"I wouldn't mind a warm shoulder, or even a warm back," I said.

"Then I'll ask and see who volunteers," Kevis stood and stretched.

"Not Tory," I said, lowering my head.

"I understood that," Kevis said. "Someone will be in shortly."

"Deah-mul," Lendill slipped into bed beside me. I'd already turned out the light; it took more than the short time Kevis had estimated when he left. "My father has threatened to remove my libido for months if I do anything except keep you warm," Lendill murmured against my ear. "Go to sleep, breah-mul. I will try to do the same."

Zendeval Rjjn and Perdil the Liffelithi dwarf had made their way steadily southward, searching for warmer temperatures. Cold weather had set in where they'd been dropped on Nrath weeks earlier. Zen had done all the hunting; Perdil had no skills or experience in that area. Thankfully, Zen held both.

Most nights they were able to start a fire to cook what Zendeval had trapped or caught in a stream, but on rainy nights, they'd eaten something raw if they didn't have cooked meat left from the previous day. Zen had no weapons to go after larger game, so smaller creatures such as rabbits, squirrels and fish were their main diet. That meant little left over for the next day, rainy or not. The sun was now high over their heads, the weather most certainly warmer and Perdil was sniffing the air.

"Zen, I smell bread baking," Perdil turned wide eyes on Zendeval. Zen, lost in his own thoughts, blinked at Perdil in surprise.

"Dwarf, I believe your mind is tricking you," Zen sighed. He'd dreamed about bread, too. Among other things. Mostly, though, he dreamed of Reah. He woke with clenched hands and shortened breaths, most mornings, dreaming he still held her small body close against his. He knew now just how thin she was. How weak from the illness. But he'd been controlled. If Perdil had been the one to shoot that foul and cursed thing into his neck, the dwarf would be dead already. Instead, his cousin Nedrizif had done it himself. Zen sighed, and then drew in a breath. Perdil's arm was grasped in Zen's fist quickly. "Dwarf, perhaps your mind isn't playing tricks after all."

"I don't want to go forward with this unless we're sure we have the right woman," Andelis of Roorthi complained.

"You've seen her, the image is exact," Tevan of Shillverr pointed out. The image was indeed displayed on a very large vid-screen inside Cynthin of Xordthe's private office. Cynthin, smiling and examining her freshly manicured nails, had drawn these two in. If it could be proved that this insane woman, whose face was plastered on vid-screens across both Alliances, was Teeg San Gerxon's wife, it would only be a matter of time before Teeg San Gerxon's power was undermined and someone else could step in and take over the Campiaan Alliance.

Teeg presided over the Council of Campiaan Alliance Worlds, but Cynthin had designs on that seat. Oh, she'd promise Tevan and Andelis a sharing of power, but it would be hers when push came to shove. All they had to do was contact the media, which was still running vids depicting all the crazy and outrageous things Teeg San Gerxon's wife believed about herself.

"I think we should contact San Gerxon first, and give him the opportunity to step aside quietly, without this being made public," Andelis suggested.

"And miss all the fun and the publicity we'll get out of this?" Cynthin snorted delicately. She fully intended to make as much of this as she could; her position within the Campiaan Alliance was relatively weak. Xordthe wasn't at the forefront of industrialization, had nothing that stood out as an export and had been under the influence of unsavory characters before the Campiaan Alliance offered membership.

Cynthin had stepped on a few heads and even more toes to get to the presidency, which she'd held for three years of a five-year term. Things might not go so well for her during the next election, so she was looking to move herself into an even better position. During her tenure in office, the economy hadn't improved and relations with most of their planetary neighbors had deteriorated. The President of Shillverr and the Crown Prince of Roorthi were her only friends, because she'd taken both of them as lovers.

"Then where do you intend to take this? Which media outlet?"

"Oh, I'm going to the network that produces that Temporary Insanity show. I know they're fighting a legal battle with the Reth Alliance over patient rights violations, but we'll just take the information given and make our own complaints. They'll run it, simply to get back at the ASD."

"You're sure this will work? San Gerxon has a lot of firepower at his back." Tevan shivered. Teeg San Gerxon had four very powerful Karathian warlocks working as security, as well as others rumored to be employed as his personal protection. Tevan hadn't been there personally when the initial votes had been cast to form the Campiaan Alliance, but word had it that the founder had something incredible at his disposal if needed. One of the other members who'd been at the signing described it as a tall, golden creature with wings who'd fought off the Strands and their allies. Tevan's source said that if the creature hadn't been there, the Campiaan Alliance would have died in infancy.

