She heard nothing, saw nothing, said nothing. She benefitted from her position and used it to obtain favours, some of them sexual, all of them monetar.... Annie continued to make dresses for the French women who could afford it. Now many of them came from Vichy and were wives of politicians or French mistresses of German officers. The war had brought her a totally new set of customers. She worked alone and rarely took time. Fire burst as the blade cut into the hard metallic back of the fire troll. The creature screamed, throwing his head back. The warrior it had been trying to cook alive scurried out from beneath his glowing metal shield. He thrust his sword into the creature’s belly as Zak hacked the troll’s stubby legs. The creature fell with a clang to the ground and burst into blue flame. A blast of cold air almost made Zak fall back. He shielded himself with his forearm and looked up. Remuel soared over his. I wrote to her and invited her to an interview session for the next week, then I set about creating a set in the new premises. I put together two sets, a bedroom and a lounge, I also brought a box full of toys in case it got that far. The day arrived and I was putting the finishing touches to the sets when there was a timid knock. I answered the door and found Lucy smiling nervously on the door- step. “Hello, Mr Cousins?” “Yes. Dave, call me Dave.” She shook hands. Indeed, tonight would be another magical event. As they walked, Astareached out her mind to Viktoria and let her know about the energybuild up. She was feeling it too but they both agreed they knew how tocontrol its power.Hanna led them through the main part of the Palace to a room that hadbeen converted for the day into a beauty war room. Everything theyneeded, including their gowns were all there and ready. The women werehanded glasses of sparkling wine and the "fun", as Hanna called.