As Monique was lead away to the maid’s quarters she heard le Comte send for Anne de Breuil. De Breuil? This will make things easier, I must speak wi...h Agnan’s father. By the time Monique arrived at her temporary home she’d learned Senior Comte had taken to his bed with gout and no one is permitted to see him. I will wake until everyone has retired. Monique sat on the floor in the warm sun beam coming from the small window and cleared her mind… ‘Bernard…’ As the full moon raised in the starry. Brenda was right. It’s hard to act normal when you know you’re being listened to. We had a quiet toast to our recent wedding vows and hit the sack. It was a shame, but I apologized to the girls for letting work ruin New Year’s and promised them I’d make it up to them. They smiled and nodded, kissed me, then each other and held hands over my chest as we went to sleep.The Director opted to have the devices removed. They were able to trace the big one back to a State Department ordered. “Will Trenoc relocate?” Elloson enquired.“We believe so,” Vangis answered. “Currently we’re one decimated world left of what once were sixteen. Even if we were to remain, we’d be vulnerable to planetary raiders from other Realms as well as claim jumpers to our worlds. We’re still going over what it would mean to become Imperial citizens, but it does not appear to be a major lifestyle change.”“The Florven Technocracy would be interested in your worlds and equipment and willing to purchase the. “Could you give me a second?” I said as I fish a cigarette out of my purse. “I…literally cannot do this without a cig. I mean, stress relief is one thing, but like…I have the worst oral fixation, and like…” I looked down at my boot heels for a second. The chill in the air cut right through my stockings. There was a bulge in the front of my skirt. “Okay, let’s do this.” He just stood there, his mouth and big brown eyes gaping. So I pitched the smoke, shoved him against McDonald's and rammed my.