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CHAPTER 11

Plea

Sam awoke early, startled by a loud sound from outside her home. It was unfortunate as well, as her physical state during this stage of pregnancy was causing her physical pain that kept her from falling back asleep anytime she woke early. As she groaned inwardly, she turned to see her husband, still sleeping like a rock that couldn't be roused by a meteor strike. She sighed with discontent as this was the same sight she'd seen for the last five days. Whether she went to bed before or after Rishi, she always woke up before him. And when he did wake up, his attentiveness remained low throughout the day. He never wanted to just have a conversation, his time spent with her and the kids seemed toilsome, and he'd nap for at least an hour whether he got 8 hours of sleep the night before or 10.

He was distant as well, his thoughts often drifting away from his family or his fellow natives when they were conversing. Sam had figured his current physical and mental state had something to do with his most recent tribute and she tried desperately to get him to tell her something, but he always refused. While he never outright denied her claim, he did say that it was merely an excessively long offering, but that it was nothing he hadn't performed with the felines before. Despite his claims, Sam never bought into his words as his expressions suggested something more distressing. She wanted to press him, but given his efforts to attempt to alleviate her fears and doubts, she decided to let it slide and go on as if she believed him.

But on that morning, back hurting with her husband lying motionless beside her, the sheets covering his chest moving up and down as he breathed, she couldn't take it any longer. She couldn't go on acting as though nothing were wrong when she knew, without a doubt, that her husband was suffering. Whether out of fear, obligation, or honor, she couldn't say, but what she did know was that he was covering up for the royal felines. They pushed him hard, harder than he ever deserved, and now he was paying the price of their sick perversions. She decided then and there that she needed to step up, she needed to finally say something and get her hubby to start talking to her. But at the same time, whatever he was going through, it was obviously eating him up inside and for her to try and force it out of him, that would not make her look very good in anyone's eyes. She figured there was another way she could approach the situation, but to do that she'd need to head over the High Court.

So climbed out of bed, struggling to do so as the bump on her belly made mobility rather difficult. She got dressed rather slowly, making as little noise as she could, though she knew nothing she did would rouse the exhausted rodent from his slumber. She grabbed a heavy coat, some thick leather boots, and made her way to the door. She began to wonder whether or not she'd be able to get a ride to Court. It was still pretty early and there was no telling whether or not she'd find someone out on the road with a horse-drawn carriage that would give her a ride. Walking was out of the question.

As she stepped outside, the brisk, cold morning air hit her hard and she shook a little, taking a moment to get adjusted to the temperature before venturing out passed the fence. Luck was on her side that day, for as soon as she reached her gate a Felis Army soldier was making his way west, no doubt on his way north towards the High Court. Fortunately for her, he was generous enough to give her a ride. As she rode, each time the carriage hit a bump in the road, she felt a slight pain in her back. Her nerves were firing and she was obviously uneasy and wasn't sure it was a good idea to put herself through this until after she had the baby. But she wasn't certain when the baby was due and Rishi was up for another tribute in two days. She worried that something might happen to worsen his current physical state and wouldn't feel comfortable if she didn't at least bring her concerns to the Lord's attention.

As she rode up to the front entrance, she saw a leopard and a cheetah standing guard aside the front door. They paid her little mind as she hobbled off the carriage, laughing amongst themselves. As she approached, they turned their attention towards her, both with a condescending look on their faces. She stopped a couple feet short of them and gave a short bow of her head and the most shallow curtsy she could manage as both felines continued to stare at her while remaining silent.

"Good morning, good sirs. I was hoping to have a word with the great Lord Allon." She spoke slowly, quiet and emotionless, bearing no sense of respect at the mention of Allon's name.

The leopard, a rather bulky female, responded in a rather masculine, though still obviously female, voice. "Is the great Lord expecting you so early this morning?"

The cold breeze was getting to the mouse. "No, sir."

The cheetah, a rather hefty male for a creature of his species, spoke up. "And why would our Lord want to speak with a Darreen mouse at such an inconvenient time?"

"My husband is Rishi Winslow."

"Is that name supposed to mean something to us?"

She looked straight into the cheetah's eyes with a sense of defiance. "My husband is the one who's been abused by the Royal Court for the last six months."

