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INTRODUCTION {#sec1}
============
*Zygosaccharomyces bailii* is found among the spoilage yeasts that frequently affect acidic foods and beverages, particularly mayonnaise, salad dressings, soft drinks, fruit concentrates and dairy products (reviewed in Stratford [@bib63]; Sá-Correia *et al*. [@bib55]). This yeast species ability to cause spoilage results from its remarkable capacity to tolerate stress induced by weak acids widely used as fungistatic preservatives, such as acetic, benzoic and sorbic acids (Ferreira, Loureiro-Dias and Loureiro [@bib15]; Stratford *et al.*[@bib64]). In fact, *Z. bailii* may proliferate in the presence of weak acid concentrations above those legally permitted in food products (Stratford [@bib63]). Moreover, *Z. bailii* is able to tolerate relatively high ethanol concentrations (Kalathenos, Sutherland and Roberts [@bib25]) and high temperatures (Martorell *et al.*[@bib33]), and to vigorously ferment sugars (Thomas and Davenport [@bib72]), being considered one of the most significant threats in wine industry (Loureiro and Malfeito-Ferreira [@bib30]). Like other members of the *Zygosaccharomyce*s genus, *Z. bailii* is fructophilic, i.e. prefers fructose over glucose when both sugars are present in the growth medium (Sousa-Dias *et al.*[@bib61]; Pina *et al.*[@bib41]). Therefore, acidic food and beverages that contain fructose are at particular risk of spoilage, given that *Z. bailii* specific growth rates and ethanol production are higher during growth in the presence of fructose compared with glucose. Although *Z. bailii* is unable to directly metabolize sucrose, acidic products containing this sugar are also susceptible to spoilage by this yeast species given that, at low pH, sucrose can be hydrolyzed in fructose and glucose (Pitt and Hocking [@bib44]). These traits of *Z. bailii* physiology result in annual losses of millions of dollars (Pitt and Hocking [@bib44]) making this species a serious concern in food industry. Regardless of its activity as spoilage yeast, *Z. bailii* has also gained attention for its potential in biotechnological processes, being proposed as a new cell factory for the production of organic acids and heterologous proteins (Branduardi *et al.*[@bib5]; Dato *et al.*[@bib10]).
Although there are plasmid vectors available for *Z. bailii* genetic manipulation (Branduardi, Dato and Porro [@bib4]), the genetic engineering of this species has been hindered by the lack of stable haploid strains (Mollapour and Piper [@bib36]; Rodrigues *et al.*[@bib50]) and, to date, only one auxotrophic mutant was constructed (Dato *et al.*[@bib10]). However, the parental strain of the derived mutant, previously considered as *Z. bailii*, was taxonomically reallocated to *Z. parabailii* (Suh *et al.*[@bib65]). Moreover, only recently it was possible to have access to the genome sequence of a *Z. bailii* strain, the reference strain CLIB 213^T^ (Galeote *et al.*[@bib17]) and to *Z. bailii*-derived hybrid strain ISA1307 (Mira *et al.*[@bib34]). This hybrid strain has been used in several studies aiming at understanding *Z. bailii* physiology, in particular the mechanisms underlying acetic acid tolerance and toxicity (Sousa *et al.*[@bib60]; Rodrigues *et al.*[@bib52]; Guerreiro, Mira and Sá-Correia [@bib18]; Palma *et al.*[@bib40]), but following its genome sequencing and annotation ISA1307 emerged as an interspecies hybrid between *Z. bailii* and a closely related species (Mira *et al.*[@bib34]). On the other hand, *Z. bailii* CLIB 213^T^ is extremely difficult to manipulate in the laboratory mainly due to its strong aggregation phenotype and, for this reason, strains CBS 685 (NCYC 563) and NCYC 1766 were suggested as better representatives of the species (James and Stratford [@bib24]). More recently, our laboratory has been working with *Z. bailii* IST302, which was found to be more amenable to genetic and physiological manipulations than strain CLIB 213^T^ (Palma *et al.*[@bib40], [@bib39]). Therefore, the sequencing of its genome sequence was considered the next step.
In this work, we provide molecular evidences supporting the taxonomic identification of strain IST302 as *Z. bailii*, as well as its genome sequence and annotation and comparative analysis with CLIB 213^T^ and other relevant yeast species. This study also envisaged the confirmation of the haploid nature of the genome, the characterization of relevant tolerance phenotypes and the search for potential molecular targets involved in *Z. bailii* remarkable weak acid tolerance and the aggregation phenotype. Collectively, the information gathered in this study points *Z. bailii* IST302 strain as highly attractive for the functional analysis of non-essential *Z. bailii* genes and the elucidation of mechanisms underlying its high tolerance to acetic acid and other weak acid food preservatives or to the investigation of *Z. bailii* potential as cell factory.
MATERIALS AND METHODS {#sec2}
=====================
Strains and growth medium {#sec2-1}
-------------------------
The prototrophic strains *Zygosaccharomyces bailii* IST302 (Palma *et al.*[@bib40]), the neotype strain *Z. bailii* ATCC58445^T^ (= CLIB 213^T^) (Galeote *et al.*[@bib17]) and strain ISA1307, a *Z. bailii*-derived interspecies hybrid strain, were used in this work. *Saccharomyces cerevisiae* BY4741 (genotype *MAT*a; *his3*Δ*1*; *leu2*Δ*0*; *lys2*Δ*0*; *ura3*Δ*0*) and BY4743 (*MAT*a/α *his3*Δ*1/his3*Δ*1 leu2*Δ*0/leu2*Δ*0 LYS2/lys2*Δ*0 met15*Δ*0/MET15 ura3*Δ*0/ura3*Δ*0)* were acquired from the EUROSCARF collection. Yeast strains were maintained in solid rich YPD growth medium that contains, per liter, 2 % glucose (Merck, Kenilworth, New Jersey), 1 % yeast extract (Difco Laboratories, Detroit, Michigan) and 2% peptone (Difco Laboratories, Detroit, Michigan) and 2% agar. For susceptibility assays, yeast strains ISA1307, IST302 and BY4741 were cultured in MM4 liquid medium that contains, per litre: 1.7 g yeast nitrogen base without amino acids or (NH~4~)~2~SO~4~ (Difco Laboratories, Detroit, Michigan), 20 g glucose (Merck, Kenilworth, New Jersey), 2.65 g (NH~4~)~2~SO~4~ (Merck), 20 mg methionine, 20 mg histidine, 60 mg leucine and 20 mg uracil (all from Sigma-Aldrich, St. Louis, Missouri).
Taxonomic identification of strain IST302 {#sec2-2}
-----------------------------------------
The nucleotide sequences of the genes from strain IST302 encoding the RNA polymerase II largest subunit Rpb1 and the RNA polymerase II second-largest subunit Rpb2, previously considered relevant for the identification of *Z. bailii* species among closely related species such as *Z. parabailii* and *Z. pseudobailii* (Suh *et al.*[@bib65]), were compared with the nucleotide sequences of *RPB1* and *RPB2* from several *Z. bailii*, *Z. parabailii* and *Z. pseudobailii* strains as described previously (Suh *et al.*[@bib65]). The nucleotide sequences of *RPB1* and *RPB2* genes from strain IST302 were obtained by whole-genome sequencing, as described hereafter.
Cell cycle analysis and quantification of *Zygosaccharomyces bailii* IST302 total genomic DNA by flow cytometry {#sec2-3}
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*Zygosaccharomyces bailii* IST302 cells were batch cultured in YPD growth medium, at 30°C, until mid-exponential phase (OD~600nm~ = 0.6±0.1). A total of 10^7^ cells were harvested by centrifugation, washed twice with distilled water and fixed at least one night in 1 mL of 70 % ethanol (vol/vol). The remaining cell culture was induced to arrest at the G1 phase with 8-hydroxyquinoline (Sigma-Aldrich, St. Louis, Missouri) at a final concentration of 100 μg/mL for 24 h or at the G2 phase with nocodazole (Sigma-Aldrich, St. Louis, Missouri) at a final concentration of 5 μg/mL for 3 h. Arrested cells were harvested, washed and fixed with ethanol, as previously described. Quantification of total genomic DNA from *Z. bailii* IST302 by flow cytometry was performed using a SYBR Green I-based staining protocol, as described before (Fortuna *et al.*[@bib16]). Cells fixed with ethanol were collected by centrifugation, washed with 50 mM of sodium citrate buffer (pH 7.5) and resuspended in 750 μL of this same buffer supplemented with 250 μL of RNAse A (1 mg/mL) (Sigma-Aldrich, St. Louis, Missouri). After 1 h of incubation at 50°C, 50 μL of proteinase K (20 mg/mL) (NZYtech, Lisbon, Portugal) were added to the cell suspension and the mixture was incubated at 50°C for another hour. Cells were subsequently stained overnight at 4°C using SYBR^®^ Green I at a final concentration of 500-fold dilution of the commercial SYBR^®^ Green I (Life Technologies, Carlsbad, California). Triton X-100 was added to the stained samples at a final concentration of 0.25% (v/v). Samples were vortexed, sonicated in a Branson Sonifier 250 (3-4 pulses with at output power of 3 and 30% duty cycle) and analyzed in a FACScalibur (Becton Dickson, Franklin Lakes, New Jersey) flow cytometer. A minimum of 50000 cells per sample were acquired at low flow rate using CellQuest software (Becton Dickson, Franklin Lakes, New Jersey). Analysis of the acquired data was performed using the FlowJo® v10.0.8 software. The fluorescence intensities of the cell cycle peak G0/G1 for *S. cerevisiae* BY4741 and BY4743 were used to build a calibration curve in order to estimate the genome size of *Z. bailii* IST302 strain. Fluorescence intensities for the hybrid strain ISA1307 were used for comparison purposes.
Karyotyping of *Zygosaccharomyces bailii* IST302 strain {#sec2-4}
-------------------------------------------------------
DNA for pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) was prepared in plugs as previously described (Maringele and Lydall [@bib32]). Strains IST302 and CLIB 213^T^ were cultivated overnight at 30°C at 250 rpm in YPD growth medium. Yeast cells were harvested by centrifugation in order to obtain a cell pellet of ∼50 μL volume. Cell pellets were washed twice with 0.05 M EDTA, pH 8.0 and resuspended in 100 μL of 0.05 M EDTA, pH 8.0. Plugs were formed by mixing the suspension of cells with a total of 50 μL of a Zymolyase solution \[46 μL SCE buffer (1 M sorbitol, 0.1 M sodium citrate, and 60 mM EDTA), 1.5 μL zymolyase (NZYtech, Lisbon, Portugal) and 2.5 μL β-mercaptoethanol\] was added to each sample followed by the addition of 300 μL of low-melting point agarose solution (1% low melting point agarose in 10 mL EDTA 0,125 mM, pH 7.0). The mixture was pipetted into wells from the plug molds and placed at 4°C during 30 min. The plugs were then carefully removed and then incubated overnight at 37°C, 50 rpm, in ETB buffer (EDTA 0.05 M, pH 8.0, Tris-HCl 0.1 M, pH 8.0 and 5 % (vol/vol) β-Mercaptoethanol). After this incubation step, plugs were washed three times in TE buffer (10 mM Tris, pH 8.0 and 1 mM EDTA, pH 8.0) and incubated overnight at 37°C in a solution containing 0.05 M EDTA, 1 mg/mL of proteinase K (NZYtech, Lisbon, Portugal), 1 mg/mL RNAse (Sigma-Aldrich, St. Louis, Missouri) and 1 % sodium-N-lauryl sarcosinate. The plugs were washed with EDTA 50 mM at 37°C, 100 rpm, during 15 mins and incubated at room temperature for 1 h in TE buffer, pH 8.0. PFGE was performed in a CHEF- Pharmacia LKB Gene Navigator system. PFGE gels were run in 0.5 % Tris borate--EDTA buffer at 13°C with a voltage of 3 V/cm and switch times of 600 s for 48 h and 300 s for 96 h in a 1 % pulsed-field gel agarose (NZYtech, Lisbon, Portugal).
Genome sequencing, assembly and annotation {#sec2-5}
------------------------------------------
*Zygosaccharomyces bailii* IST302 genome sequencing and assembly was performed as described previously (Mira *et al.*[@bib34]) using a whole-genome shotgun approach that explored paired-end Illumina sequencing (Illumina Hiseq 2000 system, CD Genomics, New York, USA). Short reads were assembled using SOAPdenovo (<http://soap.genomics.org.cn>) (Li *et al.*[@bib27]). The obtained scaffolds were sequentially ordered based on their level of synteny to the genomes of *Z. rouxii* CBS 732^T^, *S. cerevisiae* S288c, *Z. bailii*-derived hybrid strain ISA1307 and *Z. bailii* CLIB 213^T^. To predict genes on the scaffolds, two ab initio gene predictor algorithms were used: GeneMark-S and GenMark-ES version 2.3 (Ter-Hovhannisyan *et al.*[@bib71]). Gene models differently predicted by the algorithms were manually curated based on the structure obtained for *Z. rouxii* CBS 732^T^, *S. cerevisiae* S288c, *Z. bailii*-derived hybrid strain ISA1307 and *Z. bailii* CLIB 213^T^ homologs. The genomes were analyzed using the PEDANT system (Walter *et al.*[@bib74]) to allow comparative feature analysis. To avoid misleading ortholog information based on similarity and bidirectional best hits, QuartetS (Yu *et al*. [@bib72a]) was applied to retrieve a reliable ortholog matrix, which was used for comparative analysis of the genes encoding multidrug/multixenobiotic resistance (MDR/MXR) transporters, of the genes involved in life cycle and meiosis and of the genes involved in cellular aggregation in *Z. bailii* IST302, *Z. bailii* CLIB 213^T^, *Z. rouxii* CBS732^T^ and *S. cerevisiae* S288c. The identification of the centromeres was performed manually based on previously identified point centromere sequences and on the collinear conservation of flanking genes of hemiascomycetous yeasts, in particular of *Z. rouxii* (Pribylova *et al.*[@bib46]; Souciet *et al.*[@bib59]).
The genome sequence and annotation of *Z. bailii* IST302 has been deposited in ENA (<http://www.ebi.ac.uk/ena/data/view/FUGC01000001-FUGC01000105>).
Susceptibility assays {#sec2-6}
---------------------
Susceptibility of *Z. bailii* IST302, ISA1307 hybrid strain and *S. cerevisiae* BY4741 to several growth inhibitory compounds was assessed by spot assays. Yeast cells were grown in MM4 medium at the appropriate pH until exponential phase (OD~600nm~ of 0.5 ± 0.05) and then reinoculated at an OD~600nm~ of 0.05, in 50 mL of fresh medium. When the cultures reached an OD~600nm~ of 0.5 ± 0.05, cells were resuspended in sterile water to obtain suspensions with ∼5 × 10^5^ cell/mL. These cell suspensions and three subsequent dilutions (1:5; 1:10; 1:20) were applied as 4 μL spots on MM4 plates supplemented with adequate concentrations of acetic, benzoic, formic, lactic, propionic or sorbic acids; of the herbicides 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D), 2-methyl-4-chlorophenoxyacetic acid (MCPA) or alachlor; and of the fungicides itraconazole, fluconazole, miconazole, tioconazole, clotrimazole or mancozeb. Agar plates were incubated at 30°C for 3 days. Due to the different pKa of the acids, yeast susceptibility to acetic, benzoic, sorbic and propionic acids was tested in MM4 medium at pH 4.0, whereas susceptibility to formic and lactic acids was tested in MM4 at pH 3.5.
Sporulation of *Zygosaccharomyces bailii* IST302 {#sec2-7}
------------------------------------------------
*Zygosaccharomyces bailii* IST302 cells were grown in a presporulation medium (0.8% yeast extract, 0.3% peptone, 10% glucose and 2% agar) during 2 days before being transferred to sporulation media (0.3% malt extract, 0.5% peptone and 2% agar). The formation of spores was observed on a Zeiss ® Axioplan microscope (×1000 magnification) after 2 and 4 days of incubation at 30°C.
Microscopic observation of the morphology of yeast colonies and cells {#sec2-8}
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Yeast cells were plated in YPD with a targeted density of 20--50 CFU/plate. Colonies were observed and photographed in a Carl Zeiss Stemi 2000-C stereomicroscope after 4--5 days of growth at 30°C.
Cells of *Z. bailii* IST302, *Z. bailii* CLIB 213^T^ and of ISA1307 hybrid strain were cultured in YPD medium for 24 h and used to inoculate a fresh YPD medium with an initial OD~600nm~ of 0.05±0.01. After 24 h of growth, cells were harvested in 1.5 mL tubes by centrifugation at 8000 rpm and suspended in 0.05 M EDTA (pH 8.0), followed by vigorous agitation. These cells were observed on a Zeiss ® Axioplan microscope (×400 magnification). Cells suspended in 0.05 M EDTA (pH 8.0) were subsequently washed twice with sterile water, suspended in 0.01 M CaCl~2~, vigorously mixed and finally observed under the microscope.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION {#sec3}
======================
Taxonomic identification of strain IST302 {#sec3-1}
-----------------------------------------
The molecular differences registered among *Zygosaccharomyces bailii* and closely related species (Suh *et al.*[@bib65]), together with the genomic complexity of the hybrid strain ISA1307 (Mira *et al.*[@bib34]) that was first considered as *Z. bailii*, support the notion of the remarkable genomic diversity among *Z. bailii* and *Z. bailii* closely related species. This fact recommended the careful examination of the taxonomic position and genomic characterization of IST302 strain. The preliminary taxonomic identification of this strain as *Z. bailii* was based on the comparison of the large subunit 26S ribosomal DNA partial sequence with other DNA sequences from *Z. bailii* strains using the Basic Local Alignment Search Tool (BLAST) of the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) (Palma *et al.*[@bib40]). However, considering the reallocation of yeast strains formerly identified as *Z. bailii* to the new species *Z. parabailii* and *Z. pseudobailii* (Suh *et al.*[@bib65]), we have also compared the partial sequences of *RBP1* and *RBP2* genes from strain IST302 with their homologs from several strains of the three species, as recommended by Suh *et al*. ([@bib65]). Results show that nucleotide sequence variation percentage is low when *RBP1* and *RBP2* nucleotide sequences from strain IST302 are compared with the corresponding sequences from *Z. bailii* strains (0.1%--0.7%), whereas significant sequence variation is observed compared with *Z. parabailii* (3.8%--4.1%) and *Z. pseudobailii* (5.8%--6.8%) strains (Fig. [1](#fig1){ref-type="fig"}). Collectively, these results confirm IST302 strain as *Z. bailii*.
