Perdil came to my shoulder, but I wasn't that tall. He hadn't gotten the instructions to dress appropriately, I noticed. He had on the slacks he normally wore, with a white shirt, the sleeves folded back a time or two. He wore his hair shorter than most dwarves I knew, and his eyebrows were trimmed.
Master Morwin, the Amterean Dwarf who'd tutored all of Lissa's children, wouldn't dream of trimming his eyebrows. Perdil wasn't Amterean. Likely he was from Liffel II, but I wasn't going to mention it to him. Most Liffelithi were too involved in crime and amassing fortunes to even think about cooking. Perdil was unusual as a dwarf, and he and Master Cook Dardell were standing together when I found them. Dardell appeared ready to participate in the rush, in my estimation.
"We're short on guards tonight," Perdil informed me over the noise of thumping music. Strobe lights were beginning to search out participants. Employees ran through, tossing thin mats onto the floor. The ads I'd seen had depicted people on the floor, the chairs, standing, against the walls, on the bar, everywhere.
I'd also seen images of the bartenders pouring alcohol in a participant's mouth as they were having sex. Of course, the ads made much of a single male getting attention from two or more females. I shook my head in disbelief as the first couple disrobed to the music and dropped to the floor. That opened the gates, with screaming, shouting and frantic searching for a partner.
Perdil jerked his head toward the western edge of the floor. I skirted frenzied bodies as best I could and took up a position so I could guard against violence.
I discovered my thoughts about Master Cook Dardell were correct; he grabbed a young woman who was already disrobed, lifted her onto a stool at the bar and buried his head between her legs.
"It's something, isn't it?" Zendeval had found his way to my side.
"I don't recall that this was part of my job description."
"It says other duties as required," Zendeval Rjjn pointed out.
"Then I'll delete that from my next application," I snapped, arms crossed tightly over my chest as I scanned the crowd.
"You look lovely," he almost shouted to be heard.
"Sure," I said, still keeping my eyes on the crowd. Was anyone expecting it? I wasn't, and I was watching. A young man was suddenly screaming as he leapt upon the bar, a knife in his hands. Zendeval ran, but I was faster. My foot barely hit the barstool as I used it as a steppingstone onto the bar, and I had the knife in my hand and the man's head whacked against the top of the bar before anyone else knew what was happening.
Chapter 10
"My records show I was conscripted by the RAA." I was trying to explain myself to Mr. Rude Rjjn.
"I saw. I just hadn't realized that you were more than I imagined."
"All conscripts get the same training."
"I know that." He didn't, he was lying. I knew it. He just didn't know that I knew it. He had no idea wh ^cia><="+at kind of training Regular Alliance Army got. "What did you do for the RAA?"
"It's in my records. I served as a cook." One of Lendill's rules was be as honest as you could. Always. That kept you from living more of a lie than necessary. According to my temporary records, I'd served as a cook for a military installation on Tulgalan. All six years. It listed my age as thirty-four.
"Why are you grilling her like a steak pulled from an ancient cow?" Perdil snapped at Zendeval. "Her records were available. It's your fault if you didn't read them." He was pacing behind me as I sat in a chair before Zendeval's desk. His private study was nicely furnished, but I was surprised there weren't any images of nude women on the walls. "And if you are short-handed and your guards are slow, be grateful that you had someone trained well enough to deal with that." Perdil meant the man with the knife. I had no idea how he'd gotten the weapon—it wasn't a kitchen knife; I knew that for certain.
"The guards are working on his identification," Zendeval snapped back at Perdil. "If he's a guest, then he'll be sent out on the next ship." Schooling my face, I watched Zendeval, wondering what might happen to the man if he wasn't a guest but an employee. I was afraid to dwell on that too long.
"I hear the rest of the rush went very well," Perdil sighed. "Zen, we are tired and it is late. Let us go to bed. You can laze about tomorrow if you want; Reah and I cannot."
"My apologies." Zendeval stood and dismissed Perdil and me. Gratefully, I rose and walked unsteadily out of his office. "Perdil, a moment," Zendeval called. Perdil rolled his eyes and walked back inside, closing the door and leaving me alone in the hall outside Zendeval's suite. Shrugging, I walked toward the elevator.
"That was one of our employees who went crazy," Perdil confirmed as Zendeval sat down again. "You know we get one occasionally who cannot be controlled."
"Then the guards should be discreet."
"They will be. Do not fear."
"My plans were interrupted because of this. I do not wish for this to happen again."
"Calm yourself. The full moon is coming. I believe you can achieve your goals then, no?" Perdil stalked out of Zendeval's suite.
"My King, here are the images." Mordis handed a comp-vid to Nedrizif.
"This is the little cook Zendeval is hiding from me?" Ned thumbed through the vid, watching the woman as she leapt to the top of the bar and disarmed the rogue employee. "Moves quite well, too, in addition to being beautiful. Does she visit the voyeur rooms?"
"No, my King."
"Too bad. Rumor has it that Zendeval will send her in with the others. He plans to make his bid, I think. Make sure our other buyers get these images." Nedrizif handed the comp-vid back to Mordis. "I may make a bid myself."
"My information shows that she is the cook who prepares the ice cream you like so much."
"What? Perdil did not do this?" Nedrizif was standing in an instant, outrage apparent across his features.
"No, my King. The kitchen assistants cen in were quite clear. Master Perdil did not do this. This one—Reah Windle—created this dessert."
"Then I will certainly bid against my cousin."
"Of course, sire."
"And I will increase the control I have over him," Nedrizif added.
"Of course, sire."
"Mom, how could this happen?" Tory rubbed his forehead with shaking fingers. He'd just met Raedah and Tara. Knew they were almost finished with their medical certificates. Met their mates, Philavik Weth and Rindavik Foth, even. Knew he had three sets of twins and their actual ages.