"I got asked who did it. They guessed it was you anyway. And there was no need to try and drown me." It was an accident," Rhea answered loftily with r...lled eyes. "I told you before it was an accident. I just tripped and accidentally pushed you." You had me in a head-lock before throwing me in to the pond," exclaimed Simon. "And then held my head under the water." Zoe and I looked at each other apologetically."Is this really worth fighting over?" I asked Rhea and she nodded."I want an apology. She was glad that her husband, Arthur, had insisted she take the opportunity when it was presented.Arthur had repeatedly assured her that she would not regret it. Already last night, snug in her bed at the Minneapolis hotel that was hosting most of the seminars, she had told him when she called home to Duluth how right he had been."Excuse me, ma'am."Somewhere the short phrase had registered with her, but aware that she didn't know anyone in this city, she assumed the words weren't intended for. No questions asked. As soon as that thought settled into Melissa’s brain she felt one of those hands press against the small of her back, guiding her over to a sturdy wooden table with a gorgeous antique mirror above it. The moment her hips touched the table’s edge she felt herself pushed over it, bent at the waist, her skirt slipping higher than modesty should allow. And then, with exquisite patience the fabric of her skirt was pulled higher, completely exposing her soaked panties to. ”“Yes, fortunately they do not permit such situations here in the Spire,” she nodded.“Yep, they need the interstellar business and here is where it’s done.”“Yes, I read up on it, even though the Empire and Vraik are at war, they can meet here without trouble and will be thrown off for causing any. It’s why a lot of peace treaties are negotiated here.”“The Empire is not too popular here anyway,” I shrugged.“True, they don’t like the way we’ve thrown our weight around recently. Though that’s more.