Second Spin

By Roger Russell

The corporation had won the war, and peace filled the three galactic spirals. Or did it?

One grainy intercepted message tipped that thinking on its ear.

"Audra, were so desperate. The men we have left are doing the best they can. But we cant raise enough food to feed ourselves. The lichen is hard to scrape, and the children and women cant harvest enough to support our population."

Quiet sobbing filled the gap before the second woman spoke softly.

"Milly, I know. Even our last two priests have started working in the food caverns."

Any advanced human society can be nice to someone that deserves it. But what about an enemy that doesnt? Their far-flung trade worlds knew the Blood Star System to be mortal enemies. Could they put a "second spin" on the story to turn things around in time to save the dying planet?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Mar 23, 2018
• ISBN: 9781543471601

Roger Russell

Born in 1947 in Eldoret, Kenya Roger attended school in Bournemouth, UK and St David's College in Johannesburg, SA. Roger Russell fell into a long drop toilet when he was three years old, out of a car when he was four. He went on to almost drown himself at six, cut through his left leg when he was seven and crush his right arm when he was nine. By the time he was eleven he had spent over a year in hospital and had been the recipient of many hundreds of stitches. He was banned from playing soccer or rugby and could not run to save his life. He started in the mines at nineteen and lost his finger in an accident before a month had passed. He joined the U/G Rescue team and was gassed, trapped and lost underground within the space of a single year. Roger married in 1968 and is the father of four children by his first wife, Sharon, to whom he was happily married for twenty five years before she died of cancer in 1993. He has since remarried and lives with Cynthia on a 30 foot motor cruiser in Hermitage Marina near St Ives in the UK. They have one child, a boy named Gordon after Roger's father. In 1993, after the death of his wife, Roger walked from Beit Bridge on the Northern border of South Africa to Cape Town, a distance of 2000km. He slept alongside the road and walked alone and un-armed through one of the worst political times the country had ever seen. He saw then and has continued to see immense power in common people. In 1999 he walked right around South Africa to support a much maligned South African Police Services. He was mugged by a squatter camp gang, attacked by a policeman in a remote station in the Transkei and swept away in a flash flood in the Orange Free State. He has seen police barracks that were worse than some prison cells, met and spoken with criminals, saints and politicians. The British media called him a South African hero and Steve Tshwete, the South African Minister of Safety and Security at the time said he was truly a South African patriot. Roger has also walked in America on two occasions, promoting South Africa and cancer awareness to the people of California, Nevada, New Mexico and other states. Roger has written several books all of which he plans to publish with Smashwords in time.

Book preview

SECOND SPIN

Roger Russell

Copyright © 2018 by Roger Russell.

Illustrations by Jordan Zlomke

Library of Congress Control Number:     2017918927

ISBN:             Hardcover               978-1-5434-7158-8

                       Softcover                 978-1-5434-7159-5

                       eBook                       978-1-5434-7160-1

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted

in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system,

without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the

product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance

to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models,

and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Rev. date: 03/23/2018

Xlibris

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CONTENTS

One

Two

Three

Four

Five

Six

Seven

Eight

Nine

Ten

Eleven

Twelve

Thirteen

Fourteen

Fifteen

Sixteen

Seventeen

Eighteen

Nineteen

Twenty

Twenty One

Twenty Two

Twenty Three

I would like to dedicate this book in memory of Marian McCallister. She was one of the kindest intelligent people I have had the honor of learning from.

There was so much to learn from her, so much she wanted to teach others. Her love of literature, her clear vision for a well told story. Most of all, her patience with those she was teaching. So much about her will remain with me always.

ONE

Hans, be a dear and hand me that spread for my crackers.

The gruff old man peered around the table and located the bottle of preserves his wife was referring to, and picking it up carefully with his gnarled fingers placed it on the table where she could easily reach.

His companion, a petite white haired lady, sat next to him at their breakfast table. With a delicate gesture she indicated her thanks. Locating a salver she then carefully picked up the bottle.

Hans broke her concentration with a statement so out of the blue that Victoria did not see it coming. It was just so unlike him to say anything unless she was expecting it. Hans parsed his words with care, rationing them to be sure each had the best possible impact. So, as he spoke she paid close attention.

I think those kids running everything are going to make a horrible mistake.