![Nucleotide variation in *RBP1* and *RBP2* genes from strain IST302 when compared with the partial sequence of *RBP1* and *RBP2* from *Z. bailii*, *Z. parabailii* and *Z. pseudobailii* strains. Nucleotide variations were calculated using EMBOSS Water local alignment tool from EMBL-EBI packages. Values are presented as percentage of nucleotide variations and are the mean of results obtained by comparing *RBP1* and *RBP2* sequences from strain IST302 (ZBIST_2664 and ZBIST_4878, respectively) with their homologs from six strains of *Z. bailii*, seven strains of *Z. parabailii* and two strains of *Z. pseudobailii* according to Suh *et al*. ([@bib65]).](fox025fig1){#fig1}
Tolerance of *Zygosaccharomyces bailii* IST302 to weak acids, drugs and pesticides {#sec3-2}
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The tolerance of *Z. bailii* IST302 to several compounds was assessed by spot assays (Fig. [2](#fig2){ref-type="fig"}). Compared with *Saccharomyces cerevisiae* BY4741*, Z. bailii* IST302 is much more tolerant to weak acids (acetic, benzoic, sorbic, propionic and formic acids), to the lipophilic weak acid herbicides 2,4-D (2,4-D-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid) and MCPA (methyl-chlorophenoxyacetic acid) and also to the herbicide alachlor, but not to the antifungals tested (Fig. [2A and B](#fig2){ref-type="fig"}). In general, *Z. bailii* IST302 is slightly more tolerant to weak acids than the hybrid strain ISA1307. Interestingly, the hybrid strain ISA1307 is significantly more tolerant to all the antifungal drugs tested than *Z. bailii* IST302 and *S. cerevisiae* BY4741 (Fig. [2C](#fig2){ref-type="fig"}). The standardization of the number of viable/total cells was not possible for *Z. bailii* CLIB 213^T^ due to the difficulty to calculate viable cell concentration or culture optical density. For this reason, only the susceptibility of *Z. bailii* IST302, the hybrid strain ISA1307 and *S. cerevisiae* BY4741 to several compounds could be compared under equivalent experimental conditions.
{#fig2}
Estimation of total DNA content and karyotyping of *Zygosaccharomyces bailii* IST302 {#sec3-3}
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The chromosomal profiles of *Z. bailii* IST302 and of the reference strain *Z. bailii* CLIB 213^T^ were compared by PFGE (Fig. [3](#fig3){ref-type="fig"}). Karyotyping showed differences in the number and size of the chromosomes between *Z. bailii* IST302 and CLIB 213^T^ strains. Following the separation of chromosomes by PFGE, strain IST302 originated a total of seven DNA bands, whereas only six DNA bands are observed for CLIB 213^T^. Based on the molecular size of chromosomes from the marker species *Hansenula wingei*, it was possible to estimate the total DNA content of *Z. bailii* IST302 and CLIB 213^T^ as 11.65 and 9.5 Mb, respectively. Given that the DNA content calculated from CLIB 213^T^ is lower than the DNA sequenced (Galeote *et al.*[@bib17]), it is possible that two comigrating chromosomes could have not been separated using the PFGE conditions tested. In fact, the chromosomal DNA band of 1.8 Mb is more intense than expected for a single band and possibly represents two chromosomes of the same size.
{#fig3}
Flow cytometry was also used to estimate the genome size of Z*. bailii* IST302, as well as its ploidy. *Saccharomyces cerevisiae* BY4741 was used as the haploid reference strain and *S. cerevisiae* BY4743 as the diploid reference. The hybrid strain ISA1307, whose genome size and ploidy were recently estimated (Mira *et al.*[@bib34]), was also included in this analysis for comparison purposes. *Zygosaccharomyces bailii* CLIB 213^T^ was excluded from this analysis due to its strong cellular aggregation phenotype. As anticipated, the fluorescent light intensity of G0/G1 or G2/M phase cells from the reference haploid strain *S. cerevisiae* BY4741 is half the fluorescent light intensity of the diploid BY4743 strain, since strain BY4741 possesses half the DNA content of strain BY4743 (Fig. [4A and B](#fig4){ref-type="fig"}). Flow cytometry data from strain ISA1307 (Fig. [4C](#fig4){ref-type="fig"}) shows two fluorescence peaks (G0/G1 and G2/M) with a DNA content similar to one of the diploid *S. cerevisiae* BY4743 (Fig. [4B](#fig4){ref-type="fig"}). Interestingly, strain IST302 (Fig. [4D](#fig4){ref-type="fig"}) shows two fluorescence peaks (G0/G1 and G2/M) with a DNA content similar to the one observed for *S. cerevisiae* BY4741 haploid strain (Fig. [4A](#fig4){ref-type="fig"}). Given the unexpected high proportion of *Z. bailii* IST302 cells in G2/M phase, it was decided to treat cells with 8-hydroxyquinoline and nocodazole in order to arrest cells in G0/G1 (Fig. [4E](#fig4){ref-type="fig"}) and in G2/M (Fig. [4F](#fig4){ref-type="fig"}) cell cycle phases, respectively, thus confirming the fluorescent peak corresponding to each phase. Results suggest that *Z. bailii* IST302 has a haploid DNA content (Fig. [4D](#fig4){ref-type="fig"}). Based on the fluorescent intensity of G0/G1 subpopulation from *S. cerevisiae* haploid and diploid strains, the size the genome of *Z. bailii* IST302 was estimated as having ∼11 Mb. The life cycle of the strain will be discussed further in this work.
{#fig4}
Assembly and annotation of *Zygosaccharomyces bailii* IST302 genome sequence {#sec3-4}
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The genome sequence of *Z. bailii* IST302 was obtained by paired-end Illumina sequencing. A total of 13 million reads were acquired and assembled into 105 scaffolds, resulting in an overall sequence coverage of ×120. A summary of genome assembly statistics and its comparison with *Z. bailii* CLIB 213^T^ and the *Z. bailii*-derived interspecies hybrid ISA1307 is presented in Table [1](#tbl1){ref-type="table"}. The sum of all scaffolds size is 10 772 966 bp, which corresponds to 98% of the genome size estimated by flow cytometry and 93% of the genome size estimated by PFGE. The annotation of *Z. bailii* IST302 genome sequence was based on the combination of two ab initio gene predictor algorithms and the gene structure of *Z. rouxii* CBS 732^T^, *S. cerevisiae* S288c, *Z. bailii*-derived hybrid strain ISA1307 and *Z. bailii* CLIB 213^T^. A total of 5142 genes were predicted to be encoded in the genome of *Z. bailii* IST302 (Table [2](#tbl2){ref-type="table"}), whereas 5084 putative protein-coding genes were predicted to be encoded in the genome of *Z. bailii* CLIB 213^T^ (Galeote *et al.*[@bib17]). About 80% of the annotated genes are located in the first 25 scaffolds and 47% of the scaffolds contain zero or one gene annotated.
######
Genome assembly statistics of *Z. bailii* IST302.
IST302 ISA1307 (Mira *et al*. [@bib34]) CLIB 213^T^ (Galeote *et al*. [@bib17])
---------------------------- ------------ ---------------------------------- -----------------------------------------
Total reads 13 024 866 120 000 000 50 868 918
No. of scaffolds 105 154 56
Coverage ×120 ×600 ×250
N50 (bp) 432084 232974 932251
Maximum contig length (bp) 1149457 806952 1686157
Minimum contig length (bp) 1051 2160
Average contig length (bp) 102599 137280
Assembly size (bp) 10772966 21141152 10361356
######
Comparison of *Z. bailii* and *Z. bailii*-related strains genome features.
No. of chromosomes Ploidy Genome Average GC Total no.
----------------------------------- -------------------- -------- -------- ------------ -----------
*Z. bailii* IST302 7 ∼*n* ∼11.0 42.2 5142
*Z. bailii* CLIB 213^T^ 6 nd ∼10.4 42.5 5084
*Z. bailii* hybrid strain ISA1037 13 ∼*2n* 22.0 42.4 9931
nd. Not determined
As expected, a high degree of conservation is observed between *Z. bailii* IST302 and CLIB 213^T^ strains. However, the comparison of these *Z. bailii* strains with the taxonomically related yeast species *Z. rouxii* reveals numerous chromosomal rearrangements (Fig. [5](#fig5){ref-type="fig"}).
![Multigenome alignment of genomic regions of *Z. bailii* IST302, *Z. bailii* CLIB 213^T^ and *Z. rouxii* CBS 732^T^. *Zygosaccharomyces bailii* IST302 is presented as the central reference strain to which the others are compared. Conserved synteny blocks are presented in shaded boxes. The image was obtained using the multigenome alignment Gbrowse_syn (McKay, Vergara and Stajich [@bib31]).](fox025fig5){#fig5}
A total of seven centromere-like sequences were identified in the genome sequence of IST302 (Supplementary file 1, Supporting Information), based on previously identified point centromere sequences and on the collinear conservation of flanking genes of hemiascomycetous yeasts, in particular of *Z. rouxii* (Pribylova *et al.*[@bib46]; Souciet *et al.*[@bib59]). This result is in agreement with the seven chromosomal bands identified during the karyotyping analysis (Fig. [3](#fig3){ref-type="fig"}). Interestingly, seven centromere-like sequences were also identified in the genome sequence of CLIB 213^T^ strain (Supplementary file 2, Supporting Information), thus reinforcing that the separation of the chromosomes by PFGE (Fig. [3](#fig3){ref-type="fig"}) was not complete for two of the chromosomes that possess highly similar sizes. It is also likely that, given the different sizes of both *Z. bailii* strains chromosomes and the conservation of collinearity, several genetic events might have occurred leading to different chromosome sizes. Strain-specific diversity of chromosome copy number and/or size has also been reported in other yeast species, such as *Z. rouxii* (Solieri *et al.*[@bib58]), *S. cerevisiae* (Zhu, Sherlock and Petrov [@bib77]), *Debaryomyces hansenii* (Jacques *et al.*[@bib23]), *Candida albicans* (Rustchenko-Bulgac [@bib53]), *C. glabrata* (Muller *et al.*[@bib37]) and *Dekkera bruxellensis* (Hellborg and Piskur [@bib19]).
The life cycle of *Zygosaccharomyces bailii* IST302 {#sec3-5}
---------------------------------------------------
The analysis of *Z. bailii* IST302 genes involved in life cycle and meiosis (Table [3](#tbl3){ref-type="table"} and Supplementary file 3, Supporting Information) revealed that this strain holds homologs of *S. cerevisiae* mating pheromone alpha- and a- factors, *MF(ALPHA)1* and *MFA1*, respectively, and a homolog of *S. cerevisiae MATALPHA1* that codes for a transcriptional co-activator of mating type specific genes. Neither *MATALPHA2* nor *MATA1/2* genes were detected in the genome sequence of this strain, suggesting that this haploid strain is of alpha mating type. Remarkably, although a homolog of the endonuclease encoding gene *HO*, responsible for mating type switching in *S. cerevisiae*, is present in *Z. bailii* IST302 genome, the silent cassettes HML/HMR were not identified in the genome sequence of this strain, neither in CLIB 213^T^ (Table [3](#tbl3){ref-type="table"}). In the context of evolution of hemiascomycete yeasts, the absence of silent cassettes is unexpected given that *Z. rouxii*, a close relative of *Z. bailii*, possesses those cassettes (Butler *et al.*[@bib7]; Fabre *et al.*[@bib13]; Watanabe, Uehara and Mogi [@bib75]). Although the hypothesis that HML/HMR cassettes were not sequenced cannot be discarded, the fact that they were not identified in this study nor in the genome sequences of CLIB 213^T^ (Galeote *et al.*[@bib17]) and ISA1307 (Mira *et al.*[@bib34]) strongly suggests that *Z. bailii* is unable to undergo mating type switching. Other genes involved in meiosis are also absent from the genome sequence of IST302, as well as in CLIB 213^T^ (Supplementary file 3), as, for example, the homologs of *S. cerevisiae* gene *IME1* that codes for a master regulator of meiosis, and of other genes involved in chromosome cohesion/recombination (*SPO13*, *SPO22*, *MER3*, *REC104*, *MLH2*, *MSH4* and *MSH5*), spore assembly (*MCP54*, *SMA1*, *SPO20*, *SPO74* and *SPO77*) or in the formation of the synaptonemal complex (*ZIP2*, *ZIP3*, *SPO16*). These genes are also absent from the genome sequence of the hybrid strain ISA1307 (Mira *et al*. [@bib34]). The life cycle of *Z. bailii* and *Z. bailii*-related strains has been investigated based on their ability to sporulate when grown in specific media (Mollapour and Piper [@bib36]; Rodrigues *et al*. [@bib50]). The peculiar formation of mitotic, but not meiotic, spores was described both in diploid *Z. bailii* strains (Mollapour and Piper [@bib36]) and in the hybrid strain ISA1307 (Rodrigues *et al*. [@bib50]). Dato *et al.* ([@bib11]) also described the presence of binucleate cells in early-stationary phase. We investigated the ability of *Z. bailii* IST302 to form spores and, surprisingly, when grown in a sporulation medium we observed the formation of protrusions between two cells (Fig. [6B--F](#fig6){ref-type="fig"}) before the development of two mitotic spores per cell (Fig. [6D and E](#fig6){ref-type="fig"}), apparently without the occurrence of karyogamy as previously described (Mollapour and Piper [@bib36]; Rodrigues *et al*. [@bib50]). Interestingly, after conjugation and formation of two spores per cell, one of the cells seems to donate each of the two spores to the other cell (Fig. [6G--I](#fig6){ref-type="fig"}) before spore release (Fig. [6J](#fig6){ref-type="fig"}). Altogether, our results suggest that *Z. bailii* IST302 haploid cells cannot undergo mating type switching, but under nutrient deprivation are able to form vegetative spores. This study provided additional information for the understanding of *Z. bailii* and *Z. bailii*-related strains life cycle complexity, although more studies involving other strains are required to disclose the peculiar life cycle of this species.
{#fig6}
######
ORFs identified in the genomes of *Z. bailii* IST302, CLIB 213^T^ and *Z. rouxii* CBS 732^T^ encoding the homologs of *S. cerevisiae* genes involved in mating type.
*S. cerevisiae* S288C Biological function *Z. bailii* IST302 *Z. bailii* CLIB 213^T^ *Z. rouxii* CBS 732^T^
------------------------------------ --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------- -------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------
*MF(ALPHA)1*/2 (YPL187W / YGL089C) Mating pheromone alpha-factor ZBIST_1222 (Several gaps in the genome sequence at this location) ZYRO0G08184g
*MFA1/2* (YDR461W / YNL145W) Mating pheromone a-factor ZBIST_2952 \- \-
*HMRA1*/*2* (YCR097W / *YCR096C)* Silenced copy of a1/a2 at HMR \- \- ZYRO0C18348g
*HMLALPHA1*/*2* (YCL066W/ YCL067C) Silenced copy of ALPHA1/2 at HML \- \- ZYRO0F15818g
*MATALPHA1* (YCR040W) Transcriptional co-activator involved in regulation of mating type specific gene expression ZBIST_5098 BN860_00122g_l ZYRO0F15840g
*MATALPHA2* (YCR039C) Transcriptional repressor of a-specific genes in haploids \- \- \-
*MATA1* Homeodomain protein involved in transcriptional regulation of mating type specific genes \- \- \-
*MATA2* Protein of unknown function; identical to the C-terminal of the MATalpha2 protein \- \- \-
*HO* (YDL227C) Site-specific endonuclease ZBIST_2381 BN860_01090g_n ZYRO0C10428g
Genes encoding MDR/MXR transporters {#sec3-6}
-----------------------------------
Having in mind that when *S. cerevisiae* cells are exposed to weak acids their ability to decrease the counterions' intracellular accumulation is essential to cope with their deleterious effects (reviewed by Piper *et al*. [@bib42]; Mira, Teixeira and Sá-Correia [@bib35]), we searched for transporters associated with multidrug/multixenobiotic resistance (MDR/MXR) belonging to the ATP-binding cassette (ABC) superfamily and to the Major Facilitator Superfamily (MFS) (Higgins [@bib20]; Sá-Correia *et al.*[@bib54]) proposed, or hypothesized, to be responsible for the active efflux of weak acid counterions or other toxicants. For this, homologs of several *S. cerevisiae* ABC and MFS proteins previously implicated in the MDR/MXR phenomenon were identified in the genome of *Z. bailii* IST302 (Tables [4](#tbl4){ref-type="table"}--[6](#tbl6){ref-type="table"}). Two homologs of *S. cerevisiae* ABC protein Pdr12, implicated in the active efflux of propionate, sorbate or benzoate anions (Piper *et al.*[@bib43]; Holyoak *et al.*[@bib22]), were identified in the genome of *Z. bailii* IST302 and in *Z. rouxii* CBS 732^T^ as well (Table [4](#tbl4){ref-type="table"}). Moreover, a total of four homologs of the Pdr18/Snq2 paralog pair were identified in *Z. bailii* IST302 and ISA1307 (Mira *et al.*[@bib34]), whereas only two Pdr18/Snq2 homologs were detected in *Z. bailii* CLIB 213^T^ and *Z. rouxii* (Table [4](#tbl4){ref-type="table"}). Interestingly, Pdr18 was implicated in the incorporation of ergosterol in yeast plasma membrane and found to play a role in *S. cerevisiae* tolerance to the lipophilic weak acid herbicide 2,4-D (Cabrito *et al.*[@bib8]), ethanol (Teixeira *et al.*[@bib67]) and acetic acid (Godinho, unpublished results). The paralog pair Tpo2/Tpo3 (Fernandes *et al.*[@bib14]), Aqr1 (Tenreiro *et al.*[@bib69]) and Azr1 (Tenreiro *et al.*[@bib70]) are the sole MDR/MXR transporters of the MFS so far implicated in *S. cerevisiae* tolerance to acetic acid, presumably by catalyzing the active efflux of acetate. Remarkably, *Z. bailli* IST302 genome holds only a single homolog of Tpo2 and Tpo3, and one homolog of Aqr1 and one of Azr1 (Tables [5](#tbl5){ref-type="table"} and [6](#tbl6){ref-type="table"}).
######
ORFs identified in the genomes of *Z. bailii* IST302, CLIB 213^T^ and *Z. rouxii* CBS 732^T^ encoding the homologs of *S. cerevisiae* MDR/MXR transporters of ABC superfamily. The homologs were organized according to the taxonomic clusters previously defined (Seret *et al.*[@bib56]).
ABC family Total
----------------------------- ---------------- ---------------- ---------------- ------------- --------------- ---------------- --------
***S. cerevisiae* S288c** ***PDR5*** ***SNQ2*** ***PDR12*** ***PDR11*** ***YOL075c*** ***ADP1*** **10**
***PDR15*** ***PDR18*** ***AUS1***
***PDR10***
***Z. bailii* IST302** ZBIST_3521 ZBIST_0908 ZBIST_5124 \- \- ZBIST_3422 **12**
ZBIST_4874 ZBIST_0076 ZBIST_5081
ZBIST_4875 ZBIST_4998
ZBIST_4873 ZBIST_3502
ZBIST_4996
***Z. bailii* CLIB 213^T^** BN860_00584g_q BN860_07778g_c BN860_00100g_t \- \- BN860_01948g_i **9**
BN860_04478g_f BN860_04852g_g
BN860_04500g_f
BN860_04456g_f
BN860_00276g_c
***Z. rouxii* CBS 732^T^** ZYRO0D17710g ZYRO0B14762g ZYRO0F08888g \- ZYRO0B05588g ZYRO0E04092g **10**
ZYRO0D11858p ZYRO0A04114g ZYRO0F08866p
ZYRO0D11836p
ZYRO0D11880g
######
ORFs identified in the genomes of *Z. bailii* IST302, CLIB 213^T^ and *Z. rouxii* CBS 732^T^ encoding the homologs of *S. cerevisiae* MDR/MXR transporters of the DHA1 family from MFS. The homologs were organized according to the taxonomic clusters previously defined (Dias and Sá-Correia [@bib12]).
