Envoy to Earth by P. S. Power Read Free Book Online Page A

times a day. I
should send a note along with you for Timon. One for Tor, too. I know them
better than the Queen. Which is an oversight on my part, but who knew that was going to happen, right? I should have gotten her into bed that one time,
but no, I took the high road..." She was being funny, Gerent thought. At
least she wore a big smile.
    Baron Eager sighed however.
    "Well, if any of those could
be steered to this side of the land, I'll pay handsomely. I should work up a
bribe for her. A gift, I mean, of course. What does the Queen of the Moon
need?" The man looked over at the still standing Gerent, but took his own
place, on the dark colored leather sofa along the far wall, near Countess
Printer.
    Collette took his hand and found
a seat for both of them, on the other side, not waiting to be asked to sit. She
was, after all, family. Maria looked at the floor, which was polished wood, and
then smiled at him sweetly.
    " Does Tiera need
anything? I heard that the Moon makes whatever they want. Even gold and jewels
have no value there, since they can simply toss dust and rocks into a magical
device and produce them. I think she may be quite past bribery, Baron Eager. We
will have to simply swallow our pride and beg, that being the case. That, or
all visit her and see if we can soften her up with sex. That's harder to do by
letter, so I think perhaps that first option is the right one, for now.
Humbling, but we don't have a lot of other options." She looked at Gerent,
shyly, and then after a bit, more boldly. "I know, we'll all take turns
seducing her Envoy here, and he can lobby for us. You aren't related to her by
blood, so you can go and-"
    Petra snorted, loudly, and let it
turn into a dire chuckle after everyone looked at her. It really did sound mad,
Gerent realized. Like her mind was coming unhinged.
    "Leave him alone, Maria. At
least that way. No, we can just send some letters and ask. You always try to go for intrigue all the time. That, or assume that everyone else is
going to make you pay and pay for whatever it is you want. Tiera is a Baker .
She won't expect you to grovel too much. It seems to me that I remember hearing
about her brother, Tor, who is perhaps your worst enemy in the whole world,
once fighting seven assassins to save your life. After you were vile to
him and nearly pushed him into killing himself in shame. I doubt that Tiera
will really require you to debase yourself."
    Gerent didn't know that story,
and didn't ask, since it was clear from the looks on their faces that everyone
else in the room did. He didn't want to be that boring person that always
wanted the old tales repeated. He'd just have to ask Collette, later.
    Maria clapped, once, a startling
thing that made him jump a bit.
    "Would you be willing to
take some missives for us, Countier Lairdgren? Official ones, I mean. Some
others too, if you don't mind? I fear that with the Heir to the throne and the
middle Princess living on her doorstep, we may be at a disadvantage when it
comes to the Queen of the Moon. We should all see to that now. I know it's
awfully rude of us..." She actually seemed scared for a second, and stared
around the room. In the end she lit on her own mother, and then tried to get
Petra involved in whatever she was thinking, only to have both of them shake
their heads.
    The Dowager spoke first.
    "No, dear, we should write
as well. Petra is a close friend of several people there, and I have some passing
friendship with Torrance. Perhaps Debbie would entertain them for a while? I
know that she's only a servant, but..." She looked ashamed of herself
then, even though Miss Smalls let her head come up proudly. It was Maria that
looked horrified and froze for a moment. Enough so that Holly Printer looked
away, so as to not see the scene that was unfolding.
    Gerent smiled at Debbie, and then
nodded.
    "Actually, I have some
business to discuss with Merchant Smalls, I think? I should be able to talk to
Tor and Tim about stock and all