Victoria was going to go ahead with her food, and was about to apply a generous dollop of a smooth creamy delight on her cracker but stopped cold. Hans referred to anyone less than seventy-five or eighty as kids. But the nature of the comment itself was concerning her.

Hans, I’ve only heard you say something like that twice in all the years I’ve known you.

She picked up a napkin and delicately blotted her mouth then placed it on her lap. She turned ever so slightly in her comfortably padded chair to face him better.

If you’re going to drop a bombshell like that, you had better be able to explain it.

He was pushing his cereal around with a spoon, but after she spoke he put it down. Both sat for a moment ignoring their breakfasts. Pauses in the conversation like this between them were fairly common and neither seemed bothered by it.

Finally Hans broke the silence. He chose his words with the usual deliberation, looking out past the patio and down towards the distant horizon. Almost everything on the planet was down when seen from their favorite nook where they were eating breakfast.

Their home sat on a rocky craig on the planet of Vermillion. The planet was the closest in appearance that they could find to the harsh landscapes of his ancestral homeland in Scotland. Both were cold and bleak in the winters. Even in the milder temperate warmer months the rocky landscape had a harsh rugged sort of beauty.

The patio where they typically sat and ate was designed and built on a precipice. A long drop fell away below them and the home proper loomed up behind. Towering up, it had the presence of a comforting mass, even if the mountain rising above them dwarfed what they had built. The structure itself was more than a home, it was a fully functional off-world compound by design. Most visitors would be awe struck at the setting and not even look past the materials or structural arrangements to notice.

The corporation that both Hans and Victoria had retired from didn’t have an official presence here on Vermillion. There was a nominal trade representative in the capital city. Any official treaty? None had been signed. When the couple had arrived they didn’t have any leverage other than their offer of good will. The planetary leadership had accepted them and perhaps allowed them to build because of that. Accordingly, their abode had no title other than that of a residence. Their home was a courtesy from the native government who leased them the remote mountain top in the undeveloped wilderness area.

The two sat in silence as the moment stretched. Finally Hans spoke.

I know, since I’m the last second generation director. I’ve been around long enough to see things.

That was true, the small closed group of directors that administered the affairs of the corporation were for the most part fifth generation, or were five generations from when they had left earth and its space. Their past involving their Mother Earth was distant recorded history. Hans continued,

"When I talk about my father, people automatically think of our push out into the stars. Or, the struggle to develop technology so we could survive in space.

But my dad, when we were talking, usually told me stories about old Earth. More importantly my grandfather told me stories as well. True, some were about that leap outward to escape all that political nonsense embroiling everyone on our home world. Yet, when he explained his thinking, it always had elements that kept coming back to our origins, our home on good old terra firma.

He sipped from his glass of juice and swallowed; the dry old raspy voice was soothed enough he could continue.

Did you know that the Scots and the English were bitter enemies for hundreds of years? They would fight until one side would finally win. Then, both would remain enemies and use the gaps in between wars as a chance to steal from and weaken each other. It kept them at each other’s throats for centuries.

She had finished with the spread and was nibbling on the cracker. When her darling husband talked about the past it went on for a while. Her crackers were designed and baked with all the extra nutrition she needed at her age; fragile bones was something she wanted to avoid.

Of course Victoria was paying very close attention in spite of the nibbles on her cracker.

I read about that in history I think. We all know about how barbaric humans can be to each other.

She took a drink of her juice.

So are you afraid the war council will make that sort of similar mistake now?

He nodded.

The battles were over now. It was common knowledge that the corporation had been at war, a war that decimated the aggressor, the Blood Star forces. Thankfully, they had handily won with very few casualties. That was one of the reasons he was so sure of his conclusions.

The board and war council will surely decide to oppress the remaining civilians at the Blood Star system. As sure as the sun rises on the same side of the horizon every single day.

He tapped the table with his finger tips in emphasis.

They will either oppress them out-right, or even worse by ignoring them now that they’re helpless. We can’t let that happen.

Victoria studied him, and then glancing away she turned her attention to the majestic view spread before them. It looked cold and forebodingfor one simple reason, because it was. The two of them sat in comfort of course. A stasis field around their little patio held the cold winds at bay. So the distant beauty was preserved under the illusion that the scene was hospitable. Vermillion was many things, but in this area, hospitable wasn’t one of them. The natives had learned to avoid the more rugged areas of the planet and to reap the bounty of the more level regions nearer the equator that conveniently suited a more agrarian lifestyle.

