”Ellerie froze. She’d suspected that Oracle Galina, the Fifth Seat, had guessed who she was, but for some reason, she hadn’t expected the strang...e woman to tell the others.Corec stared at Ellerie, stunned, but she couldn’t spare any time to explain herself to him. She had to come up with a response that didn’t embarrass herself, her mother, or Terevas.Quickly translating political courtesies from Elven to trade tongue, she said, “No apologies are necessary, Councilor Rurik. No titles are. I found a talent at the game boards, able to better use my soldiery in maneuvering about the gaming terrain than even seasoned captains and majors, and I kept my record of no lost outcome although from respect of my Sire I did not win our single encounter yet neither did I lose as I forced an inevitable draw, controlling his every response down that single pathway toward the inescapable end. He had the wit to be impressed and the confidence to not be threatened. After all, I had respected him. She went to the desk and gave a faux name so they wouldn't have her married name on file and told the clerk to have a chilled bottle of their finest champagne sent in exactly one hour. As she got to the room, she discovered that Gord had not yet arrived, so she ran herself a bubble bath and had a good long soak. Fifty minutes later the phone rang, so she hurried out of the tub to get it just in time. "Louise, is that you?" Gord asked. "Yes, of course it's me, were you expecting someone else to. The amenities offered were much more complete than I'd anticipated, and the soap looked to be adequate to lathering up for a shave with a fresh razor.Dinner was a very nicely done rack of lamb. When I was asked what I'd like to drink, I said beer, preferably something local and unforgettable. That resulted in something called Pliny the Elder from the Russian River Brewing Company. It fit the bill perfectly, but I was glad I wasn't driving when I left, as I'd had a second glass, and the glasses.