Both felines were surprised by the brazen attitude the rodent was displaying, looking at each other a moment before the leopard suddenly realized who she was referring to. "Oooh, you're husband's the mouse whose been giving our Lord and his men a little rodent tail for tribute, isn't he?" Samantha nodded, her brow furrowed, anger in her eyes. The leopard and cheetah grinned wide as they chuckled at the mouse's expense. "Well I guess that makes him the luckiest native in the Plains."

As the two felines laughed, Sam roused her anger. "Rishi is a happily married, straight man who is being forced to give his body to a bunch of horny felines! That doesn't make him lucky!"

"Easy there, missy," the leopard commanded. "That's our ruler you're talking about. You better show some respect."

Sam's heart began beating and she began feeling a bit sick. She didn't want to push too hard in her current state, but she couldn't back down. "I'm sorry. Please forgive me."

"Now why do you want to see Lord Allon?"

"My husband... he's been in a bad state every since his last tribute. I was hoping to have a word with Lord Allon and convince him to give my husband a break this week."

"Is he injured or sick?"

Sam shook her head. "No, sir."

"So what's wrong with him?"

"It's just..." she paused, unsure how much she should say, "...he's been bed-ridden most of the day for the last week and I'm just not sure he's ready for another mating."

"Bed-ridden?" the cheetah inquired. "Cheh, I hardly consider that an excuse to not get laid, especially considering all he has to do is lie there."

Sam was becoming incensed. "Excuse me, but my husband is expected to more than just lie around like a stuffed, sex doll. And he's never been this inactive after sleeping with the Royal Court. I know something's wrong and I'd just like the chance to ask that they give him some time to recuperate."

The leopard shook her head. "Look, sweety, I don't exactly feel good about tellin' someone else they got take it up the ass if they don't want to, but that mouse has his obligations to fulfill and that includes gettin' in bed with Lord Allon." Sam's heart was starting to beat a bit faster, worried she'd come all this way for nothing.

"Besides," the cheetah interjected, "I don't see what your husband has to complain about. He's gettin' the chance to mate with some of the most powerful people in the nation. And believe me, those cats give some really good lovin'. If you're husband can't see that... well you're a female. You explain to him why gettin' a long, hard dick shoved inside you is so good." The cheetah smiled wide back at Sam, either incognizant of or indifferent to her feelings.

Sam was getting impatient and incredibly livid with the guard's blatant disregard for her husband. "Excuse me, but the fact that my husband isn't some homo is none of your business and that's not why I'm here. Nobody can force themselves on my Rishi and get away with it. And if I have to barge into that building-" She began to step forward and at the same time both guards moved in front of her.

"Stop!" the leopard yelled, her smile vanished from her face, now stoic. The cheetah held the same expression. Sam backed away, startled by the feline's movement. Their imposing stature made the mouse realize anything she tried would be futile if they intended to stop her and she had no doubt that they would follow their duty, regardless of the fact that they were defending their lord from a pregnant mouse just over half his height. She gulped and began to shiver as the cold air from the morning breeze started affecting her more now. With the felines both having advanced towards her in a threatening manner only exacerbating the cold's effects.

"Please, sir. I just wish to speak to his lordship. That's all." Sam was getting more and more worried that they wouldn't be granting her access.

"Sorry, miss. If something is wrong with your husband, tell him to bring it up with the court during his next offering."

Sam looked pleadingly at the feline guards, her heart sinking, but not wanting to leave just yet. As they stood there, the door to the High Court opened and out stepped a large, muscular lion.

"What is going on out here?"

Sam saw the imposing male and her heart fluttered anxiously. She knew the court guards by reputation, having seen them each only a few times from afar, so seeing him here and now was a bit overwhelming for her. That anxiety became mixed with disdain as she knew from Rishi's account that this was the man that viciously attacked him early on and almost killed him. He was the one responsible for the bite marks on his neck and the most recent wounds the poor mouse has had to endure. After a few seconds, she managed to catch a whiff of the large cat's scent and after having spent many days having to smell her husband coming home covered in cat musk she could now place one particular scent with a face. It was a smell she recognized quite well, though subtle in the cold air, it was still quite detectable and made the young woman queezy. She felt the child in her belly ruffle around a bit.

The lion wore nothing but a leather pouch to cover his genitals with a strap wrapped around his waist and thighs. The sight of such casual display of one's shame was unsettling to Sam and her opinion of the lion was lowering further now. She still couldn't deny, though, the intimidation she felt from his domineering presence.

