After shutting down the search I took up the letter again, reading it over and over. Finally I put the letter back in its envelope and put it away in ...y safe. I went out to the living room and called Akiro’s cell phone. When he answered I told him what was going on with the Order and that he and Keio would be staying behind to help defend the Villa if I was not back. He protested and tried to insist on coming with us, but I finally ordered him to remain behind and he quietened with a few. As I walked past the row of inner offices, I could almost feel necksstraining and eyes gazing upon me, trying to get a look of me in myskirted suit. I just chose to walk slowly and lady like to the officewhere I worked. I knew the attention was part of the gig, but I didn'twant to encourage it. I got to the door of my office and looked at it. It wasn't very ladylike at all. It was clean and tidy from yesterday, but actually genericand boring. It was painted a faded yellow, with a poster on one. Water off a duck's back and allthat. Or a slut's bottom in my case ..."I turned to Charlie. "Speaking of Joanna - or John I mean - where isyour brother? I was rather hoping to catch up with him while I was intown." Oh, he's tied up at the moment," answered the blonde dominatrix with aslight smile. "But he said to tell you he'll see you later. He, um,often hangs around here." She ignored Tessa's sudden coughing fit andglanced at the clock. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got a clientcoming in a. The aliens had watched in an apparent mix of awe and just a touch of fear as the giant heavy-lift shuttle, this one much larger than the transport shuttle some of them had seen earlier, had gracefully come in and landed. Pilot had retrieved a number of items Ship had manufactured and sent down, but none of them seemed to impress the alien council. A vibra-knife that could effortlessly cut through a tree or a stone practically made them yawn. A food processing unit that could take just about any.