"Reah, this is excellent," Galaxsan was already sipping his drink.
"Then you should only have one; I put a double shot of rum in there," I replied, wrinkling my nose at him.
Nearly everyone was finished eating when Farzi, Nenzi and their brothers sat down with me to eat lunch. Only Astralan and one of the wizards were still at the island, lingering over their food. I sat between Farzi and Nenzi while we ate. I was almost too exhausted to eat and knew I'd have to start dinner soon if we were going to have rolls and something for dessert.
"Reah, you teach us more so we be more help for you," Farzi dipped into his soup. Our meal was a quick one, with pasta and vegetables added to seasoned broth.
"You've been a big help already," I rubbed Farzi's back affectionately.
"I'll pay if you'll put your hands on me," the wizard pushed his plate toward the center of the island.
"I'll kill you if you say anything like that to her again," Astralan examined the fingernails on his right hand. "Master San Gerxon has already issued that warning. I will make sure it is enforced."
My food had suddenly gone tasteless. Arvil's wizards were criminals, it was easy enough to see, but for someone to die over a comment? I wasn't sure how I felt about that. Paltis, the wizard, gave Astralan a dark look and stalked out of the kitchen.
"Farzi, make sure someone is with Reah at all times," Astralan went on. "If any one of those fuckers makes a move toward her, kill them. Bite first, ask questions later. Arvil was in too much of a hurry to hire replacements." Astralan rose from his seat at the island. "Lunch was good, Reah. I'll look forward to dinner."
Farzi and I just stared at each other after Astralan left the kitchen. I couldn't even put words together to say how I felt. Puzzled and afraid were the two emotions closest to the surface. Slipping off my barstool, I headed toward the door that led to the back of the house and the pool area. Farzi and his brothers were right behind me. I kept walking until we were halfway between the plantation and the barn. Stopping there amid a profusion of tropical plants, I turned to Farzi, Nenzi and the others.
"Farzi, if I ask you to do something sometime, will you do it and not ask questions?"
Farzi blinked at me, completely puzzled. Eventually, he nodded his head. "Reah, I know this is trust. We do this, because you ask."
"Good." I hugged Farzi, then Nenzi and each of the others. "I love you. All of you, and I worry about how things are going to turn out."
"We worry, too." Nenzi gave me a second hug. I held onto him for a while.
"We'll have the reception around the pool—the weather is too nice to have this indoors," Arvil informed me after dinner. He'd called me into his temporary study; he looked at home there already.
"Of course, Lord Arvil," I agreed. "I think I saw extra tables in the shed near the barns. I believe Grish did this sort of thing before. All we need are some nice tablecloths and napkins to go with what we already have. Grish only bought the best dishes and crystal." Arvil was expecting a hundred guests or so to show up. I'd already brought in menu comp-vids for each table. The main unit would be stationed inside the kitchen and each table would be registered with the proper items. The staff that Astralan and the others would fold in already knew what they were doing—I was bringing them from Arvil's casinos.
"Teeg will stay on Campiaa and make sure everything there is running smoothly during the event. You can give him updates as soon as the whole thing is over." Arvil was smiling. "I hope you have something nice to wear, Reah. I'll be introducing you as one of my heirs."
"I have something." Teeg had made sure I had something. He'd bought the midnight-blue gown himself, along with a necklace and bracelet. Arvil must be paying him generously. I hadn't even had time to look at my credit chip; I'd been so busy. But that gave me an idea. As soon as Arvil was done discussing plans for the reception and tour of the fields, I picked up Chazi and Hirzi, who were waiting outside Arvil's study. We went toward my suite where the other reptanoids were already gathered to go to bed.
"Farzi, take this," I said, handing over my credit chip bracelet.
"What is this?" He looked at me in alarm.
"Just in case you need it for anything," I told him. Farzi's face was troubled as I walked into my bathroom to clean up and dress for bed.
The next three days saw the biggest burst of activity. Tables were hauled in from the shed and the reptanoids and I worried over their placement in the pool area. The flagstone base was large but still required tactical decisions on where everything should go so that none of Arvil's guests would feel crowded. A bar was set up and stocked so the staff wouldn't have to run to the kitchen whenever a guest asked for a drink. I showed the bartenders how to make the rum and fruit drink at Arvil's insistence. The wizards Arvil employed all came to test the results. They were quite drunk afterward. I hoped Arvil didn't need them for anything.
