"Do you have warlocks or sorcerers for enemies?" I asked, crouching down to examine the white, ashy stump that remained of a gishi fruit tree.
"I wasn't aware of any," Edward said dryly, crouching next to me. "At least we got the fire out quickly."
"We?" I turned to look into his hazel eyes.
"All right, Keedan and Crofford." The hazel eyes twinkled with teasing mischief.
"Uh-huh," I muttered, standing up.
"How did you get us here?" Keedan asked while Crofford nodded in agreement.
"It's called skipping," I said.
"I've only heard of a handful of races that might be capable of that," Edward said, curling a hand around the back of his neck and watching me with a puzzled expression.
"I've only heard of one," I replied.
"Which one is that?"
"Mine," I said.
Chapter 3
Phelpas, Drennen and all three assistants came along in a hovercar while Keedan, Crofford, Edward and I directed grove employees to dig up the burned trees and haul them away.
"This is the third time in three moon turns," Phelpas pointed out, but stepped back and remained silent when Edward glared at him. The boss didn't need the reminder, it seems.
"How many has he lost so far?" I asked Keedan.
"Nearly a hundred trees the first time. We had a better watch the second time, so we only lost about thirty. This time we cut it to eleven. We worry that they'll attack during the night, but every time it has been in full daylight."
"Round up the employees and we'll ask questions," Edward directed. That's how we spent our afternoon, with Keedan making sure I had something to eat and drink between questioning. Three employees weren't being truthful. Somehow, Edward pulled the same three out and let the others go.
"Now," he said, as all three sat in front of him, "tell me everything you know about this."
I was thankful Edward's office was large enough for plenty of seating to be brought in; we were at the questioning until night fell. Keedan asked me twice to communicate orders via comp-vid and I did so, telling Garthe to get the employees to do their best and make sure their quotas were filled for the day. He contacted me around sunset, saying that they'd accomplished just that. He also asked about the fire, but I told him we'd have information when we saw him the following day.
It turned out that two detainees had committed theft and the other had damaged a tree without reporting it. None knew anything about the fires. All three were terminated and escorted to the front gate so they could take a bus to Adrixx.
"Let's get something to eat," Edward said. He'd ordered the kitchen crew to go to bed earlier, since we'd been at the questioning for hours on end and now it was very late. We followed him into the kitchens, assistants and all. Edward rummaged through the fridge.
"Let Reah see what she can do," Keedan suggested. Edward's head jerked up and he looked at me. Stepping aside, he gestured grandly toward the open fridge. I went to see what was inside.
"I can't believe this," Phelpas sighed. They'd gotten pasta with chicken and a mushroom sauce that could be put together quickly. I'd found a long loaf of bread, sliced it lengthwise, buttered it and sprinkled it with herbs. It was toasted and served with the meal. Then I cut up fresh redberries and served them with sweet cream for dessert.
"You could get your Master Cook's license," Crofford sighed, finishing off his dessert.
"I have one," I said. "Will someone else clean up? I'm tired."
"You have a Master Cook's license, and you're here?" Drennen looked skeptical.
"I do. I own Dee's Restaurant in Targis on Tulgalan. I told Keedan that I'm here because I need peace and quiet."
"What were you doing on Kifirin, working in their groves?" Crofford stared at me. The three assistants were sitting beside their supervisors, waiting for this story to unfold, I'm sure.
"I started those groves," I said. "King Jayd laughed at me when I suggested that we try gishi fruit as a money crop on the Southern Continent. He's not laughing now."
"You're a member of the Royal Family on Kifirin, aren't you?" Edward looked surprised.
"Not that they've noticed, but yes," I agreed. And since nobody else made any move to do so, I began to clean the dishes.
"And she's the wife of the founding member of the Campiaan Alliance," Teeg appeared in Edward's kitchen, making me wince.
"Master San Gerxon," Edward bowed politely to Teeg.
"Don't bow to him. The rat," I said.
"You're calling me a rat?"
"I could call you worse."
"Please don't. Reah, you need to come back with me. Nefrigar says you're still fragile, and we have to think about the baby."
"Oh, now that it's your baby, I'm fragile," I huffed.
