

LOST IN TIME

Princess Wars – Book Three

J. D. ROGERS

***

SMASHWORDS EDITION

Text copyright © 2016 by J. D. Rogers

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, except for quotations in printed reviews, without the written permission of the author.

All characters are fictional. Any resemblance to actual people, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

COVER PHOTO: Courtesy of Pixabay.com

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Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return it to your favorite ebook retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

CONTENTS

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

Chapter 32

Chapter 33

Chapter 34

Chapter 35

Chapter 36

Chapter 37

Chapter 38

BOOKS BY JD ROGERS

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Chapter 1

It was the middle of the night. A pounding on my bedroom door woke me. I sat up and pushed my hair out of my eyes. "Enter."

Vomeir Nardis, co-commander of the queen's guard stepped into the room. "There's a woman here. She insists on seeing you. She claims it's a matter of life or death."

"Whose life are we talking about?"

"Yours, Your Majesty."

"If my life was in danger, I would've had a vision warning me. After all, I am a seer." I fluffed my pillow, rolled onto my stomach, and laid back down. "Send her away."

Most of my guards would've bowed and left, but Vomeir wasn't just another guard. He was the first soldier to support me for queen. He had been with me from the night my mother died, when I was the youngest of the queen's four daughters, the one known as Lila the Insignificant, the one least likely to win the Princess Wars.

"I really think you should see her."

I didn't bother to sit up, or raise my head. Maybe if I ignored him long enough, he would take the hint and leave. "Why?"

"She claims to be your aunt."

"You know as well as I do, I don't have any aunts. My mother's sisters died before she took the throne."

"What if I told you that she looks just like you?"

That opened my eyes. "It must be my Aunt Sester."

Sester was the youngest of my father's nine sisters. The only one left alive. She lived in Sorea, one of two countries that lay on the eastern border of my homeland of Adah. My father had been the King of Sorea. He died trying to kill me, but that's another story. I refused his crown, partly because it had a curse on it, partly because I knew very little about his homeland, mostly because I was already the ruler of four countries. I didn't need a fifth.

I knew very little about my Aunt Sester. I had been told that she looked just like me, but had never actually met her. If she left her homeland, something Soreans rarely did, then it must've been for a good reason.

I rolled over and sat up, tossing the blankets off me in the process. My red silk sleep shift, which was just long enough to cover my bottom, had rode up to my waist, revealing the red silk briefs I wore beneath it.

Vomeir didn't bother to avert his gaze, like most of my guards would have. He just stepped back, so he wouldn't be in my way. Not that I cared. When you're queen, you get used to people staring at you.

I vaulted out of bed and strode into the adjoining dressing room, tugging my shift down as I went. I grabbed an ankle length red silk dressing gown out of one of my wardrobes and donned it, along with matching silk slippers. I moved to my dressing table, sat, and brushed my hair. "Does my Aunt Sester bare a strong resemblance to me or just a faint one?"

"You could be twins, but for the fact that she looks closer to fifty than twenty-three."

"Did she ask to speak to the queen or to her niece?"

"What difference does it make?"

"If she asked to speak to the queen, I'll meet her in the throne room. If she asked to speak to her niece, I'll meet her here, in my suite."

"She asked to speak to her niece, the queen."

"Sounds like you should bring her up here."

Five minutes later, Vomeir escorted Sester into my sitting room. To say she looked just like me, was an understatement. Looking at Sester was like looking into a mirror, albeit one that aged you thirty years. Even then, she carried the years well. If I looked that good in thirty years, I would have nothing to complain about. She had the same long black hair, the same emerald green eyes, the same angular face as myself. Like me, she was short and slim with pale skin. I was a bit taller, not to mention bigger in the chest, which meant I inherited that part of my anatomy from my mother.

"Sester Barr," Vomeir said. "May I present Her Royal Majesty, Lila Marie Haran, Queen of Adah, Queen of Vassa, Queen of Dunre, and First Consummate of Landish."

Sester curtsied. "It's an honor, Your Majesty. I just wish we could've met under more pleasant circumstances."

"You look just like me," I said.

Sester smiled. "You think I look just like you, you should see my daughter, Calista. She could be your double."

I motioned for Sester to sit. She did, taking the divan that faced the one I was already sitting on. "I'm told you think someone wants to kill me."

"Not kill you, Your Majesty. More like erase you from existence."

"Explain."

"There are people in Sorea that believe you are a greater threat to their existence than your late sister. Not surprisingly, they've decided to do something about it."

My oldest sister, Bedonna, tried to invade Sorea. She would have succeeded if I hadn't stopped her in a duel to the death. Why people considered me to be a bigger threat than Bedonna, I'm not sure, perhaps because of my powers, perhaps because their last king, my father, was an evil man.

"They've developed a plan to erase me from existence?"

"Yes."

"How would they do that?"

"Through the use of a time walker."

"A time walker?" I had never heard of such a thing. "What exactly is a time walker?"

"Time walkers are born with the ability to move forward or backward through time."

I looked at Vomeir, who was standing guard beside my divan. "Have you ever heard of such a thing?"

Vomeir shook his head. "Never."

"That's because time walkers don't exist outside of Sorea. For as long as we can remember, certain people in our country have been born with certain powers. That's why we've remained a closed society."

"You've feared what could happen if you bred with the rest of the world and passed those powers onto them."

Sester nodded. "Yes."

"So, people in Sorea believe I'm dangerous because I possess powers that I shouldn't possess."

"Some people believe that."

Vomeir looked at Sester. "The fact that she saved your country from an invasion makes no difference to them?"

Sester shook her head. "No."

"How can a time walker erase me from existence?"

"She plans on traveling back in time, to the day your grandmother died. If she can prevent your mother from assuming the throne, you will not be born."

"Wouldn't it be easier to just chase my father out of Adah before he can sleep with my mother?"

"They considered that option, but decided it wasn't their best course of action."

"Why?" Vomeir asked.

"Because it wouldn't get rid of Bedonna," I said. "She would still be born and would still want to invade them."

Sester nodded. "They decided the best thing for them, and Sorea, would be to prevent your mother from assuming the throne of Adah. That way they would eliminate both you and Bedonna."

"Who is they?" I asked.

"The National Council of Elders. Specifically, the head of the council, Emperia Leon."

The people of Sorea created the National Council of Elders after my father, their king, was driven from power. The Council spent the last twenty years running Sorea. Despite the fact I rejected my father's crown, despite the fact I stopped Bedonna and her twenty thousand man army from invading them, they still wanted to get rid of me.

I looked at my aunt. "Why are you telling me this. It's not like I can travel through time and stop this time walker from killing my mother."

Sester smiled. "Fortunately, I can."

"You're a time walker?"

"I am."

"I thought our family was all seers?"

"Our clan has produced many powerful seers, but some of us, myself included, have been blessed with other gifts. In Sorea, we are known as the gifted clan."

Vomeir turned to Sester. "You're telling us that you can travel back in time and kill this other time walker before she can kill Lila's mother?"

"I'd rather not kill her."

"Because?"

"Because she's my daughter."

"My cousin is going to travel back in time and stop my mother from assuming the throne of Adah?"

"She's in your country right now, researching your mother's rise to power. When she's learned enough, she'll travel back in time and help one of your late aunts kill your mother, so your aunt can take your mother's place on the throne."

"There's no guarantee Sorea would be better off with one of her aunts on the throne," Vomeir said.

"True," Sester said. "But Emperia's primary interest is in stopping my brother from producing offspring that have his powers. She believes the best way to do that is by preventing Lila's mother from taking the throne."

I leaned forward and focused on Sester. "What exactly is your plan?"

"Aside from how to speak the language, I know very little about your country. As such, I thought it would be best if I travel back in time with someone that knows the intimate details of how your mother came to power."

I pointed to myself. "Me?"

"Can you think of anyone that knows more about your mother's rise to power than you?"

My big sister, Iderra, but she was on the other side of the continent. "Not anyone that's nearby."

"Can you transport someone through time?" Vomeir asked Sester.

"I can."

"What if I travel back in time with you and something happens to you. Would I be stranded there?" Not that I considered that to be a bad thing. I never wanted to be queen. The idea of living in a time when no one knew who I was, a time when I could go where I wanted, do what I wanted, be who I wanted, had a certain appeal to it.

"If something happened to me, you would go back to your own time."

"Why?"

"The power keeping you in that time would die with me."

Vomeir looked at me. "I'm not sure we can trust her."

"If I wanted to get rid of Lila, I could've done nothing. I could've stayed in Sorea and let my daughter do what she intends. Instead, I came here to warn her, under the threat of banishment."

I straightened up. "They banished you from your homeland?"

"When I protested what they were planning, they tried to imprison me, to prevent me from warning you." Sester smiled. "Of course, they failed. It's virtually impossible to imprison a time walker. That's when they told me that if I came here to warn you, I need not bother to return home. That I could consider myself banished for life."

Part of me wanted to trust Sester, believe everything she said. Probably because she looked so much like me. Another part was wary of her, probably because she looked so much like my father, who had gone to great lengths to try and kill me.

If she was telling the truth, then I had to do something, otherwise I might cease to exist. Whatever that meant. Here one second, gone the next, I guess. If she was lying and had come here to get rid of me, then I had to find out. I needed to talk to someone inside Sorea, find out if Sester was telling the truth. I only knew three people inside Sorea, but that should be enough.

I stood and turned to Vomeir. "Take my aunt to one of the guest suites and make her comfortable. It's late and she must be tired."

Sester stood. "You will give my proposal serious consideration?"

"Let me make sure I've got this straight. You want to take me back in time, to the day my grandmother died, to try and stop your daughter from killing my mother."

"Exactly."

"Why?"

Sester wrinkled her brow. "Why what?"

"Why do you want to help me? I know we're related, but until now, we had never met. And I am kind of responsible for your brother's, my father's, death."

"My brother died the day he allowed his lust for power to corrupt him. And you did save my country from invasion." Sester paused for a second. "And I want to stop my daughter from doing something she might come to regret. She's young and doesn't understand the responsibilities her powers carry. Just because we possess the ability to change the past doesn't mean that we should do it. Unforeseen consequences can occur."

Sester curtsied. Vomeir opened the door and they headed out of my suite. Left alone, I closed my eyes. I pictured one of the three people I knew inside Sorea. My cousin, Ganno Barr. He looked a lot like Sester, a lot like myself, short with black hair and green eyes. A second later, I saw him, in bed, sleeping. I pictured myself looking as I looked now, my hair down, dressed in a red silk dressing gown. When I did that my point of view shifted, from that of someone floating above Ganno's bed to someone standing beside his bed.

"Ganno wake up." I said the words inside my head then imagined them coming out of my image's mouth.

I must've scared Ganno because he bolted to a sitting position. He was shirtless, which wasn't surprising. Men didn't wear shirts in Sorea, just knee length wraparound skirts and matching hats that looked like upside down volcanoes. He slept alone, which wasn't surprising. Men and women didn't marry in Sorea. Sorea was a clan based society and people didn't jump from clan to clan. When a woman became pregnant, the child became a member of her clan. If a non-Sorean woman became pregnant, the child, like me, became a member of the father's clan. As far as I knew, I was the only non-Sorean to have a Sorean father.

Ganno rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and squinted at my image. "Sester?"

"Look closer," I said.

He studied me harder. "Lila?"

"I have some questions."

Ganno pulled himself to the edge of his bed and used a flint to light the teapot shaped oil lamp on the bedside table. He wore a purple silk wraparound that stopped just short of his knees. His short black hair was tousled. "I take it you've talked to Sester."

"She claims that she can take me back in time, to the day my grandmother died."

Ganno nodded. "She's a time walker. She has that ability."

"She claims a woman named Emperia Leon has talked her daughter into traveling back in time, to try and prevent my mother from assuming the throne of Adah."

"Emperia tried to get Sester to do it, but Sester refused."

"Do you know why she refused?"

"Sester is reluctant to use her powers."

"Why?"

"When Sester was a teenager, she had a fight with one of her sisters. She got so mad, she used her powers to go back in time and eliminate that sister from existence. Or so she claims. Since no one remembers that sister ever having existed, there's no way to know if the story is true or not. All we know is Sester has been reluctant to use her powers since midway through her seventeenth year."

"Why would Sester's daughter want to eliminate me?"

Ganno sighed. "Calista is young and foolish. She's too quick to believe what she's told and too eager to please those in positions of power."

"Why does Emperia want to get rid of me? I've never threatened her. By refusing my father's crown, I think I made it obvious that I have little interest in Sorea."

"Emperia spent the last twenty years worrying about your father reclaiming his throne and wresting power from her. Now that your father is dead, she seems to have transferred her obsession to you."

"Can I trust Sester?"

Ganno nodded. "You can trust her."

I thanked Ganno for his time and let my image fade. It looked like I was about to take a trip back in time, to the day my grandmother died, to the day my mother first took part in the Princess Wars.

Chapter 2

I wasn't sure how to dress for time travel, so I wore something utilitarian, black leather riding boots, black leather knee breeches, a long sleeved red silk shirt that laced down the front, and a black wool cloak with a hood. I pulled my hair back in a ponytail, tying it with a silk cord that had carved bone handles on each end. The device could be wrapped around someone's neck, in case you needed to choke the life out of them. I used it once, to kill a powder witch.

I strapped a cutlass around my waist, the same cutlass I used when I fought my sister Bedonna for our mother's throne. It contained a solid gold blade guard and a silver scabbard. I attached a money pouch with gold sovereigns to my cutlass belt. The sovereigns contained the image of Morchesa, the first Queen of Adah, which meant they could be used in any time period without drawing attention to them.

Sester wore an identical outfit, except that her shirt was black, and she didn't carry a sword. She brought no money with her when she came from Sorea, so I gave her a pouch full of gold coins. When you're the queen of four different countries, you can do things like that because you tend to have a lot of assets, including gold mines.

"All set?" Sester asked.

We were in the drawing room of my suite, in the Winter Palace. The Winter Palace was in the city of Nadal. A port city on Adah's southern coast. Three people were with us. My two most trusted guards, Vomeir, a native Adan, and Bokham, a native Vassan, and Patera LaCere. Patera had been one of my mother's favorite consorts and commander of her personal guard. He had been with her from the day her mother died to the day she died. He had spent the last three years with me.

"We'll have to leave the palace before you transport us back in time," I said. "Otherwise the palace guard will arrest us for trespassing."

We were going back to a time before I was born, a time when my mother was one of six princesses battling for the right to sit on her mother's throne. I would be a nobody, with no right to be in the royal palace.

"How long will you be gone?" Vomeir asked, as we headed out of the palace.

I looked at Sester, who just shrugged her shoulders.

"We'll be back when we're back," I said. "Until then, Patera is in charge."

I appointed Patera my regent, with the authority to act in my place during the periods I was absent. He was well known and highly respected, having served in the Adan Army, the palace guard, and the queen's guard. As one of my mother's favorite consorts, he had advised her on all sorts of matters for over thirty years.

On the far side of the continent, across the Desert of Shifting Sands, the other three countries I ruled were in good hands. In tiny Vassa, my brilliant if quirky sister, Iderra, was serving as regent. In the larger and richer country of Dunre, my sister Salisha served as regent. Adan tradition dictated that you ascended to the throne by killing your sisters, but my mother's final words to me were, "Save your sisters."

I had saved two out of three, which was the best I could do. Only a handful of people here in Adah even knew they were alive, and those people weren't talking. Most believed the one sister I couldn't save, Bedonna, had killed them.

The fourth country I ruled, Landish, had no use for women that weren't in the kitchen or on their backs. Jarvo, a counselor to the country's two previous leaders, kept a handle on things there.

"How will we know if you're having any success?" Bokham asked, as we left the palace.

He spoke Adan with an accent. Mostly because it wasn't his native tongue. He came from the other side of the continent, where they spoke the Common Tongue.

"Patera's memories will change," Sester said. "If we meet Lila's mother, he should acquire memories of us being there."

Patera looked at Sester. "Will I know who you are?"

"Young you won't know us, the current you might realize who the two women in your distant memories were."

"We could get lucky," I said. "And intercept Calista before she can change anything. If that's the case, then Patera won't acquire any memories of us."

"Let's hope things go that well," Vomeir said.

The city of Nadal was located on the Bay of Nadal, on Adah's southern coast. It was warm in the winter and hot in the summer. Palm trees dotted a city constructed out of white granite. The city surrounded a thumb shaped bay with the Winter Palace sitting on the highest hill overlooking the bay.

A couple dozen ships filled the bay, mostly Adan and Gibean triremes. A couple of caravels from the far side of the continent sat in the middle of the bay. Both flew the flag of Dunre, a purple sun setting on a gold field.

The Winter Palace consisted of two stories constructed out of white granite. It was T-shaped and contained windows on the second floor, but not on the first. A white granite road lined with palm trees zigzagged its way down the hillside to the town square.

A one hundred foot statue of Morchesa, the first Queen of Adah, dominated the middle of the white granite square. A ten step dais raised the statue another ten feet. The buildings surrounding the square were all constructed of white granite, all of them rising three to four stories.

It was early morning when we reached the town square. The sun was threatening to peek over the eastern horizon, but had yet to appear, which meant the square was still empty. The late night revelers were already sleeping and the early risers were just beginning to wake.

Sester stopped at the steps that formed the base of the statue. "This is as good a place as any."

She offered me her hand and I took it. The next thing I knew, lightening began to crackle around us. Vomeir, Patera, and Bokham must have noticed it too, because they all backed up. Instead of originating in the sky, the lightening seemed to be originating from inside of us. As the frequency and intensity of the lightening increased, Vomeir, Patera, and Bokham began to fade, until they weren't there. Other people appeared and disappeared as we moved some thirty-three years into the past.

Eventually, the lightening stopped. The square looked pretty much the same, but the sky was overcast and a light drizzle was falling.

"We have arrived." Sester released my hand and stepped back.

A stocky middle aged man wearing a brown leather apron and a broad brimmed wizard's hat passed us pushing a two wheeled cart. The cart was empty and he was heading for the docks to pick up a load of who knows what.

"What day is it?" I asked him.

"The seventeenth day of the eighth month of the thirty-first year of the reign of Corrine Tayla Haran." The man stopped pushing his cart and looked us up and down. "You're not from around here."

"We're merchants from Gibney," I said. "We just arrived in town."

"You picked a bad time to come to Adah."

"Why's that?"

"The queen is dying, which means the Princess Wars are about to begin."

I wasn't sure how to respond, so I feigned ignorance. "Princess Wars?"

"When the Queen of Adah dies, her daughters fight each other for the right to sit on their mother's throne. In these parts, they're known as the Princess Wars. Lot of people bet on who they think is going to win. My money's on Anata."

The man grabbed his cart's handles and continued his journey toward the docks.

"Who's Anata?" Sester asked me.

"My grandmother had six daughters. Anata was the oldest."

"And your mother?"

"She was fourth out of six."

"How did she win the throne?"

"Anata, and Mendica, the second oldest, killed their other three sisters within days of my grandmother dying. A week later, Anata and Mendica squared off in a duel to the death. Anata was killed in the duel, Mendica was wounded, but not seriously. The people that didn't like Mendica, which was just about everybody, rallied around my mother, who had been named heir hopeful by her mother."

"What's the advantage of being named the heir hopeful?"

"You get the Ruby Crown, which tells everyone that the previous queen thought you were best fit to take her place, and you get the support of the queen's guard."

"That's it?"

"That's it."

"Did your mother kill Mendica?"

"She didn't have to. When Mendica realized that she had lost the support of everyone that mattered, she took her own life by drinking poison."

"Is everyone in Adah as well acquainted with the details of the Princess Wars as you?"

"Probably not. Adan princesses study the previous wars hoping to learn from the mistakes of their aunts and great-aunts."

"What did your mother do the day your grandmother died?"

"Her original plan was to head for Gibney, where she hoped to live the quiet life of a shop girl."

"Did she make it?"

I shook my head. "The queen's guard caught up with her just outside the city of Pipho. They gave her the Ruby Crown and informed her that her mother had named her the heir hopeful. They also informed her that Anata and Mendica had killed her other three sisters and were preparing to square off in a duel to the death."

"So what happened?"

"Mother set up camp outside of Pipho and waited to hear what happened in the duel between Anata and Mendica. When she learned Anata had been killed in the duel, she returned to Nadal."

"Why?"

"Anata had the support of the palace guard. With her dead, the guards loyalties were up for grabs. Mother knew that many in the palace guard didn't like Mendica and believed that she could win the support of the palace guard. Turned out that she was right. Once she returned wearing the Ruby Crown, the palace guard, as well as many of my grandmother's advisers, pledged their loyalty to my mother. When Mendica learned this, she drank the poison that took her life."

I noticed that Sester was backing away from me. "I'm sorry about this, I had no choice."

I had no idea what was going on and said as much. "What are you talking about?"

"Emperia threatened to jail every member of our clan if we didn't cooperate. If Ganno and I didn't cooperate."

Sester raised her hands above her head. Lightening began to flash around her, forcing me to back away. Then she began to fade, going from solid, to transparent, to gone.

Just like that, I had been abandoned, thirty-three years in the past. I wondered why I didn't have a vision warning me that this was going to happen, but I already knew why. My visions only occurred when someone wanted to hurt or kill me. Sester never wanted to hurt or kill me, she just wanted to move me through time, to a time when I would be a nobody.

The story about Calista traveling back in time to kill my mother had been a lie. For all I knew, Calista didn't even possess her mother's ability to move through time. If there even was a Calista.

Emperia Leon, or whoever was behind this, knew that she couldn't send someone to assassinate me. As a seer, I would have had a vision warning me about them. Instead, she came up with the idea of moving me through time, to a period in time where I would be a nobody.

I don't know if Emperia came up with the story of Calista traveling through time to kill my mother, or if Sester invented that one herself. Not that it mattered. I was foolish enough to fall for it, which was all that mattered.

The question was--what did I do now? I was no longer Queen of Adah, Vassa, Dunre, or Landish. I wasn't even a member of the royal family. As far as I knew, I still had my powers. Visions warning me when someone wanted to hurt or kill me. The ability to see and communicate with anybody I knew, no matter where they were in the world. The ability to move small objects with my mind.

Just to be sure, I decided to test my powers. I noticed a small shoe lying in the middle of the town square, a brown leather sandal made for a child. I imagined myself holding the sandal. A second later, I felt the sandal in my hand. A second after that the sandal flew threw the air and into my outstretched hand. I dropped the sandal, breathed a sigh of relief, and said a prayer of thanks to the One God, grateful that I still had my powers.

Since I was no longer queen, no longer a member of the royal family, I could go anywhere, do anything, except interfere with the current Princess Wars. I would have to stay away from my mother and her sisters, less I change their futures, and quite possibly my own. Maybe even erase myself from existence.

Having the freedom to go anywhere and do anything had a certain appeal to it. Part of me wanted to stay here, in this time, live my life in peace and quiet, bothering no one, being bothered by no one. Another part of me knew that people depended upon me in my own time. Like it or not, I had to get back to my own time.

The problem was, I only knew one time walker, my Aunt Sester, who was gone. Or was she? Old Sester was gone, but young Sester was still here. She would be about sixteen years old, living somewhere in Sorea. If I could get to young Sester, I might be able to convince her to help me, convince her to use her powers to return me to my own time.

Reaching her would be hard. Sorea was a closed country, a closed society. They allowed no one into their country. Their citizens rarely left their country. People that tried to enter their country were intercepted by seers and tossed into dungeons.

I did have a couple of things going for me. I was the daughter of their current king, Corbett Barr III. I looked just like him, which meant I might be able to convince the guards at the border that I was a member of their clan. The problem was, I couldn't speak their language. Every time I talked to a Sorean, we had conversed in my native tongue. I had to find someone that could speak Sorean and have them teach it to me. Only then I could cross the border. Only then could I convince them I was a member of their king's clan.

Problem was, nobody in Adah spoke Sorean. That meant I had to go to Gibney, the other country that bordered Sorea. The Gibeans were renowned merchants and traders. Even if Sorea had no formal relations with Gibney, I had little doubt that there were Gibean traders that had learned their language so they could trade with them. I just had to find one of those traders and convince him to teach me Sorean.

Chapter 3

The ringing of the palace bells brought me out of my reverie. The palace bells rang when the queen died, signaling the start of the Princess Wars. The fact that they were ringing now meant the grandmother I never knew had just passed away.

I decided that it was time to get out of the city, work my way northeast, to the Gibean border. I didn't want to get caught up in my mother's quest. Princesses often recruited civilians in their fight for the throne. The day my mother died, I recruited a stable boy, a woodsman, his wife, and his daughter, to aid me in my battle for the throne. The last thing I wanted was to be recruited by my mother or one of her sisters. I needed their quest to play out exactly as the history books said it had. The only way that could change is if I got caught up in the quest.

The buildings that surrounded the city square contained merchants on their first floor. Most of those merchants were in the process of opening for business. I bought a leather knapsack and a wineskin from one, loaded the knapsack with bread and fruit, the wineskin with water, and headed east.

On the edge of the city, I stopped at a stable and purchased a horse, a red mare with a gentle disposition. I have to admit that bickering with the merchants was fun. When you're queen, no one bickers with you. They give you want you want and take whatever you give them. You probably overpay for most things. Mostly, because you don't want people to think you're cheap.

I took the coastal road and headed for Pipho, our eastern most port. Pipho was only a day's ride from Nadal and would be a good place to spend the night. Tomorrow, I would head north. When I reached the Gibean border, I would turn east, into Gibney. Somewhere along the Gibney--Sorea border, I would find someone that could teach me Sorean.

White granite blocks embedded in the ground made up the coastal road. The road was wide enough for four horses to ride side by side. The northern side of the road was littered with farms. Most of the farms in this part of Adah grew fruit, plums, pears, peaches, oranges, and apples. The farms were small, just a few acres. White granite fences separated one orchard from another.

Beaches littered with large rocks made up the southern side of the road.

It was still drizzling, but it wasn't a cold rain. It never got cold in this part of Adah. The western half of the country, which was covered in mountains, saw snow at the higher elevations, but that was the only part of the country that did.

This was the same road my mother took when she headed for Pipho. Not that I was worried about running into her. The history books said she waited a couple of days before leaving Nadal.

Most of Adah's cities were walled, but Nadal was a port city and ports weren't walled. That meant she could hide out in the city for as long as she wanted without having to worry about it being locked down.

There were few people on the road, possibly because it was raining, more likely because the Princess Wars had begun. People tended to stay inside when the quest for the throne was taking place, less they get roped into supporting the wrong princess and get executed alongside of her.

I had been riding for about an hour when a young woman on a white stallion went galloping by me. She was tall and thin with few curves, much like my sister, Iderra. Her hair was like mine, long and as black as coal. She wore a black silk gown and a matching silk cloak. Her hair and cloak were flying in the wind.

A couple of seconds after she passed me, I could hear two horses galloping up behind me, their hooves clopping on the granite stones that made up the road.

"Make way," a man yelled.

I moved my mare to the side of the road and turned around. Two men were approaching me at full speed. They were dressed in the uniform of the palace guard, black riding boots, gray breeches, gray shirts, and green tunics topped by silver breastplates. Each man held a loaded crossbow in front of him.

The woman they were chasing could be a thief, but probably wasn't. Her gown and cloak looked way too expensive to belong to a common thief, or even an uncommon thief. Plus the palace guard didn't chase thieves. That could only mean one thing. The girl was one of my mother's sisters, running for her life.

I don't know what made me do it, but at the last second, I moved my horse to the center of the road, blocking the path of the two guards and forcing them to draw their horses to a sudden stop.

"Get out of the way," the bigger guard said. "Or face the consequences."

He pointed his crossbow at me, which was a big mistake. I used my ability to move things with my mind to rip the crossbow out of his hands. It flew through the air and into my hands.

"People who point weapons at me don't live very long," I said.

The younger guard raised his crossbow. I used my power to rip it out of his hands. It flew through the air and down the thirty foot cliff that bordered the southern side of the road, bouncing on the rocks at the bottom of the cliff.

"As I said, 'people that point weapons at me don't live very long.'"

The bigger guard went for the broadsword that hung on his left hip. I used my power to rip it out of its scabbard, then I sent it clattering off the rocks below.

When the younger guard started to reach for his sword, I glared at him. "Do I have to take your sword too?"

He considered what he was about to do and moved his hand away from the hilt of his sword. Apparently, he had learned his lesson.

The bigger guard growled. "Do you know what you're interfering in young lady?"

"Princess Anata ordered you to kill the youngest of her sisters. You were about to shoot her in the back and bring her crown to Anata as proof that you killed her."

I glanced behind me. The girl they had been chasing had stopped her horse and was staring at us. She looked as stunned as the two guards, which wasn't surprising. Normal people didn't interfere in the Princess Wars. But then I wasn't normal.

I used my power to move small objects to lift the crown off the girl's head.

"Hey," the girl yelled as it floated through the air and into my free hand.

As I suspected, it was a princess crown, a simple silver headband with the royal seal of Adah on it. The royal seal consisted of the head of a woman on the body of a lion with eagle's wings. In the middle of the seal was a number--611. It was similar to the gold ring I still worn on my left hand, except the number engraved on my ring was 412. The number 412 meant that I was the fourth daughter of the twelfth queen. The number 611 meant the young woman they were chasing was the sixth daughter of the eleventh queen.

The history books listed her as Martika Louise Haran, the youngest daughter of Queen Corrine Tayla Haran. They also listed her as the first to die in the eleventh round of the Princess Wars, shot in the back on the road, about an hour east of Nadal.

Two days ago, she had celebrated her sixteenth birthday. Considering her mother was dying, and some of her big sisters were plotting to kill her, it couldn't have been much of a celebration. Maybe that was why I helped her. Maybe the fact that I had been the youngest when my version of the Princess Wars began had something to do with my interfering. Maybe my helping her had something to do with the fact that when my mother was dying, she had told me not to weep for her. That she was looking forward to seeing her sisters again, especially Martika, who she had nicknamed Gentle Soul.

The One God they worshiped on the other side of the desert had blessed me with powers. It seemed wrong not to use those powers to help a sixteen year old girl nicknamed Gentle Soul.

I used my power to transfer the crown I was holding into the hands of the bigger guard. "Take this back to Anata. Tell her that Martika died on the highway, about an hour east of Nadal. Tell her that she was shot in the back--twice."

"You want us to lie?" the bigger guard said.

"Why not?"

"If she finds out we lied, she'll have us beheaded."

"She won't find out. In a few days, Mendica will kill her in a sword fight."

The two guards looked at each other, not knowing what to think. Finally, the younger one said, "How do you know this?"

"As long as it's true, what does it matter?"

"Just who are you?" the bigger guard asked.

I locked eyes with the bigger guard. "In my day, you're known as General Dacus, you command the Army of the West. If you wish this to come true, you will do as I have instructed. When Anata dies, you will urge the palace guard to support Bella. She will remember your actions and reward you for them. The two of you will become life long friends and you will grow in wealth and power."

I tossed his crossbow over the cliff, turned my horse around, and rode off at a gallop. As I sped past Martika, I grabbed her reins out of her hands, forcing her stallion to follow my mare.

About a half mile down the road, I stopped and looked back. Dacus and the younger guard had turned their horses around and were heading back to Nadal.

"You're not working for Anata," Martika said. "Which raises the question. Who sent you out here and what do you intend to do with me?"

I turned to the aunt I had never met. An aunt who at the moment was seven years younger than myself. She had an angular face that reminded me of my sister Iderra, with the same doe eyes. Her nose was smaller than Iderra's, in fact, it looked a lot like my nose, as did her black hair.

"Bella sent me." I was making things up as I went along, but when you're interfering with history, you kind of have to do things that way.

"Bella sent you?" Martika's eyes brightened. "To help me?"

"She told me to get you to Gibney, help you start a new life there. Perhaps as a shop girl."

That had been my mother's goal. Of course, she never achieved it. Destiny had bigger plans for her. Since destiny had no plans for Martika, I figured she could have my mother's unused plan. As long as Dacus did what I told him to do, the history books would still say that Martika died the same day as her mother, shot in the back on the coastal road.

"Is Bella okay?"

"She's fine. Your mother named her the heir hopeful. The queen's guard will protect her."

"How did you disarm those two guards?"

"We need to keep moving. You're still not out of danger." I handed Martika's reins back to her. We turned our horses east and set off at a comfortable trot. "We also need to get you a change of clothes. You stand out in that expensive gown."

Martika looked at what she was wearing, then she looked at me. "I don't even know your name."

"Lila Marie...." I started to say Haran, then realized I couldn't use my last name. In Adah, only the royal family bore the name Haran. "Laamatt."

Catlett Shay Laamatt was the first Queen of Vassa. She brought me to Vassa and made me her heir. She was so much like my own mother, that I referred to her as my western mother. It seemed right that I use her last name.

"Martika Louise Haran," Martika said. "But I guess you already know that."

"What was your plan?"

"Excuse me?"

"What was your plan, to survive the Princess Wars?"

Martika grinned. A sheepish grin. "I guess I didn't have one. Two days ago, my sisters were celebrating my sixteenth birthday. I didn't think that one of them would actually try and kill me."

"You know how all the previous quests ended don't you? One sister takes the throne, the others end up in unmarked graves in the Cemetery of Would Be Queens."

"I thought we would be different. I thought we actually liked each other." Martika smiled. "Since Bella sent you to help me, I was partly right."

Even though my mother lamented the loss of her youngest sister, she had done nothing to save Martika's life. Not that I blamed her. She was only twenty years old, not to mention busy trying to save her own life. In the history of Adah, in the history of the Princess Wars, only one person had tried to save the lives of her sisters and succeeded. That person was me, but if my dying mother hadn't asked me to do it, I'm not sure I would have. Even then, I hadn't saved all my sisters. My oldest sister, Bedonna, impaled herself on a sword I was holding. It was a memory that still haunted me.

"I just realized something," Martika said. "My initials are M.L. and yours are L.M. Bit of a coincidence, wouldn't you say?"

Probably not. Martika's death haunted my mother throughout her life. Maybe that's why she asked me to save my sisters. She didn't want me to live with the regret she had been forced to live with.

"On the other side of the Desert of Shifting Sands, they worship the One God. Many of his followers believe there's no such thing as coincidence. They believe that everything that happens has been preordained by him."

"You come from the Far Lands?" Martika seemed more than a little bit impressed by that fact.

"I was born here in Adah, but I've spent time in the Far Lands." In my time, I ruled three of the countries that made up the Far Lands, but she didn't need to know that.

"You still haven't told me how you disarmed those two guards."

I was hoping I wouldn't have to answer that question, hoping that she had forgotten she asked the question.

"I've been blessed with certain powers, given to me by the One God, so that I can help others."

Martika smiled. "Including foolish young girls like myself?"

I returned her smile. "It's not foolish to think the best of others, especially the sisters you've grown up with. Some would say that Anata is the foolish one, trying to take the life of a sister that has done nothing but love and admire her."

"I can see why Bella likes you. You're strong and brave and you always know what to say."

If only that were true. "I had a very smart mother. She helped me learn from her mistakes."

"Where did you and Bella meet? I've never seen you at the palace."

"The Winter Palace is a big place. Just because you've never seen me there, doesn't mean I haven't been there."

"I suppose not."

"I don't suppose you brought any money with you."

Martika flashed another sheepish grin. "I would have, but I sort of had to leave the palace in a hurry."

"What made you decide to leave?"

"All six of us were in mother's suite when she died. When I started to go back to my suite, Bella grabbed me by the arm and pulled me to the side. She told me that Anata had two men waiting in my suite to kill me and that I should go directly to the stables, take the swiftest horse they had, and ride as if my life depended upon it."

So, mother did try to help Martika. I don't know why that made me feel better, but it did.

Martika noticed the cutlass that hung on my left hip. "I've never seen a sword quite like that."

"It's called a cutlass. They're popular with seafaring men that live in the Far Lands. I prefer it to a broadsword because it weighs less, but is almost as long."

"I never learned how to use a sword. Now, I'm thinking that maybe I should have."

Mother had forced my sisters and I to begin our sword training when we were six years old. I always assumed that our grandmother had made her daughters endure the same training, now I could see that wasn't true. I was beginning to see how much the death of the young woman that rode next to me had affected my mother, affected how she raised my sisters and myself.

"I can't wait to get news back to Bella," Martika said. "Let her know that I'm okay."

"You can't contact Bella. Ever."

"Why not?"

"People here in Adah have to think that you died. That's why I gave those guards your crown. If you try to contact anyone, even Bella, your life will be in danger."

"But Bella will want to know that I'm okay."

I pulled my horse in front of Martika's, drawing both of us to a stop. "Bella can't know that you survived."

"Why not?"

I didn't know how to answer that question, other than with the truth. "Because it could change history."

"I don't understand."

"You don't need to understand. You just need to do what I tell you."

Martika studied me for a few seconds. "Bella didn't send you to help me, did she."

"No."

Martika began to back her horse up, looking like she was ready to bolt. "Who are you? Really."

I hesitated for a moment then took off my ring and tossed it to her. "My name is Lila Marie Haran. I'm the youngest daughter of Bella Justine Haran. The twelfth Queen of Adah."

Chapter 4

Martika studied my ring, the one that proved I was a member of the royal family. "Bella doesn't have any daughters. Let alone one that's grown."

"Bella Justine Haran will win the eleventh round of the Princess Wars. She will rule for thirty years and become known as Bella the Beloved. When she dies, all Adah will morn her passing. But none more than myself."

Martika studied my ring. "You're from the future?"

"A time walker abandoned me here."

"I've never heard of a time walker."

"Neither had I, until I met one."

"Why should I believe you?"

"You saw what I could do, when I stopped those two guards from killing you."

Martika studied me for a moment then relaxed. I could almost see the tension flow out of her. "You did save my life."

"We need to be on our way." I pointed my horse east and put her into a comfortable trot.

Martika fell in alongside of me. "You're really from the future?"

"Thirty-three years."

Markita studied my ring one more time, then handed it back to me. "That would make you my niece."

"And you would be my aunt."

Markita giggled. "Kind of an odd situation where the niece is older than the aunt."

"Odd indeed."

The look on Martika's face grew more somber. "If you know what happens to Bella and the others, then you know what's going to happen to me."

"The history books say that you were the first to die. Shot twice in the back about an hour's ride east of Nadal."

"Which is why you gave that guard my crown and told him to tell Anata that they shot me in the back."

"Bella spent her life believing that's what happened to you. If she learns otherwise, it will change the way she thinks, the way she raises my sisters and I. It will change history. I couldn't allow that to happen. Can't allow that to happen."

"Why would knowing I'm alive change the way she raises her daughters?"

"I think she regretted the fact that she didn't do more to help you, more to prepare you for the quest. Because of that regret, she made sure her daughters were prepared for the quest, maybe even over prepared."

"You make it sound like that's a good thing."

"All but one of us survived the Princess Wars. I sit on the throne of Adah. My sister Iderra serves as Regent of Vassa. My sister Salisha serves as Regent of Dunre."

"I've never heard of Vassa or Dunre."

"They're countries. They lie on the other side of the Desert of Shifting Sands."

Martika drew her horse in front of mine, forcing both of us to stop. "If you're so worried about changing history, why did you save my life?"

"Because I could." My answer must have satisfied her, because she turned her horse east and set it into a comfortable trot. I fell in alongside of her. "You understand why you can't tell Bella that you're alive?"

Martika nodded. "And why I must leave Adah, never to return."

"You can return. In thirty years."

"After Bella dies."

"Yes."

"I'll be an old woman by then."

"You'll be in your forties. Not that old."

"Can't you just take me back to your time? From what you say, I'm not supposed to be alive in this time."

"I'm not even sure I can get back to my own time."

"But you're going to try."

"I'm going to try."

"Then I'd like to try with you."

I didn't bother to argue with her. Partly, because I didn't think it would do any good. Partly, because I knew that she was right. She wasn't suppose to be alive. At least not in this time.

"Fine," I said. "If I can find a way back to my own time, you can come with me. But there's no guarantee I can get back to my own time."

"But you have a plan."

"The time walker that brought me to this period is alive right now, albeit considerably younger. I intend to find the younger version of her and convince her to take me back to my own time."

"Where does she live?"

"Sorea."

"People may travel in and out of Sorea in your time, but in this day, Sorea is a closed country. Anybody that crosses the border into Sorea is never heard from again."

"Does that mean you've changed your mind about traveling to my time?"

"If I stay in this time, I'll spend the rest of my life worrying that someone will find me and kill me. In your time, no one will know who I am or care." Martika smiled. "Plus, in your time, I'll be able to live in the palace like the spoiled princess that I am."

I glanced at Martika's black silk gown and cloak. "You need to change clothes, slip into something less expensive, less noticeable."

"I didn't bring anything else with me."

There were plenty of farm houses on the north side of the highway. Most of them were set back from the road, hidden by the fruit orchards that surrounded them.

"Maybe I can buy something from one of these farms."

I steered my mare off the road and through the gate of an apple orchard surrounded by a waist high stone fence. I told Martika to hide in the trees then rode to the farm house alone. No one lived there but a skinny old man. He wasn't much bigger than Martika and had no problem selling some of his clothes for a gold sovereign.

Martika wasn't happy about changing into clothes worn by a common laborer, but she did it. Her shiny black riding boots stood out next to the worn brown leather breeches, the white wool shirt, and the brown wool cloak, but a little dirt took care of that.

"Now, you don't look like a princess running for her life."

"I feel ridiculous."

"You blend in and that's what's important."

I stuffed Martika's black silk gown and matching cloak in my knapsack and we resumed our journey.

By evening the clouds had cleared enough to allow the setting sun to paint the sky red and orange. It was about that time we heard three horses galloping up behind us.

We pulled off the road and into one of the orchards, hiding behind the olive trees that filled this particular orchard. I had no trouble recognizing the three people that passed us on the road. One was Bella, my mother. The second was Patera, the man I left in charge back in my own time. Like my mother, Patera was young, in his early twenties. He wore the green and gray uniform of the palace guard. His hair was long and red instead of short and gray, and he had no beard.

I recognized the other guard because he looked so much like my oldest sister, Bedonna. Like Bedonna, he was tall with broad shoulders and large biceps. Like Bedonna, he wore his dark brown hair short, so short that there was barely anything there. Like Bedonna, he had a square jaw and thick busy eyebrows. He had probably shaved that morning, but it looked like he needed to do it again.

None of them noticed us hiding in the trees. But then why would they? They were running for their lives.

"You know who that was?" Martika asked me, as they disappeared up the road, heading in the same direction we were.

"My mother."

"You recognize her at this age?"

"She looks just like my sister, Salisha. Same heart shaped face. Same long blond hair. Same figure." The only difference was Salisha carried a wicked scar on each of her cheeks, remnants of a near fatal battle that she fought with Bedonna. "According to the history books, she hid out in Nadal for a couple of days before heading east."

"Maybe she lied to the historian that wrote about the quest. Or maybe he changed the facts because he thought it sounded better. I know she's your mother and all, but Bella's not above changing a few facts to make herself look better. She's got an ego just like the rest of us."

"You're probably right." I was just worried that I had done something to change her history. Although I don't see how I could have. I had no contact with her since arriving in this time period. "But now that she's on this road, we're going to have to change our plans."

"Because?"

"I can't risk running into her and changing history."

"You've already changed history. Mine."

"If we don't get off this road, I may not have changed it for long. According to the history books, the queen's guard will be riding this way, to give Bella the Ruby Crown. We can't let them see you, less one of them decides to do Bella a favor and kill you."

About a mile down the highway, a dirt path connected with the road. It wasn't big enough for a cart or wagon, but it was big enough for a horse, as long as you rode single file. Farms bordered it on both sides, which meant it was a public road.

"We'll go this way." I moved my horse aside, so Martika could go first. Just as she passed me, I heard several horses approaching from Nadal. Like my mother, they were moving quickly. "Follow this path and don't stop for anyone but me. Now ride. As quick as you can."

I slapped Martika's stallion on the rump. He took off at a gallop, following the dirt path north.

I was about to follow her when someone called out. "You there. Stop where you are."

I glanced down the highway. Sure enough, it was the queen's guard, wearing green and gray uniforms topped by gold breastplates and gold helmets. The breastplates had the royal seal on the front--a woman's head on the body of a lion with eagle's wings. The woman's face was in profile and it was that of my grandmother. Green plumage topped their helmets. I turned my horse sideways, blocking the path Martika was fleeing on.

The queen's guard stopped when they reached me. Near as I could tell, there were about two dozen of them, nearly twice the number my mother had in her personal guard. An older man with salt and pepper hair and a matching beard approached me. "Have any riders passed you in the last hour?"

"A young woman with blond hair. She was accompanied by two members of the palace guard."

"They rode east, toward Pipho?"

"They did indeed."

The commander of the queen's guard looked behind me, at the rapidly disappearing Martika. "Who is that?"

"A physician."

Martika had pulled the cowl of her dusty wool cloak over her head. Dressed as she was, they couldn't tell if she was a man or a woman.

"He seems to be in a hurry."

"The sweating sickness has broken out in my village. He rides to lend aid and comfort."

The queen's guard backed their horses up a few paces. The sweating sickness was highly contagious, not to mention lethal. If you wanted people to leave you alone, all you had to do was mention the sweating sickness.

"Be off with you then," the commander of the queen's guard said. "The last thing we need right now is to come down with that infernal disease."

I started to turn my horse around when a vision hit me. I was galloping away from the queen's guard when the commander drew his crossbow and shot me in the back. As I tumbled off my horse, he mumbled something about preventing me from spreading that infernal disease. The vision faded and I found myself face to face with the commander who was planning on killing me.

"I haven't been exposed to the disease," I said, thinking quickly. "I was returning to my village when I found it closed off. Because I hadn't been exposed, I was asked to ride to Nadal and fetch a physician."

"Since you can't return home. You may as well come with us. The princess can probably use another woman to talk to." The commander studied me for a moment. "Although you don't dress like a woman."

"I dress for comfort. And if you find my clothing that unsuitable, I suspect your princess would find me equally unsuitable."

I didn't know if a twenty year old version of my mother would consider me to be a suitable companion or not, nor did I want to find out. I didn't want to risk changing history by getting involved in her life.

"Refusal to aid a princess of the realm is punishable by death," the commander said.

"Then you better get moving," I said. "For every minute you spend arguing with a nobody like me, is one more minute the heir hopeful is left unguarded."

A couple of the queen's guard snickered, probably over the fact the commander was losing an argument that he started.

The commander turned to the two guards that were snickering. "Make sure she comes with us."

He turned his horse east and galloped off. All of the queen's guard followed except the two he had spoken to.

"You better come with us, Miss," the guard closest to me said.

He pulled his horse alongside of mine and grabbed my reins out of my hands. The next thing I knew, we were galloping down the coastal road. Whether I liked it or not, I was about to meet my mother when she was younger than me.

Chapter 5

My mother set up camp on one of the farms just outside of Pipho. She had taken up residence in the farm house, a single story white granite structure with a flat roof and an exterior staircase leading to the roof.

The queen's guard was everywhere. Some were hiding in orange trees, watching the main road. Some were in the stable resting. Others kept watch from the roof garden on top of the house.

An elderly farm hand was tending to the horses, but the farm's owner was no where to be seen. That made me think the farm belonged to one of the guards. That wasn't unusual. The queen's guard was well paid and most owned several pieces of property.

I needed to get away from this place as quick as I could, needed to have as little interaction with my mother as possible. As I dismounted, the commander of the queen's guard pointed to me. "You, come with me."

He waited for me to join him, then we headed inside the house.

My mother was sitting in a high backed wing chair in the sitting room. A young Patera, with his bright red hair, stood on her right. Bedonna's burly father stood on her left, looking as strong and as intimidating as Bedonna always had. Their silver helmets were gone, but they still wore their breastplates and broadswords. Patera wore his broadsword across his back. Bedonna's father wore his on his left hip.

My mother didn't look much different from when I knew her, tall and slim with full breasts, long blond hair, and cornflower blue eyes. Like Martika, she wore a black silk gown with long sleeves, a high collar, and a flared skirt. The Ruby Crown, given by the late queen to the daughter she thought best suited to succeed her, graced my mother's head.

It was odd, seeing the Ruby Crown again, for I had buried it two full years ago, laying it to rest with my late sister, Bedonna. I never worried about having to give it to one of my daughters, if and when I had daughters. I had plenty of thrones.

At twenty years of age, my mother looked a lot like my sister Salisha. The only difference was the eyes. Salisha always knew she was beautiful, always believed that she was destined to become queen. I'm not sure the young woman sitting on the other side of the room knew or believed either of those things. Her eyes were full of fear and doubt. Not that I was surprised by that. Patera once told me that when my mother was young, she never thought that she would become queen, never wanted to become queen.

The commander bowed to my mother. "Your Highness, this is . . . ."

He turned to me and waited for me to say my name.

"Lila Marie Laamatt," I said, curtsying.

"We thought you might like a lady in waiting, and, she seems to be an educated woman. A bit pushy perhaps, but we are in the middle of a quest, and during times like these one has to make due."

My mother looked me over, but her face didn't indicate what she thought of me. "Where are you from?"

"I've lived in a lot of places." Which was true. We spent winters at the palace in Nadal and summers at the palace in Morchesa. I had also spent a year in Vassa, which was located across the Desert of Shifting Sands.

"That's an interesting sword you're wearing. What is it called?"

"It's called a cutlass."

"The scabbard looks like solid silver."

"It is."

"Are you proficient with a sword?"

"Extremely."

Bedonna's father scoffed. "I have yet to meet a woman that's truly proficient with a sword."

"Perhaps her idea of proficiency and your idea of proficiency are two different things," my mother said.

Bedonna's father laughed, as did Patera.

"Is that why I'm here?" I said. "So you and your men have someone to make fun of?"

I wasn't offended by her comment. But then I didn't offend easily. I was just trying to find a way to get out of there. I was hoping that if I was rude enough, they would send me on my way, find someone else to become my mother's lady in waiting.

Young Patera placed his hand on the hilt of his sword. "Mind your tongue when you're around the queen, less someone cut if off."

"When I meet someone that acts like a queen, I shall be happy to mind my tongue." I turned to the girl that would become my mother. She was blushing. "If you wish to win the support of the people, Your Highness, might I suggest you don't make fun of them. Your men are soldiers, and soldiers are free to say stupid things. As queen, you are not."

"You seem to know a lot about being queen," Patera said. "For a commoner."

"Who said I was a commoner?"

"You expect us to believe you're of royal blood?" Bedonna's father said.

"To be perfectly honest. I don't care what someone as big and as dumb as you believes." I was being as rude as I could, thinking the ruder I was, the faster they would throw me out. Bedonna's father had heard enough. He drew his mammoth broadsword, which now that I noticed it, was the same sword Bedonna used, the same sword I was holding the day Bedonna impaled herself upon it. "I've got a good mind to separate your head from your body."

"You might have a mind to separate my head from my body, but I doubt if it's a good mind, or a large one."

The girl that would become my mother giggled.

Bedonna's father reddened and marched toward me. He stopped when the commander of the queen's guard stepped in front of him. "Perhaps bringing her here wasn't a good idea. She's too outspoken to serve as a lady in waiting."

"I'm not sure being outspoken is a bad thing," the girl that would become my mother said. "But it might be best if we let her go. For her own safety."

"I shall remove her immediately, Your Highness." The commander bowed to my mother, then took my arm and hustled me out the front door. Once we were outside, he stopped and spun me around, so I was facing him. "I don't know who you are or where you come from, but mouthing off to Bartholomew Tadmor is a good way to get yourself killed."

I didn't have a chance to respond because I had a vision. Bedonna's father, Bartholomew Tadmor, was talking to the girl that would become my mother. "That girl is dangerous, Your Highness, too dangerous to turn loose, especially while the quest for the throne is taking place. With your permission, I'd like to follow her and eliminate her."

"She's certainly outspoken," the girl that would become my mother said. "But criticizing my behavior doesn't make her dangerous."

"Unless she's working for one of your sisters."

"She does know where we've made camp," young Patera said. "Not to mention the strength of our forces. And she didn't take an oath to serve you."

"Let me follow her," Bedonna's father said. "If she heads back to Nadal, we must assume she's working for one of your sisters."

The girl that would become my mother, paused for a few seconds, then looked at Bedonna's father. "Do what you think is best, Captain."

The vision faded and I found myself standing outside the house where my mother had taken up residence. "It seems you're right, Commander. Bartholomew Tadmor has already decided to follow me and kill me."

The commander didn't ask how I knew that, instead, he grabbed my arm and hustled me toward my horse. "Then if I were you, I'd get out of here. Quickly."

I mounted my horse and glanced at the house. Bedonna's father was standing in the doorway, glaring at me. I glanced down at the commander. "I don't suppose I can convince you to help me out."

"By delaying Bartholomew?"

"Yes."

"Why should I?"

"Because you're the one that dragged me here."

The commander snorted. "If you want me to get between Bartholomew Tadmor and yourself, you're going to have to give me a better reason than that."

"What I'm about to tell you stays between the two of us." I took the ring off my finger, the one that identified me as the fourth daughter of the twelfth queen, and tossed it to the commander.

He looked at the ring, then wrinkled his brow. "I don't understand."

"My name isn't Lila Marie Laamatt, it's Lila Marie Haran. I'm the fourth daughter of Bella Justine Haran, the twelfth Queen of Adah. In my time, I reign as Queen of Adah. I also rule three countries on the other side of the desert, Vassa, Dunre, and Landish."

"If that's true, how did you end up here?"

"A time walker brought me here."

"I've never heard of a time walker."

"They come from Sorea."

The commander tossed my ring back to me. "I'm not sure I believe you. Your story is too crazy."

I put my ring back on my hand. "If I am speaking the truth, then Bella has just given permission to have one of her daughter's, not to mention her successor, killed."

"I can't stop Bartholomew from coming after you. Now that his mind is made up, he'll pursue you to the end of the world. Unless...."

"Unless what?"

"If you tell Bella what you just told me, she might order him to leave you alone."

I shook my head. "I can't do that."

"Because?"

"Telling her what I just told you could change history. I can't risk that."

"I'm still not sure I believe you," the commander said. "But I am responsible for bringing you here. So I will buy you as much time as I can."

"You must promise me that what I just told you will not be repeated to anyone else."

"You have my word," the commander said.

"Thank you." I pointed the mare toward the farm's front gate and took off at a gallop, heading down the road that cut through the orchard.

As I rode, I pictured the commander in my mind, a short stocky man with a salt and pepper beard wearing black riding boots, gray leather breeches, and a green tunic topped by a gold breastplate. A second later, I saw him step in front of Bartholomew Tadmor.

"Let the girl go," the commander said. "We need your sword here, protecting the queen."

"The girl could be dangerous," Bartholomew said.

"She's just some girl I picked up on the highway. She's not dangerous. She's just rude. You can't go around killing people because they're rude."

I reach the end of the orchard and hung a right on the highway, heading back toward Nadal, trying to put as much distance between Bedonna's father and myself as I could.

"Queen Bella believes otherwise," Bartholomew said. "She wants the girl followed."

"Queen Bella could care less about that girl. You want to go after her because she called you stupid." The commander remained where he was, directly in front of Bedonna's father, blocking his path to the stable and buying me precious time.

Bartholomew glared at the commander. "Step aside, Marcus, or I shall make you step aside."

The commander hesitated for a few seconds, then stepped aside. Bartholomew stomped to the stables and saddled the biggest horse there. By the time he mounted up, I was a good two miles ahead.

"You don't even know where she's going." The commander stepped in front of Bartholomew's horse and grabbed his bridal, forcing him to stop for a few more seconds.

"She's headed to Nadal, probably intends to sell what she's learned about us to the highest bidder."

"She didn't impress me as the kind of woman that needs money," the commander said. "Her scabbard was solid silver."

Bartholomew glared at the commander. "Step aside, Marcus. Now."

The commander hesitated for a few seconds, then released the horse's bridal and stepped aside.

Bartholomew Tadmor set his big horse into a gallop and headed off in pursuit of me.

I succeeded in keeping my contact with my mother to a minimum, but had made an enemy in the process. One that wanted me dead.

Chapter 6

I rode west at a full gallop, determined to keep as much distance between myself and Bartholomew Tadmore as I could. When I reached the dirt path that Martika had taken, I turned off the road and headed north. The path wound its way between the farms and it wasn't long before I had lost sight of the coastal road, which meant that Bartholomew couldn't see me anymore than I could see him. He thought I was headed to Nadal, to sell what I had learned to one of my mother's sisters. As such, he would continue west, all the way to Nadal. Eventually, he would get tired of looking for me and return to my mother's side.

Figuring I was safe, I slowed my tired mare to a comfortable trot. The sky had cleared, but dusk had arrived and the light of day was rapidly fading. About five miles north of the coastal road, I came to a well. It was set to the right of the path.

Sitting on top of the stone wall that surrounded the well was Martika. She was eating an apple. Her horse was eating a pile of apples that rested at her feet.

"I was wondering when you'd get here," she said when she saw me.

I dismounted and led my mare to the well, so she could drink. "I told you to keep riding."

"Riding alone is no fun. I'd rather ride with you."

"How did you know you'd see me again?"

"I saw how you disarmed those two guards that wanted to kill me. I figured someone as powerful as you would have no trouble getting away from Bella or the queen's guard." She smiled and tossed me an apple. "Turns out I was right."

"Can I assume you stole these apples?"

Martika grinned. "I'm a princess of the realm, I don't steal, I appropriate for royal use."

"For someone who's running for her life, not to mention was almost shot to death a few hours ago, you're certainly in a good mood."

"When I fled the palace this morning, I didn't know where I was going, nor did I have anyone to travel with me. Now, I have a destination and a traveling companion." She took a bite of the apple she was eating, then said, "So, did you meet Bella?"

"I did."

"What did you think of her?"

"The girl I met today is very different from the mother I knew."

"How so?"

"She's easily influenced by the people around her, gives too much weight to their opinions."

"Perhaps that will change with time. You must remember. She's not the queen yet. She's just a scared and frightened girl."

"Like you?"

"Like me." Martika glanced over her shoulder. "Do you know where this road leads?"

