The payola payments provided access to the most beautiful and talented courtesans available.He had learned that over two years ago, a fungus had been ...iscovered in the equatorial rain forests that ringed the planet below. The fungus was relatively rare and it contained something that was virtually priceless - amitia.Until the fungus find, amitia was only ever extracted from one other plant: a rare orchid on a sweltering hell-hole of a planet that fought tooth and nail the efforts to harvest the. " I know that, Mistress," said Amanda, exasperation creeping into her voice. "That's why I didn't say anything about it."Amanda actually suspected that Lanno was not acting out a fantasy or a fetish. If it had been a case of that, she would not be so anxious about it. Instead, she worried that there was something more to his motivations.It all came back to that infernal Draught. Ever since the Conclave, she had felt burdened by the responsibility of keeping that secret for Roquan. The fact that. I had never noticed itbefore, but it was quite sexy the way she did it. Dad noticed me firstand asked me why I was staring at mum. "Oh I'm sorry I'm a littletired."Mark sprang into action "We've done an awful lot today I'm notsurprised he's tired out. Still next weekend we can pursue our questfor a summer camp a little more leisurely since it is a bank holiday,that's if it's OK with you and Paul doesn't mind spending anotherweekend with me." I'm sure he will love it won't you Sweetie." Where. Just wonderful." She leaned down and kissed me softly on the lips, one hand stroking my cheek. I wiped the tears from her cheeks with the backs of my fingers, and she lifted her lips from mine. "Thank you, so much." Glad I could help."Izzy patted me on the chest gently, kissed me again, then got up, collected her nightgown, unlocked the door and left.I looked over at the nightstand where my alarm clock sat. It was 8:47.Why, you might be wondering, didn't anyone hear us and come running to.