”I had to ask. “Please excuse my curiosity, but why so little?”It’s enough to cover what I owe and I need the money now. In a couple of months...my teacher’s retirement and social security kick in. Without any payments to make, I’ll be set for life.” She paused for a bit. “If I try to sell her for the appraised value she’ll just sit on the market and I’ll be kicked out of my home.” She looked sad. “I’m too old to keep a boat like this repaired and live on her.”I noticed that her accent cleared. Lord Maeda is said to have some Ainu blood in him, but I have my doubts that it would be allowed and he doesn’t look anything like one of the Ainu. In any event, he has some backers down in the capital of Edo because they know that they need him. We are on the most northerly island and not all that far from Russia. Lord Maeda holds the place as the northern bastion of Japan. There are islands even farther north which the Japanese claim as theirs, but there are already some large groups of. Bad, but I'll likely not live long enough to regret it!" Rowan thought to himself, as he lifted himself up further on the creatures broad back, so that he actually soon stood on top of the Daemon's shoulders. With a prayer to Árfæsliss, the Goddess of Mercy, and Gléagerád, the God of Wisdom and Fools on his lips, he wrapped both of his mighty hands around the terrible black glowing horn on its forehead.The pain from merely touching the horn was unimaginable, like red hot skewers going into. I stopped right behind her, dropped the cooler, and nonchalantly set my hands just above her hips. I lightly pressed my thumbs against the small of her back and wrapped my fingers around the sides of her waist. She arched her back so that her shoulders came to rest against my chest. I set my lips on her sun-warmed shoulder and softly kissed my way toward her neck. "Mmm," she purred, as I gave her waist a squeeze and pulled her toward me, until I could feel her butt pressing firmly against my.