"I'm sorry, Sir Amarro," the leopard responded. "There's a native here who was trying gain access to the High Court."

"What does she want?" he asked the leopard while staring down at the tiny, pregnant mouse. Sam's nerves were only getting more active and she was shivering more noticeably now.

"She wishes to speak with Lord Allon about... R... Ris... Ric... her husband. The mouse with the 'unique' tribute." She made the quotation gesture with her paws as she said unique.

Amarro cocked an eyebrow and grinned. "Ooh, so you're Rishi's wife."

"S- Samantha, S- Sir, Am- marro." A mixture of nervousness and cold was making her stutter.

"Is something wrong?"

"W- with all due respect, g- good sir. It's rather c- cold outside and I- I'm not in the pr- proper state t- to deal with it. So if you would be so gracious, I- I would appreciate it if-f-f I could c- come inside, i- if it p- pleases you." It took a while for the words to come out, but they did and the cheetah and leopard stood there staring with shock back at the mouse. She'd just threatened to barge in past them and now was practically begging to be let in. Despite her recent outburst towards the two guards, her plea towards Amarro was genuine.

The lion was moved, though. He smiled and held the door open, standing aside to let her in. "Alright. Come on in. I don't want to see Master Rishi's spouse freeze to death in this bitter cold. I certainly don't want anything to happen to her unborn child."

Something about the way he said the last statement seemed insincere, not to mention the sentence itself was a little unsettling, especially with that grin on his face and his fangs sticking out for her to see. Nevertheless, he granted her access and in a sign of respect, she gave a very subtle and rather curt nod to the two guards who just stared back at her with distrust as she walked past them. She stepped passed Amarro, bowing her head respectively and getting a much stronger whiff of his musk. It was nauseating to her to get so strong a sniff directly from one of the men who had covered her husband in their scent. But being in their presence, she knew she needed to show proper respect and etiquette, so she politely held her tongue and entered the building at the lion's invite.

As Amarro closed the door, Samantha stood just passed the main entrance and embraced the warmth, rubbing her arms as she allowed heat to reenter her body. While the building wasn't exactly warm inside at the moment, it was a good bit warmer inside than out and that was good enough for her. She enjoyed the comforting temperature, but kept every article of clothing on her person as she had no intention of staying long. Amarro stepped beside her and looked down upon her.

"Is that better?"

"Much. Thank you," she said hardly able to meet his commanding eyes.

"Good. So back to my question, is anything wrong with Rishi?"

Sam looked up at Amarro with concern in her eyes. "Good Sir, I- I think your last... tribute left my husband in a weakened state. He's been spending most of his time in bed and when he's not lying down he has very little energy. I've tried to get him to talk to me about what's wrong, but he refuses to admit that anything's wrong. But I know there is and I was hoping to convince his lordship to... maybe... give Rishi a break for the week."

A humble expression accompanied her words that begged the lion to accept her plea, and whether or not it worked, the lion seemed amenable to her request. "Hm, I see. Well, I don't want to see the little mousy get hurt, but it's not up to me. So, go on ahead and take up your request with Allon." Amarro held up his paw in the direction of where the cougar was stationed. He began forward, leading the way towards the back of the hall.

"Thank you, Sir Amarro." She bowed in respect and followed the lion, her heart feeling a bit more at ease.

She followed him up the stairs and passed the Lord's Seat. She stopped to stare at it, having never gazed upon it before, and continued back. Allon and his men were all sitting at the table to the left, enjoying a breakfast of eggs, ham, and a generous helping of thick, creamy milk. Allon was sitting at one end closest to his bedchambers. Jarai was to his left and Dubois was to his right. Kish sat next to Jarai and next to Dubois was a table setting with an empty chair where, no doubt, Amarro was sitting beforehand.

They were all dressed similarly to Amarro; that is to say not quite dressed at all. Jarai and Dubois wore cloths that covered their entire crotch and backside and tied around their waste and tail. Kish was wearing the least revealing item, a pair of braeis that covered his hips and thighs down to just above his knees. Allon, however, displayed the least shame in his body and showed that coverings were not necessary. He sat naked, his sheath exposed, though lucky for Sam he was sitting at the table and his privates were hidden underneath it.

"What's going on?" Allon asked Amarro.

"We have a visitor," the lion responded, gesturing towards Samantha as she stopped just short of the table.

