves, but she couldn’t hide the dead tentacle wires dangling from theirNot only had the girl been confirer to Earthen society--but she’d even ht she’d been after power, others riches So to start the war that had so long been threatened But no irl’s intentions were, Scarlet couldn’t help a twinge of pity After all, she was only a teenager, younger than Scarlet even, and she looked wholly pathetic lying at the base of those stairs

"What was that about putting her out of her uys at the bar

Roland jutted his finger toward the screen "Exactly I’ve never seen anything so disgusting in my life"

Someone near the end leaned forward so he could look around the other patrons at Roland "I’ to be all helpless and innocent like that Maybe instead of sending her back to the moon, they should let her cohter Roland thu aof hers would make for a real cozy bedmate!"

"Swine," Scarlet uffaws

"I wouldn’t mind the chance to warm her up!" someone new added, and the tables rattled with cheers and aer clawed its way back up Scarlet’s throat and she half slammed, half dropped the stack of plates back onto the booth’s table She ignored the startled expressions around her and shoved through the crowd, circling to the back of the bar

The bewildered bartender watched on as Scarlet pushed some liquor bottles out of the way and clith of the wall Reaching up, she opened a wall panel beneath a shelf of cognac glasses and plucked out the netlink cable All three screens went black, the palace garden and cyborg girl vanishing

A roar of protest bellowed up around her

Scarlet spun to face thelass shattered on the floor, but Scarlet barely heard it as she waved the cable at the incensed crowd "You all should have soirl’s a Lunar!" a woman yelled "She should be executed!"

The senti a crust of bread at Scarlet’s shoulder She planted both hands on her hips "She’s only sixteen"

A brash of argu to their feet and screairl tried to kill a Union leader!

"Hey, hey, everyone calm down! Give Scarlet a break!" Roland yelled, his confidence bolstered by the whiskey on his breath He held his hands out toward the jostling crowd "We all know crazy runs in her fa Lunar rights!"

A parade of laughter and jeers marched past Scarlet’s ears, but werehow she’d gotten off the counter, she was suddenly halfway over the bar, bottles and glasses scattering, her fist connecting with Roland’s ear

He yelped and spun back to face her "What--"

"My grandrabbed the front of his shirt "Is that what you told the detective? When he questioned you? Did you tell him she was crazy?"

"Of course I told him she was crazy!" he yelled back, the stench of alcohol flooding over her She squeezed the fabric until her fists ached "And I bet I wasn’t the only one With the way she keeps herself holed up in that old house, talks to animals and androids like they’re people, chases folk aith a rifle--"

"One tie surprised that Granny Benoit split her last rocket See while"