Picking up her comp pad she did some checking.

The Desoto is unloading for the next week. We could request cargo space, for a few odds and ends they might need on the Blood Star home world, ‘Beloved’.

Hans nodded carefully. The Desoto was a huge long-range cargo ship they had used in the past.

A single month to load and three to travel there. By then we should have the political loose ends tied up and this new generation of diplomats can show up slightly before the supplies all arrive. They’ll take one of those new shuttles from the Mendelson’s Shipyards no doubt and make the trip in about a week.

She sat composing a few messages. One to her son, asking him to arrange the financial aspects of the project, another to her old friend Dr. Garrett, affectionately known as Dr. Gran.

Food, and medical supplies, with an emphasis on food; clothing perhaps. Gran mentioned that there is a group of captured enemy sailors and even a retired spy. We might want to talk to them about what needs their people have back home. She will be able to tap into her contacts and find out for us. And knowing Dr Gran, we’ll have the answers we need by the time we sit down to a nice lunch.

She munched contentedly on her next cracker and drank more juice to wash it down.

Hans made the next suggestion,

Then it’s time we think about the political component to this. Why don’t we invite some young blooded hot shots out here and get them engaged in the project? And the board. We need to start some popular support if we want their attention; someone in charge of covering the media, to whip up some stories about the war effort perhaps. We can encourage the journalists to run them on the nets to start the campaign with the civilians. After all, it’s the civilians that would get stuck paying for everything.

He stirred his cup of hot beverage carefully and pulled the spoon out before holding the porcelain mug in his cold hands to warm them. At his advanced age, his hands were always cold.

I think it’s time I release a sample, a teaser from my memoirs. One that makes the point I want them to think about. How every victory can be a chance for growth, a line of thought that led us as a corporation at several pivotal points in our history.

Victoria sipped on her juice and nodded.

We can have that nice lady in public relations get ‘saturation’, explaining and making it all sound so reasonable. She might even soften the ground for the next stages we want to push.

They both thought a bit more and Hans finished his cup of hot beverage before commenting,

If we manage this correctly, both agendas might work together.

Victoria nodded, wiping her hands on her napkin before taking up her comp pad again. They had other issues they had been planning on, that were in the works.

Composing a few more messages she put her comp pad down on the side of the table and the two finished their breakfast in companionable silence. A server came and collected their dishes and took them to the kitchen.

Once the Vermillion native staff member unloaded his tray of empty dishes to be cleaned in the kitchen, he noticed the cook was wiping her hands on her apron and setting the timer, a sign she probably had a moment to talk.

Those two out there are just the nicest old things, aren’t they?

The cook had been with them for most of her life and knew better. She pointed a finger at him and warned,

Those nice old things run half the known galaxy from behind the scenes. If you know what’s good for you, don’t ever make them angry.

Breakfast was finished. Victoria walked with Hans, heading towards their suite of rooms.

The house really was way too big for a single couple living in seclusion. The main floor had a couple of large rooms, in case they decided to hold a ball or meeting. That is a ball or meeting that would include half the ruling class of the planet; perhaps even most of the directors of the corporation should they want to involve themselves in it again. Some other facilities were sprinkled about; the designer had done several stately embassies and they had given him free reign on what they might need. The second floor along with the third held guest rooms on three wings. It was designed for the rare moments when they might entertain groups large enough to make the gathering significant. How significant? With their past, Hans and Victoria could put into motion events significant enough to be felt later in history. Of course they probably wouldn’t want any credit for it.

The large grand staircase rose graciously to the upper floors. The wide steps began not far from the solid doors at the main entrance. Anyone familiar with the home would realize that made no sense. Guests arrived through the smaller entrance coming off the landing pad in the back. Still, it was based on an old earth design and that meant wide winding stairs were near the main entrance at the front.

Now that Victoria and Hans had finished with breakfast and moved back inside, a daily routine began to play out. The staff stayed hidden from sight, but all the same followed their progress as the couple slowly made their way to the small lift next to the staff coat closet located near the back of the main foyer.

One staffer whispered to another,

They’re headed to their rooms. I’ll let them know upstairs.