"North. Which will take us away from Nadal and your sisters." My mare finished drinking and joined the stallion in working on the pile of apples. At the same time, I sat next to Martika and munched on the apple she tossed me. "I don't suppose you have any money?"

Martika flashed a sheepish grin. "Money's something I've never had to worry about, what with my being a member of the royal family."

"You were a member of the royal family. Now, you're just a commoner working her way toward Gibney, where she hopes to make her fortune."

"I can't tell anybody who I am?"

"Not if you want to remain alive."

We stayed at the well until the horses finished eating. When they were done, we mounted up and followed the path north, moving at a slow but steady pace.

"We're not going to ride all night," Martika whined.

"The more distance we put between you and your sisters, the safer you'll be."

Martika turned in the saddle and looked back at me. "Why do I get the feeling that you're not telling me something?"

It was dark, but the sky had cleared, allowing a three quarter moon to light the night.

"Bartholomew Tadmore is looking for me."

"Because?"

"I called him stupid."

Martika laughed. "To his face?"

"I don't call people stupid behind their backs."

"You think he'll find us?"

"Doubtful. He thought I was headed to Nadal, to tell one of your sisters where Bella was staying."

"But you figure it's better to be safe than sorry."

"Yes."

"So we keep moving."

I nodded. "We keep moving."

"Could you defeat him in a sword fight?"

"Probably, but I can't fight him."

"Why not?"

"I can't risk killing him and changing history."

"So we run."

I nodded. "We run."

We plodded along all night, moving at a slow but steady pace, sleeping as we rode. At dawn, we came to a village. Like most of the cities and villages in Adah, it was walled. An eighteen foot sandstone wall circled the village. There were no soldiers manning the wall's ramparts, which wasn't unusual. It wasn't that big a place, maybe a couple hundred people. Plus, it wasn't on a main road. Garrisons, large or small, were only stationed along major highways.

In the middle of the village's southern wall were a pair of heavy wooden gates. The gates were open, revealing another pair of open gates in the middle of the northern wall. The street was already busy with horse drawn wagons, handcarts, and people on foot.

"Can we stop for breakfast?" Martika said, slowing her stallion until we were side by side. "I could use something hot to eat."

"As could I. And if anybody asks, we're sisters. I'm Lila Marie Laamatt. You're Lena Marcella Laamatt."

"Lena Marcella Laamatt. Suppose that's a name I better get used to."

"As long as we're stuck in this time period."

"Where'd you get the name Laamatt from?"

"Catlett Shay Laamatt was the first Queen of Vassa, a small country that lies on the other side of the desert. She brought me there and made me her heir. She reminded me a lot of my mother. Your sister."

"You speak of her in the past tense. Does that mean she's dead?"

"In my time." I thought for a second, then smiled. "In this time, she'd be about your age, and a good ten years from assuming her father's throne."

We passed through the gates and into the village. The buildings inside the village were made out of the same sandstone as the wall. Most were single story structures, a couple on the street that we were on were two story structures.

In front of a stable sat a big red wagon. Painted on the sides of the wagon in big gold lettering, were the words: GIRLS WANTED. FAME AND FORTUNE AWAIT. Half a dozen red and gold banners fluttered from the wagon's roof, drawing attention to the large garish vehicle.

Martika pointed to the brightly colored wagon. "What in the world is that?"

"A recruiter from Gibney."

"What's he recruiting?"

"Attractive young women are always in demand in Gibney. They have these places called pleasure palaces. They employ a lot of girls."

"No kidding?"

I looked at Martika. "Didn't your tutors teach you that?"

Martika smiled, a sheepish smile. "I never paid much attention to my tutors."

"Can you speak the Tongue of the Merchants?" I said, switching from Adan to Gibean.

"I'm very good with languages," Martika said, switching to the Tongue of the Merchants. "I'm just not very good with dates and statistics and boring stuff like that."

I steered my horse toward the brightly colored wagon.

"Are we going to join up?"

"Maybe. We'll see what he has to say."

"What goes on in these pleasure palaces?"

"Drinking, gambling, sex."

Martika smiled, a wry smile. "The same stuff that goes on in our family's palaces."

"You're less likely to be noticed riding in the back of that wagon. It's a good way to sneak you out of the country."

Martika was still a princess of the realm. A lot of people knew who she was. As long as we were in Adah, her life was in danger.

"What does the recruiter get out of this?"

"He's paid a fee for every girl he brings back."

"How much do they pay him?"

"Probably depends upon the girls and who's paying him."

The tailgate on the back of the wagon was down, creating a small stage. A man sat on a three legged stool on the back of the stage, sleeping, with his chin resting on his chest. He was short and fat with a shaved head and a black mustache. He wore red silk breeches tucked into polished black riding boots, and a long sleeved gold silk shirt that laced down the front.

I stopped my horse in front of the back of the wagon. "Hey recruiter, wake up."

The recruiter snorted a couple of times, opened his eyes, and mumbled, "I'm awake."

"Who are you recruiting for?"

The man shook his head trying to wake up. "I must've dozed off. What did you ask me?"

"Who are you recruiting for?"

"I'm a freelance recruiter. Where my girls end up depends upon a lot of factors, how attractive they are, what kind of skills they possess, what they're willing to do."

"I'm willing to do anything except work as a pleasure girl." Pleasure girl was a fancy name for prostitute.

"Can you speak Gibean?"

"We can both speak it, as well as read and write it."

The recruiter rubbed his hands together. "Educated girls. Excellent. Excellent. Educated girls are hard to find in this country."

"Does that mean you can find us work?"

The recruiter looked us over. "Your faces are pretty enough, but I'll need to see what kind of figures you have."

Martika watched me unwrap my cloak, then did the same.

The recruiter looked at me. "Awful fancy duds you're wearing, certainly not the clothes of a woman that needs work."

"Our family had a recent run of bad luck," Martika said. "As you can see from the not so fancy duds that I'm wearing."

"Can you find us work or not?" I said.

"I can find you plenty of work," the recruiter said to me. "I'm not so sure about your sister. She's a little on the skinny side."

"She's sixteen."

The recruiter scratched his chin. "Sixteen huh. You sure your parents are ready to part with you, send you out into the world?"

"I never met my father," Martika said. "And my mother died recently, so I have no parents to part from."

The recruiter looked at me. "That true?"

I nodded. "It's true."

"You're welcome to come with me," the recruiter said to me. "Even if I can't find any work for your little sister, a looker like you will be able to make enough money to support the both of you."

"Can you find us work near the Sorean border?" I asked.

"Yeah, sure, plenty of pleasure palaces along the southern road. Why do you want to work there?"

"We prefer a warmer climate."

"Don't blame ya. I prefer the southern half of the country myself. Winters can get mighty cold in Northern Gibney. Doesn't snow much, but it sure does rain."

"Where are you headed to next?" If he was heading down to Nadal, there was no way we were going to join him.

"I've already got two girls sleeping in the back of the wagon. If you two join us, that'll give me four girls. The wagon only holds six so four is enough to head back to Gibney."

We sold our horses to the stable master, then joined the recruiter and his other two girls for breakfast at a local tavern.

The girls looked to be about eighteen. They weren't particularly pretty, with bulbous noses dominating their round faces. I thought they were a little on the plump side, but some men liked full figured girls. What they had going for them, besides their youth, was the fact that they were identical twins.

They wore their kinky blond hair short, but even then it shot out in all directions. They wore white off the shoulder peasant blouses and ankle length gingham skirts. They introduced themselves as Decca and Dacca.

The tables in the tavern were small, with room for no more than three people. Martika joined Decca and Dacca at their table. I sat with the recruiter, who introduced himself as Baggus.

"Baggus what?" I said, as we ate a breakfast of fried ham and eggs. Baggus had ale with his breakfast. I elected to have a cup of hot tea with mine.

Baggus laughed. "I can't rightly remember. It's been so long since anybody asked me my last name. In Gibney, I'm simply known as Baggus the Recruiter."

"And you supply most of your girls to the pleasure palaces?"

Baggus nodded. "Those that don't mind having a little fun, work as pleasure girls. Those that have received some education and know how to count work in the gambling hall. The brightest and best looking work as lures."

"Lures?"

"Lures stand in the doorway of whatever palace employs them and try to lure customers into the place. Of course there's usually a rival palace right across the street with a couple of girls trying to do the exact same thing, so that may be the toughest job of all. Lures receive one gold sovereign for every customer they convince to walk into their place. A good lure makes more money than anybody in the place, except of course for the owner." Baggus paused to look me over. "You'd make a good lure. You're beautiful, sexy, and a right good talker."

I nodded in Martika's direction. "What about my sister?"

"She's not sexy enough to work as a lure, maybe in a couple of years, but not now. She does got a pretty face, and you said she's educated."

"She is."

"I can probably get her a job as a card or dice girl."

"What do they do?"

"They work in the gambling hall. They deal the cards and roll the dice. Collect money from the losers and pay the winners. You got to be good with numbers to do that kind of stuff."

"How much do they make?"

"They get a daily wage, plus they get to keep any tips the betters give them." Baggus laughed. "Course the only betters that tip are those that win."

"And Decca and Dacca?"

"They don't speak Gibean, so they can't work as lures. They don't know how to count, so they can't work as card or dice girls. That sort of leaves one option."

"Pleasure girls."

"The fact that they're twins makes them special. Twins are always in demand."

"Do they know what's in store for them?"

Baggus laughed. "They might be young, with no formal education, but their not stupid. Don't take my word for it, ask them yourself."

I did. Not only did they know what lay ahead, they were looking forward to it. As Decca said, "Why just sleep around, when we can sleep around and get paid for it."

It was hard to argue with logic like that, so I let the subject drop. On the other side of the desert, prostitution was frowned upon. But on this side of the desert, it was considered an honorable profession, especially for those who had no formal education. Maybe that was why the people on the other side of the desert called us barbarians.

"The palaces in Gibney treat their pleasure girls right," Baggus said. "Especially their top earners. They have the right to refuse any customer they don't like. Of course, the more customers you refuse, the less money you make. So it's sort of a two edged sword. If you know what I mean."

"You think Decca and Dacca will be top earners?"

"Twins is always top earners. One of the palaces is going to pay me a healthy fee for bringing those two in." Baggus took a gulp of his ale. "Course not as much as they're going to pay me for finding you. I'm going to get rich off you. And you're going to get rich working as a lure."

I almost said that I was already rich. But that wasn't true. In my time, I was rich. I ruled four countries, and had a ton of land, complete with farms, ranches, tenants that paid me rent, and gold and silver mines. Not to mention taxes. In this time, I had nothing, only the clothes on my back and the money in the coin purse attached to my cutlass belt.

In my time, I could think and act like a queen. In this time, I couldn't. In this time, I had more in common with Decca and Dacca than I did with my mother. My mother didn't have to worry about paying for her next meal. Decca and Dacca did. So did I.

"Rich is good," I said. I raised my cup of tea. Baggus raised his ale and we toasted to getting rich.

Chapter 7

The wagon contained six bunks, three to a side, one on top of the other. There wasn't much to them, just a board with a thin straw mattress on top. The bottom bunk on each side rested on top of a series of cupboards. The cupboards on one side contained food. The cupboards on the other side contained clothes and blankets.

Martika rode in the back with Decca and Dacca, catching up on the sleep she missed out on while riding all night. Plus it kept her hidden. We didn't want anyone recognizing her and letting Baggus know that he was helping a princess of the realm escape the country.

The back of the wagon was a little too hot and stuffy for my liking, so I rode up front with Baggus. Plus, I wasn't tired. I had learned to sleep while riding during my own quest.

A team of four oxen pulled the wagon, so we moved at a slower pace than a team of horses would've moved, except when going up hills. The oxen were stronger than horses and had no trouble pulling the big wagon up hills.

I looked at Baggus. "How did you end up working as a recruiter?"

"Recruiters do a lot of traveling. I like to travel." Baggus looked at me and smiled. "Plus I get to meet a lot of pretty girls. All and all, it's not a bad life."

"You got a family?"

"Families need men that are around. That's just not me. Not that I didn't try the family thing, back when I was younger. But the wife died while giving birth, then the kid died a few weeks later."

"I'm sorry," I said.

"Don't worry about it. It was a long time ago."

"Was it a boy or a girl?"

"Girl. She'd be about your age now. If she had lived. I'd like to think she'd be as pretty as you."

"I'm sure she would have been."

"That's why you'll make a good lure," Baggus said. "Not only are you a looker, you always know what to say."

I laughed. "Knowing what to say was one of the requirements of my previous occupation."

"Yeah. What was that?"

"Doesn't matter. That was a different time, a different place."

"Kinda like my being a family man?"

"Kind of."

Baggus looked at me. "I listen to you talk and I come to two thinkins. Either you're a lot older than you look, or you're educated up the wazoo."

"How old do I look?"

"Eighteen, nineteen."

"I'm twenty-three."

"Okay, so you ain't that much older than you look. Which means you must be educated up the wazoo."

I laughed. "Being educated up the wazoo, as you put it, was another requirement of my previous occupation."

"And you ain't gonna tell me what that occupation was?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

"I'd believe just about anything you told me, Missy." Baggus smiled. "Which is another reason why you'll make a good lure."

We rode in silence for awhile, our wagon going up and down the gently rolling hills that made up northeast Adah. The clouds in the sky were white and fluffy. Occasionally, one would block the sun, but then it would move on. The wind was blowing just hard enough to stir the waist high green grass that covered the hills.

"There is something I should warn you about," Baggus said.

"What's that?"

"Most of the pleasure houses in Gibney are owned by two families."

"So?"

"So, they're sort of feuding with each other right now."

"And this concerns me how?"

"They're not above kidnapping each others girls, not to mention burning each others houses down."

"I appreciate the info," I said. As a seer, I didn't worry about stuff like that. If something was going to happen that threatened my life, I'd have a vision warning me. Still, it didn't hurt to know what we were getting ourselves into.

"Of course that feuding works out good for you and me," a grinning Baggus said. "Odds are we can get them into a bidding war for your services. We go to both houses and tell them the other side is willing to pay you two gold sovereigns for every person you lure into their place. Seeing how they're not talking to each other, odds are pretty good one of them will offer you three gold sovereigns per head."

"How many people do these palaces hold?"

"The smaller ones hold a couple hundred. The big ones hold about five hundred."

"You telling me that I can make as much as fifteen hundred gold sovereigns a day?"

Baggus never had a chance to answer that question because four horsemen came galloping over the hill, headed in our direction. Baggus brought the wagon to a stop and reached under the seat for his broadsword.

"Trouble?" I asked.

"Could be highway men, could be travelers."

"They don't look like travelers to me."

"Me either." Baggus looked at the cutlass on my hip. "You any good with that thing?"

"Yes."

"Good enough to beat a man?"

"Yes."

"I hope so."

The highway men, if that's what they were, stopped in front of us, blocking our path.

"This is a recruiter wagon," Baggus said. "There are no valuables on board."

The biggest of the four men looked at me. "Valuables come in all shapes and sizes."

"How about you show us what else you got in the back of that wagon," a second highway man said.

I wondered why I didn't have a vision warning me about the men, but I already knew the answer. I only had visions about people that wanted to kill me. These men didn't want to kill us. They just wanted to have sex with us. I was pretty sure Baggus wouldn't agree to that.

Baggus stood and raised his broadsword in front of him. "These girls are under my protection. You'll not touch em."

Two of the highway men circled around to the back of the wagon. Not that it would do them any good. The tailgate on the wagon reached all the way to the wagon's roof. What's more, it had to be unlocked from the inside. The only way they could get at Martika, Decca, and Dacca was to go through the door directly behind Baggus and myself. Recruiter wagons were built like mini forts, designed to protect the girls inside them from occurrences such as this.

Eventually, the two highway men that circled behind the wagon, circled around to the front, shaking their heads.

"There's no way in through the back," one of them said.

By this time, Martika, Decca, and Dacca had poked their heads out the front of the wagon, wanting to see what all the commotion was about.

"What's going on?" Martika said.

"Apparently, we've encountered some highway men that want to have their way with us," I said.

"Real live highway men?" Martika said.

"Real live highway men."

Martika looked the men over, taking in their scraggly beards and dirty clothes. "I like men as much as the next girl, but these four, I don't think so. Take care of them, Lila."

She disappeared back inside the wagon, dismissing the highway men like the pampered princess she was.

"They don't look so bad to me," Dacca said.

"Even so," I said. "If you and Decca are going to be pleasure girls, you can't be giving it away."

"She's right," Decca said. "From now on, we charge."

"Then we'll charge them," Dacca said.

She climbed over the seat, so she was standing between Baggus and me. "My sister and I will show you a good time, but it'll cost you."

The highway men looked at each other, caught off-guard by Dacca's offer. Finally, the big one said, "How much?"

Dacca didn't know how much to charge, so she looked to Baggus for help.

"Ten silver pieces a man," Baggus said. "And that's a deal. It'll cost you twice that much to spend time with them once they begin work at one of the pleasure palaces in Gibney."

One of the highway men point at me. "What about her?"

"She's not part of the deal," Baggus said.

"We could just take what we want," the highway man said.

Baggus raised his sword in front of him. "You could try."

I drew my cutlass and held it in front of me. "And you would fail."

On the other side of the desert, no one took a woman with a sword too seriously, but this was Adah, and in Adah, even highway men knew there were plenty of women around who could handle a sword.

The big highway man debated his options, pay for Decca and Dacca's services, fight us and try to take what they wanted, or let us pass. In the end, he decided to let us pass.

"Take your overpriced trash and be on your way," the big highway man said.

He moved his horse to the side of the road, and his three partners followed suit. Baggus handed the reins to Dacca. She flicked the reins and our team of oxen started off.

Baggus remained standing. He peered around the side of the wagon, watching to see if the highway men followed us. When he was satisfied that they had lost interest, he slid his sword beneath the wagon's bench, sat, and took the reins from Dacca.

"No party?" a disappointed Dacca said.

"Ten silver pieces was a little out of their price range," I said.

"We could've given them a deal."

"Ten silver pieces was a deal," Baggus said.

Dacca grunted in disagreement, scrambled over the bench, and disappeared into the back of the wagon.

"She likes to party," Decca said, from her spot in the wagon's doorway. She turned and disappeared inside the wagon, probably to try and console her disappointed sister.

"Do you run into a lot of highway men in your travels?" I asked Baggus.

"Only when I take back roads like this one. Plenty of soldiers on your main highways."

"Why take the back roads if they're more dangerous?"

Baggus smiled. "I find some of the best girls on the back roads. You and the twins for instance."

I lowered my voice so Decca and Dacca couldn't hear me. "They're very eager."

The smile on Baggus's face widened. "That's why they're going to be stars."

***

Adah is a big country when you're traveling north to south, or south to north, like we were. As such, it took us ten days to reach the city of Charteer.

Charteer was Adah's fifth largest city. Located in northeast Adah, it bordered southwest Gibney.

The city, and the wall that surrounded it, were constructed out of gray granite blocks cut from a quarry just north of the city. There were four gates in the city's wall, one in the middle of the northern wall, one in the middle of southern wall, one in the eastern wall, and one in the western wall.

It was the middle of the day when we reached the city. The gates were open and we entered with no problem. Gibean recruiters and their colorful wagons were a common sight in Charteer.

The city's streets were made out of the same gray stones as the wall and buildings. As such, the clopping of hooves on stone was a familiar sound within the city walls.

Soldiers were also a familiar sight within the city walls, decked out in black riding boots, gray leather breeches, gray cotton shirts, and green tunics topped by brass breastplates. Some wore their brass helmets, others carried them under their arms.

Decca and Dacca had never been to the city, so they joined Baggus and myself on the bench, squeezing in between us. Martika watched from just inside the doorway, hiding in the shadows from anyone that might recognize her as a member of the royal family.

"I've got one more girl to pick up," Baggus said. "Told her I'd pick her up on my way back."

We found the girl working in a tavern called the Snow Hawk. She looked to be about my age, somewhere in her early twenties. She was a blond, blue eyed beauty that reminded me of my big sister Salisha. Well, until my oldest sister, Bedonna scarred Salisha's cheeks in a sword fight. Salisha had been beautiful and sexy and knew it. I still thought she was beautiful, although she didn't.

This girl was beautiful and sexy and she knew it. She sashayed between tables carrying large wooden tankards of ale. As many as six at a time, three in each hand. She managed to deliver the ale, flirt with the customers, and avoid having her bottom pinched without spilling a single drop.

"She's very good at her job," I said. "Why does she want to work at a pleasure palace?"

"More money," Baggus said.

The girl finally noticed us standing in the doorway. Baggus waved to her and she nodded in acknowledgment. She delivered the tankards she was carrying and returned to the bar. She said something to the bartender, collected her tips from a tankard she kept behind the bar, and headed in our direction.

The bartender was yelling at her, asking how he was going to wait on all these customers without her help, but she paid him no attention.

"Never thought I'd see you again," she said to Baggus.

"I could never forget a beauty such as you, Altee," a grinning Baggus said. "You ready to go?"

"More than ready." Altee looked at me. "Who's this?"

"This is Lila," Baggus said. "Lila, this is Altee."

Altee was a couple of inches taller than me. We were the same size in the chest, but she was bigger than me in the backside. Her hair was long and straight and reached to the middle of her back, just like mine. The only difference was mine was as black as coal. Where my eyes were an emerald green, hers were a sea blue. Where my chin and cheekbones were sharp, hers were softly rounded.

I offered her my hand. She looked at it, then pushed past me. "I'm taking this journey to make money, not friends."

We followed Altee out the door. Baggus looked at me and smiled sheepishly. "She'll warm up to you."

"You think so?"

"You're easy to like, how can she not warm up to you."

I wasn't as optimistic as Baggus, but that was okay. Making friends wasn't why I was on this journey.

CHAPTER 8

I had never been to Gibney. I had to learn about the country. I had to learn their language. But I had never actually set foot in the country. Not until I crossed the border on Baggus's wagon.

The country reminded me of Vassa, one of the countries I ruled on the other side of the desert. It consisted of gently rolling hills covered with thick green grass and river valleys with wide slow moving rivers. Of course, Gibney was a much bigger country.

We followed the southern highway, one of the main roads in Gibney. Stones hadn't been placed in the ground, like the main highways in Adah. It was just a packed dirt trail, busy enough so no grass grew between the wagon tracks. It was also wide enough for a pair of wagons the size of ours to travel side by side.

In Adah the army built the roads. Gibney had no standing army. In fact, calling it a country might have been a misnomer. It was actually a collection of rich families, or houses, with each house having its own security force.

Altee turned out to be quite unfriendly. She rode on the front of the wagon with Baggus and me, literally insinuating herself between us. She didn't talk to me, didn't even acknowledge my existence.

She was still in her barmaid's uniform, a white off the shoulder peasant blouse, a red leather corset that went on top of the blouse, and a knee length black cotton skirt with half a dozen layers of frilly white petticoats beneath it.

She spoke Gibean, which wasn't surprising. Most of the people born and raised in Charteer could speak Gibean. On any given day, there were as many Gibeans in the city as there were Adans.

"How far into your country are we going to go?" she asked Baggus.

"Saco is about two days ride from the Adan border," Baggus said. "They've got a couple of good sized pleasure palaces, so we'll check them out, see what kind of interest they have in you girls."

***

Two days later, we reached the city of Saco. It bordered both sides of a slow moving river known simply as the Southern River. Three stone bridges spanned the slow moving water, with each bridge consisting of half a dozen arches.

Most of the buildings were made out of gray stone, with the tallest being four stories high. There was no wall surrounding the city, but that wasn't surprising. Gibeans were renowned merchants and traders. Most of the wars waged between the various houses were trade wars.

The largest building on the north side of the river was a gray stone castle. It reminded me of the castles on the other side of the desert, rising three stories. It was topped by round towers placed randomly around the castle. The towers grew taller as you moved from front to back and were topped by red tiled roofs.

Unlike the castles on the other side of the desert, royalty didn't live in this castle. This was one of the pleasure palaces Baggus spoke about. While the castles on the other side of the desert were always situated on a hill that overlooked the city, this one was located down by the river, in the heart of the city.

"The Saleen family owns this palace," Baggus said. "The palace on the other side of the river is owned by the Nikos family. They're the two families I told you about. The two that are feuding."

There was a corral directly opposite the palace. A fence made out of split logs enclosed the lot. Horses roamed the lot, grazing on piles of hay. Baggus turned his wagon toward the corral, pausing long enough for the man sitting on the gate to open it. When we were inside the fence, Baggus looked at all of us.

"I'm going to talk to the owner. While I do that, I need you girls to doll yourselves up."

"Doll ourselves up?" a confused Dacca said.

"Yeah. Brush your hair. Change into one of the outfits stored in the cupboards under the bunk. They're not going to hire any of you without looking you over."

Baggus set the brakes on the wagon, jumped off, and headed for the palace. The rest of us slipped into the back of the wagon. Altee dug through the clothes, found an outfit she wanted, and proceeded to change. Decca and Dacca watched what Altee did, then imitated her.

I nodded to Martika, indicating that she should follow me. Which she did. We left the wagon, and headed across the street toward the palace.

"Why aren't we changing?" Martika asked.

"Thought it might be better if we took a look at the girls working here. See what they're wearing."

There were two girls standing in front of the palace's main entrance, talking and flirting with the men that walked and rode past the palace. Their hair was down, pulled behind their ears, and pinned in place with silver clips that spelled the word: SALEEN. They wore green silk shirt-dresses with long sleeves. The shirts were just long enough to cover their bottoms. Silver belts made from silver coins circled their waists. Like their hair clips, their silver belt buckles spelled the word: SALEEN.

"We can come close to matching that," I said.

By the time we got back to the wagon, Altee, Decca, and Dacca had changed. They wore outfits that reminded me of the slave girl outfit I wore when I crossed the Desert of Shifting Sands. Silver chains circled their waists. A single piece of silk covered their fronts, running from their waists to their ankles. A second piece of silk covered their backsides, as well as the back of their legs. From the side, their legs were completely bare, and when they walked, the piece in the front slipped between their legs, displaying them from that angle.

Their tops were also a single piece of silk. They were triangular in shape and tied behind the neck and the middle of the back. Their waists, shoulders, and backs were left bare. Altee's outfit was the same blue as her eyes. Decca's outfit was yellow. Dacca's orange. Sandals completed their outfits.

I had a couple of black silk shirts with an identical cut to the ones the girls in front of the pleasure palace wore. I kept one for myself and gave the other to Martika. I peeled off my riding boots and breeches, then removed my shirt. I undid the silk binding that was around my breasts, thinking I'd have a better chance of being hired if I had a few more curves and a little more bounce. Then I slipped into the black shirt. I removed the lacing, which ran halfway down the front of the shirt, and buckled my cutlass around my waist, wearing the shirt as an extremely short dress with an open neckline.

I found some black ankle boots with a narrow three inch heel in Baggus's collection. Except for the color, they matched the boots worn by the two girls working in front of the palace.

There were several silver hair clips shaped to look like daisies. We used them to pin our hair back. By the time we finished dressing, the other three girls had left the wagon.

"Do we really need these jobs?" Martika asked me as we laced up our boots.

"Food cost money," I said. "So does a bed."

"But you have money in your coin purse."

"Enough for a week's worth of food and lodging. Thing is, I don't know how long we're going to be here."

"Because?"

"If we enter Sorea without knowing how to speak their language, we'll get tossed into a dungeon and forgotten about."

"Sounds like you're speaking from experience."

"Second hand experience," I said. "My sister Iderra crossed the border into Sorea without being able to speak their language. She ended up in a dungeon, might still be there if I hadn't used my powers to free her."

"And you think there are people in Gibney that can speak Sorean?"

"In my time, I spent a day in a Sorean city. It wasn't long, but it was long enough to notice a pair of Gibean traders moving about the city. And this city was a long way from the Sorea--Gibney border."

"So Sorea isn't a closed society?"

"It's closed in that you can't immigrate to or from Sorea. And while we don't trade with them, I believe a small number of Gibean merchants do. I just just need to find one of those merchants and convince him to teach me their language."

"That's going to take time," Martika said.

"Yes it will."

"And you think a pleasure palace is a good place to meet one of these guys?"

"According to Baggus, people go into these places at a rate of five hundred a day. Working as a lure will give me a chance to talk to a lot of people."

"What if we can't find someone that trades with the Soreans?"

"Then we'll move to another city and try one of their pleasure palaces. Sooner or later, we'll find what we're looking for."

I heard Baggus calling to us from outside the wagon, telling us that it was time to go. Martika found a silver belt, buckled it around her waist, then turned to me. "How do I look?"

"Like a younger, taller, version of me."

Martika peeked down the front of her shirt. "More like a younger, taller, flatter version of you."

"You look fine," I said.

"I've never had a job interview. Have you?"

"Just one."

"What was that for?"

"Heir to the throne of Vassa."

"Did you get it?"

"I did."

***

Once upon a time, the pleasure palace may have been a real palace, occupied by Gibean royalty. Now, it was exactly what it claimed to be, a place where people came to have fun. The great hall was a gambling hall, with numerous card and dice tables. The dining hall was a tavern. The throne room was a dance hall with its own band.

Pretty girls were everywhere, serving drinks in the tavern, working the card and dice tables in the gambling hall, flirting and dancing with the customers in the dance hall, heading up to the second floor with customers that wanted a little extra attention. They were dressed like the two girls that worked the front door, decked out in green and silver.

Baggus led us up the stairs, past the second floor, and up to the third. We entered a large office, gigantic might be more accurate. There were no windows but there was a skylight, which allowed the afternoon sun to light the room. A green throw rug with the word Saleen stitched across it in silver sat in the middle of the oak floor. At the far end of the room sat a large oak desk. The only other piece of furniture in the room was the chair behind the desk.

Sitting in that chair was a woman. She rose to her feet when we entered the room. She was tall and thin with platinum colored hair that she wore short, as short as a boy might wear his hair. I placed her somewhere in her thirties. She wore a green silk shirt identical to what every other girl in the place wore. The only difference was that her shirt was tucked into black leather breeches.

"Here they are," Baggus said. He stepped to the side, so the woman could get a better look at us. "A fine group of girls, if I do say so."

"You said they speak our language."

Baggus pointed to Altee, Martika, and myself. "These three speak it fluently."

"And the twins?"

"Not at all." Baggus smiled. "But they're very good at what they do. Eager even."

"They're eager to work as pleasure girls?"

"Yes."

The woman stopped in front of us and looked Decca and Dacca over. "They're not particularly pretty, but their curves are quite generous. And twins are always in high demand. You're sure they know why they're here?"

Baggus nodded eagerly. "Oh yes. They know."

The woman turned to me. "Is the recruiter telling me the truth?"

She was speaking in her native tongue, possibly because it was the only language she knew, possibly to test me.

I answered in her native tongue. "On our way here, we were stopped by highway men. Baggus said Decca and Dacca would lay with them for ten silver pieces each. The highway men didn't have that kind of money and went away looking disappointed. But not as disappointed as Decca and Dacca looked."

"I'm glad to hear that," the woman said. "I prefer to hire girls that enjoy what they're doing."

The woman turned to Martika. She looked her up and down. "How old are you?"

"Sixteen," Martika said in Gibean.

"And you can count?"

"Math was never my favorite subject, but yes, I can count."

"Come with me," the woman said.

They walked over to the woman's desk, which was a long way from where we were standing. The woman picked a wooden cup off her desk and tipped it over. A pair of dice made from polished bone rolled onto her desk.

"How much is that?" she asked Martika.

Martika looked at the two dice. A six was showing on one. A five was showing on the other.

"Eleven," Martika said.

The woman put the dice in the cup and rolled them again. This time a three and a two appeared.

"Five," Martika said.

She did it a third time. This time a pair of fours appeared.

"Eight," Martika said.

"The game is simple," the woman said to Martika. "Customers bet on whether you'll roll a seven or eleven, or something else. If you roll a seven or eleven, those that bet on seven or eleven win, those that bet on something else lose."

"I'm familiar with the game," Martika said.

She should be, I thought. From what she told me, she used to sneak away from her tutors and play the game with members of the palace guard.

"You can return to the others," the woman said.

Martika curtsied and fell back in line beside me.

The woman moved in front of Altee and looked her over. "Baggus says that you can speak my tongue."

"I speak it," Altee said.

"And you have experience working in a tavern?"

"A lot of experience."

"We can always use another girl in the tavern."

"That will be fine," Altee said.

The woman moved to me. She looked at the cutlass on my left hip. "What kind of a blade is that?"

"It's called a cutlass. They're popular with sailors on the other side of the desert."

"You've been to the Far Lands?"

"As has somebody in your family," I said.

"What makes you say that?"

"This building is patterned after the castles used by the kings that rule the Far Lands." In my time, I owned one of those castles. In a country called Dunre.

The woman smiled. "My great grandfather was a trader. He made several trips to the Far Lands. Patterned our pleasure palaces after the castles he saw over there."

"You're a Saleen."

The woman nodded. "Alexandra Saleen."

"Lila Marie Laamatt." I nodded at Martika. "This is my little sister, Lena."

"Do you know how to use that blade?" Alexandra asked me.

"Yes."

"You can read and write?"

"In four languages."

"Why would someone with that much education want to work as a lure at a pleasure palace?"

"I need to eat, like everyone else."

"Baggus says the House of Nikos has offered you two gold sovereigns a head to work as a lure for them."

"Truth be told, we have yet to visit the House of Nikos." Baggus groaned over my admission. "Although I'm pretty sure I could convince them to pay me two gold sovereigns a head."

"I suspect you could," Alexandra said. "Which is why I'm willing to pay you three gold sovereigns a head. You'll work the front door with a second girl and you split the heads fifty--fifty."

"How long is my shift?"

"We'll put you in the prime shift, from sunset to midnight."

Alexandra turned to Baggus. "Pleasure girls earn twenty silver pieces a customer. Dice girls and barmaids earn five silver pieces an hour. Everyone keeps their tips. Girls are paid at the end of every shift."

Baggus translated into Adan. Decca and Dacca nodded their agreement, as did Altee. A six hour shift at five silver pieces an hour meant Martika would earn around around thirty silver pieces a day, or three gold sovereigns a day. It wasn't a lot of money, not compared to what this place took in on a daily basis. But there were a lot of girls working here.

"Fine with them," Baggus said.

"Then all we have to agree upon is your fee."

Baggus nodded and rubbed his hands together. While he did that, Alexandra walked over to her desk, picked up a silver bell, and rang it. A brown haired girl wearing a House of Saleen uniform appeared through a side door.

"We have five new employees. Find them some uniforms." Alexandra pointed to me. "This one is a prime girl, make sure she gets the right uniform. She can start tonight, alongside Arlee. The others will work the morning shift. Starting tomorrow. We have two pleasure girls. A dice girl. And a barmaid." She pointed as she spoke, so the brown haired girl would know who was hired to do what.

Baggus translated into Adan. "You've all been hired. Follow that girl and do what she tells you."

We followed the girl out the side door, ready to begin our lives as employees of the House of Saleen.

Chapter 9

The room adjoining Alexandra's office was big. Small cupboards stacked one on top of the other covered one wall. There must've been one hundred of them, with each cupboard containing a number and a key, or at least a slot for a key.

The other wall contained tables covered with stacks of clothes, House of Saleen uniforms laundered and neatly stacked side by side. Beneath the tables were boots, green leather ankle boots with narrow three inch heels.

In between the cupboards and the tables were a series of benches.

"The house is open twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week," the girl that led us into the room said. "There are four six hour work shifts. Morning shift runs from six in the morning until noon. Afternoon shift runs from noon until six in the evening. Prime shift runs from six in the evening until midnight. Night shift runs from midnight until six in the morning. You're expected to be at your post just before your shift begins. Uniforms are on the tables on the right. You can store your personal belongings in the one of the cupboards on your left. If a cupboard doesn't have a key in it, it's already being used. Make sure you lock your personal belongings in one of the cupboards, otherwise they could be stolen."

I translated what the girl said into Adan, so Decca and Dacca knew what was being said.

"They don't speak Gibean?" the girl in charge said.

"The twins don't," I said, when I finished translating.

"Not a problem. Just about everybody that works here speaks Adan." The girl switched to Adan. "My name is Briel, I'm Alexandra's personal assistant. Any complaints you have you bring to me, not Alexandra. When you finish your shift, you come up here and toss your dirty uniform into the laundry chute. You will then report to me, at which point you will receive your daily wages."

She pointed to a hole in the middle of the end wall. Printed above the wall in both Gibean and Adan was the word: LAUNDRY. The hole probably led to a laundry room, either on the ground floor, or more likely, below ground. The hole was big enough to stick your head in, but too narrow for your shoulders. There were more tables with more uniforms set up on each side of it.

Briel pointed to those tables and looked at me. "Prime shift girls wear the uniforms on those tables." I nodded, letting her know I understood. She turned to the others. "Are there any questions?"

"We're new in town," I said. "We'd appreciate it if you could recommend a place to live."

"The Saleen family owns several of the buildings just behind the palace. They rent rooms on a weekly basis. Be aware that you have to pay in advance."

Alexandra had a nice little setup. She paid the girls to work here, then they paid her to live here, giving her a lot of cheap, if not free, labor.

"Any other questions?" Briel said.

"What about meals?" Martika asked.

"You can take your meals in the tavern when you're off duty," Briel said.

"Do we get a discount?" I asked.

"You pay full price, unless you can get a customer to buy your meal for you."

"Is that what most of the girls that work here do?" Martika asked.

"It's what the smart ones do." Briel looked at me. "Your shift begins in a couple of hours. I'll expect the rest of you here first thing tomorrow morning. Until then, you're dismissed."

Briel headed off, attending to whatever duties she had. Martika looked at me, and in Adan, said, "What now?"

"We go back to Baggus's wagon and get our stuff. Once we've done that, we'll see if we can't find a place to live."

"Then you go to work," Martika said.

"Then I go to work," I said.

***

Baggus wasn't at his wagon. He returned just as we finished changing into our old clothes. There was a big smile on his face.

"I assume you're happy with your fee," I said, slinging my knapsack over my shoulder and jumping off his wagon.

"Extremely happy," Baggus said. "She said this is the best crop of girls I ever brought her."

"I couldn't help but notice that all the girls that work here are young, late teens, early twenties. Even Alexandra's assistant is young."

"And?"

"What happens to the girls when they get too old to work here?"

"Most of them marry customers, start families."

"That explains why they're always looking for new girls."

Baggus smiled. "Which is a good thing for me."

"We need to find a place to live," I said. "Briel, Alexandra's assistant, recommended the Saleen rooming houses behind the palace."

Baggus chuckled. "I'm sure she did. That way they can get back all the money they pay you. Well, maybe not you. But your sister and the other three."

"You know what they charge?"

"Five gold sovereigns a week. In advance. And that's per room."

"How big are the rooms?"

"Big enough for one person, no more."

"So we'd each need our own room."

"If you stayed there." A big grin spread across Baggus's face. "You'll get a much better deal at my place."

I almost gagged on that one. "You own a rooming house?"

Baggus laughed. "What? You thought I spent all my money in the taverns?"

"Half in the taverns, the other half on pleasure girls."

"I spend a little on pleasure girls, and a bit more in the taverns, the rest I invest in property. After all, I gotta have some place to stay when I'm here."

"So what kind of a deal will you give us?"

"Charge ya four gold sovereigns a week. Ya get a sleeping room big enough for two or three people, plus your very own sitting room. It's a better deal than the Saleen family will give ya."

Baggus told the truth about the amount of money I could make working at a pleasure house, so I had no reason to doubt what he was telling me now.

"It's a deal," I said. "My sister and I will take a room."

"The twins and I will need a room too," Altee said.

Altee, Martika, and the twins had joined us in time to catch the end of our conversation.

Baggus smiled and pointed to his wagon. "Climb on board and I'll take ya to your new home."

Baggus's rooming house was a three story sandstone structure located just across the river. Its front door faced the packed dirt street that bordered the river's southern bank. On its right was a stable. Baggus must've owned that too, because he unlocked the stable's door, pushed it open, and drove his wagon inside it.

A stone stairway ran up the building's left hand wall. Actually it was a joint stairway providing access to the second and third floors of Baggus's building as well as the building right next to it.

Baggus disappeared into the first floor of his building, entering through the front door. He returned a minute later with a handful of keys. He handed a large iron key to each of us, saying, "Second floor's occupied, so you girls will be on the third floor. Your keys will open the outside door as well as the door to your room."

They looked identical to me which meant they would probably open every door in the building. Not that I was going to tell anybody. I didn't want somebody entering my room and stealing my stuff when I was working.

Baggus led us up the staircase that ran between the two buildings. It was a bit claustrophobic, with barely three feet of space between the two sandstone buildings. The staircase led past the third floor, to a fourth floor on the other building, and to the roof on our building. Baggus pointed in that direction, said, "I got a garden up on the roof. You girls are welcome to use it whenever ya want."

"Looks like being a recruiter pays pretty well," I said.

"Just bought this place last year," Baggus said. "As well as the stable next to it. One of these days I'll take on an apprentice, teach him the ropes of recruiting. Then I'll sit in my roof garden, watch the river roll by and the profits roll in."

He unlocked the third floor door and led us inside. The inside wasn't fancy, just unadorned wooden floors, walls, and ceilings. A short hallway led to another hall that turned both left and right. The longer hall ran down the middle of the building, from front to back. It contained six doors on each side. The place still smelled of freshly cut wood, which made me think the building wasn't very old.

"The only rooms with windows are the rooms at the front of the building." Baggus led us in that direction. A big smile on his face. "Fortunately for you girls this floor is still empty, so you get the best rooms."

"The wood smells freshly cut," I said.

"Building was built a couple of years ago. No way was I going to spend my hard earned gold on some rundown fire trap." Baggus unlocked the doors that faced each other at the front of the building, then stepped back. "Take your pick."

Martika headed into the room on our left, Altee and the twins headed into the room on the right.

The sitting room wasn't big, but it wasn't small either. The floor and ceiling were like the hallway, unadorned oak. The wall to our right was sandstone and contained a window in the middle. It overlooked the river's southern bank and the street that bordered it. To the right was the gray stone bridge we had just crossed. On the other side of the river was the corral, and behind it, the House of Saleen's Pleasure Palace.

The sitting room contained a pair of oak captain's chairs, but nothing else. The bedroom contained a large oak feather bed and and oak armoire. There were no curtains on the window. No blankets or quilts on the bed.

"Who do we pay rent to?" I asked Baggus.

"Me, when I'm around. Which reminds me, my second floor tenants owe me a couple months rent."

I opened the coin purse attached to my scabbard belt, pulled out eight gold sovereigns, and handed them to Baggus. "Here's our rent. Two weeks in advance."

Baggus looked at the coins and smiled. "Pleasure doing business with ya."

He bowed and headed across the hall to check on Altee and the twins.

Martika looked at me. "So this is our life now?"

"For awhile."

"Until you can find somebody to teach you Sorean."

I nodded. "Until I learn to speak Sorean."

Martika smiled. "It's certainly roomier than Baggus's wagon."

"That it is."

I drifted to the window and looked out. The sun was low in the western sky, which meant that it was time for me to go to work.

***

The girls that worked the prime shift wore a different uniform than the girls that worked the other three shifts, donning a two piece outfit instead of the one piece shirt-dress the other shifts wore. The uniform consisted of a silver colored top with long sleeves and a plunging neckline. It pushed your breasts up and together, so a generous amount of cleavage was showing. It also left your waist bare. It reminded me of the tops the women wore on the other side of the desert, in a country called Landish.

The skirt was short, falling to mid thigh. Like the top it was made out of silk, except it was green. It was also starched. Instead of falling about your thighs, it stuck out at a forty-five degree angle. If you bent at the waist the back flipped up, displaying the silver colored briefs worn beneath it.

Prime shift girls wore green calf high boots instead of the ankle boots worn by the other shifts. The silver belts were made from real pieces of silver attached together. Stamped on each piece of silver was the word: SALEEN. The belt buckle also formed the word: SALEEN. Hair was pulled back, held behind the ears with two silver hair clips. Each clip spelled the word: SALEEN.

"What about makeup?" I asked Briel. She had been waiting for me in the dressing room, watching to make sure I knew what I was doing.

"Alexandra doesn't like makeup." Briel circled around me and nodded approvingly. "She says it makes us look cheap."

"As opposed to this uniform?"

"Alexandra says there's a difference between looking cheap and looking sexy."

It seemed to me that Alexandra was splitting hairs, but what did I care as long as I was paid.

"How many girls in each shift?"

The other girls that worked the prime shift were drifting into the dressing room, donning their uniforms.

"Thirty-two girl per shift," Briel said. "Twelve pleasure girls, six dice girls, six card girls, six barmaids, and two lures. One hundred and twenty-eight girls overall. When you throw in the guards, the cooks, the laundry personnel, not to mention the maids, there are over two-hundred people employed here."

"Just like a real palace," I said.

"If Gibney had a royal family like other countries do, the Saleen's could very well be that royal family."

"They're certainly rich enough." And the way this place seemed to be raking in money, getting richer by the minute.

"Tell me about the other palace in town. The one owned by the Nikos family."

"They cater to a much lower class of people."

"I'm guessing their girls wear makeup."

"Excessively." The disapproval on Briel's face softened. "But they do serve a purpose."

"Which is?"

"They provide a place of employment for the girls that get too old to work here."

"I was told most of your girls quit to get married and start a family."

"Most do, but those marriages don't always work out."

"And if the girls no longer live up to Saleen standards, they can always work for the House of Nikos?"

"Precisely." Briel waved to another girl. "There's your partner, Arlee."

The girl finished dressing and drifted over to us. She was tall and thin and wore her blond hair short, in the same style that Alexandra wore hers. She was pretty, but not prettier than any other girl in the room. Her legs were longer than mine by a mile, but I had more cleavage. Way more cleavage.

"Arlee, this is Lila. Your new partner."

Arlee smiled and offered me her hand. "You've got the shiniest hair I've ever seen. Not to mention the greenest eyes."

"And you've got the longest legs I've ever seen. At least on a woman."

"Something I inherited from my father," a bubbly Arlee said. "Folks called him Daddy Long Legs cause he was tall and had a passel of kids."

"They seem to be serving you well."

"Them and my big mouth. How'd you land this position? Besides your looks."

"My education. And I'm used to talking to people I don't know." One of the requirements of being a queen. Not that I said that.

Arlee smiled and rubbed her hands together. "What do you say we go make some money."

"Sounds good to me."

We headed off to make some money, and with a little luck, meet somebody that could teach me to speak Sorean.

Chapter 10

"What exactly are we supposed to do?" I asked Arlee.

We just replaced the two girls standing in front of the palace. The sun was low in the west, casting pink, orange, and red rays across the dark blue sky. Inside, the palace's numerous oil lamps had been lit, causing the building's windows to glow yellow.

"Thank the people that enter for coming. Talk to the people heading up and down the street, try to convince them to come inside."

"I can do that."

A man with a neatly trimmed salt and pepper beard was riding by the palace on a black stallion. The bedroll on the back of his saddle told me that he wasn't a local, so I called out to him. "Hey handsome. Why don't you take some time out of your busy day to help a couple of hungry girls make some meal money."

The man pulled his horse to a stop, then turned the big black so he was facing us. "What do I have to do?"

"We're on a commission, which means every person that passes through these doors increases our salary."

"All you have to do is walk inside and look around," Arlee said. "You don't have to spend any money."

"You can take five minutes out of your day to help a couple of hungry girls," I said. "A couple of girls that will be eternally grateful."

The man smiled and looked us over. "How grateful?"

Arlee produced a silver piece and tossed it on the ground. "Grateful enough to turn my back on you and pick that up."

The man looked at what we were wearing and the smile on his face widened. "You pick it up and I'll go inside."

I wagged a finger at him. "Uh-uh. First you have to go inside."

"The corral is right across the street," Arlee said. "You can put that beautiful black of yours in there and head inside."

I pointed to the silver piece. "That will remain where it is, waiting until you go inside and come back out."

The man took his black to the corral. While he did that, a well dressed young couple headed inside.

"Thanks for coming," Arlee said.

"Enjoy your evening," I said.

One of the palace's green and silver clad guards opened the door for the couple. The other moved two beads on an abacus attached to the wall, counting heads. Just like that I had earned three gold sovereigns.

The man we had convinced to go inside returned from the corral. He pointed to the silver piece still on the ground. "I'm going to hold you girls to that."

"The girls inside are wearing similar outfits," I said. "Bending over card and dice tables. Serving drinks. Twirling on the dance floor. By the time you finish looking around, you'll be tired of staring at firm young bottoms."

The man laughed. "I doubt that."

"Tell you what," I said. "If you can say something to me in Sorean, I'll pick that coin up right now. And I'll do it oh so slowly."

"Wish I could speak Sorean," the man said. He turned and headed inside. Just like that I had earned one and a half gold sovereigns. More importantly, I learned the man couldn't speak Sorean.

A gray haired man dressed in black silk and black velvet went strolling by. I said, "Hey, handsome, I'll make a deal with you."

He stopped and looked at me. "What kind of a deal?"

"If you can speak Sorean to me, I'll turn my back on you and pick up that silver piece. What's more I'll do it oh so slowly." I pointed to the silver piece Arlee had tossed on the ground.

"And if I can't speak Sorean?" the man said.

"Then you have to go inside and have a good time."

The man smiled. "Sounds like I win either way."

"Yes, you do."

He spoke in my native tongue of Adan, saying, "I sure hope you don't know how to speak Adan. Cause I'd really like to see you pick that up."

"Unfortunately, I do know how to speak Adan," I said in Adan. I turned sideways, indicated the palace doors, and switched back to Gibean. "Lucky for you there are plenty of firm young bottoms just inside those doors."

The man smiled and headed inside. The first guard opened the door for him. The second moved another wooden bead on the abacus.

"Making that bet with him was a great idea," Arlee said, when we had a moment alone. "But how will you know if one of them is actually speaking Sorean?"

"Seven languages are spoken on this continent," I said. "Gibean, Adan, Talish, and Sorean on this side of the desert. The Common Tongue, Old Landish, and the Tongue of the Nomads on the other side of the desert. I speak four of them and have heard enough of the other three to know which is which."

Arlee grinned and rubbed her hands together. The gesture reminded me of Baggus. More likely, it was a common gesture here in Gibney. "Man oh man. Are we going to clean up tonight."

And we did. What's more, when our shift ended the silver piece was still on the ground. Even the first guy we convinced to go inside had forgotten about it.

"How many?" Arlee asked the guard that kept track of the people that went inside.

The guard looked at the abacus built into the wall, counting the wooden beads. "One hundred and four."

Arlee rubbed her hands together and smiled. "Fifty-two each. One of my best nights ever."

I did the math in my head. Fifty-two times three equaled one hundred and fifty-six gold sovereigns. Not bad for one night's work. That was the good news. The bad new was I hadn't met anybody that could speak Sorean.

***

Briel was still on duty when we reached the third floor dressing room, making me wonder if she ever slept. Most of the prime shift girls had already collected their wages, changed into their street clothes and headed off. Our replacements were the last two to report so we were lagging behind.

"I'm told you had one hundred and four heads tonight," Briel said, coming up to Arlee and me. "Quite an impressive number."

"That because Lila added a new twist to my hook."

"You mean the one where you throw a piece of silver on the ground and promise to pick it up if they go inside?"

"Lila would point to that piece of silver and tell the men that she would make a deal with them. If they could speak Sorean to her, she would bend over and pick it up." Arlee changed her voice, imitating the breathless way I had talked. "Oh so slowly."

"And if they couldn't speak Sorean?" Briel said to me.

"Then they had to go inside and have a good time."

Arlee laughed. "You wouldn't believe how many men tried to convince her that Adan was actually Sorean."

I picked up the story. "A few tried to convince me that Talish was Sorean. And one guy even tried to fool me by speaking the Common Tongue."

"I know Talish is spoken in the Sugar Islands," Briel said. "But where do they speak the Common Tongue?"

"It's the main language spoken on the other side of the Desert of Shifting Sands."

Briel nodded, produced a leather bag full of coins and handed it to Arlee. She then turned to me. "Alexandra would like to talk to you."

"Now?"

"If you want your money." I wanted my money so I followed Briel to the door that led to Alexandra's office. Briel knocked then went inside. She returned a couple of minutes later. "You can go in now."

I stepped inside Alexandra's office, closing the door behind me. Alexandra was sitting behind her desk studying a ledger. Probably counting profits.

"Don't you and Briel ever sleep?" I said.

Alexandra chuckled and looked up. "I do. I'm not sure Briel does."

"I was told you wanted to see me."

"Briel said you had a very good first night. One hundred and four heads, divided by two, multiplied by three."

"Equals one hundred and fifty-six gold sovereigns."

"So, you know mathematics as well as languages." Alexandra produced a leather pouch and slid the bag across her desk. "One hundred and fifty-six gold sovereigns. You're expensive, but you're worth it."

I walked over to Alexandra's desk and picked up the bag containing my money. I don't know if there were one hundred and fifty-six gold sovereigns in the bag, but judging by the weight, it was close.

"How did you like your first night here?"

"It was fun."

"Briel told me that you added a new twist to Arlee's coin on the ground hook."

"We all have our own way of doing things. Mine involves less bending over."

The uniform doesn't make you uncomfortable?"

I looked at the uniform I was still wearing. "Believe it or not, I've worn less. Considerably less."

That seemed to surprise Alexandra. "Mind if I ask where that was?"

"The other side of the Desert of Shifting Sands. I spent a few days in the High Sage of Landish's harem."

This time Alexandra surprised me. "I've heard of Landish. My great grandfather, the one that traveled to that side of the world, kept a journal. It's required reading in my family. How long were you in the high sage's harem?"

"Just a couple of days."

"Did you leave or did they throw you out?"

"You might say I snuck out."

"Mind if I ask why?"

"It was boring. And I had somewhere else to be."

"Why was it boring?"

"Landish is a much different country than Gibney. It's forbidden for a woman to read or write. Let alone run a business."

"Sounds like I wouldn't like it there."

"It's not an ideal place for a smart ambitious woman like yourself."

"How did you sneak out?"

"The high sage's palace is full of round rooms, which leave a lot of wasted space between them. Most of those rooms contain secret doors leading to that wasted space. If you know where those doors are, getting out of the high sage's palace is pretty easy."

"I'd like to hear more about your trip to the other side of the desert," Alexandra said. "Not tonight of course."

"Name the time and place and I'll be there." It wasn't like I had a choice. If I said no I could find myself out of a job. A job I needed if I was going to get back to my own time.

"How about tomorrow? You can join me for dinner when your shift ends."

"Fine."

Alexandra smiled. "Excellent. When your shift ends, I'll have Briel escort you to my suite."

She turned her attention to whatever she had been working on, letting me know that I could leave. I turned and headed back to the dressing room. It looked like I had a date with my boss.

***

"A date with the boss is good," Martika said, when I got back to the rooming house.

"How do you figure?"

"Alexandra is queen of her own little kingdom. Anytime you can attract the queen's attention it's a good thing."

"As long as I don't change history."

Martika dismissed that thought with a wave of her hand. "Who cares. It's not Adan history. Besides, how can you change history by having dinner with somebody?"

"That's what I'm worried about."

"Maybe she knows a trader that deals with the Soreans."

"She did claim her great grandfather was a trader."

"There you go. While she's asking you questions about the Far Lands, you can ask her questions about traders, like her grandfather."

"Great grandfather."

"Whatever." Martika was lying on our oversized feather bed, staring at the ceiling with her hands laced behind her head. "What I can't believe is you made one hundred and fifty-six gold sovereigns in one night. I'm going to put in the same amount of work and come away with a lousy thirty pieces of silver."

"Plus tips," I reminded her.

"I got a feeling the people that visit the palace in the morning aren't big tippers."

"Would it make you feel better if I said I'd split my wages with you fifty-fifty."

Martika smiled. "It would make me feel better. A whole lot better."

Chapter 11

I made even more money my second day at work. One hundred and sixty-five gold sovereigns. That was the good news. The bad news was I still hadn't found anyone that could speak Sorean.

Near the end of my shift, something unusual happened. Six men dressed in black riding boots, red velvet breeches, and gold silk shirts, rode up to the palace, dismounted, and approached Arlee and myself.

The two burly guards that stood behind us, opening the doors and counting the people that entered, moved to intercept the men. Then a fist fight broke out.

"We did not need this," Arlee said.

"Who are they?"

"They're from the House of Nikos."

"What do they want?"

"Us." She grabbed me by the wrist and pulled me toward the door. "We better get inside."

I looked back at our two guards. Each was outnumbered three to one and getting beat up pretty bad.

"You go inside." I pulled my arm free of Arlee's grasp and headed toward the scuffle. "I'm going to help our guards."

I ran to the scuffle and jumped on the back of the closest man wearing red and gold. He was a good head taller than me, not to mention a lot heavier, but I had the advantage of surprise. I also learned a little trick from my sister Iderra. Iderra wasn't much of a fighter, but she was smart. She taught me that if you squeezed the right spot on a person's neck, you could cut off the blood supply to their brain and render them unconscious.

I figured this was as good a time as any to see if Iderra's trick worked, so I wrapped my arm around the man's neck and squeezed where Iderra told me to squeeze.

The man spun to the left and then to the right, trying to toss me off. To prevent him from doing that I wrapped my legs around his waist and squeezed harder.

Finally, he stopped spinning, staggered forward, and dropped to the ground. Out cold.

I hopped off the man's back and stood there, admiring my handiwork. It turned out I admired it a little too long because the next thing I knew, someone was picking me up and tossing me over his shoulder.

He carried me to the horses and tossed me over his horse, so I was lying on my stomach, my head and hands dangling over one side, my feet dangling over the other. The man mounted up behind me, placed a hand in the small of my back to pin me in place, and galloped away.

I figured whatever was happening was part of the on going feud between the House of Saleen and the House of Nikos. I knew they didn't want to kill me. If that had been the case, I would've had a vision warning me.

I couldn't see much in my current position, so I used my powers to get a better view. As soon as my eyes were closed my point of view shifted to that of someone floating above and behind the men.

