..'The girl whimpered, just as they all did, as she peered through the glaringlights at the ominously simple piece of apparatus bolted to the bare con...cretefloor at her side. Just a pair of parallel wooden struts, just over shoulderwidth apart and each one fixed across two solid, knee high posts. The flatnarrow top of each bar, and the thick leather straps that dangled down fromthem, were dark and stained with moisture and hard use.'The clothes off now, my dear... or would you like my men to. Put it all together Penny, roll it over in your mind, look at it from all sides and then tell me why I shouldn't have the thoughts I've had. Once you have done that if you want to talk I'll be down in the basement."I tried to work on the china cabinet I was building, but I just couldn't seem to concentrate on things and using power tools when your mind isn't on what you are doing is not a smart thing so I gave up and just sat there staring at the plans. Maybe an hour later I heard Penny come. Tell me what you heard."Amanda paused, but this time to collect her thoughts. "I heard Master Berin and Master Trennan making some sort of deal." This I suspected. Do you remember what Berin offered?" It was wine. And brandy."Roquan furrowed his brow. "Brandy? But Doran does not make brandy." It wasn't a brand called Doran. He seemed to think it was better than that." Master Doran," Roquan corrected. "He is another Overlord. He is also the only source of fine wine in Oceanus."Amanda paused. "I've seen it." No you haven't. This is the one you saw," she said, and pulled outanother."My God, they're identical!" Almost. But when you look at them side by side you can see the bumpsand stripes are a little different and this one's about a half afingerwide longer," she said, dangling the supposedly longer one infront of me on its leather loop, "Here!" For me?" I know it's only a seashell and not a tiara with jewels all over it,but it's something." No, this is better than that old thing," I.