They all looked back at her, confused stares mixed with tired expressions. Sam suddenly felt even more nervous than before, having the entirety of the Royal Court staring at her like a criminal come before a tribunal. The smell of meat wafted around the table, which in and of itself was relatively pleasant to the mouse. But mixed in with the aroma of breakfast foods was the scent of the court's members. Kish, being closest to her, was easy enough to distinguish, but all the other felines' individual musks intermixed together. It didn't matter much to Sam though, as she felt nauseated by the odor, reminding her of the stink her husband brought home to her on a weekly basis. It was, admittedly, to a much weaker degree, but it still affected Samantha, physically and emotionally.

Amarro began to take his seat as he explained who she was. "This is Samantha Winslow, Rishi's wife."

Everyone suddenly beamed as her identity was revealed. "Ah, so your our precious little mousy's spouse," Lord Allon spoke up, a huge smile on his face. "I must say, it's a pleasure to finally meet you. It is rather unorthodox for us to receive any visitors this early in the morning and without any notice, but for Rishi's wife, I am willing to make an exception. Welcome to our great hall, Mrs. Winslow. Would you like something? Some eggs, milk, toast; our chef can make you anything you like."

Sam was a bit stunned that the Lord of the Plains was being so hospitable to her, given her status. "No thank you, my Lord. I just came because I wished to speak to you about something that involves my husband."

"Oh, really? What did you wish to discuss?"

Amarro spoke up. "Apparently, we wore the poor little guy out last week and he's been in a weakened state every since."

"Is that so?" Allon furrowed a brow in concern and Sam responded by weakly nodding her head. She was having trouble looking any of the feline men in the eye as she was suddenly struck by complete fear. "Well, my dear I'm sorry we were so hard on him. Tell me, what exactly has he told you about what happened?"

Sam paused for a moment. "He... he hasn't said anything. He's been very... secretive about it."

"I see. Well, let me tell you, madam, all of us were in a particular state of mind and it was quite out of our control the way we acted. I know it might be hard to take in, but I assure you we won't be taking him the same way again. He'll be treated with the utmost respect."

Allon shined a rather jovial grin in her direction as if he were sincere in what he was saying. To Samantha, though, nothing they were doing was respectful. She then looked up at Allon, glancing back at him as he continued to smile at her while the other members continued their breakfast. Sam took a deep breath and spoke up again.

"Well, that's what I was hoping to ask you about, my Lord. See, Rishi's never been this distressed before. He's come home in bad shape, yes, but he usually doesn't take this long to get over something. The fact that he's so weak right now I think qualifies him for a bit of a break."

Allon looked confused. "What do you mean a break?"

"I-" Sam began to speak, but as the rest of the Royal Court began to stare at her, she suddenly felt tense and couldn't speak anymore. She'd been prepared to speak out against the royal members, but now, standing here in front of them, a minuscule rodent in the company of hulking felines, she began to feel as small as all outward appearances made it seem. She'd met with members of the Felis Army and never felt this small before. It was probably their positions of power or maybe the confidence they exuded, especially the Lord himself. The fact that she was surrounded by a smell she'd come to revile didn't help matters. But after taking a pause and seeing everyone waiting for her to explain, she got enough confidence to finally ask the Lord for a favor.

"I think that you should give Rishi the week off to recuperate from last week's tribute."

There was silence for a moment, all eyes staring back at the pregnant mouse. She began to feel ill again as her nerves were firing faster than ever before. Amarro looked back towards Allon, waiting for his reaction. The cheetah saw the lion's movement and looked back at him before following his eyes and glancing over at the cougar as well. Allon stayed silent, breathing steadily as he stared back with unbroken stoicism. He began tapping the table with his digits from one hand, the other hanging off the back of his chair.

"You do, do you?" he finally said. Sam gulped, an image of the cougar jumping out of his chair and throwing her to the floor and stomping on her for making such a suggestion began playing out in her mind. The cougar, however, was not nearly that choleric. He took a deep breath and played around with his plate a little before looking back at her. "Tell me, is he able to walk and talk and eat and do his business without assistance?"

Sam, annoyed by the question, let her heart and stomach relax a bit as the puma she was frightened of remained calm and collected and, most importantly, seated. "Yes... my Lord."

"And would he be able to come down here on his own, without an escort, and lie in our beds for 20 minutes each?"

Sam didn't want to answer that. She didn't want to admit that he would be able to come bed these felines, but she had no way of denying it. "Ugh... yes, my Lord."