Five of them were galloping down the street. The one I rendered unconscious was still out, lying face down on the ground in front of the palace. I could see myself lying face down on one of the horses. My head and arms hung over one side of the horse, my bare legs hung over the other side. A big hand in the small of my back kept me pinned in place. I noticed they managed to grab Arlee. She had been tossed over one of the other horses and was in the same position that I was in.

They rode to the nearest bridge and crossed to the river's southern side, not stopping until they reached the pleasure palace owned by the House of Nikos. All five men came to a stop in front of the palace. The two carrying Arlee and myself dismounted, tossed us over their shoulders, and headed inside. The other three took their horses and trotted away.

The House of Nikos wasn't a gray stone castle with towers. It resembled the palaces back in Adah, a flat roofed two story structure made out of white granite. The building was more rectangular than square and contained a lot of tall rectangular windows. The people that worked there, as well as the interior furnishings, were done up in red and gold.

I didn't know what they intended to do with us until I saw the wooden stocks. They sat in the middle of the gambling hall on a stone dais, were waist high, and contained head and hand holes for two people.

Everyone in the gambling hall, customers and employees alike, stopped what they were doing and watched as the two men carried Arlee and myself to the stocks. Arlee must've realized what they were planning on doing with us, because she tried to squirm off the shoulder of the man that was carrying her. Needless to say, it didn't work. The man's left arm tightened his grip on her legs while his right hand gave her upturned bottom a sharp swat, much to the delight of the crowd, which roared with laughter.

Since I was using my powers to watch what was happening from a position high above the crowd, my body remained still, as if I was unconscious.

While the two men carried us to the dais, a couple of girls dressed in gold tops and short red skirts split the stock in half. Four more girls in identical outfits waited patiently on the edge of the dais.

My point of view shifted and I found myself back in my body. The man dumped me off his shoulder and onto my feet. He grabbed a fist full of my hair to keep me from running away. The man carrying Arlee did the same to her.

"It looks like we have a couple of guests," a man said in a loud voice.

"Petros Nikos," Arlee whispered. "He owns this place."

Nikos approached the dais, dressed in polished black riding boots, black velvet breeches, and a red silk shirt that laced down the front. He had curly black hair that just covered his ears and a neatly trimmed black beard. He had a square jaw and was somewhere in his thirties. He would've been handsome if it hadn't been for the hooked nose that dominated his face. He stepped onto the dais and circled around us. When he was back in front of us, he looked at me.

"The first time we bring a girl here," he said, still speaking so the entire room could hear. "We give her a choice, she can come to work for me, or she can spend time as our guest, in the stock."

He pointed to the stock and the crowd cheered. "I already know Arlee's answer, so I won't even bother to give her a choice."

"Go suck a rotten egg, Nikos." Arlee tried to squirm free, but the guy behind her kept a tight grip on her hair.

Nikos ignored Arlee and looked at me. "You got a name?"

"Lila."

"So what's it going to be, Lila? Work for me, or spend time in the stock?"

"How much do you pay?" I could've used my powers to free myself from the man standing behind me, holding my hair, but I didn't want to do that, not with a room full of people staring at us.

"I'll tell you what, Lila. I'm feeling generous tonight, so I'll pay you half what the House of Saleen is paying you."

The crowd laughed.

I lowered my voice, so only the people on the dais could hear me. "I think I'll stay with the House of Saleen. I've got a feeling this place isn't going to be around much longer."

Nikos pointed to the stock. "Put them both in the stock."

The man holding my hair dragged me me toward the stock, until my neck was in one of the holes in the stock. A couple of girls grabbed my arms and placed them in the stock's hand holes. The man and the two girls held me in place while the two girl's that split the stock in half placed the top half over the bottom then locked it in place with a pair of iron padlocks.

Once again, I closed my eyes and my point of view shifted, from someone that was stuck in the stock to someone that was floating above the crowd.

Arlee and I were side by side but facing different directions. Arlee was facing the front doors while I was facing the back, which meant my bottom was facing the front doors. Since we were forced to bend at the waist, our starched skirts had flipped up, not only displaying our legs, but our silk clad bottoms as well.

"Enjoy your stay," Nikos said, still speaking to the crowd.

Nikos and the men and women that placed us in the stock left the dais, leaving us up there alone. Hanging from the ceiling above the stock was a wooden sign. Printed in bright red letters on both sides of the sign were the words: SALEEN SLUTS.

I opened my eyes and my point of view shifted, from someone floating above the crowd to one of the two girls stuck inside the stock. From this position all I could see was the white stone dais, unless I lifted my head. Then I could see the dice and cards tables that filled the back half of the gambling hall, sturdy oak tables with red cloth tops. I could also see Arlee, well, everything but her head and hands, which were on the other side of the stock.

This is why I wanted you to come inside," Arlee said. "They do this to us all the time."

"Why?"

"Humiliate us. Get us to quit. Leave town."

"Or work here for less money?"

"Or work here for less money."

"How long will they keep us here?"

"Until Alexandra pays our ransom."

"How long will that take?"

"Usually, a couple of hours."

"Usually?"

"This is my third time here." That explained why she knew so much about what was going on. "Alexandra warned me that if I got caught again, she'd leave me here for a couple of days instead of a couple of hours."

"A couple of days!"

"She probably won't leave you here that long," Arlee said. "This is your first time, plus you managed to take out one of the men that grabbed us. That will earn you some points with Alexandra."

"If they want to put Alexandra out of business, why kidnap us? We're easy to replace. It would make more sense to kidnap Briel, she is Alexandra's right hand woman."

"Kind of hard to kidnap Briel."

"Because?"

"She never leaves the palace."

"Will Alexandra retaliate? Kidnap some of the girls that work here?" I didn't ask about the authorities. There was no formal government in Gibney. The major families, or houses, policed themselves.

"Probably not."

"Why not?"

"She doesn't believe in kidnapping."

"How would she feel about an accident?"

"What kind of accident?"

"The kind where those oil lamps hanging from the ceiling fall onto the dice and card tables and burn the place down."

Arlee laughed. "I think she'd love to see that happen."

"Good. Because it's about to."

I closed my eyes. Once again, my point of view shifted, from someone inside the stock to someone floating above the crowd. The first thing I did was look for the key that would unlock the stock. I found it hanging on the sign directly above us.

Once I knew where the key was I turned my attention to the oil lamps suspended from the ceiling. There were a lot of them, as many as fifty. Way more than I needed to scorch this place. Each of the oil lamps looked like a brass teapot with flame shooting out of the teapot's spout. Each lamp hung from a hook, attached to a chain, attached to another hook embedded in the wooden beams that supported the building's second floor.

I used my power to move small objects to lift several lamps off the hooks they hung from and sent them crashing onto the dice and card tables. Each time a lamp hit a table the oil spilled onto the table's cloth top, setting the table on fire. By the time I finished, every table in the room was burning. Customers and employees alike were screaming and rushing toward the front doors.

No one was paying attention to us, so I used my power to remove the key from the sign. It floated off its hook and down to the first of the iron padlocks that kept us in place. The key floated into the lock and turned. The lock opened and dropped to the floor. The key then floated to the other padlock, which dropped to the floor.

I straightened up and tossed the top half of the stock on the floor. "Let's get out of here."

People were rushing from the second floor to the front doors, hurrying to get out before the fire spread. No one was trying to put out the twenty some fires which were spreading from the tables to the wooden floor.

Arlee straightened up and looked at the padlocks lying on the floor. "How did you do that?"

I grabbed her hand and headed for the exit. "We need to get out of here. Now!"

We joined everyone else in rushing for the exit, weaving our way around the growing flames. By the time we reached the street a large crowd had gathered in front of the building, most of it employees and customers.

"Did everyone get out?" Nikos asked one of his guards.

"Everyone but the two Saleen girls." The man noticed Arlee and myself. "No, they're out too."

"What happened?" Nikos asked the guard.

"The oil lamps in the gambling hall started falling onto the card and dice tables. Before we knew it, the whole room was in flames."

"Do you think it was sabotage?"

"I don't see how it could've been. The room is always occupied." The man looked at Arlee and myself. "Unless one of them is a witch or something."

"We better get out of here," I said. "Before we get blamed for this."

We pushed our way through the crowd, which seemed mesmerized by the growing flames. Once we were clear of the crowd, we headed for the nearest bridge.

"Did you have something to do with that fire?" Arlee asked me when we were alone.

"I don't know if you noticed, but I was stuck in that stock with you."

"You asked me if it would bother Alexandra if the oil lamps fell onto the card and dice tables and set the place on fire. Then the lamps actually did fall onto card and dice tables and set the place on fire."

"Did it occur to you that I might have noticed that the chains holding the lamps were starting to break?"

"Okay, but how did we get out of that stock? Nobody freed us."

"Heat causes metal to expand. And when the locks are as old and as rusty as those were, it wouldn't take much heat to get them to pop open."

"Really?"

"Really."

Arlee studied me for a moment then laughed. "And here I thought you were a witch."

I smiled. "I am definitely not a witch."

We reached the stone bridge that arched over the river and headed across. The House of Nikos was in full flame, turning the night sky orange. Halfway across the bridge, we encountered Alexandra. She was on horseback and accompanied by a dozen men, all dressed like her, wearing polished black riding boots, black cotton breeches, and green silk shirts.

When she saw us, Alexandra raised a hand and drew her horse to a halt, forcing her men to stop. "I was told the two of you had been kidnapped."

"We were," Arlee said. "Fortunately, we encountered a bit of good luck."

"How so?"

"The chains holding the oil lamps in the gambling hall broke. The oil lamps crashed onto the dice and card tables and set the place on fire."

Alexandra looked at the raging fire a couple of blocks to the southwest. "The House of Nikos is burning down?"

"To the ground," Arlee said.

"There must be a hundred customers standing in front of the place," I said. "As soon as they get bored watching the House of Nikos burn down, they'll be looking for some place to spend their money and talk about what happened."

Alexandra smiled. "Maybe we should remind them that the House of Saleen is still open for business."

Alexandra's men had a couple extra horses with them, which they gave to Arlee and myself.

We mounted up then joined them in their ride to the House of Nikos.

The crowd watching the fire had grown considerably, although no one was trying to put out the fire, maybe because no one was worried about the nearby buildings burning down. The House of Nikos was bordered by the river on one side and dirt streets on the other three sides, providing natural fire breaks.

Nikos saw us approaching and moved to intercept us. "What do you want Alexandra?"

"I came to get my girls back, only to discover you've had a stroke of bad luck."

"Did you have something to do with this?"

"From what I'm told your being too cheap to hire quality craftsmen caused this." Alexandra turned her attention to the crowd. "People. People. People. When you get tired of this fireworks display come to the House of Saleen. All drinks will be half price from now until sunrise."

The crowd cheered and began to disperse, most heading in the direction of the closest bridge. Before long only Nikos and his employees were left.

"The House of Saleen is always looking for help," Alexandra said in a loud voice. "And as luck would have it. I'm in a hiring mood tonight."

Nikos's employees began to disperse, with most heading in the direction of the bridge. Before long Nikos was standing there alone, watching his dream go up in flames.

"If you ever need a job," Alexandra said to him. "Look me up. I could always use someone to muck my stalls."

Alexandra laughed, turned her horse around, and galloped off toward the bridge. Her men and Arlee followed close behind.

I waited until everyone was out of earshot, then turned to Nikos. "Next time you kidnap me and lock me in a stock, I won't just set your place on fire, I'll set you on fire."

I used my power to send a burning piece of wood flying at him, just to let him know that I was serious. While he dove to the ground to avoid getting hit, I spun my horse around and took off, following Alexandra and the others toward the bridge. Yeah, I know. I could be a real bitch.

Chapter 12

We had no encounters with Nikos or his men the following night. At the end of my shift, I headed up to the dressing room with Arlee. Briel was there, as usual. She paid both of us our wages, then looked at me. "You're to come with me."

"Can I change first?" I was still in my uniform.

"No."

Briel headed off. Arlee looked at me. "What's up?"

"Alexandra invited me to join her for dinner."

"Lucky you."

I stashed my gold in my storage cupboard and followed Briel through a pair of double doors that divided the floor in half. We were on the half of the floor that contained Alexandra's private quarters, as well as several guest suites.

A stone faced Briel opened a door on our right and stepped aside. "Through here."

The suite reminded me of the suites in my castle back in Dunre. The door opened into a spacious sitting room. To the right was a dressing room and a bedroom. To the left was a private dining room and a study. Not surprisingly, everything was done in emerald green and silver, the handwoven throw rugs, the silk cushions on the furniture, even the drapes that covered the stone walls. Dressed in my green and silver House of Saleen uniform, I fit right in with the rest of the furnishings.

"You're here," Alexandra said, stepping out of the dining room.

She wore the same thing she always wore, black leather breeches tucked into polished black riding boots and an emerald green silk shirt that laced down the front. The belt around her waist was the same as the one I wore, connected silver pieces and a belt buckle that formed the word: SALEEN.

"I just arrived."

"I'm glad to see this evening went without incident."

"Me too."

Alexandra pointed. "Dining room is that way."

I turned and headed into the dining room. A rectangular oak table sat in the middle of the room. Six high backed oak chairs surrounded the table. Two on each side. One on each end. Three place settings of fine china were set up on one end of the table. A man sat at one of the places, dressed in silks and velvet, black velvet breeches, a white silk shirt that laced down the front, and a black velvet waistcoat. The man had a shaved head and a bushy gray mustache that hid his upper lip. When we entered the room, he pushed himself to his feet, revealing the fact that he was tall and fat.

"This is Hamlin Lally," Alexandra said to me. "He's a business associate. He requested you join us for dinner."

That explained why I was here. Clearly Alexandra had no problem using her girls to close a business deal. No surprise there.

"Saw you working the front door the other day," Hamlin said. "Told Alexandra I wouldn't discuss business with her unless you joined us."

"What kind of business are you in?" I asked.

"Security."

Alexandra pointed to the chair next to Hamlin. "Lila, why don't you sit next to Hamlin."

Hamlin pulled out the chair next to him, I sat. He slid my chair toward the table, then took his chair. Alexandra grabbed the chair at the end of the table.

Alexandra picked up a silver bell and rang it. A minute later, a girl in a House of Saleen uniform, not the uniform I wore, but the shirt dress worn by the girls that worked the other three shifts, entered the room carrying a tray of food. She set the tray on the middle of the table and began dishing out the food, nothing fancy, just steak, potatoes, and wine. Once we had been served, the girl slipped out of the room.

"After what happened at the House of Nikos, I thought it might be prudent to beef up security," Alexandra said. "In case of reprisals. My men aren't trained swordsmen. Hamlin's men are."

I nodded. "A wise precaution."

Hamlin looked at me. "Where do you come from, Lila?"

"Adah."

"She's educated," Alexandra said. "Although I can't help but wonder why someone with your education would want to work here."

I thought about telling her the truth, that I was trying to find a way into Sorea, so I could get back to my own time, but I didn't think she'd believe me.

"My sister and I suffered some bad luck recently. You might say it forced us to change our lifestyles and seek new opportunities."

That was essentially true. My bad luck was getting dumped in a time period where I was a nobody. Martika's bad luck was her mother the queen dying, which of course forced her to flee for her life.

"Am I right to assume you come from a family of some note?"

"Yes, but sometimes families disown individual members." That was also true. Martika's sister tried to kill her. You couldn't get more disowned than that.

Alexandra nodded knowingly. "I know what that's like. A parent dies, one sibling takes control of the family fortune and the other siblings suddenly find themselves on the outside looking in."

"Sounds like you're speaking from experience."

"I am." Alexandra paused to smile. "Fortunately for me, I was one of the siblings that took control of the family fortune. I take it you and your sister ended up on the wrong side of that battle."

"To say the least."

"How did you end up in the Far Lands?"

"I was kidnapped."

"By the guy that tossed you into his harem? What did you call him? The high sage?"

"I was actually placed in the harem by one of the high sage's advisers. The high sage himself was only seventeen years old."

"How did you find the secret passageway you used to escape?"

"The high sage's palace was full of spies. One of them helped me."

"And then you came home."

"Eventually."

"And when you got back to Adah, you found yourself disowned by what? A brother? A sister?"

"My oldest sister."

"Who wanted the family fortune for herself?"

"To call her power hungry would be an understatement." That was true too. Bedonna wanted to conquer the world, literally. You couldn't get more power hungry than that.

"Then you met Baggus and he convinced you that your future lay here in Gibney?"

"My sister and I were already on our way to Gibney when we met Baggus. He seemed fairly honest, so we hooked up with him."

"He is fairly honest," Alexandra said. "For a recruiter. That's why I like doing business with him."

I asked Alexandra about her life story and she told me, in great detail. She told me about her brother, about how he didn't want to share the family fortune with his three sisters, so he tried to have them assassinated. He failed, but they didn't. When he was out of the way they divided the family empire into three pieces with Alexandra getting the western third of the family's assets.

Hamlin didn't talk much, but he kept busy. While his right hand shoveled food into his mouth, his left hand found my knee, and then my thigh, and then the inside of my thigh, and then the hand I moved down there to keep his hand from going any higher.

I don't know whether Alexandra noticed. I do know the longer dinner went, the harder it became to fight off Hamlin's fat mitt. Mostly because I was as lightheaded as I had ever been, too lightheaded for someone who drank a single glass of wine. That made me think I had been drugged. It wasn't the first time I had been drugged, or the second, or the third, so I knew what it felt like.

"I should've warned you about the wine," Alexandra said, smiling at me. "It packs quite a punch."

The next thing I knew, she was helping me stand. She draped one of my arms over her shoulders, slipped one of her arms around my waist, and escorted me out of the dining room, through the sitting and dressing rooms, and into the bedroom, where she helped me lay down on a large feather bed.

"The dizziness will pass after a few minutes," Alexandra said. She sat on the edge of the bed and looked down at me. "Then you'll be left with an intense feeling of arousal."

"Why?" I managed to ask, even as the bed spun and spun and spun.

"Hamlin has more gold than he knows what to do with. Sometimes, when you do business with him, you have to give him something besides gold. This time he wanted you. The good news is, in a few minutes you won't care who's touching you."

"How long?" I asked. The bed was still spinning and I felt like I had to hang on, less I fall off, so I grabbed two fistfuls of the green comforter I was laying on.

"How long what?"

"Will the effects of this drug last?"

"It's different with every girl. For most it's only a couple of hours."

"Where'd you get it?"

"Picked it up from a powder witch. We give it to all of our pleasure girls. It helps them perform better. Of course, they're already willing participants, so they don't receive as large a dose as you just received."

The fact that they got it from a powder witch didn't surprise me. I killed a powder witch once. An old hag named Ezirra. She used a drug on me that gave me a feeling of euphoria and made me easy to manipulate.

Alexandra pushed herself to her feet and looked down at me. "I'll send Hamlin in when you're ready."

Slowly, but surely, the dizziness began to fade. That was the good news. The bad news was Alexandra told the truth. The more the dizziness faded, the more I began to experience what she called, The Itch. It started between my legs, deep within my core. With each passing minute, it got stronger and stronger, making it hard to concentrate. All I could think about was, The Itch, and how bad I needed someone to scratch it. That was when Hamlin entered.

He walked up to the bed and looked down at me. "You might want to roll over, maybe get on your hands and knees. Little thing like you could get smothered lying beneath someone my size."

I forced myself to sit up. "Aren't you a sweet talker."

Hamlin chuckled, slid out of his black velvet waistcoat, and tossed it on an emerald green wing chair that sat in the corner. He unlaced his white silk shirt and pulled it up and off, revealing an enormous belly and a chest covered by wiry gray hair.

His pants were held up by a black leather belt with a solid gold belt buckle. The words, RICH MAN, were engraved on the buckle. He undid the belt, pulled it out of the belt loops, and very carefully, hung it over the back of the chair, taking great pains not to scratch the big gold buckle.

He turned around to face me and lowered his pants and briefs to his ankles, revealing a surprisingly small erection. Especially for someone his size.

That's when I used my power to lift the belt off the back of the chair. It floated up and behind Hamlin, then whipped over his head and around his neck. I pulled the belt tight, using all the power I had. I didn't kill him. I just choked him long enough to cause him to collapse onto the floor, first onto his knees, at which point his arousal deflated, and then onto his belly.

When Hamlin was out cold, I used my power to unwrap the belt from around his neck. I returned it to the back of the chair and headed out of the room.

I found Alexandra on a divan in the sitting room, studying a large leather bound book. It had several columns of numbers, probably the palace's daily profit statement.

Alexandra closed the book and set it beside her. "Done already?"

"Hamlin collapsed onto the floor, like he couldn't breathe. I don't think he'll be in any condition to perform. At least not tonight."

"How are you?"

"I've got an itch, but I'm sure I can find someone to scratch it." Someone of my own choosing.

Alexandra headed for the bedroom, then stopped and looked back at me. "I'm sorry about all of this, but Hamlin had me over a barrel. He refused to do business with me unless I gave him what he wanted."

I waved a hand at Alexandra and staggered toward the door. "Don't worry about it."

Instead of going back to the dressing room, I headed to the lounge where the pleasure girls worked. At one end of the lounge was a dais. A group of musicians were on the dais, playing their horns and stringed instruments. Some of the girls working the lounge sat on divans that lined the walls, talking to customers. Others danced with customers. They all wore the green shirt dress worn by the girls that worked the graveyard shift.

Just inside the doorway, a forty something father was talking to his son. They were both handsome but the son was taller than his father, with broad shoulders, a narrow waist, and wavy brown hair that just covered his ears. They were both well dressed, wearing black velvet breeches tucked into polished black riding boots, and black velvet jackets over white silk shirts.

"I don't see anybody I like," the son said to his father.

"How can you not see someone you like," the father said. "The best girls in town work here."

I walked up to them. "First time?"

"Is it that obvious?" the father said.

"Not to everyone."

"I take it you work here."

"Yes. And if you want, I'll take care of your son, personally."

"How much?"

"I don't charge. I'm not a pleasure girl."

"But you're willing to service my son?"

"I'm in the mood for a tumble." That was an understatement.

The father's eyes did a slow walk up my body, taking in all the sights. I would've blushed, if there had been any blood left to rush to my face, which there wasn't. Most of it had settled in my breasts and sex. My breasts felt full and heavy. My nipples itched, although not as bad as my sex. The itch in my sex was so bad, I found it hard to stand still. I kept shifting my weight from one foot to the other.

The father turned to the son. "What do you say son? She's beautiful. She's stacked. And she's ready to be rode."

The son looked me over and smiled. "I want her."

***

"So, it's your birthday," I said.

We were lying on our backs on a big feather bed in one of the rooms on the second floor. We were both naked and covered in sweat. Mostly naked. I was still wearing my boots. The good news was my itch had been thoroughly scratched and I could think clearly again.

"Yeah," Tristan said. "My eighteenth."

"And bringing you here was your birthday present?"

"Along with joining my father in the family business."

"What's the family business?"

"We're traders."

"Who do you trade with?"

"Sorea."

I bolted to a sitting position. "Come again?"

"My family does most of our trading with Sorea. Now that I've come of age, I get to accompany my father on his next trip into Sorea."

"You really trade with the Soreans?"

"We really trade with the Soreans."

"Sorea is a closed society. How do you get in without getting tossed into a dungeon?"

"We speak their language."

"Where'd you learn to speak Sorean?"

"My great great grandfather learned to speak it. He was a trader. First time he crossed their border and tried to trade with them, they tossed him into a dungeon. Eventually, he learned to speak their language and convinced them to let him go. Being able to speak their language enabled him to trade with them. He taught his son to speak the language, and so on, down to me."

"Say something to me in Sorean."

I couldn't speak the language, but I had heard it enough to know what it sounded like. Sure enough, Tristan could speak the language.

"Could you teach me to speak it?"

Tristan laced his hands behind his head and stared at the ceiling. "Why would you want to learn to speak Sorean? Nobody uses it outside of Sorea."

"I'm a bit of a language buff." I proceeded to prove it by speaking to him in Gibean, Adan, Talish, and the Common Tongue.

"My father would kill me if he found out I was teaching you Sorean."

"Why?"

"Speaking their language is the biggest trade secret that we have. The Soreans will only deal with you if you can speak their language."

"Don't tell your father that you're teaching me to speak their language."

Tristan hesitated. "I don't know."

"You're a trader aren't you?"

"I hope to be."

"So, what do you say we make a trade. You teach me to speak Sorean and I'll give you something that you want."

Tristan smiled. "I think you know what I want."

I did. Which is why I gave it to him. Yet again.

Chapter 13

Tristan and I met every night for the next two weeks. He would arrive around midnight, just as I finished my shift. We would go upstairs and get a room. He would teach me Sorean. I would teach him how to please a woman. Or more specifically, how to please me.

"You learn fast," Tristan said at the end of those two weeks. "You already speak the language as well as I do."

We had just entered one of the rooms on the second floor. It was identical to the one we used on our first night together.

"Depends who you're comparing me to." I learned languages faster than most people, but not as fast as my sister Iderra. What I took two weeks to learn, she would've learned in two days.

"Either way, it's a good thing you learn fast, because we're leaving town tomorrow."

"You and your father?"

Tristan nodded. "We're off on a trading mission."

"To Sorea?"

"Eventually."

"Don't suppose I could come with you?"

"My father would kill me if he found out I taught you to speak Sorean. I can't imagine what he'd do if I asked if you could come with us."

"When most people cross the border into Sorea, they're rounded up by soldiers and tossed into dungeons. What happens when you cross?"

"I don't know. This will be my first trip into Sorea."

"Your father hasn't told you what to expect?"

"He's extremely tight lipped, won't say anything except, 'you'll find out.'"

"What do you sell them? What do they sell you?"

"We trade sugar," Tristan said. "They trade gems."

"Sugar for gems?"

Tristan laughed. "The Soreans have tons of gems, more than they know what to do with. They also have a huge sweet tooth. They love sugar."

Sugar was grown in the Sugar Islands, located just south of Adah. Traders from Gibney bought the cane, ground it into a powder, and sold the powder throughout the rest of the known world. I had only spent a couple of days in Sorea, so I didn't know much about what went on there. I did know the King of Sorea's crown had fifteen different gems on it. I assumed they represented the fifteen clans that made up Sorean society, but maybe they didn't. Maybe they stuck them on the crown because they had a lot of gems lying around.

"Where do you buy your sugar?"

"We go to one of the ports on the coast. It's cheaper there. There are warehouses full of it."

"And then you head south into Sorea?"

Tristan nodded. "Now that I've taught you everything I know, it's time for us to have a going away party."

He picked me up and tossed me over his shoulder. I squealed like a girl, then squealed again when he dumped me in the middle of the big feather bed.

"Tonight, I'm going to make you squirm," a laughing Tristan said.

And he did.

***

After my final meeting with Tristan, I changed into my regular clothes and returned to the boarding house. It was early morning and Martika was already up, getting ready to head to the House of Saleen and begin the morning shift.

"How much longer are we going to be here?" She was sitting on the foot of the bed, brushing her long black hair.

"Why?"

"You've been making between one hundred and two hundred gold sovereigns a night. That's pretty good money."

"It's excellent money."

"And you've learned to speak Sorean."

"I have."

"So what's keeping us here?"

"We need more money."

"How much more?"

"We need enough money to get to the coast. Once we get there, we'll have to buy a wagon, then we'll have to buy enough sugar to fill that wagon."

"And sugar is an expensive commodity."

"From what I'm told a fifty pound bag sells for around one hundred gold sovereigns. And a large wagon holds around one hundred bags. That means we'll need over ten thousand gold sovereigns. And that's just for the sugar."

"How much have we managed to save?"

"Around thirty-five hundred."

"So we'll be here, what? A couple more months?"

I nodded. "At least."

"Do we really need that much sugar to get into Sorea?"

"Tristan says the Soreans will only take you seriously if you bring a significant amount of sugar to trade."

"Like a large wagon full?"

"Like a large wagon full." Martika sighed. I said, "You tired of being here?"

"I don't mind working at the palace. Talking to the customers, flirting with the men, being treated like a woman is fun."

"But?"

She looked around. Except for a bottle of wine, a couple of loaves of bread, a quilt, and some clothes, our two rooms were just as bare as the day we arrived. "Maybe I'm spoiled, but I'm used to slightly more luxurious surroundings."

"It could be worse."

Martika stopped brushing her hair. "How?"

"You could be dead."

"How did you adjust after you fled the palace?"

"I spent two weeks on a sand ship crossing the desert. After that, a bed and a room of any kind felt like a luxury. After sleeping in Baggus's wagon, you should feel the same way."

Martika smiled. "I know. I know. I'm a spoiled princess that complains too much."

She tossed the brush on top of the pile of clothes that sat on the foot of the bed, pushed herself to her feet, and peeked out the window. Dawn had arrived and the sky was starting to brighten, which meant it was time for her to go to work and time for me to get some sleep.

***

When I arrived at work that evening, Briel was waiting for me, which wasn't unusual. "Before you start work, Alexandra wants to see you in her office."

"Did she say what she wanted to see me about?"

"No."

"And you don't know?"

Briel hesitated, debating whether she should tell me what she knew. "Petros Nikos paid a visit to Alexandra this afternoon."

"What did he want?"

"He claims you burned his palace down."

"How could I burn his palace down? I was locked in that stock in the middle of his gambling hall."

"He says you're a witch."

I peeled off my clothes, slipped into my uniform, then sat on the nearest bench and laced up my boots. "If I was a witch do you think I would've let him lock me in that stock? You know how humiliating that was?"

"I do," Briel said.

"You used to work as a lure?" I don't know why that surprised me. Perhaps because Briel didn't seem friendly enough to work as a lure.

"Until I got promoted to Alexandra's assistant."

"They put you in the stock?"

"They put all the girls that work as lures in the stock. At least the prime shift girls."

I finished dressing and put the silver clips in my hair. When I finished, I turned to Briel. "How long have you been in love with Alexandra?"

For a few seconds, Briel didn't say anything. She just glared at me. Finally, she smiled. A sad smile. "Is it that obvious?"

"Not to everyone. I'm just very good at reading people."

"I take it you've been in love."

I laughed, a bitter laugh. "I try not to fall in love. Or let people fall in love with me."

"Why not?"

"People that I love, people that love me, tend to die." I thought about my mother, my sister Bedonna, Queen Catlett, Chancellor Edgerton, and Miship Boxx, the last High Sage of Landish. All dead. At least in my time.

"It's too bad Alexandra's not in love with you," Briel said.

I found myself laughing. Briel had made a joke. Something I didn't think she was capable of doing. "That was funny."

"I wasn't always a sourpuss. It's just that working around here, around Alexandra, does that to me."

"Maybe it's time to move on. With your experience, you can probably get a job at any pleasure palace in the country."

"I thought of that," Briel said. "But part of me keeps thinking, hoping, that if I hang around long enough . . . . "

"Alexandra loves her job," I said. "I'm not sure there's room in her life for anything or anyone else."

"You might be right." Briel headed for the door that connected Alexandra's office to the dressing room. I followed. She knocked then disappeared inside. A minute later, she stepped out. "Alexandra will see you now."

I headed inside Alexandra's spacious office. As usual, she was sitting behind her desk dressed in green and black.

"I had a visit from Petros Nikos," Alexandra said. She set aside whatever documents she had been studying and looked at me. "He claims that you burned his palace down."

"He's got to blame somebody."

"He claims that you're a witch. That you have magical powers."

"What kind of magical powers?"

"Apparently you can create balls of fire out of thin air and hurl them at people."

"If I could do that, I would've burned that stock down before they put Arlee and myself in it."

Alexandra chuckled. "Yes. I suppose you would have."

"So what did Nikos want?"

"He wants me to turn you over to him, so he can execute you."

"What did you tell him?"

"I told him that he got what he deserved."

"You're not going to turn me over to him?"

Alexandra laughed. "Not even if you did burn his palace down."

"Then why am I here?"

"I just wanted to warn you that Nikos blames you for what happened. As such, I'm not sure it's safe for you to be working out front anymore. Which is why I'm thinking of reassigning you."

"I don't want to be reassigned."

I liked my job. I liked flirting with the men that passed by. It was fun. Not as much fun as being a queen, but close. Plus, it was one of the best paying jobs in the palace. The more money I made the quicker I could get into Sorea and back to my own time.

I worried about my empire and what would happen to it if I was gone too long. Then again, maybe I was worried that nobody would miss me. Maybe I was afraid that the people in Adah, and Vassa, and Dunre, and Landish, would realize that they could get along without me, that they were better off without me.

"I don't want you ending up dead," Alexandra said. "You're my best lure."

"I've got a solution," I said.

"I'm listening."

"Let me wear my cutlass. The scabbard is solid silver so it won't clash with my uniform."

"You're that good with a blade?"

"I'm that good with a blade." Plus, I felt naked without my blade. I had worn it for the last three years, regardless of where I was or what I was doing.

"Even if you wore a blade, I wouldn't feel good about letting you work the front door."

"I thought you were going to hire some armed guards."

"Hamlin refuses to do business with me. He says I'm bad luck, says that every time he comes here, he has a bad experience."

I suppressed a chuckle. Apparently, I wasn't the only girl that didn't want to spend time with Hamlin Lally, even after being drugged. "You could always arm your guards."

"They're not trained to use swords."

"Hire some that are."

"Where am I supposed to find these men?"

"Plenty of ex-soldiers in Adah. Talk to Baggus. Let him find them for you."

"That would certainly save me the trouble of having to deal with Hamlin."

"So, can I wear my cutlass?"

"Did you bring it with you?"

"It's in the storage cupboard with my clothes."

"Put it on and assume your post. But I think I'll post a couple of extra guards out front. Just to be safe."

I nodded and headed for the door that led to the dressing room.

"One more thing," Alexandra said, as I opened the door.

I stopped and looked back at her. "What's that?"

"Did you set that fire?"

"I was locked in that stock when the fire started."

"If you were a witch, like Nikos claims. That probably wouldn't matter."

"I'm not a witch, Alexandra." I turned and left, before she could ask me more questions that I didn't want to answer.

***

I was working the front door with Arlee, wearing my silver and green uniform with one addition. My cutlass hung from my left hip, the silver scabbard attached to my silver belt with the buckle that spelled the word: SALEEN. No one noticed, or seemed to care.

If Nikos was watching me, he was hiding in the shadows, where I couldn't see him. Not that I spent a lot of time looking for him. I was a seer. If and when he came after me, I would have a vision warning me.

At the end of our shift, a wide eyed Briel burst out the front doors of the palace. "I did it."

"Did what?"

"I walked into Alexandra's office and told her that it was time for me to move on."

"You're kidding?" Arlee said.

Briel shook her head.

I looked at Briel. "What did Alexandra say?"

"She said that she understood. Then she asked me to stay on a couple of weeks to train my replacement."

"What did you say?"

"I said that I would. That it was the least that I could do." Briel breathed a sigh of relief, as if a big weight had been lifted off her shoulders. "Anyway, she wants to talk to you. I think she's going to offer you my position. If you want it."

"How much does it pay?"

"Ten percent of the daily take."

"What's the daily take?"

"Around fifteen thousand gold sovereigns a day."

That meant Briel was making around fifteen hundred gold sovereigns a day, ten times what I was making.

"I do want your job," I said. "Problem is I won't be here very long. As soon as my sister and I save enough money, we intend to make a trip to the coast. We've got a little business venture planned."

"I'll take your job," Arlee said to Briel. "I'm good with numbers."

Briel ignored Arlee. "How much money do you need? For your business venture?"

"Around ten thousand gold sovereigns. I have some saved, but not that much."

"I'll take your job," Arlee said again. "If Lila doesn't want it."

Briel continued to ignore Arlee. "If you let me accompany you to the coast, I'll fund your business venture."

"You don't even know what it is." I didn't ask if she had enough money. According to Arlee, Briel had been serving as Alexandra's assistant for well over a year. If she saved most of her money, she would have well over half a million gold sovereigns, which made her a rich woman.

"I have no reason to go back to Adah," Briel said. "And I can't stay here. Ten thousand is a small price to pay to accompany you to the coast."

"I'll take your job," Arlee said to Briel. "I'm good with numbers and I've been around long enough to know what you do. I'll be able to take over in less than a week."

Our night shift replacements arrived. I slipped my left arm through Briel's and my right through Arlee's. "Let's go talk to Alexandra."

"She'll want to know why you're quitting," Briel said as we headed inside.

"Did she want to know why you're quitting?"

"She knows why I'm quitting."

I nodded, thought for a few seconds. "Earlier tonight, she told me that Petros Nikos wants to kill me. I'll tell her that just to be safe, I've decided to leave town."

***

"I got to be honest," Alexandra said. "You don't impress me as someone that's afraid of Petros Nikos."

"I'm not," I said. "But I have a little sister to worry about. And if he can't get to me . . . . "

"He may go after your sister."

"I'm proficient with a blade, but she's not."

"So where will you go?"

"We're going to travel to the coast," I nodded at Briel, who was standing next to me. "With Briel."

"Safety in numbers," a stone faced Briel said.

I realized right then that Briel's stone faced expression had nothing to do with me, or Arlee, or the other girls that worked here. It was her way of hiding her feelings from Alexandra.

Alexandra looked at Arlee, who stood on my other side. "And you think Arlee here can do your job?"

"I'm good with numbers," Arlee said. "And I've been around long enough to know what Briel does around here. I can pick it up in no time."

Alexandra looked at Briel. "Is that true?"

Briel nodded. "She can do my job."

Alexandra pulled out a piece of parchment, dipped a quill pen in the ink well on her desk, and began writing. When she finished writing, she poured some hot wax on the bottom of the parchment and pressed her seal into the wax. She then folded the parchment twice and offered it to Briel. "This is a letter of recommendation. If you need a job, or help of any kind, take it to any pleasure palace operated by the House of Saleen. My sister Glynis controls our palaces in the middle of the country. My sister Charmaine controls our coastal palaces. We're triplets, so you'll have no trouble recognizing either of them."

"Triplets?" I said.

Alexandra pulled out another piece of parchment and began writing on it. "You seem surprised, Lila."

"Three Alexandras. It's no wonder your brother lost the battle for control of your family's fortune."

Alexandra laughed, even as she wrote. "I never looked at it that way."

She finished writing on the second parchment and put a wax seal next to her name. She folded the parchment twice and offered it to me. "This letter of recommendation is for you. Something tells me that you won't need it, but it's yours just the same."

I thanked Alexandra and took the letter. She turned back to Briel and told her the sooner she began to train Arlee, the sooner she could leave. Briel nodded and left. An excited Arlee scampered behind her. I started to follow but Alexandra called me back.

"There are some things you need to know about Briel," she said, when the two of us were alone.

"Such as?"

"She's not used to being on her own."

"I don't understand."

"Like you, she comes from Adah. And like you, she comes from a wealthy family that fell on hard times. When her father could no longer afford to keep her, he brought her here and begged me to take her under my wing."

"Which you did." I didn't bother to ask why her father didn't just marry her off. I already knew the answer to that question.

"The point is, she's never been on her own. Her father sheltered her, and when he could no longer do that . . . ."

"You took over for him."

"I just never counted on . . . let's just say that I'm not used to people falling in love with me. I don't know how to deal with situations like that. When Briel told me how she felt, I just thanked her and went back to work. After that, she became . . . cold." Alexandra paused to collect herself. When she looked at me, there was a tear in her eye. "Don't abandon her. Please. She acts tough and everything, but she's not. Inside, she's a frightened girl."

"I won't abandon her," I said. "I give you my word."

Alexandra breathed a sigh of relief. "I have one more question. And I promise that whatever you tell me, it won't go beyond this room."

"What's the question?"

"Did you burn down the House of Nikos?"

Even though I would be working here for a few more days, something told me I would never see Alexandra again. As such, I figured that I had nothing to lose by telling her the truth. "I did."

"How?"

There was an oil lamp hanging directly above Alexandra's desk. I used my powers to lift the lamp off the hook. It floated down and settled on Alexandra's desk, the flame still flickering out of the teapot shaped spout.

"Something like that. But with a little more flare."

"So, you are a witch."

I shook my head. "No. I'm not a witch."

"Then what? Or maybe I should say, who are you?"

I headed to the door that led to the dressing room. When I reached it, I stopped and looked back at Alexandra. "I'm a person that doesn't belong in this time. Which is why I have to leave."

"You're trying to get back to your own time."

"Yes."

"How did you end up in this time?"

I smiled. "A witch."

Chapter 14

One week after telling Alexandra that we were quitting, Briel, Martika, and myself, packed up our stuff, bought three horses, and headed east along the southern highway. It was a warm summer day and we were moving along at a leisurely trot, keeping pace with the heavy flow of traffic on the wide dirt road. The road itself bordered the Southern River, running along its northern bank. There was more traffic on the river, single masted sailboats with lateen sails, and two man barges, with a man standing on each side of the barge, using a long pole to push the barge up and down the slow moving river.

"I appreciate your letting me travel with you," Briel said.

"We're partners," I said. "And partners stick together."

"Since we're partners, I trust you won't mind telling me what this business venture entails."

"We're going to load a wagon with large bags of sugar and trade that sugar with the Soreans."

"People that cross the border into Sorea are never heard from again."

"That's true," I said. "Unless you can speak Sorean."

"Which she can," Martika said.

Briel's eyes widened in surprise. "Where'd you learn to speak Sorean?"

"Learned it from a young man I met at the palace."

"That's why you kept making that bet with the people out front."

I nodded. "That's why."

"Are you sure he taught you Sorean? How do you know he didn't teach you some language you've never heard."

"I spent a couple of days inside Sorea, heard enough of the language to know what it sounds like."

Briel looked at me. "What were you doing inside Sorea?"

When I hesitated, Martika spoke. "If she's going to be our partner, we probably owe her the truth."

Briel pulled her horse to a stop, forcing us to do the same. "What truth? What are you talking about?"

Martika and I drew our horses to a stop and turned them around so we were facing Briel. Martika looked at me and I looked at her. "Why don't you start, your story is simpler than mine."

Martika nodded and looked at Briel. "My name isn't Lena Laamatt. It's Martika Louise Haran."

Having been born and raised in Adah, Briel was well acquainted with Martika's name. She just didn't believe it. "You expect me to believe that you're the queen's youngest daughter?"

Martika held out her left hand, showing Briel the gold ring with the royal seal. "You're from Adah, so you know it's against the law to wear this symbol if you're not a member of the royal family."

Briel drew her horse along side of Martika's and studied the ring up close. "I'll say this much. If your ring is fake it's a good fake."

"The queen died, forcing me to flee for my life," Martika said. "Never would've made it this far if Lila hadn't intervened."

Briel looked at me. "You're her bodyguard?"

"Not exactly."

"You think my story is good," Martika said. "Wait until you hear Lila's. It's a doozy."

"My name isn't Lila Laamatt," I said. "It's Lila Marie Haran. I'm the youngest daughter of Bella Justine Haran the twelfth Queen of Adah. I'm also the thirteenth Queen of Adah, not to mention Queen of Vassa, Dunre, and Landish."

Briel stared at me like I was mad, prompting Martika to speak. "It sounds crazy, but it's true. Thirty years from now Lila's a big deal. So big some people in Sorea used a witch to dump her in this time, where she wouldn't be a threat to them."

"I'm trying to get to Sorea, where I hope to find someone that can help me get back to my own time," I said.

I held out my left hand, so Briel could see the ring with the royal seal, while Briel studied my ring, Martika picked up the story. "According to Lila, I'm supposed to be dead. So I figured I'd go with her back to her time. That way I can move back into the palace and live like the spoiled princess I am."

"You don't have to believe us," I said. "It won't bother us if you think we're both crazy."

"Or if you want to turn back," Martika said.

"It's time for me to move on," Briel said. "And if I hang out with you long enough. I'll figure out the truth."

"There's one more thing you should know," I said. "Petros Nikos thinks I burned down his palace."

"Only because she did burn it down," Martika said. "And then told him that she did it."

"The point is, he might come after us. After me."

"But you don't need to worry about that," Martika said. "Because Lila is a seer."

"When someone wants to kill me, I always have a vision warning me."

"Anyway that's our story." Martika turned her horse around and headed off at a comfortable trot. I fell in on her left, Briel fell in on her right. I don't know if Briel believed us, but it was like she said. If she hung out with us long enough, she'd figure out the truth.

***

There were a series of cities on Gibney's southern highway, each about a day's ride apart. At the end of the first day of our journey, we reached the city of Fine. Fine was about half the size of Saco, with the entire city on the river's northern side.

Both the House of Nikos and the House of Saleen maintained a pleasure palace in Fine. They were small compared to the two back in Saco, a pair of two story sandstone structures that faced each other in the middle of the city. The only way you could tell them apart was the color of the uniforms worn by the employees. The girls working the palace on the northern side of the street wore green and silver. The girls working the palace on the southern side of the street wore red and gold.

There was a corral on the right hand side of the House of Saleen. We put our horses in the corral and headed for the front doors. The sun was setting in the west, turning the sky red and orange. The two girls working the front door must've been prime shift girls because they wore the same uniform I wore when I worked the front door. They were older and not as pretty as the girls that worked the palace in Saco.

They didn't bother to thank us for coming, perhaps because Briel was dressed exactly like Alexandra, polished black riding boots, black leather breeches, an emerald green silk shirt, and a silver belt with a big Saleen belt buckle.

Martika and I wore identical outfits except that our shirts were black and we didn't have the Saleen belt buckle. I carried my cutlass on my left hip. Briel and Martika were unarmed. All three of us kept our hair tied back in ponytails. I kept mine tied with my bone handled silk cord, the one I used to choke the life out of a powder witch named Ezerra. Martika used a black ribbon. Briel used a silver ribbon. There was a single guard behind the two girls. He opened the heavy oak door for us but didn't bother to count how many went inside.

"The lures at the smaller palaces like this one don't work on a commission," Briel said. "They're on a straight salary."

"They're considerably older than the girls back in Saco," I said.

"When you get too old to work the big palaces, Alexandra ships you out to one of the smaller ones."

"I noticed the girls across the street were quite young," Martika said.

"Nikos does the opposite. The younger girls work the smaller palaces, the more experienced girls work the bigger palaces."

The front door led into the gambling hall. The floor and ceiling were oak, the walls were sandstone. The room was half as big as the gambling hall back in Saco. To the left was the tavern, to the right was the lounge where the pleasure girls worked. At the back a wooden stairway led to the second floor. Despite the fact that it was prime shift, the place was nearly empty.

"I'm assuming this in one of Alexandra's palaces," I said.

Briel nodded. "She owns this one. The one in Saco. And the one in Rumford, which is the next city we'll pass through. She also owns several palaces north of here, but those probably don't interest you."

We headed to the tavern, found an empty table, and sat. The barmaid arrived and informed us they had some fresh beef stew. We ordered three bowls of stew along with three mugs of ale and a loaf of bread. While we were eating, a woman dressed exactly like Briel walked up to our table. She might have been a beauty, once, but time, and too much food, had robbed her of her looks. Now, all you noticed was her big bottom, her big belly, and her two chins.

"Briel, what brings you here?" she said.

"Relax, Camille," Briel said, between sips of ale. "You've been with Alexandra long enough that if she was going to fire you, she'd do it herself. We're just passing through and need a room for the night."

I pulled a gold sovereign out of the coin purse on my belt and set it on the table. "We'll even pay."

"That won't be necessary," Camille said.

"Take the money," Briel said. "I saw your last quarterly report and you need every last sovereign you can get."

Camille snatched the gold sovereign off the table and waddled off.

"She used to be Alexandra's assistant," Briel said. "A long time ago. Before that she was a pretty good lure, or so I'm told."

"And when she got old and fat Alexandra shipped her out here?" Martika said.

Briel nodded. "And if she doesn't make some serious money this quarter, she'll be out of a job."

"Maybe we should help her," I said. I don't know why I felt sorry for Camille, probably because it wasn't her fault she got old and fat. Eventually, it happened to all of us. At least the getting old part.

Briel looked at me. "Help her how?"

"We could work the front door, at least for tonight. Those two girls she's got out there now weren't doing much to bring in customers."

Briel looked around. "The place is pretty empty."

Martika looked at me. "You want us to work for free?"

"Sounds like she needs the money more than we do," I said. "And I don't know about you, but I don't have anything better to do."

Briel signaled the barmaid and told her that we needed to talk to Camille. A minute later, Camille waddled back over to our table. "What now?"

"Find us some uniforms," Briel said. "We're going to see if we can't get some people into this place."

"You're going to work here?" a surprised Camille said.

"Just for tonight. Lila and I will work the front door." Briel indicated me, then Martika. "Marti can take over one of the tables in the hall."

"Why would you do that?" a puzzled Camille said.

"Because you need the help. And we're bored."

The girl's dressing room was at the far end of the second floor and was tiny compared to the dressing room back in Saco, barely big enough for six people.

"Its been awhile since I worked as a lure," Briel said. "Well over a year. Even then, I'm not sure I was very good at it."

"I'll do the talking," I said. "You just look cute and sexy."

"Been awhile since I had to look cute and sexy."

I picked the two smallest uniforms that I could find. They were identical to what I wore back in Saco, a silver top, a starched green skirt, silver colored briefs, and green boots. I had a bigger chest than Briel, so it looked like I stole my top from my little sister. Briel was taller than me, so it looked like she stole her skirt from her little sister. We pinned our hair back with the silver clips and headed downstairs.

"I finally get to work the prime shift," Martika said. "And I'm not even getting paid for it."

"You're helping someone save their job," I said.

"Someone I don't know."

Martika found an empty table in the gambling hall and Briel and I headed outside.

"You two take the rest of the night off," Briel said to the two girls working out front. "But be back tomorrow night."

The two girls headed inside, probably to ask Camille what was going on. I turned my attention to a man studying the House of Nikos palace across the street. "Hey handsome, I'll make a deal with you."

The man turned his attention to me. He must've liked what he saw, because he smiled and headed my way. "What kind of a deal?"

I tossed a couple of silver pieces on the ground. "If you can speak Sorean, my partner and I will bend over and pick those silver pieces up, what's more, we'll do it very very slowly."

"And if I can't speak Sorean?"

"Then you have to go inside and have a good time."

At this point most men tried to fool me into thinking they were speaking Sorean, but this fellow took a different tactic.

"I have a counter offer," the man said.

"I'm listening."

"If you and your partner pick those silver pieces up, I'll go inside and have a good time."

"Nice try," I said, "but if we pick those silver piece up before you head inside, you'll go across the street and into the House of Nikos."

"What makes you so sure?"

"Because I'm very good at reading people."

"Here's the problem," the man said. "You and your partner are good looking girls, but I happen to know most of the women inside there are, how can I put this, a little past their prime."

"Not all of them," Briel said. "Lila's little sister is working one of the tables in the gambling hall."

"She's easy to spot," I added. "She's got the same long black hair that I do."

The man looked me over, decided Martika was worth checking out, and headed inside.

"It's a lot harder to get them to go inside when the girls aren't that good looking," Briel said. "Especially when they know what those girls look like."

"Maybe you should go inside," I said.

Briel looked at me. "And do what?"

"You can wait tables in the tavern. That way I can tell people to check out the new girl in the tavern as well as the new girl in the gambling hall."

"I guess we can give it a try." Briel turned and headed inside, leaving me to work the front door alone.

It was a lot easier to get people to go inside when I told them that we had a couple of new girls working inside. When my replacements showed up, I headed inside. The gambling hall wasn't full but Martika's table was. The tavern was also packed, so packed that I spent the next couple of hours waiting on tables with Briel.

When the three of us finally headed upstairs to change, we were intercepted by a grinning Camille. "I just did the books. We made more money tonight than we made in the last two weeks combined."

"You're going to have to bring in some new girls," Briel said. "Younger, prettier girls. The people in this town have lost interest in the girls that are here now."

"A lot of the girls that work here have kids," Camille said. "I can't just fire them."

"You don't have to fire them," Briel said. "Just add some new blood."

"The House of Nikos burned down in Saco," I said. "And Alexandra has hired a lot of their girls. She's overstaffed right now."

"Tell her that you need some of those girls out here," Briel said. "Young girls. Pretty girls. If she doesn't believe you, show her tonight's numbers and tell her how you got them."

"I will," Camille said. She gave each of us a hug, starting with Briel.

"You're a very good business woman," I said as we headed to the dressing room.

Briel shrugged her shoulders. "I'm okay."

"You ever think about a different kind of job."

"Different how?"

"Different as in working for a queen."

Briel looked at me. "You really do believe that you come from the future."

"Only because I do."

"You don't act like a queen."

"What's a queen suppose to act like?"

"Queens don't wait tables."

"A smart queen does whatever she has to do to survive," I said.

"How do you plan on getting back to your own time?"

"There's a time walker in Sorea named Sester. In this time, she's about sixteen years old. If I can get to her, I think I can convince her to transport us back to my time."

"Us?" Briel said.

"Me, Martika, and you. That is if you want to come with us."

I promised Alexandra that I'd watch out for Briel and I intended to keep that promise, even if I had to bring her back to my time.

"Why not," Briel said. "Might be kind of fun to work for the Queen of Everything."

Briel turned and headed into the dressing room. I don't know if she believed Martika was the late Queen of Adah's youngest daughter, but it was pretty clear that she didn't believe anything we told her about me.

I followed Briel into the dressing room. "If you think I'm crazy, and clearly you do, why are you riding with me?"

"Somebody's got to look out for you. Martika's a great kid, but she's a little young, not to mention a little naive. She actually believes everything you told her." Briel hesitated for a second. "Plus, you remind me of my father. In the last few years of his life, he went a little nuts, blew all his money on these crazy business ventures that never panned out. If I had been a little older, I could've done something about it, I could've protected him from himself."

"Since you couldn't protect your father, you're going to do the next best thing and protect me from myself?"

"Somebody's got to."

I took my gold ring off, the one that identified me as a member of the royal family, and handed it to Briel. "This is for you."

Briel looked at the ring. "What's this for?"

"Wear it. When we get back to my time, it will identify you as a member of the royal family, and you will be treated as such."

"You don't need it?"

"Not in my time. Everybody already knows who I am."

"What about now?"

I found myself smiling. "I show it to people now, and they think that I'm crazy."

Briel donned the ring and curtsied. "Thank you, Your Majesty. You are as kind as you are beautiful."

She was mocking me, but that was okay. She was family now, and family could mock me all they wanted.

Chapter 15

The three of us left the city of Fine the next morning. I thought Briel might stay behind and help Camille run her pleasure palace, but she didn't. It seemed that she was serious about protecting the crazy girl that thought she was Queen of Everything.

We followed the southern highway and by the end of the day arrived at the city of Rumford. Rumford was located on just one side of the river and was similar in size to Fine. The House of Nikos didn't have a pleasure palace in Rumford, but the House of Saleen did. It was the same size as the one in Fine, but since it was the only palace in town, it was a lot busier.

We were sitting in the tavern eating dinner when an unexpected visitor arrived. No, it wasn't Petros Nikos. I should've been so lucky. It was Bartholomew Tadmore. Bedonna's father. Either his being here was a coincidence, or more likely, he was still tracking me. He looked the same as always, big and strong and scary.

As soon as I saw him, I turned my chair around, so my back was to him. "We got a problem."

"What kind of problem?" Martika didn't bother to look up, she was more interested in her dinner than anything else.

"Bartholomew Tadmore is here."

"Of the palace guard?"

"Yes."

Martika finally looked up, then she did something totally unexpected. She waved to the big man. "Hey Barty, over . . . ."

Before she could finish, I grabbed her hand and yanked it down. "What do you think you're doing?"

"I'm calling Barty over. He's a good friend."

"Maybe he was your friend before your mother died, but he's not anymore. He's backing Bella for the throne, not you."

"I wonder what he's doing here?"

"He's tracking me, been tracking me since my encounter with Bella."

"Why?"

"Seeing how he's wearing the uniform of the palace guard," Briel said. "I'm guessing he didn't like it when you announced that you're Queen of Everything. You really should keep stuff like that to yourself. Especially around people that serve real queens."

"What did you say to make him mad enough to follow you into Gibney?" Martika asked.

"I called him big and dumb."

Martika's eyes widened in disbelief. "To his face?"

"When he said he had a mind to separate my head from my body, I said that I doubted if it was a good mind or a very large one."

Martika burst out laughing which unfortunately for us, caught Bartholomew's attention, probably because it was a laugh that he recognized.

"I think he just heard you," Briel said. "Because he's coming this way."

I rose to my feet as did Briel and Martika. Bartholomew had no interest in Briel, but he knew Martika, knew that she was a threat to the throne my mother now occupied. Odds were pretty good that he'd try to collect her head along with mine, so I stepped between them and placed my hand on my cutlass.

"You know how long I've been looking for you?" Bartholomew growled at me.

The people sitting at the nearby tables saw the big man approaching, sensed something was up, and scampered away, giving us a wide birth.

Bartholomew's black beard looked bushier than the last time I saw him, probably because he had been too busy chasing me to trim it. His mammoth broadsword hung on his left hip, but he made no move to draw it, probably because he didn't think he needed a sword to kill me. If that was the case then he was in for a surprise.

When Bartholomew saw Martika standing behind me, his eyes widened in surprise and he stopped dead in his tracks. "Martika?"

Martika raised her hand and wiggled her fingers at him. "Hey Barty, long time no see."

"You're dead," Bartholomew said.

"I would've been," Martika said. "If Lila hadn't saved me."

Briel stepped around me, placing herself between Bartholomew and myself. "Why don't you leave these two alone. They've got enough problems without being hunted by a big bully like yourself. Just because one of them thinks that she's a princess, and the other thinks she's Queen of Everything, doesn't give you the right to hunt them down and kill them. Crazy people have just as much right to live as you or I."

Bartholomew looked past Briel to Martika. "What's she talking about?"

"It doesn't matter," Martika said. "What are you doing here, Barty? I thought you took an oath to defend Bella?"

"I did. In fact, she's the one that sent me."

"To kill me?"

"Of course not. She already thinks that you're dead. Everybody does."

"You came to kill me," I said.

"I didn't come to kill anybody," Bartholomew said. "Truth is Bella ordered me to find you. Now that she's ascended to the throne, she's decided that she needs a female adviser. She remembered that you were free with the advice and ordered me to find you and offer you a job. Of course, Martika's being here sort of complicates things. I'm just not sure how."

