By the way, how's she coping at school?" Fine, the headmistress didn't have a problem. With the exception of thosewho know her, no one at the school i... aware. My sister-in-law, atranssexual herself, got her a gaff to wear under her panties. It hashelped a lot, especially for swimming." She goes swimming? If she can get away there, she's practically safe,"admitted Dr. Anderson."Well, with her friends sticking to her like glue, she is," said Anne."Sorry to call you out any way, seeing as you come. It felt like the fleas of a thousand dogs had set up camp down there," Brandon grumbled with a scowl."Well, maybe it will remind you to think before you speak that way to a woman next time," Danica said with a condescending smile.A look of regret crossed Brandon's face. "I'm sorry," he said with a sincerity that caused both women to raise their eyebrows in surprise. "I've been a squire, then a soldier all my life. I guess I never really learned how to behave around women, at least not.... With Alejandra alternately looking interested or bored or embarrassed, Mme Natalia methodically took me through my family history.She put all of the security clearance interviewers I’d ever had to shame. Ethnic background, who were my grandparents, what kind of work did my grandparents, all four of them, do, what about my parents. How many brothers and sisters did I have (one of the former and two of the latter, if it matters).“So, Michael, you must be pretty popular with the girls, no?”Her. ”“That may be true, but it doesn’t answer my question,” I said.“This competition is for the next higher seat,” he said. “We don’t live forever. We’re not perfect either. When a higher position of Leadership becomes available, someone from a lower rank is chosen to fill it.”I nodded. “Then only the most ambitious and potentially ruthless end up at the top.”“Ambitious, yeah,” he said with a shrug. “Ruthless, not always.”I shook my head. “And you said the Guilds didn’t agree with the Council for.