DHA1 family Total
----------------------------- -------------- ---------------- ------------ ---------------- ---------------- ---------------- ---------------- -------------- ------------ ---------------- ---------------- --------
***S. cerevisiae* S288c** ***DTR1*** ***QDR1*** ***AQR1*** ***QDR3*** ***HOL1*** ***TPO2*** ***TPO1*** ***YHK8*** ***TPO4*** ***FLR1*** **Others** **12**
***QDR2*** ***TPO3***
***Z. bailii* IST302** ZBIST_2327 ZBIST_5047 \- ZBIST_0934 ZBIST_3441 ZBIST_0758 ZBIST_1684 \- \- ZBIST_3176 ZBIST_0204 **21**
ZBIST_4184 ZBIST_1685 ZBIST_3177 ZBIST_4991
ZBIST_2985 ZBIST_0576
ZBIST_3175 ZBIST_3170
ZBIST_3171 ZBIST_4947
ZBIST_3173 ZBIST_5091
ZBIST_3879
***Z. bailii* CLIB 213^T^** BN860_05512g BN860_01244g_g \- BN860_08350g_c BN860_02432g_i BN860_04368g_h BN860_06810g_b \- \- BN860_00232g_r BN860_07888g_d **19**
BN860_00254g_r BN860_00232g_c
BN860_00166g_k BN860_00188g_t
BN860_00210g_q BN860_00122g_t
BN860_00144g_u BN860_00276g_b
BN860_00188g_r BN860_07470g
BN860_00232g_j
***Z. rouxii* CBS 732^T^** ZYRO0F14652g ZYRO0A01474g \- ZYRO0A03564g ZYRO0E02288g ZYRO0G19646g ZYRO0B00990g ZYRO0G16302g \- ZYRO0E09966g ZYRO0E10230g **21**
ZYRO0F08228g ZYRO0E09922p ZYRO0G15422g
ZYRO0F04642g ZYRO0E10054g
ZYRO0E09988g ZYRO0F02090g
ZYRO0E09900g ZYRO0D00286g
ZYRO0B16808p ZYRO0F02178p
ZYRO0A13618g
######
ORFs identified in the genomes of *Z. bailii* IST302, CLIB 213^T^ and *Z. rouxii* CBS 732^T^ encoding the homologs of *S. cerevisiae* MDR/MXR transporters of the DAG family from MFS. The homologs were organized according to the taxonomic clusters previously defined (Dias and Sá-Correia [@bib12]).
DAG family
----------------------------- ---------------- ---------------- ---------------- ------------- -------------- ---------------- ------------ ------------ ---------------- ------------ --------
**Subfamily** **DHA2** **ARN** **GEX** **Total**
***S. cerevisiae* S288c** ***SGE1*** ***VBA1*** ***VBA4*** ***ATR1*** **YOR378W** **Others** ***ARN4*** ***ARN3*** ***ARN1*** ***GEX1*** **16**
***AZR1*** ***VBA2*** **YMR279C** ***ARN2*** ***GEX2***
***VBA3***
***VBA5***
***Z. bailii* IST302** ZBIST_3880 ZBIST_0896 ZBIST_0616 \- ZBIST_4630 ZBIST_3876 \- ZBIST_4766 ZBIST_2552 \- **12**
ZBIST_0332 ZBIST_3511 ZBIST_4135
ZBIST_0774
ZBIST_0773
***Z. bailii* CLIB 213^T^** BN860_00188g_k BN860_07514g_c BN860_01134g_l \- BN860_01552g BN860_00386g_g \- \- BN860_04984g_f \- **11**
BN860_10814g_c BN860_00320g_q BN860_00144g_p
BN860_04742g_g
BN860_04720g_f
***Z. rouxii* CBS 732^T^** \- ZYRO0G03234g ZYRO0C01430g \- \- \- \- \- ZYRO0G07414g \- **6**
ZYRO0A00330g
ZYRO0G21868g
ZYRO0G21890p
The *Z. bailii* strains tested are remarkably more tolerant to the lipophilic weak acid herbicides 2,4-D and MCPA, as well as to the herbicide alachlor of a different chemical family, when compared to *S. cerevisiae*. The susceptibility of *S. cerevisiae* to 2,4-D and MCPA was found to significantly decrease in a mutant with the *PDR5* gene deleted (Teixeira and Sá-Correia [@bib68]). This gene encodes a plasma membrane ATP transporter involved in pleiotropic drug resistance. Interestingly, five homologs of the Pdr5/Pdr15/Pdr10 taxonomic cluster were identified in *Z. bailii* IST302 (Table [4](#tbl4){ref-type="table"}) three of them are likely to be the result of two gene duplications (ZBIST_4873, ZBIST_4874 and ZBIST_4875). Moreover, in *Z. bailii* IST302 two paralogs are predicted to encode Tpo1-like transporters (Table [5](#tbl5){ref-type="table"}). The MFS transporter Tpo1 was also associated with *S. cerevisiae* tolerance to 2,4-D and MCPA (Teixeira and Sá-Correia [@bib68]). As highlighted before (Mira *et al.*[@bib34]), the total number of MFS-MDR/MXR homologs identified in *Z. bailii* and *Z. rouxii* is remarkably higher when compared with *S. cerevisiae* S288c genome. However, one of the most remarkable differences in the number of genes encoding these transporters between these *Zygosaccharomyces* species and *S. cerevisiae* is the number of Flr1 homologs. *Zygosaccharomyces bailii* and *Z. rouxii* do possess seven Flr1-like transporters and the hybrid strain ISA1307 holds 12 homologs of *S. cerevisiae* Flr1 (Mira *et al.*[@bib34]). *Saccharomyces cerevisiae* Flr1 is responsible for resistance to several drugs, such as the fungicide fluconazole (Alarco *et al.*[@bib1]; Brôco *et al.*[@bib6]) and mancozeb (Teixeira *et al.*[@bib66]). However, no significant difference in susceptibility to agricultural fungicide mancozeb could be registered in *Z. bailii* and *S. cerevisiae* strains. Interestingly, the hybrid strain ISA1307 is significantly more tolerant to all the antifungal drugs tested than *Z. bailii* IST302 or *S. cerevisiae* BY4741. Among the antifungal drugs tested, *Z. bailii* IST302 is only mildly more tolerant to fluconazole and miconazole when compared to *S. cerevisiae*. The antifungal activity of azole drugs relies on the inhibition of ergosterol biosynthetic enzymes (Hitchcock *et al.*[@bib21]; White, Marr and Bowden [@bib76]). Differences in the basal content of ergosterol of *Z. bailii* and *S cerevisiae* strains (Lindberg *et al.*[@bib29]), among other reasons (White, Marr and Bowden [@bib76]; Prasad, Shah and Rawal [@bib45]), could justify the moderate differences observed in the susceptibility phenotypes of these two yeast species.
Although interesting, this genomic study involving the comparison of the number of MDR/MXR transporters homologous to those functionally related with resistance to weak acids and other inhibitory compounds in *S. cerevisiae* has limitations. In fact, the specificity and efficiency of these transporters as well as their expression levels have to be first investigated in *Z. bailii* cells challenged with those compounds before taking conclusions. Moreover, it was reported that other mechanisms are likely involved in *Z. bailii* tolerance to drugs/xenobiotics. For example, studies suggest that *Z. bailii* tolerance to acetic acid is related with a number of alternative physiological strategies that include the capacity to tolerate short-term intracellular pH changes (Arneborg, Jespersen and Jakobsen [@bib2]; Dang *et al.*[@bib9]), to co-consume acetic acid and glucose (Sousa *et al.*[@bib60]; Guerreiro, Mira and Sá-Correia [@bib18]; Rodrigues *et al.*[@bib51]) and to exhibit a reduced permeability of plasma membrane to acetic acid due to the higher basal level of complex sphingolipids (Lindahl *et al.*[@bib28]).
*Zygosaccharomyces bailii* IST302 does not form cell aggregates {#sec3-7}
---------------------------------------------------------------
Two of the most striking differences between *Z. bailii* IST302 and CLIB 213^T^ are the morphology of their colonies (Fig. [7A](#fig7){ref-type="fig"}) and the formation of large cellular aggregates (Fig. [7B](#fig7){ref-type="fig"}) by *Z. bailii* CLIB 213^T^. When cultivated either in minimal or rich media, CLIB 213^T^ shows a rough colony morphology (Fig. [7A](#fig7){ref-type="fig"}) and forms cell aggregates that are visible with naked eye and under bright-field microscopy (Fig. [7B](#fig7){ref-type="fig"}). Differently, *Z. bailii* IST302 shows regular and smooth colonies (Fig. [7A](#fig7){ref-type="fig"}) and absence of cellular aggregation (Fig. [7B](#fig7){ref-type="fig"}), which makes this strain very easy to manipulate for physiological studies when compared to the reference CLIB 213^T^ strain*.* In order to investigate whether this type of cellular aggregation was due to flocculation, the dispersion of *Z. bailii* CLIB 213^T^ cell aggregates was attempted by suspending cells in 0.05 M EDTA (pH 8.0) (Stratford [@bib62]), but no significant dispersion of the aggregates was observed in the presence of the chelating agent, nor the addition of CaCl~2~ significantly increased cellular aggregation (Fig. [7B](#fig7){ref-type="fig"}). This result suggests that the aggregation of *Z. bailii* CLIB 213^T^ cells results from a Ca^2+^-independent mechanism. *Zygosaccharomyces bailii* IST302 and the *Z. bailii* hybrid strain ISA1307 were found to be non-flocculent yeast strains given that the suspension of each of these strains in 0.01 M CaCl~2~ did not induce a flocculation phenotype (Stratford [@bib62]). *Zygosaccharomyces bailii* CLIB 213^T^ was also cultivated in YP medium containing fructose or mannose instead of glucose (Soares *et al*. [@bib57]), but cellular aggregation was still detected (results not shown). Interestingly, the cellular aggregation phenotype of CLIB 213^T^ is similar to that described and identified by Ratcliff *et al*. ([@bib48]) as the 'snowflake' yeast phenotype which in *S. cerevisiae* was found to be related to specific mutations in Ace2 transcription factor (Ratcliff *et al.*[@bib49]), required for septum destruction after cytokinesis. The comparative analysis of *Z. bailii* genes homologous to *S. cerevisiae* genes involved in daughter cell separation as well as other genes involved in cell budding or morphogenesis and whose deletion led to abnormal budding pattern or the formation of cell aggregates was performed in both IST302 and CLIB 213^T^ strains (Table [7](#tbl7){ref-type="table"}). No gene duplications or eliminations were detected, but a closer look into the protein sequences of the homolog of *S. cerevisiae* Ace2 transcription factor, ZBIST_2164 and BN860_01596g_h from *Z. bailii* IST302 and CLIB 213^T^, respectively, allowed the identification of five amino acid substitutions, of which three involving serine/threonine residues. The pairwise alignment of *Z. bailii* IST302 and CLIB 213^T^ Ace2 homologs is available in Supplementary file 4 (Supporting Information). It was recently reported that non-synonymous mutations located or adjacent to Ace2 zinc finger-binding domain in the C-terminal region of the protein are responsible for the *S. cerevisiae* 'snowflake' phenotype (Ratcliff *et al.*[@bib49]). Although the comparison of Ace2 homologs from IST302 and CLIB 213^T^ did not identify amino acid substitutions in the C-terminal, one cannot discard the hypothesis that the identified mutations might also be involved in the aggregation phenotype shown by CLIB 213^T^. Nevertheless, other proteins can also have a role in the aggregation phenotype. For example, *Z. bailii* IST302 and CLIB 213^T^ homologs of Cbk1 and Cts1, which in *S. cerevisiae* encode, respectively, a serine/threonine kinase involved in the regulation of Ace2 localization and activity and an endochitinase required for cell separation after mitosis whose transcriptional activation is mediated by Ace2, also show differences in their amino acid sequences (Table [7](#tbl7){ref-type="table"}, Supplementary file 4).
{#fig7}
######
*Zygosaccharomyces bailii* homologs of *S. cerevisiae* genes involved in cell aggregation.
*S. cerevisiae* gene Phenotype of *S. cerevisiae* null mutant (reference) *Z. bailii* IST302 *Z. bailii* CLIB 213^T^ IST302 and CLIB 213^T^ protein sequence alignment identity (%)
---------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ -------------------- ------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------
*ACE2*/*SWI5* Abnormal budding pattern (Voth *et al.*[@bib73]) ZBIST_2164 BN860_01596g_h 99.3
*CBK1* Abnormal budding pattern (Voth *et al.*[@bib73]) ZBIST_0511 BN860_14928g1_1 97.3
Cells form aggregates and display cell separation defects (Nelson *et al.*[@bib38])
Cells form large aggregates that do not easily dissociate with a micro-manipulator or EDTA treatment but separate upon the expression of chitinase (CTS1) (Racki *et al.*[@bib47])
*BUD4* Abnormal budding pattern (Voth *et al.*[@bib73]) ZBIST_1783 BN860_04500g_e 99.2
*MOB2* Cells form aggregates and display cell separation defects (Nelson *et al.*[@bib38]) ZBIST_4670 BN860_00694g_d 99.6
*TAO3* Cells form aggregates and display cell separation defects (Nelson *et al.*[@bib38]) ZBIST_4175 BN860_01046g_h1 99.5
*KIC1* Cells form aggregates and display cell separation defects (Nelson *et al.*[@bib38]) ZBIST_1895 BN860_02850g1_1 99.5
*SOG2* Cells form aggregates and display cell separation defects (Nelson *et al.*[@bib38]) ZBIST_1556 BN860_05226g_b 99.8
*HYM1* Cells form aggregates and display cell separation defects (Nelson *et al.*[@bib38]) ZBIST_3061 BN860_02454g_d 100
Clumps of cells, possibly due to failed septum removal (Bidlingmaier *et al.*[@bib3])
*CTS1* Cell separation blocked (Kuranda and Robbins [@bib26]) ZBIST_3250 BN860_01904g_j 98.2
In conclusion, this study provides relevant information on the genome sequence and annotation of *Z. bailii* IST302 that, contrasting with the reference strain *Z. bailii* CLIB 213^T^, does not form cell aggregates, thus being amenable to physiological studies. This haploid strain is easy to transform (Palma *et al.*[@bib40]) and therefore eventually suitable to be engineered exploring genome editing tools. For these reasons, *Z. bailii* IST302 is proposed as an attractive strain to be used for enlightening the mechanisms underlying its remarkable tolerance to stress induced by acetic acid and other weak acid food preservatives or for the exploitation of its potential use as microbial cell factory. The availability of *Z. bailii* IST302 genome sequence and annotation is an essential step towards the achievement of these important objectives.
Supplementary Material
======================
######
Supplementary data are available at *[FEMSYR](https://academic.oup.com/femsyr)* online.
######
Click here for additional data file.
We thank Dr Cláudia L. da Silva, Ricardo Pereira and António Soure from iBB for helpful suggestions regarding flow cytometry data acquisition and interpretation.
SUPPLEMENTARY DATA {#sec4}
==================
Supplementary data are available at *[FEMSYR](https://academic.oup.com/femsyr)* online.
FUNDING {#sec5}
=======
This work was partially supported by Institute for Bioengineering and Biosciences - iBB \[BBI14\]. Funding received by iBB from Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) \[UID/BIO/04565/2013\] and from Programa Operacional Regional de Lisboa 2020 \[Project N. 007317\] is also acknowledged. MP is the recipient of a post-doctoral fellowship \[SFRH/BPD/73306/2010\] awarded by FCT.
***Conflict of interest.*** None declared.
|
Uptake of the veterinary antibiotics chlortetracycline, enrofloxacin, and sulphathiazole from soil by radish.
Veterinary antibiotics are available for uptake by the plants through sources such as manure, irrigation, and atmospheric interaction. The present study was conducted to estimate the half-lives of three veterinary antibiotics, chlortetracycline (CTC), enrofloxacin (ENR), and sulphathiazole (STZ), in soil and experimentally explore their uptake from contaminated soil to radish roots and leaves. Samples were extracted using a modified citrate-buffered version of the quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe "QuEChERS" method followed by liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometric analysis (LC-MS/MS) in the positive ion mode. Good linearity was observed for the three tested antibiotics in soil and plants (roots and leaves) with high coefficients of determination (R2≥0.9922). The average recovery rates at two spiking levels with three replicates per level ranged between 77.1 and 114.8%, with a relative standard deviation (RSD)≤19.9% for all tested drugs. In a batch incubation experiment (in vitro study), the half-lives of CTC, ENR, and STZ ranged from 2.0-6.1, 2.2-4.5, and 1.1-2.2days, respectively. Under greenhouse conditions, the half-lives of the three target antibiotics in soil with and without radishes were 2.5-6.9 and 2.7-7.4; 4.7-16.7 and 10.3-14.6; and 4.4-4.9 and 2.5-2.8days, respectively. Trace amounts of the target antibiotics (CTC, ENR, and STZ) were taken up from soil via roots and entered the leaves of radishes. The concentration of CTC was lower than 2.73%, ENR was 0.08-3.90%, and <1.64% STZ was uptaken. In conclusion, the concentrations of the tested antibiotics decreased with time and consequently lower residues were observed in the radishes. The rapid degradation of the tested antibiotics in the present study might have only little impact on soil microorganisms, fauna, and plants.
|
236 F.2d 78
IONION STEAMSHIP COMPANY OF ATHENSv.UNITED DISTILLERS OF AMERICA, Inc.
No. 15811.
United States Court of Appeals Fifth Circuit.
July 20, 1956.
Leon Sarpy, Chaffe, McCall, Phillips, Burke & Hopkins, Leon Sarpy and Donald A. Lindquist, New Orleans, La., for Ionion S.S. Co., appellant.
Francis Emmett, Brunswich G. Deutsch, Deutsch, Kerrigan & Stiles, New Orleans, La., for appellee, Eberhard P. Deutsch, Rene H. Himel, Jr., New Orleans, La., of counsel.
Before HUTCHESON, Chief Judge, and RIVES and BROWN, Circuit Judges.
JOHN R. BROWN, Circuit Judge.
