You’re alive! I wasn’t quite sure.’ I felt someone sitting on the bed next to me. Confusion flooded me now. Where am I? I feel… stiff. I can�...t make my limbs work. ‘Can you wake up a little more, please? I need to talk to you.’ I winced. I realized that I was going to have to totally emerge from my dark hole and resume interaction with the world. I found the energy to roll over onto my back. I tried to lick my dry lips, but there was no moisture in my mouth. My eyes felt swollen and I couldn’t. I would guess her to be in her late fifties. She was very well educated and I could tell she was very wealthy. She asked me to sit with her and keep her company. After we got in the air I made both of us some drinks and we started talking. We hit it off almost immediately, we were laughing and having a great time. Our conversation started pretty tame but got pretty raunchy the more we talked. Then out of the blue she asked me about the mile high club and if I was part of that. I thought it. She knew well how it was with dogs, what kept them happy. Food first, then fucking. The food greased the fucking. Stand by your man, and all that shit. She had had a hard time at first explaining to her daughter why all that canned dog food was suddenly taking up shelf space in the pantry closet, when they didn’t have a dog. It didn’t take her daughter long to figure out the reason. That little bitch was too smart for her own good, as usual. Smart enough to be cool with it, which was a big. Ariston smiled behind his passive face. He had to calm the merchants even as he was amused that something so little could cause them to panic.It was all Ariston needed: where this tribe lived and how many men. He sent the merchants home and planned his revenge on Sulik Khan. He set out two days later, traveling by the back trails, for he knew the hills would be watching to see if the barbarian would come. If he did, they would warn Sulik Khan. If he didn't, they would once again scourge the.