The natives on any planet stick together. It was something Victoria and Hans counted on when they hired their entire staff from the closest city, then paid for their training.

As the couple entered the lift and its doors silently slid closed, Victoria moved slightly closer to her husband.

If we’re going on a campaign, I think it’s time we started taking precautions with the staff.

Hans grunted, then nodded.

Particularly with the staff that will travel with us.

He was leaning more on his cane today, something that his wife noticed.

Do you have any changes in mind on the Lilac?

Victoria noticed his face light up at the mention of their yacht. When they had traveled on the sister ship in the recent past the small ship had been so comfortable they commissioned one just like it. Electra used it quietly from time to time, but all the same it normally sat in the shadows at the local space station.

Changes? No, but they might want to check it over for a possible refit. We’re going to be putting a lot of miles on her.

Together they fell silent as the doors opened onto their third floor landing. To the left the great spiral staircase came to an end, to their right a large wall of glass gave the panorama its just due. Victoria was thinking out loud,

I think we should order in extra supplies. It sounds like we are going to have company so we can set all this up the way you think best.

Hans had paused and together they looked out over the countryside below. Hans leaned over and placed a kiss on her wrinkled cheek,

The lives of every human in the Blood Star system may depend on it.

With that, they turned and entered their personal quarters. Hans, going in one direction, and Victoria heading in another. They both had a lot to get done if they wanted to set things into action.

Victoria moved into her suite of rooms, adjoining Hans’s. Once she settled into her seat at the communications console, Victoria was all business.

The panels came to life as she logged in and began her tasks. If Hans wanted to speak to a colleague in the process of studying old earth history, she would find him one. If he wanted to speak to the top five interviewers in the media industry she would contact their staffers.

Frankly, if Hans wanted to buy a spiral arm in a distant galaxy she would try to find a way to make it happen. When her first husband, Director Fornier, had died, it was at the worst possible moment. Long range plans that they had worked on had been at a critical juncture. Instead of lecturing her, or explaining how the schemes were too grandiose like every other financial backer had been doing, Hans had simply stepped in and funded everything.

The new design for current space stations was so common now, nobody remembered the first string the two of them had put into place. Why? Both understood something. Bigger, better space stations were necessary to provide for the structure, the facilities local planets would need to trade with the corporation. In helping her with designs and technical solutions which facilitated easy answers for trade issues, the two had allowed galactic commerce to flourish.

Of course hind site was easy. The thinking at the time hadn’t agreed with them.

One common excuse to turn her down had been that Fusion reactors aren’t practical at that size off planet. Theodore and Victoria as a couple had challenged every assumption about building in space. In all seriousness, even successful directors have limits to their funding. The Fornier family had been about at their limit. When the couple had reached out, initially, the board had given them a tentative green light to proceed. But when her Teddy had died? Then they all suddenly fell silent. It wasn’t like anyone had planned on her husband dying and leaving her holding the bag. As if the Fornier family didn’t have a distinguished history in construction.

It was insulting. They trusted her husband, but while they knew she was competent they didn’t trust her enough to finish what her late husband had started. In fact it was all Victoria could manage not to grow bitter. At the time her children had needed her to provide level headed stability so she did her best.

One day, as she boarded a shuttle to travel to a construction site, Hans had unexpectedly shown up and asked if he could come along for the day. His quiet demeanor was just the balm she needed for her raw nerves. His wife had passed away a few years before. He knew the loneliness she was facing and understood her fierce determination to succeed. By the end of the day after watching her with the workers and builders he had simply asked how much funding she needed.

As director of the Rawlings Institute his backing alone would have made a huge difference. But to fund the construction itself? It was more than anyone could have expected. It was a show of trust and loyalty she never took for granted.

The nasayers? They didn’t know her Hans. A strong friendship developed and within a year they were married. That wasn’t done in their social circle; marriages were planned years in advance by the families and the participants went along like docile little lambs.

Nobody, absolutely nobody who was alive at the time was still active now. So, they couldn’t spread the old gossip about Hans and Victoria. That was one advantage to outliving all your peers.

Her fingers lit up the comm panel and she thought a moment before placing her first call. She had some invitations to extend.

TWO

The selected invitations had gone out to people who were overwhelmingly stunned to receive them.