1
The District Court, on the cargo owner's libel for damage, held that the strandings of The Ionian Pioneer as she left San Pedro de Macoris, the second of two loading ports under a molasses voyage charter, and again while leaving Nuevitas, Cuba, a claimed port of refuge, were caused by the owner's failure to make the vessel seaworthy. With this fell the shipowner's cross libel for General Average contributions. Defending against these acknowledged strandings, the shipowner claimed that, at least at San Pedro, it was a navigational error excused under the charter party, was not caused by unseaworthiness, and if there was unseaworthiness, there was no showing that it was from the owner's failure to exercise due diligence.
2
Coming here after a full trial with seventeen witnesses, nine of whom appeared in Court, detailed findings of fact and a separate, able opinion fully expounding the whole case, United Distillers of America v. The T/S Ionian Pioneer, D.C., 130 F.Supp. 647, 1955 A.M.C. 1338, the shipowner's burden on this appeal is the substantial one of convincing us that these findings of fact and fact inferences are clearly erroneous. C. J. Dick Towing Company v. The Leo, 5 Cir., 202 F.2d 850, 1953 A.M.C. 498; Mississippi Valley Barge Line Company v. Indian Towing Company, 5 Cir., 232 F.2d 750, 1956 A.M.C. 757; Societa Anonima Navigazione Alta Italia v. Oil Transport Company (The Mongioia), 5 Cir., 232 F.2d 422; Shockley v. United States, 5 Cir., 224 F.2d 557, 1955 A.M.C. 1731.
3
This is especially so because, essentially, the controversy is the simple factual one: did Ionian Pioneer go aground because of her unseaworthy steering apparatus? Or did she strand because of navigational errors in departing at night, without setting compass course, without a tug, and mistaken wheel orders or their faulty execution by the helmsman? The heart of this question was the physical maneuvering of the vessel. What did she do? What made her do it? The Master and Pilot would normally be the articulate source for this knowledge. In the quest for truth the Judge, with the opportunity of seeing and hearing him testify in Court, categorically discredited the Master in his explanation. To discredit, to disbelieve, so important a witness upon such a crucial matter quite properly permeated the entire decision. For us to set aside the Trial Judge's conclusion on this would inevitably put us in the middle of retrying the whole case. Bisso v. Waterways Transportation Co., 5 Cir., 235 F.2d 741.
4
The libelant has never shirked its burden, Commercial Molasses Corp. v. New York Tank Barge Corp., 314 U.S. 104, 62 S.Ct. 156, 86 L.Ed. 89, 1941 A.M.C. 1697, of affirmatively establishing a case under the contract of private carriage which warranted, at least, due diligence to make the vessel seaworthy,1 and by reflex, from this and the catch-all exculpatory clause2 so tenderly embraced by shipowner, imposed liability where the stated exception was not made out. The Zesta, 5 Cir., 212 F.2d 137, 1954 A.M.C. 899; The Framlington Court, 5 Cir., 69 F.2d 300, 1934 A.M.C. 272. It reasoned correctly that if the strandings were caused by unseaworthiness due to lack of due diligence, then it was not an excepted 'loss or damage arising or resulting from' (1) navigational error, (2) stranding or (4) latent defect, (6) any other cause without actual fault or privity, The Folmina, 212 U.S. 354, 29 S.Ct. 363, 53 L.Ed. 546; and certainly not if these were merely concurring causes. Compania de Navigacion La Flecha v. Brauer, 168 U.S. 104, 118, 18 S.Ct. 12, 42 L.Ed. 398; The Olga S., 5 Cir.,25 F.2d 229, 1928 A.M.C. 831.
5
In this task, while ultimate risk of non-persuasion may have been on the cargo, it had the usual advantages of a bailor putting on the carrier, as the person having the means of knowledge, the obligation of coming forward with some explanation, Commercial Molasses Corp. v. New York Tank Barge Corp., supra; The Northern Belle, 9 Wall 526, 76 U.S. 526, 19 L.Ed. 746, 748; Southern Ry. Co. v. Prescott, 240 U.S. 632, 36 S.Ct. 469, 60 L.Ed. 836, and a presumption of unseaworthiness existing at the beginning of the voyage, where machinery, gear, or appliances fail shortly after the beginning of the voyage without accident, stress of weather, or the like, furnishing an adequate explanation as a likely cause. The Southwark, 191 U.S. 1, 24 S.Ct. 1, 48 L.Ed. 65; The Olancho, D.C.S.D.N.Y., 115 F.Supp. 107, 1953 A.M.C. 1040; The Agwimoon, D.C.Md., 24 F.2d 864, 1928 A.M.C. 645, affirmed 4 Cir., Atlantic Gulf & West Indies Steamship Lines v. Interocean Oil Company, 31 F.2d 1006, 1929 A.M.C. 570.
6
But these technical advantages were scarcely necessary for unseaworthiness was abundantly proved. So much so that, taking as the Golden Text, the shipowner's expert's kindly estimate that Ionian Pioneer 'was coming to the twilight of her life' and his scriptural exposition that the vessel was, '* * * not as good as I would like her to be * * *. We have arrived at a condition in a ship where she is old and becoming wasted and defects are appearing, but it is possible to squeeze, and the word 'squeeze' is almost right, to squeeze another few months out of' her, the District Judge nearly exhausted the storehouse of descriptives: 'The Ionian Pioneer was a 35-year old steel tank ship. She was owned by Greeks, flew the Panamanian flag, and was manned by the flotsam of many countries. She was rusty, she was leaky, she was hogged. More importantly, and most unfortunately, she had an unpredictable penchant for sheering to port at the most inopportune moments. On two such sheers, she went aground and libellant here has sued for the value of the cargo lost by jettison as a result of these strandings. A short time after the incidents in suit, the vessel lost its classification and was considerately consigned to scrap.'
7
The voyage had scarcely been undertaken until flagrant unseaworthiness revealed itself. Arriving at La Romana, Dominican Republic, the first loading port, September 26, over 200 tons of sea water leaked through badly wasted shell plating in way of her engine room spaces to cover the tank tops. Worse, once aboard, nothing could be done with the sea water for her ballast pumps, in deteriorated condition, broke down. This sea water, as unwelcome cargo, stayed with the vessel as she departed September 27 for San Pedro, D.R., to complete loading, and was still aboard at the time of the stranding September 28. The continued presence then of this sea water markedly affected the salvage maneuvers and if causal relationship must be pinpointed, this alone is adequate basis for it.
8
Entering San Pedro Harbor September 27, the vessel, taking the first of at least seven sudden sheers to port, got out of control and out of the channel. In the local Pilot's judgment it was because 'she did not answer the helm properly.' At San Pedro she completed the loading of the last fourth of her cargo. So much so, indeed, that with her permanent hog of nine inches, she was overloaded two feet six inches below the applicable summer limit of her Plimsoll marks under the International Load Line Convention 1930, 47 Stat. 2228, e.g., 46 U.S.C.A. § 85 et seq. Of course the shipper could have shut off the supply from shoretanks but the Master3 recognized that this was his, not the charterer's, cf. Oxford Paper Co. v. The Nidarholm, 282 U.S. 681, 51 S.Ct. 266, 75 L.Ed. 614, 1931 A.M.C. 522, responsibility. This palpable unseaworthiness, Corsar v. J. D. Spreckels & Bros. Co., 9 Cir., 141 F. 260; The Benjamin Noble, 6 Cir., 244 F. 95, affirmed 249 U.S. 334, 39 S.Ct. 292, 63 L.Ed. 631; Knauth, Ocean Bills of Lading, 4th Ed. at pp. 191, 192, not only existed with full knowledge of the owner's responsible servants, it was created by them and affected the entire venture since all cargo (La Romana and San Pedro), loaded in the same tanks, was imperceptibly mixed.
9
So, in the evening darkness of September 28, hogged, leaking and overloaded, Ionian Pioneer commenced her charter party voyage to New Orleans from the last of the two optional loading ports. Proof of general unconcern and the vessel owner's participation in it, is the fact that the vessel, despite the Master's radio request, and owner's refusal because of exorbitant cost, to purchase locally 50 tons of fuel oil to afford adequate margin of safety, was leaving with known insufficient bunkers aboard, The Willdomino v. Citro Chemical Co., 272 U.S. 718, 47 S.Ct. 261, 71 L.Ed. 491, 1927 A.M.C. 129; The Malcolm Baxter, 277 U.S. 323, 48 S.Ct. 516, 72 L.Ed. 901, 1928 A.M.C. 960, under the owner's express orders as a remote 'Master' to 'proceed New Orleans reduced speed.'
10
A small tug alongside was used in assisting the vessel around the one bend in the channel at the juncture of the turning basin and the dredged channel. The vessel straightened up, and the tug cast off. The night was clear with little or no wind and no tide, and the lighthouses on Pescadero Point and South Point were lighted brightly. The channel buoy lights were burning as the pilot launch preceded the vessel to light the channel and sea buoys. The entrance to sea was straightaway. The vessel proceeded down the center of the channel at half speed until she was about midway between the breakwater and Buoy No. 2 when the Master reduced speed to dead slow ahead to give the pilot launch time to light the sea buoy.
11
The Pilot, on the starboard wing of the bridge, seeing that the buoy was lighted, returned to the wheelhouse and saw that the vessel had sheered to port. In a moment she stranded on the north side of the shoal off Pescadero Point. The Pilot was emphatic that the vessel sheered and stranded because she was not steering properly-- a conclusion4 affirmed by the District Judge while characterizing the Master's charge of pilot error: 'the Master's testimony is incredible.'
12
The Ionian Pioneer fetched up at the bow but forward of her tanks. Her stern was in 38 feet of water so no water damage was, or could have been, done to her steering machinery by the stranding or salvage operations. Because of her overloaded condition and the 200 tons of water under her engine room, it was impossible to transfer sufficient cargo from Numbers 1 and 2 tanks to the empty aftermost tank without submerging her stern, so the Master jettisoned the remainder of the cargo, approximately 990 tons, from these forward tanks. This jettison is therefore traceable to the unseaworthiness of a leaky vessel, to a faulty steering apparatus, or both.
13
She refloated 6:30 a.m. September 29, returned to the dock at San Pedro, and after a survey which did not include examination of her steering machinery, she again departed. The Pilot reported the 'same sluggishness to respond to the helm as when (he) brought her in' but with 'some difficulty' he managed to maintain control. Bunker, water and cargo tanks had been contaminated by sea water entering through the vessel's plating opened up during the strand or from engine vibrations while attempting to free herself. On departing it was known that the initial supply of bunkers, now further reduced because of extensive contamination by sea water, would be inadequate to make New Orleans. But instead of assuming the power (and responsibility), United Geophysical Co. v. Vela, 5 Cir., 231 F.2d 816, 1956 A.M.C. 745, given to his command by procuring additional bunkers locally, the Master set sail for New Orleans in his damaged vessel confident in the expectation, soon made good, that owners or operating agents from a 'bridge' in Lower Manhattan would supply him with instructions. Soon forthcoming, the Master, pursuant to subsequent radioed instructions from the owners, deviated to Nuevitas, Cuba. Entering Nuevitas Harbor October 4, the Pilot had great difficulty in steering the vessel. Warned by the quartermaster that 'the machinery on the wheel (doesn't) work well,' the Pilot, a completely disinterested witness, testified that 'it was almost impossible to keep her on a steady course' and characterized Ionian Pioneer as '* * * the worst ship that I ever had.'
14
Proceeding from Nuevitas on October 5, after bunkering, The Ionian Pioneer again sheered to port, failed to answer her helm despite favorable weather and tidal conditions, and stranded a second time. She came free on the flood tide, but after continuing down the channel, she sheered to port again and headed for shore. To avoid a third stranding, the Pilot had to drop an anchor. Not too surprisingly, he described the steering apparatus as defective. The vessel finally cleared the harbor and made for New Orleans.
15
But her sheering days were not yet over. Despite a very slight current, the Mississippi River Pilot could not turn her into South Pass without use of an anchor. And, while in the Pass, she sheered violently to port on two occasions, barely escaping collision with other vessels, the first so close that the other vessel had to nose into the bank and drop an anchor. In the second, The Ionian Pioneer failed to answer her rudder and to avoid collision had to drop an anchor. The River Pilot declined to proceed further until this condition was corrected. The chief engineer then made temporary repairs by purging the telemotor lines of air. At New Orleans repairs were made to cure defects which experts concluded must have existed over a considerable period of time. She then proceeded to Mobile for extensive stranding repairs, where the steering engine was presumably tested and found in good order. But leaving shipyard at Mobile, her previous steering difficulties recurred. The vessel returned immediately to shipyard where her telemotor was opened up completely for the first time since January 1950, and substantial defects discovered and corrected in both the telemotor system and the steering engine.
16
This brings us back to San Pedro, for the specific fact issue was: why did Ionian Pioneer strand? This was a question about a physical event in no way affected by prior knowledge, duty to anticipate, or the like. It is not often that to throw light on a controverted physical phenomenon, a history so fruitful would be available. With no real suggestion that the initial stranding at San Pedro or the second one at Nuevitas would account for continued, recurring, erratic steering, these events within two weeks' time gave ample basis for the Court's conclusion. A 'penchant for sheering to port' was a colorful, but charitable, and accurate estimate. This was, of course, a finding both of unseaworthiness and the efficient cause of the damage.
17
Was the unseaworthiness caused by the owner's failure to exercise due diligence? On this the only serious concern is whether the shipowner ought to have known of these defects because, save for diligence in obtaining certificates of seaworthiness from Hellenic or Lloyds classification societies and which is certainly not the test, see Knauth, supra, page 187; The Abbazia, D.C.S.D.N.Y., 127 F. 495; Bank Line, Limited v. Porter (The Poleric), 4 Cir., 25 F.2d 843, 1928 A.M.C. 761 certiorari denied 278 U.S. 623, 49 S.Ct. 25, 73 L.Ed. 544; Sabine Towing Co., Inc., v. Brennan (The Edgar F. Coney), 5 Cir., 72 F.2d 490, 1934 A.M.C. 1122, 1129; and a few superficial repairs to parts of the steering apparatus, the last of which for the engine was July 12, 1951, and for the telemotor, January 31, 1950, the record is completely silent of any serious inspection and survey of the entire steering machinery before this charter party voyage began.
18
Abundant proof supplied the basis for the District Court's conclusion. There was, first, the erratic behavior of the steering engine over a period of at least two weeks' time from causes and defects of long standing. Existing as it did in such an advanced state, the Court could well infer that it had long existed and, existing, the owner in prudence should have known of it. Erie & St. Lawrence Corp. v. Barnes-Ames Co., D.C.W.D.N.Y., 52 F.2d 217, 1931 A.M.C. 1994. Where the standard of due diligence is applicable, it comprehends inspection and investigation, where prudent, to determine the existence of deficiencies before they become critical, and the failure to discover defects which examination would necessarily have disclosed is the very absence of due diligence. Artemis Maritime Co. v. Southwestern Sugar & Molasses Co., 4 Cir., 189 F.2d 488, 1951 A.M.C. 1833; Huilever, S. A. Division Huileries Du Congo Belge v. The Otho, 2 Cir., 139 F.2d 748, 1944 A.M.C. 43; The Cornelia, D.C.S.D.N.Y., 15 F.2d 245, 1926 A.M.C. 1337. Moreover, the vessel had been through a hurricane on August 17, 1951, causing extensive damage and during which she had steering trouble with unusual knocking in her steering engine which continued down to arrival at San Pedro. Despite this, when hurricane damage repairs were made, no inspection of any kind was made of the steering apparatus.
19
Once it is determined that the shipowner ought to have known of these defects, it is plain that nothing was done about them. The failure on the part of any of the owner's servants, which includes the ship's Master, to take the prudent steps satisfying the non-delegable standard of due diligence is chargeable to it for, 'a shipowner (does not exercise due diligence * * * by merely furnishing proper structure and equipment, for the diligence required is diligence to make the ship in all respects seaworthy; and that * * * means due diligence on the part of all the owner's servants in the use of the equipment, before the commencement of the voyage and until it is actually commenced.' International Navigation Co. v. Farr & Bailey Mfg. Co., 181 U.S. 218, 225, 21 S.Ct. 591, 593, 45 L.Ed. 830, 833. 'In other words, the owners must show that those whom they employ to act actually used due diligence.' The C. S. Holmes, D.C.N.D.Cal., 5 F.2d 358, 360, 1925 A.M.C. 729, 732, 733; The Maria, 4 Cir., 91 F.2d 819, 1937 A.M.C. 934; The Leerdam, 5 Cir., 17 F.2d 586, 1927 A.M.C. 509; California & Hawaiian Sugar Refining Corp. v. Rideout, 9 Cir., 53 F.2d 322, 1931 A.M.C. 1870.
20
The exercise of due diligence envisages some activity. This record is barren of anything which the owner or his servants did prior to the commencement of this voyage and each of its stages, Federal Forwarding Co. v. Lanasa (The Fort Gaines), 4 Cir., 32 F.2d 154, 155, 1929 A.M.C. 608; The Steel Navigator, 2 Cir., 23 F.2d 590, 1928 A.M.C. 388, The Glymont, 2 Cir., 66 F.2d 617, 1933 A.M.C. 1293, toward ascertaining or correcting defects whether of the steering gear, the leaking hull or her hogged condition. And to this may be added the deliberate overloading of the vessel which made her unseaworthy without a doubt. Actually, the acknowledged overloading defeats the argument labored so heavily by shipowner that it was the deep draft of the vessel on leaving San Pedro which made her sluggish and unmanageable.
21
And, since substantial further damage was done to the cargo remaining aboard the vessel when she stranded the second time at Nuevitas, that action of the vessel is inexcusable. Proceeding there, not from emergency arising at sea, cf. The Malcolm Baxter, supra, but from a known deficiency originating in an initial inadequate supply of bunkers and the later presumptuous interference with the essential command of the Master by preemptory order from shore based management, The Waalhaven, 2 Cir., 36 F.2d 706, 1930 A.M.C. 27, The Glymont, supra, the vessel is subjected to the consequences of an unwarranted deviation, see The Willdomino v. Citro Chemical Co., supra; The Pelotas, 5 Cir., 66 F.2d 75, 1933 A.M.C. 1188.
22
Finally, as to both cargo lost and damaged, the libelant adequately carried its burden of establishing that it was caused at least in part by conditions for which under the charter party, the vessel became liable. From that point the burden then fell upon the vessel to separate those portions of the damages attributable to an excepted cause, The Vallescura, 293 U.S. 296, 55 S.Ct. 194, 79 L.Ed. 373, 1934 A.M.C. 1573, and this she did not do.
23
Affirmed.
1
The charter provided: '1. The vessel, classed as aforesaid and to be so maintained during the currency of this Charter, shall, * * *, proceed * * * to (loading ports), and being tight, staunch and strong, * * * and being in every respect fit for the voyage, so far as the foregoing conditions can be attained by the exercise of due diligence, perils of the sea and any other cause of whatsoever kind beyond the Owner's control excepted, shall load * * *.'