"Lila can't go back with you," Martika said. "She doesn't belong in this time. And neither do I."

Bartholomew wrinkled his brow. "What are you talking about?"

"It doesn't matter what she's talking about," Briel said. "It doesn't matter what either of them is talking about. They're no threat to you, now go away and leave them alone. I've had my fill of people like you, persecuting the mentally ill."

Briel marched up to Bartholomew and pushed him. Not that it did any good. The man was twice her size. He just stared over the top of her head as if she wasn't there.

"Lila's from the future," Martika said. "If she goes back to Adah, she risks changing history. And I can't go back either because I was supposed to die the same day my mother did."

"Go home," I said to Bartholomew. "Tell the queen that you couldn't find me. Don't tell her, or anyone else, about Martika. As far as the world is concerned, Martika died the same day her mother died."

"I have orders to find you and bring you back to the queen."

Briel slapped Bartholomew's face, which finally got his attention. "Listen you big idiot. She can't go back with you, nor can she serve as an adviser to your queen. She thinks she's from the future where she reigns as Queen of Everything. Now what does that tell you?"

"That's she's from the future?"

"No. It tells you that she's crazy. You can't have a crazy woman advising your queen can you?"

"I guess not." Bartholomew looked at Martika. "But what do I do about the late queen's youngest daughter?"

"That is not the late queen's youngest daughter." Briel pointed at me. "That's HER little sister, and as much as I hate to say it, she's just as crazy as her big sister."

"She sure looks like the late queen's youngest daughter. And she sounds like her."

"That's because she THINKS she's the late queen's youngest daughter. She's probably been imitating the girl her whole life. If people say the late queen's real daughter is dead, then she's dead."

Bartholomew pointed at Martika. "That's not Martika Louise Haran?"

"No it isn't," Briel said. "That's a crazy woman that thinks she's Martika Louise Haran. Her real name is Lena Laamatt."

Bartholomew pointed at me. "Who's she?"

"Her name is Lila Laamatt. She's Lena's big sister and she's just as crazy. Maybe crazier."

"Because she's thinks she's from the future?"

"Yes."

Bartholomew looked at Briel. "How do I know you're not the crazy one?"

Briel put her hands on her hips and glared at Bartholomew. "Have I said anything that would lead you to believe I'm crazy?"

"You told me a girl that looks, sounds, and acts like Martika isn't Martika, which sounds a little crazy to me."

Briel sighed in frustration. "Fine, I'm crazy too. All three of us are crazy. Now, go home, before we infect you."

"You telling me that I can get whatever you girls got?"

"Yes," Martika said.

"Definitely," I said.

"Spend too much time in the same room as us and you'll go crazy too," Briel said. "You'll start thinking that you're a woman. You'll even start wearing dresses and talking in a high squeaky voice."

Bartholomew began to back up. "I'll, ah, I'll just tell the queen that I couldn't find you."

"Good plan," I said.

Bartholomew turned and ran out of the room. Thanks to Briel, and her talk of crazy people, he was out of my life. What's more, I never had to draw my sword.

***

We were given two rooms. The previous night Martika and I shared the bed in one room and let Briel have the second room to herself. Tonight, we let Martika have the second room to herself. When I went to wake her up in the morning, she wasn't there. There was evidence of a scuffle. The room's two chairs were tipped over. The table at the foot of the bed was tipped over.

As soon as I realized what had happened, I closed my eyes and pictured Martika in my mind, tall and slim and young, with long black hair. A second later I saw her. She was standing inside a stable with Bartholomew. While he saddled a pair of horses, she struggled to free her hands, which were tied in front of her.

"Why do you have to take me back?" Martika asked.

"Because I took an oath to support your sister for queen and not taking you back would violate that oath."

"So you didn't believe Briel when she told you that I'm not Martika Louise Haran?"

"I don't know who those other two broads are, nor do I know whether they're crazy, or infected with something. I do know who you are, and I know I got to take you back to your sister, so she can decide what to do with you."

"She'll kill me," Martika said. "And then she'll hate herself for doing it. What's more, she'll hate you for making her do it. You'll go from being one of her favorites to someone that reminds her of something she doesn't want to be reminded of. For the rest of your life, she'll despise you with a passion you can't begin to imagine."

Bartholomew finished saddling the first horse. "What do you want me to do? Just leave you here? Pretend I didn't see you?"

"Why not?"

"Because you're a threat to your sister's rule. If things go bad during her reign, people will see you as a solution to their problems."

"Things aren't going to go bad," Martika said. "And I'm not going to be here very long."

"Because you're going into travel to the future with your crazy friends?"

"Yes."

I opened my eyes and headed downstairs, hurrying to the stable just across the street, which is where they were. All the while, I kept my focus on Martika, using my powers to keep an eye on her even as I hurried to her rescue.

Bartholomew began saddling the second horse. "You really believe that she's from the future?"

"Only because I've seen what she's capable of."

"What's she capable of?"

"She has powers."

"What kind of powers?"

"Like I'm going to tell you."

"What? You think I'll steal her powers from her?"

"No, but if you don't know what she's capable of doing, it's going to be hard for you to defeat her when she comes to rescue me."

Bartholomew smiled. "You think I'm afraid of a little thing like her?"

"You should be," I said, stepping into the stable.

Bartholomew spun around to face me, the smile fading from his face.

"Told you she'd find us," a smug Martika said.

"I can't let you take her back," I said. "History said Martika died the same day her mother died, shot in the back by two members of the palace guard. That's what my mother believed. That's what she has to believe."

I was wearing my cutlass but I didn't draw it, mostly because I couldn't kill him. Killing Bartholomew would change the future as much as letting him take Martika back to my mother.

"Your mother?" Bartholomew said.

"My real name is Lila Marie Haran. I'm the youngest daughter of Bella Justine Haran, who will rule for thirty years and become known as Bella the Beloved. If you take Martika back to Adah, or tell my mother that she's alive, you risk changing all of that."

"Even if I believed you," Bartholomew said. "And I'm not saying I do. But if I believed you, how do I risk changing all of that?"

"If you take Martika back, you will change who Bella is meant to become. Forcing her to take the life of her little sister, her favorite sister, will have profound effects on her. She may not become Bella the Beloved. She may not rule for thirty years. She may not go down in history as one of Adah's greatest queens. All things you want."

"I can't pretend Martika isn't here. As long as she's here she's a threat to Bella's throne."

"She won't be here for long. I'm taking her back to my time, where no one will know who she is let alone care."

"I want to believe you," Bartholomew said. "But I need proof."

Martika spoke up. "Show him your powers, Lila. When he sees what you can do, he'll know that you're special, that you are who you say you are."

I couldn't kill Bartholomew because that would mean no Bedonna, and that would change the future as much as taking Martika back to my mother. So I did what Martika suggested, I showed Bartholomew my powers. One of my powers. Namely, my ability to create images that looked and sounded real.

I pictured two more copies of myself, looking exactly as I looked now, dressed in black riding boots, black leather breeches, and a black silk shirt that laced down the front. My hair was pulled back into a ponytail. My cutlass was around my waist.

The two images appeared, one on my left and one on my right. At first they looked like ghosts, then they seemed to solidify, until they looked as real as me. Of course they weren't, if you tried to touch them your hand would pass right through them. They were nothing more than illusions.

"Is this enough to convince you that I speak the truth?" the image on my left said.

"Or do I need to do something else?" the image on my right said.

"That is wild," Martika said. "I didn't know you could do that."

Bartholomew didn't say anything, he just backed up a few steps. I added three more images, so there were six of us facing him.

I let the images fade. "Now do you believe me?"

"That doesn't prove that you're from the future," Bartholomew said. "That just proves your some sort of witch."

"Not a witch. A seer."

"It proves that she's special," Martika said. "That she's not your average girl."

"If you're Bella's daughter, why don't you look like her?"

"Because I take after my father." I paused to look at Martika. "And my aunt."

Bartholomew looked at me, then at Martika, then at me. "The two of you do bare a strong resemblance."

"That's because we're related," Martika said. She held out her bound hands. "Show him what else you can do, Lila."

I used my power to move small objects to untie Martika's bound hands. The knot came undone, then the rope unwrapped itself from around her wrists and fell to the stable's straw covered floor.

Bartholomew sighed. "As much as I want to believe the two of you, none of this proves that you're from the future."

"Maybe this will help," Briel said.

She stepped into the stable and offered Bartholomew my gold ring. The one that identified me as a member of the royal family. Bartholomew took the ring from her and examined it.

"It belongs to Lila," Briel said. "If you look inside the band you'll see the initials of the royal jeweler."

Bartholomew checked the inside of the ring and saw the tiny WH engraved on the inside of the ring. "WH, Willard Haymaker?"

I nodded. "It was the last ring he ever made."

Martika pulled off her ring and handed it to Bartholomew. "Compare it to my ring. You'll see they were made by the same person."

Bartholomew did just that. When he finished, he looked at me. "You really are from the future."

"Yes."

"How did you end up back here?"

"A Sorean time walker. Witch if you prefer."

"They have such people in Sorea?"

"They do."

"And that's how you plan on getting back to your own time."

"Yes."

"And you plan on taking Martika with you."

"She doesn't belong in this time. Not anymore."

"I was supposed to die the same day my mother did," Martika said. "Would have died if Lila hadn't used her powers to save me."

Bartholomew handed Martika's ring to her and my ring to me. He mounted the horse he had already saddled then turned to me. "I'll tell your mother that I couldn't find you. And I'll let her and everyone else believe that Martika died the same day as her mother."

I bowed my head. "Thank you."

Bartholomew turned to Martika and smiled. "I will sleep easier knowing that you are alive and well somewhere in the future."

He turned his horse around and headed out of the stable. When he was gone, Martika looked at me. "You didn't tell him that Bella's first child will be his?"

I shook my head.

"Why not?"

"History says that he never knew."

"Bella never told him?"

"He died before Bella learned that she was pregnant."

"How does he die?"

"He drowned."

"Drowned?"

"He was fording a river when he fell off his horse. Turns out Bartholomew can't swim."

"Quite a morning," Briel said, reminding us that she was there.

I looked at Briel. "How much did you see?"

"Half a dozen Lilas. You untying Martika's hands without touching the rope."

"So, pretty much everything," Martika said.

Briel nodded. "Pretty much everything."

"You still coming with us?" I asked.

"As long as I don't have to start calling you, Your Majesty."

I smiled and tossed my ring back to her. "You're family now. You can call me anything you want."

Chapter 16

When I woke up, I couldn't remember where I was, what's more, I couldn't remember who I was. The only thing I could remember was a man and woman entering my room and the woman tossing some powder in my face. I remembered getting sleepy, remembered their voices as I drifted off to sleep.

"She won't remember anything?" the man said.

"Nothing at all," the woman said.

"Good."

"Why is that important to you?"

"She took something from me. Now, I'm taking something from her."

"But why her memories?"

"Because she doesn't have anything else that I can take."

That brief conversation, that brief interaction, was all I could remember. I didn't know my name. I didn't know where I grew up. I didn't know where I was. All I knew was I had an enemy, an enemy that took my memories because he believed that I took something from him. I didn't know who he was. I didn't know what I took from him. I didn't know anything about the woman and the powder she used to steal my memories.

I sat up and looked around. I was in a room decorated in emerald green and silver. At the foot of the bed, resting against the far wall, was a table, a brown leather knapsack rested on the table. Next to the knapsack was a sword, a cutlass to be exact. I don't know why I knew it was called a cutlass, but I did.

I climbed out of bed and checked the knapsack. It contained some clothes and a decent sized bag of gold, but nothing that would tell me who I was or where I was.

There was a pitcher of water on the table as well as a basin, so I poured some water in the basin and washed. When I finished washing, I changed out of the sleep shift I was wearing and into a pair of black leather breeches and a matching silk shirt. I slipped on the black leather riding boots that sat under the table, buckled the cutlass around my waist, brushed my hair, and tied it back into a ponytail. I was just finishing with my hair when someone knocked on the door.

"Lila, you up?"

I opened the door to find two women standing there. One was tall and skinny with long black hair tied into a ponytail. She wore an outfit identical to what I had on except she carried no sword. The other woman was a touch shorter and a few years older. She wore a green shirt instead of a black one and wore her chestnut colored hair in braid.

The younger one looked at me and sensed something wasn't right. "What's wrong?"

I didn't know who they were. I only knew they weren't the two people that snuck into my room. I figured they must be friends.

"Someone snuck into my room last night and stole my memories."

"Come again?" the older one said.

"I don't know who I am. I don't know who you are. I don't know where I am."

They came into the room and shut the door behind them.

"Maybe you better start from the beginning," the older one said.

"A man and a woman came into my room last night. As soon as I heard them and woke up, the woman tossed some powder into my face. The powder made me sleepy and as I drifted off to sleep I heard the man and woman talking. The man asked if I would remember anything. The woman said I'd remember nothing. She then asked the man why that was important to him. He said that I took something from him so he wanted to take something from me. Since all I had was my memories. He decided to take them."

"The man's name was Petros Nikos," the younger one said. "He owns a string of pleasure palaces and you sort of burned one of them down."

"Why would I do that?"

"You were working for a rival palace. He kidnapped you and your partner and put the two of you in a stock. You retaliated by using your powers to burn his palace down."

"My powers?"

"Maybe we should skip that for now," the older girl said. She turned to me. "You're name is Lila. I'm Briel and this is Martika. We're traveling together."

"Do any of those names sound familiar?" Martika asked.

I shook my head. "I'm sorry."

"No need to be sorry," Briel said. "We're in a country called Gibney. Does that sound familiar to you?"

"No."

"How about Adah?" Martika said. "That's where we come from."

I ran the word through my head but it brought up no memories. "It means nothing to me."

Briel sighed. "Sounds like Nikos used a powder witch to steal her memories."

"What's a powder witch?" I said.

"The woman that threw the powder in your face is called a powder witch. The powder is what stole your memories."

Martika looked at Briel. "How do we get her memories back?"

"Alexandra's family has had some dealings with powder witches. Maybe they can help us."

"So we go back and talk to Alexandra?"

Briel shook her head. "Rutland is closer. That's where Alexandra's sister, Glynis, lives. If we leave now, we can be there by night fall."

With that said, we collected our knapsacks, grabbed a bite to eat, and headed off on three horses. We were heading east, into the rising sun, following a wide dirt road that ran parallel to a slow moving river.

"How are the three of us connected?" I asked. "Other than traveling companions."

Our horses were moving at a leisurely trot, keeping pace with the other horses and wagons on the road. It must've been mid summer because it was a warm day and the trees, bushes, and grasses were green.

"We worked together at a pleasure palace in the city of Saco," Briel said.

"Where are we headed?"

Briel and Martika looked at each other, as if they weren't quite sure how to answer the question.

"To the coast," Martika said. "None of us have ever seen the Eastern Sea and we thought it would be nice to see it."

"Saco is where you burned down Nikos's palace," Briel added. "Knowing how he felt about you, we decided it would be best to move on and seek our fortune elsewhere."

"We just never counted on Nikos following you," Martika said. "Or using a powder witch to steal your memories."

I was pretty sure that they were keeping something from me, but my gut told me that they were friends and that I could trust them, so I didn't press the issue. I needed to get my memories back and if they knew someone that could help me, then that was reason enough to travel with them.

***

We reached the city of Rutland by sunset. According to Briel, the cities in southern Gibney were all about a day's ride apart. That way you never had to ride more than a day at a time without reaching some place.

Rutland bordered both sides of the river. Most of the buildings were made out of wood, with the larger ones being made from gray or white stone. The building we were looking for was on the main road, right in the center of the city. It was three stories high, made out of gray stone, and contained numerous round towers topped by red conical roofs. It was a castle, although why I could remember that, and not my own name, made no sense.

The building's front doors were wide open and a pair of attractive young girls dressed in blue and silver stood in front of the doors trying to convince people to come inside and spend their money.

"Those two girls are called lures," Martika said, as we headed inside. "That's how you made all that gold you got stashed in your knapsack."

Inside, the place looked like a larger version of the place I woke up in that morning. This place had a different color scheme, and a third floor, which is where we headed. A pair of male guards stopped us at the top of the stairs. Briel said we were friends of Alexandra and presented them with a piece of parchment. They read what was on the parchment and handed it back to Briel. One of the guards led us down the hall. He stopped at a door, told us to wait, and headed inside. A minute later, he stepped out and told us that we could go inside.

The door led to a large room that was empty save for a large walnut desk at the far end of the room. A tall slender woman with platinum colored hair sat behind the desk. Her hair fell well past her shoulders and she wore it in a tight braid.

As soon as we entered, she pushed herself to her feet and circled around the desk. She wore the same kind of boots as the girls that worked there did, dark blue in color, calf high, with spiked heels. Her knee breeches were silk and the same dark blue as her boots. Her silk top had long sleeves, laced halfway down the front like our shirts, and tucked into her breeches. It was silver in color.

"I'm told you're friends of Alexandra," she said, coming up to us.

"We worked for her," Briel said. She handed the woman the same piece of parchment she showed the guard. According to Briel, the woman's name was Glynis, and she was a sister, a triplet actually, of Alexandra. Whoever Alexandra was.

Glynis read the paper then handed it back to Briel. "How is Alex?"

"She's fine," Briel said. "Although she's wearing her hair short now."

"How short?"

"Very."

"And all three of you worked for her?"

Briel nodded. "As the paper indicates, I was her personal assistant. Lila was her top lure, and Martika worked the gaming tables."

"So what can I do for you? Are you looking for jobs?"

"Not exactly." Briel explained our situation. How I had been kidnapped by Petros Nikos while working for Alexandra. How his palace in Saco had burned down. How he blamed me. And how he had used a powder witch to steal my memories.

"That's quite a story," Glynis said, when Briel finished. "But I still don't see what you want from me?"

"We know your family has had dealings with powder witches," Martika said. "We were hoping that maybe you could introduce us to one who could help Lila get her memories back."

Briel nodded. "If Petros Nikos could find a powder witch, we figured a member of the Saleen family could find one. Everybody knows the reach of the Saleen sisters far exceeds the reach of Petros Nikos."

Glynis smiled at Briel. "I can see why Alex liked you so much. She loves to have her ego stroked and it's pretty clear you're very good at that."

"Can you put us in touch with a powder witch?" Martika asked.

"We're willing to pay," Briel said. "Both you and the witch, assuming that she can help us."

Glynis looked at me. "How much do you remember?"

"I remember a man and a woman breaking into my room last night, the woman throwing powder into my face, and the man talking about how he wanted to steal my memories from me. That's as far back as my memories go."

"You don't remember your name?"

"I can only remember what Briel and Martika told me today."

"Do you remember them?"

"No."

"Then how do you know you can trust them?"

"My gut tells me that I can."

"And what does your gut tell you about me?"

"That you can help us, but you're going to want something in return. Something besides gold."

Glynis smiled. "This is known as the land of traders."

"So what do you want?" I asked.

Glynis moved behind her desk and sat. "I have some important people coming in from a city up north. I'd like to open a palace up there but the people that own the land I'm interested in buying refuse to sell. I invited them to come down here and look the place over. A last ditch effort on my part to try to make a deal with them. They'll be here in two days."

"And?" Briel said.

"Alexandra claims that you're the best assistant she ever had. If that's true then perhaps you can help me close this deal."

"How many of them are there?"

"Two brothers and a sister. They own the land equally, but the sister makes all of their business decisions. Her brothers aren't that bright. Business tends to bore them." Glynis paused. "If you guys can help me close this deal, I'll introduce you to a powder witch."

"Do you know one?" Martika asked.

Glynis nodded. "I do."

"Sounds like we have a deal," Briel said.

I nodded. "We have a deal."

***

Glynis gave us a room on the second floor. One room for the three of us. The bed was big enough to sleep four people comfortably, so we couldn't complain.

"When those people get here," Briel said, "we have to make sure they're having a good time."

"Why do we have to make sure they're having a good time?" Martika asked.

"The Trader's Bible says people are more willing to deal when they're happy."

Martika laughed. "I didn't know there was a Trader's Bible."

"There is and it's manditory reading here in Gibney. Assuming you can read."

We dumped our knapsacks on the table opposite the bed. I turned to Briel. "How do we do make sure they're having a good time?"

"Find out what they want and give it to them. If they want to gamble, we set them up at a private table and let them gamble. If they want to drink, we find out what they want to drink and get it for them. If they want food, we get them food. If they want a pleasure girl, we find out what kind of girl they want."

"What if the powder witch can't help you get your memories back?" Martika asked me. "We need to consider that possibility."

"Then the two of you will have to tell me everything you've been keeping from me."

Martika flashed a sheepish smile. "The only reason we're keeping stuff from you is because you wouldn't believe us."

Briel nodded. "We figured it would be easier to help you get your memories back."

"Why wouldn't I believe you?"

Martika and Briel looked at each other. Briel shrugged her shoulders. Martika turned back to me. "Because your life story involves dying queens, and princesses battling for thrones, not to mention witches and time travel and saving an aunt that died some thirty years before you were born."

If any of that had happened to me, it didn't ring any bells. I could feel the memories, knew that they were there, in the back of my mind. I just couldn't reach them. It was as if somebody had placed a wall in my mind, a wall that separated me from who I was, where I had come from, and why I was here.

"Does any of that sound familiar?" Briel said.

I shook my head. "I wish it did."

Briel looked at Martika. "I think we should tell her everything. Even if she doesn't believe us."

Martika nodded, sat me on the edge of the bed, and launched into a tale that involved dying queens, and princesses battling for thrones, not to mention witches and time travel and an aunt that was younger than me. None of it sounded familiar, but my gut told me that Martika was sincere, if perhaps prone to exaggeration, especially the part about my having powers.

Even though I couldn't remember who I was, I was pretty sure that I had no powers. The only way to know for sure was to get my memory back, and the first step in that process involved helping Glynis.

Chapter 17

Glynis informed us that the people she wanted to buy land from had arrived. She gave them a suite on the third floor, next to her personal suite, and told us to join her there once we had changed.

Briel wore dark blue calf high boots with four inch heels, dark blue silk knee breeches, and a long sleeved silver colored shirt. The silk breeches were tight, molding to her legs and bottom like a second skin. The waistband was cut low on the hips. Her top ended just below the breasts, which left a maximum amount of skin showing between the two articles of clothing.

I wore the same boots Briel wore, but got a skirt instead of breeches. The skirt was silk and dark blue in color. It was short, ridiculously short. It was also starched, so that it stuck out at a forty-five degree angle. When I walked it would bounce up and down, revealing the silver colored briefs I wore beneath it.

My silver colored top was just as revealing, with most of the material in its long sleeves. It ended just below the breasts, leaving my midriff on display. It had a scooped neckline, which left most of my breasts on display. When I walked, I half expected to bounce out of it.

"Why do I have to wear the skimpy outfit?" I asked.

"Because you're prettier than me," Briel said. "And the only thing guys like more than pretty girls are pretty girls in skimpy outfits."

"Plus you like wearing skimpy outfits," Martika said.

"I do?"

Martika nodded. "Definitely. Your motto is: the skimpier the better."

I wasn't sure I believed Martika, mostly because she was suppressing a grin. Since I couldn't remember what I liked and didn't like, I couldn't argue with her

We pinned our hair back with a pair of silver hair clips that spelled the word: SALEEN. A silver choker that spelled: HOUSE OF SALEEN, went around our necks.

"What exactly is my job tonight?" I asked Briel.

"The people we're dealing with include a sister and her two brothers. The brothers aren't particularly bright so when we start talking business, they'll get bored."

"So, I'm what, a babysitter?"

"Basically, except these babies are grown men."

Babysitting a couple of overgrown kids didn't seem so bad. I was pretty sure I could do that.

"Allow me to introduce Briel and Lila," Glynis said, when we entered her guest's suite. "Briel will show you around and answer any questions you have about our business operations. Lila will help out with your brothers."

Three people were sitting on a blue silk divan. They were identical in appearance, tall and slim with straw colored hair cut short. They had angular faces topped by long narrow noses, pale blue eyes, and small mouths with full lips. They wore identical outfits, polished black riding boots, black leather knee breeches, and silk shirts that were the same yellow as their hair. The males were twins, maybe a couple of years older than Briel and myself. The female looked to be a couple of years older than the males and was obviously their sister.

"Briel, Lila, these are the Topplers, Addison, Diana, and Elworth."

We nodded. Diana nodded back. Addison and Elworth didn't say anything. They just stared. At me. No big surprise considering how little I was wearing.

Glynis looked at Briel. "When you finish showing Diana the palace, bring her to my office." Briel nodded. Glynis turned and left, leaving us alone with the Topplers.

"Why don't we start with a tour of the place," Briel said. "That way I can explain the business operations to you. Give you an idea of what Glynis wants to build in your town."

"You can show me the place, but it won't change my mind about selling our property." Diana rose to her feet and her brothers followed suit. They were all the same height and about the same weight. The brother's movements mirrored that of their sister.

Diana put a hand on each of her brother's shoulders and pushed them back down. "You two stay here with Lila. I've got business to discuss."

Diana turned to me. "Whatever you do, don't let them leave this suite."

"Can I ask why?"

"My brothers can be a bit, shall we say, mischievous. They tend to get into trouble when they're in public."

Briel and Diana left, leaving me alone with Addison and Elworth. They were sitting side by side on the divan with their hands folded in their laps. They were staring at me and smiling.

"Can I get you guys something? How about some food? You must be hungry."

"Not hungry," Addison, the one on the left, said.

"Are you thirsty? Maybe you'd like something to drink."

"Not thirsty," Elworth said.

They looked at each other and smiled. "Want to play a game."

"What kind of game do you want to play?"

Addison looked at Elworth. Elworth looked at Addison. They spoke as one. "Want to play swing."

"I don't think I know that game."

Addison and Elworth leapt to their feet and rushed me. Addison grabbed my left wrist and left ankle. Elworth grabbed my right wrist and right ankle, then they picked me off my feet.

I found myself suspended between them, arms straight out, legs splayed wide, looking the floor. That's when I learned how you played swing. They began to swing me, forward and back, higher and higher. I went from being parallel with the floor, to being upright when they swung me forward, to being upside down when they swung me backward.

My starched skirt flipped up when they swung me upside down, and flipped down when they swung me right side up. To make matters worse, my breasts popped out of the skimpy top I was wearing. I would've been embarrassed, but I was too busy screaming, not to mention getting dizzy. I also lost the clips that pinned my hair behind my ears, which meant my hair ended up in my face.

I was afraid they would let go of me and I would go flying head first into the stone wall, but they didn't. They stopped swinging me, but they didn't release me. I was still suspended between them, still parallel to the floor. My hair was in my face, my breasts were still out of my top, and my starched skirt was above my waist. I could see why Glynis didn't want to commit any of her girls to this job. Physically, the Toppler twins were grown men, but mentally, they were about ten years old.

"I think it's somebody else's turn to be the swing," I said, trying to blow the hair out of my face.

"Me," Elworth said.

"You're too big to be the swing," Addison said.

"Am not."

"Are too."

"Am not."

"Lila's not big enough to lift you," Addison said. "Lila's not big enough to lift either of us."

"Lila is the right size to be the swing," Elworth said.

"Just the right size," Addison agreed.

Once again, they began to swing me back and forth, higher and higher, till I went from being upright to upside down. I was glad I didn't have anything to eat because I was pretty sure I wouldn't have been able to keep it down.

I was also glad Martika wasn't around. If she saw what was happening, she would laugh her head off. What's more, she would never let me forget it. Even as I thought that, I realized that was a memory. Somehow, I remembered that Martika was a smart aleck.

That's when the wall in my mind came crashing down. I remembered everything, my mother, my sisters, my Aunt Sester abandoning me thirty-three years in the past, my saving Martika the smart aleck's life, my run in with Petros Nikos.

I had no idea why my memory came back right then. Maybe it was my fear of flying head first into a stone wall. Maybe it was the fact that I was so dizzy my head was spinning. Maybe it was a combination of those things.

"If you guys put me down, I'll show you some magic tricks," I screamed as Addison and Elworth swung me upright, and then upside down, and then upright again.

"Magic tricks?" Addison said.

"Yes. Yes. Magic tricks."

They stopped swinging me, but didn't release me. I was still suspended between them. My breasts were still outside my top, my hair was still in my face, and my starched skirt was still above my waist. As humiliating as all that was, at least I didn't have to worry about flying head first into a stone wall.

"What kind of tricks?" Elworth asked.

"I can make those pillows on the divan fly. If you put me down, I'll show you."

"You're not just going to throw them are you? Because that's not magic."

"Even we can do that," Addison added.

"No. No. I won't throw them. I won't even touch them, but I will make them fly. I promise."

Addison and Elworth released my ankles, once I was standing, they let go of my wrists and sat back down on the divan.

I took a few seconds to get my balance. Once my head stopped spinning, I pushed my hair out of my face and stuffed my breasts back inside my top. I pushed my starched skirt down, but the dark blue silk sprung right back up. I pushed it down again, and it sprung right back up again. Not surprisingly, Addison and Elworth laughed, finding my predicament amusing. I could feel myself blush from head to toe. I pushed my skirt down a third time and used my left hand to hold down the front and my right hand to hold down the back.

"Make this fly," Elworth said, holding up a blue silk pillow.

"And this," Addison said, holding up a silver pillow.

I used my power to move small objects to send the two pillows flying around the room, which in retrospect, wasn't a whole lot different from what I had been doing. On the plus side, Addison and Elworth found flying pillows just as entertaining as a flying Lila.

Eventually, Briel, Glynis, and Diana returned to the suite. They stepped into the sitting room with Glynis and Diana shaking hands. Apparently, they had reached an agreement.

"Is everything all right here?" Diana asked.

"Everything's fine," I said.

"Lila's been showing us magic tricks," an excited Addison said.

"She can make things fly," Elworth added.

Briel looked at me.

"I got my memory back," I said.

"How?"

I shrugged my shoulders. If I had to take a guess, I figured it was a fear of dying. Not that I said that.

"I don't understand?" Diana said.

"Lila's been experiencing some memory loss," Glynis said. "But it looks like she got it back."

"She's a little young to be experiencing memory loss."

"She had a run in with a powder witch."

Diana's eyes widened. "I've heard stories about powder witches, but I didn't know they actually exist."

"They exist," Glynis said.

"You wouldn't happen to know one?"

"Why?" a curious Glynis asked.

"I have a rival back home," Diana said. "One who's been in my way most of my life. I was thinking that a powder witch might be able to help me deal with her. Once and for all."

"I do know one," Glynis said. "I was going to introduce her to Lila and Briel. I could introduce her to you as well. For a price."

"How much?"

"We reduce the percentage of income I agreed to pay you and your brothers by one percent."

"Agreed," Diana said.

They shook hands again. When they finished, Glynis turned to Briel and myself. "Do you still want to meet with a powder witch?"

"I do," I said. "Just to ask her a few questions."

"We'll meet first thing tomorrow. In my office. After Diana and her brothers have signed our contract, I'll introduce all of you to my powder witch."

"What happened to your hair?" Briel asked me as we headed back to our room. "It looks like you were caught in a windstorm."

"Got distracted. One of the pillows that was flying around the room came back and hit me in the head."

"And your skirt?" She noticed that I was still holding it down with both hands.

"Too much starch." No way I was going to tell her or anyone else that I spent the evening as a human swing. Some things are better kept to oneself.

***

The next morning, we met in Glynis's office. Diana and her two brother were there. Briel and I were there dressed in our regular clothes, black silk shirts, black leather knee breeches, black riding boots, and of course, my cutlass.

Glynis sat behind her desk. A young woman in a long black robe stood next to Glynis. She was tall and slim with dark brown hair that she wore in a tight bun. She wasn't particularly pretty, with a long face dominated by a hooked nose. She looked vaguely familiar, which made me wonder if it could be a young Ezerra. But what were the odds that I'd run into a younger version of a powder witch I already killed.

"First we sign the contract." Glynis handed a piece of parchment to Diana. "Read it, if it's what we agreed to, sign it."

Diana read the contract then signed it. Her brothers stepped forward and signed it without reading it. Glynis signed it, then handed Diana a second copy. Diana read the second copy and signed it. Her brothers signed it, then Glynis signed it. Glynis handed one copy of the contract to Diana along with a large bag of what must've been gold. Diana looked inside the bag and handed it to one of her brothers. Their copy of the contract went to her other brother.

"Now that that's taken care of, on to other matters." Glynis turned to the woman standing beside her. "This is Mazerra. She'll answer any questions you might have."

Not Ezerra, but Mazerra, probably a sister. Certainly just as dangerous. That belief was confirmed a second later when I had a vision. Both the House of Saleen and the House of Nikos were in flames. I saw the graves of Alexandra, Glynis, and Charmaine. I saw the grave of Petros Nikos. I saw Mazerra and Ezerra riding off together, laughing at how they had brought down two of the most powerful families in Gibney by turning them against each other.

The vision didn't surprise me. Powder witches worked for one person. Their master, the King of the Sugar Islands.

Diana nodded at me. "Why don't you go first. What I want to discuss is of a private nature."

I looked at Mazerra. "A few nights ago a powder witch broke into my room and threw a powder into my face, a powder which caused me to lose all of my memories. Petros Nikos hired her. My first question is were you the witch that was with him?"

"It wasn't me," Mazerra said. "I have an exclusive contract with the House of Saleen. I don't work for the House of Nikos."

"My second question is . . . ."

Mazerra held up her hand. "You want to know if the effects of the powder are reversible. The answer to that question is no, your memories are gone for good. There is nothing I can do to help you get them back."

"That wasn't my question. Truth is, I already got them back."

Mazerra made no attempt to hide the surprise on her face. "That's impossible. The effects of that particular powder are irreversible. Unless . . . ."

"Unless what?" Glynis said, when Mazerra's voice trailed off.

"Unless she's a seer. No one else would have a powerful enough mind to overcome that drug. Even then, she would have to be a seer of extraordinary power."

Before I could think of what to say, Briel spoke. "Seer blood does run in her family. On her father's side. Her late father was an extremely powerful seer. However, Lila didn't inherit his ability."

"Her powers might be latent," Mazerra said. "They could manifest themselves eventually."

"Or not," I said.

"Or not," Mazerra agreed. "What was your other question?"

"I was wondering why I was able to get my memories back. But you just answered that question."

Diana spoke. "I have a business proposition, but I'd prefer to discuss it in private."

"I haven't had breakfast yet," Mazerra said.

"Then let's head down to the tavern and get something to eat. It shouldn't be too crowded this hour of the morning."

Diana, her brothers, and Mazerra left. Once they were gone, I turned to Glynis. "You need to get rid of Mazerra."

"Why?"

"She's not here to promote your interests anymore than her sister, Ezerra, is here to promote Petros Nikos's interests. Powder witches serve but one master, the King of the Sugar Islands, and he sends them out with but one goal, destroy anyone and everyone with enough power or money to threaten him. They are his version of an army."

"How do you know Mazerra has a sister named Ezerra? And how do you know her sister is working for Petros Nikos?"

"Because Mazerra spoke the truth. I'm a seer of extraordinary power."

"I don't suppose you could prove that?" Glynis said.

"She already has," Briel said. "Mazerra already admitted that only a seer of extraordinary power could overcome the drug that was used on her."

Glynis nodded. "Point taken."

"You need to get rid of her before she puts you, Alexandra, and Charmaine in graves."

"I'll take what you've told me under advisement."

I studied Glynis for a few seconds. "No you won't. You think you need Mazerra. Think you need the drug she makes for your pleasure girls, the one that helps them perform better. The one you call, The Itch."

"You seem pretty sure of what I'll do."

"Probably because she's from the future," Briel said. "Some thirty years in the future. She knows what's going to happen to the House of Saleen."

Glynis had no response to that statement, so I spoke up. "When I was a teenager, I studied this country. In my studies I learned the names of many of the countries most powerful houses, but in those studies, two houses were never mentioned, the House of Nikos and the House of Saleen.

"Right now, you and your sisters are the richest family in Gibney, but if you do not get rid of Mazerra, your empire will be destroyed, and thirty years from now, the House of Saleen will be forgotten. Ezerra will bring down the House of Nikos. That is a forgone conclusion. Don't let Mazerra bring down the House of Saleen."

"How will she bring us down?"

"She has a powder that she can slip into your food, even toss in your face. It will muddle your mind, make you believe anything she tells you. If she tells you that you need to spend your fortune destroying Petros Nikos, you will do it. If she tells you that your sisters have turned against you and you need to destroy them, you will do it. At that point, she will abandon you and when you realize what you have done, you will destroy yourself."

"Why do you care what happens to me or my sisters?"

"I don't, but Briel cares about Alexandra, and I care about Briel."

I turned and headed for the door. Behind me, I could hear Briel pleading with Glynis. "You saw the fear in Mazerra's eyes when Lila told her that she already had her memories back. We all did. That look alone should convince you that Lila speaks the truth."

I reached the door and turned back to Briel. "It's time for us to go."

Briel nodded, looked at Glynis one last time, then followed me out the door. Whether the House of Saleen would be standing thirty years from now, only the One God knew.

***

Briel and I collected Martika, grabbed our knapsacks, and headed off to get our horses. It was time to press on, to continue our journey to the coast.

"At least Petros Nikos is out of your hair," Martika said, as we headed downstairs. "Now that he thinks you've lost your memory, he's got no reason to come after you."

Unless Mazerra told Ezerra that I got my memory back, and that her powder didn't work on me. Even if she did, I doubt if Ezerra would relay that information to Petros Nikos. That would just let him know that there were limits to her abilities, and I suspect that was something she didn't want him to know.

When we reached the front doors, I ran into somebody I never expected to see again. Tristan. The young man that taught me to speak Sorean was standing there staring at me and looking ridiculously happy.

"Lila, thank the gods I've found you." He marched up to me and crushed me in his embrace.

"I've been looking all over Gibney for you."

I squirmed out of his embrace. "I thought you were headed to Sorea with your father."

"I told my father that I didn't want to take over the family business. I told him I wanted to be with you instead."

"Why would you want to be with me?"

Tristan looked at me like I had just asked the dumbest question in the world. The looks on Briel's and Martika's faces didn't look much different.

"Why do you think," a grinning Tristan said. "Because I'm in love with you."

Chapter 18

To say that I was speechless was an understatement. No one had ever told me that they were in love with me. No one had even said that they loved me. My mother never used the word. Perhaps she felt that she didn't have the right to tell us that she loved us, not when she was willing to let us kill each other to claim her throne. My sisters and I never used the word because we knew that one day we would have to fight to the death.

"Did you hear what I said?" Tristan asked.

"She heard you," Martika said. "You caught her off-guard with the word love. It's not a word our family uses. Ever."

"Why not?"

"There are . . . reasons."

I tried to collect my thoughts. Tristan loved me, but did I love him? No. I liked him, but I certainly didn't love him. And even if I did, I couldn't take him back to my own time. I couldn't ask a sixteen year old Sester to transport half the planet thirty years into the future.

I had to convince Tristan to go back to his father and take over the family business. I had to convince him to forget about me.

"What did your father say when you told him that you'd rather run off with me than take over the family business?"

"He wasn't very happy. Called you some very unsavory names. Told me that I was a fool."

"He was right. You are a fool."

That caught Tristan off-guard and he retreated a step. "You can't mean that."

"Look kid, what we had wasn't love, it was sex."

"Don't call me kid. I'm only five years younger than you."

"At our age, five years makes a big difference." I stepped forward and put my hands on his shoulders. "You need to go back to your father. Tell him that he was right. Tell him that you made a mistake."

"I can't go back. He told me if I left, he was through with me."

"If you tell him you made a mistake, and that he was right, he'll take you back."

"But I don't want to go back. I want to be with you."

This is what I got for taking a younger lover. Next time I was affected by, The Itch, or just had an itch, I would take an older lover, one that harbored no illusions about why we were there.

Briel, ever the pragmatist, stepped between us and pushed Tristan in the chest, forcing him to retreat a couple of steps. "Listen kid. She's not in love with you, so just go home."

"Stop calling me kid."

"Where's your father right now?" I asked.

"On his way to the coast. He might even be there by now."

"That's where we're headed, so you might as well ride with us."

Tristan smiled, pleased that he'd get to spend more time with me. Briel did just the opposite. She scowled, then grabbed my arm and pulled me to one side. "You think that's a good idea, letting him tag along."

"Probably not."

"Then why are you doing it?"

"I am the reason he left his father. The least I can do is make sure he gets back to him. Plus, it'll give me a chance to convince him that I'm not in love with him."

"How do you intend to do that?"

"I don't know yet. But I'll figure something out."

With that said, we saddled our horses and continued our journey to the coast. We reached the city of Celena around sunset. Celena was just past the midway point of our journey. Just as Alexandra gave us passes for two rooms at any palace she owned, Glynis did the same. And that's when the trouble started.

"So how's this work?" Tristan asked as we headed up to the second floor. "You two take one room and Lila and I take the other?"

Briel glared at Tristan. "Lila is not sharing a room with you. None of us are. If you want a room, you rent one."

"I don't have any money."

"Then you can sleep in the stable, with the horses."

I looked at Tristan. "You really don't have any money?"

"I had a little, but I spent it all on food when I was trying to find you."

I sighed. "Fine. You and I will share one room. Briel and Martika can have the other."

Briel grabbed my arm and dragged me to the side. "Is this part of your plan to convince him that you don't love him?"

"Actually it is."

"Explain it to me."

"I spend the next few days rejecting his advances. He'll learn the hard way that I don't love him. It's not a complicated plan, and it certainly won't spare him pain, but he will learn."

Briel studied me for a few seconds. "You're serious."

"As a powder witch."

"Then it works for me." She headed over to Martika. "Looks like you and I are sharing a room."

Our room looked like every other room in a House of Saleen Pleasure Palace. A big feather bed, a table, and a couple of wing chairs. The only difference was the color scheme. Alexandra's palaces used a green color scheme while this one was dark blue.

I tossed my knapsack on the table, unbuckled my cutlass and laid it next to my knapsack. Tristan tossed his knapsack next to mine, then grabbed me. "I knew you missed me."

I tried to push him away, but he was bigger and stronger. When he tried to kiss me, I did the only thing I could, I stomped on his toes with my boot heel.

He yelped and let me go. "What's the big idea?"

"I didn't miss you. And I won't miss you when I leave you behind."

"What does that mean? When you leave me behind?"

"I'm taking you back to your father."

"You can't be serious?"

"I am serious. You can either believe me, or you can learn the hard way."

Tristan slumped down in one of the wing chairs and thrust his lower lip out in a pout. "If you don't love me, why are you sharing a room with me?"

"Just because I don't love you, doesn't mean I don't like you." The pout on Tristan's face turned into a smile, prompting me to wag a finger at him. "As a friend. Nothing more. Besides, there's no reason you should have to sleep with the horses when this bed is big enough to hold four people."

"So, you really don't love me?"

"I really don't love you."

"You could learn to love me."

"Doubtful."

"Because?"

"I'm a slow learner."

Tristan sighed in defeat. A second later, he sat up straight. "Can we still have sex?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because you don't know the difference between love and sex. And having sex with you will just convince you that I love you and that you love me."

"Then teach me."

"Teach you what?"

"Teach me about love."

"Why do you want to be with me?"

Tristan shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know."

"You think you love me, but you don't know why you want to be with me?"

"I want to be with you because you're beautiful and smart and sexy."

"That's not love."

"What is it?"

"Desire."

"What's the difference?"

"The difference between love and desire is as great as the difference between a parent and a child. Parents give their children things, or withhold things from them, because they want what's best for them. That's love. Children ask for things because they want to look at them, and touch them, and play with them. That's desire."

"Are you calling me a child?"

"Your feelings for me are those of a child."

"Why?"

"If you loved me, you'd want what's best for me. And being with you isn't what's best for me."

"Why not?"

I didn't think he'd believe me, but I told him anyway. I told him that I was from the future, and that I had to get back to my own time. I told him that there were people waiting for me, people that depended upon me. I didn't tell him who those people were, nor did I tell him that thirty-three years from now I was the reigning Queen of Adah, not to mention several countries that he had never heard of.

"You really expect me to believe that you're from the future?"

"If you loved me you would."

Tristan flashed a cynical smile. "Why?"

"Because love believes all things. At least when it comes to the person you love."

"Fine," Tristan said. "I believe you're from the future."

"No, you don't. You think I'm making stuff up just to get rid of you."

"If you're from the future, how did you end up in this time?"

"A Sorean time walker transported me to this time, then abandoned me."

"I didn't know they had time walkers in Sorea."

"They're rare, but they do exist. Why do you think I wanted you to teach me Sorean?"

"Because you're into languages."

"Because I need to get into Sorea and find a time walker that can transport me back to my own time."

"Have you told this story to Briel and Martika?"

"Yes and it's not a story."

"If you say so." It was pretty clear that Tristan thought I was making stuff up just to get rid of him. And that was fine with me. Whatever it took to get him to go back to his father. "So we're really not going to have sex?"

"We're really not going to have sex."

And we didn't. Not that night. Not for the rest of the trip.

***

We reached the port of Bussfield without any more incidents. Bussfield was a large city. A busy city. People were hurrying. Commerce was taking place. Most of the buildings in the city were stone, brown sandstone, gray granite, white granite. Unlike the other cities we passed through, the streets of Bussfield were paved, a mixture of brown and gray cobblestones had been laid in the ground.

After sharing a room with me for four nights, but not getting to touch me, Tristan had come to the conclusion that he wasn't really in love with me. When we reached the city, he turned his horse so he was facing me. "I guess this is where we part."

"You know where your father is?"

"Either down at the docks or at home."

"You have a home here?" I don't know why that surprised me but it did. It just proved how little I knew about Tristan.

"We keep a townhouse here. It's not as big as our place back in Saco, but we don't spend as much time here."

"Some day you'll actually fall in love," I said. "And when that day comes, you'll understand the difference between love and what you feel now."

Tristan turned his horse around and headed off. "Whatever."

As he disappeared down the street, Briel leaned toward me. "It's amazing how fast a man can lose interest in you when he realizes that he isn't going to get any."

"He's young."

"So what's our first move?" Martika said. "Get a couple of rooms at the local House of Saleen?"

"I do have a couple of letters to deliver to Charmaine," Briel said. "One from Alexandra. One from Glynis."

The local House of Saleen looked like most of the others. A gray stone castle with red roofed towers scattered randomly around the castle. It was located down by the docks and it was busy.

The first thing we did was head up to the third floor, to deliver Alexandra's and Glynis's letters to their sister, and get our complementary rooms.

Charmaine's office looked like that of her two sisters, spacious and empty save for the large wooden desk that she sat behind. Charmaine was the spitting image of her two sisters, except for the length of her hair. Alexandra wore her hair short. Glynis wore her hair long. Charmaine wore hers somewhere between that of her sisters. It didn't quite reach her shoulders and she kept it tied back in a ponytail. She wore polished black dress boots, black silk breeches, and a silver colored shirt. The official colors of the palaces that she owned.

After introducing ourselves and presenting her with the letters, she took the time to read them. When she finished, she set them aside and looked at us. "According to my sisters, I'd be a fool not to hire the three of you."

"We're not looking for jobs," Briel said. "But we could use a couple of rooms."

"I'm afraid I don't have any rooms to spare. The best I can do is give you a suite here on the third floor." That didn't sound like a Saleen, giving us something for nothing. Especially something as nice as a suite. "Of course, I will want a small favor from you."

Now that sounded like a Saleen. We had earned the rooms Alexandra and Glynis gave us, and it looked like we would have to earn our suite.

"Why don't we just pay for our room," Martika said. "We can certainly afford it."

"What's the favor?" Briel asked.

Leave it to Briel to get us involved with another Saleen. Not that I blamed her. When you were in love with one of the triplets, it was hard not to get sucked in by the other two. Except for the length of their hair, and the color of their clothes, it was impossible to tell them apart.

"I have some guests arriving, from the other side of the desert."

Now that was news to me. I knew traders from Gibney had been traveling to that side of the continent for decades, but I hadn't known anyone from the Far Lands had traveled to this side of the continent.

"And you want us to tend to them, make sure they're happy?" Briel asked.

Charmaine looked at me. "Alex says that you can speak their tongue."

"I speak what's known as the Common Tongue. It's the most popular language used in the Far Lands, but it's not the only one. There's also Old Landish and the Tongue of the Nomads. I know a few words in those two languages but I don't really speak them."

"These people come from a country called Standish."

That made sense. Standish was the first country on the other side of the desert the Gibeans established trade routes with. It wasn't odd that a few of them had sailed to this side of the continent.

"The people of Standish speak the Common Tongue," I said. "I can help you with them."

"Excellent," Charmaine said. "They speak my tongue, but I want someone around who can tell me what they're saying when they don't want me to know what they're saying."

Simple enough task. Stand quietly by, listen to what was being said, then relay the information to Charmaine. What could go wrong?

Chapter 19

Charmaine gave us a suite on the third floor of the palace, albeit the smallest one. Still, it was a suite, complete with a dining room, a sitting room, and two bedrooms. The color scheme was silver and black. The wooden furniture was made out of some kind of black oak. The cushions and comforters were silk and silver in color. Briel and Martika had gotten used to sharing a bedroom, so I got the second one all to myself.

"It's only fair that you get the single room," Briel said. "You are the one that has to work here."

"You guys are going to be doing some work of your own," I said. "While I'm working for Charmaine, I need you guys to go down to the docks, buy a wagon, a team of horses, and a load of sugar. We don't need them right away, just find the best deals you can and tell them we'll pay them when we take delivery."

While they did that, I reported to Charmaine's office. "Can I ask what these negotiations are about?"

"Opening a House of Saleen Pleasure Palace in the Far Lands."

In my time there were no House of Saleen Pleasure Palaces in the Far Lands. I don't know if that was because these negotiations fell through, or because Mazerra brought the House of Saleen down before Charmaine could expand her empire to that part of the world.

I wondered if my helping Charmaine, or warning Glynis about Mazerra, could change the future in the Far Lands. Probably not. Glynis didn't impress me as someone that would heed my warning, and even if Charmaine did open a pleasure palace in southern Standish, her empire would never expand much beyond that.

Most of the people in that part of the world worshiped the One God, rather than the multiple gods worshiped in this part of the world. Although they might visit a pleasure palace, they would never allow one to be built in their neighborhood. They were way too prudish for that.

"How long have you been negotiating with these people?"

"Awhile. I finally managed to convince them to visit this side of the world, see first hand the type of business I'd like to open up."

"Have you ever visited the Far Lands?"

Charmaine shook her head. "According to Alex's letter, you have."

"I have."

"What can you tell me about that side of the world?"

"Standish is about the same size as Gibney, except that it runs north--south instead of east--west. Oceans border the country on the south and the west. So the country has a lot of fishermen and traders."

"Sounds a lot like Gibney."

"In many respects it is, but there is one big difference."

"Which is?"

"They don't worship multiple gods like we do here. They worship a single god, who they refer to as the One God. Because of the teachings of the One God's prophets, many of the people there frown upon sex and gambling and drinking. At least when done in excess."

"So you're saying they wouldn't visit a pleasure palace?"

"No, they'd visit. They just wouldn't want it built in their city."

"So where do they go for entertainment?"

"The High Sage of Landish doesn't worship the One God. His palace is a pleasure palace."

"That explains why these negotiations have never gone anywhere." Charmaine looked at me. "Any suggestions that might get them moving?"

"Tell them that you're willing to build your palace outside of the city."

"If I did that, would I be able to turn a profit?"

"Men are men," I said. "No matter what language they speak or god they worship."

Charmaine smiled. "That's what I'm counting on."

The uniform Charmaine gave me was identical to what the girls downstairs were wearing. The skirt was black silk. It was short and starched. The briefs I wore beneath it were silk and silver in color. The top was a strapless silk corset that was silver in color and laced up the back. My boots were black, reached all the way to the middle of my thighs, and like the corset, laced up the back. Silver hair clips that spelled the word SALEEN, plus a silver choker that spelled out HOUSE OF SALEEN, completed the outfit.

Once I had changed, I rejoined Charmaine in her office. As soon as I entered, she motioned for me to spin, so she could see how I looked. I spun, my short starched skirt floated up, revealing everything from the waist down.

Charmaine nodded in approval, pushed herself to her feet, and circled her desk. "What do you say we pay our guests a visit."

Charmaine headed for the door and I fell in alongside of her, moving awkwardly in the thigh boots. I was used to the high heels, but I wasn't used to boots that were this high or this tight. "Where do you want me to stand? Behind you? Off to the side?"

"Anywhere my guests can see you. I don't want them to think you're anything more than eye candy."

"What should I do if I have something important to tell you?"

"Wait until we have a moment alone. Unless you think it can't wait."

Charmaine's visitors were waiting for us in the largest of her guest suites. Two men dressed in black silk robes with red silk sashes tied around their waists. One was short and slim with a shaved head and a neatly trimmed black beard. He had a sharp hawk like nose. Even though he was only thirty years old, I recognized him immediately. It was Lydon Jarvo. In my time, he served as Chief Counselor to the First Consummate of Landish, namely me. He ran Landish when I wasn't there, which was most of the time.

The other man was short and fat. He had a shaved head and a shaved face. His button nose was almost too small for his plump round head. Like Jarvo, he was around thirty years old. Like Jarvo, I knew him. His name was Thalis Uliss. In my time, he served as my exchequer. In other words, he collected the taxes and paid the bills.

Neither man mentioned they had visited my side of the continent. Which made me wonder why. I also wondered why they were pretending to come from Standish. If you sailed south, and then west, you would reach Landish before you reached Standish. Could Charmaine's grandfather have mistaken Landish for Standish? The names of the two countries were similar. And when you couldn't speak their language, and they couldn't speak yours, you could go for years thinking you were dealing with somebody else.

"See you good," Jarvo said. He was trying to speak Gibean, but his accent was so bad, I could barely understand him.

Thalis didn't say anything. He just leered at my breasts and smiled. No surprise there. The corset I was wearing was cut so low, I was afraid to take a deep breath, less I pop out of it. On top of that, old Thalis was obsessed with my breasts. Why would young Thalis be any different?

"It's good to see you," Charmaine said. "I trust your accommodations are to your liking."

She was talking so fast, I knew for a fact, Jarvo couldn't understand what she was saying. His response, which consisted of a smile and bow, confirmed my suspicions.

"They don't understand what you're saying," I said. "Their Gibean isn't good enough."

"But we've been communicating for years. Their letters are written in perfect Gibean."

"Perhaps, but not by them."

"So why didn't they bring their translator with them?"

"I don't know. I do know that these two don't come from Standish. They come from Landish."

Charmaine's eyes widened in surprise. "Landish!"

Jarvo and Thalis might not have been able to speak Gibean, but they knew the name of their country. Upon hearing it mentioned, they perked up considerably.

Charmaine looked at Jarvo. "How well can you speak Gibean?"

Jarvo smiled and bowed. "Fine."

"Say something to me in Gibean," Charmaine said.

"See you good," Jarvo said again.

Charmaine sighed. "Looks like you're going to have to translate."

I nodded, turned to Jarvo, and switched to the Common Tongue. "What are you doing here Jarvo?" Before he could answer, I turned to Thalis and slapped the hand that was moving toward my breasts. "Uh-uh, Thalis. You can look but you can't touch."

I don't know if it was my ability to speak the Common Tongue that caught them by surprise, or the fact that I knew their names. Whatever the reason, their dark eyes widened in surprise and they retreated a couple of steps.

"You speak the Common Tongue," Jarvo said.

"And you know our names," Thalis added. "How is that?"

"I know as much about the two of you as you do about each other. What I don't know is why you're pretending to come from Standish, or what you're doing here."

Thalis elbowed Jarvo. "We have to take this one back with us."

As soon as Thalis said that, I knew what they were doing here. "Oh . . . my . . . god! You're collecting women for the high sage's harem. That's why you're here."

Jarvo told me that the father of the high sage I knew had a large harem. And that he enjoyed it immensely. Right now, he would be a young man in the prime of his life. A young man that was looking to expand his harem.

Charmaine must've mentioned in one of her letters that her pleasure palaces were full of beautiful women. The high sage must've sent Jarvo and Thalis to find out if that was true, and if it was, to bring a few of those women back.

"Who are you?" Jarvo said. "And how is it you know our names?"

I ignored Jarvo, turned to Charmaine, and switched to Gibean. "These men will never allow you to open a pleasure palace in their land."

"Why not?"

"Landish law forbids a woman from learning how to read or write, let alone run her own business."

"In their letters they claimed they were from Standish."

"They were lying."

"Why?"

"Because it served their purpose."

"What is their purpose?"

"Collecting women for the high sage's harem."

Charmaine thought for a minute, then smiled. "Tell them that we can still do business. But it will cost them."

"You're not actually going to sell them some of your girls?"

"Not sell," Charmaine said. "But I have plenty of girls that would join a harem willingly. And there's nothing wrong with my receiving a fee for introducing them to these girls."

"You're thinking about your pleasure girls."

Charmaine nodded. "Most of my pleasure girls come from peasant stock. They can't read or write, nor are they interested in learning. Here they have sex with ten to twelve men a day. In a harem, it would be with just one man a day. From their perspective, living in a harem is a much easier life."

Having spent three days in the high sage's harem, I knew first hand that it was an easier life than working as a pleasure girl. Personally, I found it to be a boring life, but some girls would probably love it.

I turned to Jarvo and switched to the Common Tongue. "The mistress of this house is willing to supply you with girls for the high sage's harem, but it will cost you."

"How much?" Thalis said.

I turned to Charmaine and switched to Gibean. "They want to know how much you're going to charge them."

"In the Sugar Islands the slavers get anywhere from twenty to one hundred gold sovereigns per girl. Depending upon the girl. So lets start there."

I switched back to the Common Tongue. "The price varies depending upon the girl. Minimum price for each girl is twenty gold pieces."

"Ask her how much she wants for you," Thalis said.

I grabbed Thalis's button nose and twisted it. Hard. "You only get girls that are willing to go with you. Understand?"

"Yes, yes, yes," Thalis said, trying to yank my hand off his nose.

