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But, as usual, Gryph had proven unpredictable He had not coht

Sariana gave up trying to sleep and sat up against the pillows A pale wash of low By western standards the room was quite restrained Of course, she reflected half humorously, that still left a lot of leeway for artistic license Soe of that leeway

The cabinetry was beautifully finished with fineThe elaborately detailed bed on which she sat was solidly anchored to the deck, unlike most beds on shore Presuerous for shipboard use There was a ht shone in a series of intricate prise It reminded her of prisma crystal and the lock on her husband's weapon kit

Damn it, he was not her husband, Sariana told herself for what must have been the reed with her, Sariana was finally convinced that the only way

out of the situation was to leave the western provinces and return to the eastern continent

But she couldn't do that just yet Her future in the east at this point was bleaker than the one she faced in the west Her ht that at least here life held a certain amount of adventure and excitement She would find neither at home

Sariana swore softly and cli positive about such things as adventure and excite in the west too long It reminded her uncomfortably of how she had felt when Etion Rakken had e proposal She had found herself thinking it would have been nice to have had a declaration of love and passion thrown in on the side That had been a very western thought, too No easterner in his right mind would have worried about the role of love and passion in afor it

Well, she had gotten a clear demonstration of passion, at least, from the man who had ht, there had certainly been an element of passion involved Gryph had wanted her with an intensity that had burned its way right into her soul She had been vibrating with the aftershocks ever since she had left his bed

This ht he had not tried to press his claienuinely believed he was e things, Sariana reflected But, so did the other inhabitants of the western provinces Their First Generation legends had taken some weird twists and turns Which was understandable when one considered that The Serendipity had carried a whole class of storytellers and dra cloak and slipped it around her shoulders As long as she kept the front closed no one would know she earing only her sleeping chemise underneath She stepped into her slippers

At the cabin door she stopped, questioning her own actions Then she opened the door and stepped into the corridor There were things that had to be settled tonight She had been floundering in aThe rule to follohen one found oneself in an untenable situation was to negotiate

The scarlet-toe, nestled for the night on a glove Sariana had left on a nearby table, hissed questioningly "Go back to sleep," Sariana told it "I'll be back soon I aain"