She knew she was more intelligent than most people in the Duchy, so why should she settle for spending her life taking orders? Shouldn’t she lead in...tead of follow? It was galling to think that, as an elder among the Followers, she could have led, regardless of the fact she was a woman. That option no longer was available.Jadranka walked by the local cathedral and noticed a Priestess administering blessings and leading a group of worshippers dressed in black prayer robes. She hadn’t given much. I dared not tell Kristi these were the awful reflections I had, againgiven she was 9 weeks pregnant herself.Things just seemed so despairingly desperate.It was true what I told her. I had completely lost my purpose forbeing. Primarily as a result of the events of today, but partlybecause of what had already transpired. Still, trying to heed herwords I began to speculate what the future did in fact hold for menow!I grasped at the potential positives.I could continue nursing, which was my. " Today, I want to go over the accounts receivable. I don't want to be carrying a lot of uncollectible paper on our books from now on. I thought we could go through them on an account by account basis, and you could tell me what is real and what isn't."Gene opened his top desk drawer and handed me a sheaf of paper. He'd already anticipated my request. Of the approximately seven million dollars I'd thought of as bad debt, he'd confirmed a little over six million as such. We went over the other. .I'm kinda stuck. Can you go get help or something?" came her muffled voice.I shook my head in disbelief. Only a busty brick-head blonde like Emma could have managed to get herself stuck in a fucking window in plywood house obstacle at a paintball place.I walked around the far side of the building and through the only other entrance which was a hole in the plywood shaped like a door. There was Emma, completely stuck with her arms pinned to her sides by the window. I walked up to her prone head.