"Say I understand."

"I understand. I understand."

I released his nose, which was quite red. He rubbed it and glared at me.

"What was that about?" Charmaine said.

"He wanted to know how much I cost."

Charmaine smiled. "Tell them that I have to talk to my girls, let them know that this opportunity is available. Once I've done that I can give them a list of the girls that are interested. You wouldn't happen to know what kind of girls they want?"

"Doesn't matter, as long as they're beautiful and don't look like they were born in Landish."

"What do the women of Landish look like?"

"Short and slim with olive colored skin, black hair, black eyes, small breasts, and big bottoms."

"Tell them I can have a list of women ready by this time tomorrow."

I relayed that information to Jarvo and Thalis.

"We need to see the women," Jarvo said.

I relayed that information to Charmaine.

"Not a problem," Charmaine said. "Tomorrow night. This time."

"You can meet the women tomorrow night," I told Jarvo and Thalis.

"We'd like to tour the palace and the city," Thalis said. "And since you speak the Common Tongue so well, you can show us around."

"I can show you around the palace," I said. "The city you'll have to explore on your own."

I told Charmaine what they wanted.

"Then I'll leave them in your hands." Charmaine shook each man's hand and left.

"Why won't you show us around the city?" Thalis asked once Charmaine had gone.

"Because I don't trust you." The first time we met, Jarvo drugged me and tossed me in the high sage's harem. Right after telling me that he didn't do things like that. "Either of you."

"Where did you learn to speak the Common Tongue?" Jarvo asked me.

"Vassa."

"You're from Vassa?"

"No, but I lived there."

"You've visited Landish?"

"Several times."

"What are you doing in the Barbarian Lands?"

"I was born in the Barbarian Lands. A better question would be what are the two of you doing in the Barbarian Lands, especially when you can't speak any of the languages?"

"The high sage looked at his wives one day, and said, 'My wives all look the same. Find me some new ones, some that don't look like they come from Landish.' Naturally, I pointed out that the women in the neighboring countries don't understand what an honor it is to be selected for the high sage's harem. That's when Thalis mentioned that we had been receiving letters from a woman that lived in the Barbarian Lands, a woman that claimed she had many beautiful girls working for her."

Thalis picked up the story. "The high sage told us to travel here and see for ourselves if it was true. And if it was, to bring some of these women back with us. So we boarded a barbarian merchant vessel and here we are."

"If we promise not to do anything nefarious will you show us the city?" Jarvo asked.

"I don't know the city that well. I just arrived here myself."

"Then we will explore it together."

"And you will wear that outfit," Thalis said. I reached for his nose, forcing him to retreat. "Or you will wear something else."

I gave them a tour of Charmaine's pleasure palace. When we reached the lounge where the pleasure girls worked, they were taken aback.

"You're telling us that these girls have sex with men for money," Jarvo said.

"Yes."

"Any men?"

"They have the right to turn down any man they're not attracted to."

"They cannot be part of the high sage's harem."

"Why not?"

"The high sage cannot marry women that have been used by every man they've met."

"I don't think they've been used by EVERY man they've met. Besides, how do you know the woman already in the harem haven't slept with a lot of men?"

"Because they are Landish women and Landish women don't do things like that."

"Don't think of these women as used," I said. "Think of them as experienced."

"Experienced. Used. What's the difference?"

"Girls like these know how to please a man. How can you not bring back some women that will know how to make the high sage happy?"

"She has a point," Thalis said. "The high sage might appreciate a few girls that do more than just lie there."

"As long as they're disease free," Jarvo said. "And don't look used."

"Or talk about all the men they've been with," Thalis added.

"They don't speak the Common Tongue, let alone Old Landish. Even if they did talk, who would know what they were saying."

"Someone will have to teach them the Common Tongue," Jarvo said. "So they will know what is expected of them."

"You can come with us," Thalis said. "Teach them the Common Tongue."

"Whatever ship you book passage on will have someone on board that can speak the Common Tongue. They can teach the girls what they need to know." Thalis thrust his lower lip out in a pout, disappointed that I wouldn't be going with them. "Cheer up, Thalis. I guarantee we'll meet again."

Thalis brightened. "You will come to Landish?"

"I will come to Landish."

Granted it would be thirty-three years from now, and they probably wouldn't remember this meeting. But we would meet again.

***

Actually, I met them the next morning, to give them a tour of the city. I didn't wear the uniform Charmaine gave me, but I didn't wear my regular clothes either. Landish men weren't interested in a woman's intelligence. They only cared about her beauty. If they didn't find you desirable, they wouldn't pay attention to anything you said. Sad perhaps, but true.

Whenever I visited Landish, I always took care to dress sexier. That was why I borrowed some clothes from the employee's dressing room. Not one of those short skirts, no way was I going to wear one of those in public. But I did borrow a silver colored top. One with long sleeves and a plunging neckline. The kind that left the waist bare.

I also borrowed a pair of boots. Not the thigh boots. These boots were calf high, but did have the same four inch heel. Sexier than my riding boots, but easier to walk in than the thigh boots.

I added a pair of body hugging black silk knee breeches and tied my hair back in a ponytail. I also wore my cutlass. Old Jarvo and old Thalis were used to seeing me armed. Young Jarvo and young Thalis would get used to it.

Not surprisingly, the first thing Thalis did when he saw me, was check out what I was wearing. Jarvo did the same thing, but as usual, he was more subtle.

"You have a small bottom," Thalis said.

"Is that good or bad?"

"It is neither good or bad. It is just different," Jarvo said. "As you well know, Landish women have much larger bottoms. It's the one part of them that is big."

"I would argue that a small bottom is good," Thalis said. "Her small bottom and small waist make her breasts look that much bigger."

"How did we end up talking about my breasts and backside?" I glared at Thalis. "Oh that's right. Thalis is here."

Thalis grinned. "The high sage insisted I join Jarvo on this trip. He values my taste in women."

The one thing I could say about Landish men is that they were consistent. Jarvo and Thalis were the same at age thirty as they were at age sixty. They even dressed the same, wearing their usual black silk robes with red sashes tied around their waists. In Landish, the outfits identified them as government officials. Here they looked more like temple priests.

"Where would you like to go first?" I asked as we headed out of the pleasure palace.

"We would like to see the government buildings," Jarvo said. "Perhaps we could introduce ourselves to whoever is running this city."

"There is no government."

"Then how do things get built?"

"Charmaine is responsible for the buildings and streets that she owns. Other individuals are responsible for the buildings and streets that they own."

"So everything in this country is private property?"

"Yes."

"Even the streets?" Thalis asked.

"Even the streets."

Jarvo looked at me. "So the woman we met last night owns this part of the city?"

"She does indeed."

"Then this is not one big kingdom, but a land of many little kingdoms."

"That's one way to look at it."

"The people that rule these little kingdoms will not mind if we cross into their territory?"

"They won't mind. They'll just try to sell you something. That's how they've built their kingdoms."

With that said, we took a walk around the city. Jarvo was on my right. Thalis was on my left. In the middle of our tour, Jarvo said something interesting. "You are very comfortable around us. Why is that?"

"Perhaps because I've been to Landish."

"No. It is not that. You act like you know us."

"Perhaps I do know you."

"But we have never met . . . unless."

"Unless what?"

"Unless you are not from this time."

I stopped dead in my tracks. How could he have figured that out? How could he have possibly figured that out?

Chapter 20

I stopped dead in my tracks and turned to Jarvo. "What makes you think I'm not from this time?"

"As I said. You act like you know us. You act like we are old friends."

"But how could I be from another time?" Naturally, I knew the answer to that question. I just wanted to see what Jarvo said.

"There is a man at the high sage's palace. An old man. He serves as one of the high sage's advisers, even though he is not from Landish. He possesses the ability to travel through time."

"Where is he from?"

"He comes from this part of the world," Thalis said. "In fact, he is the one that translated the letters for us. Taught us to speak the local tongue."

"What does he look like?"

"He is old," Thalis said. "He looks like all old people, wrinkled and gray."

"Can he speak more than one of the barbarian tongues?"

"He speaks several."

I started talking in Sorean. Then switched back to the Common Tongue. "Have you heard him speak that language?"

Jarvo nodded. "I have."

So the current High Sage of Landish had a Sorean time walker working for him. One that was older, and in all likelihood, more powerful than a sixteen year old Sester. One that might be able to help me get back to my own time.

"Why does this man live in Landish. Why did he leave his homeland?"

"He said there were people in his homeland that wanted to control him, use his power to enhance their own. He said that he could not allow that."

Perhaps my father wanted to control him. He would already be King of Sorea. The lust for power that destroyed him, was probably already corrupting him.

Thalis picked up the story. "So he fled to Landish. Asked the high sage for sanctuary. The high sage offered him a spot in his palace, as an adviser. The man excepted the post under one condition. The high sage could not ask him to change the past."

"He would offer the high sage advice, if and when he asked for it, but he would not change the past," Jarvo said. "The high sage figured a man with knowledge of the future would be a valuable ally. So he agreed to the man's terms."

"Which brings us back to you," Thalis said.

"Are you from another time?" Jarvo said.

"I am."

"The future?"

"Yes."

"You know us in the future?" Thalis said.

"I do."

"How far into the future?"

"Thirty-three years."

"How do you know us?" Jarvo said.

"I serve as First Consummate of Landish. You are my chief counselor. Thalis is my exchequer."

"And the current high sage?"

"Dead. But he lived a full happy life."

"He did not have a son?"

"He did, but his son died in battle."

"But Jarvo and I are still alive?" Thalis said.

I laughed. "Not only are you both still alive. You are very much the men you are now. Kings, queens, and high sages come and go, but Jarvo and Thalis are eternal."

"How did you end up in this time?" Jarvo asked.

"A female time walker tricked me into coming here with her. Then she abandoned me."

"Why would she do that?"

"In my time I'm very powerful. Not only do I serve as First Consummate of Landish, I also serve as Queen of Vassa, Dunre, and Adah."

"I have never heard of Adah," Jarvo said.

"It's one of the barbarian lands. It borders this country."

"What are you doing in this city?" Thalis asked.

"Working my way to Sorea, the land of the time walkers."

"Our time walker will not use his power to help people that belong in this time," Jarvo said. "But he might be willing to help someone that does not belong in this time."

"Describe him to me." Thalis opened his mouth to speak but I held up a hand, silencing him. "And be specific. Don't just tell me that he looks like all old people."

Jarvo described the man in great detail. Not surprisingly, he looked a lot like me. Short and slim with thick hair and a pleasant if angular face. Which meant he was probably a relative of my father and my aunt Sester. Most likely their uncle.

"Why did you want to know what he looks like?" Jarvo asked.

"Because I'm going to talk to him. See if he'll help me get back to my own time."

"You possess the ability to talk to people on the other side of the world?"

"I do."

***

At the end of the day, we met with Charmaine. She introduced Jarvo and Thalis to twenty-three girls willing to join the high sage's harem. Jarvo and Thalis looked the girls over, asked questions about them, and selected ten. Three of the girls had served as pleasure girls. The other seven worked the tavern or the gambling hall. They all had something the women of Landish didn't have, blond hair, big breasts, red hair, big breasts, blue eyes, big breasts, long legs, big breasts.

Charmaine and Thalis argued over how much they would pay for each girl. Or each girl's contract, as Charmaine liked to put it. In her words, she wasn't selling people, she was selling contracts. Jarvo didn't stick around for that. Since I was serving as interpreter, I did. It felt like we were trading in human flesh, but I talked to each girl, explained in great detail what they were getting themselves into, and they all agreed it would be a better life, an easier life, than what they had now. Marrying a rich man was the goal of many a young woman and the High Sage of Landish was as rich as they came. The idea of having to share him with several other women didn't bother any of them in the least.

When I finished as an interpreter, I returned to our suite. Briel and Martika were already there, relaxing in the sitting room.

"How did your day go?" Briel asked.

"There's a time walker living in Landish. He serves as an adviser to the high sage. I think he's a relative of mine, possibly a great uncle."

"Can he help us?" an excited Martika asked.

"That's what I need to find out."

"You're going to talk to him?"

"Right now." I sat in one of the silver and black wing chairs that faced the divan they were sitting on. I closed my eyes, and pictured the man in my mind. Long thick hair that had turned white. Hair that he wore in a ponytail. A face similar to that of my father, which was very much like my own face. A second later, I saw him.

He was in the great hall of the northern palace. The same palace where I served as first consummate. As usual, the hall was packed with people. Some lounged on pillows, some stood in small groups. All of them were eating and drinking and laughing, save for the serving girls, the musicians, and the shimmy dancers.

The man I wanted was lounging on some silk pillows, eating cheese and drinking wine, watching a shimmy dancer dressed in nothing more than three strategically placed metallic snowflakes. He wore the same black silk robe and red sash that Jarvo and Thalis wore. The same outfit that all of the high sage's advisers wore. He sensed my presence immediately, not all that surprising since I made no effort to hide the fact that I was there.

"I know you're here," he said, leaping to his feet. "Show yourself."

The shimmy dancer realized the man had lost interest in her performance and moved off.

I pictured myself standing in front of the man, looking exactly like I looked now. Black dress boots. Black silk breeches. The silver shirt that left my waist bare. My hair pulled back in a ponytail.

"You looked like my niece, Sester," the man said. "But I know you are not her, for she does not possess the power of a seer. Which means you are not showing me your real image."

"You see the real me, Alltus Barr. My name is Lila Marie Haran. I'm the daughter of Corbett Barr. That's why I look like your niece."

"Haran. That is the name of the ruling family of Adah."

"It is."

"The reigning Queen of Adah has no daughter named Lila. And Corbett has no children."

"The queen you speak of died a few weeks ago. But what you say is true. She did not give birth to a daughter named Lila. And Corbett has no children--yet."

"You are from the future."

"Yes."

"What are you doing in this time?"

"Trying to find someone that can get me back to my time."

"When is your time?"

"Thirty-three years from now."

"Who moved you to this time?"

"Your niece."

"Sester?"

"Yes."

"Why would she do such a thing?"

"Perhaps because her uncle didn't stick around long enough to teach her right from wrong."

Some people might have been offended by what I said, but Alltus Barr just laughed. "You have a smart mouth. Much like your father. Did you ever meet him?"

"Met him. Watched the Crown of Sorrows take his life."

"Then he never turned from the dark path he is headed down."

"He did not."

"Sad, but not surprising."

"Can you get me back to my time?"

"Why would I want to do that?"

"Because I don't belong in this time."

"If my niece abandoned you in this time, then she must've had a good reason for doing so."

"A woman named Emperia Leon forced her to do it."

"I have never heard of Emperia Leon."

"She heads the National Council of Elders. They will rule your country when the overseer drives the king from Sorea."

"Why does she fear you?"

"Are you familiar with the writings of the prophets of the One God?"

"I have read them."

"Then you have heard of Destiny's Queen."

Alltus nodded. "Are you telling me that you are Destiny's Queen?"

"I make no such claims. But others, many others, believe that I am she."

"How many lands do you rule in your time?"

"I rule Vassa, Dunre, Landish, and Adah."

"And you are heir to the throne of Sorea."

"Yes, but I rejected the Crown of Sorrows, partly because of the curse that it carries, partly because I'm not qualified to rule a country I know nothing about. A closed society like Sorea should be ruled by someone that grew up in that society, someone that lives in that society, someone that understands that society."

"You are wise beyond your years. I can see why Emperia Leon fears you."

"Emperia Leon fears me because she doesn't know me. We always fear that which we do not know."

"Where are you now?"

"In Gibney. On the Eastern Sea. Just north of the Sorean border."

"You have met Counselor Jarvo and Exchequer Thalis?"

"I have met the young Counselor Jarvo and the young Exchequer Thalis."

"And how do you find them compared to their older selves?"

"Very much the same. The world changes but the men of Landish do not."

Alltus smiled. "The world needs constants."

"If I return to Landish with them, can you, will you, return me to my own time?"

"I can and I will. To leave you in this time would violate everything that I believe."

"I have two women with me. Girls really. They were born in this time, but they no longer belong here."

"They should be dead?"

"One would be dead, if I hadn't saved her. I made a promise to take care of the other one, something I can't do if I leave her behind."

"You are not from this time, as such, you should view the people you meet as ghosts, because that's what they are to you."

"One cannot touch a ghost. One cannot converse with a ghost." I remembered something that happened to me when I was ten years old and decided that I better amend that statement. "Actually, one can converse with a ghost, but the ghost cannot converse with you."

"You sound like you are speaking from experience."

"I am."

Alltus sighed. "Bring your ghosts with you and I will transport the three of you back to your time. But only the three of you. No more."

I had my image bow, then let it fade. I opened my eyes to find myself back in my suite. Briel and Martika were still on the divan, staring at me.

"Change of plans," I said. "We're going to Landish instead of Sorea."

Chapter 21

We booked passage on a Gibean merchant vessel. The same vessel Jarvo, Thalis, and the ten girls that were going to join the high sage's harem booked passage on. The high sage paid for the passage of the ten girls that were destined to join his harem. Since Briel, Martika, and I weren't headed for the high sage's harem, Thalis didn't want to pay for our passage. I talked him into it by agreeing to teach the high sage's new wives the Common Tongue. Not that we couldn't afford to pay for our own passage. I just figured why spend our gold when we didn't have to.

The last time I had sailed around the continent it had been on a three masted sailing ship designed by my sister Iderra. She called the ship a corsair. It was long and narrow with three masts and nine rectangular sails. It wasn't big, having a crew of just twenty-five men, but it was fast. It took us a month to make the journey.

The ship we were sailing on now was a trireme. It was one hundred and twelve feet long and had a crew of one hundred and sixty-three men. There were one-hundred and fifty oarsmen that lived and worked below deck. Twelve men that worked above deck, setting the sail, steering the ship, and securing the cargo, which was stored above deck. And of course the captain.

The ship had three banks of oars on each side and a single mast with a lone rectangular sail. There were twenty-five oars per bank, with each oar operated by a single man. Rarely were all three banks used at the same time. They usually operated in three shifts. One shift rowing, two shifts resting.

There were cabins above deck. The above deck cabins at the stern were for the Captain and his officers. The cabins at the bow were for passengers. That was where we stayed, thirteen girls crammed into three small cabins. Briel, Martika, and I ended up sharing a cabin with a tall willowy blond named Devlin.

As the ship skirted the continent's coast, I kept the girls busy. We would start the day with a exercise routine on deck. Then we would study the Common Tongue. Then do another exercise routine. Then I would drill them on Landish customs and traditions. We would end the day with another exercise routine, followed by a class on the other countries found in the Far Lands.

A couple of the girls admitted that it was the most schooling they had in their entire lives. Not that they minded. These girls were sailing into the unknown. The more they knew about where they were headed and what was expected of them, the better they felt.

***

When we pulled into the port of Jovan on Landish's southern coast, I was satisfied that I had done everything I could to prepare the girls for life in Landish, and in the high sage's harem.

The port of Jovan was located on a shallow bottomed bay, too shallow for docks to be built. Our ship, like all the others, dropped anchor in the middle of the bay. Outrigger canoes picked us up and carried us to shore.

There were few stone buildings in Jovan. Most of the buildings were huts made out of bamboo frames with dried palm leaves woven between them. The biggest stone building in town was the High Sage's southern palace. It was a yellow brick building, rectangular in shape, with a single dome rising over the middle of the palace. The southern palace was actually a smaller version of the northern palace in Istansada City, which was topped by five domes.

"You and your friends are welcome to spend the night at the palace," Jarvo said, once we reached shore. "The high sage, his wives, and advisers, are at the northern palace. No one will question who you are or what you are doing here. In the morning, we will head east. As you probably know, it will take us a day to reach the edge of the desert. Once there, the sand ships will take us north."

Once we reached the palace, which was all but deserted save for a few guards and servants, the high sage's new wives changed into traditional Landish garb. Sandals, silk balloon pants or short wraparound skirts, and sleeveless vests that left the waist bare and flashed a generous amount of cleavage.

Briel and Martika stayed in their regular clothes. I snitched a couple of outfits from the pile given to the high sage's new wives, mostly because I knew how hot it was in Landish. Especially this part of Landish.

We were preparing to leave the next day when something unexpected happened. The high sage arrived at his southern palace.

"I couldn't wait to meet my new wives," he said, marching into the harem with Jarvo and Thalis in tow.

The high sage was short and stocky with a smashed in face. He had a shaved head, like most Landish men, and a thick black mustache. He wore traditional Landish garb, red silk slippers, red silk balloon pants, and a sleeveless black vest that didn't close. The vest was trimmed in gold, real gold. A gold brooch of a roaring lion's head adorned the front of his red turban. A scimitar in an ornate gold scabbard hung from his left hip. Gold bracelets adorned his wrists and biceps.

We were in the harem's lounge, sitting on colorful silk pillows that surrounded pink marble tables. As soon as the high sage entered the room, Jarvo clapped his hands and ordered the girls to line up, which they did. I wasn't sure what to do so I stood off to the side, as did Briel and Martika.

"Thirteen girls?" the high sage said. "That's a very unlucky number."

Jarvo pointed to Briel, Martika, and myself. "These three aren't part of the harem."

"Then why are they here?"

Jarvo pointed to me. "This one was hired to teach your wives the Common Tongue, as well as Landish customs. The other two are her assistants."

"You are from Landish?" the high sage said to me.

"No, Your Supreme Highness. But I have spent enough time here to know your customs."

"And have you taught my wives everything they need to know?"

"I have taught them what I know, Your Supreme Highness."

"So why are you still here?"

"Because I have yet to be paid for my time."

Thalis stepped forward. "She is also an accomplished dancer, Your Supreme Highness."

I glared at Thalis. I had no dancing experience, certainly not the kind of dancing they did here in Landish. If you could call it dancing, which it wasn't. It was nothing more than shaking your assets. I had little doubt that Thalis told the high sage I was a dancer because he wanted to see me in one of the skimpy costumes they wore. And when I say skimpy, I mean they were dressed in next to nothing.

The high sage looked me over. "Why is a dancer armed?"

I was wearing a white silk wraparound skirt that reached to mid thigh, a white silk vest, and matching silk slippers. As well as my trusty cutlass.

Thalis didn't have an answer for that question, but Jarvo did. "She uses the sword in her act, Your Supreme Highness."

The high sage's face lit up. "A sword dancer. I have never seen a female sword dancer. She will entertain us tonight, while we dine."

Thalis clapped his hands and a couple of serving girls appeared. "Find the sword dancer some quarters and help her prepare for her performance."

I glared at Thalis one last time and followed the serving girls out of the harem. When I got back to my time, I was so going to get even with him. I was going to order him to do something he hated, like accompanying the tax collectors they went around the country collecting the annual taxes. Tax collecting was a dirty job and Thalis hated it.

The serving girls led me down an arched hallway and into the dancer's quarters. Briel and Martika followed me. The dancer's quarters were similar to the harem, but smaller. The harem consisted of a lounge, a swimming pool, a garden, and sleeping rooms. The dancer's quarters consisted of a small lounge surrounded by a series of sleeping rooms.

Each sleeping room contained a small bed and a wicker trunk at the foot of the bed. A makeup table with a small mirror, and a bench to sit on, completed the furnishings. Inside the trunk were the shimmy dancer's outfits, tiny metallic halters and thongs, high heeled sandals, bracelets, earrings, and hair pins.

I dug through the shimmy dancer's costumes. They were all made out of silver. The only difference was some were one piece harnesses while others were two piece costumes. Eventually, I selected a two piece costume. It consisted of a pair of silver disks held together with silver chains. The disks were shaped like daisies. They covered my nipples but left the rest of my breasts bare. A thin silver chain ran between the disks, connecting them. More silver chains ran over the shoulders and under the arms, connecting in the back.

The bottom half of the costume consisted of a silver triangle that covered my sex. It was shaped like a leaf and attached to a thin silver chain that circled the waist. Another chain ran between my legs and butt cheeks, connecting to the chain that circled my waist.

I opted for a pair of silver colored slippers instead of the stiletto heeled sandals the shimmy dancers wore, and used two silver butterflies to pin my hair behind my ears. Large silver leafs hung from my ears.

"I need two scimitars," I told the serving girl who helped me squeeze into the costume.

The serving girl nodded and scurried off. I sat at the makeup table and began applying my makeup. The Saleen sisters didn't like makeup on their girls, but the men of Landish did, they liked a lot of makeup. I applied a bright red gloss to my lips, some wet charcoal to my eyelashes, and a red shadow to my eyelids. I was just finishing up when Briel and Martika entered the room.

"It doesn't bother you to work as a dancer?" Briel asked. "After being a queen?"

"In my time, I'm a queen. In this time, I'm just a girl."

"Can you dance with a sword?" Martika asked.

"I think the high sage will be suitably impressed."

"You don't have to do this," Briel said. "If you don't want."

"My working as a dancer will allow us to travel with the high sage, be a part of his entourage. And being a part of his entourage will give us access to the palace, and to Alltus."

The serving girl returned with a pair of scimitars, each contained a silver blade and a silver hilt, with each hilt molded to look like a running lion. I held one in each hand, testing them for weight and balance. They would work perfectly for what I had in mind.

Martika looked at what I was wearing. "How come every time we go to a new place, your costumes get get smaller and smaller?"

"This is what dancers wear in Landish."

"Sure it is," Martika said in a mocking tone.

I offered Martika the two scimitars. "If you'd like to take my place, I'd be more than happy to change places with you."

Martika held up both hands and stepped back. "You're the exhibitionist. Not me."

I stuck my tongue out at her, which drew a big grin from Martika.

"You going to give us a preview of your act?" Briel asked.

"Afraid not. Now everyone out. I need to practice."

I chased Briel, Martika, and the serving girl out of my room. Then I set about working on my routine. One which would wow royalty.

***

The high sage had dinner in the great hall. In his northern palace the rooms were all round, but this palace was smaller and didn't have room for the wasted space round rooms create. As such, the great hall was rectangular, just like every other room in the palace.

Three long tables dominated the room. They were made out of pink marble, sat low to the ground, and formed a U. The high sage, Jarvo, Thalis, and the high sage's ten new wives sat on silk pillows at the bottom of the U. The two side tables were empty, although there were serving girls and guards scattered around the room.

When it was time for my performance, I marched into the room and took up a spot in the middle of the U, legs spread, arms crossed over my chest. Head bowed between the scimitars in my hands.

I uncrossed my arms and began twirling the scimitars in my hands, one on each side of me. When I had them spinning as fast as I could, I tossed them high into the air and spread my arms wide, with my palms pointed up.

I used my power to control objects to make the scimitars land in my palms. The end of the hilts rested in the middle of my palms, the blades pointed straight up. Perfectly balanced.

I began to move my hips, swinging them from side to side. At the same time, I used my powers to make the two scimitars sway back and forth, matching the rhythm of my hips. When my hips picked up speed, the blades picked up speed. When my hips slowed down, the blades slowed down.

When I shimmied my shoulders, I made the blades shimmy, which made it look like they were going to fall off my palms and crash to the floor. Of course they didn't. When I stopped moving, they stopped moving, still perfectly balanced on my palms, the blades still pointing straight up.

Then I made the scimitars spin, still balanced on my palms, with the blades still pointing straight up. Once they were spinning I began to spin, twirling faster and faster. The scimitars still in my palms, still pointing straight up, spinning as I spun.

In the middle of my spinning, I tossed the spinning scimitars high into the air. I then jumped up into the air and came down in the splits, with my head bowed forward, so my forehead was touching my knee. Without even looking, I held my arms out at my sides, my palms pointing straight up. Of course the scimitars landed right in my palms, each perfectly balanced on the end of its hilt, its silver blade still pointing straight up, still spinning.

I grabbed the hilt of each scimitar, rose to my feet, crossed my arms over my chest, and bowed my head between the two blades. Let's see you find someone who can do that, I thought.

The high sage must've agreed with me because he was on his feet applauding.

"I have sword masters that cannot control a blade with that much skill." He turned to Jarvo. "You shall give her whatever she needs. For she is most favored among my dancers."

Jarvo bowed his head. "Consider it done, Your Supreme Highness."

The high sage turned back to me. "You will sit and dine with us."

When the high sage said sit, you sat. So I grabbed a red silk pillow, folded my legs beneath me, and sat between the high sage and Jarvo. It would've been nice if I could've gone back to my room and put some clothes on, but it appeared I was out of luck. This wasn't the first time I had been stuck in one of these outfits, probably wouldn't be the last time either, not if I was going to serve as one of the high sage's dancers.

The high sage filled a plate full of breads, meats, and cheeses and placed it in front of me. "You have been sword dancing your whole life?"

"I've trained with swords since I was six years old, but dancing with them is something new." Like something I just started doing today. Not that he needed to know that.

"You will tell me how you balance the swords so effortlessly."

"You know I can't do that, Your Supreme Highness. It's a family secret, one I swore never to reveal."

"You mother could handle a sword?"

"All the women in my family can handle a sword." That much was true. Maybe they couldn't dance with them, but they did know how to fight with them.

"Was your mother as beautiful as you?"

"My mother was tall and fair." I nodded in the direction of the tall blond we shared a cabin with on our journey to this side of the continent. "She looked a lot like Devlin."

"Have you ever thought of becoming one of my wives. Being a wife of the high sage is a much more prestigious position than being a dancer."

I had already spent time in his son's harem and had no desire to end up there again, so I made up an excuse. "I gave my dying father my word of honor that I would take care of my two sisters."

"The two girls that serve as your assistants."

I nodded. "I couldn't join your harem unless they were accorded the same honor. But if you did that you would have thirteen barbarian wives. And as you said, that is a very unlucky number."

The high sage looked past me, to Jarvo. "Why did you bring thirteen girls? You know that is an unlucky number. Were you not thinking?"

"I didn't count them as thirteen, Your Supreme Highness. I counted them as ten and three."

"Don't blame Counselor Jarvo," I said. "I'm content to be most favored among the high sage's dancers. "

"It is an honor many a woman would wish," Jarvo said.

"And if she were in your harem, you would not get to see her perform," Thalis added.

The high sage looked at me. "Perhaps you would honor us with another performance."

I pushed myself to my feet, grabbed my scimitars, and circled the tables. This time I did a different routine, spinning the scimitars in my hands while I danced, tossing them into the air, then suspending them there while I danced beneath them. My dancing probably wasn't that great, but it didn't matter. My audience spent as much time staring at the scimitars suspended above my head as they did staring at me. Well, everyone but the high sage. The look on his face told me that he wanted me in his harem, and that he would find a way to put me there, even if it meant getting rid of Briel and Martika.

***

"We've got a problem," I said, when I returned to the dancer's quarters.

"What kind of a problem?" Briel asked.

"The high sage wants me in his harem."

"Sounds like you've got a problem," Martika said. "Not us."

"I told him I couldn't join his harem unless he took my two sisters as well. But if he did that he would have thirteen barbarian wives. He considers thirteen to be an unlucky number."

"So?" Martika said.

"So, he'll never take thirteen barbarian wives, but if something were to happen to one of you, that would leave him with twelve barbarian women, and in his mind, twelve is a lucky number."

Martika looked at Briel. "Is it just me or is she full of herself?"

"She's way full of herself," a grinning Briel said.

Martika shook her head, mocking me. "She gives one performance and suddenly every man on the planet wants her."

I'm serious," I said. "In my time, this high sage was famous for collecting women."

"What do you want us to do?" Briel said.

"You need to stay close to me. At all times."

"If he wants to get rid of one of us, he's got the manpower to do it."

"He won't do anything when I'm around. He'll order his men to wait until you're alone. Then he'll tell me that one of you has met with an unfortunate accident."

"Which one of us does he want to get rid of?" Martika asked.

"I don't think he cares as long as he ends up with twelve barbarian women instead of thirteen."

"So we stick together," Briel said.

"We stick together," I said. "And you two watch your backs."

***

We stayed at the southern palace for one week. The high sage never asked me to dance for him again, probably because he was busy with his ten new toys. Just to be safe, Briel and Martika made a point of never being out of my sight, or at least out of earshot.

At the end of the week, we headed east with the high sage and the rest of his entourage. When we reached the edge of the desert, we boarded a fleet of sand ships and headed north.

I spent two weeks crossing the desert on a sand ship, so I was familiar with them. They resembled the catamarans used by the people of the Sugar Islands, except they were made out of bamboo and used a pair of skis instead of a pair of pontoons. Each sand ship could carry five people maximum. Since it took two sailors to work the ships, that meant each ship could carry three passengers. Briel, Martika, and I made a point of riding on the same ship.

Since the high sage had over one hundred and fifty people in his entourage, most of them guards and serving girls, there was a fleet of fifty ships waiting for us.

"You're sure the high sage wants you?" Martika asked as we sailed north, sliding along the red sand. We were speaking Gibean, so the two sailors couldn't understand us.

"Why do you ask?"

"Because he hasn't paid a bit of attention to you since the day he arrived."

"That's because he's been playing with his new toys."

"Maybe he's not as interested in you as you thought."

"We should be so lucky." My life just didn't work out that way. Men I didn't want to notice me always did, and men I wouldn't mind noticing me, never seemed to. As I had long since discovered, even a queen doesn't always get what she wants.

"Just to be safe, we should continue to stick together," Briel said.

"Agreed," I said.

Martika sighed. "Fine, but when we get to Lila's time, I'm going to ignore the two of you for a full month. Maybe longer."

Sand ships move about as fast as a man sprinting at top speed, or slightly slower than a galloping horse. Unlike a horse, they don't need to stop and rest. As long as the wind blows, they keep moving. Even stopping to pitch camp at night, it took us just six days to reach northern Landish.

There was a herd of horses waiting to take us the rest of the way. Istansada City was located at the confluence of three rivers. By themselves, those three rivers weren't very impressive, but the river they formed, the Istansada River was impressive. It was a deep slow moving river over a mile wide. On any given day a fleet of boats could be seen on it, from small fishing boats to triple masted sailing ships called caravels.

Istansada City was a city of brick, yellow brick buildings, yellow brick streets, yellow brick bridges that arched over the three rivers that formed the Istansada River.

The city wasn't walled, but the high sage's palace was. It sat on the highest hill in the city and was easy to recognize, being a large yellow building topped by five domes, a large dome in the center, and a smaller dome on each of the building's rounded corners.

Even though we had traveled three hundred miles north, the climate was still warm, mostly because we were close to the desert that divided the continent in half. A desert that at its lowest point was several feet below sea level. Scholars on both sides of the desert believed that it was a dry sea bed.

"Alltus is here?" I asked Jarvo as we rode toward the palace on horseback, over one hundred and fifty strong.

"He is always here," Jarvo said.

I began to grow excited. Within hours, I would be back in my own time.

Chapter 22

I never had a chance to find Alltus. After moving into a suite at the palace, a small gray haired woman arrived at our door.

"You are the new dancer?" she asked me.

"Yes."

"The high sage wishes you to give a special performance in the great hall, to honor the arrival of his new wives."

"Who are you?"

"I am Marvelle. I am in charge of all dancers, which includes you. Now get dressed."

She handed me an outfit that was made out of solid gold. Your basic shimmy dancer outfit. Then she left.

"Do you want us to find Alltus," Martika asked, as I headed off to change. "We can do it while you're working."

"You two better stay here. Where you're safe. I'll find Alltus myself. And be aware there are hidden passageways between these round rooms, not to mention hidden doors in the walls. While I'm gone, you two find the hidden doors and move some furniture in front of them. I don't want one of you to go missing while I'm gone."

"I still think you're worried about nothing," Martika said. "The high sage has shown no interest in you since our first night here."

"Better to be safe than sorry."

"We'll find the hidden doors and block them," Briel said.

Our suite consisted of a lounge and three bedrooms. Like most of the rooms in this palace, they were round. Round rooms leave a lot of wasted space between them, which is why the palace was filled with hidden passageways and hidden doors leading to those passageways.

While Briel and Martika began examining the walls, looking for those hidden doors, I went to my room to change.

The outfit Marvelle gave me was made out of solid gold. Instead of being a two piece, this was a one piece. It started with a gold collar that snapped around my neck. Two thin gold chains ran from the front of the collar to a pair of gold disks that covered my nipples but left the rest of my breasts bare. A gold chain ran between the two disks, connecting them. Two more gold chains ran from the outside of each disk and underneath my arms, connecting to each other between my shoulder blades.

A gold chain ran from the bottom of each disk, connecting to the top of a gold hoop that framed my belly button. Two more gold chains ran from the sides of the belly button hoop, circled my waist, and connected to each other in the small of my back. Two more gold chains ran from the bottom of the belly button hoop, connecting to the top of a solid gold triangle that covered my sex. Another chain ran from the bottom of the triangle, between my legs and butt cheeks, before connecting to the chains in the small of my back. Needless to say, I had to have help hooking up all those chains.

"You actually going to wear this?" Briel asked, after helping me into the getup.

It was a snug fit with the thin gold chains digging into my flesh. It reminded me of a harness, but then this was Landish. A country where it was against the law for a woman to learn how to read and write. A country where women had a lot in common with horses, since both were little more than chattel. "It's just one night. When I've finished performing, we'll find Alltus and head back to my time."

My shoes were gold sandals with spiked heels. There was a pair of gold shin guards that buckled around my calves and a matching pair of gold forearm guards. There were no pins for my hair, but there was a solid gold helmet. It covered the back of my neck, my ears, and had a guard that ran down the front, protecting my nose. A plume of red feathers rose from the top of the helmet running from front to back.

I sat at the makeup table in my room and applied my makeup. Red gloss for my lips. Charcoal paste for my eyelashes. And a gold eye shadow flecked with real gold.

I tied my hair back in a ponytail, donned my helmet, picked up the gold scimitars that came with the costume, and took a look at myself in the mirror. There was a definite theme, namely a female warrior with a strong aversion to clothing. Still, it covered more skin than the outfit I wore last week.

When she saw me, Martika parroted Briel. "You actually going to wear that in public?"

"If I show up dressed in anything else, Marvelle won't let me circulate. If I can't circulate, I can't find Alltus."

"Anybody ever tell you that you're a very bouncy girl."

I ignored Martika's comment and headed out the door. "Lock this door behind me. And don't open it until I return."

"We will," Briel said.

Sure enough, Marvelle was waiting just inside the doorway that led to the great hall. She looked me over then nodded approvingly. "You mingle with guests. When high sage and his new wives enter room, you begin your performance."

A couple hundred people filled the great hall. Most stood in small groups, eating and drinking and smoking. A few sat on pillows, their backs resting against the exterior wall. Some were drunk. Some were high from whatever they were smoking. Musicians strolled about playing their drums and horns and stringed instruments. Shimmy dancers moved about in themed outfits similar to mine, shaking their assets. Serving girls dressed in black silk skirts and red silk vests scurried here and there, carrying trays loaded with food and wine.

I got plenty of attention as I worked my way through the crowd, looking for Alltus.

"Can you dance with those things?" a man asked me.

I assumed he was referring to the scimitars I was carrying. Then again, he was staring at my chest, so I couldn't be sure.

"I can and I will," I said. "When the high sage makes his appearance."

"The high sage is making an appearance tonight?"

"He is."

"What's the occasion?"

"He has ten new wives. He plans on introducing them to his guests."

The man bowed. "I look forward to your performance."

"If you're one of the high sage's generals, where do I enlist?" another man said when I passed him.

"I'm not a general. Just a member of the rank and file."

"You should be promoted."

"And you should be the next high sage for demonstrating such wisdom."

The man laugh and I moved on, searching for Alltus.

"If the rest of the high sage's soldiers looked like you, we could invade any country we wanted and they'd welcome us with open arms," a third man said.

"I'd rather not invade Poshta," I said. "A bit too cold for this outfit."

I found Alltus sitting on a pillow, his back resting against the wall. One of the shimmy dancers was performing for him. The same girl he had been with the last time I talked to him. The one wearing three strategically placed metallic snowflakes.

As soon as he saw me, Alltus waved the girl away and rose to his feet. He was short and slim and looked like an older version of my father. Like all of the high sage's advisers, he wore an ankle length black silk robe with a red sash around his waist. He wore his long white hair in a ponytail and had no facial hair. That made him stand out from most Landish men, who shaved their heads and had beards or mustaches.

"You really do look like a member of my family," Alltus said.

"How soon can you transport me and my two ghosts back to my time?"

"Right now, if you're ready."

Some trumpets blared. At the far end of the room, the high sage and his new wives were making their appearance, walking onto a stone dais at the back of the room, where a line of thrones shaped like roaring lions heads awaited them.

"Right now, I've got a performance to give. How about later on tonight, when I won't be missed. Say midnight, my suite."

Alltus bowed. "I will be there."

I turned and headed off toward the back of the room, spinning my gold scimitars so fast they whistled, which cleared a nice little path all the way to the dais. One more performance before my brief career as a dancer came to an end.

***

I arrived back at my suite well before midnight, which gave me plenty of time to change and pack before Alltus arrived. Except for one small problem. Martika wasn't there.

"Where's she at?" I asked Briel, who was in full panic mode.

"I don't know. One minute she was here. The next she wasn't."

"Tell me what happened."

"After you left, I went into my room to look for hidden doors and Martika went into her room to do the same. When I went in to check on her, she wasn't there."

I closed my eyes and pictured Martika in my mind. Tall and thin with long black hair. A second later, I saw her. Her mouth was gagged and her hands were tied behind her back. She was inside a royal carriage. Two of the high sage's guards, both clad in red and black, both wearing scimitars, flanked her.

"What are we supposed to do with her?" one of the guards said.

"There's a ship down at the docks. It's loaded with prisoners destined for the mines of Poshta. We're to deliver the girl to them."

"What's her crime?"

The first guard laughed. "The high sage and I aren't that close. He doesn't tell me the crimes the prisoners have committed and I don't ask. I just carry out his orders."

"She's kinda young to be shipped off to the mines of Poshta. Awful hard life for a girl her age. Awful hard life for anyone."

I didn't stick around to hear the answer. Instead, I opened my eyes and looked at Briel. "A couple of the high sage's guards are taking her to the docks, where they plan to put her on board a prison ship destined for the mines of Poshta."

"So let's go get her."

"It's not that simple."

"Why not?"

"By the time we reach the docks, she'll be on the prison ship. There will be too many guards for you and I to take on alone."

"So what do we do?"

I never had a chance to answer because there was a knock at the door. Probably Alltus. I went to check, sure enough, it was Alltus.

"You haven't even changed," he said, entering our suite.

"We got a small problem."

"What kind of problem?"

"The high sage has kidnapped one of my ghosts. Right now, his men are taking her to a prison ship destined for the mines of Poshta."

Briel stepped forward and looked at Alltus. "I don't suppose you can travel back in time a couple of hours and warn her that the high sage's men are about to kidnap her."

"I could," Alltus said. "But that doesn't mean she'd believe me, nor does it mean the high sage's men wouldn't get her anyway. We're in the high sage's palace. If he wants to snatch one of us, he's got the manpower to do it."

"Then we'll have to get her back." I looked at Alltus. "You'll come with us?"

"I'm afraid I'd just get in the way. You'll do better if I just wait here."

I nodded and headed into my bedroom to change, slipping into my regular clothes, black leather breeches, a black silk shirt that laced down the front, my black riding boots, and my cutlass. I draped a black silk cloak over my shoulders. Briel changed into an identical outfit then loaded her knapsack. I loaded my knapsack, slung it across my back, and joined Briel in the lounge.

"How do you plan on getting out of here?" Briel asked. "I suspect the high sage has ordered his men to keep an eye on you."

"Same way I got out of here the last time I was locked in this place. Same way they got Martika out of here."

I went into Martika's bedroom, found the hidden door the high sage's guards used to spirit her away, and opened it. I used my powers to lower one of the teapot shaped oil lamps hanging from the ceiling, placed it in my hand, then slipped into the hidden passageway.

There was a thin coat of dust on the stone floor of the passageway and three sets of tracks leading away from our suite. I followed the tracks, ignoring the rats that scurried away from the light in my hand.

I knew we reached the palace's exterior wall when the wall became flat rather than curved. I found the hidden door and the latch that opened it. The heavy stone door opened easily, probably because it had just been used by the guards that kidnapped Martika.

"Won't the guards at the gate stop us?" Briel asked as we headed for the front gate.

"Their job is to keep undesirables out. They pay little attention to who is leaving the palace."

Just to be safe, I pulled my cowl up over my head. Briel did the same. We were able to walk out the front gates without the guards paying any attention to us.

"You have a plan?" Briel said, as we headed down the hill toward the docks.

"There are a lot of ships for hire in this city. Ships crewed by nefarious men who will do just about anything for money. We're going to hire one of those ships, follow the prison ship, then attack it when it's down river."

"So, we're going to become pirates."

"We're going to become pirates." I looked at Briel. "This will cost us."

"Whatever it takes. You and Martika are the closest people I have to family."

We reached the docks on the northern side of the Istansada River, then found the prison ship they put Martika on. The ship was a caravel. It flew the Poshtan flag and was manned by Poshtan soldiers and sailors.

Once we found the ship, I closed my eyes and pictured Martika in my mind. A second later, I saw her, locked in the ship's hold with the other prisoners. The only light came from the moonlight shining through the steel grate at the top of the hold. Most of the prisoners were sleeping, although they had no beds or blankets. Martika was one of the few that was awake. She sat with her back pressed against the ship's hull, her arms wrapped around her legs, her chin resting on her knees.

There were no guards down there, so I let my image appear in front of her, looking like I looked right now. I had my image hold its finger in front of its lips, warning Martika to be quiet. Martika nodded, letting me know that she understood.

"We're going to get you out of here," I said, whispering. "But it may take a few days. So be patient and don't cause any trouble."

Martika nodded a second time. I gave her a sympathetic smile, then let my image fade. I didn't leave the ship, instead I had my presence float around, counting the number of soldiers and sailors on board. Once I knew what we were up against, I let my presence fade.

"The ship contains thirty-two sailors and twelve soldiers," I said, opening my eyes and looking at Briel.

"Martika knows we're going to free her?" Briel asked.

I nodded. "I told her that it might take a couple of days, and that she should be patient."

"Now, we just need to find a ship crewed by men that will do anything for money."

"Most river pirates use longboats. So all we need to do is walk the docks looking for a longboat that isn't flying a national flag and is crewed by men that look like they'll do anything for money."

And that's what we did. By morning, we found three such ships. When we talked to the captains only one expressed a willingness to attack a Poshtan prison ship. A man by the name of Trahune. He was clearly a local, short and stocky with olive colored skin, a shaved head, and a thick black beard. He wore traditional Landish garb, sandals, black silk balloon pants, a sleeveless white silk vest that didn't close, and a white silk turban. A scimitar hung from his left hip. A large knife hung from his right.

"It'll cost you," Trahune said. "A job like this puts my men's lives at risk."

We haggled over price, then reached a figure we could live with.

"Half in advance. Half upon completion of the job," Trahune said.

"One third in advance," Briel said. "The remaining two-thirds upon completion of the job."

Trahune nodded in agreement. Briel paid him one third of the agreed upon sum. We were at a neutral sight, in a tavern across from the docks, so there was no danger of his men attacking us and stealing the rest of our gold. The neutral sight was our idea. We might be desperate, but we weren't stupid.

"I'll have a couple of my men watch the ship you speak of," Trahune said. "When it sets sail, we will follow. You wish to come with us?"

"We do," I said.

"This is a dangerous mission."

"I've killed before," I said. "Plus, I have special skills that might come in handy."

Trahune nodded. "I'll let you know when the prison ship sets sail. I can reach you here?"

"You can reach us here," I said.

Captain Trahune collected his gold and left.

"When the high sage discovers you're not in the palace, his men might search the city for you," Briel said.

"Which is why we'll remain here. A dive frequented by river pirates is one of the last places they'll look."

"Probably the very last place they'll look. It takes money to hire river pirates and the high sage doesn't know we have that kind of money."

A waitress stopped at our table. We ordered some breakfast then sat back, waiting to hear from Captain Trahune.

"Trahune could take the gold you gave him and run," I said.

"He won't," Briel said.

"You seem pretty sure."

"He likes gold way too much to just walk away from more gold."

"You think gold is more important to him than his men?"

"His men mean nothing to him," Briel said. "They're just drifters and near-do-wells he picks up in dives like this. My guess is he'll keep two-thirds of the gold we pay him for himself."

Briel seemed pretty sure that Captain Trahune wouldn't just take our gold and run. I wasn't so sure, so I closed my eyes and used my powers to keep an eye on the Martika and Captain Trahune. Just because I could.

Chapter 23

Briel and I were on Captain Trahune's ship when his men informed him their target was setting sail. His ship was a longboat. It had a single mast with a single sail, as well as oars on each side. The longboat didn't contain any sub decks, which meant the oarsmen sat outside. The ship contained twenty-five oars per side, unfortunately, our captain didn't have a full crew. He had just thirty-two men, which he divided into sixteen oars per side.

The ship's prow was carved into the head of a dragon. The ship's stern contained a raised deck, beneath that deck was a small cabin for the captain. The captain steered the ship from that raised deck, operating the tiller. We took up spots next to him as we headed down river, in pursuit of the Poshtan prison ship.

"He has forty-four men on his ship," I said. "Thirty-two sailors counting the captain, and twelve soldiers assigned to guard the prisoners. That's twelve more men than you've got. How do you intend to defeat him?"

"We will attack his ship at night, when most of his crew is asleep," Captain Trahune said. "Plus, we do not need to defeat all of his men, we just need to keep them busy long enough to free the prisoners. Once the prisoners are free, the numbers will be on our side. Assuming there are fifty prisoners down there like you claim."

"There are," I said. "I counted them."

"And most of them are men?"

"About ninety percent of them."

"This is good," Captain Trahune said. "You will get your friend back, and I will make some money. Plus, I will be able to fill out my crew. Everybody wins."

"Everybody but the Poshtans."

"Pah," Captain Trahune said. "Who cares about the Poshtans. They are nothing more than slavers. They buy prisoners to work their mines because they're too lazy to do it themselves."

I didn't say anything. Perhaps because I knew that he was right. Perhaps because as Queen of Vassa, I sold prisoners to the Poshtans, not for minor offenses, mind you, only for the most serious offenses, like murder or attempted murder. Each time I did it, I felt dirty, like I had just engaged in something unseemly.

Captain Trahune continued to talk about the Poshtans and how much he disliked them. It made me think that his primary reason for taking this job wasn't the gold, but a chance to stick it to the Poshtans. Which was fine with me. All I cared about was getting Martika back. After all, I was responsible for bringing her to this part of the world.

There was a bench on each side of the tiller. Eventually, I grabbed a spot next to Briel and turned my attention to the river. We were cruising down the middle of the slow moving Istansada, which was a good mile wide. Our sail was down and our oars weren't in the water, we were just floating, letting the current carry us down river, moving just fast enough to keep the prison ship in sight, but remaining far enough away so as to not arouse suspicions.

Captain Trahune's crew sat on the benches from which they rowed. Some were sleeping. Some were talking. Some were staring at the water. A couple were sharping their scimitars, preparing for what lay ahead. It was clear that they were used to this kind of life. Long periods of inactivity. Short periods of danger. And with a little luck, a big payday at the end.

Poshtan prison ships carried a lot of gold, which they used to buy prisoners. Since the ship's hold was only half full, I had little doubt that he intended to make a few more stops along the way, to buy a few more prisoners. I also had little doubt that Captain Trahune intended to collect that gold and keep it for himself. Which was fine with me, once we got Martika, these people were history, this time was history.

"When we attack the Poshtan ship, you should stay on the longboat," I said to Briel. "The last thing I need is for you to get killed in a sword fight."

"I'll take refuge in Captain Trahune's cabin," Briel said. "Until you return with Martika. I'm assuming you're going to board the prison ship with Captain Trahune and his men."

"You bet I am," I said.

Briel nodded. "I figured as much."

***

When the sun set, we raised our sail and closed the gap between the prison ship and ourselves.

But we didn't attack, we just sat in the shadows and waited.

"We will wait until the wee hours of the morning," Captain Trahune said. "Until the night watch thinks they are going to make it through the night. Until they grow weary. Until those sleeping have been asleep long enough that they don't want to get up. Then we will attack."

"When you're ready to attack, let me know," I said. "I can tell you where the night watch is posted. I can also wake the prisoners up, tell them to be ready to take over the ship."

"And you will do this how?" Captain Trahune asked.

"As I said. I have abilities." I was close enough to the prison ship that I could use my power to move small objects to lift the key from the guards and give it to the prisoners so they could unlock the shackles around their ankles. Then when we attacked, the prisoners would be ready to join in the fray.

Several hours later, Captain Trahune told me that it was time.

"Give me a minute to free the prisoners and see where the guards are posted." I closed my eyes and pictured Martika in my mind. A second later I saw her, curled up on her side in the prison ship's hold, fast asleep.

I did a quick survey of the ship, found out how many guards were awake, then found the one with the key to the prisoner's shackles. He was so busy yawning, that he didn't see the key slip off the hook on his belt, float through the air, and unlock the steel grate over the hold. Nor did he see the key drop through the steel grate and down into the ship's hold.

I had my image appear in front of Martika, dressed like I was now, all in black. Then I imagined my image speaking to her.

"Martika wake up. Martika. It's time to go." I couldn't shake her awake, so I had to wait for her to wake up. Even though the image I created looked solid, it wasn't. It was nothing more than a ghost.

"Martika wake up. Now."

She finally woke. "Lila. Is that you?"

I dropped the key at her feet. "Unlock your shackles. Then wake everybody else up and free them. The grate at the top of the hold is already unlocked. When you hear fighting on deck, you'll know it's time to come out and fight for your freedom."

I watched her unlock her shackles then let my image fade. I opened my eyes to find myself back on the longboat.

"There are eight men on duty," I told Captain Trahune. "Seven sailors all on deck and one soldier, standing guard over the hold where they keep the prisoners. I took the key from his belt, unlocked the grate to the hold, and gave the key to my friend. She unlocked her shackles and is in the process of freeing the other prisoners. When they hear fighting on deck, they will join in the fray."

Captain Trahune didn't ask me how I did all of this. He just took me at my word, went to the middle of the ship, and whispered to his men. He returned to the tiller and nodded. His men lowered their sail, slipped their oars into the water, and silently moved the longboat alongside of the prison ship.

I turned to Briel. "You go into the Captain's cabin and stay there until I return."

Briel did as I requested. I returned to Captain Trahune.

"You're coming with us?" he said to me.

"The more swords we have the better off we are," I said. "I'm just wondering how we're going to board a ship that sits higher in the water than ours."

Captain Trahune nodded in the direction of the mast, where his men were scrambling up it and spreading out on the lower yardarm. Ropes dangled from the upper yardarm which they grabbed.

That was how they intended to board the prison ship, swinging from ropes that hung from the upper yardarm.

The lower yardarm was only big enough to hold half of us at one time. Which meant the rest of us had to wait until we were alongside the prison ship and the first wave had swung onto it. Then we scrambled up the rope ladders at the bottom of the mast, spread out on the yardarm, grabbed a rope, and swung over.

Captain Trahune and I were the last two up. He handed me a rope. "Ready?"

"Ready."

I grabbed the rope, pushed off, and swung toward the prison ship. When I was over the deck, I let go of the rope and landed on the prison ship's deck.

There were people everywhere. The Poshtans were on deck fighting our men. The prisoners were on deck, doing what they could to take down their captors.

I never had a chance to look for Martika because a Poshtan soldier dressed in gold and black rushed me with his broadsword. I drew my cutlass and engaged him in a sword fight. A fight which didn't last very long, because I used my powers to rip the sword out of his hands and into the hands of a nearby prisoner.

I pointed my cutlass at his chest. "If you value your life, you will jump into the river."

The man did as I suggested, running to the side of the ship the longboat wasn't on and diving overboard.

I moved on to another Poshtan. A sailor with a cutlass. I used my powers to disarm him, pointed my cutlass at his chest, and said the same thing. "If you value your life, you'll jump into the river."

He took my advice and jumped into the river. I moved to another Poshtan, engaged him in a sword fight, then disarmed him in the exact same manner. By the time I had disarmed half a dozen Poshtans, the fight was drawing to a close.

Between us and the prisoners, the Poshtans were outnumbered two to one. Even though most of the prisoner's didn't have swords, they did manage to find things to use as weapons, even if it was just the chains that had been around their ankles. A heavy iron chain with a heavy iron shackle at the end makes a pretty good weapon when you hit someone over the head with it, especially when you come at them from behind, and it was easy to come at the Poshtans from behind when they were busy fighting our men.

When the fighting was over, Captain Trahune raised his sword into the air and shouted. "Throw the Poshtans into the river. This ship is now ours."

Everyone cheered and began tossing the Poshtans into the river, whether they were healthy or wounded. The last to go was the captain. When he hit the water, the crowd cheered a second time.

While that was going on, I found Martika. She was in the middle of the crowd, and she had a cutlass in her hand, which she had taken from one of the Poshtan sailors.

"You okay?" I asked.

"Fine," Martika said. "Thanks for rescuing me."

"Don't thank me, thank Briel. It was her gold that hired these guys."

"Where is she?"

"On the longboat."

We headed back to the longboat. Since it sat lower in the water than the caravel and was right up against it, all we had to do was jump. We found Briel waiting in the captain's cabin. As soon as Briel saw Martika, she hugged her.

"Thanks for rescuing me," Martika said.

"You're welcome," Briel said. "But I didn't really do anything."

"Lila says you paid for this little expedition."

"Speaking of which," I said. "Now's a good time to get the rest of Captain Trahune's gold out. Before him and his men come back and find out how much you've got stashed in there."

Briel nodded in agreement, fished the rest of Captain Trahune's gold out of her knapsack, and placed it on his desk. She handed my knapsack to me, then handed Martika's knapsack to her.

Captain Trahune entered the cabin a moment later, carrying an even larger bag of gold. One which he had found in the Poshtan captain's cabin.

"The remainder of your payment is on your desk," I said.

"We have achieved a great victory today," a grinning Captain Trahune said. He set the Poshtan's gold next to the gold we gave him and looked at me. "You should join me. Together we can rule this river."

"I appreciate the offer, Captain, but my friends and I have some place else we need to be."

