Sariana lifted her chin. "I assure you, the Avylyns' cash flow problem will be under control very soon." Gryph glanced around at the elegantly dressed women of the clan. They stared back anxiously.

"There's enough jewelry hanging around the ladies' necks to finance several weeks or even months of my services. Assuming I'm willing to go to work for you."

"Most of that lovely jewelry is in hock to the bank, I'm afraid," Sariana retorted cheerfully, as if it were a minor detail. "Collateral, you know. We needed to raise vast sums to revive the business. It's necessary that the Avylyns' continue to keep up appearances in the meantime, of course. They must continue to dress and entertain according to their social status. But I'm afraid there's no cash to spare from the personal accounts. And even if we could find a way to sell off some of the jewelry from the Avylyns' private collection, we would be highly reluctant to do so. The sort of gossip that would start would be devastating to the Clan at this juncture."

"What made you think," Gryph asked with grave interest, "that I'd be willing to wait for my payment?" Sariana drew a breath. Her small, sweetly rounded br**sts rose behind the green fabric of her gown.

Gryph found himself watching the movement instead of paying attention to what Sariana was saying. She had very nice br**sts, he decided. Nice waist, too. A man could lie on his back, put his hands around that waist and lift Sariana up and over himself so that she straddled his thighs. Then he could ease her down onto his shaft until he filled her completely. Gryph decided he would like to see the expression in those hazel eyes if he did exactly that. His mind was so engrossed with the image he had created for himself that he caught only bits and pieces of what Sariana was saying.

"Regarding your request for assurance that you will be paid," Sariana went on, "I want you to know that the Avylyns and I have considered the matter carefully. We understand that you, like the bank, need some form of collateral. Lady Avylyn suggested a rather unusual idea. She said you might be willing to postpone taking your pay if, in the meantime, she offered to introduce you socially. She seems to think you might have an eye toward marriage and that you would welcome the opportunity to meet socially acceptable young ladies. Marriage is always an important decision and if you are presently considering it, then you might be interested in Lady Avylyn's kind offer. If, however, that doesn't appeal, I have another suggestion."

Out of the flow of words pouring so earnestly from Sariana's mouth, Gryph caught the one that mattered most. He nearly lost his balance. He gripped the edge of the stone table with far more force than was necessary.

"Marriage," he repeated, his tongue thick in his mouth. He raised his eyes to Sariana's politely composed face. "To you?"

"Oh, no, not to me," Sariana said with a light laugh. "I'm afraid you weren't listening. I said the Avylyns have agreed to introduce you socially to their friends and relatives. I understand that it is somewhat difficult for a Shield to meet suitable young women. Probably has something to do with spending too much of your time chasing bandits on the frontiers. Be that as it may, if you are agreeable to our offer, I see no reason why we can't conclude our deal this evening. You would start work in the morning. What do you say?"

"I say you have the fast tongue of a Rendezvous lawyer."

"It seems to me that the Avylyns are prepared to be quite generous," Sariana said. "Given the

limitations of your present social status, I should think you would be grateful for their offer. That is, if you are, indeed, in the market for a wife."

Gryph experienced a sudden, nearly overwhelming desire to reach across the table, drag Sariana out of her chair and carry her out of the chamber. He knew what he would do with her as soon as he had her alone in his own bed chamber, he told himself. He knew exactly what he would do with her.

"Listen, lady Business Manager," he said grimly. "I don't know where or how you did your social research, but I can guarantee that the last thing I'd sell my services for is a little help in finding a wife. I've been desperate, but never that desperate. I'm a Shield, damn it. I'll do my own wife hunting."

There was a collective gasp of anguish from the assembled Avylyns, but Gryph ignored them. His attention was on Sariana. She did not gasp or cry out in horror. She merely blinked, her long lashes momentarily veiling the speculative intelligence in her eyes.

Without a word she moved the weapon kit a little farther out of his reach. Gryph abruptly decided he'd had enough of her little games. He gathered himself for a quick, determined swipe at the kit.

Just as his hand came out, however, Sariana released the kit and it sank instantly out of sight. Gryph watched in shock as his precious weapon kit vanished into a concealed opening in the stone. The opening was already sealing shut. There was not even a line to mark where the trap door existed. Westerners loved such gadgets.

Impatience, irritation and the indulgent curiosity that Gryph had been experiencing up to that point disappeared in an instant. Fury engulfed him. The hand Gryph had been extending to grasp his kit locked around Sariana's small wrist instead. He yanked her forward until her upper body was sprawled across the table. Her eyes widened and he realized he was finally seeing genuine alarm in her gaze. It was about time, he decided.

"Get it back." Each word he spoke fell like a stone into the appalled silence that had seized the chamber. "Now."

"Please," she whispered, "just listen to me. That's all I'm asking. Let me tell you the whole story of the prisma cutter. We need your help."

"Get back my kit or I'll find a way to make you vanish just as easily as you made it disappear. Understood?"

"You've made yourself quite clear," she replied in a shaky voice.

She was finally scared, but her eyes still met his with steady determination. In spite of his raw mood, Gryph felt a reluctant surge of admiration for Sariana's daring. He knew of no other woman in Serendipity or the outlying provinces who would have taken such a risk.

"Give it to him, Sariana," Jasso hissed. "Quickly."

"Hurry, before he kills us all," Lady Avylyn pleaded.

Bryer and Mara sat staring at Sariana, panic in their expressions. "What will it cost us to get your help?" Sariana whispered, her eyes huge. Gryph was amazed. "You're still trying to negotiate a deal, lady?"

"We need your help," she repeated doggedly. "If you won't accept the offer of being introduced socially while you wait for your payment, what kind of a deal will you accept? Name your price."