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"Insistence, really," he corrected his wife "Do you have the folders I asked for?"

The girl nodded, pulled the bag’s strap up over her head, and stepped forward to deliver it into his hands "I picked up the tith that name on it--the one you told ht be i and saw the neatly bundled papers, only a little h he wasn’t altogether pleased that she’d read the files He hadn’t even known she was literate, but she must be, if she’d realized any otherhe could’ve done to stop her, and if he couldn’t rely on her silence now, he was daardless

He’d relied on plenty of politicians over the last decade and change, and it had never worked out very well Now he’d try his luck with another class--a better class, if you asked hie his mind when he considered the sentiment sober People were only people, and some were more easily compelled by power than others

Fine, then He’d use his pohere it actually worked, instead of boardrooms and war rooms where he was treated as a friendly pawn, and see if that panned out any better

When Betsey had been sent on her way, Ulysses Grant carried her clandestinely delivered package toward the liquor cabinet out of pure habit

"It isn’t dark yet," his wife noted

"She was early And if ever any reading on earth required a drink, I believe this ht be it"

Fresh drink in hand, he dropped himself heavily into the chair Katharine Haymes had taken the week before He retrieved the first file--MAYNARD--and opened it up, taking a hearty s froan to read

"It can’t be that bad, can it, dear?" Julia asked She didn’t pick up her sewing again, instead stuffing it into her kit and folding her hands

"That bad and worse There’s nothing I’d put past this wo for the is he already knew on the first page "She’s a regular Lilith Put her and Fowler together, and they’d end the world for giggles on a weekend"

"You don’t really believe that"

"You haven’tacross the table from a snake"

Julia frowned, very faintly "Would you say she’s any worse than any of the men you’ve dealt with?"

"Worse," he said firreatest adversary yet? Or worst simply because she’s a wohed "You’reher sound like a monster"

"You haven’t met her," he repeated

"She’s not a witch or a demon; she’s a person She’s only different froht"

"Dearest," he said, fluttering the pages in a pointed fashion, "now is not the time"

But Julia persisted "You behave as if you can’t possibly coht what she wanted, you said it ht hand"

"Anything’s possible"

"No" She shook her head "Only the usual things are possible She wants a long life, power and money, freedom and respect Just like any man you ever met She’s only beyond your ken because you allow her to be"

"I believe we’re finished here I’ll have Andrews bring the carriage around You should return to your le" style="display:block" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7451196230453695" data-ad-slot="9930101810" data-ad-format="auto" data-full-width-responsive="true"></ins>