A vile and vile man. The ugliest one I've ever met. He paced around the office, now and then throwing glances in my direction. His hand waved and dropped.

I chuckled softly. The undisguised fury in his eyes was not frightening. The gut is thin to touch me! But the desire to put me in my place, to make me obedient, has not been eradicated for years. If he had a little more opportunity, freedom in this right, if the hands of this nasty aristocrat were untied, he would not have spared me for escaping.

But even aristocrats must reckon with the great solars and moons. Obliged to respect them....