I had to tack back and forth across the league wide river before finally slowing and drifting to the small dock. I pulled the lodestone staff out of t...e water and climbed out. I tied the bag to my waist as I walked through the streets that climbed the ridge.I looked at the two men outside my door but did not slow. One growled when he saw me and the other turned to block me. I stopped and looked at him, "you have a problem?"He fingered the hilt of his dagger, "Stephen is inside searching for the. Thomas felt guilty watching him, even his gaze seemed intrusive on the beautiful seductive stillness of the other boy.On the other side of the curtain of the willow leaves Thomas hesitated. He didn't want to go there, but he longed to feel those hands fluttering over his skin. The thought turned him on so much under his clothes. He was about to leave, to try and forget the events of the past two days over the weekend, but to no avail. Sera looked up at him before he could move and Thomas was. Then he was hauled back on to the deck where he lay like a stranded fish.“Her Ladyship likes the sweat and stink washed off them,” said a voice.“Naturally,” came another.The boot into his side again. “Get up, pig meat.”Landor forced himself up. After four months of varying kinds of degrading servitude, he had become somewhat used to this kind of treatment. What worried him, however, was whether he could survive the galleys. He was a strong man, but even he had his limits. “Move!”Landor walked. Inside the book store I was passing was a face that I thoughtI recognized, just for a brief second! But when I looked it was gone! Ithought it was a man's face, maybe one of my neighbors, but I neverreally saw it. Maybe it wasn't really there at all? Shrugging, carefulnot to meet anyone's gaze directly, I continued walking.I didn't like to confront or be confronted by people outside the office.You just couldn't trust people! Linda says I watch too much news, saysthey dramatize it for viewers.