"Can he use that firepower against us?" Cynthin smiled slyly. "If the media is watching his every move, how can he?"

"But none of us were there when the Alliance was born. There are plenty of others who might make a case for replacing San Gerxon," Andelis argued. "I've only held this position since Father handed the responsibility to me. Tevan has held his presidency for two years and you for three," he nodded to Cynthin.

"Don't worry your handsome head about it," Cynthin crooned. "We'll use the media. This will work, have no doubt. I'm placing the call this afternoon, and I'll forward the images we have to them if they bite. Never fear, this will be all over both Alliances in two days."

Chapter 9

"How is everything going?" Edward walked into our temporary ice-cream plant. I smiled at him. He smiled back.

"Everything is great and the new freezers you got are amazing," I said. "The ice cream is kept at the perfect temperature."

"I have transport coming tomorrow morning to take it to my distributor," Edward said. "The ad campaign is scheduled to start tomorrow, too. I hope people will ask for it before it even gets to the stores."

"You amaze me," I said. He did. I'd never seen follow-through like this before. Everything Edward promised, he delivered. And then some. I'd seen the vid-ads. They were great.

"Then I'm ahead of the game," he leaned down to kiss me. I had three assistants working with me, mostly to monitor the equipment, load the containers of ice cream into the freezers and clean the equipment when we were done for the day. Edward and Kevis refused to allow me to work more than four clicks per day. Edward had hired my assistants, and they were very good and quite dedicated. "And our new facility is coming along. Want to come see?" He took my hand and led me out the door.

The new building was going to be four times the size of the temporary one, with more equipment and more employees when it was finished. "I can't wait for this to be ready," I said, looking at storage areas and stainless prep tables covered in heavy, plastic sheeting.

"You're going to be wealthy, Reah. Are you prepared for that?" Edward put an arm around my shoulders as we looked over the half-finished building.

"I've never been that," I sighed. "I don't know what to say."

"Say we'll have our date soon. I'm looking forward to it."

"We'll do it soon," I leaned back to gaze at him.

"Good." I got another kiss.

"Mr. Marolla, I hope we're close to finishing this project," Lendill stood inside the investigative journalist's office. "I've had word from an insider that the network that ran that piece of shit in the beginning has allied with three from the Campiaan Alliance who seem bent on replacing Teeg San Gerxon. Now, I don't know if you're familiar with the Campiaan Alliance, but my sources are convinced that it will die and go back to what it was, a collection of lawless worlds, if Teeg doesn’t keep a firm hand on it. I'm not willing to go back to fighting criminals from those worlds. We need to release this two days after those three and the network have had plenty of time to spew their lies. Then we'll present our information and see what happens," Lendill said.

Hild Marolla, respected investigative journalist, smiled at Lendill Schaff. "Vice-Director, we're editing the last interview now. The information provided by Dr. Kevis Halivar has been most helpful in building this story. I can certainly release this piece two days after the others have managed to hang themselves. I must admit, I've never seen anything like this. Please express my gratitude to Dr. Halivar and Deonus Wyyld for their cooperation."

"There's something else for you to add," Teeg San Gerxon appeared, Astralan and Stellan at his side. Teeg held a comp-vid containing information and images in his hand. "It's all there," he said. "And what you see may shock you even more than you have been already, but it's the truth. I think it's time that a few eyes were opened."

"What did you bring?" Lendill asked. Teeg turned the comp-vid so Lendill could see. A single image graced the screen. "Ah," Lendill sighed.

"Nedrizif was Bandelif's son," Yidrizin pointed to the hand-copied records. Zendeval stared at the huge book that bore names of Greater Demons going back hundreds of thousands of years. Yidrizin, acting Prime Minister for Nrath (what was left of it, anyway), showed Zen and Perdil through the royal archives.

"I don't remember this place," Zen looked around him in awe. The treasury was there, the crown and crown jewels were also there inside the archives.

"You wouldn't, you were only a child when you were hauled away by those foul creatures," Yidrizin grumbled. "They convinced your father, the King, that greater things awaited him if he'd just follow them off-world. A foolish mistake, as it turned out. No disrespect meant, of course."