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Chapter 2
As Tira sped away from the Secretarys Palace, her
father's second wife stretched out above her long-time
lover, Damien Ver. The ancient cameo hanging from a
thong around her neck was slick with sweat, wine, and
perfumed oil. Ver had given Jessine the pendant after
their second meeting, when he was sure how he felt
about her. She wore it to please him —
"Damien—"
"But—Sclerida?"
Chapter 3
"Uncertain," he relayed.
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
"Safe .. .Verwill..."
"We can kill you and take her or take her," said
the leader of the Navy soldiers, making a sugges-
tive flick with the barrel of his Kanovsky. "Get
out of the way. Security. This isn't your fight any-
more."
"Yes, please."
Chapter 6
"Is that why you party all the time?' asked Nika.
"Haiken Maru!"
Chapter 7
"Then..."
"I think we'd better get the guns, and then get
out of here." Chaney's nervousness had returned
full force.
Chapter 8
"Perhaps."
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Thick underbrush offered Jessine cover almost
as soon as she'd slammed the fire door behind her.
She moved away through the brush, taking care to
leave as little trail as possible. In spite of the batde,
she feared she might still be pursued, for if Gover-
nor Merikur should arrive with troops, the tables
might easily be turned on the attackers.
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
"Yes." he said.
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
"Look!"
Chapter 16
"You may not believe it, but he did it," said Ver
bluntly. "He had created a strong position for
himself in the bureaucracy and did not want to
give it up. And he was aware of the dissatisfac-
tion in the client planets. He wanted to change
that, and thought that he could, given the
chance. He was a patriot — he thought. He
thought the bureaucracy could make everything
right. He was wrong."
Chapter 17
"Ready?" he asked.
Tira nodded,
"Not yet," said Tira grimly. "I need the first aid
Idt, Cousin Helga. Will you fetch it for me? And
bring an air pack for yourself. They might try
using gas on us next time, or there could be a
fire. Let's get ready to hold them off."
"One."
"Oh, if you really think..." said Cousin Helga,
torn between dismay and relief. "I'll be ready."
"Three."
"Four."
"Five."
"Six."
"Seven."
"Eight."
"Nine."
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
"It's all right," she said, and raised her own gun.
"Ah, ah, ah," warned Admiral Sderida. the aim
of his Campriani shifting from Wiley to Chaney.
"He may not be able to shoot me, but I have no
such hesitation to kill him. Put your gun down,
or you can watch both of these men die."
Epilogue