"How long have you been a slave?" Two months, master. I was enslaved for insulting a Roman official."That was the story Melanthe had been told to use....arcus shook his head. "You stupid woman! You deserved the penalty. Youshould have realized that Romans hold the power and are not to betrifled with." Yes, master." Where are you from?" Marcus asked. "This area?" I am from this city, master." Can you read or write?" Marcus asked."Yes, master, I can read our Ceradol language here. I understand. "I trust you," she whispered."Not so fast. I just meant about driving." He grinned. He was having fun.Elaine returned to the present with a rush. "I..." Just relax. Take a few deep, head-clearing breaths."Elaine did. She started to feel better just as the waitress returned. "Will there be anything else, Sir? Miss?" Elaine shook her head, her eyes flicking to Gary's momentarily."Everything is fine," he said. "Thank you." I'll be back to check on you soon." With that the waitress disappeared. They are in the front of an office building as she againenters through a rear window, carefully checks the empty room, thenappears in the office as if she had dropped out of the sky. "It is timeto pay for your crimes. Do we do this the easy, or the hard way?" Theychoose the hard way, with much the same result as with others. Powergirl handles him first, with some difficulty. Making it more difficultis the woman, as although she is in a tight skirt and high heels,attacks Power Girl as she is. Given that I was her only closest kin here, it was decided that she would be staying with me till she finished her studies in a few years time before making plans for her future.As she stood by one of the open windows in the high rise apartment overseeing the sea, staring off into the distance, watching the clouds drift lazily in the sky dyed red by the setting Sun beyond the horizon. She was so enraptured with the beauty of the scenery and absorbed in her own thoughts that she failed to notice.