”“And what happens now?”Lucas spoke with authority; “We will take different routes to the office each day, and for the girls to their destinat...ons – work, shopping, friends, and so on. Marshall will continue to drive but I will ride shotgun, or if it’s the ladies, Marcia or Geck will go. The war wagons will continue to provide coverage as well, and we’ve added an extra man in each car so there’ll be four men per car.”“What about at the girl’s offices and the gallery?” I really meant that remark. The hallway was large, dominated by a huge fireplace. The sitting room we went into was small and intimate – small, that is, by the house’s standards – with soft chairs and a French window overlooking a large garden with a swimming pool. Greta slumped into a chair and shouted to Eva to bring us a cool drink – you may guess what it was. I felt as if I were in a decadent play. ‘We will go to bed now, maybe even sleep a little, but perhaps not.’ She smiled. ‘In my profession we tend to sleep. " Shoesies?" The baby-talk annoyed me a bit. It had been a long timesince I'd seen Aunt Marie, but couldn't she tell I wasn't a little kidany more?"Yes, shoesies." Aunt Marie smiled as she slipped her hands under myarms and lifted me up onto the bed. "Don't you remember? They were inthe little box that came with your dress." After searching around myroom, she picked up a small box from between a pair of the stuffedanimals lined up across the top of my dresser. "Here we go. Okay, letsget them. Hhaaahhhh... … y-yes... Highness,“ panted the girl.„Stop!“ ordered the Princess.The haunches stopped. Myron groaned and his head drooped momentarily. He was sweat with effort. The hand went up again, the birch began to slash down again. For Myron, pain once more began tp outweigh pleasure.Flavia wanted to close her eyes, but dare not. The familiar sickness of horror filled her. What monster these people were! Truly barbarians, as their name implied. Revelling in cruelty for it's own sake.„Why.