2
Clause 18 (for convenient reference numbers in ( ) are added):
'The vessel, her Master and owner shall not unless otherwise in this charter expressly provided, be responsible for any loss or damage arising or resulting from:
'(1) any act of neglect on the part of the master, pilots, or other servants of the owner in the navigation or management of the vessel;
'(2) collision, standing or peril, danger or accident of the seas, or other navigable waters:
'(3) any act or omission of the charterer or owner, shipper or consignee of the cargo, their agents or representatives;
'(4) breakage of shafts, or any latent defects in hull, equipment or machinery;
'(5) unseaworthiness of the vessel unless caused by want of due diligence on the part of the owner to make the vessel seaworthy, or to have her properly manned, equipped and supplied;
'(6) or from any other cause of whatsoever kind arising without the actual fault or privity of the owner.' (Italics supplied.)
Cf. The Monarch of Nassau, 5 Cir., 155 F.2d 48, 1946 A.M.C. 853; The Doromar, 5 Cir., 181 F.2d 263, 1950 A.M.C. 761, recognizing the validity of such clauses.
3
'Q. Shore people had nothing to do with the loading of the vessel? A. Nothing
'Q. And if the vessel was overloaded and proceeded to sea, that would be your responsibility? A. If I overloaded the vessel?
'Q. -- Yes? A. -- Yes, sir.'
4
In this battle of credibility the Judge also had before him the Pilot's brief ex parte statement made September 29 which the vessel thinks exonerates her altogether: 'On leaving my position at the bridge to go to the starboard side to verify if the boat had already reached the Bell Beacon, on returning again to my position, the helmsman, let the ship drop toward larboard (port), falling on the sandbank where it was stranded.' The statement does not pretend to fix the cause of the helmsman letting the ship drop to port. That physical result could take place from the helmsman's error or steering gear failure, or both. So far as helmsman action, he alone would know, and the owner's failure to produce this key navigational witness was a proper factor for consideration and criticism by the Court. Cf. Redwood S.S. Co. v. United States Shipping Board Emergency Fleet Corporation, 9 Cir., 18 F.2d 382, 1927 A.M.C. 756
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/*
* Copyright (C) 2011 The Android Open Source Project
*
* Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
* you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
* You may obtain a copy of the License at
*
* http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
*
* Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
* distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
* WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
* See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
* limitations under the License.
*/
#ifndef ART_COMPILER_DEX_QUICK_COMPILER_CALLBACKS_H_
#define ART_COMPILER_DEX_QUICK_COMPILER_CALLBACKS_H_
#include "compiler_callbacks.h"
#include "verifier/verifier_deps.h"
namespace art {
class VerificationResults;
class QuickCompilerCallbacks FINAL : public CompilerCallbacks {
public:
QuickCompilerCallbacks(VerificationResults* verification_results,
CompilerCallbacks::CallbackMode mode)
: CompilerCallbacks(mode),
verification_results_(verification_results),
verifier_deps_(nullptr) {
CHECK(verification_results != nullptr);
}
~QuickCompilerCallbacks() { }
void MethodVerified(verifier::MethodVerifier* verifier)
REQUIRES_SHARED(Locks::mutator_lock_) OVERRIDE;
void ClassRejected(ClassReference ref) OVERRIDE;
// We are running in an environment where we can call patchoat safely so we should.
bool IsRelocationPossible() OVERRIDE {
return true;
}
verifier::VerifierDeps* GetVerifierDeps() const OVERRIDE {
return verifier_deps_.get();
}
void SetVerifierDeps(verifier::VerifierDeps* deps) OVERRIDE {
verifier_deps_.reset(deps);
}
private:
VerificationResults* const verification_results_;
std::unique_ptr<verifier::VerifierDeps> verifier_deps_;
};
} // namespace art
#endif // ART_COMPILER_DEX_QUICK_COMPILER_CALLBACKS_H_
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Tag Archive for Ray LaHood
Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez (CA-47) today joined a growing list of California lawmakers who are asking the U.S. Department of Transportation to redirect high-speed rail funding refused by other states to California.
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165 Ill. App.3d 260 (1988)
519 N.E.2d 109
STATE FARM MUTUAL AUTOMOBILE INSURANCE COMPANY, Plaintiff-Appellee,
v.
THOMAS L. BUNDY et al., Defendants (Union Oil Company of California et al., Defendants-Appellants).
No. 4-87-0371.
Illinois Appellate Court Fourth District.
Opinion filed February 3, 1988.
*261 Richard E. Stites, of Livingston, Barger, Brandt & Schroeder, of Bloomington, for appellants.
Westervelt, Johnson, Nicoll & Keller, of Peoria (Robert D. Jackson and John A. Kendrick, of counsel), for appellee.
Judgment affirmed.
PRESIDING JUSTICE GREEN delivered the opinion of the court:
On October 21, 1985, plaintiff State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company (State Farm) filed this action for declaratory judgment in the circuit court of McLean County. It sought an interpretation of the coverage provided by a policy of automobile insurance issued to defendant Thomas L. Bundy. On April 8, 1987, the court granted plaintiff's motion for summary judgment as to count I of the complaint. The court found (1) a pickup truck, owned by defendant Puregro Company, d/b/a Marco Farm Supply (Puregro), which was being driven by defendant Bundy at the time of an automobile collision, was excluded from coverage under the policy because of a limitation in the policy for nonowned cars provided for the insured's "regular or frequent use," and (2) plaintiff had no duty to defend or to indemnify Bundy for any loss resulting from the incident. The court found no just reason to delay enforcement or appeal. 107 Ill.2d R. 304(a).
Defendants Union Oil Company (Union), Puregro, and Continental Insurance Company (Continental) appeal contending that although no dispute existed as to the underlying circumstances in regard to defendant Bundy's use of the vehicle he was operating at the time of the collision, a question of fact exists as to whether those circumstances meet the requirements of the nonowned car provision of the policy. Those defendants request that we overrule this court's previous decision in Economy Fire & Casualty Co. v. Gorman (1980), 84 Ill. App.3d 1127, 406 N.E.2d 169, where we held a similar exclusionary provision of an automobile liability policy applied as a matter of law under substantially the same circumstances. However, we adhere *262 to that precedent and affirm.
The liability coverage of the car policy is defined within "SECTION I LIABILITY COVERAGE A," which provides, in part:
"Coverage for the Use of Other Cars
The liability coverage extends to the use, by an insured, of a newly acquired car, a temporary substitute car or a non-owned car." (Emphasis in original.)
Within the "DEFINED WORDS" section of the car policy, the agreement provides:
"Non-Owned Car means a car not
1. owned by,
2. registered in the name of, or
3. furnished or available for the regular or frequent use of: you, your spouse, or any relatives." (Emphasis in original.)
Bundy stated in a discovery deposition, included in plaintiff's motion for summary judgment, that (1) on Saturday, April 14, 1984, he was involved in a collision on United States Route 51 while driving a pickup truck owned by Puregro; (2) he had obtained the truck from the personal residence of Thomas Anderson, a coworker at Puregro, for the purpose of transporting a refrigerator from a store in Bloomington to the home of his son-in-law in Clinton; (3) prior to the collision, he had used the truck in the course of his employment with Puregro on a daily basis; (4) he also used the truck for personal reasons two or three times per month (however, he later said he had only used it on approximately 30 occasions during the eight years he worked for Puregro); (5) he knew that personal use of vehicles was to be approved by the managers, and he had always, previous to this incident, asked permission from a manager for use of the truck; (6) on the day of the accident, he had tried to obtain permission to use the vehicle from a supervisor, but he was unable to reach anyone; (7) he had initially made a statement indicating that he was on company business at the time of the accident, but he later corrected himself and told the truth; and (8) Anderson had told him to say he was on company business in order to keep both Anderson and Bundy out of trouble.
Brian Huss, a manager at Puregro, said in his deposition (1) Bundy would have previously used the truck for personal reasons only within a 10-mile radius of Clinton, Illinois; (2) he had established an informal policy of allowing individual employees to use the company pickup trucks for personal reasons; (3) although a formal written log procedure had been established for use of the truck for personal reasons, it was never used; (4) he used the truck on a daily basis for *263 transportation between his residence and his workplace; and (5) he also used the truck once or twice per week for personal business unrelated to transportation.
Thomas Anderson stated in his deposition that all of the employees had used the trucks for personal reasons, but indiscriminate use of the truck was not permitted, and it was not to be used for other than local use.
The foregoing testimony was not disputed. Because the facts shown were substantially the same as those in Gorman, the trial court concluded that under the precedent set forth in that case, the undisputed evidence established as a matter of law that the vehicle driven by Bundy at the time of the collision was "furnished or available for [his] regular or frequent use" thus triggering the operation of the exclusionary provisions of the policy issued by plaintiff to Bundy.
The trial court found, on the basis of Gorman, that plaintiff was entitled to a judgment as a matter of law on the question of whether its automobile insurance policy issued to Bundy excluded coverage because it was "furnished or available for the regular or frequent use of" Thomas Bundy.
In Gorman, the insured's son, Gorman, Jr., was involved in a one-car collision while driving his employer's vehicle. His employer provided the automobile for him to use in making deliveries, and the vehicle was never furnished to him for his personal use. On the evening of the accident, Gorman, Jr., drove the vehicle to a friend's home after working hours, and later that night, became involved in a collision. This court pointed out that, although courts have had no difficulty finding "regular use" where an automobile is available for someone's use at any time at his complete discretion, the vehicle need not be available to the driver for his unrestricted use at any time in order to be considered a vehicle furnished for his "regular use."
This court reasoned that the employer had furnished the car to Gorman, Jr., on a regular basis, because, irrespective of his actual use of the car at the time of the accident, the car was:
"[F]urnished to Gorman, Jr., for his expected use throughout each business day * * *. Obviously, his use was not `incidental' and to have deemed his use of this vehicle to have been covered by his parents' liability policy would have greatly increased the exposure on that policy without a compensating premium. We consider his use of the vehicle to have been `regular' as a matter of law." Gorman, 84 Ill. App.3d at 1131, 406 N.E.2d at 173.
In Gorman, this court cited and rejected the reasoning of the Second *264 District in Schoenknecht v. Prairie State Farmers Insurance Association (1960), 27 Ill. App.2d 83, 169 N.E.2d 148. There, plaintiff's employer provided him with a car to use in his work, and he was required to return the car at the end of each day. On the day in question, instead of returning the car, he drove it to visit friends and was involved in a collision that evening. The trial court found that an insurance policy issued by defendant on plaintiff's personal automobile provided coverage for this collision. On appeal, the defendant insurance company contended that coverage was not provided, because the automobile involved in the collision had been furnished to plaintiff by his employer for his "regular use." The court on appeal rejected that contention stating that plaintiff was furnished the car for his use only in connection with his employer's business during working hours. The use of the car to visit friends after hours was deemed to be an isolated, casual and unauthorized use of the vehicle, and thus failed as a matter of law to come within the "regular use" exclusion.
This court, in Gorman, considered Schoenknecht to have been overruled, sub silentio, by State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Co. v. Differding (1977), 69 Ill.2d 103, 370 N.E.2d 543.
In Differding, a professor at Northern Illinois University in De Kalb permitted the insured, Differding, to use his automobile during the summer break to prevent deterioration to the vehicle. The only limits placed on the use of the car were that defendant use it only during the summer and that the use be restricted to the area of the university. After the end of the summer school term, defendant was involved in a collision while driving the professor's car to her home in a Chicago suburb.
The plaintiff insurance company filed an action for declaratory judgment to determine whether defendant Differding's operation of the vehicle came within the "regular use" exclusion found in the automobile insurance policies issued by plaintiff to defendant's father and brother. The trial court ruled in favor of the plaintiff insurance company, finding that the automobile involved in the collision was furnished or available for the frequent and regular use of the defendant. The appellate court, relying in part on Schoenknecht, reversed stating that an automobile furnished for a limited period of time and strictly for local use could hardly be said to have been furnished for "regular use" when it was being used for long distance travel. The supreme court indicated that the question of whether the automobile was furnished or available to the defendant for her frequent or regular use was one of fact. (Differding, 69 Ill.2d at 107, 370 N.E.2d at 545.) The court found there was sufficient evidence in the record to support the *265 findings made by the circuit court, and, in holding that the findings were contrary to the manifest weight of the evidence, the appellate court erred.
As noted in Gorman, the opinion in Differding did not discuss the question of whether defendant's deviation from the scope of permission given by the professor bore upon or prevented defendant's operation of the vehicle from being "regular use." Rather, the opinion keyed on the manner in which the automobile was "furnished or available" and not on the manner in which it was being used at the time of the collision.
This court in Gorman interpreted Differding as holding that the question of whether a vehicle's use is furnished to another on a "regular" basis is determined irrespective of whether it is actually being used at the time of an occurrence in a manner contrary to the conditions upon which it was furnished. This court's interpretation was supported by an authority on insurance stating that the purpose of the exclusion was to provide coverage for occasional or incidental use of other cars without payment of an additional premium, but to exclude the habitual use of other cars which would increase the risk on the insurer without a corresponding increase in the premium. 12A R. Anderson, Cyclopedia of Insurance Law § 45:1052 (rev. ed. 1981).
Defendants point out that here and in Differding, the evidence showed that the drivers, for whom policy coverage was sought, had authority to use another vehicle frequently but were involved in a collision during an unauthorized use of that vehicle. In Differding, the supreme court held that evidence to create a factual question as to coverage while the circuit court here held that coverage was precluded as a matter of law. Defendants contend that we should overrule Gorman, where we held coverage to be excluded as a matter of law, and hold that, as in Differding, the evidence here created a factual question. However, in Differding, the permissible use of the other vehicle was only for the period of a single summer and in a very restricted area. In Gorman and here, the use of the other vehicle was for a much more extended period of time than a single summer, and the use of the vehicle for business purposes was completely unrestricted. Moreover, the evidence here showed that Bundy had frequently used the vehicle, with permission, for personal reasons within an area larger than one city.
Because the evidence here showed a larger and geographically more expanded use by the insured of the other vehicle than was the situation in Differding, we conclude that the other vehicle here was shown, as a matter of law, to not be a "Non-Owned Car" within the *266 meaning of the instant policy. Accordingly, the trial court properly granted summary judgment. Because the evidence in Gorman was similar to that here, we decline to overrule our decision there.
The summary judgment entered by the circuit court is affirmed.
Affirmed.
McCULLOUGH and LUND, JJ., concur.
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IIT, Kanpur Recruitment 2018 – Project Scientist – 01 Post
IIT, Kanpur has advertised a notification for the recruitment of Project Scientist . Interested candidates can check the Other details like Age limit, Selection process, Application Fees & How to apply from the link given below
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The BDI (Baltic Dry Index) lost 18 points earlier on today and now stands uncomfortably at 829 points; the Geopolitics inclusive of the G20 forum taking place tomorrow in Hamburg will determine a great deal of future politics and trade AND possibly the environment.John Faraclas’ daily report:
The Capers,uncertain as always, lost 83 points bringing the BCI 2014 below the 900-point mark and very close to that of 800-points level at 818… CAUTION.
An interesting three points were added to the otherwise falling Panamaxeswith the BPI now reading 1,063 points. The only plus dry category…
The Supras’ BSI lost seven points now standing at 735…
Still stranded at 472 points the Handies’ BHSIraises many questions… and eyebrows…
We are now 539 points from the all times absolute bottom (Feb 2016) of 290 points, and 1,371 points still to ….gain and reach the 2,200 points-level as that at the end of December 2013. You can now make your own calculations and see what’s up…
The Wets with mixed feelings… The last published BDTI (Dirties) and BCTI (Cleans) stood at 656 – unchanged, and 566 – plus three respectively…
The WTI as you read these lines, following an earlier drop, now reads US$ 45.78 – not bad and still below the dangerous US$50 mark!!!
The Geopolitics with the G20 at the forefront of everybody’s agenda had a cold pre-start in Hamburg today with tough demonstrations… Let us see how the major meetings go ahead on Trade, Climate and Terrorism. Mrs. Merkel wishes a good outcome which will boost her chances in being re-elected. Trump and Putin will also meet and let us see if they really wish Peace! Talking about Peace, it seems that the Cyprus talks will end in a stalemate… Turkey, once again as expected rocked the boat…
All other issues remain unfortunately the same; shame!
Elias Spyrtounias
On another tone there was an excellent and timely event, a specialist conference on “The fight against smuggling and illicit trade: growth incentive for the Greek and European Economy” at Athens’ Constitution Square King George Hotel.
A full house where women delegates for the first time surpassed their male …counterparts…
Three interesting sessions and quite a great number of questions despite the time restrictions. The event was introduced, welcoming the speakers and delegates by Elias Spyrounias, General Manager of the Hellenic-American Chamber of Commerce.
Simos Anastassopoulos
Then Simos Anastassopoulos, the president of the AHCC took the podium for a brief welcome too. From the American Embassy the current Economic Officer Brian Hoyt delivered a short and to the point welcome speech…
Session one was on the “Requirements facing illegal trading and propositions for structural reforms”. Four excellent speakers and an interesting practitioner, Yiannis Mastrokostas from Philip Morris International who successfully moderated the session. Yoryos Pitsilis, Iakovos Kargarotos, Anastassia Angeli and Cathy Haenlain from RUSI UK, delivered interesting presentations, some with very interesting and meticulously selected and construed slides. Cathy Haenlain delivery was par excellence! Here were five questions and we also had the chance to question the way one can stop illicit trading et al, particularly from Turkey!
The Second Session covered interesting issues on “The repercussions from the increasing tendency towards illicit trading for the smooth development and market performance as well as the viability of legal entities”. Evangelos Margaritis had to moderate a difficult panel with Stavros Thomadakis, special Secretary of SDOE, Ioanna Mamali, Antonis Makris, Ioannis Kaplanis and Michalis Kosmopoulos. Antonis Makris presented more than a reality paper.
After a nice and refreshing light buffet lunch, the third session begun having also a bit of maritime …flavour, given that Commander (HCG) Nikos Lagadianos was in the panel which was moderated by Eleni Hadjinikolaou, Diageos’ brand protection manager for Europe. Commander Lagadianos’ videos where very convincing in what takes place in cigarettes and drug smuggling on many instances involving containers (TEUs). Other speakers included Kostas Christou, Vassilis Kontothanassis, the eloquent Maria Tsantiraki and Athanassios Katsouros. This last session dealt with the “Methodology and current practices of the Greek Authorities in tackling infringements”.
The event run an extra time – an hour, given the Q&A and the interim dialogues/questions within the panels. Hope that same is repeated in Thessaloniki too, as well as in Patras, Volos, Kavala, Herakleion in Crete and other ports – shipping centres of Greece, needless to say all over the European Union AND Europe!
Congratulations to all involved in organising this event, as well as the sponsors and supporters, and in particular Dafni Constantinidou from the AHCC, which this year celebrates 85 years in Greece!
In London, the IUA- International Underwriting Association, following the successful last year’s Space Odyssey event, gave an amazing summer party under the Beatles theme at Saloto 31 in Lovat Lane at the heart of the Square Mile; the decor was unique and the food, drinks and dips excellent; a lovely evening too – weather-wise, and this was also another plus for the event meticulously organised by Deborah Finch and her events colleagues; and the Seahorse Club – that of the shipping media guys and dolls, its summer BBQ on River Thames alike last year at the Doggetts Coat and Badge, top floor on the southern side of Blackfriars Bridge… Amongst the guests the ever present Inge Mitchell !!!!