"Reah, you know what I'm talking about," Teeg grumbled. He was right; I'd just been able to shove most of that aside for the past three eight-days or so, in favor of picking gishi fruit. The trees got my attention. My thoughts and problems didn't.
"Where's Astralan?" I asked. "I'd like for him to look at a spot where somebody burned gishi fruit trees earlier today."
"Will you come home with me if I call him?" Teeg's nearly-black eyes were begging.
"I'll come," I muttered. "I don't think I can stay here, now, since they know we're married and all."
"Reah, every mate you have is worried to death about you."
"Must be a new experience for them," I snapped.
"How many do you have?" Keedan asked.
"Nine," Teeg answered for me. "Reah is extremely rare. Only seventeen females exist in her race."
"No kidding?" Keedan turned his eyes to me.
"Six of those are my daughters," I blushed and hung my head.
"There's our girl," Astralan appeared at Teeg's elbow. "What do you need, baby?"
"I want you to look at a spot where a fire started in the groves today," I said. "I think a warlock or power holder of some sort started it."
"Then we'll take a look," Astralan smiled. "As long as you come home with us."
"I already said I would," I grumped.
"Good. Let's go."
"I'm coming along," Edward insisted.
"Then we'll all go," Teeg agreed amiably, and Astralan and Teeg folded everyone in the kitchen to the burned trees.
"Definitely a power wielder," Astralan nodded after examining the burned spots. "If I'm correct, not a powerful one. Used the sun as a heat source, just turned it up some to dry out the wood and start the fire."
"Can you locate him or her?" I asked.
"Not a problem," Astralan grinned and disappeared. He came back, hauling Landor with him. Teeg took over then, ordering him with compulsion to explain what happened.
"He's a member of the Dondl family?" Edward stared at Landor. Dondl was one of Edward's rival grove owners. Landor's uncle owned the groves, but the moment he learned that Landor had a bit of power, he'd recruited the boy to his purposes.
"What shall we do with him?" Keedan asked. "I hesitate to turn him over to the authorities; Dondl will retaliate somehow."
"I'll remove his power," Astralan grinned. "And Teeg will remove the memory that I removed it. You'll make a fine employee, won't you?" Astralan pounded Landor on the back. Edward stared in amazement as Astralan did remove Landor's power, and then Teeg placed compulsion, telling Landor that he wouldn't remember. That, of course, resulted in even more compulsion—Teeg didn't want Edward or his supervisors to remember that part, either. I shivered when it was all over.
"Go back to your barracks," Keedan ordered. Landor trotted off obediently.
"Now, we go home. Mr. Pendley, will you be so kind as to send her things to my palace?" Teeg asked.
"I'll have them shipped tomorrow," Edward sighed. "But I have a request."
"Yes?"
"I'd like to visit the palace after the harvest is in."
"Feel free. You've been invited several times. I thought you weren't interested."
"I am, now." Edward stared at me. Teeg gripped my arm and Astralan folded us away.
"No. Absolutely not," I snapped, the moment Kevis Halivar appeared inside my room. I was tired, out of sorts and a little angry. Somehow, Teeg had tracked me down. I was perfectly happy in the gishi fruit groves on Avendor. I'd even gotten a promotion. Now, I was right back in therapy with the one whose nurses had sold me to the Alliance and made me a laughing stock.
"Reah, I've taken a leave of absence from Sea Winds so I can work with you exclusively," Dr. Halivar said.
"Work with me? You want to peel potatoes or something? That kind of working with me?"
"No. You know very well what I mean."
"Where's nurse nasty?" I asked belligerently.
"Ceerah's under house arrest," Lendill appeared. Teeg was still inside the bedroom, and now it was getting crowded. I was feeling dizzy, too.
"She's going down," Kevis Halivar shouted from somewhere far away. Everything went black after that.
"Obviously she feels more comfortable in those surroundings," Kevis pushed his point. "If you take her to the plantation and allow her to work freely among the citrus groves while you visit and I work with her, perhaps it will turn out best for all involved."
"Farzi, is there enough room for us?" Gavril looked to the reptanoid for answers. Farzi and Nenzi were both very much in favor of having Reah come to them. Their plantation was more than large enough, with plenty of room inside the main house and more guesthouses located nearby.
