Ted had called the cops at just 4 years old, and this act had saved his mother's and sister's lives. Ted's dad, a crack-pusher, had gone to state pris...n on enough counts to keep him there until Gotterdammerung. Ted had become the de facto 2nd parent of his kid sister, Tricia, by the time he was in middle school.Now, Ted was living in an apartment on his own. He was having a casual, friends with benefits, relationship with his partner, Isabel, with whom department rules forbade a long-term. There's a DA's office in L.A. where you could prosecute to your heart's content."She took a deep breath, but then she took the plunge."Cliff, I don't mean this as an excuse for my behavior, but somehow what I wanted never mattered. We'd marry after college and you would go to law school while I worked. Then you'd start to work and I would get my teaching degree. That done, we'd go back to Clearwater. Cliff, hard as I try to remember, you never asked me if this was what I wanted. Of course I. “Suppliers of Imperial bodyguards and trainers of close protection teams,” I replied, missing out the other bits Kilios got up to, such as espionage, AI hacking and sabotage.“They sound very professional if they are protecting Amantil.”“They are. They also protect Princess Royal Jessin, Emir Grigo and, I think, Hegemon Nild as well as Voice of Truth Aramissa.”“Isn’t that a little odd, one company protecting the Heads of State in differing Realms?”“Part of their contracts means they will not. . expressive silks adorn wives and concubines. The understated magnificence of Ming must be seen to understand.Mr. Kwan impressed me ... the maître d’hôtel seated ... yes seated like a king or potentate ready to bless or curse the supplicants ... those peasants waiting to be noticed. Seated behind a massive walnut desk, he terrified rich men hoping to be seated without reservation.The maître d’hôtel terrified me. He had the MOM look to perfection. In a glance, he cataloged my person to the.