…and in retrospect… Picture courtesy of Anna Menis
Will revert on both events with a bit of more coverage and pics soon.
Have a nice evening and be on guard for any eventuality from Pirates and Terrorists.
From the Seahorse Club BBQ – at the Bar; can spot Tom Waters on centre stage and close to the window NI’s Bridget Hogan. Picture credits Anna Menis
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ABSENCE OF ACUTE TOXICITY OF A SINGLE INTRAMUSCULAR INJECTION OF MELOXICAM IN GOLDFISH ( CARASSIUS AURATUS AURATUS): A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL.
Meloxicam is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug with preferential cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitory activity. It is frequently used in veterinary medicine, including in fish species. The efficacy and safety of meloxicam, however, has not yet been reported in adult fish. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the acute toxicity of a single intramuscular injection of meloxicam in goldfish ( Carassius auratus auratus). Following 3 wk of acclimation, 32 goldfish were randomly assigned to two groups of 16 individuals. Fish from the treatment group received a single intramuscular injection of 5 mg/kg meloxicam, while the fish from the control group received a single intramuscular injection of a 0.9% sodium chloride solution using a similar volume (1 ml/kg). No external lesions, mortality, or modifications in behavior or position in the water column were noted during the following 72 hr. Three days after the initial injection, all fish were euthanized by immersion in a solution of tricaine methanesulfonate. Complete postmortem and histologic evaluations were performed for each fish. Hemorrhage and muscular necrosis were observed at the site of injection in fish from both groups. Multiple granulomas of undetermined etiology were detected in numerous organs from fish of both groups. No statistically significant differences were detected in regard to the lesions observed in these two groups. This study demonstrates that a single intramuscular injection of meloxicam at a dosage of 5 mg/kg does not cause acute toxicity in goldfish.
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There is a communist revival taking place in the world today. We see cultural Marxism rearing its ugly head in universities with the extreme left trying to shut down, sometimes violently, any conservatives who dare to disagree with their extreme left-wing opinions. Put perhaps the clearest example of this swing can be seen in the communist resurgence taking place in China. In an article in the Washington Times, Bob Fu, President of ChinaAid a Christian organization that monitors human right abuses in China, said persecution of Christians in China has reached levels unseen since the days of Mao Tse Tung’s Cultural Revolution (1966-1976). In 2016, ChinaAid reported the persecution of 762 Churches and 48,000 people and by 2017 that had risen to 1,265 churches and 223,000 people. The persecution trend is veering upwards again in 2018 since the passing of a law on Feb. 1 requiring all churches to register with the state. Earlier this year, the government dynamited the largest church in Shanxi province — the Golden Lampstand Church. The government has also burned …
Founded in 1821, the main campus of George Washington University (GWU) is found just a few blocks from the White house in Washington, DC. Its main campus is located in Foggy Bottom, an area largely owned by GWU where it serves as the landlord for such tenants as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. GWU’s motto is Deus Nobis Fiducia (God is our trust) or at least once was. There have been radical changes at the university and now when you click on its website you are welcomed with: “No matter what subject we pursue, we’ve all come here to change the course of history.” Though these words sound noble, when we understand them in the light of the cultural Marxism that has gripped many universities, they take on a more ominous tone. Where GWU once believed “God is our trust,” and make no mistake this is a reference to the Christian God, the campus recently held a workshop to strip people of their “Christian privilege.” The seminar held on Thursday, April 5, …
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In vivo efficacy of KRP-109, a novel elastase inhibitor, in a murine model of severe pneumococcal pneumonia.
KRP-109 is a novel specific inhibitor of neutrophil elastase (NE). Various studies suggest that NE inhibitors reduce lung injury associated with systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS). In this study, the efficacy of KRP-109 was examined using a murine model of severe pneumonia induced by Streptococcus pneumoniae (S. pneumoniae). Female mice (CBA/J, aged 5 weeks) were inoculated intranasally with penicillin-susceptible S. pneumoniae (ATCC49619 strain, 2.5 × 10(8) CFU/mouse). KRP-109 (30 or 50 mg/kg) or physiological saline as a control was administered intraperitoneally every 8 h beginning at 8 h after inoculation, and survival rate was evaluated over 7 days. Histopathological and bacteriological analyses of the lung, and bronchoalveolar lavage were performed at 48 h post-infection. The mice treated with KRP-109 (KRP-109 mice) tended to have higher survival rate than those given saline. The lung tissues of the KRP-109 mice had few neutrophils in the alveolar walls and less inflammation. Furthermore, KRP-109 decreased significantly total cell and neutrophil counts, and cytokine levels (interleukin 1β and macrophage inflammatory protein 2) in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. Viable bacterial numbers in lung were not influenced by treatment of KRP-109. The present results indicate that KRP-109 reduces lung inflammation in a murine model, and that KRP-109 may be useful for the treatment of patients with severe pneumonia.
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Related Textbooks:
Philosophy 160 Winter 2008 Review Topics for Midterm Examination The midterm examination will be given during the normal class meeting time, on Wednesday, February 18th . Be sure to bring bluebooks. In reviewing for the exam, the following are important sources: - The readings - Your lecture notes - The hand-outs and PowerPoints posted on C-Tools - Rachels and Rachels - Review session, Monday, February 16th, evening ? place and time to be announced. The exam will be divided into two sections. In Section I, you will be given a list of 6 or so items, from which you are to choose 3. For each item you will have 10 minutes to: Briefly identify, define, or explain the item, indicating (where appropriate) which author or authors introduced or made significant use of the item. Give an example (or examples) that illustrate the item. Indicate briefly the significance of the item for our course so far. In Section II, you will be given a choice between two short essay questions. You will have 20 minutes to answer the question you choose. Make sure that you address all the components of the question, each of which will be listed as (i), (ii), (iii), etc. Here is a list of the items from which the questions in both sections will be drawn: Why Hobbes thinks a commonwealth imposed by force can still command obedience One of Hobbe?s claims is that fear makes you rational, and that everything that is voluntary you do because you want to or because you want to avoid greater harm Therefore, people will obey in fear of what will happen if they do not Hobbe?s says that in order to get out of a State of Nature, there must be rules that govern relationships The people must then decide on an agency, the state that has power to enforce these rules This agreement is called the Social Contract Theory The overall claim is that ?the state exists to enforce the rules necessary for social living? Tacit vs. hypothetical consent (from Railton?s example) Tacit consent is a form of actual, non-hypothetical consent It involves no explicit expression of agreement- it is ?implied? Tacit consent is given when someone who could object to the agreement or refuse to accept it, does not do so Ex. Tourists who enter county tacitly consent to follow the rules/laws of country, if they say they do not want to abide by laws, they should not have come at all. Hypothetical consent is not actually consent, but it is an idea of what a person would consent to in a circumstance in which they were given a voluntary choice Ex. Rawl?s ?original position?( what people would consent to in a fair choice situation Ex. Living in a house with 4 people, only 3 are present when discussing payment for TV cable, but it is assumed that the 4th roommate will pitch in equally for the cable. They later claim that they won?t pay because he wasn?t asked about this before, but you can say that he would have agreed to it if he were there to be asked, so he can?t use the fact that he wasn?t there as an excuse not to pay. Autonomy vs. heteronomy Autonomy is being a law to ourselves, or self law Human desires do no necessitate action Reflect upon their desires and decide which will be effective in their actions Govern your own actions because of capacity for reflection and choice Humans make and follow own law Can chose to be governed by moral principle We are aware that we have this freedom Capacity to obey a law gives oneself autonomy Autonomy requires that one be able to: Divorce oneself from particular desires, passions, and interests Reflect, asking what one has reason to do Weigh these reasons, does it equal the strengths of one?s desires? Decide what to do- which goal or action is best to endorse or purse? Put decision into practice- make it effective All of this will make the action one?s own and not a product of circumstance and psychology Heteronomy is causal law (Need more on this one) Conventional- what you do produces a particular outcome Ex. Animals are governed by appetitive ad inclinations, caused by desires Causal law Being driven by choices that are not of given by themselves Not rational laws Before you can have action, you must exert will You?re will can either act on or deny these Show you are either acting for a reason or are irrational Hobbes' conception of rationality vs. Kant's Hobbes? rationality From a Normative Side He explains that under the social contract it is rational for all to agree to lay down their rights equally (reserving only a right to sel-defense) and in the same act create and authorize an overawing sovereign Rational individuals recognize that laws of nature are necessary and legit Ex. Keep covenants, respect persons/property, be accommodating Rational individuals respect particular laws of nature out of in foro interno rational motivation He explains rational self-interest is a dominant strategy Game- whatever your opponent does, you do best by taking the same action (example- prisoners dilemma) If a state of nature continues, the dominant strategy is ?always defect? Rationality makes like remain solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, short Kant?s concept of rationality is explained through the notion of positive freedom Positive Freedom is the ability to make ones rational will effective Only rational beings have positive freedome because rational beings can take care of themselves Ex. Dogs or babies don?t have positive freedom because they are not rational- they lack the ability to organize life in accord of what it needs Rational principle of the categorical imperative( it?s a risk, but if you can see the reward in the end, it is more desirable Categorical vs. hypothetical imperatives Imperative (in general)- an objective principle of the will A command, not an incentive Categorical- a will that presupposes no further end, can be defended/shared with all Moral imperative must be categorical Any will/maxim we might choose to act upon can be tested Could you will this as a universal law at the same time? Ex. Golden Rule( do unto others as you would have other do unto you ?Act so as to treat humanity, whether in your own persons or in that of any other, in every case as an end, never as a means only.? Hypothetical- to will an end one must will the means Defends an action if the end is defensible Hypothetical social contract Explains the importance of a fair procedure Ex. Dividing up a cake- you cut the cake but your brother gets to pick the piece first Ex. Angel of death Acting under the idea of freedom Both positive and negative freedom Negative freedom- absence of external constrains, independence Hobbes explains, freedom is the silence of the law Positive freedom- ability to make one?s rational will effective (relates to rationality, see above) Non-rational beings (babies, dogs- negative freedom) can not organize life in accord of what they need Govern own life in accord to your own needs But, absence of external constraints is insufficient Rousseau explains- slavery to the passions is not freedom Kant explains- freedom requires self-governance in accord with principles one gives to oneself (from review session) Hobbes- good for a person is just equal to what x desires, or what x rationally desires In going from nature to civil society, appeal to fear Good or bad is threatening vs. promising Civil society is promising, nature is threatening, so this is a sufficient way to get from nature to civil society Fool( short sighted, oh, well I could lie and decive and still get away with it if I could fool people, it would allow me to get away with it No, fool is based on flaws of others in not catching the lie Little kid who can?t control appetite, needs to have it now Wait until dinner time to have a good meal Incompetent of fulfilling long-term desires Problem- prisoners dilemma (problem for a system) Kant thinks we can contract acting from inclination and acting for a reason Dogs run free, why can?t we. Dogs act from inclination, goal directed beings? but not rational Incapable of acting for a reason Inclination( what you desire and what you believe leads directly to an action What about that desire? Should I satisfy it or not? It?s not WHAT do I desire? It can only be answers by making up my mind about whether I ought to follow my desires Dog?s don?t ask thing because they do not have the means to ask ?ought? Humans ask ought before act Humans are therefore rational Involves notion of ought, and therefore involves idea of a principle or a law An ought follows from a principle Action contrary to law or principle that I believe There is a reason not to do what I most want to do Autonomy( self law, you chose what you do Only follow a law or a principle if you could give yourself a law and hold yourself to it Be capable of self governance You don?t have it as a little kid Ex. Kid going to beach, but doesn?t want to get in the car. Won?t get to beach without getting into car Self-governance requires that we have a freedom If you say you can deal with the car and sit through it, you can do it. Self determination freedom Whenever you chose, you treat yourself as free (you can?t help it) Cannot escape this Freedom of choice, self governance, categorical imperative- can have a law Respect for persons as a basis for morality (Kant) Fair procedure shows respect for persons Treating ourselves and others as ends, not as mere means Take other people?s goals as important as own Respect others as fellow foal pursuers and not as tolls to your means Utilitarian approach to this( regard others pleasures/pains as relevant Look at well-being of each person "Treat oneself and others always as ends, never as means alone" Kantian theory See above for explanation of this This encompasses the ideas of negative and positive freedoms and autonomy Ex. Lying promise (from review session) If telling a lying promise Kant says you are treating them as a means- produce goal of my own That person abused your trust and took advantage of it Reduced you to a means to carry out their plan Not respected humanity that is in you Equivalent to law you could will to be the law of all rational beings Treating them as a source of ends, ends are not desires, they come from endorsing a desire/goal or making it an end How the utilitarian extends a principle of "equal concern" (impartiality) for well- being with respect to moments of time within one's life to a principle of "equal concern" (impartiality) for well-being across different lives Utilitarianism is the greatest good for the greatest number of people, and Mills explains the quality of pleasure as a good Well-being in moments of time within one?s life refers to happiness over time Impartiality across moments When you make decisions across time, you must be impartial of considering each moment of your life equally Well-being across different lives refers to happiness across persons There is impartiality across individuals- they all have equal weighting Count other people?s happiness in the same way you count your own Is any one person?s pleasure greater than another?s? The ideal spectator- other people look like you; other person?s future pain is the same as your so you should weigh it all equally Morality is treating all happiness alike Always act in such a way that regards all happiness alike in both time and persons What good we?re striving for? Bentham- pleasure of any force Mills- higher and lower pleasures Total net sum of happiness- make a few people unhappy but make a LOT of people very happy Happiness should be promoted but it is important to have the average level of happiness Consequentialism- maximizing own happiness of all man kind Distributive justice (Rawls) Justice in distribution is the result of a fair procedure for free and equal individuals to decide how to distribute the mutual benefits of social cooperation Explains how rights and power are distributed in society Fairness- dividing a cake up It is the procedure that is important- who is cutting the cake, who is picking the first piece If you cut and pick the first piece, you will cut a larger piece for yourself since you know you will get it If you cut and other picks, you will cut fairly so that you will be get the worse end of the deal *Equality- treating things equally *Desert- what people deserve by virtue of their conduct The two basic elements of consequentialist theories and their relationship Utilitarianism- greatest good for the greatest number of people Nothing to do with usefulness Ex. Buy the care that enhances your well-being People naturally try to do what will help their well-being Ex. Try to exceed/win, do not try to get sick/hurt Foundation of morality *Deontology- the right is prior to the good ? Act- vs. rule-utilitarianism Act Act x is right iff x is, of the acts available to the agent, the one with the greatest tendency to promote the good of all affected Good for everyone Ex. If someone is sick and asks how they look, you are allowed to lie and say good because it will benefit them This focuses on the outcome Rule Act x is right iff x is in accord with the set of rules which, if generally followed, would produce the greatest good for all affected. Not if it produces the best consequences Diminishing marginal utility Utilitarianism As you proceed, things loose value because you are less interested in having more. The next unit Ex. As you buy movie tickets the value gets less because it is less desirable to buy more if you already have one Distribute in direction of scarcity If people lack goods, distribute in their direction and get more utility from them as opposed to if you distribute in the direction of abundance Works towards equality- broader distribution Some examples to be able to describe and use: Cutting the clown cake This refers to a fair procedure. In order to create the greatest fairness, you cut the cake and your sibling has first pick on the slice of cake If you cut your own cake and were able to pick the piece, you would cut it unfairly to benefit yourself and give yourself the larger piece If your sibling were to cut it and pick it also, he could also cut it unfairly and cut it himself. Therefore, if you cut it and they pick the first piece it will be fair because you do not want to get the smaller half of the cake. You will cut it down the middle. The unyielding political dissident rotting in jail Example of treating someone as an end Running a society where a person represent a group that you don?t really like (ex. Religious meaning) Person is in jail for this Even if you don?t like them, it is getting to you that they are in jail For the sake of their principles, they are accepting life in prison Because they had a principle and held them to that principle, did not give up principle for the sake of not being put into jail You have a respect for this person b/c making such a large sacrifice for the principle they are making When you see this, it strives down our self conceit Could I do that? Would I have the guts/willingness/sacrifice? Are they a better person? Respect is the tribute we cannot pay to merit Person is refusing to let self be treated as means The natural lottery Under topic of hypothetical Social contract We are born into a certain situation (of living, race, gender, religion, ect.) What did you do to deserve your parent?s wealth? Ex. It is luck that Rawls survived his illness and is alive Differences are not morally relevant- they are not deserved We cannot determine morality of situation ?those better endowed, or more fortunate in their social position, neither of which [they] can be said to deserve Rawls- benefit most well off Nozick- fact of the matter, this is what it is, it?s not your responsibility The angel?s visits Notion of morally irrelevant information Under the topic of the hypothetical Social Contract (Rawls) The angel of death is to pass over the town and take parents If it is anonymous as to who is picked, it is fair We should not be concerned with their children are being taken Should be concerned about how to take care of an orphaned child Room 505 There are 5 men in need of organs There is man in room 505 that does not have anything seriously wrong with him and has the appropriate organs for there 5 men It is wrong to kill this man to save the other 5 Act utilitarianism would immediately start to chop him up From my discussion today- Rightness/Goodness Utilitarianism/Consequentialism(decide what?s good (happiness=intrinsically good) Right= maximize good in the world No implication for something being food or right Good Fundamental How many people are happy/how happy they are Right independent of good Respecting/treating others in certain ways Acting on universal principles Mills against Bentham B- all pleasures are a like so eating mashed potatoes is equal pleasure to having an intellectual breakthrough M- all pleasures not alike( higher pleasures/lower pleasures Both- maximize happiness M- maximize certain type of pleasure Argues against idea that utilitarianism is for swine Humans have higher pleasures than swine
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DOJ Targets Pro-Life Activists
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, when members of the New Black Panther Party stood outside voting booths on Election Day ’08 wearing military-type uniforms, bearing clubs and hurling racial epithets at voters, they were not engaged in voter intimidation. But now the same DOJ has determined that pro-life activists standing outside abortion clinics are trying to block access to the clinics. In fact, the Justice Department has sued half a dozen pro-life activists under a federal law that was relatively unused during the Bush administration.
The Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act, the law under which the DOJ has filed the lawsuits, was written to protect Americans who either seek or provide abortions and signed by President Bill Clinton in 1994, following a period of mass sit-ins at clinics, and a number of other anti-abortion activities. Though it was relatively dormant during the Bush administration, it was brought back to life after the 2009 murder of Kansas abortion provider George Tiller. Barry Grissom, U.S. Attorney for Kansas, remarks that Tiller’s death “brought home to many of us the terrible potential for violence and the need to use every legal means at our disposal to prevent it.”
