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"Of course, Lord Arvil" I ducked h I like it--I just adopted you, baby You’re only nineteen--I know that On Campiaa, you won’t truly come into adulthood until you’re twenty-two You’re my little chick, Reah"

"I want to take Reah out for dinner," Teeg stood and pulled me up with hiot it started already," I said, pointing off in what I thought was the kitchen’s direction

"Don’t worry about it--go have fun We’ll get going on this tomorrow," Arvil waved a hand Delvin had stood by, his face expressionless as he absorbed the news I wanted to fling hi hauled me out of the room instead

"Reah, breathe, sweetheart" I was hyperventilating I’dfor breath, huggingwas kneeling besideevened out "Just breathe slow, baby, slooow" I realized I was crying when I did take shaky but more nor about what that cooing to hold any of that stuff against you" I blinked at hi, sweetheart?"

"You said stuff Some old friends used to say that"

"You don’t like that word?"

"I do, it was just," I flung out an arain--stuff How’s that?" I nodded et drunk," he hauled et tipsy And then Teeg bought a ring A really nice one "I’d put Tiralian crystal on that finger, sweetheart, but they can’t get any of it here" Teeg offered rin He had a beautifulsized and he slipped it onI didn’t think I could give Teeg up Not for any reason We went to find so it to Teeg’s apartht here at ’s kitchen island We’d gotten a decent pasta dish at one of the casinos Arvil didn’t own I wanted to check out the competition as much as I could Edan used to do it for Desh’s I was never given enough money to check on the competition or I would have

A hovertruck ca day I had so had been destroyed in the firebo I had mindspeech to send to Vice-Director Lendill Schaff, too I wondered what he was going to say or do when I told hiet his legal counsel to void the papers fro What would I do, too--if Arvil asked me to kill someone for him? Someone like Neele, who I had no desire to har’s hand before alked out his door

"No idea," he leaned down to kiss me

I fired three cooks, six assistants and eleven members of the waitstaff before the day was over Either for theft, food safety issues or failure to report tips I knehen they were lying Too bad for them They were escorted by Arvil’s security to the shuttle station A list of people waited to be interviewed--I sat in on the interviews I knehen those people were lying or padding their resuuards and ot to eat like that Arvil’s kitchens and customers didn’t suffer; we had replace schedule with each of the security supervisors in every one of Arvil’s casinos Each et a voucher for a nice meal for two in one of Arvil’s casino restaurants every eight-day They could bring a date or a spouse on a day off and have an expensive dinner

It never hurt to have security on your side--especially if you wanted their cooperation later The guards loved it--they had to pay before and the nicer restaurants tended to be out of their price range The best the casinos had wasn’t inexpensive in any sense of the word In return, security would be less likely to turn their heads if they saw any ofliberties

I sentto bed Teeg was in Arvil’s office, going over the books for several casinos I was going to wait until I’d gone through everything on the restaurants before sitting doith Arvil

Vice-Director? I sent

Reah? I haven’t heard from you for several days

A lot has happened since I talked to you last

Tell ot killed during the fireboood news Who do we need to add to our lists of most-wanted people? Soet names?

Yes

Tell me

Arvil San Gerxon adopted ht silence Either Lendill was stunned or he was already putting e on the comp-vid most wanted site I waited And waited some more Finally, a response cahed so hard we nearly cracked a rib Arvil adopted you? I think he had to stop and laugh some more

Yes I a San Gerxon And you can’t kill hi is my husband I don’t think he’s bad--in fact, the reason Arvil adopted him is because he’s the one honest person, possibly, on all of Ca contractor for Arvil before he was adopted

A contractor?