"But we can't stop. I don't know how long it will take the Malshallians to reach the mansion, but my guess is as soon as they realize nobody is there ...they will begin searching immediately." Won't they think you went into the village?" he asked. "I know I would. And why would they care?" They may," she admitted. "But we can't take that chance. As for why they would care... This all reeks of a plot to unseat our master. It all fits too perfectly: him being recalled to Harv'el followed by the. We got occasional warriors stocking up in my shop in our little border townof Broken Wheel, but this was the first of the female variety. I greeted heras I would any customer, but it was easy to see she felt she had no time towaste, so I dispensed with attempting pleasantries and went back to my polishingto allow her to purposefully scan the shelves. She picked out a variety of items that are useful for a life on the roadand had just piled them up on my counter to pay when we both heard heavy. I kicked her, digging my heel into the side of her hip. ?Now get back on your knees.? She pulled herself together, facing me. Her head was bowed down, her hair falling forward, obscuring face, but I could tell she was crying. I took my left hand, and slapped her again, and she spun off to my right in another heap. Again, her hair flew out in a circle, covering her face. But this time she put her hands, and pushed herself back to the kneeling position. In a moment,. On impulse, Cindy gave Darrell a quick hug as well as a kiss, and then he introduced his friend to her. His name was Trev. Cindy could see the hotel clerk glancing over at the three of them, and she felt that powerful thrill she'd felt in Florida when she and Willis had been together out in public. As a white female, being with a black man, and in an obviously affectionate and physical way, had made her the focus of more than one white guy, and even a number of white females, who stared at.