Since President Obama’s election in 2008, a number of federal lawsuits have been filed against over-zealous pro-life activists, such as a West Palm Beach, Florida, woman who blocked a car from entering a local abortion clinic and a Texas man who attempted to prevent entrance to a patient waiting area of a San Antonio abortion clinic by obstructing the doorway with his body. A total of six lawsuits have been filed by Obama’s DOJ, as opposed to one lawsuit filed during the Bush administration.
According to Carl Tobias, a law professor at the University of Richmond in Virginia, it makes sense that the DOJ processed more lawsuits under the Obama administration than under the Bush administration, as the behavior of the Justice Department is often representational of the current administration. He explained:
I think President Bush was pretty clear about his position on that type of issue. It is less clear what the present administration’s position is, but maybe it is partly reflected in their willingness to be more rigorous about enforcing it.
Thomas Perez, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division, asserts that the DOJ will ensure that the law is enforced. He declares that the Department “will continue to aggressively enforce the FACE Act against those who seek to violate the rights of their fellow Americans to safely provide or obtain such services.”
Kathy Spillar, executive vice president of the Feminist Majority Foundation, a group that fights to protect abortion rights, believes the lawsuits are a positive step, as they “send a very strong message that extremists are not going to be able to make threats, much less carry out threats, without consequences.”
Hans von Spakovsky, counsel to the Assistant Attorney General in the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division from 2001 to 2005, asserts that the current Department of Justice may be somewhat overambitious in its pursuit of lawsuits. The Blaze writes:
Von Spakovsky, now manager of the Civil Rights Reform Initiative for the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, said the Justice Department’s decision under Obama to bring numerous civil lawsuits raises two issues: It brings up First Amendment questions because some protests are protected speech. And it suggests authorities are pursuing civil action “because they know they don’t have the evidence” to file criminal charges.
Similarly, Operation Rescue President Troy Newman contends, “You don’t just go around filing injunctions against people that you believe are proponents of violence. Domestic violence cases have proven that little injunctions don’t stop people from committing acts of violence.… They are pretty weak cases all around the country.”
Newman asserts that if it has proof of criminal misconduct, the government should file criminal charges under broadly written criminal statutes, instead of pursuing lawsuits against mostly peaceful pro-life activists under an act that specifically targets them.
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Helium shortage could impact consumers
Amarillo, TX - A new helium recovery method is now up an running in Amarillo; this is only a short-term solution to the major helium shortage problem.
"Everyone's looking for helium wherever they can find it right now," says Samuel Burton, helium operations, Bureau of Land Management.
Helium is a non-renewable resource; the amount of this gas is at an all-time low.
"Even though there's a shortage, we're working very hard here in Amarillo, Texas to meet that need as best we can," says Samuel Burton, helium operations, Bureau of Land Management.
Airplanes, MRI equipment, medical research and most technology are all supplied by helium but keeping those items running is becoming a growing struggle.
Several methods are in the works to make sure this gas lasts longer.
There are a total of 23 wells surrounding the helium plant.
Not all of the wells are being used but the one's that are, are being used to their full capacity.
"The wells are being used to extract that helium up out of the ground and they're also a safety mechanism to make sure that the helium doesn't leak out. That helium is then enriched to 76 to 78 percent where it is then offered for sale to the private refiners," says Samuel Burton, helium operations, Bureau of Land Management.
Plant production could soon be put to a halt.
"After 2018, we see that the field will be very much depleted. We'd have to consider some other more expensive options," says Samuel Burton, helium operations, Bureau of Land Management.
At that point the federal government will decide whether they want to continue or suspend production at our local plant.
After controversial comments from President Donald Trump over the weekend, multiple teams in the NFL joined together, taking a knee and linking arms during the national anthem to show solidarity to remarks they saw as being divisive.
After controversial comments from President Donald Trump over the weekend, multiple teams in the NFL joined together, taking a knee and linking arms during the national anthem to show solidarity to remarks they saw as being divisive.
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Q:
How to ban web crawler using fail2ban
I am using nginx and I am always hit by web crawler if I am correct.
I tried to configure fail2ban but the IP address cannot be detected by fail2ban.
The reason that it is not detected because it seems that it is a legitimate visitor. Here's the sample log:
116.73.68.36 - - [19/Jul/2013:23:57:47 +0800] "GET /sites/default/files/download/rhenz23/it4cai.zip HTTP/1.1" 206 14628884 "http://www.mysite.com/php/5297/computer-aided-instruction.html" "Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 5.1; rv:22.0) Gecko/20100101 Firefox/22.0"
116.73.68.36 - - [19/Jul/2013:23:57:49 +0800] "GET /sites/default/files/download/kariuki/institute.zip HTTP/1.1" 206 14510149 "http://www.mysite.com/php/5040/automatic-online-examination-system.html" "Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 5.1; rv:22.0) Gecko/20100101 Firefox/22.0"
116.73.68.36 - - [19/Jul/2013:23:57:49 +0800] "GET /sites/default/files/download/nexus_00/ompaaps.zip HTTP/1.1" 206 16357796 "http://www.mysite.com/php/4948/online-music-publishing-and-audio-playing-system-updated.html" "Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 5.1; rv:22.0) Gecko/20100101 Firefox/22.0"
116.73.68.36 - - [19/Jul/2013:23:57:49 +0800] "GET /sites/default/files/download/tovi/online_lot_reservation_system.zip HTTP/1.1" 206 14850935 "http://www.mysite.com/php/4088/online-lot-reservation.html" "Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 5.1; rv:22.0) Gecko/20100101 Firefox/22.0"
116.73.68.36 - - [19/Jul/2013:23:57:49 +0800] "GET /sites/default/files/download/nexus_00/ompaaps.zip HTTP/1.1" 206 17217908 "http://www.mysite.com/php/4948/online-music-publishing-and-audio-playing-system-updated.html" "Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 5.1; rv:22.0) Gecko/20100101 Firefox/22.0"
116.73.68.36 - - [19/Jul/2013:23:57:49 +0800] "GET /sites/default/files/download/sanbunna9/online_gues_house.zip HTTP/1.1" 206 17594389 "http://www.mysite.com/php/5235/online-guest-house.html" "Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 5.1; rv:22.0) Gecko/20100101 Firefox/22.0"
116.73.68.36 - - [19/Jul/2013:23:57:50 +0800] "GET /sites/default/files/download/nexus_00/ompaaps.zip HTTP/1.1" 206 17070214 "http://www.mysite.com/php/4948/online-music-publishing-and-audio-playing-system-updated.html" "Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 5.1; rv:22.0) Gecko/20100101 Firefox/22.0"
116.73.68.36 - - [19/Jul/2013:23:57:51 +0800] "GET /sites/default/files/download/welmarie/online_product_reservation_system.zip HTTP/1.1" 206 15074810 "http://www.mysite.com/php/3969/online-product-reservation-system.html" "Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 5.1; rv:22.0) Gecko/20100101 Firefox/22.0"
116.73.68.36 - - [19/Jul/2013:23:57:51 +0800] "GET /sites/default/files/download/mindgamez/system1_0.zip HTTP/1.1" 206 15232701 "http://www.mysite.com/php/4094/online-membership-and-billing-system.html" "Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 5.1; rv:22.0) Gecko/20100101 Firefox/22.0"
116.73.68.36 - - [19/Jul/2013:23:57:51 +0800] "GET /sites/default/files/download/mindgamez/system1.zip HTTP/1.1" 206 15555605 "http://www.mysite.com/php/4171/online-management-system.html" "Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 5.1; rv:22.0) Gecko/20100101 Firefox/22.0"
116.73.68.36 - - [19/Jul/2013:23:57:53 +0800] "GET /sites/default/files/download/nexus_00/ompaaps.zip HTTP/1.1" 206 16379516 "http://www.mysite.com/php/4948/online-music-publishing-and-audio-playing-system-updated.html" "Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 5.1; rv:22.0) Gecko/20100101 Firefox/22.0"
116.73.68.36 - - [19/Jul/2013:23:57:53 +0800] "GET /sites/default/files/download/carol_janine_crislyn/chmscnet_0.zip HTTP/1.1" 206 17671134 "http://www.mysite.com/php/4178/social-networking-site-chmscnet.html" "Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 5.1; rv:22.0) Gecko/20100101 Firefox/22.0"
116.73.68.36 - - [19/Jul/2013:23:57:59 +0800] "GET /sites/default/files/download/malyn30/socialnetworkingsite.zip HTTP/1.1" 206 16711108 "http://www.mysite.com/php/3971/sample-simple-social-networking-site.html" "Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 5.1; rv:22.0) Gecko/20100101 Firefox/22.0"
116.73.68.36 - - [19/Jul/2013:23:58:04 +0800] "GET /sites/default/files/download/Franziholic/franzdarylduetes.zip HTTP/1.1" 206 17718916 "http://www.mysite.com/php/5408/reyans-burger-online-ordering-system-using-php.html" "Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 5.1; rv:22.0) Gecko/20100101 Firefox/22.0"
116.73.68.36 - - [19/Jul/2013:23:58:07 +0800] "GET /sites/default/files/download/kariuki/institute.zip HTTP/1.1" 206 16876180 "http://www.mysite.com/php/5040/automatic-online-examination-system.html" "Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 5.1; rv:22.0) Gecko/20100101 Firefox/22.0"
116.73.68.36 - - [19/Jul/2013:23:58:08 +0800] "GET /sites/default/files/download/carol_janine_crislyn/chmscnet_0.zip HTTP/1.1" 206 16685045 "http://www.mysite.com/php/4178/social-networking-site-chmscnet.html" "Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 5.1; rv:22.0) Gecko/20100101 Firefox/22.0"
116.73.68.36 - - [19/Jul/2013:23:58:15 +0800] "GET /sites/default/files/download/jkev/psits_voting_system.zip HTTP/1.1" 206 17465518 "http://www.mysite.com/php/5442/drag-and-drop-voting-system.html" "Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 5.1; rv:22.0) Gecko/20100101 Firefox/22.0"
116.73.68.36 - - [19/Jul/2013:23:58:32 +0800] "GET /sites/default/files/download/may_ann/onlineschedulingsystem.zip HTTP/1.1" 206 12997278 "http://www.mysite.com/php/scheduling-system.html" "Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 5.1; rv:22.0) Gecko/20100101 Firefox/22.0"
BTW, I tested my fail2ban settings using the following command and it is working fine.
fail2ban-regex /var/log/ispconfig/httpd/mysite.com/yesterday-access.log /etc/fail2ban/filter.d/apache-badbots.conf
In fact it detected two IP address with the following log:
5.9.23.42 - - [19/Jul/2013:07:52:26 +0800] "GET / HTTP/1.1" 200 11220 "-" "Mozilla/3.0 (compatible; Indy Library)"
124.122.67.67 - - [19/Jul/2013:02:43:30 +0800] "GET / HTTP/1.1" 200 59663 "-" "Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 5.0; Windows NT; DigExt; DTS Agent"
124.122.67.67 - - [19/Jul/2013:02:43:40 +0800] "-" 400 0 "-" "-"
So how come fail2ban does not detect it? Is this really a bot?
I also use cloudflare to prevent this kind of bot but I need to manually block the IP address or change the setting to "I am under attacked". This works fine if I am always watching my server. But what if I'm away from my computer? So how can I prevent this crawler?
Please help.
Update:
Here's my jail.local settings:
[nginx-badbots]
enabled = true
filter = apache-badbots
action = iptables-multiport[name=BadBots, port="http,https"]
logpath = /var/log/ispconfig/httpd/mysite.com/access.log
bantime = 86400 # 1 day
maxretry = 1
A:
Like say Micheal Hampton, what is your jail.conf rules on fail2ban for this ?
Maybe this help.: http://codelog.climens.net/2011/02/13/using-fail2ban-with-nginx-in-debian/
Also you can use dos-deflate instead of fail2ban, and limit_req on nginx: http://wiki.nginx.org/HttpLimitReqModule
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Do You Actually Know What You Want?
Knowing what you want is a question which plagues much of life. It underpins many modern day anxieties that we carry about bubbling beneath the surface.
On the surface, the idea of “wanting” can appear selfish and a slave to a never ending list of grass is greener desires. But there is a deeper insight that we can gain. And in this episode we move the question along from “do you actually know what you want?” to the more subtle questions that I believe we’re actually asking: “do you truly know what brings you joy and contentment? Are you actually living a life that reflects those things?”
The Thing is Not the Thing
I know some amazing musicians who dreamed of making a living pursuing music full time. They were fortunate enough to be able to do it. Literally living their dream. But after a while they burned out. Things didn’t feel quite like they imagined. They make very good money touring the country, playing function gigs and corporate events. This is what they wanted, and yet it left them wanting.
Something was out of whack for them.
What they thought was the thing wasn’t actually the thing.
“I want to win the lottery”
There are many people who want to win the lottery. Most of us would be pretty happy with it I guess. But it’s not really winning the lottery that we want. It’s what winning the lottery would make possible for us. This might sound like semantics but there is an important difference, which does matter.
A musician might think she wants to make a full time living from her music. But that’s the lottery level. The important question to ask herself is why. What would making a living from music make possible? Many of us don’t go to that level, and we just assume that the thing we want is the thing we want.
But really it could be the freedom to create, to travel, to explore different places while touring, to write music in different styles and with different people. And actually, in pursuing the thing that makes this possible, we are actually closing the door on the thing we truly want deep down.
It’s the same with many different things:
Become a doctor (because I want to make my parents proud)
Start an online business (because I want to do something that matters with my life)
Get married and have kids (because I want to fit in with society)
Be rich and famous (because I don’t want to have to worry about anything anymore)
Become president (because I want everyone to love me)
Our underlying wants often have little or nothing to do with the way we choose to pursue them. And yet we place all our hope and belief in the appearance level. Being or doing these things are not going to ensure the deeper want is met. But understanding what your deeper want is (and recognise those more dysfunctional motives), will enable you to live more at peace with yourself and able to create a life that reflects a much more positive set of values and desires.
In this episode we explore how to determine what you actually want, and unpack the following:
Why Not to Listen to Those Who Assume They Know What You Want
How to Follow to Your Inner-Compass
When and How to React to the Things You Do and Don’t Want in the Examples of Other People
How to Hatch a Plan to Live a Life that Reflects Your Deep Wants
Over to You
Do you know what you want your life to look like and reflect? How do you keep from getting distracted by all the competing things, trying to get you to desire other stuff? Please leave your response in the comments below.
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853 F.Supp. 551 (1994)
Jon MILLS, et al., Plaintiffs,
v.
STATE OF MAINE, Defendant.
Civ. No. 92-410-P-H.
United States District Court, D. Maine.
June 1, 1994.
*552 John R. Lemieux, Maine State Employees Ass'n, Augusta, ME, for plaintiffs.
Linda S. Crawford, Asst. Atty. Gen., Portland, ME, for defendant.
ORDER ON A STIPULATED RECORD
HORNBY, District Judge.
In the liability portion of this dispute, I ruled that the State may treat its probation officers as employees working in a law enforcement capacity under the Fair Labor Standards Act, 29 U.S.C. § 201 et seq. (the "FLSA"). Order on Cross-Motions for Summary Judgment (Dec. 21, 1993) 839 F.Supp. 3. The parties have now filed cross-motions on a stipulated record on four issues affecting what damages the State must pay the probation officers. I address them in turn.
APPLICABILITY OF THE LAW ENFORCEMENT EXCEPTION
The first issue is whether the State should calculate past overtime on a 40- or a 43-hour workweek. The plaintiffs claim that the 43-hour workweek is available only to employers who have been complying with the requirements of the law enforcement exception, whereas the State has previously treated its probation officers as totally exempt from the Act. The plaintiffs claim, therefore, that the State should not now be allowed "to pretend" that it has treated them all along under the law enforcement exception.
Martin v. Coventry Fire District, 981 F.2d 1358 (1st Cir.1992), resolves this issue against the plaintiffs. In that case, the court held that an employer who violates § 207(k) of the FLSA (the partial exemption for fire-fighters and law enforcement officers) may still calculate the overtime owed its employees in accordance with the overtime definition of subsection (k). Id. at 1361. The court reasoned that the statute itself provides adequate compensation to the underpaid employees and punishment to the delinquent employer. Specifically, the employees receive what they should have been paid originally and, in addition, the employer must pay them double damages, if the violation was not reasonable and in good faith, and must suffer more serious penalties, if the violation was willful. See 29 U.S.C. §§ 216, 260. The First Circuit found no reason "for assessing an especially heavy penalty" on top of those already provided in the FLSA. Martin, 981 F.2d at 1360. Likewise, here, damages are to be determined in accordance with the subsection (k) overtime definition and the FLSA's express damage and penalty provisions.
The plaintiffs cite Holmes v. Washington, 30 WH Cases 1630, 1992 WL 247444 (W.D.Wash. Mar. 13, 1992), as holding that failure to comply with the recordkeeping requirements of § 207(k) deprives an employer of its defense. Generally, however, the significance of recordkeeping requirements in FLSA cases is not in determining the proper *553 measure of damages but in setting respective burdens of proof on liability. See Secretary of Labor v. DeSisto, 929 F.2d 789, 792 (1st Cir.1991). Holmes is not inconsistent with this principle; it recognized a recordkeeping violation only for purposes of determining liability and did not address the proper measure of damages. Consequently, the 43-hour workweek is available to the State.
TREATMENT OF THE NON-STANDARD PAY PREMIUM
Probation officers receive a 16% pay premium under their collective bargaining agreement in exchange for being available at unusual hours and for more than 40 hours per week. The plaintiffs want to calculate their overtime at one and one-half times their total wages, the 16% included; the State wants not only to remove the 16% from the base figure before the time-and-a-half is applied, but also to use the 16% premium as an offset to any overtime found due. In certain situations, extra compensation is not included within an employee's regular rate of pay under the FLSA, 29 U.S.C. § 207(e), and sometimes the extra compensation is properly creditable toward unpaid overtime. Id. § 207(h). The 16% here, however, does not fit any of those categories.
Section 207(e)(7) excludes from the regular rate of pay a premium paid under a collective bargaining agreement
for work outside of the hours established in good faith by the contract or agreement as the basic, normal, or regular workday (not exceeding eight hours) or workweek ... where such premium rate is not less than one and one-half times the rate established in good faith by the contract or agreement.
This section, known as a "clock overtime" or "clock pattern" provision, is to accommodate those industries requiring round-the-clock operation. An employer in such an industry may comply with the FLSA by paying premiums equal to the statutory overtime rate for work during certain hours on the clock. Brock v. Wilamowsky, 833 F.2d 11, 16 (2d Cir.1987). For instance, if 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. were the regular 8-hour workday and other hours were compensated at one and a half times the "9-to-5" rate, an employee working from 5 p.m. to 4 a.m. could be paid simply one and a half times the "9-to-5" rate for all of his hours of work, instead of an extra half again as much when he exceeded 8 hours. See 29 C.F.R. § 778.204(b).