"Hm. Well, I understand your concern, madam, and I can sympathize with you. But everyone in the Plains, your family included, has to make a tribute as agreed by our king and your husband has agreed to offer himself as the tribute. He made that agreement a half a year ago and if he's weak and tired, believe me, it doesn't matter to us. We'll be gentle and he won't have to do anything he can't, but he will do as he's obligated. Alright?"

Allon was ready to go back to eating, but Sam was unhappy with his response. "No. It's not alright. My husband has been abused, bitten, scratched, and touched in ways that would make feel anyone absolutely humiliated. He has come home bleeding, limping, absolutely filthy and stinking to high heaven. My husband is a good man and he doesn't deserve this. He deserves a break and I think you all owe him for being so obedient in his tributes."

Allon's expression changed to a stern scowl as he pointed back at the small, gray-furred mouse. "Careful, madam. Remember your place."

Sam's heart froze and every ounce of bravery and pride she felt left her as the Lord's piercing gaze cut through her hardened shell. She immediately lowered her head and held her paws and spoke in a very soft and guilty voice. "I- I'm sorry, m- my Lord."

Allon let out a deep sigh and rolled his eyes. "Come here," he said gesturing her forward.

Sam stood motionless, her discomfort evident. She lifted her head and stared back at the cougar, exchanging glances while the rest of the Royal Court watched and waited for the mouse to follow the Lord's command. Instead, the frightened mouse began to step back, obviously nervous and hoping to escape the most uncomfortable situation.

Jarai chuckled. "Hehe, I think you scared the young lady."

Kish let out a soft hmph as he glanced at Sam. "Ma'am, you have nothing to fear. Our lord is not going to hurt a small, defenseless, pregnant mouse. He just wants to have a word with you."

Sam stopped moving away from the table, keeping her eyes on the large cougar that was staring her down. When the tiger spoke, it was calm and reassuring, but her distrust toward the royal felines made her hesitant to do as the puma instructed. At that point, Allon smirked and began laughing softly.

"My dear, if I frightened you, I apologize. I may be your superior, but I am a reasonable man. You asked to see me and explain your concern over your husband's well-being and I understand that and appreciate it. I am just a personable guy and wish to convey my thoughts to you less formally. So, if you will please..."

He made another gesture, beckoning her over to him. Sam gulped, her heart fluttering, making it much more uncomfortable for her to be standing there. Her body began to ache more than usual, but the Lord's calm and friendly demeanor gave her a little more confidence to push past the feline's menacing presence. She slowly stepped around the tiger and passed the lynx, picking up his individual scent as she did. It was stronger than either Amarro's or Kish's and reeked in a way distinct to the mouse. She approached the cougar and as she did he turned in his seat to face her. Upon doing so, his naked form was exposed to the rodent and she became flush with embarrassment. She caught sight of the feline's monstrous sheath and testicles and averted her eyes. In that instance she was fully aware of what Rishi was subjecting himself to week after week for the last 6 months and it brought an immense feeling of dread. The feline pouch was huge, larger than anything she'd ever taken in her life, and Rishi was receiving the contents of that package anally. The thought gave her a renewed and mcuh deeper sense of sympathy for her husband.

Allon stared at her as she stopped just short of him, her gaze aimed off to the side. He knew why she was averting her eyes, but he paid it no mind. He leaned forward and took her paw, gently pulling her closer to him. His grip was gentle, though the enveloping size terrified her to think what it could do if the Lord so wished. She wouldn't have imagined that such feelings of fear and apprehension could come from merely being in the presence of the royal felines. His scent caught her attention and it dominated her senses: strong, potent, and brimming with masculinity. Her husband's suffering at the hands of these men was more apparent now than she'd even imagined.

Allon placed his other paw on hers comfortingly. "Look at me," he said softly, but commandingly. She did so, meeting his eyes while trying her best to avoid spotting his malehood's scabbard. "I admire you for what you're doing. Few in the Plains would have the courage to speak to me the way you just did and I don't hold that against you. You're worried for your husband's well-being and I should hope that you would be. I know that standing here next to us, alone and afraid, you can understand better what Rishi must feel like when he has to come here each week and give himself to us. And I'm sure there is little of anything I or any of my guards could say that would alleviate what you are feeling right now. But I assure you, Rishi's well-being means a lot to us and we would never do anything that would put him at unnecessary risk."

