Free Wine of the Gods 05: Spy Wars by Pam Uphoff Page A

of the conquest of this World."
    Ajha's stomach flipped. They've shoved the princess down to the third tier. At least we only rape and murder the natives. So far. And Princess Rior might disagree with me, about whether her marital relations count as rape or not.
    And I need to stop being a clueless naïf. This is war, in slow motion. It's dirty, by its very nature.
    " Hurry and finish, and we'll go to the Palace, for a meeting. The first Action Team needed to report to her as well." The aide glanced over at the lounging Action Team. Edmo returned an impatient frown. They'd finished and were just lingering over coffee.
    "No dinner meetings allowed?" Egto wiped his hands and pushed his plate away.
    "Only a husband eats with his wife. If she eats with anyone else, it is a sign of possible infidelity. Come along then."
    The stage setting at the Palace was interesting. Princess Rior, covered from head to toe in black silk, nothing but her eyes showing, reclined behind a screen, while three women, also in black, sat in between the men and the Princess. Two big fat men, eunuchs, stood to the side, more or less out of hearing.
    "I'm glad you are back from that action. Now I'd like you to concentrate on the thirteen so-called Gods and any local schools of magic. The Church of Ba'al seems to have been disbanded. So look further abroad.
    "When w e eliminate the local magic, those thirteen will have to be killed. Starting with Pax."
    "Why Dear, I thought you loved me." They spun at the sound of the snide voice. Lord Pax, as he was called locally, strolled up and stopped, well back from Rior's cordon of respectability. "You still won't admit that our magic is stronger than yours."
    Edmo growled something under his breath as he stood up. The leader of the Action Team lowered his privacy shields and glowed with power as he stalked over to the native. "The One is supreme."
    Ajha saw movement behind them. The Amma was watching this confrontation.
    Judging between two powers.
    "You make claims, but never do anything." Edmo jutted his jaw out.
    "Very amusing. If you One People do want to eliminate the thirteen gods, by all means kill the Auld Wulf first. The God of War, in case you didn't know. I'd be delighted to stop you after he's gone."
    " Because you're afraid to face him? Coward. Powerless . . . " Edmo swayed suddenly.
    The Action Team twitched, but didn't go anywhere. Ajha tried to lift his hand and found it unresponsive.
    One of the women buffering the Princess from their male presence stumbled forward suddenly, shedding her clothing as she staggered up to the Action Leader then crumbled at his feet. The Action Leader twitched and turned red with the effort. Then he suddenly relaxed, dropped his pants, knelt and rolled the limp woman over on her back.
    Ajha watched Pax. Watched his expressions, his breaking a sweat and his orgasm, as the Action Leader came in the woman. That wasn't control, that was possession.
    The Action Leader jumped back from the woman and to his feet. He staggered as his pants tripped him. Pax smiled and turned and walked away.
    Edmo jerked his pants up and started after him. The Amma's guards stepped out and he stopped.
    "And that is why they must all die." The snarl from behind the screen was dripping with fury. " Information Team, you will continue your research in the local libraries, and co-ordinate with the Action Team. We need to locate all these perverts and eliminate them. Any opportunity that presents itself to kill Pax is to be taken immediately. By the Order of The One."
    They all bowed their heads. "By the Order of the One."
    Ajha was glad to feel his muscles answer to his commands, and he tried to ignore the tears of the woman pulling herself together, wrapping herself in black and sitting, again, between her Lady and the men. This time without even her eyes showing.
    " I've heard about the God of War. What other Gods have been seen since the Comet fell?" The Princess's voice was still angry.
    "We've