Arvil was busy arranging for his personal stable of courtesans to be brought from Campiaa—I heard that Teeg was instrumental in making those arrangements. I got mindspeech from Tory twice, but both times I'd been so busy I'd barely had time to talk to him. He was only making sure I was all right anyway. Hoping that Lendill and Director Keef knew what they were doing, I kept up with my work, making sure that Arvil and the Hardlow's guests enjoyed what I hoped was their last meal outside captivity.
Barely a breeze was blowing as we covered tables with beautiful, champagne colored cloths and set out napkins to match. Crystal champagne flutes and water glasses were added, in addition to polished silver place settings. Plates and chargers came next—Grish's place settings would impress just about anyone. I wondered briefly what the warlocks had done with his body. Ignoring that thought, I rushed to get ready after the last table had been dressed and the menu items and appetizers checked in the kitchen. I barely arrived on time at Arvil's elbow as he greeted his arriving guests.
The Hardlows stood opposite Arvil, greeting guests just as we were. My head was swimming with names as Arvil took hands, slapped backs and did whatever he could to make them feel welcome. Some names were familiar—names that had been spread across the Alliance as the worst criminals the ASD hunted. If the Vice-Director could pull this operation off, it would be the biggest arrest he'd ever made, more than likely.
"Reah planned everything and these are her recipes," Arvil boomed to the guests who sat at our table. The yaris fish was such a hit that some were sending back to the kitchen to get a plate after they'd ordered one of the other dishes. Couples were sharing what they had—half of the ox-roast for half the fish or fowl dishes. The staff didn't even blink, bringing out extra plates and serving utensils to make the exchanges. Drinks were flowing and Arvil was extremely pleased. I was shaky, if I were honest with myself. The warlocks were scattered through the crowd—Astralan ate at the Hardlows' table; Arvil's three wizards were on the perimeter. I hoped they knew what they were doing in case someone caused trouble. The courtesans were paired with the single males Arvil designated.
The moment everything slowed down, Arvil invited his guests to the waiting luxury hoverbuses and they climbed aboard, evening gowns and all, for the trip to view the drakus fields. The first fifteen fields had been harvested already and the crates shipped to the station. Lendill hadn't given me any update on that but I figured the addresses had been copied and the seed confiscated. No doubt, the ASD agents would be arriving at those addresses quite soon to make arrests.
We were driven out to a preselected field—a deck and walkway had been built so expensive shoes wouldn't sink into watered soil. A separate bar had also been set up so more drinks could be served. Nenzi was driving the bus in which I rode—Farzi and his brothers loaded into the back with me. Arvil, Wilffox, Wilffin and most of the guests were in eight other buses headed toward the fields.
"Farzi," I whispered to him and his brothers as the last of the six guests riding with us got off, "I want you and your brothers to go back to the plantation now. Take one of those other vehicles the farmhands use."
"What you want us to do then?" Farzi was nodding at me.
"You know what I look like when I change." Farzi and the others nodded. "Wait for me to come back like that. I'll take you somewhere safe."
"Reah not get hurt?" Nenzi was worried.
"I'll try to make sure of that," I leaned in to kiss his cheek. "Don't worry. Any of you. Be discreet when you leave."
"We will." Farzi was already laying out mental plans; I could see it.
I got off the bus and walked toward the knot of guests who surrounded Arvil and the Hardlows. Arvil was already describing the shipments and the harvesting of drakus seed. Figures—staggering figures—were mentioned, while eight reptanoids turned and slithered away from us, heading toward a vehicle that was almost obscured in the distance.
"I have work to do, why don't you two take the night off?" Teeg nodded toward Ry and Tory. "I can make do with the security around the walls."
"Are you sure? We can stay within shouting distance," Tory offered, though he was itching to get away. Lendill had already told him and Ry that this was the night Zephili would be taken. The Vice-Director had instructed both his special agents to fold or skip away at a designated time. They'd been recalled to Le-Ath Veronis; Lendill and Norian already had plenty of agents in place to take the drakus seed fields and arrest Arvil's guests. Not all of them came with powerful warlocks, as the Hardlows employed. Lendill and Norian's hopes rested on a fast strike and the element of surprise.
Ry and Tory nodded to the gate guards as they left Arvil's palace behind, walking toward The San Gerxon I. "Time to get the hell out of here," Tory muttered as they walked through the casino's doors. Both of them headed toward the men's bathroom located near the front. As soon as they were inside, both disappeared.