Theo and Evelyne Childress were among that tiny group of privileged people who were stunned. As they arrived on planet her mouth was hanging open, his eyes were busy looking the place over. Who had ever heard of the planet of Vermillion? It was completely off the radar screen as far as they knew. Nobody was even aware of where Hans Rawlings had gone into seclusion years before. Yet, the relics had reached out and somehow felt Theo and Evelyne deserved to be among of the first to come and visit. It was hard to imagine that they had actually arrived and were seeing all this first hand. As experienced directors they had been in some impressive places, but none like this.

Less than a day before they had received the summons. It was the sort of invitation that one simply wouldn’t consider turning down. So, while the communique was worded as a polite invite, the two understood there had to be more behind the message. The managing directors of the corporation often read between the lines when they communicated with each other. Still, when the message showed up in their communication inbox? Needless to say they were caught off guard.

The surprising request had come from one of the last people they might have expected to hear from. Hear about, perhaps. But not to hear from directly. The reclusive Hans Rawlings. Hans was the last surviving second generation director. His parents had actually stepped foot on old Earth. His grandparents had been born there. And he had survived long enough to be the oldest known shareholder of this era. Rumors had it that he was probably present when the brave traders had left the terran solar system that first time.

Victoria Fornier Rawlings was the one who had actually invited them. No, that wasn’t exactly right. Evelyne was the one she had actually invited. But Theo wouldn’t have missed a chance like this, and was glad he could spare the time to tag along. Evelyne was glad to have the moral support.

As seasoned travelers they were accustomed to landing in all sorts of locales. Theo in particular, since he ran the transportation system and was responsible for the fleet of trade ships and shuttles. They both traveled a lot due to their work, and had been in all sizes of planetary landing craft. And both had been in a variety of launches and landings. Vertical, runways, even on and from water surfaces.

It wasn’t the shuttle itself bringing them to the Vermillion surface that amazed them, but the stunning raw beauty of the planet as they came in on a low approach. Tall mountains littered with huge rock formations, chasms dropping hundreds of feet with hardly a crack showing in the solid cliffs. Not many planets had this rugged bold surface.

As they approached lower altitudes for landing the unspoiled landscape of the planet inspired them into responding with open admiration. That was when they realized that their shuttle was descending not to a sheltered valley, but to a mountain top fortress. Was this where Hans and Victoria resided? There were rumors about where someone of his wealth and stature might find retirement comfortable, but since Hans had gone into seclusion years before nobody seemed sure.

Evelyne gathered her composure first.

I’m not sure I’d want to live here, but it does take your breath away, doesn’t it?

Theo nodded mutely, looking out the view port. As suddenly as if someone had flipped a switch the landing pad walls surrounded them and the view was cut off. The shuttle made its vertical descent dropping smoothly as the pilot eased the craft into the walled compound.

Frozen crystals blew around the corners of the landing courtyard, and steam from the thrusters warned the two how cold it would be. The shuttle settled on the hard surface and the atmospheric pressure equalized with the outside air.

As the thrusters cycled down, the couple gathered their garments. Together the two helped each other bundle up, putting on outer layers and preparing themselves for the frigid temperatures.

The door slid open and the new aromas of the world greeted them. So did the blast of bracingly cold air; the life support of the shuttle couldn’t compensate fast enough.

Theo picked up his travel bag and muttered under his breath,

Remind me about how pretty this place is, from somewhere else; perhaps somewhere a little bit warmer!

Together the shareholders moved forward and exited the small craft. The shuttle crew pointed them towards the doorway of the dwelling proper. As they moved in that direction Theo was still glancing up at the building. Local stone was carefully fitted together to form the exterior walls that they could see from the landing pad. The structure appeared to be constructed from the same materials that they had noticed from the air on the other side of the walls. Native materials, that carried through to the inside past the thick heavy wooden door. Once inside, Theo noticed that the seams were smooth and the same rock had been placed with even more care, without any rough edges.

It looks as strong as the mountainside.

Theo murmured softly,

That’s something I’d be sure to want if I was going to stick a building in a place that faced the elements constantly. And these mountains, the way it is perched like this? I bet winter storms could be brutal here.

The winds and elements could rage, and often did. Inside the air felt as if they were in a little haven of warmth. Insulative properties and strength were nice. All the same the stone was selected for another reason, it had a sense of permanence about it.

