"Melancthe was feeling slightly sick with nerves, but she followed the old man as he walked at some pace through the winding corridors of the tower. H...r burgoning magic powers and sharp wits were the only thing that could possily lift her life out of the horrors of peasantry. She had no wish to spend the rest of her days plowing the fields or bringing up children for shepherds! Kohorn had an awful reputation, but as the King's Enchanter he was also the most powerful and influential of his. How he hated having to dress so formally as a little boy and then alwaysbeing cuddled and kissed by a succession of aunts and bridesmaids andmothers-of-the-bride. And yet the more he reflected on it nowadays, herecalled the satin frocks, the rustling taffeta petticoats, lushlipstick and perfume that seemed to immerse him on such occasions andhow once, when a particularly large and distant aunt had picked him upand whisked him off to a small private room at a function, swathing inher pink satin. "Christ, Charlie, you scared the shit out of me!"Even though she couldn't see his features clearly in the darkness, the way his obese frame filled the small door told her who it was. She felt her skin start to crawl just at the sight of the fat man."Had to take a crap," he told her in his usual crude manner. He stepped down from the doorway and almost fell flat on his face. Righting himself he cursed. "Damn, your pa should put a step there! You could fall and bust your ass!"She wanted to end. After all, this wasn’t a normal in-law situation at all. Carrie’s husband, Courtney’s son Hank, was also the brother of Moon Moskowitz-Williams, who just happened to be the wife of Carrie’s son Doc. Then again, they were in a group and communal marriage, and lately, they had all taken plenty of chances to service the locals as well. Secret “sacramental” rites were held at the newly renamed Haven Community Tabernacle of Mercer County, too, and these consisted of orgies in most cases, which was.