At first light, we had Captain Trahune deposit us on the river's northern bank. The opposite side the Poshtans had all swam toward.

Once we were on shore, Captain Trahune's longboat continued down river, rejoining the prison ship which was now being controlled by some of his men. Trahune planned on taking the Poshtan ship all the way to the sea, where he would drop off the prisoners that didn't want to become a part of his crew, then sell the Poshtan ship, which would make him another tidy sum.

"It's not safe to head back to Istansada City," I said. "Better we stay here and wait for Alltus to join us."

"Does he know where we are?" Martika asked.

"I'll use my powers to let him know where we are." Which is what I did. I closed my eyes and pictured Alltus in my mind. His long white hair. His lack of a beard. A face that looked similar to mine.

A second later I saw him, sitting in the great hall, watching his favorite shimmy dancer.

Because of the number of people filling the great hall, not to mention all the alcohol being consumed, no one noticed my image appear beside Alltus, not even the dancer performing for him.

"We've got Martika," I said. "But it might be safer if you joined us. We're down river, camped along the river's northern bank."

"He can't hear you," a girl said.

I spun my image around. The shimmy dancer had stopped dancing and was looking Alltus in the eyes.

"Why not?"

"He's having one of his episodes."

"Episodes?"

"Alltus isn't well. He has these episodes where he forgets everything. He forgets who he is. He forgets where he is. He forgets what he has been doing. Right now, he couldn't even tell you if he's hungry."

"How long do these episodes last?"

The girl shrugged her shoulders. "First it was minutes, then it was hours, now it's days."

"Will he remember me when the episode ends?"

"If the episode ends. Each time he has one, it lasts longer than the previous one. I fear that one of these days, his mind will leave us and never come back."

This was unwelcome news. Very unwelcome news. It looked like one of us would have to head back to the palace and wait for Alltus to get his memory back. Since Briel and Martika weren't safe there, that person would have to be me.

Chapter 24

I walked back to Istansada City alone. Briel and Martika headed in the opposite direction, to a small fishing village down river. It contained an inn, where they would take up residence until Alltus and I could join them. I didn't want them back in the city, where the high sage could get his hands on them.

When I reached the palace, I was stopped by the guards at the gate.

"What's your business here?" one of the guards asked me.

"I recognize her," the second guard said. "She's the high sage's sword dancer."

I headed into the palace and back to the suite I had been assigned. I just finished depositing my knapsack in my bedroom when someone knocked on the door. It was Jarvo.

"The high sage has been looking for you," he said, stepping into my suite. "Where have you been?"

"He knows where I've been. You do too."

"I haven't the faintest idea where you've been." Jarvo glanced around. "Where are your two friends?"

Being the high sage's right hand man, I assumed he was in on Martika's kidnapping. "You're telling me you didn't know the high sage kidnapped Martika and sold her to a Poshtan prison ship?"

"I didn't know."

"But you're the high sage's right hand man."

"On diplomatic relations and protocol. Not on kidnapping."

"He trusted you enough to send you to the barbarian lands to find him some new wives."

"He trusts my skills as a diplomat, and values my taste in women. That doesn't mean he tells me everything that goes on around here."

"You really didn't have anything to do with Martika being sold to a Poshtan prison ship?"

"I didn't."

I believed him. Old Jarvo didn't know everything that went on in the palace. Why would a young Jarvo, who was less experienced, less powerful?

"Did you try and rescue her?"

I nodded. "Tried and succeeded."

"Where is she now?"

"You don't need to know that."

"And your other friend is with her?"

"She is."

"I assume you came back for Alltus."

"You didn't tell me that he was ill."

"In truth, I had forgotten. Thalis and I were gone for a long time."

I believed him. The trip to the other side of the continent, and back, would have taken several months. With all the people living and working in the palace, it would be easy to forget who was ill.

"You said the high sage has been looking for me?"

"He's in his throne room. I'll take you to him." Jarvo looked me over. "You should probably change into local garb. When he called for you to perform last night and you weren't here, he wasn't happy. Seeing you dressed like a member of the assassins guild will not mollify him."

I was still wearing my black leather breeches, black silk shirt, and black riding boots. My cutlass hung from my left hip. "Give me a minute to change."

I headed to my bedroom. I didn't know how long I would be stuck here, how long it would be until Alltus got his memory back, but I did know that life in the palace would be a whole lot easier if the high sage wasn't mad at me.

With that in mind, I stripped off my clothes and slipped into my solid gold dancing harness. One of the problems of wearing a metal outfit was that when you first put it on, it was cold. Damn cold. I had Jarvo fetch a serving girl to help me put it on. I needed help because the outfit was tight. Tight enough that when I took it off, there were marks on my skin, showing where all the chains had been.

I left my hair in a ponytail, but added a curved gold tube that lifted my hair up and away from my back. Then I slathered on the heavy makeup the men of Landish preferred, adding the black paste to my eyelashes, the gold paste to my eyelids, and the bright red gloss to my lips. When that was done, I dangled a pair of gold disks from my ears and slipped into a pair of sandals with stilettos heels. I didn't bother with the shin guards, the forearm guards, or the helmet. I figured the less I had on, the quicker the high sage would forget that he was mad at me.

"You didn't have to put that on," Jarvo said when he saw me.

"Can you think of a better way to mollify an angry high sage?"

Jarvo smiled and headed off. I followed him toward the high sage's throne room, teetering in my six inch heels.

The throne room was located in the back right hand corner of the palace, under one of the four domes that covered the palace's four corners. Like every other room in the palace, the throne room was round. A curtain of rubies, emeralds, and sapphires separated the hallway from the throne room. The dome that covered the room contained a mural of men and women sitting on clouds, the high sage's gods, smiling down on him.

The high sage's throne was a roaring lion's head covered in gold leaf. The high sage sat on the lion's tongue. He wore his usual black silk balloon pants, sleeveless red silk vest, and red silk turban with a gold lion's head brooch on the front. His black mustache was as thick as ever. Thick gold bracelets circled his wrists and biceps.

A guard flanked each side of the high sage's throne, each dressed in a uniform that matched the high sage's. Scimitars hung from their left hips.

The high sage glared at me when he saw me approaching his throne, his black eyes letting me know that he wasn't happy that I had gone missing for a couple of days. No surprise there. The high sage was like a spoiled child that wanted his toys when he wanted them. To him, I was just another toy.

"Your sword dancer has returned," Jarvo said, stopping in front of the throne and bowing.

"We were looking for you last night," the high sage said to me. "To perform for some guests."

"Someone kidnapped my little sister and sold her to a Poshtan prison ship. Rather than bother Your Supreme Highness with such a trivial matter, I took it upon myself to rescue her."

"And did you succeed?"

"I did." With some help, but he didn't need to know that.

"And she is back here at the palace?"

"She is not."

That surprised the high sage. "Where is she?"

"My friend and her have headed down river, to the Finger States." Not exactly true, but once again, he didn't need to know where she was, especially since he was the one that sold her to the Poshtans.

"Do you know who sold her to the Poshtans?"

There was nothing to be gained by telling the truth, so I claimed ignorance. "I do not, which is why I sent her away."

"Yes, well, a lot of people pass through the palace's front doors. I suspect some will do anything to make a quick gold piece, even if it means selling an innocent young girl to the Poshtans."

"That was the same conclusion I reached, Your Supreme Highness. I told my sister that you are much too generous to your guests, giving them free run of your magnificent palace. We cannot be surprised that one of your guests decided to take advantage of your hospitality."

The high sage puffed out his chest. "You're right. I am too generous. Unfortunately, it would not be fair to everyone else if I curbed my generosity because the occasional bad apple chose to take advantage of it."

"Generosity is a part of your nature, Your Supreme Highness." Did people do that to me when I was on the throne, tell me things they thought I wanted to hear? Stroke my ego with platitudes?

The high sage puffed out his chest a little further, then he looked at me and scowled. "We are glad that you are back, Lila. But we are not happy that you missed last night's performance."

"Perhaps she can make it up to you," Jarvo said. "By performing for you during lunch."

"I was planning to dine in my private dining room, there isn't enough room for a sword dancer to perform." The high sage's face lit up. "But there is enough room for her to shimmy."

"I've never shimmy danced, Your Supreme Highness. I can't guarantee the quality of my performance."

"Let's hope you learn quickly. If you disappoint me with today's performance, you will be dismissed from the palace." Which would make it harder to keep an eye on Alltus. Not impossible, since I was a seer. Just harder. The high sage turned to Jarvo. "Fetch my dance instructor."

Jarvo bowed and headed off. The high sage pointed to a spot in front of his throne. "You sit."

I grabbed one of the silk pillows that circled the throne room's outer wall, a large red one, placed it at the foot of the high sage's throne, and sat.

"You are no longer most favored of dancers. From here on, you are just another shimmy dancer. In addition to spending your lunch hours shimmy dancing in my private dining room, you will spend your mornings in costume, decorating my throne room. If you do these jobs well, you may once again become most favored of dancers. If you do these jobs poorly, you will find yourself out on the street."

I didn't say anything, mostly because there wasn't much to say. I just curled my legs underneath me and puckered my glossed lips, doing my best to add to the grandeur of the high sage's throne room. When Marvelle arrived, the high sage ordered her to teach me to shimmy and to have me ready to perform by lunch.

***

Marvelle led me to a small round room dominated by a round marble table that sat low to the ground. The table consisted of two slabs of green marble. A second slab sat on top of the first, but wasn't as big as the first. The big slab had a diameter of about twelve feet. The second slab had a diameter of about six feet. Colorful silk pillows surrounded the table.

"You get on middle of table," Marvelle said to me. "That where you dance."

"On the middle of the table?" I wondered why all the tables in the palace were raised in the middle. Now I knew. It was for the shimmy dancers.

"Otherwise you step on food."

I stepped onto the table, then onto the raised slab in the middle. "How long do I have to dance?"

"Until lunch over." She pounded her walking stick on the pink marble floor. "Now. Let me see you shimmy."

"You do know I'm not a shimmy dancer."

"Table dancing have three basic moves. Shake boobs. Wiggle butt. Grind hips."

Marvelle had me start with a basic move, lacing my hands behind my head and grinding my hips. I did what she wanted, but she stopped me after a few seconds. "You not trying to churn butter. You trying to be sexy. Spread legs wider. Move hips slower. Make movement bigger. You want men to fantasize about you, you want every man to want you."

That was the hardest part about shimmy dancing, realizing that your job was to tease the men watching you, arouse them, make them want you. I learned quickly that a good shimmy dancer had to abandon her inhibitions. A good shimmy dancer had to be shameless. Just how shameless I could be remained to be seen.

After an hour or so of practice, Marvelle hustled me back to my suite to get me ready for my debut as the palace's newest shimmy dancer. Laid out on my bed was a solid silver costume, a symbol of my demotion from most favored of dancers.

"From now on you dance in this," Marvelle said.

She grabbed the silver costume then helped me try it on. It was similar to my gold costume except for the parts that covered my breasts and my sex. The gold disks that covered my breasts were replaced by pieces of silver shaped liked hands. The gold triangle that covered my sex was replaced with another piece of silver shaped like a hand.

A silver collar snapped around my neck. Two thin silver chains ran from the front of the collar to the hands that covered my nipples. A thin chain ran between the two hands, connecting them. A chain ran from the outside of each hand, circled my rib cage, and connected to each other between my shoulder blades. Chains ran from the bottom of each hand to the top of a silver hoop that framed my bellybutton. A silver chain ran from each side of the hoop, circled my waist, and connected to each other in the small of my back. Two chains ran from the bottom of the bellybutton hoop, connecting to the top of the silver hand that cupped my sex. A single chain connecting to the bottom of that hand ran between my legs and butt cheeks, connecting to the chains in the small of my back.

The silver harness was just as revealing as my gold harness, not to mention just as cold when I first put it on, and just as tight once everything was in place.

Marvelle gave me a silver tube. One shaped like a fist. It lifted my ponytail up and off my back. She gave me a pair of silver hoops for my ears. Large silver hoops. Inside each hoop was a silver hand that spun when I moved. The shoes were solid silver, with six inch stiletto heels on the back. Silver hoops shaped like fists snapped around my ankles, securing the shiny metal shoes on my feet.

"These shoes aren't very comfortable," I said. "Do I have to wear them?"

"You not here to be comfortable. You here to look good. These shoes make you look good."

Marvelle tapped my bottom with her walking stick. "Almost lunch time."

I headed for the door, teetering in my solid silver stilettos. My new costume provided no more support than my old costume. When I walked, my mostly bare breasts bounced and jiggled, while my silver heels tapped on the palace's marble floor, announcing my presence to anyone and everyone.

"This costume is too tight," I said. It was tighter than my gold costume, pinching my flesh everywhere.

"It need to be tight," Marvelle said. "Otherwise you bounce out of it when you shimmy."

Marvelle led me to the high sage's private dining room. There was a knot in my stomach that wouldn't go away. The closer we got to the dining room the tighter that knot grew. What if my audience didn't like my performance? What if they didn't think I was sexy enough? I could only think of one thing that could be more embarrassing than having to stand on a table in this getup and shake my assets, and that was being ignored while I shook my assets, or worse, laughed at.

The dining room was empty when we got there, save for the four serving girls setting the table. I stepped onto the middle of the table, crossed my arms over my chest, and bowed my head. I held that pose as the high sage, twelve of his advisers, and five male friends, filed into the room. I was glad I didn't have anything to eat, because I don't think I would've been able to keep it down. I was too nervous. The knot in my stomach was tighter than ever.

Once the men were seated and had been served by the four girls that worked the room, I took a deep breath to calm my nerves and began my routine. Whether I was ready or not, it was time to let out my inner slut.

***

When lunch ended, Marvelle was waiting for me in the hallway.

"How did I do?" I asked.

"After watching you dance, high sage decide to visit harem."

"Does that mean I'm not getting kicked out of the palace?"

I followed the routine Marvelle taught me, grinding my hips, shaking my backside, shimmying my shoulders, making sure I bounced and jiggled and squirmed in all the right places. The high sage didn't talk to me, nor did Jarvo, Thalis, or anybody else. They ate and drank and talked among themselves.

When I first started, I was nervous, not to mention more than a bit embarrassed. After awhile, I relaxed and looked at it as a challenge, seeing if I could distract the men enough to make them forget about their food. That made the hour go a lot faster. It also made what I was doing more fun.

"High sage only visit harem for one reason," Marvelle said. "And it not to discuss state affairs."

"So I did good?"

"You not as good as other dancers. Other dancers move like flowing water. You move like tumbling pile of mud." Marvelle hesitated, almost as if she didn't want to tell me the next part.

"But . . ." I said, encouraging her to continue.

"But men not seem to care. They think you cute and sexy." Marvelle's tone made it clear that she didn't agree with them. Not that I cared. It wasn't like she had the power to kick me out of the palace.

"What about tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow morning, you decorate high sage's throne room, then you spend lunch hour dancing for him." Decorating the high sage's throne room was easy seeing how I was the decoration. All I had to do was sit on a silk pillow and look sexy. Actually, the costume I was wearing took care of the sexy part, all I had to do was sit on a pillow.

"That's all I have to do?"

"If you smart, you spend afternoons practicing, learning to move more like water, less like mud."

So began my career as a shimmy dancer in the high sage's palace. How long that career lasted depended upon how long it took Alltus to recover.

Chapter 25

I ended each day by checking on Alltus, seeing if there was any change in his condition. One of the shimmy dancers was there, taking care of him. She was always there, except when she was working in the great hall. I didn't know much about her, other than her name, Vardina.

"No change?" I said.

Vardina shook her head. She was a local girl, short and slim with wavy black hair, black eyes, and olive colored skin. She was sitting beside Alltus, feeding him. She'd take a spoonful of food off the plate that she was holding and push the wooden spoon into his mouth. Alltus would chew and swallow the food, but wouldn't ask for more. He didn't even seem to be aware that somebody was sitting next to him, let alone feeding him.

I turned and headed for the exit, but stopped when the girl spoke. "Are you going to take him away from me?"

"Excuse me?"

"When he gets his memory back. Are you going to take him away from me?"

"I just need his help," I said.

"What kind of help?"

"Getting home."

The girl surprised me with her next question. "You're not from this time?"

"You know about his powers?"

"We're very close. We would've gotten married, but the high sage doesn't allow his advisers to wed."

"Seems a bit of a double standard considering the high sage has twenty-three wives." And was still trying to make me number twenty-four. The girl shrugged her shoulders, but didn't say anything.

"Why don't the two of you go someplace else? Where you can get married."

"Alltus's health would make it hard for him to hold down another job. And I have no skills other than my ability to dance."

Alltus blinked and looked at us, not past us, as he had been doing, but at us.

"How long have I been gone?" he said, turning to Vardina.

Vardina smiled and set the plate of food aside. "Four days."

I knelt in front of him. "Do you remember me?"

Alltus nodded. "I was going to use my powers to return you and your two ghosts to your time."

"Can you still help us?"

"I can and I will," Alltus said.

***

The next morning, I used my powers to contact Briel and Martika, fill them in on the good news. "Alltus is awake."

They were on the deck of a fishing boat. One they had purchased to live on. Martika wore local garb, a short green skirt, and a matching silk vest that left her waist bare. Briel was sitting next to the tiller, dressed in a similar outfit except that it was black in color. Both of them were developing a nice tan, which I envied.

"He remembers us?" Martika asked.

"He remembers us," I said. "It's time for you guys to haul anchor and head up river. When you reach Istansada City, Alltus, Vardina, and I will find you."

"Who's Vardina?" Briel asked.

"The dancer that's been taking care of Alltus. She's coming with us."

"Why?"

"Because Alltus and her are in love."

"I didn't know the high sage hired dancers as old as Alltus," Martika said.

"He doesn't. Vardina is my age."

Martika snorted. "Sounds like a girl with daddy issues."

"More like granddaddy issues," Briel said.

"You've been hanging out with Martika too long," I said to Briel.

"Why would you say that?" Martika asked.

"Because she's starting to sound like you."

Martika grinned. "I'll take that as a compliment."

"I don't think she meant it as a compliment," Briel said.

"Get to Istansada City as soon as you can," I said. "We'll find you when Alltus feels ready."

I opened my eyes to find myself back in the sitting room of my suite. I was wearing a skirt and vest. The skirt was short and tight and made out of silver colored silk. The top was a sleeveless vest that left my waist bare and squeezed my breasts together so I was displaying maximum cleavage. Like the skirt, it was made out of silver colored silk. Half a dozen silver bracelets were on each wrist. Large silver hoops hung from my ears. A curved silver tube kept my hair in a high ponytail. Silver colored sandals with stiletto heels were on my feet. Heavy makeup that made me look less like myself and more like someone else, covered my face.

When you lived and worked in the high sage's palace, you had to wear clothing that identified your station in the palace. Even when you weren't working. Guards and serving girls wore red and black, the same colors that made up the Landish flag. Advisers wore long black robes with red sashes around their waists. Dancers wore gold or silver colored outfits. Since my demotion, there was no most favored of dancers, which meant nobody got to wear gold. All the dancers wore silver outfits that left little to the imagination.

I stuffed my outfits and the matching jewelry in my knapsack, along with my regular clothes. I found the hidden door in my suite and made sure it worked, figuring we could use it to slip out of the palace unnoticed. Then I headed down to the great hall to grab some breakfast.

It was early morning. Early enough that it would be a couple hours before I had to get ready to decorate the high sage's throne room. At this time of day, there were probably as many servants milling around the great hall as there were guests. Most of the guests that were there were stretched out on the floor, sleeping.

I grabbed a tart off the tray of a passing serving girl and took a bite. The tart contained dates, not my favorite food but that was one of the risks of eating in the great hall. You never knew what you were grabbing.

As I milled around the great hall, eating my breakfast, I ran into Thalis, who was doing the exact same thing. He bowed when he saw me, which earned him extra points in my book. None of the high sage's other advisers bowed when they talked to me. I guess they figured I wasn't high enough on the social ladder to warrant a bow.

"Have you heard the news?" Thalis asked me.

"About?"

"Alltus is awake. Or back to normal. Whatever you want to call it."

"I know. I was there when he came out of his trance."

"I suppose this means you'll be leaving us, going back to your own time."

"Yes, but I'll see you again. With a little luck, as soon as tomorrow."

"To you it will seem like tomorrow," Thalis said. "To me it will be thirty-three years. That's a long time to go without seeing one of my favorite people."

I would've been flattered, even touched, but for the fact that Thalis was talking to my breasts.

"You just need to find another big boobed shimmy dancer."

"Easier said than done." Thalis grabbed a piece of cake off the tray of a passing serving girl. "Dancing girls are hard to find. Well endowed dancing girls are extremely hard to find. Well endowed dancing girls that can stand on a table and work it like you can, are impossible to find."

"So make one. A couple of weeks ago, I wasn't a dancer."

"That's true, you weren't." Thalis took a bite of his cake. "Where do you suggest I find these girls?"

"I heard another Poshtan prison ship is in town. I suspect they got a few thieves from the Finger States in their hold. Since most thieves tend to be young, the odds are pretty good that a couple of those girls are quite fetching when cleaned up."

"You're suggesting I buy a couple of girls from the Poshtans?"

"Buy or trade. I'm sure those girls would prefer to spend the next few years living and working here than slaving away in the iron mines of Poshta."

"You think Marvelle could teach them how to dance?"

"Shimmy dancers don't really have that much to learn. Shake your boobs. Wiggle your butt. Grind your hips. Spin around a few times. Every girl alive can do that once she gets over the embarrassment that comes with the skimpy outfits."

"You must come with me," an excited Thalis said. "Help me find the right girls."

He grabbed my wrist and pulled me toward the front doors.

"What do you need me for?"

"The high sage will not be happy when he discovers that you have left and are not coming back. Since Jarvo and I brought you here, he will blame us for bringing an ungrateful girl into his home. If I can tell him that you found and trained your own replacement, he will not be able to call you ungrateful, and he will not be able to blame Jarvo and myself for bringing you into his home."

That actually made sense. The high sage might blame Jarvo and Thalis for my disappearance, which I couldn't let happen. I needed to make sure Jarvo and Thalis were still in power thirty-three years from now. Otherwise I would be changing history.

"I have to be in the high sage's throne room in a couple of hours."

"This will take an hour," Thalis said. "No more."

"Then I'll go with you," I said. "We do need to find a couple of replacements. One for me and one for Vardina."

"Who's Vardina?" Thalis asked.

We reached the front doors, which were open. Thalis ordered one of the guards to bring us a royal carriage. The guard bowed and hurried off.

"She's a shimmy dancer."

"She is going with you?"

"She's in love with Alltus."

Thalis scoffed. "Alltus is an old man. Why would a young girl be in love with him?"

"Perhaps Alltus treats her differently than Landish men treat her. Then again, maybe she has daddy issues."

"More like granddaddy issues," Thalis said, sounding just like Briel and Martika.

A royal carriage pulled up in front of the palace. It was black with red wheels. The high sage's seal, a red lion, was painted on the carriage doors. A driver sat on the front of the carriage. A pair of guards rode on a running board on the back of the carriage, serving as footmen.

"A Poshtan prison ship is in town," Thalis said to the driver. "Take us to it."

Chapter 26

Thalis and I climbed into the carriage and headed for the docks. There were dozens of wooden docks extending into the river. Most contained small fishing boats like the one Briel and Martika bought. A few had longboats, some owned by the high sage, some owned by river pirates like the ones we used to free Martika.

There were about half a dozen caravels in port. They were bigger and sat higher in the water than the longboats, which made them easy to spot. As such, it didn't take long to find the Poshtan's ship. All our driver had to do was look for a caravel flying the gold and black Poshtan flag.

Our carriage stopped at the end of the dock containing the Poshtan ship. One of the guards that served as our footmen opened the carriage door, helped Thalis out, then helped me out.

"You will accompany us," Thalis said to the two guards.

We headed down the dock, toward the caravel's gangplank and the two gold and black clad guards that stood on each side of it. When we reached the guards, Thalis spoke. "I am Thalis, Exchequer to the High Sage of Landish. I wish to speak to your captain."

One of the guards headed up the gangplank to relay our message to the ship's captain. The other guard blocked our path, so we couldn't board the ship without the captain's permission. A couple of minutes later, the ship's captain appeared and headed down the gangplank with the guard that fetched him.

The captain wore black shoes, gold cotton knee socks, black cotton breeches, a black cotton shirt that laced down the front, and a gold velvet jacket with four black bands on the cuffs. He wore a cutlass on his left hip. He was tall and thin with a long sharp nose. Like a lot of Poshtans, he had red hair. His was short on the sides and bald on top. He reminded me of a big bird, the kind that lived on the river, a pelican or a crane.

"Exchequer," the captain said, striding down the gangplank. "What can I do for you?"

"We're interested in acquiring a couple of girls," Thalis said.

The captain stopped in front of us. The guard that fetched him resumed his original post. "Let me get this straight. You want us to sell you a couple of prisoners?"

"I understand that your job is to acquire bodies to work the mines, not unload bodies, but I'm prepared to make it worth your while."

"How worth my while?" the captain said.

"I'll pay you twice what you paid for the girls."

"And I'll still be short two bodies."

Thalis sighed. "Fine. I'll pay you double and replace the girls with males. Young males that can do twice the work of females."

The captain extended his hand. "You have a deal, Exchequer."

Thalis looked at the captain's hand but didn't take it. "Not until I see what the girls in your hold look like."

The captain nodded. We followed him up the gangplank and onto the deck of his ship. The sailors on deck stopped what they were doing and stared at us. Stared at me. There were so many pretty girls in skimpy outfits walking around the high sage's palace, that I didn't get anymore attention than anybody else, but out here, in the real world, dressed like I was, I stood out like a sore thumb.

"What kind of girls are you looking for?" the captain asked us.

"Young, attractive, sexy." Thalis nodded at me. "Like her."

"All of the women in our hold are young, mostly thieves. Hard to tell how attractive they are since most of them have never had a bath in their lives." The captain looked me over. "Even if you clean them up, I'm not sure they're going to look like her."

"We'd like to see them anyway," I said.

The captain turned to the two guards standing next to the metal grate that covered the entrance to the ship's hold. "Bring up the female prisoners."

The guards unlocked the grate, pulled it up and back, then descended down the steep stairway, disappearing into the ship's hold. A couple of minutes later, six women climbed out of the hold. Their wrists and ankles shackled.

All six were young, late teens, early twenties. All six were dirty with long ratted hair and baggy clothes that were more dirt than cloth. The baggy clothes made it hard to tell what kind of figures they had. They were all skinny, which was to be expected. You didn't get a lot to eat in the hold of a Poshtan prison ship. Just one meal a day. I could tell that none of them were local girls. They were all too tall and too pale to be Landish women.

The look on Thalis's face told me that he wasn't impressed with what he saw. That was confirmed when he pulled me aside and whispered in my ear. "Maybe this wasn't such a good idea."

"Don't judge too quickly. Even a diamond has to be cleaned and polished."

"So which ones do we take?"

I looked the girls over one more time, studying the bone structure of their faces, trying to picture what they'd look like once they were cleaned and fed.

"I say we take them all. Once we clean them up and get some food into them, we'll have a better idea of what we have to work with." As Queen of Vassa, Dunre, and Landish, I had sentenced murderers to work the mines of Poshta, but never thieves. It seemed like too severe a punishment for a thief, especially one that stole to survive.

"We'll take them all," Thalis said.

The captain bowed. "I'll have them delivered to the high sage's palace when I receive the gold and the males you agreed to replace them with."

"I'll send a wagon with their replacements," Thalis said. "You can load the girls aboard the wagon."

The captain bowed a second time. "Then all we have to do is take care of the gold."

"We can do that now," Thalis said. "Once you show me your books, so I know what you paid for each girl."

"I'm going to talk to the girls," I said. "Let them know what's going on."

The captain and Thalis headed off to the captain's cabin. I walked up to the girls. A warm summer breeze was at their backs, blowing their unwashed and rank smell right into my face.

"Here's the deal," I said to the girls. "None of you will be going to the mines of Poshta. Instead, you'll be working for the High Sage of Landish."

"As what?" the boldest of the girls said. She had green eyes like me, but she was taller, and her hair was brown instead of black. At least I think it was brown. With all the dirt in it, it was hard to tell. I could tell that she had a pretty face. High cheekbones, a narrow nose, full lips.

"Shimmy dancers."

"What's a shimmy dancer?"

"They're entertainers."

"You mean like whores?"

"Shimmy dancers don't sleep with men. They just tease them."

"Will we get fancy clothin like yours."

"Yes."

"And get to live in a palace?"

"Yes."

"And all we have to do is tease a few men?"

"Pretty much."

"What's the catch?"

"Shimmy dancing isn't for the shy or the timid."

"Sounds like a better deal than mining for iron ore in the Poshtan mountains."

"It is a better deal," I said. "But be forewarned. This is Landish. If you steal from the high sage, or anyone else, he will cut off your hands and sell you back to the Poshtans."

"Without hands, the Poshtans won't have much use for us," the bold girl said.

"You could still pull an ore cart."

"That's mule work."

"Without hands, that's all you'll be good for."

"We stole to live. With a roof over our heads and food in our bellies, we got no reason to steal."

The other girls nodded in agreement.

"If you're a good enough dancer, you won't have to steal," I said. "The clothes and jewels I wear are gifts from the high sage. He gave them to me because he liked my dancing." If you could call what I did dancing.

"So if we do a good enough job of teasing this high sage guy. He'll give us gifts."

"He will indeed."

"And we won't have to sex him?"

"He doesn't need you to sex him. And you don't just dance for the high sage. You dance for his guests. Your job is to make them envious, make them wish that they were the high sage."

"Why?"

"When you're as rich as the high sage, there's not much you desire, except perhaps the envy of others."

"You gotta to be awful rich if all you want is the envy of others."

"What's your name?" I asked the bold girl.

"Tick."

"You mean like the bug?"

"Mom was a whore. Tried to get rid of me a number of times when I was little, but I always found my way home. Said I was harder to get rid of than a tick."

I was impressed with Tick. Impressed that she had managed to survive to adulthood with so little going for her. I had little doubt that she would excel as a shimmy dancer. Shimmy dancing was more about attitude than ability. Even in chains, Tick had a lot of attitude.

Thalis returned with the ship's captain. He looked at me, said, "You have been talking to the girls?"

I pointed to Tick. "We'll take this one with us now. As a sign of good faith. We'll pick the others up later, when their replacements arrive."

"Fair enough," the captain said. He nodded to one of his guards. The guard pulled out a big iron key and unlocked Tick's ankle and wrist shackles.

While he did that I turned to the other five girls. "Some guards will arrive later in the day, to bring the rest of you to the palace." I turned to the captain. "I want these girls fed. The same food you give your men."

"And don't tell us that you can't afford it," Thalis said. "I just paid you enough to feed your entire crew for several months."

"They will be fed," the captain said.

"They better be," Thalis said. "Or your ship will never leave port."

Thalis turned and headed for the gangplank. I fell in behind him. Tick fell in behind me. Our two guards brought up the rear. I have to admit that I was feeling pretty good. I had saved six girls from long hard lives, and in all likelihood, early deaths. The girls in turn would help the high sage forget that I ever existed, which would keep Jarvo and Thalis out of his doghouse. Best of all I would be heading back to my own time. Finally.

***

Alltus and Vardina arrived at my suite the next morning. I was dressed in riding boots, black leather breeches, and a black silk shirt. My cutlass was buckled around my waist. My knapsack was slung over my right shoulder.

Alltus wore his usual garb. A black silk robe with a red sash around his waist. He had no knapsack. Vardina wore silk balloon pants, a matching vest, slippers, and cloak. All silver in color. She did have a knapsack. Hers was made out of silk, unlike mine, which was made out of leather.

"Where are your ghosts?" Alltus said.

"Down at the docks. Waiting for us."

We left the palace using the secret door I discovered in my suite. Once again, the guards at the front gate paid no attention to us or anyone else leaving the palace. As we headed down the hill toward the river, I used my powers to contact Briel and Martika. They were sitting on a bench that faced the docks, dressed in the same clothes I wore, their knapsacks slung across their shoulders.

"We're on our way," I said, as my image appeared in front of them. "Which side of the river are you on?"

"We're on the southern side," Briel said. "The last dock down river."

"As far away from the high sage's palace as we can get," Martika said.

"How come you're not on your boat?"

Briel grinned. "Sold it. Even made a small profit."

"Stay where you are. We'll be there shortly."

Istansada City contained carriages for rent. They cruised the streets of the city all hours of the day and night. For a small fee, they would take you anywhere you wanted to go, provided you didn't ask them to leave the city. Alltus didn't feel like walking, so we flagged one down and let it deliver us to the docks.

The sun was still rising when we found Briel and Martika. After a series of hugs between Briel, Martika, and myself, I introduced Vardina to them. Then I turned to Alltus. "Let's do this."

"Everybody hold hands," Alltus said.

Alltus took Vardina's right hand. I took her left. Martika took my hand and Briel took hers. Once again, lightening started crackling around us. Not so much around us, more like it was emanating from within us. The boats tied to the dock began to fade, replaced by different boats. Those boats faded and others appeared and disappeared as we moved through time.

Then something unexpected happened. Alltus collapsed to his knees. Vardina tightened her grip on his hand. I tightened my grip on hers. Martika tightened her grip on mine. I suspect Briel did the same with Martika's other hand.

I couldn't tell if Alltus was awake or unconscious. I assumed he was alive since we were still moving through time, rushing forward at an ever increasing rate, faster and faster. I knew we had overshot my time when the buildings that made up Istansada City began to collapse into ruin.

"Something is wrong," Vardina yelled. The lightening continued to snap and crackle around us. We continued to accelerate further and further into the future. The landscape constantly changing.

"You need to let go of his hand," I said to Vardina. "We've gone too far into the future."

"If I let go, I'll lose him. Forever."

It was clear that Vardina wasn't going to let go, so I did the only thing that I could. I let go of her hand. As soon as I did, Alltus and Vardina faded away, leaving Briel, Martika, and myself behind, stranded somewhere in the far far future.

Chapter 27

"What just happened?" Martika asked me.

"I think Alltus had another one of his spells."

"Then why didn't we stop traveling through time?" Briel asked.

"I don't know."

Martika looked around. "How far into the future did we travel?"

I looked around. Istansada City wasn't a city. It was a collection of ruins half buried by sand dunes. The Istansada River and the three rivers that formed it were gone, replaced by more sand.

I didn't know how far into the future we traveled, but it was far enough to alter the continent's geography. That meant we had traveled not years, but centuries, maybe even millennium.

"A long time," Briel said, looking at where the river had once been. "A long long time."

"Hundreds of years," I said. "Maybe thousands."

Our attention was diverted by a chugging sound. It was coming from the east, in the direction of what had once been the desert. As the sound got louder, small clouds of smoke could be seen rising into the air.

"Someone's coming," I said.

"Or something," Briel said.

Martika looked at Briel, then at me. "Maybe we should hide."

We took refuge behind the nearest sand dune and stretched out on our stomachs, watching and waiting to see what was making the noise. A short while later a carriage chugged over the horizon. It was different from the carriages we were used to in a couple of respects. First, it had a chimney rising from its middle. A metal chimney that was belching smoke. Second, there were no horses. It moved under its own power.

It didn't take me long to figure out what was powering the carriage, mostly because my sister Iderra had talked about such devices. After our mother died, she headed for Sorea, believing they possessed such devices, carriages powered by steam. Of course those devices didn't exist in our time. But in this time, they obviously did.

"It's a carriage," Briel said.

"Where are the horses?" Martika asked.

"It doesn't need horses," I said. "It's powered by steam."

"How do you know that?"

"My sister, Iderra, used to talk about using steam to power things. She even made a crude version of a device that could be used to power things."

"Did steam powered carriages exist in your time?" Briel asked me.

"No, it was just a theory proposed by my sister."

We watched the carriage as it drew closer. I noticed that it was made out of metal, not wood. The metal had been painted forest green. The oversized wheels, which were also made out of metal, were red. There was a bench seat on the front covered in green leather. Behind that was a brass barrel laid on its side. I'm not sure what was in the barrel, probably some kind of oil. Behind the barrel was the machine that moved the carriage.

The steam machine looked like a round tank. A chimney belching smoke rose from the top of the tank. Metal tubes with bars sticking out of them connected the steam machine to the rear axle, causing the carriage's rear wheels to turn.

Behind the steam machine was a second bench seat covered in green leather. It faced the rear, so anybody sitting on it had their backs turned to the steam machine.

Two women rode on the carriage. One steered it using a red metal tiller connected to the carriage's front wheels.

The women wore form fitting green leather. Green leather breeches tucked into calf high green boots. Long sleeved green leather shirts tucked into their breeches. Both women had long black hair which they wore in tight braids. The one that wasn't driving held a long brass tube to her eye and scanned the horizon. She looked in our direction and pointed. The one that was driving turned the carriage and headed straight for us.

"They've spotted us," I said.

"How?" Briel said. "We've been keeping our heads down and with the racket their carriage is making they certainly can't hear us."

"One of them held a brass tube to her eye. There must be something in it that helps her see better."

"So what do we do?" Martika said.

I rose to my feet. "We find out whether they're friends or foes."

Briel and Martika rose to their feet. Briel stood on my left. Martika stood on my right.

"And if they aren't friends?" Martika said.

"Then we take their carriage from them."

When the metal carriage reached us the driver grabbed a small handle beneath the tiller and turned it. Steam hissed out of the metal tubes that connected to the rear axle and the carriage coasted to a stop.

The girl that wasn't driving stood and pointed a weapon at us. It contained a wooden stock similar to that found on a crossbow. Attached to the stock was a short brass tube with a wide mouth that looked more like a horn than a weapon. The wooden stock and the trigger at the bottom ensured me that it was indeed a weapon, although I didn't have the faintest idea what it fired. I only knew I didn't have a vision warning me that our lives were in danger.

"You have crossed into the Land of the Seela," the girl holding the weapon said. She spoke the Common Tongue but with a different accent than what I was used to hearing. "State your business."

"We're lost," I said.

"Where were you headed?"

"Not where, but when."

The girl surprised me with her next question. "You're time travelers?"

"Yes."

"Where's your machine?"

"We weren't using a machine."

"Then how could you move through time?"

"A friend with the power to move through time was transporting us. But our friend suffered from ill health and something went wrong."

"Where's your friend now?"

I shrugged my shoulders. "The end of time."

"You're ancients," the girl driving the carriage said.

"Ancients?" I said.

"History teaches us that in the days of the ancients there were individuals that possessed great powers."

"Such as?"

"The ability to communicate with people far away. The ability to move objects without touching them. Even the ability to move through time."

"How long has it been since the days of the ancients?"

"Over two thousand years."

"Holy crap," Briel said.

"Boy did we take a wrong turn," Martika added.

"We are ancients," I said.

"Perhaps," the girl holding the weapon said. "Or perhaps you are spies from the Land of Lindals."

"We don't even know where the Land of Lindals is," Martika said.

"Then how is it you speak our tongue?"

"We speak what in our time was known as the Common Tongue," I said. "But I can speak others."

I proceeded to prove it by speaking Adan, Gibean, Talish, and Sorean.

"You are clearly ancients for those tongues have been lost in the sands of time." The girl lowered her weapon and bowed. "You are welcome in the Land of the Seela."

She invited us to climb aboard the steam powered carriage, which we did, sitting on the padded bench at the back of the carriage. Then we were off, heading east, in the direction of the Great Desert.

The steam carriage was so noisy that talking was difficult. So we rode in silence. Eventually, the sandy hills faded, replaced by grass covered hills. Then a city appeared, a city unlike any I had ever seen. The buildings were tall, way taller than the three or four story buildings that existed in my time. I counted thirty stories on the tallest building, which had as much glass in it as it did stone.

On the other side of the city was a large body of water. Believe it or not, the Great Desert was now a sea. That shouldn't have surprised me. Even in my time, it was well known that most of the desert was below sea level. Some where along the way, the sea had decided to reclaim what had once belonged to it.

The city's streets were wide, but then they'd have to be with all the steam carriages that were chugging up and down them. The streets were packed dirt. Not all that surprising when you looked at the big metal wheels the steam carriages used. Those wheels would've crushed cobblestone. Besides, they had packed the dirt streets down to the point where they were as hard as stone.

The carriages came in a variety of colors. Red and black. Yellow and black. White and black. Except for the coloring, they were identical in appearance, with a bench on the front of the carriage, a bench on the back, and the steam machine in the middle.

Men and women bustled up and down the city streets dressed in a variety of clothing. I noticed an unusually large number of women wearing outfits identical to those worn by our rescuers. I also noticed that they always traveled in pairs and that one member of each pair carried one of those brass weapons that reminded me of a horn with a wooden stock on the end. I decided the outfits were uniforms and the women some sort of soldiers. It was interesting to note that no men wore the green uniforms or carried the wood and brass weapons.

Before I could give any more thought to that, I was distracted by something flying overhead. It was long and round and silver in color. Some sort of flying machine, or judging by the way it was moving, a floating machine. I'm not sure what made it float. Hot air perhaps. I did know that hot air was lighter than cold air. Another one of those obscure facts pointed out to me by my sister, Iderra.

Suspended from the silver floater was another carriage with a steam device in the middle of it. The steam seemed to flow into the silver floater, which appeared to be made out of some sort of cloth. The steam device moved the floater by turning a paddle at the back of the carriage. The paddle spun through the air propelling the floater forward.

I couldn't help but think that Iderra would love to be here. All the steam powered devices she dreamed about, had thought existed in Sorea, really did exist in this time. She would give anything to be here, to take these devices apart, see what made them work.

Our steam carriage came to a stop, pulling to the side of the road, directly in front of the tallest building in the city. The one that rose thirty stories high and had as much glass as stone. When we looked up, it seemed to go on forever.

The two women that found us shut their steam carriage down and climbed off. The one with the wood and brass weapon ordered us to follow. We did, climbing down from the steam carriage and following them into the tall building.

The building's inside was made of green marble, green marble floors and green marble walls that turned white halfway up. Oil lamps attached to the walls helped light the building. The lamps contained no reservoirs for the oil, but were connected to brass pipes that disappeared into the walls. Why not? With a big enough steam machine you could pump the oil anywhere and everywhere. Light the entire city if you wanted. Whether they were using oil made from animal fat or vegetables or something else, I didn't know.

The building's first floor contained a large room. In the middle of the room was a round desk. Two women in green stood behind the desk. At the back of the building were a couple of doors, no doubt leading to the other floors.

"What do you call the steam devices?" I asked the two women we were following.

"Steam engines," the woman that drove said.

"Is your entire city lit by oil pumped through pipes?"

"Yes."

"What kind of oil do you use?"

"It's a natural oil pumped out of the ground."

"What do you call the flying machine floating over the city?"

"A blimp."

"Are they the ones that first spotted us?"

"They spotted the lightening. We were ordered to investigate."

"You're soldiers?"

"Yes."

"And this is a government building?"

"Yes."

"What's the name of this city?"

"Iderra."

Iderra? They had to be kidding. "Is it named after anyone in particular?"

"An ancient inventor who first proposed the use of steam as a way to power machines." The woman looked at me. "Perhaps you knew her?"

"I had a sister named Iderra. She often talked about steam powered machines."

The woman stopped dead in her tracks. "You're Lila?"

"You've heard of me?"

"You were the first woman in history to rule an empire that spanned the entire continent, but you disappeared just a couple of years into your reign. Your sisters then divided your empire between the two of them. Iderra got this half of the continent. Your other sister got the other half."

"Salisha," I said.

"I'm not a student of history," the woman said. "The only reason I know about you and Iderra is because it's required learning here in Seela. If you are indeed Lila the Great, then your presence is most welcome."

"Lila the Great?" Martika said, rolling her eyes.

I stuck my tongue out and she responded in kind. Then we both grinned. I could see why mother liked her so much, she made life fun.

We continued to the back of the building, where the women opened one of the doors, revealing a small box shaped room.

"Are you going to lock us in that tiny room?" Briel asked our escorts.

"This is a lift," the woman without the weapon said. "It will take us to the top floor."

"What's a lift?" Martika said.

I looked at Martika. "I'm guessing it's a box suspended by ropes and pulleys, probably attached to a steam engine located on top of the building."

"Metal cables," our escort said. "But otherwise that's pretty much how it works."

Our escorts stepped onto the lift. We followed suit, although Briel was a bit reluctant, clearly expecting a trap. Once we were in the lift, our escort tugged on the end of a rope. A bell rang somewhere above us and the lift jerked. We headed up and up and up. Each closed door we passed had a number on it, letting us know which floor we were on. When we reached the thirty-second floor, our escort tugged on the bell rope a second time. Whoever was operating the steam engine must've heard the bell ring because the lift jerked to a stop.

Our escorts opened the door with the number thirty-two on it and stepped off the lift, motioning for us to follow. We did, stepping into a huge office, one that reminded me of Alexandra Saleen's office, with one notable exception. This one had windows on three sides, giving whoever occupied it a spectacular view of the city and the sea.

"Wait here," the woman without the weapon said.

She marched across the mostly empty office, leaving her partner, the one with the weapon, to watch us. While our escort talked to the woman behind the desk, I focused on the view, particularly the one that overlooked the sea. I couldn't see land on the other side of the sea, which meant water probably occupied the entire desert. Whether it was salt water or fresh water, I couldn't say. If I had to hazard a guess, I would've said that it was salt water. By the time I finished gazing out the windows, the woman behind the desk had joined us.

"Holy crap," I said, when I saw her.

She was tall and thin. She had long chestnut colored hair. Big doe eyes. High cheekbones, and a nose that was too big for her face. She looked just like my sister, Iderra.

Chapter 28

"My name is Risa Buzan," the woman that looked like Iderra said. "I'm Grand Chancellor of Seela."

She looked like Iderra, but she didn't sound like her. This woman's voice was deeper, more authoritative. Plus, she had a look in her eyes that I could only describe as dangerous. Much different from Iderra, who always had a curious look in her eyes.

"Lila Marie Haran," I said.

"Briel Evano," Briel said.

"Martika Louise Haran," Martika said.

"I'm told you claim to be time travelers."

"We don't claim to be time travelers," I said. "We are time travelers. Although not by choice."

Risa looked directly at me. "And you claim to be the historical figure, Lila the Great."

Martika stepped forward. "How can she be known as Lila the Great when she only ruled for a couple of years? At the most she should be known as Lila the Okay, certainly no better than Lila the Pretty Good."

"She built an empire that spanned the entire continent. The first man or woman in history to do that. That was a great accomplishment. One that has never been repeated."

"You look just like Iderra."

Risa turned to me. "Excuse me?"

"You look just like my sister, Iderra."

I caught her off-guard with that statement. For a moment, Risa didn't say or do anything. Then she smiled. "Our scientists believe that time travel is possible, some are even working on machines that will enable them to move through time. So, we'd like to believe that you are who you say you are, but the odds are you're not time travelers. Most likely you're Lindalian spies."

"What about the fact Lila can speak several dead languages," Briel asked. "Even Martika and I can speak a couple of these dead languages."

Briel turned to me, and switched to Gibean. "I think we're in trouble here."

"They think we're spies," Martika said, switching to Gibean.

"They're not sure what to make of us," I said, speaking the Tongue of the Traders. "If they were convinced we were spies, I don't think they would've brought us to their leader."

"All three of you speak the dead tongues," Risa said.

I switched back to the Common Tongue. "Briel speaks three languages. Martika speaks four. I speak five."

"The Lindalians don't study the dead languages. They have very little interest in ancient history."

"Which is why you're not sure what to make of us."

"If you are Lindalian spies, then this is a new tactic. Unexpected to say the least."

"Why would the Lindalians spy on you?"

"They want our technology."

"They don't have steam engines?"

"They do not."

"Or blimps?"

Risa chuckled. "Hardly."

"How did you manage to develop such technology?"

"One of my ancestors found the journals of Queen Iderra. They contained her theories on harnessing steam. Her theories led to the development of many of the inventions we accept as common place. Which is why our capital city is named after her."

"You really do look like her," I said.

"If that is true, then it would be a great honor." She paused for a moment. "It is said that Lila the Great possessed a number of powers. I don't suppose you could demonstrate some of those powers for us."

"That depends upon what powers she was said to possess."

"Queen Iderra wrote that Lila could communicate with anyone in the world. She also wrote she could make images appear. And she said Lila could move things without touching them."

"And if I perform some of these feats, you'll believe that we're time travelers?"

"Queen Iderra wrote that a time traveler took her sister away and that she was never seen or heard from again. If you could perform some of these feats, then it would indicate you're not a Lindalian spy."

"And if I can't perform any of these feats?"

"We will have no choice but to assume you're spies from the Land of Lindal."

"What do you do with spies?" Briel asked.

"We execute them."

I used my ability to move small objects to rip the wood and brass weapon out of the guard's hands. It flew through the air and into my hands. I leveled it at the Grand Chancellor.

"I have no idea what this thing shoots, but if I were a spy, I'd be inclined to fire it at you. I suspect it would be quite a coup to take down the Grand Chancellor of Seela." I flipped the weapon around and offered it to her, stock first. "Lucky for you. We are not a spies."

Risa took the weapon, looked at it, then handed it back to the guard. "It looks like you are who you claim to be. At least the evidence points that way. You fit the physical description of Lila the Great. You're fluent in dead languages. And you seem to be able to move things without touching them."

"Where'd you get a physical description of me?"

"Queen Iderra's journals. She wrote them late in life, telling her life's story, how she came to power, her theories on the use of steam. Of course, explaining how she came to power meant telling your life's story. Her journals also mentioned a nickname you had for her. If you are her sister, then you'll be able to tell me what that nickname was."

"Sounds like Iderra's life story is common knowledge around here," Briel said.

"Her theories on the use of steam are common knowledge," Risa said. "The rest of her life is not so well known."

"So everybody doesn't know what Lila called her?" Martika said.

"Only those who have read her journals."

"I called her Idy," I said. "Unless I was mad at her. Then I called her Big Nose. But I suspect she didn't mention that in her journals. She was very sensitive about her nose."

"She did not mention that," Risa said. "She also had a nickname for you."

"Mouse," I said. "Unless she was mad at me. Then she called me Rat. But Idy and I were rarely mad at each other."

"You're clearly not spies," Risa said. "As such, you are welcome here in Seela."

I bowed my head. "Your hospitality is most appreciated, Grand Chancellor. Can I ask how your family came to power."

"Iderra's journals were found in the family's belongings. We started building some of the steam powered devices she talked about. The devices made my family rich and powerful." Risa smiled. "Perhaps I should say, our family, since you would be a great aunt. A couple thousand years removed."

"As would Martika," I said. "She is my mother's little sister."

"There was no mention of her in Iderra's journals."

"History didn't interest Iderra. As you well know, her interests lay elsewhere."

Risa nodded, then changed the subject. "Were there a lot of people in your time with powers like yours?"

"No."

"Iderra didn't have any powers?"

"Besides being a genius?"

Risa smiled. "I guess that is a power of sorts."

"I inherited my powers from my father. He came from a country called Sorea. That's where the people with powers originated."

"Iderra mentioned Sorea in her journals. She went there thinking they had a scientific based society similar to the one we now live in."

I nodded. "Iderra gave the Soreans more credit than they deserved."

"Sounds like you don't like the Soreans."

"They're the reason I'm here."

"You'll need a place to stay," Risa said. "We have several apartments here in the government tower. I believe we can find one that will accommodate the three of you."

Risa had our escorts take us down six floors, to an apartment with a great view of the sea. The apartment contained a combination sitting and dining room, a small kitchen, a bathing room, three bedrooms, and one office. The color scheme was white and forest green, white walls, a white ceiling, and wall to wall forest green carpeting.

"Nice of her to give us a place to stay," Briel said, when we were alone.

"We are family," Martika said. "It's the least she could do."

I tossed my knapsack on a forest green settee. "I'm not sure she trusts us."

Briel tossed her knapsack next to mine. "She still thinks we're spies?"

"She's not sure what to make of us. We know more about her family's history than spies would know. Plus, I can do things normal people can't do."

"But?" Briel said.

"I don't think she believes in time travel."

Martika set her knapsack on the settee and plopped down next to it. "But she said they have people that are working on machines that can travel through time."

"She may think those people are nuts," Briel said.

"Don't be surprised if she orders her people to keep an eye on us," I said. "See where we go and what we do."

"Probably why she gave us this apartment," Briel said. "What's that old saying. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer."

"What are we going to do?" Martika asked.

"Talk to the people working on these time machines," I said. "See if they can help us."

It was still daylight, so we decided to take a tour of the city. I wanted to get a feel of the place, not just the technology, but the kind of government Grand Chancellor Risa Buzan ran. Were the people happy? Did they enjoy a lot of freedom? Why weren't there any men in uniform?

We headed out of our apartment. There were two guards standing in the hallway, waiting for us. Not the two that found us in the desert and brought us to the city, but two more. Both had long dark hair, which they wore in a tight braid. Both wore the formfitting green leather uniforms. One carried a wood and brass weapon. The other appeared to be unarmed.

"We'd like to walk around the city," I said. "If that's all right."

We followed our guards to the lift. When we reached the building's first floor, they opened the door then stepped aside. We headed out onto the street with our two guards following silently behind us.

The sounds and smells of the street were different from what we were used to. We were used to the clopping of hooves and smell of horse sweat and manure. Here we were assaulted by the chugging of the steam carriages that rolled up and down the streets, as well as the smell of the oil they burned.

"Going to be hard to get a feel for this place with those two following us," Briel said, switching to our native tongue of Adan.

"We can always lose them," Martika said. "Round a corner and slip into a doorway. Then Lila could create three images of us and let them follow those while we head in the other direction."

"Maybe later," I said. "First, let's see what we can learn from them."

I slipped between our two guards and switched to the Common Tongue. "I've noticed a lot of young women dressed like the two of you. Are you soldiers?"

"We're members of the Seela Defense Corps," the one without the weapon said.

"I haven't seen any men in uniform."

"Seela is a matriarchal society. Men aren't permitted to serve in the government or join the Corps."

Iderra must have mentioned in her journal that Adah was a matriarchal society. Where else would they have gotten the idea? Of course, men served in the military and in the Adan government. The Adan Army was over ninety percent male.

I pointed to the weapon the one girl was carrying. "What does your weapon shoot?"

"A constrictor net."

"What's a constrictor net?"

It's a net made out of a material that contracts when exposed to body heat."

"So, it's not lethal."

"Of course not. We are not barbarians."

"We have some gold coins," Briel said, showing them one of our gold sovereigns. "Will your merchants accept them as currency?"

"We use paper currency backed by gold," the guard that wasn't carrying the weapon said. "You should take your gold to one of the banks and open a gold account. The gold will be deposited in your name. You will then be given paper currency that can be exchanged at any bank for gold."

The guards took us to the nearest bank and told a young woman that worked there we wanted to open a gold account. They filled out some paper work, then had Briel, Martika, and I sign it. Briel gave them some of the gold she was carrying and they gave her a wad of paper. The paper was purple in color and had several ornate designs as well as the bank's name printed on both sides. Each piece of paper had a number on it, telling you how much it was worth.

"Let's get something to eat," Martika said, as we left the bank. "I'm hungry."

Our guards took us to one of their favorite eateries. The place wasn't fancy, but the food was good and according to our guards, cheap. We were served something called fish and chips. The fish was light and flaky. The chips turned out to be deep fat fried pieces of potato. We were also served an ale. The ale wasn't as strong as those served in our time, but it was cold. Briel paid for everyone's meals, including our guards. After that, they warmed up to us considerably.

After dinner, they gave us a tour of the docks. The first thing I noticed was the ships were all metal and used steam engines.

"In our time this sea was a desert," I said, as we walked along the docks. "Although much of it was below sea level so it's not surprising that the sea reclaimed it."

"What are the countries on the other side of the sea like?" Martika asked our escorts.

"Backward," one of our escorts said.

"No steam power?"

"We're the only country with steam power and we don't share the technology."

I couldn't help but wonder if they got that idea from Iderra's journals, just like they got the idea of the technology from her journals. Iderra mentioned her trip to Sorea so she must've mentioned why she thought Sorea was a closed society. Develop the technology and protect it, all Iderra's ideas.

The sun was low in the western sky and dusk was fast approaching, so we headed back to the tower containing our apartment. After dropping us off on our floor, our escorts headed to the top floor, most likely to report to their grand chancellor, tell her where we went and what we did.

"What do you think?" Briel said when we were alone in our apartment.

I switched from the Common Tongue to our native tongue of Adan, just to be safe. "I think I'm going to listen in, see what our escorts tell their grand chancellor. I sat on the settee and closed my eyes, then I pictured Iderra's lookalike in my mind.

Our two escorts were in Risa Buzan's ridiculously large office, standing in front of the large desk Risa sat behind. The one without a weapon was telling Risa where we went and what we did.

"Did you get a good look at the gold coins?" Risa asked.

"We did," the one without the weapon said. "They looked old, and were embossed with the word: SALEEN. Whatever that means."

"It wasn't Lindalian money?"

"It was not."

Risa leaned back in her chair and studied our two escorts. "Do you think they're spies or time travelers?"

"I believe they are who they claim. As you know, I have questioned several spies. These three are different from any of those people. Plus, Lila's knowledge of Queen Iderra is too detailed. She knows things that only people who have read Queen Iderra's journals would know, including restricted information."

"I agree," Risa said. "I believe they are time travelers, which means we cannot allow them near our scientists, particularly those that are working on time machines. If Lila is allowed to travel back to her own time, she could change the world we live in. The Seela we know could cease to exist. We cannot allow that."

"We will keep an eye on them." Our guards bowed and headed out of the office.

I opened my eyes to find myself back in our suite, sitting on the settee. Martika was on my right, Briel was on my left.

"Well?" they said in unison.

"I've got good news and bad news," I said.

"What's the good news?" Martika said.

"They believe we are time travelers."

"What's the bad news?" Briel asked.

"They don't want us going near their scientists, especially those working on time machines."

"Why not?" Martika asked.

"They're afraid if I get back to my time, I'll change history, I'll change the world they live in."