The cougar spoke so smoothly and so comfortingly to the mouse that she almost wanted to believe him. Though her fear was not assuaged, she was beginning to understand a bit better as to how and why Rishi could defend the Lord for doing what he was doing to his body. But her doubt would never leave her that easily.

"He doesn't deserve this," she said blatantly, but softly, her eyes beginning to water.

"I'm sure he doesn't. He's a good mouse, but this is what he agreed to. Any other lord from our province would have thrown him and his family out of the Plains after the second week. Giving him this chance to make an offering, albeit a very unconventional one, allowed him to remain safe, as well as you and your kids. Given the fact that I've given you all a way to keep your home and your lives the way they are, isn't that worth a small portion of your husband's shame? And he's gotten a lot more used to his tributes over time. He's realized there not as bad as he once thought."

The words made sense to the mouse and the tears weren't coming easily, but they didn't convince her. "But how could you ask him to do this after what the canines did to us?"

Allon lowered his brow and cocked his head to the side. "Well, what exactly did the canines do to you?"

Samantha was about to speak, but then stopped herself, a look of surprise coming upon her face. "Wait, Rishi didn't tell you?"

"We all saw the scars and we assumed the canines did it to him, but he's never spoken about them and we never felt the need to ask."

Samantha slowly withdrew her paw as a sullen look crossed her face. "I'm sorry, my Lord. I had assumed that Rishi had told you about our... history."

Allon shook his head. "No, no he never..."

"Oomph!" Sam took a few steps back and bent over, clutching her stomach in pain.

Jarai was quick to stand and hold her steady. "Are you alright?"

"You seem to be overdoing it," the cougar commented. "You're straining yourself. Have a seat and rest a bit."

"No, no. I'm fine," Sam said shaking her head and standing up slowly. Jarai kept a paw on her shoulder. "Thank you, good Sir." She turned to Allon. "And thank, lord Allon for seeing me and hearing what I have to say, but I think it'd be best if I went home and rested."

"Very well. Jarai will see you out. Please relax and don't stress your yourself. It's bad for the baby."

Sam took the cougar's words to heart and agreed that what she was doing was not healthy for her or her unborn infant. She gave a very small bow of respect as she turned towards the entrance. Jarai stayed at her side as Allon said, his scent still offensive to the distressed rodent, but the effect it was having had dulled. She entered with the thought that the Identine Royal Court members were a bunch of evil, twisted, sadistic demons just like the canines were when they took Darreen. Despite their sexual conquest towards her husband, it was harder for her to despise them given the empathetic nature they were employing towards her. She paused on her way out and turned to face Allon, who remained seated the entire time.

"Please, my Lord. Please don't hurt my husband."

Allon sat up straight and proud. "I promise you, no harm will come to him."

"What about all the bite marks and scratch marks he's endured from your matings?"

Allon chuckled nervously. "Merely the result of typical feline mating actions. I assure you, we are in complete control of our actions and his life is never in any danger."

Sam gulped, almost afraid to ask her next question. "And... and what about the time he came home with bite marks on the front of his neck."

At that, all eyes in the room turned to Amarro, who sat up looking guilty, a little irritated, but also remorseful. "That fault was mine. I lost control and let my wild instincts take over. It only happened once and hasn't happened since, but to this day it still raises in me a level of guilt every time I see those scars on his neck. But I have been working on controlling my instincts and have had no repeat incidence. But for what it's worth, I apologize, ma'am."

His words seemed genuine, his ears tucked back slightly towards his head as he spoke. There were no words he could say that would relieve Samantha of her fears for her husband, but it was enough to hear the lion say them to soften her distraught mind. She gave the lion a weak smile. "Thank you, good Sir." She bowed her head and began again towards the door.

As she walked away, the Lord and his retinue went back to their morning routine. "Wow! She's kinda spunky for a mouse, isn't she?" Dubois commented.

"Yes, she is," Amarro agreed. "Regardless of her reasons, her attitude could use some adjusting. She talks like that to the wrong person, she'll find herself in deep trouble."

"Perhaps," Allon responded. "But she is with child and she is just worried about her husband. I don't want to poor creature thinking we're barbarians in our treatment of Rishi. Let it go for now."

Allon took a sip of his milk, which was slowly warming up in the glass, then slowly lowered it as he watched the tiny figure walk away. A thought came to him and it was one he thought his men might share.

"Gentlemen, I have a question for you all."