Gathering Storm
“Abandon-my-post
important? Or work-on-it-when-I-can important?”
    “Scale of one to ten. One means if we never
find out it’s no big deal. Ten is the end of days. I’m putting this
between seven and eight.”
    “Okay. You know I don’t have any free time
while Sol’s gone and not much when he’s here. And the lead I need
to follow requires travel with flex time and a long leash.”
    “When Sol gets back, let me know what you
need and I’ll make it happen.”
    “Done, my Lady.” He gave
her a little chivalrous bow.
    “You know I never thought
I’d live to see the acting Jefferson Unit Sovereign bow to me – and
in his own office at that. Sol would have a coronary. Got to
go.”
    “Where you off to?”
    “Trainee Mid,
hand-to-hand.” She specified “Mid” because the twenty four trainees
were divided into two classes of twelve each. The younger boys were
beginning. The older boys were midlevel. The active duty knights
were advanced.
    Glen looked at his watch absently. “Would
you drop this in Monq’s box on your way by?” He handed her a
file.
    “Sure. Later.”
     
    Elora exited Elevator 3 a
couple of steps behind Kristoph Falcon and Rolfe Wakenmann, who had
been on Elevator 2. Some of the boys were gathered in the hall
outside the sparring room. When Kris and Wakey walked up, one of
the loiterers said, “Yo, Wakey. Let me see your eyes.” Wakey gave
him a funny look. “Yep. Bottomless pools, clear and deep as a
cloudless night.”
    Amid a round of youthful
laughter, Wakey responded with, “Fuck you!” Then he noticed that
everyone stood straight as all eyes shifted to something behind
him. He turned to come face to face with his instructor, the famous
and formidable Lady Laiken. Taking a step back, he dropped his
eyes.
    She looked over the group.
“Go on in and warm up. I want a private word with Mr. Wakenmann.”
Once the boys had filed inside and closed the door, leaving the two
of them alone in the hallway, she turned to Wakey. “You know,
Sovereign Nemamiah has strong feelings about minors – that would be
you, and expletives – that would be the last two words that came
out of your mouth.”
    “Yes, ma’am.”
    “Personally, I wouldn’t
care. My husband is quite partial to colorful language and I’ve
grown used to it. But as long as you and I are on these premises,
working with this organization, we’re going to respect the
Sovereign’s wishes on the matter. Not because it’s the rules, but
because he’s earned the right to set the rules. If I’ve learned
anything since being here, it’s that he always has good reasons for
what he does.
    “Was that clear, Mr.
Wakenmann?”
    “Yes, ma’am.”
    “Then get to the friggin’
mats now.”
    He grinned. “Yes, ma’am.”
    “Oh, and Wakey?”
    “Yes, ma’am?”
    “You do have eyes as clear as a cloudless
night.”
    He spit out a laugh and
jogged toward the door to the sparring room.
     

CHAPTER 7

     
    Halcyon Dimension, Present Day.
     
     
    Angel was done for the
night. When it first opened, Divas Dive had shown some promise as a
club. It was a little different in look and atmosphere and often
drew yupsters who wanted to check out clubbing in his tawdry neck
of the borough. It had even been named in the hopes of drawing
uptown curiosity seekers. Come walk on the
wild side. He sneered at that. Like a
couple of hours of pounding bass and undulating bodies could make
you worldly.
    It’s not so easy. Real corruption takes
practice. For some it even takes dedication.
    The ladies had been given
a chance to interest him. He’d held court at the bar for an hour
while a parade of cartoon tits and well-used tail came and went.
They offered the usual, immediate availability and tipsy gushing
about his beautiful eyes and broad shoulders. He was almost as
tired of that old song as he was of being groped without his
permission. Almost.
    It was a waste of time,
like standing in front of the butcher’s premium case, staring at
the

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