"So how do we find these scientists?" Martika asked. "The ones that are working on time machines. Especially if they don't want us to find them."

I thought for a minute. "When we were walking around the city, there were these men on the street selling something called a newspaper. If we can find a library with old copies of these newspapers maybe we can find a story about one of these scientists."

"It wouldn't hurt to start reading the current papers," Briel said. "In case there's a new story on one of these people."

"It certainly wouldn't."

"If we do manage to figure out who and where these scientists are, how do we get to them?" Martika said. "I doubt if the grand chancellor is going to allow us to talk to them."

"Talking to them won't be a problem," I said. "For me."

Chapter 29

We split up when we got to the library, each of us heading to a different floor. Since there were three of us and only two guards, our guards didn't try to follow us, they just stationed themselves by the front door and let us go about our business. They didn't even ask why we wanted to go to the library.

It didn't take long to find the name of one of the scientists working on a time machine. The public library was full of old newspapers. Not that we had to search through all those old papers. The librarian was able to direct us to a book on time travel written by a local scientist named Jonathan Gribbin. There was even a picture of him on the back of the book.

"You can use your powers to contact this scientist?" Briel asked as we left the library. She was speaking our native tongue of Adan, so our escorts couldn't understand what we were saying.

I nodded. "Now that I've seen his picture."

"What if he can't help us?"

"Then maybe he knows somebody who can."

"And if he doesn't?"

"Then we'll head to the other side of the continent, to what used to be Sorea, see if we can't find a time walker there."

When we got back to our apartment in the government tower, I sat on the settee and closed my eyes. The first thing I did was follow our guards. They headed to the top floor in the tower and gave the grand chancellor a report on our activities.

"What were they doing in the library?" the grand chancellor asked.

"I don't know, ma'am. They split up when we got to the library and since there were three of them and two of us, we couldn't just follow them around. So we stationed ourselves by the front door."

"From here on out, I'm going to assign three of you to watch them. That way when they split up, you can follow them around and keep track of what they're doing. I want daily reports on all of their activities. And I do mean all."

I opened my eyes to find myself back in our apartment. I took a breath, closed my eyes, and pictured the scientist, Jonathan Gribbin, in my mind. He looked like what you'd expect a scientist building a time machine to look like, skinny with white hair that stuck out every which way, and a thick white mustache that hid his upper lip.

A second later, I saw him. He wore black pants that reached to his ankles, a popular style in this time period, a long sleeved white shirt that used pearl buttons instead of lacing, and a lightweight white coat that reached to his knees.

He wasn't in his lab, he was in a tavern, watching a shimmy dancer. She wore black leather boots, a matching thong, and nothing else. She was standing on a small stage at the back of the room doing everything Marvelle had taught me not to do. She just kind of stood there swaying from side to side with a bored look on her face. She never changed her facial expression, she never did anything but sway back and forth.

A couple of waitresses worked the room, picking up empties and delivering fresh drinks to the small round tables that filled the room. The waitresses wore outfits identical to what the dancer wore, with one exception. Their breasts were covered by strapless black leather corsets.

The only time Jonathan Gribbin took his eyes off the dancer was when one of the waitresses walked by. I figured if I wanted to get his attention I better appear in the right outfit, so I had my image materialize in an outfit identical to what the two waitresses wore.

When that happened my point of view shifted, from someone floating above the room to someone standing off to one side.

I worked my way to the front of the room, to the table where Jonathan Gribbin was sitting. I took the chair opposite him, or pretended to take the chair. I couldn't actually touch the chair anymore than someone could touch me. I was nothing more than an image created by my mind and projected into the room. I looked as real as anyone else, but I wasn't.

"Jonathan Gribbin?" my image said.

He looked at my image and smiled. "Do I know you?"

"My name is Lila Marie Haran. And I'm a time traveler."

That got his attention. "You're a time traveler?"

"A time traveler who needs your help getting back to her own time."

"Are you making fun of me? Because I take my work very seriously and I don't appreciate people making light of it."

"I'm not making fun of you. I really am a time traveler. I come from what you know as the ancient world. And I can prove it." I started talking to him in every language I knew, Adan, Gibean, Sorean, Talish.

Jonathan sat up straighter. "Those are dead tongues."

"Not in my time."

"What time are you from?"

"A couple thousand years ago. I'm not sure what the exact year would be on your calendar. It would be during the reign of the woman known as Lila the Great. In fact, I am Lila the Great."

"Lila the Great was the first person in history to build an empire that spanned the ancient world. A couple of years into her reign, she disappeared, never to be heard from again."

"A Sorean time walker tricked me into traveling back in time with her. Then she abandoned me there. I found another one to transport me into the future, but he was ill and kind of overshot where we were going. By some two thousand years."

"Lila the Great was said to possess extraordinary powers."

"And you want me to demonstrate some of those powers."

Jonathan nodded.

"Touch me," my image said.

Jonathan hesitated a moment then went straight for one of my breasts. Considering where we were that didn't surprise me. When his hand passed through my body, he pulled it back, as if he had been burned.

"My god! You're not even here."

"I'm in the government tower. Your grand chancellor doesn't want me going back in time, changing her history, or maybe even eliminating her from existence. So she's keeping a close eye on me and my two friends."

Jonathan ran his hand through my image again. "How are you doing this?"

"It's just a power I possess. Something I inherited from my father. Can you help me get back to my own time?"

"My time machine isn't working yet. But I'm close. With your help I might be able to get it functioning."

"I'm not a scientist. I don't know anything about time machines."

"You may not be a scientist, but you do know about time travel. You've actually traveled through time, which means you can describe the experience to me, and that might help me get my machine working, might help me figure out what I'm doing wrong."

My image nodded. "Tell me what you want to know."

Jonathan looked around. "Not here. Back at my lab, where I can concentrate. Say in an hour."

"One hour." I let my image fade and opened my eyes. I was back in the sitting room of our government apartment. Briel and Martika were watching me.

"Well?" they said in unison.

"I talked to him, convinced him that I was a time traveler."

"And he'll help us?" Briel asked.

"Actually, he's hoping we can help him."

"Help him how?" Martika said.

"He's got a time machine, but it doesn't work. He's hoping that we can help him make it work."

Briel scoffed. "We don't know anything about time machines. We don't even know how their steam engines work."

"He wants me to describe what traveling through time is like. He's hoping it will help him figure out what's wrong with his machine."

"You think it will?" Martika asked.

I shrugged my shoulders. "I don't know. I do know geniuses are different from you and I. You never know what's going to get their mind going. I could say something totally inane to Iderra, and the next thing I knew, she was telling me that I'd just given her a great idea."

"Are you going to meet this guy in person?" Briel asked. "Or are you going to use your powers to meet with him?"

"I'll use my powers. I don't want the grand chancellor to know we're involved with him."

One hour later, I closed my eyes and pictured Jonathan Gribbin in my mind. A second later, I saw him, standing over a chair with a big wheel behind it. Not a wagon wheel, or the metal wheels that moved the steam carriages that rolled up and down the city streets. This wheel was made out of pieces of colored glass. They formed what looked like a multi colored pie. Attached to this wheel was an engine, not a steam engine, but some other kind of engine. One with a lot of copper wire. All of this was attached to a wooden base. In front of the chair was a small table with some brass levers.

I had my image appear in the room, looking exactly like I looked now, long sleeved black silk shirt, black leather breeches, black riding boots, my hair tied back into a ponytail.

"I'm here," I said. "Let's get down to business."

Jonathan spun around, looked at my image, then reached out to touch me. Not surprisingly, his hand passed right through me. "I'd thought you'd come in person."

"You never gave me an address."

Jonathan smiled, a sheepish smile. "Didn't I? I'm sorry. I guess it slipped my mind."

"Doesn't matter. My friends and I can't go anywhere without being followed by the grand chancellor's guards. Meeting you this way prevents them from knowing what I'm doing." I had my image walk around the odd device that occupied the center of the room. "Is this your time machine?"

"It is."

"How does it work?"

"Since time is a dimension of the universe we occupy, to move through time you first have to move out of this universe and into a parallel one. A universe which has no time."

"Can I assume this universe with no time is close enough to our universe that you can see into our universe?"

"You really have traveled through time," an excited Jonathan said. "Describe it to me. What it feels like. What it looks like."

"First you have to touch the time walker. Or touch someone that's touching them."

"And then?"

"Then lightening starts to emanate all around us. Actually it seems to emanate from within us."

"And that moves you out of this universe and into the parallel universe that touches this one."

"Wherever we are, we can still see this world. Except that whatever is happening in this world happens at an accelerated rate. Days turn into seconds. Years turn into minutes."

"But you're not moving physically?"

"No. We're standing still."

"Of course," Jonathan said. "The lightening, what we call electrical energy, is transporting you through the parallel universe. A universe which has no dimensions, no height, no depth, no width, no time. That creates the illusion of being still."

"When we get to the right time, things just seem to slow down. The next thing I know, we're back in this world."

"Good good good," Jonathan said. "I'm definitely on the right track. What I want to know is how these time walkers create enough electricity in their minds to transport them in and out of this universe. We know the average human brain creates electricity, but not that much electricity. And then there's the question of how they focus all that energy."

Jonathan was thinking out loud, so I just let him go. Iderra was the same way and I had learned a long time ago that when she was on a roll, you just kept silent until she finished her line of thought.

In the middle of his thinking out loud, Jonathan looked at me. "How come you can't travel through time?"

"Because I'm not a time walker. I'm a seer."

"Yes, but right now your mind is generating enough electrical energy to project an image of yourself and send it all the way from the government tower to the basement of my house."

"So?"

"So how far can you send an image?"

"Anywhere in the world. I just have to focus on the image I'm creating and the person I'm sending it to."

"If you can do that, then you should be able to transport yourself through time."

"But I'm not a time walker."

"No, but you have the ability to generate large amounts of electrical energy."

I held up a hand. "Wait a minute. You're telling me that a time walker has the power to become a seer and a seer has the power to become a time walker?"

Jonathan shook his head. "Not exactly. It takes a lot more electrical energy to move through time than it does to project an image. Which means all time walkers have the power to become seers, but only some seers have the power to become time walkers. It's just a question of learning how to focus that electrical energy."

"And you think I'm one of those seers."

"How many images can you project at one time?"

In truth, I wasn't sure. The only way to find out was to try, so I doubled my image from one to two. Then I doubled it to four. Then to eight. Then to sixteen. Then to thirty-two. Which was all the room would hold. Then I let all but one of my images fade.

"You can project that many images anywhere in the world?"

I nodded. "I think so."

"When you do it you don't get tired, you don't get a headache?"

"No."

Jonathan smiled. "You definitely have the power to move yourself through time. You just have to learn how to use that power."

"I don't suppose you can tell me how to do that?"

"It's obviously a question of focus. Instead of thinking about an image you want to create and project, think about your body moving forward or backward through time, to a specific year, a specific month, a specific day. Keep thinking about it until you're where you want to be."

"You make it sound so simple."

"It is simple. Assuming you were born with the ability to create the necessary electrical energy needed to move through time." Jonathan turned his attention to his time machine. "Take my time machine for example. It doesn't generate enough electrical energy to move out of this universe and into the parallel universe you mentioned. It's like a seer that can only generate a single image and then project it no farther than the next room. To make it work I'm going to have to build a much larger generating coil. Much much larger."

"How long will that take?"

"Several months. Perhaps years."

I thanked Jonathan for his time, before my image faded away, he held up a finger. "I, ah, don't suppose you could do one little thing for me before you go."

"Depends on what it is."

"Let me see you in the outfit you had on when you first appeared to me back at the bar."

The man was one of the smartest people I had ever met, would ever meet. And yet all he wanted was to see a girl, or in this case an image of a girl, dressed in next to nothing. Some things changed but men obviously didn't.

Chapter 30

I opened my eyes and looked around. I was in our apartment in the government tower, sitting between Briel and Martika.

"So?" Briel said. "Can he help us?"

"He has a time machine, but it doesn't work."

"We already knew that," Martika said. "Did you tell him anything that will get it working?"

"His machine is powered by an engine that creates lightening, what he calls electricity. After talking to me, he decided that his time machine doesn't produce enough electricity to move it out of this universe and into the parallel universe that allows us to move through time."

"And the gist of it is?" Martika said.

"He has to build a bigger engine, what he calls a generating coil, and that's going to take several months. Maybe longer."

"So we're stuck here?"

"Maybe not. He seems to think that I possess the power to move us through time."

Briel rose to her feet. "Why would he think that you possess the power to move through time?"

"He says a time walker moves through time by generating enough electrical energy to move out of this universe and into a parallel universe where time doesn't exist. And by moving in and out of that universe, they can return to this universe in a different time."

"And?" Martika said.

"He says that I project images by generating electricity. Although he says it doesn't take as much electricity to project an image as it does to move through time."

Briel nodded. "So a time walker has the power to be a seer, but a seer like yourself may or may not have the power to move through time."

"Exactly."

"Did he tell you how a time walker accesses their power?"

"Same way I access mine. By thinking about what they want. In this case thinking about where they want to be."

"So," an excited Martika said. "Give it a shot."

I stood and moved to a far corner of the room, away from Briel and Martika. I imagined the lightening crackling around me, emanating from within me. I imagined myself sliding into that parallel universe that allowed us to come out at a different point in time in this universe. Then I imagined myself moving back in time, to the day before Briel, Martika, and I arrived here.

At first nothing happened. Then lightening started to appear inside the room, shooting out of me until I was wrapped in a ball of energy. Then Briel and Martika started to fade. Then they were gone.

The ball of energy that enveloped me faded as quickly as it appeared. I found myself standing in the room alone.

"Briel?" I called out. "Martika?"

No answer. Did I actually move myself through time? Back two days, to the day before we arrived?

I opened the door and stepped out into the hallway. There were no guards, no dark haired girls in green leather keeping watch on our door. I moved to the lift and rode it down to the first floor. The guard manning the front desk glanced at me as I stepped off, but said nothing.

"Do you recognize me?" I asked, stepping up to the circular desk she sat behind.

"Should I?" she said.

"My name's Lila and I'm a guest of the grand chancellor. I'm staying on the twenty-sixth floor."

The guard checked a piece of paper sitting on her desk. "Your name isn't listed."

"Could you tell me what day it is?"

"Three of seven."

That meant I actually succeeded in traveling back through time. When I was talking to Briel and Martika the day had been five of seven. Which meant I had traveled back in time two days.

Suddenly, I felt really stupid. I had traveled halfway around the world, did all these crazy jobs, all in hopes of finding someone that could take me back to my own time. All the while, the power I needed had been inside of me.

"Where are you going?" the guard behind the desk asked when I turned and headed back toward the lift.

"Back up to my apartment."

"I'm sorry, but you can't go up there."

"Why not?"

"Because your name isn't on the list."

"You just saw me step off the lift, which means I was already up there." I pull out my key to the apartment. "Plus I have a key, which means I obviously belong here."

"That may be, but your name isn't on the list. Which means I can't let you up there." She held up the list, as if that settled the argument once and for all.

I held up my key. "But I have a key."

She held the list higher. "Your name's not on the list. I'm only allowed to let people up when their name appears on the list. There is no Lila on my list."

I didn't bother to raise my key higher than her list. She was taller than me. In the end I would lose that battle.

"Fine," I said. "I'll just go back to a time when my name does appear on the list."

I imagined the lightening crackling around me, emanating from within me. I imagined myself sliding into that parallel universe and moving forward in time, to the exact day, the exact time, before I moved myself back in time.

Once again, lightening started to snap and crackle around me. Once again, I found myself wrapped in a ball of energy, then the girl behind the desk started to fade. Other girls appeared and faded as I moved forward in time. Then the girl I had been arguing with reappeared and stabilized.

"What day is it?" I said, when the electrical energy surrounding me faded.

"Where did you . . . didn't I see you fade into nothing a couple of days ago?"

"What day is it?"

"Five of seven."

"Lila Marie Haran. I assume my name's on your list now."

I didn't wait for her to confirm that my name was on the list, I just turned and headed for the lift. She was so stunned by my sudden appearance that she didn't try to stop me or check to see if my name was on her list.

When I got back to my floor, the three guards assigned to watch us were outside of our apartment. They were sitting on chairs in the middle of the hallway, playing cards. Needless to say, they were surprised to see me step off the lift.

"I thought you were in your apartment?" one of them said.

"I went out for a walk just before you three came on duty."

Believe it or not, they actually bought that excuse.

"Classic bureaucracy," the girl said. "The right hand never knows what the left is doing."

I headed into our apartment. Briel and Martika were standing where I left them, waiting for my return.

"What went wrong?" Briel said.

"Nothing."

"Why are you coming through the door and not reappearing in a ball of electrical energy?"

"After traveling back in time, I went downstairs, to find out what day it was. The guard at the desk wouldn't let me back upstairs, so I had to travel forward in time down in the lobby, to a day when my name was on her stupid list."

"So it worked?" Martika said.

"How long have I been gone?"

"Maybe a minute," Briel said.

I smiled. "It worked."

There was a knock on the door. Before I could answer it the door opened and the grand chancellor entered, accompanied by our three guards.

"Is everything all right in here?" the grand chancellor asked.

"Everything is fine," I said. "Why do you ask?"

"Our guard in the lobby said that you appeared out of the middle of nowhere. In a burst of electrical energy."

"Is that illegal?"

"No."

"Did I frighten your guard? If I did, I apologize."

"My guard is fine," the grand chancellor said. "How did you get out of this apartment without my guards seeing you?"

"What difference does it make?"

"I'm looking for loopholes in my security."

"You can relax. There are no loopholes in your security. The girl manning the front desk was adamant about not letting people get by her if their name wasn't on her list. You should give her a commendation. Perhaps she'd appreciate a gold plated list."

As much as I wanted to leave right now, take us back to my time, I couldn't. Not while we were standing on the twenty-sixth floor of a building that didn't exist in my time. As far as I knew, we would end up two hundred and sixty feet above the ground. While I had a lot of abilities, flying wasn't among them. We needed to get down on the ground before I could transport us back to my time.

"From here on out," the grand chancellor said. "Inform your guards before you go somewhere."

The grand chancellor turned and left. The three guards followed her out the door.

Martika stuck out her tongue. A not so kind gesture for the grand chancellor. Once we were alone, she turned to me. "You ready to take us back to when you were in charge?"

"Once we're out of this building."

"Why can't we just leave from here?"

"When we travel through time, we always enter this universe in the exact spot we left it."

"Think about it," Briel said. "We're twenty-six floors up. And none of us knows how to fly."

I held out my hands. One for Briel. One for Martika. "I can move us back in time a couple of days, so we can leave this building without being followed."

We better grab our knapsacks," Briel said.

We grabbed our knapsacks and swung them over our backs. Briel moved to my left and took my hand. Martika moved to my right and took my other hand. I started thinking about moving through time, traveling back two days, to just before we arrived. A second later the lightening started popping and crackling and flashing around us. Our three guards must've been listening for any unusual sounds because they burst into the room.

The guards drew three small weapons, pointed them at us, and fired. Before I could shift my attention from moving us through time, to stopping whatever the weapons fired, I felt something prick my neck, like a bee sting. Almost immediately, I got dizzy. The world around me started to spin. I let go of Briel's and Martika's hands and collapsed to the floor. Before I passed out I realized that I had been drugged. Again.

***

I could hear voices. Although they sounded like they were a million miles away. I could see people moving around, but I couldn't seem to get my eyes to focus. The people were just blurs.

"We'll put the young one in the school system," a woman said.

"But her knowledge of science is almost nil. She'll be behind other girls her age," a second woman said.

"Make her an art student. You don't need to be an expert in science to be an artist."

"What if she has no artistic talent?"

The first woman laughed. "Then she'll be like half the artists out there."

"And the second one?"

"She's very stiff and ridged. She'll be perfect for the Defense Corps."

"And Lila?"

"Find her a menial job. One which won't remind her who she is or where she comes from."

"What kind of menial job?"

"Make her a waitress in a men's club."

"Why a men's club?"

"She's pretty, might as well take advantage of that."

"We'll begin the reprogramming right away," the second woman said.

I felt a prick in my neck. A second later, the voices began to fade and the world began to go black.

Chapter 31

I woke with a pounding headache, not to mention an upset stomach. Wherever I was last night, I must have really tied one on. I sat up, dragged myself to the edge of my bed, and checked the big windup alarm clock that rested on the night stand next to my bed.

The clock said ten minutes after five. I glanced out the window. The sun was already low in the western sky. That meant I had just enough time to shower, dress, and get to work.

As I headed to the bathroom, I crossed my fingers, praying that there would be some hot water. One day, I hoped to move out of this cracker box of an apartment and into a bigger place. A place that had hot water on demand.

I peeled my sleep shift off, turned on the shower, and breathed a sigh of relief that the water was still warm. I could almost hear my mother's voice, lecturing me. "I told you not to quit school. I told you you'd never get a good job without a good education."

Turned out that she was right. Which was why I hadn't talked to her in over five years. Why I had no intention of talking to her in the next five years. Was there anything worse than having to listen to your mother say, I told you so?

I finished my shower and dressed, slipping into a pair of black slacks and a red tank top. I brushed my hair, tied it back in a ponytail, and headed off for work. I was starting a new job tonight and I didn't want to be late.

My new place of employment was located in downtown Iderra, just down the street from the government tower. The place was called the Pink Flamingo. It didn't look like much from the outside. In truth, it didn't look like much from the inside. But the girls that worked there said the customers were big tippers. I was hoping that was true because the last bar I worked at was full of lousy tippers.

Waitresses worked strictly on tips so finding a place that tipped well was important.

The woman that ran the Pink Flamingo was short and fat. I'm talking turn sideways so she could squeeze through the doorway fat. The pink jumpsuit she wore made her look more like a pink elephant than a pink flamingo. Her curly blond hair was short and stuck out every which way. She also had the bluest eyes I had ever seen. They matched the sky, which was probably why she called herself Sky.

"New girl. Over here," Sky said, as soon as I entered the club.

A bar ran down the left hand wall. A small narrow stage ran from the back wall to the middle of the room. At the end of the stage was a pole which ran from the floor of the stage to the ceiling. In the middle of the back wall, leading to the stage, was a doorway covered by pink velvet curtains. The rest of the place was full of round wooden tables. Four straight backed wooden chairs surrounded each table. There were no oil lamps suspended from the ceiling. The light came from the lamps on the walls and the sides of the stage.

I worked my way over to the bar, which Sky was scrubbing. "I'm not late am I?"

"Naw, I just forgot your name."

"Nikki Stoop. Most folk just call me Nik."

"Here's the deal," Sky said. "The room is divided into three stations. The tables on the left hand side of the stage. The tables on the right hand side of the stage. And the tables at the back of the room. As the new girl you get the tables at the back of the room. You can keep your tips in a jar on the bar. If any of the customers get fresh with you you're free to slug em. Just remember, the friendlier you are the bigger your tips will be. If you can't make enough money working the tables, you can always try the stage."

I looked at the stage. "I'm not a dancer. Got no experience."

"Just letting you know the option is there if you want it." Sky nodded toward the back of the room. "Head on back and find yourself a uniform."

I hopped up on stage, passed through the pink velvet curtains, and into the back of the club, which consisted of a short hallway with two doors. One on each side. The door on the left had the word OFFICE stenciled on it. The door on the right had the words DRESSING ROOM stenciled on it.

I opened the dressing room door and headed inside.

"Waitress or dancer?" a tall willowy blond asked me. Six girls were inside the dressing room.

"Waitress," I said. "Name's Nikki Stoop, but most folk just call me Nik."

The blond pointed to the armoire on my left. "Waitress uniforms are in there, Nik."

I moved to the left and opened the armoire. The waitress uniforms were pink. No surprise there.

"There are no sizes on these things," I said, looking through them.

A brunette dressed in a waitress uniform laughed. "That's because they only come in one size."

The other waitress, a blond, laughed along with her. "Yeah. Small."

I found a pair of boots that looked like they would fit, grabbed one of the uniforms, and moved to an empty dressing table. The uniform consisted of a pair of pink boots that reached the top of the calf and contained a narrow five inch heel. Pink leather short shorts went with the boots. The shorts were ridiculously tight, even for a small bottomed girl like myself. The top was a pink leather bra that mashed my breasts together so I was displaying maximum cleavage. It wasn't much of a uniform but it was more than the dancers got. All they got were boots, a thong, and a pair of elbow length pink leather gloves.

I slipped into the uniform, sat at the empty dressing table, and did my makeup, putting a pink gloss on my lips and a blue shadow on my eyelids, which was what all the other girls were wearing. I tied my hair back into a ponytail with a big pink ribbon then headed onto the floor with the other two waitresses.

When I wasn't waiting tables I watched the dancers. Something about being up on stage, grinding your hips seemed familiar. Although I had never done any dancing, I couldn't help but think that I could do better. I shook that thought out of my head. I was a waitress, nothing more. So why did the dancing seem so familiar?

Some people believed that they lived multiple lives. Maybe in another life, I had been a dancer. Then again, I didn't believe in multiple lives.

At the end of the evening, I counted up my tips. They were less than half that of the other two waitresses. No surprise there. Most of my tables were as far away from the stage as you could get. No one sat at them unless the tables in the other two sections were full.

If I wanted to make more money, I was going to have to make people want to sit in my section. That meant being extra friendly, and in a place like this, being extra friendly meant more than just smiling at the customers.

***

One month after I started work at the Pink Flamingo, one of the dancers brought a sword to the club. It was the tall willowy blond that spoke up the first time I entered the dressing room. Her stage name was Venus. Her real name was Charlotte.

"What's with the sword?" I asked her.

"I'm thinking of using it in my act. Maybe I'll even work up a routine around the historical figure Lila the Great. Bring her back to life."

"Who's Lila the Great?" I said. We were in the dressing room, getting ready.

"Lila the Great," Tori, another dancer, said. "The first woman in history to rule an empire that spanned the entire continent. Didn't you learn about her in school?"

"History was never my strong point." I laughed. "School was never my strong point."

Tori looked at Charlotte. "How can you be Lila the Great? Lila was a brunette. If anybody should be Lila, it should be me."

"Nobody remembers what she looked like," Charlotte said. "Heck. Nik didn't even know who she was."

Charlotte moved to the back of the room and began to twirl the sword.

"What kind of a sword is that?" Maggie, the blond waitress, asked. "Looks expensive."

"I think it's a broadsword," Charlotte said. "And it was expensive. This thing that separates the blade from the handle is solid gold. And its carrying case is solid silver."

"That's not a broadsword," I said. "That's a cutlass. A broadsword is bigger and heavier. And the thing that separates the blade from the hilt is called the blade guard or the cross guard. And its carrying case is called a scabbard."

"For someone that doesn't know anything about history, you sure know a lot about swords," Maggie said.

She was right. I did seem to know a lot about swords. Why was that? As far as I knew, I had never even seen a sword before today.

"Can I see it?" I held out my hand. Then I thought about holding the sword. A second after that I felt the sword in my hand. A second later, the sword flew out of Charlotte's hand and into my hand.

I immediately dropped the sword on the floor and stepped back. "What just happened?"

"How did you do that?" Tori asked me.

"I didn't do it." I pointed at Charlotte. "She did it."

Charlotte held up both hands and stepped back. "I didn't do anything."

"Maybe it's the sword," Maggie said. "Maybe it's magical."

Maggie held out her hand. "Come to me, magic sword. Come to me."

The sword didn't move, didn't even twitch. It stayed on the floor, right where I dropped it.

"It's definitely not the sword." Maggie looked at Charlotte. "You try it, Char."

Charlotte held out her hand and repeated what Maggie had just said. "Come to me, magic sword. Come to me."

The sword didn't move, didn't even twitch.

"It's not Char." Maggie looked at me. "Your turn, Nik."

I retreated a couple of steps. Held out my hand, and repeated what Char and Maggie had just said. "Come to me, magic sword. Come to me."

I felt the sword in my hand, even though it wasn't there. A second later, it flew off the ground and into my hand.

Once again, I dropped the sword and retreated a couple of steps, squealing as loud as every other girl in the room.

"Either that sword likes you," Maggie said to me. "Or you've got magic powers."

"People don't have magic powers," I said.

"They used to," Charlotte said. "Lila the Great had all sorts of powers."

"Maybe Nik is one of her descendants," Tori said.

Maggie looked at Tori. "The grand chancellor is one of Lila's descendants and she doesn't have magic powers."

"If she did, do you think she'd tell anybody?"

"Probably not." Maggie looked at me. "You related to the grand chancellor?"

"I don't know."

"How can you not know?"

"Never met my father and my mother never talked about him, other than to say that I was better off not knowing him. Does that sound like somebody that might be related to the grand chancellor?"

Tori chuckled. "That sounds like somebody that might be related to my father. Actually, that sounds like my father."

"Maybe you two are related," Maggie said.

I walked over to Charlotte and handed the sword back to her. "I believe this is yours."

Charlotte held up both hands and backed away. "Keep it. It prefers you anyway."

"I'll pay you for it," I said. "Although it may take me awhile."

I was glad I didn't have to give up the sword. It felt like an old friend when it was in my hand. Which was crazy. Until tonight, I had never touched a sword in my life. Not this life anyway.

I was stowing the sword with my clothes when the dressing room door burst open and Sky squeezed into the room. "I got customers, but no waitresses or dancers. So stop jawing and get your skinny butts out there."

We stopped talking, finished dressing, and got our skinny butts out there. As I worked, I wondered if Tori was right. If I was descended from this Lila the Great character. Probably not.

It wasn't me that was magical, I was sure of that. Most likely it was the sword. Maybe it just liked me better than the other girls because I knew something about swords, knew that it was a cutlass and not a broadsword. Although how did I know that? Maybe when I was little, I had gone through a period of my life when swords interested me.

I couldn't remember playing with swords when I was a kid, but now that I thought about it, I couldn't remember anything about my childhood. My memories only went back to my eighteenth birthday, to the day I quit school and left home. Everything before that was a blank. I knew where my mother lived, but I couldn't remember my life with her, I couldn't even remember what she looked like. To call that troubling was an understatement.

Tomorrow was my day off. Maybe I'd do something I thought I'd never do. Like pay my mother a visit. Maybe seeing her face would jog my memory. Maybe seeing the house I grew up in would jog my memory. Maybe she could tell me why I couldn't remember my childhood.

Chapter 32

My mother lived in a small village an hour's ride south of Iderra. In a town called Andersburg. I didn't own a steam carriage. No surprise there. You had to be rich to own a steam carriage. Fortunately, Andersburg was on the sea, and there were plenty of steam carriages cruising up and down the coastal highway. It didn't take me more than five minutes to catch a ride to Andersburg.

The town contained a couple of hundred people, most of whom lived in gray clapboard houses with flat roofs. My mother's house was on the south end of town. At least that's where I remembered it being. The problem was, it wasn't there. I double checked, even triple checked, to make sure I was on the right street, at the right address. I was, but my mother wasn't there, nor was her house. It was just an empty lot.

I asked the neighbors if they knew where Ida Stoop lived. They had never heard of Ida Stoop. I went to the local government center, a two story sandstone structure located in downtown Andersburg. Actually, it pretty much was downtown Andersburg. They kept records of everyone that lived there, everyone that had lived there. There was no Ida Stoop living in Andersburg, no record of an Ida Stoop, or a Nikki Stoop, ever having lived there. Realizing this was a dead end, I headed back to the city, catching a ride on the back of another passing steam carriage.

There were other things I couldn't help but wonder about. How come I had no friends other than the girls I worked with? I had been in the city for five years. You would think that in five years I would've made at least one friend. And how come I didn't have a boyfriend? Customers I waited on seemed to liked me well enough. How come I hadn't hooked up with one of them in the past five years?

When I got back to the city, I didn't go home. Instead, I did a little more research. I went to the bars and clubs where I spent the last five years working. Despite my memories of those places, no one remembered me. No one remembered me being there, no one remembered me working there, no one knew who I was. By the end of the day, I had come to two conclusions. Either my life was a lie, or I was crazy.

I refused to accept the fact that I was crazy, which meant my memories, my life as I remembered it, was a lie. The question was, who would plant false memories in my head and why?

I returned to my apartment before I could come up with any answers to that question. When I got home, I discovered a note waiting for me. It said that one of the girls at work had quit and they needed me. That was fine with me, I didn't want to spend the evening at home, wondering who I was, where I had come from, and who had tampered with my life.

"Who quit?" I asked Sky when I got to work.

"Maggie." Sky was behind the bar, cleaning and setting up for the night. "Said she got a better offer and walked out. That means you get her station and Anna gets yours."

Maggie's station consisted of all the tables between the stage and the bar. I would do a lot less walking working that station. Anna was the fourth waitress. She only worked part time, substituting for Kate, Maggie, and myself on our days off. With Maggie leaving, she would be working full time, taking over my old station.

I started to head to the dressing room, then turned back to Sky. "Can I ask you something?"

"Anything," Sky said.

"Who asked you to hire me?"

Sky seemed taken back by my question. She recovered quickly and forced a smile. "No one. You applied for the job. Don't you remember?"

"I did a little digging today. It turns out a lot of stuff that I remember never happened. I went home today. My mother wasn't there. The house I thought I grew up in wasn't there. My last three employers, or at least the places I remember being my last three employers, didn't know me." I grabbed the edge of the bar and leaned across it. "Who asked you to hire me?"

Sky hesitated. "The government."

"Why?"

"When the government tells you to do something you do it. You don't ask why."

"Why do I have memories of people that don't exist, of places I've never been?"

"Here in Seela we don't put criminals in jail. Not like they do in other countries."

"What do we do with them?"

"They're brainwashed, given new memories, new identities, new lives."

"You're saying that I used to be a criminal?"

"Those are the only kind of people the government brainwashes."

"How do they do this brainwashing?"

"I'm no scientist. How would I know."

"Tell me what you do know."

"First, they give you some kind of drug that makes you forget who you were. Once that kicks in they feed all these new memories into you."

"How?"

Sky sighed in frustration. "I don't know. I don't work for the damn government. I own this here bar."

I turned to head to the dressing room, but Sky reached across the bar and grabbed my wrist. "I know what you're thinking and you need to forget it."

I yanked my wrist free. "I'm not thinking anything."

"You're thinking about finding out who you were, but I'll tell you right now, that's a bad idea."

"Why?"

"If the government discovers their brainwashing hasn't taken, they'll kill you."

"What makes you say that?"

"Like I said. We ain't got no prisons here in Seela. The government rehabilitates you, and if that don't work, they execute you. Even if the brainwashing hasn't taken, you gotta pretend that it has."

"I have no intention of telling them the brainwashing hasn't taken."

"If you keep poking around, looking into your past, they're going to find out about it. And when they do, they'll come for you." Sky smiled. "Look kid, I'm just trying to let you know that you need to be careful. The government keeps track of their rehabs. They got eyes everywhere."

"I'll be careful."

"Promise?"

I returned Sky's smile. "I promise."

***

After working at the Pink Flamingo for a month, I realized the waitresses were in competition with the dancers. Customers only had so much money. They spent about half of it on drinks. The rest either went to the dancers or the waitresses, depending upon who they liked better. Dancers had the advantage of wearing less clothing and being on a brightly lit stage. Waitresses had the advantage of being closer to the customers. I learned to take advantage of that proximity, so much so that I developed my own fans. Guys who made a point of sitting in my station. One of those fans was a guy I called D Cup.

"You sure your not a D cup?" he asked as I set a mug of ale in front of him. It was the same question he asked me every night.

"Just a C."

"You look bigger."

"Give me a nice tip and I'll give you such a close look, you'll swear I'm a double D." The guy pulled out a red bank note, a five. I looked at it and sneered. "I said a big tip."

He put the five away and pulled out a ten. "Better?"

"Much better." I set my tray on his table, straddled his lap, and rested my hands on his shoulders. Then I leaned forward, until my breasts were inches from his face. "How big do they look now?"

The guy chuckled. "Pretty damn big."

"I think you owe me a ten."

He folded the ten lengthwise and slid it into my cleavage, teasing both of us by taking his time. When he finished, I stepped back, grabbed my tray, and headed for the bar. That was ten the dancers wouldn't get.

"You're taking money out of my pocket when you do that," Sky said.

Because the dancers received a salary, they had to split their tips with the house, fifty—fifty. Waitresses worked strictly on tips, which meant we got to keep everything we were given.

"You could always fire me," I said, dropping the ten into my tip jar.

Sky laughed. "If I did that, you'd get a job at the club across the street and take all your fans with you."

"Damn straight."

Another one of my regulars arrived. He checked to see what station I was working, and grabbed a table that hadn't been cleaned. I grabbed my tray and headed off. When I reached his table, I stopped next to him, bent over the table, and loaded all the empties on my tray.

Butt Man, as I called him, turned sideways in his chair, so he was facing me, then he checked out my backside. "Nice ass."

I rested my forearms on the table, smiled at him over my shoulder, and wiggled my bottom. "If it's so nice, why aren't you putting a big tip in my back pocket?"

Butt Man pulled out a ten and worked it into the back pocket of my pink leather shorts. Not an easy thing to do considering how tight my shorts were. When he finished, I straightened up, picked up the tray full of empties, and headed back to the bar. This job was pretty easy if you knew how to flirt and didn't mind being a little shameless. I had gone from being the worst wage earner in the place to rivaling Sky's best dancers. Best of all, I didn't have to split my tips with the house.

"Need a cold one." I cleared the empties off my tray and dropped the ten in my tip jar.

Sky set a fresh mug of ale on my tray. "You sure I can't convince you to dance?"

I laughed and headed off to deliver the ale. "And split my tips with you. No, thank you."

***

Seven hours later, we were approaching closing time. The last dancer of the night, Limber Lenoir, was on stage, beginning her final performance.

There weren't many people left in the place, no more than half a dozen, and those that were still around had little money left. Just two people were sitting in my station. One was a redhead in the green leathers of the Defense Corps. The other was an older gentleman with white hair that stuck out every which way.

The man with the wild white hair was closer to the bar so I stopped at his table first. He was tall and slim with a long narrow nose and a thick white mustache that hid his upper lip. He wore black pants, a white shirt with pearl buttons, and a white lab coat.

"You got here kind of late," I said. "We'll be closing in a few minutes."

"Got wrapped up in my work." He turned his attention from Lenoir to me. Then he did a double take. "I thought you were going back to your own time."

"You know me?"

The man studied my eyes, then he lowered his voice. "Don't tell me they got to you?"

"Who got to me?"

The man glanced at the redhead in the Defense Corps leathers. "This isn't a good place to talk."

"Where can we talk?"

"My place."

"I don't have your name or address."

He pulled out a green twenty and wrote his name and address on it. When he finished, I straddled his lap, rested my hands on his shoulders, and leaned forward. He folded the twenty in half and slipped it into my cleavage. "You do now."

I held my position. My breasts were inches from his face. My mouth was next to his ear. "What did you mean when you said you thought I was going back to my own time?"

"You're a time traveler. Apparently the government didn't want you going back to your own time and brainwashed you. Gave you an imaginary name and an imaginary life."

I stepped back, stunned by the man's comments. Although if what he said was true, it certainly explained a lot. He pushed himself to his feet and scurried toward the exit. The redhead in the Defense Corp leathers rose to her feet, as if she intended to follow him, which may or may not have been the case. Just to be safe, I stepped in front of her and smiled. "Can I get you anything else?"

The redhead shifted her attention to me. I arched my back and pushed my breasts out as far as I could, trying to give her a couple of reasons to stay. When she licked her lips, I knew I had her. "I wouldn't mind the kind of look you just gave that guy."

I smiled. "That will cost you."

She held up a twenty. "Will this do?"

"That will do just fine." I pushed her onto her chair and straddled her lap. Then I rested my hands on her shoulders and leaned forward, until my breasts were inches from her face. She folded the twenty lengthwise and slipped it into my cleavage, right below the white haired man's twenty. When she finished, I swayed back and forth, giving her a show. "What do you do in the Defense Corps?"

"I'm with Special Operations."

"What's that?"

"We rehabilitate criminals."

"You mean you brainwash people."

The redhead chuckled. "We don't actually wash their brains. We just replace old memories with new ones."

"How do you do that?"

"Chemicals, repetitive conditioning."

"Sounds cutting edge."

"Not really. The chemicals have been around for centuries. We just discovered that they're more effective when the memories they suppress are replaced with new ones. Remembering who you are is a lot harder when you have to dig through layers of false memories." I straightened up. When I stepped back, the redhead pulled out another twenty. "Show me your ass."

I spun around, then I straddled her lap with my back to her. I bent at the waist, rested my hands on her knees, and pushed my bottom toward her face. Then I looked at her over my shoulder. "I think you owe me that twenty."

She folded the twenty lengthwise and set about working it into my back pocket. I ignored her hands, one of which was palming my backside, and concentrated on our conversation. "How do you give someone false memories?"

"First you drug the person, suppressing their old memories. Then you whisper into their ear, over and over, literally feeding them new memories. It's kind of like burying old roads and laying new ones on top of them. The old roads are still there, you just don't know it. At least that's what the scientists say."

"How do you know when the conditioning has kicked in?"

"It varies from person to person, but years of trial and error have taught us a lot."

I straightened up and moved away, leaving her with nothing to fondle. "I think you got your money's worth."

She smiled and lowered her hands. "My name and address are on the second twenty. If you ever want to get together."

I picked up my tray and flashed a smile of my own. "I've got a lot of names and addresses in my tip jar. Too many."

Plus, I wasn't into women. And even if I was, I wouldn't get involved with one that helped steal my memories. The only person I intended to get in touch with was the man that claimed he knew me. The man that claimed I was a time traveler.

Chapter 33

The man with the wild white hair was named Jonathan Gribben. He lived in a two story clapboard house on the west end of the city, in a neighborhood made up of similar style houses.

I went there right after work. The glow of the yellow gaslights that lined the street revealed the house to be white with red trim. Like most of the houses in the city it had a flat roof with a garden on top. I couldn't tell what shape the roof garden was in, but if it was anything like the yard, then it was probably cluttered with weeds and junk.

I knocked on the door but nobody answered. I checked to see if it was locked. It wasn't, so I went inside.

"Mr. Gribben?" I stepped into a sitting room that was just as cluttered as his yard.

A voice called from somewhere below me. "I'm in the basement. Come on down."

I found the stairs and headed down. The basement was a single room and compared to the rest of the house, not to mention the yard, surprisingly neat. A contraption with a chair, a table, and a glass wheel sat in the middle of the room. Work tables with tools and wires and other stuff lined three of the four walls. Jonathan Gribben was sitting at one of those tables, building something big, as big as the contraption that sat in the middle of the room. Something that needed a lot of copper wire.

When he saw me, he smiled. "Lila, you're here, good."

"My name's Nikki," I said. "I'm a waitress at the Pink Flamingo. You gave me your address about an hour ago."

The smile faded from Jonathan's face. "That's right. You've been brainwashed. Can't say I'm surprised. Not after what you told me."

"You sound like you know me."

"We met three months ago. Well, we didn't actually meet. You used your powers to appear to me."

"I don't have any powers." Maybe this was a waste of my time. This guy didn't just look nuts. He sounded nuts.

"Actually, you do. You just don't remember."

"You said we met three months ago."

"You appeared to me while I was at another gentleman's club. Enjoying the, ah, ambiance. You told me your name was Lila Marie Haran and that you had been abandoned in this time by a time walker. You were hoping I could use my time machine to return you to your own time. Problem is my machine doesn't work yet. Although thanks to you, I'm getting closer."

"Lila Marie Haran. Wasn't she some kind of a queen, a really long time ago?"

"She was. Two thousand years ago to be exact."

"You saw what I do for a living. Do I seem like a queen to you?"

Jonathan smiled. "Nothing says a queen can't be beautiful and sexy. Nor is it written that she can't be comfortable with her sexuality."

"Actually, I was talking about my waiting tables." I figured I was a thief, or a murderer. Never in a million years, did I expect someone to tell me that I was some sort of a time traveling queen. Considering the way this guy lived, he probably thought that he was a time traveling king.

"So, I'm a time traveling queen and you're what, a time traveling king? Duke? Baron? Princess?"

Jonathan chuckled. "I'm a scientist who's trying to build a time machine. But unlike you, I have yet to travel through time."

"So what happened after you told me your time machine didn't work?"

"I suggested that you already possess the power to move yourself through time. You just have to learn how to use it."

"Why doesn't any of this seem familiar to me?"

"The Government of Seela has been refining its brainwashing technique for decades. They've gotten quite good at it. The drug they use to suppress your memories has been around for centuries, but they've changed the delivery system. Centuries ago, they just threw the drug in your face. Maybe half of it would get in your system. Today they inject it directly into your blood stream."

"So?"

"So, you're getting hit with a much larger dose of the drug. And your lungs aren't filtering any of it out of your system. It's going directly into your blood stream. How long have you been working at the Pink Flamingo?"

"About a month."

"And before that?"

"I have memories of working at three other bars, but when I visited those bars, no one knew who I was."

"That because you never actually worked at those places. Those are false memories implanted by the government. My guess is you spent the two months prior to your coming to the Pink Flamingo in the hands of the government."

"Being drugged and fed false information."

"Yes."

"Why would the government care whether I returned to my own time?" Assuming what he said was true, and I wasn't ready to assume any of that. Not until I had some proof.

"The history books say you disappeared a couple years into your reign and were never heard from again. I suspect the grand chancellor is afraid that if you return to your own time, you'll change history, maybe remove her from power, or even wipe her and Seela from existence."

"That's a rather tenuous assumption if there really are two thousand years between us." Tenuous? Kind of a big word for someone that dropped out of school.

"Not as tenuous as you think. Our illustrious grand chancellor is descended from one of your sisters."

"What was that sister's name?"

"Iderra."

The name met nothing to me, other than it was the name of the city we lived in. "How do I get my memory back?"

"You should try using your powers. They originate in your brain. Using them may help remove the memory blocks the government has built up."

"I don't even know what powers you're talking about."

"You're a seer, which means you have the power to see anybody you want, no matter where they are in the world. You also have the power to let them see you. Or at least an image of you. That's how you contacted me."

"I created an image?"

"Yes."

"Of what?"

"Of yourself."

"And how did I do that?"

"You concentrate on the image you want to create, along with who you want to see it."

"And if I do all of this I'll get my memory back?"

"I can't guarantee it, but it certainly won't hurt to try." I thanked Jonathan for his time and headed for the exit. I was halfway up the basement stairs when he called out. "There is one more thing I think you should know."

"What's that?"

"You mentioned traveling to this time with friends."

"How many friends?"

"I believe you said a couple of friends."

"Where do you think those friends are now?"

"If the government left them alone they might try to find you and help you get your memory back. The only way the government could prevent that is by brainwashing them, making them forget that you exist."

I headed back to my apartment, determined to get some sleep before heading to work. Unfortunately, sleep wouldn't come. I kept thinking about what Jonathan said, about how I had powers, and if I wanted to get my memory back, I was going to have to start using those powers. That's when I remembered the incident with the sword back at the Pink Flamingo. Was my being able to move that sword one of my powers?

Instead of trying to sleep, I sat on the end of my bed and concentrated on Jonathan. I pictured him in my mind, tall and thin with white hair that stuck out every which way, and a bushy white mustache that hid his upper lip. I pictured him sitting in his basement, wearing his white lab coat, his wire rimmed glasses sitting on the end of his long narrow nose. A second later I saw him, working on whatever he had been working on when I talked to him in his basement.

Apparently, he told the truth, at least the part about my having powers. Unfortunately, using these powers didn't seem to help my memory. I still didn't know if I was the historical figure he claimed I was. Nor did I know if I had a couple of friends somewhere in the city. But I might be able to find out.

If the redhead that worked in Special Operations was at the Pink Flamingo to check up on me, like Jonathan thought, chances were pretty good she was checking up on my friends, whoever and wherever they were. Maybe I could use my newfound power to spy on her. Maybe she would lead me to my friends. Whether I would recognize them was a different question.

I switched my concentration from Jonathan Gribben to the redhead. Almost immediately, Jonathan and his basement faded, replaced by an apartment that was considerably larger than mine. The redhead was sleeping. No surprise there, she had been at the Pink Flamingo until closing time.

While she slept, I explored her apartment, floating from room to room like a ghost you couldn't see. Her place looked vaguely familiar, when I looked out the windows, I knew why, it was one of the apartments in the government tower.

I don't know if it was the apartment that jogged my memory, or using my powers, or a combination of the two. But just like that, I remembered spending time in one of those apartments. I remembered there were two girls with me. A tall slender girl of about sixteen, and a brunette that was closer to my age.

I couldn't remember their names, but I remembered that large spartan apartment. I remembered the view of the sea. That gave way to another memory. The sea shouldn't be there. In my time it was a desert.

My time? Yes. My time. Jonathan Gribben was right. I was a time traveler, stranded two thousand years in the future.

Then I remembered the man that transported us to this time. An elderly gentleman with long white hair and a face very much like mine. I couldn't remember his name, but I remembered where he came from, a country called Sorea. A country that no longer existed.

After that the flood gates opened and my memories returned. I remembered my name, Lila Marie Haran. I remembered the names of my two friends, Briel and Martika. I remembered my mother and my sisters and the Princess Wars. I remembered everything, including the fact that I possessed the ability to move through time.

I wondered if I should travel back in time and warn myself that they were going to brainwash us. Could I even do that? Travel back in time and talk to myself? Even if I could, maybe I shouldn't. Traveling through time seemed to cause more problems than it solved. Alltus was right when he said it was a dangerous power, one that shouldn't be used lightly.

Just to be safe, I decided to stay in this time and find Briel and Martika on my own. Which was a simple task. All I had to do was concentrate, picture each of them in my mind.

I decided to start with Martika, so I closed my eyes and pictured her in my mind. A second later, I saw her. She was sleeping in a small room, in a building that was some kind of dormitory. Clearly not military, probably a school.

There was a painting on a easel. It appeared to be blocks in a bowl, yellow blocks, orange blocks, red blocks.

I had my image materialize in her room, dressed like she last remembered me, wearing a black silk shirt that laced down the front, black leather knee breeches, and black riding boots.

Martika was lying on a small bunk, dressed in a blue cotton sleep shift. There was a logo on the breast of her sleep shift. It said, Blunt School of Art.

"We need to talk," my image said. There was a chance that she would report me to the authorities, but I wasn't worried. After all, I was a time walker. They had caught me once, but they wouldn't catch me again.

I had no idea what I was going to say, no idea how I was going to convince her that she wasn't who she thought she was. Turned out I didn't have to say anything.

Martika opened her eyes and looked at my image. "It's about time you got here."

"You know who I am?"

She sat up and slid to the edge of her bed. "Of course I know who you are."

"Who am I?"

"Lila Marie Haran. My time traveling niece."

"You got your memory back."

"It took awhile, but I got it back."

"How?"

"How'd you get yours back?"

"I ran into Jonathan Gribben. He told me who I was and where I had come from. Reminded me about my powers. Once I started using my powers, everything came back. How'd you get your memory back?"

"I was going about my business of being an art student." Martika used her fingers to place quotes around the words art student. "Something kept nagging at me. Telling me that this wasn't right. I suppose the fact that I hated being here, not to mention hated painting pictures, had something to do with it. Slowly but surely, my memories started returning."

"How long have you been here?"

"Two months."

"So, they only spent a month brainwashing you?"

"How long did they brainwash you?"

"I've been in society for a month, which means they spent two months brainwashing me."

"Where have you been for the last month?"

"Working at a men's club called the Pink Flamingo."

"Doing what?"

"I'm a waitress."

Martika grinned. "You actually found a job where you get to keep your clothes on?"

I stuck my tongue out at her.

Martika changed topics. "Have you found Briel?"

"Not yet."

"Why not?"

"Because I haven't looked."

"Why not?"

"Because I just got my memory back."

"Tonight?"

My image nodded. "A few minutes ago."

"How did you find me?"

"Used my powers as a seer."

"Do you know what they did to us?"

I told Martika about the redhead. Her name was Alley Kattim. At least that's what she wrote on the bank note she gave me. When I finished, Martika nodded. "Alley Kattim. I've met her. She's stopped by the school a couple of times, claims she's a recruiter for the Defense Corps."

"She works for Special Operations, a government branch that brainwashes people. Apparently it's her job to check up on us, make sure the brainwashing is holding."

"What happens if they find out the brainwashing hasn't taken?"

"They kill us."

"So, I should continue pretending to be an orphan the government has sent to art school."

My image nodded. "If that's who they told you you are."

"Who are you supposed to be?"

"Nikki Stoop. Single girl, dropout, only child alienated from her mother."

"I'm supposed to be Sandrie Moore. Orphan, promising art student." Martika grinned. "Although if you've seen my paintings, you'd know I'm not that promising."

I looked at the picture on the easel. "You're very good at painting blocks."

"That's supposed to be a bowl of fruit." The smile faded from Martika's face. "Find Briel so we can blow this joint."

"Blow this joint?"

"I'm picking up the local slang."

"I'll let you know when I've found Briel. Until then, play your part."

Martika bowed. "I will be the consummate actress."

I opened my eyes to find myself back in my cracker box sized apartment. I was surprised that Martika already had her memory back although I shouldn't have been. She was a Haran, and like all Harans, extremely strong willed.

Now, I just had to find Briel and hope that she had recovered her memories. Although something told me that I wasn't going to be that lucky.

Chapter 34

By the time I finished talking to Martika, the sun was coming up. I had been up all night and was tired, so I decided to get some sleep before I looked for Briel. When I woke, I washed, dressed, and had a bite to eat. Then I sat on the edge of my bed and pictured Briel in my mind.

A second later, I saw her. She was in a military barracks, a big room with a couple dozen cots. Each cot contained a foot locker. Briel was sitting on a cot in the middle of the room, studying a book. She wore the green leathers of the Defense Corps. Like the all the women in the Defense Corps, her hair was tied back in a tight braid.

Three other girls burst into the dorm, chattering and laughing. One of them, a blond, looked at Briel. "Hey Rowena, anybody ever tell you that you study too much?"

Briel looked up from the book she was reading. "You do, all the time."

"Graduation is next week, why are you still studying?"

"Especially, when you already know the regs by heart," a second girl said.

"We're going into the city," a third girl said. "Why don't you join us."

"As long as you buy the first round of drinks," Briel said. She stowed her book in the locker at the foot of her bed and joined the other three girls. The four of them headed out of the barracks gossiping and laughing.

My presence followed them, floating above and behind them like a ghost. When we got outside, I discovered they were at a military base. To the south, I could see the government tower, rising above the city skyline. That meant their base was somewhere north of the city.

I came to two conclusions watching Briel interact with the other girls. She hadn't recovered her memory, and she was happy. She was laughing and joking with the other three girls like she had never done with Martika and myself.

Instead of trying to talk to her, I let my presence fade. I opened my eyes for a second then closed them. This time I pictured Martika. Once again, I found her in her dorm room, she was working on her picture of colored blocks, what she claimed was a bowl of fruit. She was wearing a school uniform, white knee socks, a pleated dark blue skirt, a white blouse with pearl buttons, and a dark blue sweater with the school crest over the left breast.

"I found Briel," I said, my image appearing beside her.

Martika didn't even jump, she just continued to work on her blocks. "Where?"

"In a military camp north of the city."

Martika stopped what she was doing and looked at me. "She's in the Defense Corps?"

"Graduates from basic training next week."

"Did you talk to her?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"She hasn't got her memory back. She thinks she's somebody named Rowena."

"Why do I sense there's more?" Martika said.

"She seemed happy, happier than she ever was when she was with you and me."

"No memories of her father going crazy and losing the family fortune. No memories of Alexandra rejecting her. Can't say I'm surprised."

"Makes you wonder if we should just leave her here. Where she's happy."

"We should at least talk to her," Martika said. "Tell her that she had another life before this one. Let her decide which life she prefers."

My image nodded. "I'll talk to her, although it probably won't be tonight."

"Why not?"

"She's gone into the city with some friends, I doubt if she'll be alone long enough for me to talk to her. Plus, I've got to go to work."

"How long do we have to maintain these fake personalities?" Martika asked.

"Right up until we leave."

"Which will be after you talk to Briel."

My image nodded. "Which will be after I talk to Briel."

"We'll need a rendezvous point."

I gave her Jonathan Gribben's address. Then I made her memorize it.

"Wouldn't it be easier if I just come to your place?"

"Easy, but not smart. Not when we're being watched. Better to have a neutral rendezvous point."

Martika nodded. "Anything else I need to know?"

"Now that Briel's part of the Defense Corps, there's a chance that she'll report me to Special Ops when I talk to her. That means you have to be ready to leave in an instant."

"Briel wouldn't do that."

"Briel wouldn't do that, but Rowena might. And right now, she thinks that she's Rowena."

Martika nodded. "Let me know when it's time to go and I'm out of here."

I told Martika I would be in touch, then headed off to work. When I got there, Sky called me over to the bar.

"How you doing?" she asked.

"Fine. Why?"

"I hope you ain't digging into your past. Cause that's asking for trouble."

"I decided that you were right. Sometimes the past is better left buried." I didn't think that Sky was a spy, but the government did force her to hire me. For all I knew, she had been ordered to report to them, let them know if I started digging into my past. Just to be safe, I decided to set her mind at ease.

"What made you change your mind?"

"I got to thinking, what if there are things in my past that I don't want to remember. I read somewhere that most criminals led an unhappy childhood. Do I really need to dredge up a bunch of unhappy memories?"

Sky smiled. "I'm glad to see you've come to your senses."

I headed back to the dressing room and changed into my uniform. I had some time before we opened the doors so I decided to check up on Briel. After I finished putting on my makeup, I closed my eyes and pictured Briel in my mind.

I found her and her three friends at a club similar to the Pink Flamingo, except the dancers were men. Briel's friends were having fun, hooting and hollering at the male dancers. Not surprisingly, Briel looked bored. Whoever she thought she was, she still preferred women.

She watched the men for awhile then whispered to the girl on her right. "I think I'm going to find a club that caters more to my tastes."

Her friend nodded. "We'll meet you out front. Say two o'clock?"

"Two o'clock." Briel pushed herself to her feet and headed for the exit.