And in space building something to last for more than a lifetime was so rare. The two retired corporate executives who created this enclave knew exactly what they wanted. From the setting, the design and the materials, it all screamed of tasteful exclusivity.

Theo used his dry wit and commented,

Hans was never known for doing anything half way, that’s for sure.

Evelyne took his arm and the two stepped further into the warm interior.

A voice greeted them, cultured and delicate.

Hello, to both of you.

The soft old voice had a gentle quality to it, and Victoria stepped forward to greet them. Taking their hands she had a charming twinkle to her eye as she took in their appearance.

I see you read up and prepared for our challenging temperatures, then stopped to help them out of their heavy wraps.

I’m so glad you two could come visit, and on such short notice too.

Mrs. Childress smiled and nodded. A staffer had come and taken their bags for them. Dark uniforms neatly tailored spoke of long term help, in keeping with the reputation the two had when they worked at their offices before retirement.

Victoria motioned them down the long hallway. If Theo was correct, they were moving towards the front of the house.

She paused to speak,

Hans and I were just about to have lunch. I hope you’ll feel up to joining us after the trip down from the local space station?

Theo was normally quiet and reserved, but Evelyne noticed his face twitching.

Victoria Rawlings, I don’t think you dragged us from five sectors away so that we could sit out a meal, especially after such a charming invitation to it.

Evelyne laughed softly and added,

Lead on, we’re right behind you.

But the group paused until another footman collected and trundled off with their outerwear. Thermal clothing was great, and no doubt necessary outside, but not in this modern sanctuary. Both tried to pay attention as they wound their way deeper into the house heading towards their waiting luncheon.

Theo had been in his element up in the stars, but while they were on the ground? Not so much.

Evelyne on the other hand knew exactly what she was looking at. Walking down silent corridors she had a chance to glimpse inside the rooms they were passing. The modern com console in a fully up to date communications room, the conference room… it was the next room which surprised her. It was a formal press room. Snooping after passing that little surprise was anti-climatic.

The dining rooms, and sitting rooms were to be expected. No one had a mansion this size without entertaining on occasion.

It wasn’t those sorts of rooms that captivated her attention; it was the next grouping.

It looked like a studio stage. Who in their right minds hauled in enough furniture and equipment for all the hookups that a full scale galactic press event might call for? There was no other explanation for the set up. If the retired couple were in seclusion it was way out of character. Something was afoot. Their strange summons here grew even more curious.

The passageway merged with the central hall. The ceiling rose vaulting far above them in a pointed arch held in place by thick wooden beams. Victoria led them to one side, away from the huge formal glass entryway. With the cliff at the front of the castle, what the entry way would open up to was a mystery. That would have to be saved for another time as they were whisked to a side balcony, a finger of stone ledge had been shaved into a small patio with the looming fortress rising above and behind.

Victoria paused at the door, a look of warmth on her face when she spotted Hans seated at the table outside.

My husband is already here. The shields will keep the cool breezes off the patio, so we’ll be warm enough.

Stepping up to the door, it slid open and the group joined the elderly man waiting for them.

Hans, we have company.

He turned and dipped his head in greeting. With a casual gesture he pointed towards the other chairs,

Pardon me for not getting up, in fact why don’t you all sit down so I don’t have to crane my neck looking up at you?

Theo pulled out a chair for both Victoria and Evelyne and the ladies settled into their seats.

I’m glad you could come out and meet with us. I perceive that we have a situation and we both want to stop a terrible tragedy from unfolding.

Victoria motioned to someone back inside and a server wheeled out a cart filled with their food.

Practiced movements had dishes and cutlery distributed. Plates filed with fragrant morsels were placed before all with economy and efficiency.

Victoria as hostess watched all with a practiced eye and gave her approval, and dismissal. With that, they were once more alone.

Hans turned to Evelyne,

As a public relations expert, are you happy with the way the war ended?

Evelyne stopped with a spoon halfway to her mouth and returned it to the bowl.

I don’t do public relations, that’s Mrs. Stoner and she’s still in the lower spiral. I focus on, and am unmatched at ‘diplomatic’ relations, a slightly different spin on things. Instead of scandal sheets, I target the heads of state.

She paused as Hans savored the terminology and its nuances.

"I am satisfied that we won, we did win outright, didn’t