You don't normally get promoted for abandoning your post."Senior Lieutenant Gryllos avoided an ambush, and then rode over sixty of the King Xyl's Olme...ha, killing them all without taking any casualties. The Olmecha commander was about as competent as my Captain Helmoth -- that is, abysmal. A few heartbeats later Gryllos and troopers of the Sixth Mounted destroyed the other sixty members of the convoy ambush. One of the Zarthani soldiers was wounded, none of ours were, and all of our enemies in. “And it would be difficult for them to justify anything larger. But then they need to have someone who knows what they are doing to configure and set things up.”“Could you not set things up for them, as an extension of this contract?” John asked.“Well, I could do anything if I was asked, and paid for,” I said. “But we will have to work out what would be the best way for the State to take. That’s going to be one of the first tasks; because it will determine what equipment we need as part of that. " I enjoyed Howard's squirming."Jerry,..."I raised my hand. "Howard, I'm just teasing you. I've spoken to Prue -- don't worry, she doesn't kiss and tell either, at least to me. She had a night to remember and I suspect you were traumatised more than she was by anything that happened. She's happy and has no regrets. I don't think I'd have been as comfortable if some young buck had taken her."He nodded. "Thanks."Richie looked at us. "You spoke to Prue, Jerry!?" Well we spoke at the dance when we. He took in the show with his eyes, but there was a hunger and meanness in them that I plain didn't like, and said so to Jess."Oh, for Pete's sake, David, he's just a horny old goat who's enjoying the attention. It's harmless," she said, laughing off my concern.Harmless enough, until the rent came due and we realized we were short the extra payment. I took the rent check down to Jethro's apartment on the first floor and handed it to him. He looked at it, scowled, and said "You're short."I.