I figured this was my chance, so I had an image materialize on the street just outside the club. Not my image, but Martika's. I dressed her in black slacks and a black silk jacket that had a pink flamingo on the back.

Briel stepped outside and paused to look around. It was dusk out. The sun having already dropped behind the western horizon. The gaslights that lined both sides of the street were glowing yellow. Steam carriages chugged up and down the packed dirt street, making a racket.

"You looking for a club with female dancers?" my image of Martika said.

Briel looked at Martika but gave no indication that she knew her. "What makes you think that?"

"That's what I say to everybody that walks out of this place looking bored." I had Martika turn her back on Briel. "My aunt owns the Pink Flamingo. You should check it out. Best looking girls in town."

"How far is it from here?"

"Not far." I pointed her in the right direction. "A couple of blocks that way."

Briel pulled out a stick of tobacco and lit it with a wooden match, which she tossed on the ground. That caught me a little off-guard because I had never seen her smoke. I had to remind myself that this girl wasn't Briel. This was some character the Government of Seela created, someone called Rowena.

"Pink Flamingo huh." She took a drag on her tobacco stick and blew the smoke out her nose. "Maybe I'll check it out."

"Tell Nikki that Briel sent you and she'll buy you a free drink."

Briel didn't even blink upon hearing her own name. Clearly it meant nothing to her.

"Who's Nikki?"

"One of the waitresses."

"What's this Nikki look like?"

"Long raven colored hair like mine. Bright green eyes. Pretty face. A little shorter than me."

"Big tits?"

"Poor girl hasn't seen her feet since she hit puberty." I stole that line from the high sage, but why not. It was a good line.

Briel flicked her tobacco stick into the road and headed off in the direction I pointed. "Thanks, kid."

I watched her go, then let Martika's image fade. Seeing Martika hadn't jogged her memory. Hearing her own name hadn't jogged her memory. Maybe seeing me would, but I doubted it. I was going to have to tell her the truth and hope for the best. More likely, we were going to have to leave her behind.

***

Briel wasn't there when the club's doors opened, but the handsomest man I had ever seen was there. He had a square jaw, a strong chin, full lips, a perfectly shaped nose, and the bluest eyes that I had ever seen. Bluer than Sky's. His light brown hair was cropped close to his head. He wore a black suit that emphasized his broad shoulders and narrow waist.

"You don't look like the kind of man that has to pay to see pretty women," I said when he sat in my station.

The man smiled. "All women make you pay, one way or the other. I prefer those that let me know what they want up front."

"That's a rather cynical attitude for someone so young."

"I'm not a cynic, but I am a realist. For instance. I know that after you get off work tonight, we're going to have sex. Hot, sweaty, no strings attached sex."

I smiled. "And why are we going to do that?"

He motioned for me to come closer, so I set my tray down, straddled his lap, and rested my hands on his shoulders.

"Because I can help you get your memories back." He spoke in a voice that only I could hear. "And that's the price I'm going to charge you for restoring your memories."

Somehow, he knew that I had been brainwashed. Maybe he worked for the government and was testing me, to see if I had recovered my memories. Just to be safe, I decided to play dumb. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"I work for an organization that opposes the brainwashing techniques employed by the government. We know how to counter what they've done to you. We can help you get your memories back."

"I'm just a working girl," I said. "I got nothing to do with the government."

"You don't trust me," the man said. "But you can."

"Why?"

"Because I'm a man."

"So?"

"Think about it. Have you ever seen a man working for the Government of Seela?"

When I thought about it, I realized that he was right. I had never seen a man working for the Government of Seela. The Defense Corps was composed of women. When we stayed in the government tower, I never saw a man inside the building. Never saw a man come close to the building.

I leaned forward, so my breasts were inches from the man's face and my mouth was next to his ear. "When I do this for a customer I usually get a tip. A big tip."

The handsome man smiled, pulled out a twenty, folded it, and slipped it into my cleavage. I stepped back and grabbed my tray. "What can I get you?"

"Ale, and think about what I said."

I brought the handsome man his ale and moved on to the next guy. It was D Cup.

"Nikki, your breasts are looking bigger than ever."

He held up a ten so I straddled his lap, rested my hands on his shoulders, and leaned forward. "They feel bigger than ever."

D Cup slipped the ten into my cleavage. "Maybe they're still growing."

"You should be so lucky," I said.

By the time I brought D Cup his ale and returned his payment to Sky, Briel had arrived.

"What can I get you?" I said.

"A girl on the street named Briel told me that if I mentioned her name, you'd buy me a free drink."

"Ale okay?"

"Ale's fine."

I fetched an ale from the bar and paid for it out of my tips.

"You look familiar," Briel said, when I set the ale on her table.

"You ever been here before?"

"No."

"Maybe we met in another life."

"There are times when I feel like I've lived another life."

"Maybe you did lead another life."

"What do you mean?"

"You've heard the stories. About how the government brainwashes people. Maybe you're one of those people."

"Maybe." Briel nodded at D Cup. "What do I have to do to get the kind of service he got?"

"Tip big." I smiled and headed off to take care of another customer.

"You ever heard of a man working for the Government of Seela?" I asked the other two waitresses the next time the three of us were at the bar.

They both gave me the same answer. "No."

"You think the government would use a man as a spy?"

"Doubtful," Anna said. "The government has a long distrust of men."

"I've never heard of the government using a man for anything," Kate said. "Except as a guinea pig."

"Have you given any thought to what I said?" the handsome man asked me the next time I brought him a drink.

"That depends."

"On what?"

"On whether you have another tip for me."

The handsome man smiled and produced another twenty. I straddled his lap, rested my hands on his shoulders, and pushed my crotch in his face. "You see the woman over there in the Defense Corps leathers."

The handsome man glanced at Briel then slid the twenty into the waistband of my shorts. "What about her?"

"She told me there are times when she feels like she's led another life."

"That's a classic symptom of brainwashing."

"Could you restore her memories?"

"If she's been brainwashed."

"If you can restore her memories. I'll give you anything you want."

"Let me get this straight. You want us to kidnap her and restore her memories?"

"Yes."

"Why?" He finished slipping the twenty into the waistband of my shorts, reached behind me, and grabbed my bottom.

"My reasons don't concern you."

"What can you tell me about her?" The handsome man stroked my bottom with both hands, up and down, over and over. I'd be lying if I said that his touch didn't affect me.

"She prefers girls to guys."

The handsome man laughed. "Don't we all."

A short while later the handsome man left. Then Briel disappeared. Then the handsome man was back, holding up another twenty.

"Show me your ass," he said.

I turned my back on him, straddled his lap, and rested my hands on his knees, pushing my bottom in his face. He used his right hand to work the twenty into the back pocket of my shorts. He used his left hand to caress my other cheek. "Your friend is being taken care of."

"How long will it take?" His touch was light, teasing. It sent a shiver of arousal through my body.

The handsome man laughed. "Not nearly as long as it's going to take you to pay me for this little favor."

"She's supposed to meet some friends at two o'clock."

"By that time they may no longer be her friends."

"You can restore her memories that fast?"

"Restoring memories is easier than implanting false memories. We have a drug that counteracts the drug the government gave her. Once injected, it only takes a couple of hours for the chemical blocks to break down and your memories to return."

"Did she go with you willingly or did you have to kidnap her?"

"She went willingly, but not with me."

"You had a girl talk to her?"

"A very pretty girl. Although not as pretty as you." He smacked my bottom. I spun around, shook a finger at him, and moved on to the next customer.

A couple hours later Briel was back. I brought her a mug of ale and set it on her table.

"I never caught your name," I said.

"You know my name, Lila."

"You got your memories back?"

"Thanks to your friends. Where'd you find them?"

"I didn't. They found me."

"When are we going to blow this time?"

"After I pay off a debt to the handsome gentleman over there."

Briel glanced at the handsome man. "How's Martika?"

"She's fine."

"She has her memory back?"

"She does."

"Where is she?"

"In an art school."

"She any good as an artist?"

"No."

"What do I do until it's time to leave?"

"What you've been doing. Play the part of Rowena."

"You'll let me know when it's time to go?"

"I'll let you know."

Briel left just before closing time, probably to join up with her friends from the Defense Corps, or maybe I should say, Rowena's friends from the Defense Corps. Not surprisingly, the handsome man was still there. Waiting to collect what I owed him.

Chapter 35

When I stepped out of the dressing room wearing my street clothes, there was no one left in the club but Sky and the handsome man. The handsome man had moved to the middle of the bar and was talking to Sky.

As I approached them, I had a vision. Martika and I were standing in front of a wall. We were blindfolded and our hands were tied behind our backs. Six members of the Defense Corps were standing in a line pointing weapons at us. Among them was Briel. They fired the weapons at us. Our bodies shook, blood started running out of our chests, and we collapsed to the ground.

It was pretty clear what the vision meant. The handsome man lied to me. He did work for the government, which meant Briel lied to me too. She didn't have her memories back. Someone must've coached her, told her what to say to me.

The handsome man was here to test me, find out if I had my memory back. When I asked him to restore Briel's memory, I let him know, I let the government know, that I had my memory back. Not only did I let them know I had my memory back, I told Briel that Martika had recovered her memory.

I was mad, mad at myself for being stupid enough to fall for a pretty face, mad at the handsome man for lying to me.

I glared at the handsome man, noticed the red scrap of cloth he had around his neck, what the men of this era called a tie. I imagined my hands holding the ends of the tie. Then I imagined myself pulling them tighter and tighter, as tight as I could. A second later, I felt the cloth in my hands, even though it wasn't there. A second after that, the tie tightened around the man's neck, causing his face to turn red. The man began to gasp for air. He tried to loosen the tie, but it did no good. My power was too strong.

As he thrashed about on the bar stool, trying in vain to loosen his tie, I walked up to him and whispered in his ear. "I am Lila Marie Haran, Baroness of Haran, Duchess of Laamatt, Heir to the throne of Sorea, First Consummate of Landish, Queen of Vassa, Queen of Dunre, and Queen of Adah. Your historians refer to me as Lila the Great. And I am the last woman you will ever deceive."

I used my power to tighten the tie as tight as I could, then I stood there and watched as the air left his lungs and the blood left his brain. I watched as he collapsed to the floor. I watched as he died.

Sky leaned over the bar and looked down at him. "What's the matter with him?"

"I think he choked himself with his tie."

"To death?"

"Kind of looks like it."

"How in blazes does a man choke himself to death with a tie?"

"Guess he pulled it too tight and then passed out before he could undo it." I turned and headed for the exit.

"What am I supposed to do with this body?" Sky asked.

"Toss it out with the trash."

***

Once outside, I headed straight for Jonathan Gribben's house. It was just after two in the morning and the streets were quiet. Occasionally, you could hear the chugging of a steam carriage, but that was it.

While I walked, I pictured Martika in my mind. A second later I saw her, in her room, sleeping.

"Martika wake up," my image said. "Now."

Martika opened her eyes and looked at my image.

"It's time," I said.

"Briel has her memory back?"

"No."

"Then it's not time." She rolled over, turning her back on me.

"The government knows we have our memories back. You need to head for the rendezvous point. Now!"

Martika scrambled out of bed and slipped out of her sleep shift. "How did they find out?"

"A man showed up at the club tonight claiming he worked for an organization that could restore my memory. When Briel showed up I asked him if he could restore her memory. He said he could and would. He left the club. Briel left the club. Then Briel reappeared claiming she had recovered her memory, but she was lying."

Martika grabbed the pile of clothes on the floor next to her bed and slipped into them as quickly as she could. "How do you know that she was lying?"

"I just had a vision of the two of us being executed. Briel was one of our executioners."

"Crap and double crap," Martika said. "Why couldn't she have just gotten her memory back like we did?"

It was a rhetorical question so I didn't bother to answer. When Martika finished dressing, I changed my image to that of a blond haired girl in a school uniform identical to Martika's. Then I moved my image into the hallway to make sure the coast was clear. It was. I followed Martika into the hallway, down the stairs, and outside.

"Do you remember the address for our rendezvous point?" I asked, when she was safely away from campus. She recited the address to me just to prove she remembered it. "Get there as fast as you can. I'll be waiting for you in the roof garden."

I let my image fade and looked around. I had reached Jonathan Gribben's house. I entered his yard and took the staircase on the right hand side of his house. The one that led to his roof.

The garden on his roof was surprisingly neat, with the potted flowers and bushes alive and healthy. There were several wooden benches between the plants so I sat on one and closed my eyes.

This time I pictured Briel. A second later, I saw her. She was back on base, but she wasn't in the barracks sleeping. She was in an office, talking to Alley Kattim, the redhead that checked up on me.

"So, they both have their memories back?" Alley Kattim said.

Briel nodded. "Apparently."

"And they believe that you're one of them?"

"I played along, just like you instructed."

"Then they don't know that we're on to them."

"No."

Alley Kattim smiled. "Excellent. We can take them at our leisure."

"What are you going to do with them?"

"What we do with all fractures."

"Fractures?"

"It's what we call people whose memory wipes don't hold."

"So what do you do with fractures?"

"The only thing we can do, we execute them." Alley Kattim smiled at Briel. "Why don't you get some sleep. You've earned it."

Briel left Alley's office and headed back to her barracks. As she walked, I had my image materialize alongside of her, dressed exactly like she was, in the green leathers and tight braid of the Defense Corps.

"You just signed the death warrants of two people you used to call friends," my image said. "I hope you're proud of yourself."

Briel jumped to the side. "Where did you come from?"

I ignored her question and pointed to her left hand. "You see that ring on your finger?"

Briel looked at the ring. It was the one I gave her. The one that identified me as a member of the royal family of Adah. I was kind of surprised that the government hadn't removed it. Perhaps they figured it was of no consequence. Perhaps they didn't notice it. "What about it?"

"Where did you get it?"

Briel looked at the ring. "I . . . I don't remember."

"That's because they washed those memories from your brain. The truth is I gave it to you. So people would know that I considered you to be a member of my family." Briel didn't respond, she just studied the ring. "Martika and I are returning to our own time. Tonight. You can stay here, pretend to be Rowena, and hope that your memory never comes back. Or you can rendezvous with us and become Briel again. The choice is yours."

"What . . . what kind of a life did I have?"

"I won't lie to you. You've forgotten as many bad memories as you have good memories. But it was your life, not a lie the Government of Seela made up and put into your head."

"How do I know you're not the one that's lying?"

My image smiled. "You know the truth. Deep inside. It gnaws at you, over and over, day and night. It always says the same thing. Something isn't right. Something isn't right." I gave Briel our rendezvous point. "If you're coming with us, you must leave right now. We can't wait until morning. You know that."

"How do you know I won't turn you in?" Briel asked.

"If anyone shows up that isn't you, I'll kill them. I have the power. Your head may not know that, but your heart does."

I let my image fade and opened my eyes. Martika wasn't there so I used the time to find a handful of pebbles in the flower pots. I dropped all those pebble in my pants pocket except one. I tossed that pebble into the air then used my power to move small objects to send it flying at an empty flower pot at the far end of the roof. The pebble took off, moving faster than I could ever hope to throw it. It hit the flower pot right in the center, shattering the clay pot into a hundred pieces. Had that pot been a person's head. That person would be dead.

Martika arrived at Jonathan Gribben's house about fifteen minutes after I finished talking to Briel. She hurried up the exterior staircase and gave me a hug. "It's good to see you."

I returned her hug. "It's good to see you."

The smile faded from Martika's face. "So, we're leaving Briel behind?"

"I just finished talking to her, told her where we were meeting. I don't know if she'll come or not."

"You gave her this address?" a surprised Martika said.

"Yes."

"But she doesn't have her memory back."

"No."

"She could report us to the authorities."

"I told her if anyone showed up that wasn't her, I would kill them."

Martika looked at me. "With what? You don't even have your sword."

I pulled another pebble out of my pocket and tossed it into the air. Then I used my power to send it flying toward another empty flower pot. It hit the clay pot and shattered it into a hundred pieces, making such a loud pop that Martika jumped.

"You've been so nice to me," Martika said. "That I forget how powerful you are."

I moved to a bench that overlooked the front street and sat. Martika joined me and we sat in silence, waiting to see if Briel would join us or betray us.

For the longest time nothing happened. Seconds seemed like minutes. Minutes seemed like hours. Then we heard it, a steam carriage was chugging up the street, headed in our direction.

"She turned us in," Martika said, leaping to her feet.

I rose to my feet and grabbed a fistful of pebbles out of my pocket. Six to be exact. A few seconds later that carriage rolled to a stop in front of Jonathan Gribben's house. The three girls Briel went clubbing with were on the steam carriage with her.

While they jumped off the carriage, I dropped three of the pebbles back in my pocket. I didn't need six pebbles to kill three girls. I tossed the three pebbles still in my hand into the air, then I used my power to suspend them there.

While I did that, Briel said something to her three friends. Then she hugged each of them. When she finished hugging them she headed toward Jonathan Gribben's house. Her three friends remained by the steam carriage. They appeared to be unarmed.

Briel found the stairway leading to the roof and headed on up. While Martika moved to intercept her, I remained where I was, watching her three friends, keeping the three pebbles suspended in the air. In case I had to use them.

When Briel reached the roof, Martika hugged her. "I didn't think you were coming."

Briel didn't return the hug, but she didn't push Martika away either. "I'm sorry, but I don't remember you."

"Why are your friends here?" I said, keeping one eye on Briel and the other on her three friends by the steam carriage.

"They're my friends. They're worried about me," Briel said.

"I told you to come alone."

"I tried, but when I grabbed my knapsack and gear out of my foot locker they woke up and asked where I was going."

"What did you tell them?"

"I told them that I didn't belong here. In this time."

Martika laughed. "And they thought you were crazy."

"Actually, they thought that I was drunk. Then I told them what you told me."

"They didn't report this to their commanding officer?"

Briel shook her head. "They just requisitioned a steam carriage and drove me here. They figured I'd need a lift back to the base when you turned out to be some crazy woman."

I walked over to Briel and Martika, the three pebbles moved with me, floating in front of me. "We need to be on the ground."

I headed down the stairs. The pebbles moved in front of me. Martika and Briel followed behind me. When we reached the ground, I held out my hand. Martika took it.

"We need to hold hands," Martika said, offering her free hand to Briel.

Briel took Martika's hand. I let the three pebbles fall to the ground. Then I shifted my attention to moving through time, to the day that Sester transported me into the past.

Lightening began to snap and crackle around us. As the lightening grew in intensity, Briel's friends, who were standing by the steam carriage watching us, began to fade. As we picked up speed, the changes happened faster and faster. Eventually the houses began to disappear as the city grew smaller and smaller.

When the city was nothing more than a village of bamboo huts, things began to slow down and the ball of energy surrounding us began to fade. The buildings stabilized. The lightening stopped, and everything grew quiet.

"Where are we?" Briel said, noticing that she was no longer in the city of Iderra.

Martika smiled. "A better question would be when are we."

"You were just transported through time," I said. "Approximately two thousand years into the past."

"The land of Seela no longer exits," Martika said. "You are now in the country of Landish, during the reign of Lila the Great."

"Nobody refers to me as Lila the Great," I said. "And I'd appreciate it if the two of you didn't."

"How about Lila the Pretty Good? Lila the Okay? Lila the Mediocre?" Martika grinned, a mischievous grin. "I know. Lila the Shameless."

I stuck my tongue out and headed off. Martika and Briel fell in behind me.

"Where are we going?" Briel asked.

"Find out what year it is."

"It's the middle of the night," Martika said. "We'll have to wake somebody up."

"Then we'll wake somebody up."

Chapter 36

We headed for the stable. It was the biggest building in the village so it was easy to find. Plus it had a fenced off corral with half a dozen horses.

The guy that ran the stable lived in a bamboo hut next to it. I found a stick on the ground and used it to wake the guy up by pounding on his hut. The man that came to the door was short and stocky. He wore black silk balloon pants and a yellow silk vest that didn't close. His belly was so big it flopped over the waistband of his pants. Like most of the men of Landish, his face was covered with a thick black beard and his head was shaved. He leaned against the door frame of his house and squinted at us, still half asleep.

"Do you speak the Common Tongue?" I said.

The man nodded. "What can I do for you ladies?"

"You can tell us the day and the year."

He told us the day and the year using the Landish calendar. It was the same day, the same year, that I first traveled back in time. Except that it was the middle of the night.

"Can you tell me who the current high sage is?"

"There is no high sage. We are currently being run by one of his wives. The first consummate."

"Lila Marie Haran?" Martika said.

"Yes," the man said. "That is it. I have never met her, but they say that she is a great leader. For a woman."

I looked at Martika and smiled. "We're home. And I trust you noticed that he used the word great."

"Yeah, I think I'm going to stick with Lila the Shameless."

When I realized that I might have to leave Seela at a moment's notice, I took some of my bank notes to the banks that issued them and exchanged them for gold pieces. Then I made it a habit of carrying the gold with me. It wasn't a lot of gold, certainly not as much as we had before the Government of Seela brainwashed us and stole our belongings, but it was enough to buy three horses.

We saddled the horses and headed west, following the road to Istansada City.

"Where are we going?" Briel asked.

"To the palace in Istansada City," Martika said. "Lila is queen."

"First consummate," I said. "Landish doesn't have a queen."

"What's the difference?"

"The first consummate doesn't get to sit on the high sage's throne. She sits on her own throne, which is carved to look like the head of a female lion. Her throne sits next to the high sage's throne which remains empty until she has a son that comes of age."

"What's the purpose of the empty throne?" Briel asked.

"To remind her that she is not a man, that she is not the high sage."

"Tell me something about myself," Briel said. "Tell me how we met."

We told Briel what we knew about her life. We told her how we met. We told her about our adventures together. We told her how we ended up in Seela and why they brainwashed us. By the time we reached Istansada City she knew everything about herself that we knew.

Istansada City seemed dark compared to the city of Iderra and the gaslights that lined its streets. We worked our way to the palace, which occupied the highest hill in the city. A couple of years ago, Jarvo burned the palace to keep the Army of Dunre from occupying it. The sandstone and marble building never collapsed but the inside was scorched and required extensive cleaning and repainting. The good news was the building had been restored to its former glory and you couldn't even tell that it had been gutted.

We reached the palace gates only to be stopped by the red and black clad guards. The guards stepped in front of us, their hands on their scimitars.

"State your business," the guard on the right said.

I drew my horse forward, so I was in the light of the torches that burned on both sides of the open gate. "I am Lila Marie Haran, Baroness of Haran, Duchess of Laamatt, Heir to the throne of Sorea, Queen of Vassa, Queen of Dunre, Queen of Adah, and First Consummate of Landish."

The two guards removed their hands from their scimitars and bowed. The one on the right spoke. "I'm sorry, Your Highness. I wasn't told to expect your arrival."

"That's okay. I didn't have time to let Jarvo know that I would be in town."

The guards stepped aside. I set my horse into a comfortable trot following the cobblestone road that led to the palace's front doors. Out of the corner of my eye I could see a guard on top of the wall waving a torch in one hand and a flag in the other. A black flag with a red lion, a female lion. Their way of signaling the palace, letting them know that the first consummate had arrived.

When we reached the palace's front doors, a fleet of people were waiting, including Jarvo and Thalis. Jarvo was still skinny. Thalis was still fat and clean shaven. Jarvo's beard was gray instead of black and there were crow's feet around his and Thalis's eyes, otherwise they looked the same, dressed in their black silk robes with red sashes around their waists.

"Your Highness," Jarvo said, as I dismounted. "This is a pleasant surprise."

"No one told us you were coming," Thalis added.

"I told you I was coming," I said, addressing Thalis. "Thirty-three years ago. The day you and I went down to the docks and bought some girls off a Poshtan prison ship."

"So that girl really was you," Thalis said.

"It was me."

"Shouldn't Alltus be with you?" Jarvo said.

"He had another spell, while we were traveling through time. I'm not sure where he is right now. Somewhere in the far far future. Him and Vardina."

Jarvo's brow furrowed. "Vardina?"

"The shimmy dancer that was in love with him."

Jarvo nodded. "How did you get back to this time if Alltus didn't bring you?"

"Turns out Lila's a time walker," Martika said. "She brought us here herself."

Some stable boys took our horses and led them to the stables.

"Have we met?" Jarvo asked Martika.

"Thirty-three years ago," Martika said. "You were a lot younger then."

Jarvo nodded. "I remember. You're the girl that posed as Lila's sister."

"I'm actually her aunt." Martika looked around. "Is Lila really in charge?"

"She is."

We headed inside, me, Briel, Martika, Jarvo, Thalis, the guards, and the servants that had been waiting at the door. There was a party going on inside the great hall. No surprise there. It had been going on for over a year. Since we finished restoring the palace to its previous splendor.

It was about four in the morning, so it wasn't really much of a party. The locals had all gone home for the night. Some folk from out of town were sleeping right here in the great hall, tucked against the exterior wall with silk pillows under their heads.

I noticed that the shimmy dancers were different from the last time I was here. There were no local girls dancing, no short girls with curly black hair and olive complexions. The shimmy dancers were all tall and pale. Some had blond hair, some had brown hair, some had red hair. All of them were well endowed.

"What happened to all the local dancers?"

"We haven't used local girls as dancers since . . . . " Thalis's voice trailed off and a look of recognition crossed his face. "The girl you brought in to replace you, the one known as Tick, took over for Marvelle as the high sage's dance instructor. Instead of hiring local girls, she buys girls off the Poshtan prison ships."

"Sounds like the high sage didn't miss me."

"He missed you," Jarvo said. "We all did. Tick was an excellent dancer, but she wasn't you. She lacked your . . . enthusiasm."

"Enthusiasm," Martika snorted. "Sounds like a polite word for shamelessness."

I grinned at Martika. "Blame your sister. Mother told us if we were going to do something, we should give it our all."

Thalis smiled. "While you're here. Perhaps you can favor us with another performance."

"Would that be appropriate?" I asked. "A first consummate shimmy dancing?"

The grin on Thalis's face widened and he spread his arms. "This is Landish. Everything is appropriate."

"You are known as the first consummate," Jarvo added. "Not the first virgin."

"Is Tick still here?" I asked Thalis.

"She is," Thalis said. "Do you want to see her?"

"No. We only met for a few hours. It's not like she'll remember me." I turned to Jarvo. "Give me a brief history on how I came to power, as well as the current state of the world."

I needed to find out if anything was different beside the dancing girls. From what Jarvo told me, everything in this part of the world was exactly as it should be. The King of Dunre killed the last high sage, Miship Boxx, in battle. I killed the King of Dunre, thereby taking control of both countries. Iderra was serving as my regent in Vassa. Salisha was serving as my regent in Dunre. Jarvo was my regent here.

Briel and Martika were given suites of their own. I was escorted to the high sage's suite. Now the first consummate's suite. It consisted of a sitting room full of colorful silk pillows of various sizes. The dining room where I table danced. A bedroom with a round bed that was so big it filled the entire room. A dressing room. An office. A private throne room. And a room for sword fighting. These rooms were all round and circled a private courtyard full of palms and flowers. In the middle of the courtyard was a pool. Like the rooms, the pool was round.

I dumped my knapsack in the dressing room, peeled off my clothes, and headed for the pool, anxious to wash the dust off me. There would've been serving girls around to wait on me if I wanted them, but everybody knew that I preferred to take care of myself. When you're queen, you rarely get time alone and you learn to take it when and where you can get it.

Unfortunately, that alone time didn't last long. I had just climbed into the pool when Briel and Martika appeared.

"How come you get a garden with a pool?" Martika asked.

"Because I'm first consummate."

"What kind of a title is that anyway?" Briel asked.

"Exactly what it sounds like. I was the first of the high sage's wives to sleep with him. The first to consummate her marriage to him. Actually, the only one to consummate her marriage to him."

"Which means?"

"Which means I was the high sage's favorite."

"And that entitles you to rule?"

"In this country your status as a woman has little to do with yourself and everything to do with the men around you. How you relate to them. How they relate to you. How important they are or were."

"How long are we going to be here?" Martika asked.

"A few days. Then we'll head down river, check in with Iderra in Vassa, and Salisha in Dunre." I looked at Briel. "How's your memory. Anything seem familiar?"

Briel shook her head. "Not so far."

"Do you want to go back?"

"Go back?"

"To Seela, to your friends in the Defense Corps? I can take you."

"Of course she doesn't want to go back," Martika said. "We're not just friends, we're family. You gave her your ring. That makes her family."

I could tell that part of Briel did want to go back, the part the Government of Seela created, the part that called itself Rowena.

Briel looked at her hand. The gold ring I gave her was still on it. She stared at it. "I . . . remember this. I remember you giving it to me. We were on horseback. You tossed it to me."

I nodded. "That's right. I did."

Martika grinned. "The first block has been removed. Now it's just a matter of time before the rest fall."

"How long will it take me to get all my memories back?" Briel asked.

"It took me a couple of weeks," Martika said. "The first week, I'd get maybe one memory a day. The second week they came faster, two or three memories the first day, then three or four, then four or five."

Briel looked at me. "How long did it take you to get your memories back?"

"After I got the first?" Briel nodded. I answered. "A few minutes."

"Her brain works different from yours and mine," Martika said. "Because of her powers. Your recovery will be more like mine."

"You mean they'll come back slowly."

Martika looked at me. "It's a shame we can't take her back to Gibney. I bet if she saw a House of Saleen Pleasure Palace, or even better, Alexandra, her memory would come back right away."

"Because I spent so much time working there?" Briel said.

"And because you were in love with Alexandra," Martika said.

"We can't take her to Gibney," I said. "But we can bring part of Gibney here."

I pictured Alexandra in my mind. Tall and thin, with platinum hair cut short, dressed in black boots, black silk breeches, and a long sleeved green silk shirt. I pictured her with her belt made out of silver pieces and a big belt buckle that spelled the word SALEEN.

Alexandra's image appeared next to Briel and Martika. At first it was transparent, like a ghost. Then it seemed to solidify, until it looked as real as the rest of us. Of course it wasn't, it was just a projection created by my mind.

Briel circled Alexandra's image. She even tried to touch it. Of course she couldn't. Her hand passed right through the image.

"Are you doing this?" Briel asked me.

"Yes."

"Does she look familiar?" Martika said.

"I . . . I know her. That's Alexandra. My boss."

Martika grinned. "Show her some more images."

I did. I showed her all three of the Saleen sisters. I showed her Bedonna's father, Bartholomew Tadmore. I told her about the run-in we had with him. I showed her Petros Nikos. I showed her Arlee, who took over her job. I showed her the uniforms we wore when we worked for Alexandra. That's when the damn finally broke.

"Oh god!" Briel said. "I remember."

"What?" Martika said.

"Working for Alexandra. Telling her how I felt about her. Thinking the two of you were crazy when you told me who you were."

"And?" An excited Martika said.

"And that's it."

"It's a start," I said. And it was.

Chapter 37

Once Briel got her memories back, we boarded a royal longboat and headed down river to Vassa.

"Tell us about Vassa," Martika said.

We were standing on the longboat's deck, leaning over the bow's rail. It was a warm summer day and the sun was high in the sky. A couple of red and black clad Landish sailors worked the longboat's lone sail. Another worked the tiller. The rest sat on rowing benches, relaxing and watching for river pirates. We were headed downstream, and in no hurry, so there was no need to row.

"It's different from Landish," I said. "It's one of five small countries known as the Finger States. Unlike Landish, where it's against the law for a woman to learn how to read and write, the women of Vassa are encouraged to read and write."

"Why?" Briel asked.

"So they can read the writings of the prophets of the One God."

"They worship just one god in Vassa?" Martika said.

"Vassa, Dunre, Standish, and the other Finger States."

"What do they think of the people of Landish and their multiple gods?"

"They consider the people of Landish to be uncivilized heathens." I paused to smile. "However, that doesn't stop their men from visiting the palace in Istansada City, so they can enjoy the shimmy dancers."

"Men are men," Briel said.

"They sound pretty conservative," Martika said.

"When it comes to sex they are. When it comes to women's rights, they're very progressive."

"What do they think of you?" Briel said. "And the fact that you're not just their queen, but you're also the First Consummate of Landish."

"They consider the people that live on the other side of the desert to be barbarians. Because I'm a barbarian, they make allowances for my eccentricities. They also think I'm someone their prophets wrote about years ago, someone called Destiny's Queen, someone who would defeat the Dark King and usher in an age of peace and prosperity. What they call the Age of Destiny."

Martika's eyes widened in surprise. "They think you're some kind of holy figure?"

"Not a holy figure. A prophetic figure. There's a difference."

"Are you this prophetic figure?" Briel asked. "This Destiny's Queen?"

I shrugged my shoulders. "Only the One God himself can answer that question."

"So we have to be on our best behavior," Martika said.

"You're a princess. The people of Vassa will expect you to behave like one."

"A snobby spoiled princess or a gracious and elegant princess?"

"A gracious, elegant, and tactful princess."

"I can do that. Won't be easy. Won't enjoy it. But I can do it." Martika grinned. "I'm much better at playing the spoiled tactless princess."

"Which you can do when we get to Dunre. They're a little more laid back than the people of Vassa."

"What about me?" Briel said.

"You have to play the part of an elegant and tactful lady of the court."

***

My sister, Iderra, was waiting for us when we docked in Vassa's capital city of Ranetown. A contingent of the queen's guard was also there, dressed in their polished black riding boots, with white cotton breeches and red jackets over white shirts. Most of the men were tall, with long hair which they pulled back in ponytails. Each man wore a broadsword on his hip.

Iderra wore a gown made from several layers of chiffon. It contained a high collar, belled sleeves, and a belled skirt. The main body of the gown was bright yellow, with the hem and sleeves turning bright orange. Iderra's chestnut colored hair was back to shoulder length. She had cut it following our mother's death in order to change her appearance, help disguise herself. She was as tall and as skinny as ever, with big doe eyes, high cheekbones, and a nose that was a bit too long for her face. Her eyes held none of the malice I saw in the eyes of her lookalike, Risa Buzan.

The captain of the longboat, and six turban clad sailors armed with scimitars accompanied us down the gangplank. When we reached the dock, Captain Conkling Eades, a tall man with long blond hair and a neatly trimmed blond beard stepped forward.

"The defense of the First Consummate of Landish is now in your hands," the captain of the longboat said.

"We will defend the Queen of Vassa with our last breath," Conkling Eades said.

The ship's captain bowed, turned, and headed back up the gangplank. The six sailors with him followed suit. A second member of the queen's guard stepped forward. In his hands was a red velvet pillow. On the pillow sat the Crown of Vassa. A silver headband with seven peaks.

"Your crown, Your Highness," Conkling Eades said.

I took the crown off the pillow and placed it on my head.

"The Queen of Vassa has returned," Conkling Eades announced in a loud voice. "All hail the queen."

"All hail the queen," the other guards shouted.

With the formalities complete, Iderra stepped forward. She wore the Heir's Crown. A silver headband with a lone peak in the front. She wrapped her arms around me, and said, "Good to see you, Mouse."

"Good to see you, Idy." I returned her hug, then turned to Martika, who stood on my right. "May I present her Royal Highness, the Princess Martika Louise Haran. Martika, this is my sister, and your niece, the Princess Iderra Derbe Haran."

Martika curtsied, even though she was dressed similar to me, wearing black riding boots, black leather breeches, and a long sleeved silk shirt. The only difference was her shirt was orange instead of red.

"Martika Louise Haran," Iderra said, "died the same day our grandmother died. In the eleventh round of the Princess Wars."

"I'm aware of that," I said.

Iderra looked at me. "You changed history?"

I shook my head. "Everyone still believes Martika died on the first day of the eleventh quest. All I did was give a sixteen year old girl a chance to grow old."

Iderra turned to Martika. "Never thought I'd meet one of my aunts."

"Never thought one of my sister's kids would show up and transport me through time," Martika said.

Iderra turned back to me. "What are you going to do with her?"

"I thought I'd leave her with Salisha."

"Excuse me?" Martika said.

"Why Salisha?" Iderra asked.

"Martika's not an intellectual like you. I think she'll enjoy living with Salisha more than she'll enjoy living here. Plus, Salisha needs her."

Martika looked at Briel. "Did she just call me stupid?"

I looked at Martika. "Compared to Iderra, we're all stupid. Including me."

"Why can't I go back to Adah?"

"Same reason Iderra and Salisha can't go back. People there think you're dead. If they find out you're not, they may decide to take matters into their own hands and kill you. You know as well as I do that there are people in Adah that like the traditions and don't want to see them changed."

"So you and Briel are going to abandon me in this Dunre place."

"Briel's going to stay in Dunre with you. I'm going to appoint her royal exchequer."

"What if I don't like this Dunre place?"

"I think you'll be comfortable there. You'll get to live in a castle, plus their capital city looks a lot like Nadal. A lot of white granite buildings built on a bay."

"Who's Briel?" Iderra asked.

I turned to Briel. "May I present the Lady Briel Evano. Like us, she hails from Adah."

Briel curtsied. She was dressed exactly like Martika and myself, except her shirt was emerald green.

"Another person in the wrong time?" Iderra said.

"Not anymore. Now, she's exactly where she should be. Where she needs to be."

"If you're appointing her royal exchequer, she must be good with money."

"Briel's a first class businesswoman. She'll make Salisha's life a lot easier."

Iderra grinned. "Your collection of strays continues to grow. First you saved me. Then Salisha. Now these two."

I shrugged my shoulders. "You know me, I have a weakness for strays. Always have."

There was a carriage waiting for us. It was white with a red leather interior. A team of four white horses pulled it. Iderra and I took one seat. Briel and Martika took the one that faced us.

"Did you know she was going to abandon us in this Dunre place?" Martika asked Briel.

We were heading down river, toward the palace. Moving at a pace slow enough for the queen's guard to keep up.

"She's not abandoning us," Briel said. "She's leaving us in a place where she thinks we'll be safe, happy, and useful."

"I'm always on the go," I said, "dividing my time between four countries."

"We've been on the go the past few months," Martika said. "I've enjoyed it."

"I don't think it's safe for you to go back to Adah, anymore than it's safe for Iderra and Salisha. Plus I need you guys in Dunre. Salisha's never been good with money. I need someone there who can tell me where all the money is going. The people of Dunre spent thirty years being overtaxed by an evil king. I don't want to have to raise their taxes after just lowering them."

"That explains why you need Briel there," Martika said. "Why do you need me there?"

"Salisha nearly died in the twelfth round of the Princess Wars. Since then she's been a different person. Dark and brooding and not the least bit flirtatious. I need someone there who can lighten the mood at court, make it a happy place, a fun place. People have been complaining that the mood at court is worse than it was when Maximilian Bedard was king."

"That I can do." Martika smiled. "I specialize in fun."

"Who are you going to tell people that Martika is?" Iderra asked.

"I'll introduce her as our little sister. It's easier than trying to explain how my aunt is seven years younger than me."

"Plus, I'm used to it," Martika said. "She's been telling everyone I'm her little sister for months."

I looked at Briel. Then at Martika. "Are you two okay with this?"

"I'm just glad I can be useful," Briel said.

"We'll miss you not being around," Martika said. "But if you think I can be useful there, then I guess I'm okay with it."

"I'll be around," I said. I had an image of myself materialize on the other side of Iderra. Then I had her speak. "Remember, I can pop in any time I feel like it."

"Sort of," Martika said, running a hand through my image.

"There is one more thing you should know," I said, addressing Martika.

"What's that?"

"Salisha is the spitting image of our mother, your sister, Bella."

"Except for a couple of scars on her face," Iderra said.

I nodded in agreement. "Except for a couple of scars on her face."

"How'd she get the scars?"

"Our oldest sister, Bedonna, gave them to her in a sword fight."

"I take it Salisha won the fight," Martika said.

"Actually she lost."

"Then how did she survive?" Briel asked.

"I was using my powers to watch the fight. I yelled when Bedonna went to plunge her sword into Salisha's heart. My yell distracted Bedonna and she missed Salisha's heart. The guards working for Bedonna didn't have the guts to tell her that Salisha was still alive, so they tossed her in the dungeon with the other political prisoners. Fortunately for Salisha, her cell mate turned out to be an army doctor skilled in healing sword wounds."

"And he nursed her back to health," Iderra said, finishing the story for me. "Lila then defeated Bedonna, found Salisha locked in the dungeon, and sent her out here."

"But it's been a struggle," I said. "She's not the person she was before the Princess Wars."

"Which isn't entirely a bad thing," Iderra said. "Salisha was extremely self-centered."

"She's gone from being a person who thought the world revolved around her, to a person who thinks she doesn't belong in this world. I thought making her regent and heir to the throne of Dunre would bring her out of her depression, but it hasn't."

"You want us to convince her that she deserves to be alive?" Briel asked.

"I want the two of you to treat her exactly like you've treated me."

Martika grinned. "So we can make her our bitch?"

Iderra laughed. Then nodded at Martika. "Salisha is going to kill you for leaving this one with her."

"I hope so," I said. "I hope so."

Chapter 38

I stayed in Vassa for a month and Dunre for a second month. Then it was time for me to set sail. I needed to return to Adah, let everyone know that I was back. I also needed to deal with the people that forced Sester to abandon me thirty-three years in the past. Namely Emperia Leon.

"When will you be back?" Martika asked me.

We were standing on the dock, at the gangplank that led to the Queen Catlett, a three masted corsair designed by my sister Iderra.

"It will take me a month to sail around the continent and reach Nadal. I'll be there for about a month, then it will take me another month to sail back. So I'll be gone for at least three months."

Briel looked at me. "This is your life?"

"This is my life," I said. "A month here. A month there. A month sailing between places."

"What are you going to do about Sester and the people that forced her to abandon you in the past?" Salisha asked.

"I don't know. I'll just have to play it by ear."

With that said I gave everyone a hug and boarded my ship. It was time to go home. Although with Iderra, Salisha, Briel and Martika, on this side of the desert, the country where I was born and raised was looking less and less like home, and more and more like someplace that I had to be, not someplace that I wanted to be.

***

It took a month to sail from Dunre to Adah's southern port of Nadal. I spent a good portion of the journey sword fighting with my guards, a skill I had neglected over the past few months.

We dropped anchor in Nadal's thumb shaped bay early in the morning. The sun was still low in the eastern sky, promising a warm day. There was no one waiting to welcome me home, so I headed to the palace on foot, my twelve Vassan guards accompanying me.

There were two green and gray clad guards manning the palace's front doors. They drew their broadswords when they saw the red and white clad soldiers approaching. They lowered their swords when they saw me at the head of the small company.

"Your Highness," One of the Adan guards said. "I didn't know you had left the palace."

"Are you new here?" I didn't recognize the man, which wasn't unusual. There were two hundred guards around the palace. They rotated in from the army just before they completed their tour of duty. It was a way of rewarding them for their service to their country, as well as trying to get them to reenlist.

"Just arrived last week, Your Majesty."

"Then you wouldn't know that I've been gone for three months."

"But . . . " the man's voice trailed off. He looked like he wanted to disagree with me then thought better of it.

"But what?" I said.

"Nothing, Your Majesty."

"No, no, it's definitely something. Tell me what you were going to say."

"I saw you yesterday, Your Majesty."

I don't know who he saw but it wasn't me. "Where did you see me?"

"Walking around the palace, talking to your regent, Patera LaCere."

I turned to the other soldier guarding the front door. "What about you? Did you see me yesterday?"

The second soldier shook his head. "No, Your Majesty. But I did see you the day before."

"You saw me two days ago?"

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"Where?"

"You were in the throne room, sitting on your throne."

I could dismiss one guy thinking he saw me walking around the palace, but not two. Something was definitely amiss.

I turned to Conkling Eades, captain of my Vassan guards, and switched to the Common Tongue, even though Captain Eades could speak Adan. "Something is definitely up."

"Sounds like someone is pretending to be you," Captain Eades said.

"It does, doesn't it."

"You have any idea who it might be?"

"My cousin, Calista. I'm told that she looks just like me. Plus, we're about the same age."

I turned back to the two guards manning the doors. "If what you say is true then there is a pretender in this palace, claiming to be me."

"A pretender?" the first Adan guard said.

"Probably my cousin, Calista. I'm told that she could be my double."

The second Adan stepped forward. "How do we know you're not the pretender?"

"An intelligent man can always tell the real thing from a fake," Captain Eades said, switching to Adan. "But you're obviously not an intelligent man."

The Adan grabbed his broadsword and drew it out of its scabbard. Captain Eades responded by drawing his sword.

I stepped between the two men and held up my hands. "Put the swords away boys." The two men sheathed their swords, albeit reluctantly. I looked at Captain Eades. "These two just rotated in from the army, seeing how I've been gone for over three months, odds are they've never met the real me."

I turned to the two Adans. "Although my cousin looks and sounds just like me there are differences. First off, I am my mother's daughter. Which means I possess a couple of attributes that my cousin doesn't." I glanced at my chest, so they would know what I was talking about. Both men smiled. "Secondly, she doesn't speak the Common Tongue, which is the language I was just speaking to Captain Eades. Third, she doesn't possess the ability to move objects without touching them."

I held out my hand. The sword the guard had just put away flew out of its sheath and into my hand. I pointed the sword at the guard's chest. He would've retreated a couple of steps but his back was already against the door. "Lastly, I doubt if she is skilled enough to kill you in a sword fight. I am." I used my power to drop the sword back in the guard's sheath. "Now, step aside and let us into the palace."

The two guards didn't hesitate. They just opened the doors and stepped aside. I headed into the palace with Captain Eades beside me and his men following behind us.

Captain Eades smiled, which prompted me to ask the obvious. "What are you grinning about?"

"You throw your weight around so seldom, it's kind of fun when you do."

"Sounds like you're going to enjoy the next few minutes."

The smile on Captain Eades's face widened. "I suspect I am."

We passed through the hall of queens, which was a long hallway constructed entirely of white marble. In the middle of the hallway was a line of twelve larger than life statues. Adah's twelve legendary queens.

The last statue was of my mother. As usual, I stopped to pay my respects. On the base of the statue was her name, Bella Justine Haran. Beneath that were the thirty years she reigned. Beneath that was her nickname, Bella the Beloved.

To the left and right were alcoves with half sized statues, Adah's lesser queens, princesses that had briefly occupied the throne before being deposed by one of the twelve. The last alcove contained a statue of my sister Bedonna, who sat on the throne for a full year before I took it from her. The half sized statue didn't do her justice. Bedonna was a big strong girl. Bigger and stronger than most men. Not that you could tell that from a statue that only came up to your waist.

"Your mother and sister?" Captain Eades said, when I paused to study the two statues.

"Yes."

"Your mother was the spitting image of your sister, Salisha."

"Yes, she was."

"Your sister appears to have been quite muscular."

"She was also tall."

"How tall?"

"As tall as you." That was saying something since Conkling Eades towered over most people. The top of my head barely reached his chin.

I turned and headed into the great hall. A male servant dressed in green and gray was passing by. I stepped in front of him, forcing him to stop.

"I understand a pretender is here, claiming to be me. Where can I find her?"

The servant pointed over his shoulder, in the direction of the throne room. I headed in that direction, with Captain Eades walking beside me and his men walking behind us, side by side.

"Do you want us to try and capture this impostor?" Captain Eades asked. He was speaking the Common Tongue rather than Adan, probably so no one would know what we were talking about.

"Better not. Her mother's a time walker, which means she could be a time walker. If you touch a time walker, she can transport you into the future or the past and abandon you there."

I found Calista in the throne room, sitting on my throne at the far end of the room. Patera, stood on her right. Vomeir and Bokham, my two most ardent guards, stood on her left. Six green and gray clad Adans lined the wall on my right. Six red and white clad Vassans lined the wall on my left. Six purple and black clad Dunreans lined the back wall. These eighteen men made up the queen's guard. There were no soldiers from Landish in the queen's guard. Mostly because they didn't care what happened to me. After all, I was just a woman.

Calista wore a gown made out of green velvet. It had a belled skirt, belled sleeves and a high neckline. The Emerald Crown, a silver crown embedded with emeralds graced her head.

If Sester looked like an older version of me, then Calista was a dead ringer for me. Same green eyes, same long black hair, same sharp chin, same turned up nose. The only difference was our breasts. I took after my mother and she obviously took after her mother.

I was surprised Patera, Vomeir, and Bokham hadn't noticed the difference. After all, they were men. Weren't men supposed to notice stuff like that? My advisers back in Landish, Jarvo and Thalis would have noticed. Well, at least Thalis would have noticed.

Three people stood in front of Calista, facing her. Based on their wraparound knee length skirts, sleeveless vests that left their waists bare, and large hats that looked like inverted volcanoes, they were obviously from Sorea. Two of the Soreans were men and carried short swords. Probably guards. The third was an older woman. Probably Emperia Leon, head of the National Council of Elders, and the woman behind the plot to steal my throne. A plot that would've worked if I hadn't found my way back to my own time.

"Hate to break up the party, kids, but mama's home, and whether you like it or not, playtime is over."

Calista rose to her feet and looked at me. "Who are you and why are you here?"

Damn. She even sounded like me.

"My name is Lila Marie Haran. Baroness of Haran. Duchess of Laamatt. First Consummate of Landish. Queen of Vassa. Queen of Dunre. Queen of Adah. And I'm here to take back my throne."

"You've memorized my titles," Calista said. "But you forgot one. Heir to the throne of Sorea."

"I wish I could forget that one," I said. "I assumed my father was the only bad apple on the family tree, now I'm beginning to think that every apple on that tree is bad."

"It seems we have an unexpected problem," Patera said. "Two Lilas."

"One Lila," Calista said. "One fraud."

"Question is how do we tell which is which?" Vomeir said.

Bokham nodded at Conkling Eades. "We could start with Captain Eades. Ask him why he believes the woman he's with is Lila."

Patera looked at Conkling Eades. "Care to elaborate, Captain?"

"The woman I defend has spent time with her sisters. They recognized her, accepted her as their sister. If anyone is in a position to know the real Lila, it would be them. Sisters share secrets no fraud would know about. Plus, she knew who everyone was on the other side of the desert. Not just at the palace in Vassa, but at the castle in Dunre as well. I doubt if the fraud you have been serving could identify me, let alone tell me when and how the two of us met."

Everyone looked at Calista, then waited to see what she would say. She hesitated, then spoke. "Don't be silly. Of course I know who you are. You're Captain Eades. A member of the Queen of Vassa's royal guard."

She heard Bokham call him Captain Eades, so it was easy to figure out how she knew that. He wore the same uniform as Bokham, which told her where he was from.

"What's my first name?" Captain Eades said. "And how did we meet?"

When Calista didn't answer, Captain Eades turned to me. I answered. "Your first name is Conkling. We met when Edgerton kidnapped me. You and Bokham accompanied him on the sand ship that took you to this side of the desert. But you didn't go back with us. The ship would only hold five people so you remained behind, worked your way to Nadal, and booked passage on a Gibbean merchant ship headed to Standish. Vomeir, Patera, and several others accompanied you."

Calista obviously knew about Adah and the people that surrounded me here, but she didn't know about the people that surrounded me on the other side of the desert. Of course, she never expected me to show up and force her to prove who she was.

It was at this point in time I expected everyone surrounding Calista to turn on her. But they didn't. Only Bokham spoke up for me. "I believe Captain Eades is with the real Lila."

"He could've told her that story," Vomeir said, coming to Calista's defense.

"Why would I do that?" Captain Eades said.

"Perhaps she has promised you more power if you help her steal Lila's thrones."

Captain Eades and Vomeir started arguing over who was telling the truth and who was trying to steal the throne. I didn't listen to their argument. I was too busy trying to figure out why Vomeir would be so ardent in his defense of a fraud. What had she done in the three months I was gone to earn his loyalty? To earn Patera's loyalty? Then it hit me. She was sleeping with them. Both of them.

"There's an easy way to tell which one is the real Lila and which is the fake," Patera said.

"And that is?" Vomeir said.

"We let them fight it out with swords. The real Lila can beat anybody in a sword fight. You know it. I know it. Everybody knows it."

"Fine by me," I said, drawing my cutlass.

Vomeir drew his broadsword and offered it to Calista. The fact that she wasn't wearing a cutlass should've tipped them off that she was a fake. Maybe she was so good in bed, they didn't care.

Calista took the broadsword and discovered that it was too heavy to hold with one hand. She grabbed the hilt with both hands and raised the sword in front of her. The way she held the sword, as well as the look on her face, made it clear that she had never touched a sword in her life. No surprise there. The few days I spent inside Sorea, I never saw a woman with a sword, never saw a single woman in their army.

Calista looked at me, standing there with my cutlass in my right hand and my left hand behind my back. Then she looked at Vomeir, Bokham, and Patera, her eyes pleading for help. Vomeir and Bokham lowered their heads refusing to look her in the eyes. Patera spoke, but it probably wasn't what she wanted to hear.

"I'm afraid we can't help you, dear. She is our queen." Patera looked at me. "She's not a bad girl, Lila. She's just in over her head. If you want to punish someone, punish the person who made her do this, punish the person behind the plot to steal your throne."

So, he had known she was a fake all along. Can't say I was surprised. I also didn't need to ask why he went along with the ruse. I didn't call Patera, Dirty Old Man, for nothing. He nodded in the direction of the woman standing at the foot of the dais. The one in Sorean garb, Emperia Leon.

"Fair enough," I said. "Calista, give the sword to Emperia."

Emperia Leon was an older woman. Her skirt, vest, and hat were made out of dark blue silk. She wore her long gray hair in a single braid that fell to the middle of her back. She was tall and thin with a long narrow face and a long narrow nose. Her black eyes were full of malice and a touch of fear.

When Calista didn't give the sword to Emperia, I used my powers to pull it out of her hands. The sword floated through the air, stopping in front of Emperia. The hilt was pointing down, the blade was pointing up.

"You want my throne," I said to Emperia. "Here's your chance. Kill me and you can put anybody you want on it."

Emperia looked to her two guards for help. They put their hands on their short swords, but were prevented from drawing them by Captain Eades's men, who grabbed the two guards and pulled them out of the way.

Emperia looked at the sword floating in front of her, but didn't take it. "I don't know what you're talking about. I'm here on a diplomatic mission."

"Having Sester abandon me in the past while Calista took my throne wasn't your idea?"

"Of course not." Emperia looked at Calista. "Like everyone else in the room, I thought this girl was you."

"Liar," Calista said. "She forced my mother to abandon you in the past by threatening to destroy our clan. Just like she forced me to come here and pretend to be you."

Emperia glared at Calista. "Shut up, girl."

I changed the position of the sword floating in front of Emperia, so the tip of the blade was pointed at her chest.

"My palace, my rules," I said. "And I want to hear what she has to say."

"Everybody in our clan doesn't have powers," Calista said. "Emperia arrested those that don't have powers. She threatened to kill them if Gano, my mother, and I didn't go along with her plan to get rid of you and take your throne."

"Whose idea was it to have you sleep with these two?" I pointed at Patera and Vomeir, mostly because I wanted them to know that I knew what had been going on.

"Emperia ordered me to sleep with your regent. You don't think I'd sleep with someone as old as him if I didn't have to."

Several of the guards behind me snickered and I found myself suppressing a grin.

An indignant Patera looked at Calista. "Don't tell me you didn't enjoy it, kiddo. Those cries you were making weren't because you were in pain."

Calista blushed, something fierce. While she did that, I turned to Captain Eades and nodded at Emperia. "Arrest her."

A couple of Captain Eades's men stepped forward and grabbed Emperia by the arms. She tried to free herself from the two soldiers that flanked her, but failed. "You have no authority over me. I'm not one of your subjects."

"I have authority over anyone that tries to steal one of my thrones."

"How did you get back to this time?"

"I'd like to say that Alltus brought me here, but he sort of overshot the mark by about two thousand years."

"Alltus is still alive?" That news surprised Emperia.

"He was, thirty-three years ago, but he suffered one of his spells while transporting me through time. I'm not sure where he is now, or if he's still alive."

"So how did you get back to this time?"

"I met a man that convinced me that I had the power to move myself through time. Turns out that he was right."

"So, you're a time walker as well as a seer?"

"I'm afraid so."

"Just what we didn't need. You were already too powerful."

I smiled. "Ironic isn't it. You try to get rid of me because you think I'm too powerful, and I come back even more powerful than before."

"I demand that you let me go," Emperia said.

"Attempting to usurp the throne is a crime here in Adah. As such you will be treated as a criminal." I turned to the Adan guards lining the wall. "Take the woman and her guards to the dungeon. Tell the jailer they should be treated as common criminals."

Two Adan guards took Emperia from Captain Eades's men and led her out of the room. Four more Adans took her two guards from Captain Eades's men and followed. When Emperia and her guards were gone, I used my power to return Vomeir's sword to him. As he slid it back into its sheath, I turned to Calista. "I need my crown."

Calista stepped off the dais, removed the emerald crown from her head, and handed it to me. "Thank you for not killing me, Your Majesty."

I placed the crown on my head then stepped onto the dais and reclaimed my throne. "Go home, cousin. Inform the people that arrested your clan that Emperia Leon is in my dungeon. Tell them if they don't release your clan, I will consider our two countries to be at war and will use every power at my disposal, every resource at my disposal, to ensure an outcome favorable to myself and my clan."

Calista curtsied and headed toward the exit, but not without glancing back at Vomeir. She had slept with Patera because she was told to, but had slept with Vomeir because she liked him. That prompted me to turn to him. "Perhaps you should accompany her to the border, Captain. To make sure she reaches it safely."

Vomeir bowed and hurried after Calista. It was pretty clear that he liked her as much as she liked him. Not that I had a problem with that. She was a good looking girl.

#  BOOKS BY J. D. ROGERS

Love in the Rough

### Low Campbell Adventures

Dirty Little Mermaids

Deadly Little Mermaids

Deranged Little Mermaids

#

# Princess Wars Series

Princess Wars

Destiny's Queen

Lost In Time

The Competition

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

J. D. grew up in a house where women were in charge of everything, which may explain his preference for strong female characters. He studied history and law in college and uses that knowledge to help build the worlds he creates. J. D. makes his home in Montana.

You can check out all his books, including what will be released next at:

<http://www.jdrogersfiction.simplesite.com/> or <http://www.jdrogersnovels.simplesite.com/>