Any premium, however, must be related to hours worked outside of a basic, normal or regular work period established in a collective bargaining agreement. The State contends that the collective bargaining agreement here specifies a premium to be paid in exchange for the probation officers working erratic hours in excess of 40 hours a week. Nowhere, however, does the State suggest that the collective bargaining agreement establishes the specific hours of a normal or regular workday or workweek as required by § 207(e)(7). Moreover, the 16% premium is part of a guaranteed periodic wage that is paid regardless of whether the plaintiffs actually "work outside of the hours established ... as the basic ... workweek." See Walo Depo. at 18-19; cf. Brennan v. Valley Towing Co., 515 F.2d 100, 106 (9th Cir.1975). Consequently, the premium does not comply with the requirements of § 207(e)(7).
For the same reason, two other provisions that might allow the 16% premium to be excluded from the regular rate of pay, § 207(e)(5) and § 207(e)(6) are inapplicable.[1] Section 207(e)(5) excludes "a premium rate paid for certain hours worked by the employee ... in excess of the maximum workweek applicable to such employee ... or in excess of the employee's normal working hours or regular working hours." Section 207(e)(6) excludes "a premium rate paid for work ... on Saturdays, Sundays, holidays, or regular days of rest." As already noted, the 16% premium is guaranteed income regardless of whether the employees work outside of their normal working hours, if any exist, and is not tied to "certain hours" or specific days worked by the employees.[2]
*554 Extra compensation paid as described in § 207(e)(5), (6) or (7)and only as described in one of those sectionsis creditable toward overtime compensation owed. 209 U.S.C. § 207(h); 29 C.F.R. § 778.200(c). Since the 16% premium does not fit any of those provisions, it may not be credited toward the overtime compensation owed by the State.
The parties have also made passing reference to the "Belo" provision, § 207(f), exempting employees who work irregular hours but are paid fixed weekly compensation. The Belo provision is relevant to liability, not damages, and was not raised by the State during the liability phase of this dispute. Moreover, the State does not cite the Belo provision to challenge liability, but suggests that § 207(f) offers an alternative method of measuring overtime credits or the regular rate of pay. That is not so. Section 207(f) does not provide a separate rule for calculating damages once a violation of the FLSA is found to exist. See 29 C.F.R. § 778.403; Martin v. David T. Saunders Constr. Co., 813 F.Supp. 893, 899, 902 (D.Mass.1992) (Keeton, J.) ("[W]hen a contract specifying weekly pay fails the requirements of § 207(f), the defendant is not entitled to credit its allocation of regular and overtime pay.")
LIQUIDATED DAMAGES
Since I have ruled that the State violated the FLSA, it must show that it acted both reasonably and in good faith to avoid obligatory liquidated damages. 29 U.S.C. §§ 216, 260; 29 C.F.R. § 790.22(b); Martin v. Cooper Elec. Supply Co., 940 F.2d 896, 908-09 (3d Cir.1991), cert. denied, ___ U.S. ___, 112 S.Ct. 1473, 117 L.Ed.2d 617 (1992); Walton v. United Consumers Club, Inc., 786 F.2d 303, 312 (7th Cir.1986). This duty is ongoing. The proper characterization of the State's conduct here rests upon what, if anything, the State did after 1985 to determine the appropriateness of continuing to treat its probation officers as completely exempt from the FLSA.
The State's own witnesses portray Freeman Wood in the Bureau of Human Resources as the decisionmaker responsible for approving the probation officers' treatment. They state that the Bureau of Human Resources was responsible for making such decisions, Tilton Aff. ¶ 18; Walo Depo. at 14, and that Freeman Wood, a Merit System Coordinator there, specifically "approved" the work of the job analysts who recommended the probation officers' treatment and was involved in the ultimate decision to consider them exempt. Walo Depo. at 14; Wood Depo. at 3-4, 8. Thus, the conduct of Wood and his work group is crucial. Wood's deposition testimony and affidavit tell patently conflicting stories about whether anyone ever reviewed the initial post-Garcia exemption decision. In his deposition, Wood acknowledged that neither he nor anyone in his work group revisited the overtime-exempt status of the plaintiffs after their original decision in 1985. Wood Depo. at 8-9. In Wood's affidavit, on the other hand, he claims to have discussed 1988 Department of Labor ("DOL") opinion letters with members of the Bureau of Human Resources, the Department of Corrections and counsel and to have "continued to review information and consider whether to change the exempt status." Wood Aff. ¶¶ 22-23. In order to determine whether the State fulfilled its ongoing duty to ascertain and comply with the FLSA's requirements, I must make sense of Wood's conflicting testimony.
I conclude that Wood's deposition testimony is more credible than his subsequently created affidavit. A deposition involves a witness's own spontaneous responses to questions. In this case, Wood's deposition was taken first and thus provides a more untutored recollection of events. Affidavits are usually drafted with the help of a lawyer for the strategic purpose of establishing specific facts. Here, Wood's affidavit makes no effort to explain its glaring inconsistency with the earlier deposition testimony (such as a refreshed recollection, for example), even though the inconsistency was apparent to the State. See Def.'s Statement of Material Facts ¶ 5. As a result, I credit the deposition and find that, while Wood was aware of post-Garcia DOL opinions and court rulings, *555 Wood Depo. at 9-10, 16, 28, he was not spurred to take reasonable steps to "revisit" the classification of probation officers.
Instead, I find that Wood entertained significant questions as a result of emerging caselaw, yet failed in any way to try to resolve them. The DOL opinions about which Wood knew each dealt with probation officers and the professional exemption. Wood states that the opinions "generated some questions in [his] mind." Wood Depo. at 9. Nevertheless, he did not discuss those questions with anyone else. Wood testified that he did not fully understand the functions played by the probation officers discussed in the opinions. Wood Depo. at 9-12. Yet he never made the effort to find out how those positions compared to Maine probation officers. Wood Depo. at 10. Specifically, he did not know and did not seek clarification from the Department of Corrections whether the reported positions required "the same type of social work" (on which the probation officers' classification so heavily relied) as Maine does. Wood Depo. at 11. Wood was the point person for ensuring the State's compliance with FLSA requirements. Based on his own account, however, his efforts to comply with the FLSA during the 1986 to 1992 period can only be described as unreasonably deficient, regardless of any possible good intentions.
The undisputed record does reveal some efforts by other State agents to follow up developments in the law. Although Wood and his team were responsible for keeping abreast of changes in the law, Wood Aff. ¶¶ 15, 22; Walo Depo. at 14, Peter Tilton, the Director of the Division of Probation and Parole, and the Department of Corrections were responsible for determining the duties of Maine's probation officers and comparing them to other states. Wood Aff. ¶ 22; Tilton Depo. at 14-15. Tilton states that following the 1988 and 1989 DOL opinion letter rulings he contacted representatives of other states to learn how they treated their probation officers with regard to the FLSA. Tilton Depo. at 15. Through contacting Utah, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Missouri, New Jersey, Connecticut and Georgia, id. at 15-19, 26, Tilton discovered that there was a "wide discrepancy concerning the perceived applicability of the FLSA." Tilton Aff. ¶ 23. He also compared the responsibilities of probation officers in Florida to those in Maine following the decision in Dybach v. Florida Department of Corrections, 942 F.2d 1562 (11th Cir.1991). Tilton Depo. at 19-21. As a result of his inquiries, Tilton "considered [Maine's probation officers] to be more professional than similar officers elsewhere." Tilton Aff. ¶¶ 22-24. Such case-by-case analysis was appropriate, because exemptions to § 207(a) are based on a job's specific responsibilities and requirements, not on a mere job title. Reich v. Wyoming, 993 F.2d 739, 742 (10th Cir.1993). An incorrect conclusion based on such an analysis could well have been reasonable. The State has not claimed, however, that the information compiled by Tilton was ever conveyed to anyone, let alone Wood and his team in the Bureau of Human Resources. See Wood Depo. at 30. Consequently, it cannot have provided any basis for the decision to continue treating the probation officers as exempt. Liquidated damages are therefore available.
THE STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS
The plaintiffs may recover three years of back pay instead of the usual two years if they show that the State's violation was willful, that is, if the State knew it was violating the FLSA or showed reckless disregard for complying with the law. 29 U.S.C. § 255(a); McLaughlin v. Richland Shoe Co., 486 U.S. 128, 133, 108 S.Ct. 1677, 1681, 100 L.Ed.2d 115 (1988). Although I have found that the State acted unreasonably, that is not enough to establish a willful violation or reckless disregard for the law; more flagrant conduct is required. Lopez v. Corporacion Azucarera de Puerto Rico, 938 F.2d 1510, 1515 (1st Cir.1991); cf. Mireles v. Frio Foods, Inc., 899 F.2d 1407, 1416 (5th Cir. 1990) (no reckless disregard where employer discussed law with state officials and reviewed some brochures and pamphlets). Here, the plaintiffs have not shown that the State acted willfully.
The State followed an organized procedure for determining the probation officers' original classification in 1985. A DOL representative *556 met with and trained Wood and his team of job analysts about the FLSA. Wood Aff. ¶ 7. The analysts proceeded to evaluate over 800 state job classifications and recommend treatment under the FLSA. Id. 5-6. Wood approved those recommendations and circulated them to the affected agency for feedback and reevaluation before final decisions were made. Id. 8, 11. This system was a reasonable way to classify the probation officers in 1985. After 1985, there no longer was a clear procedure for how the Bureau of Human Resources, the Department of Corrections and other State offices ought to communicate about changes in the law. Nevertheless, the unrefuted record shows that State employees, including Wood, did monitor developments. Wood was aware of the DOL's 1988 letter rulings as well as subsequent court decisions. Wood Depo. at 9-10, 12, 16-17. He considered them, concluded that they did not address comparable positions and did not require any change in the probation officers' classification. Wood Depo. at 9-11, 17. I have found that Wood's conclusions, based on his admittedly incomplete understanding of the positions evaluated in those opinions, were unreasonable. Still, they do not amount to recklessness.[3] Wood made efforts to keep up with developments in the law, even if he did not adequately follow up. In addition, the State's reason for treating probation officers as exempt from the FLSA has been public and known to the plaintiffs all along. Yet they did not challenge their treatment until late 1992. Such circumstances suggest that Wood's conclusions were not so obviously misplaced as to amount to reckless disregard for the law. Cf. Bratt v. County of Los Angeles, 912 F.2d 1066, 1072 (9th Cir.1990), cert. denied, 498 U.S. 1086, 111 S.Ct. 962, 112 L.Ed.2d 1049 (1991); Brock v. Claridge Hotel & Casino, 711 F.Supp. 779, 784 (D.N.J.1989). Consequently, only two years of back pay are available.
CONCLUSION
I understand that the parties are attempting to reach an agreement on the number of hours worked. The Clerk's Office shall schedule a conference of counsel with me or the Magistrate Judge to determine whether judgment can now be entered or the nature of any trial or evidentiary hearing that is required.
SO ORDERED.
NOTES
[1] Sections 207(e)(1), (2) and (3) also specify compensation that is not includable in a regular rate of pay. Neither party has referred to these sub-sections, and I assume they do not apply.
[2] Brennan v. Valley Towing Co., 515 F.2d at 109, cited by the State, evaluated an "afterhours" pay structure consisting of non-guaranteed wage payments tied to the actual hours worked outside of a regular workweek, unlike the case here.
[3] In Taylor-Callahan-Coleman Counties v. Dole, 948 F.2d 953 (5th Cir.1991), the court held that "[a]dvisory opinions issued by the Wage and Hour Administrator are to guide the DOL in its operations. They are neither final nor binding on employers or employees." Id. at 957. In addition, although the Eleventh Circuit found in 1991 that Florida's probation officers were not exempt professionals, Dybach v. Florida Dep't of Corrections, 942 F.2d 1562 (11th Cir.1991), the cases demonstrate that the applicability of the FLSA to governmental employees must be determined by a fact-specific evaluation. See Taylor-Callahan-Coleman Counties, 948 F.2d at 953; Martin v. Wyoming, 770 F.Supp. 612 (D.Wyo. 1991), aff'd sub nom. Reich v. Wyoming, 993 F.2d 739 (10th Cir.1993). Consequently, the State's failure uncritically to adopt Dybach's outcome was not reckless.
|
Tremain Paul
Tremain Shayn Paul (born 12 August 1991) is a Saint Lucian international footballer who plays as a midfielder for Williams Connection.
Career
He made his international debut for Saint Lucia in 2011, and has appeared in FIFA World Cup qualifying matches.
International Goals
Scores and results list Saint Lucia's goal tally first.
References
Category:1991 births
Category:Living people
Category:Saint Lucian footballers
Category:Saint Lucia international footballers
Category:People from Micoud Quarter
Category:Expatriate footballers in Trinidad and Tobago
Category:TT Pro League players
Category:W Connection F.C. players
Category:Association football midfielders
|
Procedure for the measurement of soil inputs of plant-protection agents washed off through vineyard canopy by rainfall.
Soil inputs produced by rainfall waters washed off through a Ribeiro vineyard (Galicia, northwestern Spain) confirmed that levels recovered are <5% of the added fungicides. Laboratory studies showed that some fungicides were degraded in the ODS cartridge used for the collection of fungicides washed off by rainfall. Procymidone wash-off data obtained in the vineyard can be explained by a first-order rate mass transfer model. A procedure for the collection of wash-off waters based on octadecylsilane solid phase extraction, followed by an analytical method of reverse-phase liquid chromatography with diode array detection is presented for the evaluation of fungicide inputs into soils after being washed off vineyards by rainfalls. Quality parameters of the analytical method yielded good precision (RSD < 10%) and low detection limits (ranging between 1 and 21 microg/L).
|
<?php
/*
* This file is part of PHP CS Fixer.
*
* (c) Fabien Potencier <[email protected]>
* Dariusz Rumiński <[email protected]>
*
* This source file is subject to the MIT license that is bundled
* with this source code in the file LICENSE.
*/
namespace PhpCsFixer\Console\Output;
use PhpCsFixer\FixerFileProcessedEvent;
use Symfony\Component\Console\Output\OutputInterface;
use Symfony\Component\EventDispatcher\EventDispatcherInterface;
/**
* Output writer to show the process of a FixCommand.
*
* @internal
*/
final class ProcessOutput implements ProcessOutputInterface
{
/**
* File statuses map.
*
* @var array
*/
private static $eventStatusMap = [
FixerFileProcessedEvent::STATUS_UNKNOWN => ['symbol' => '?', 'format' => '%s', 'description' => 'unknown'],
FixerFileProcessedEvent::STATUS_INVALID => ['symbol' => 'I', 'format' => '<bg=red>%s</bg=red>', 'description' => 'invalid file syntax (file ignored)'],
FixerFileProcessedEvent::STATUS_SKIPPED => ['symbol' => 'S', 'format' => '<fg=cyan>%s</fg=cyan>', 'description' => 'skipped (cached or empty file)'],
FixerFileProcessedEvent::STATUS_NO_CHANGES => ['symbol' => '.', 'format' => '%s', 'description' => 'no changes'],
FixerFileProcessedEvent::STATUS_FIXED => ['symbol' => 'F', 'format' => '<fg=green>%s</fg=green>', 'description' => 'fixed'],
FixerFileProcessedEvent::STATUS_EXCEPTION => ['symbol' => 'E', 'format' => '<bg=red>%s</bg=red>', 'description' => 'error'],
FixerFileProcessedEvent::STATUS_LINT => ['symbol' => 'E', 'format' => '<bg=red>%s</bg=red>', 'description' => 'error'],
];
/**
* @var EventDispatcherInterface
*/
private $eventDispatcher;
/**
* @var OutputInterface
*/
private $output;
/**
* @var null|int
*/
private $files;
/**
* @var int
*/
private $processedFiles = 0;
/**
* @var null|int
*/
private $symbolsPerLine;
/**
* @TODO 3.0 make all parameters mandatory (`null` not allowed)
*
* @param null|int $width
* @param null|int $nbFiles
*/
public function __construct(OutputInterface $output, EventDispatcherInterface $dispatcher, $width, $nbFiles)
{
$this->output = $output;
$this->eventDispatcher = $dispatcher;
$this->eventDispatcher->addListener(FixerFileProcessedEvent::NAME, [$this, 'onFixerFileProcessed']);
$this->symbolsPerLine = $width;
if (null !== $nbFiles) {
$this->files = $nbFiles;
// max number of characters per line
// - total length x 2 (e.g. " 1 / 123" => 6 digits and padding spaces)
// - 11 (extra spaces, parentheses and percentage characters, e.g. " x / x (100%)")
$this->symbolsPerLine = max(1, ($width ?: 80) - \strlen((string) $this->files) * 2 - 11);
}
}
public function __destruct()
{
$this->eventDispatcher->removeListener(FixerFileProcessedEvent::NAME, [$this, 'onFixerFileProcessed']);
}
public function onFixerFileProcessed(FixerFileProcessedEvent $event)
{
if (
null === $this->files
&& null !== $this->symbolsPerLine
&& 0 === $this->processedFiles % $this->symbolsPerLine
&& 0 !== $this->processedFiles
) {
$this->output->writeln('');
}
$status = self::$eventStatusMap[$event->getStatus()];
$this->output->write($this->output->isDecorated() ? sprintf($status['format'], $status['symbol']) : $status['symbol']);
++$this->processedFiles;
if (null !== $this->files) {
$symbolsOnCurrentLine = $this->processedFiles % $this->symbolsPerLine;
$isLast = $this->processedFiles === $this->files;
if (0 === $symbolsOnCurrentLine || $isLast) {
$this->output->write(sprintf(
'%s %'.\strlen((string) $this->files).'d / %d (%3d%%)',
$isLast && 0 !== $symbolsOnCurrentLine ? str_repeat(' ', $this->symbolsPerLine - $symbolsOnCurrentLine) : '',
$this->processedFiles,
$this->files,
round($this->processedFiles / $this->files * 100)
));
if (!$isLast) {
$this->output->writeln('');
}
}
}
}
public function printLegend()
{
$symbols = [];
foreach (self::$eventStatusMap as $status) {
$symbol = $status['symbol'];
if ('' === $symbol || isset($symbols[$symbol])) {
continue;
}
$symbols[$symbol] = sprintf('%s-%s', $this->output->isDecorated() ? sprintf($status['format'], $symbol) : $symbol, $status['description']);
}
$this->output->write(sprintf("\nLegend: %s\n", implode(', ', $symbols)));
}
}
|
Indoor and Outdoor Winter Science Activities
Winter brings cold weather and that is the time to think about some winter science activities.
I like to have a few good ideas on hand for when we need something new to do.
Playing around with science that matches the seasons is a great way for kids to learn and if you do the experiments more than one winter in a row, they really remember them!
We live in a place where it gets pretty cold, in fact most winters it gets so cold that I don’t want to go outside on the bitter cold days or during a blizzard!
So I selected both indoor and outdoor activities for you – just in case you experience the same temperature drops and the same feelings I have. Brrr! I hope you enjoy these science projects!
These are just some of the many things we like to do. Whether you are homeschooling, on winter break, or want some things to do after school or on the weekend, you will find a lot of great ideas here.
They all have a winter twist to them. Your kids will want to do them more than once!
Indoor Winter Science Activities
When the temperature is at 10 below and the wind chill makes it feel like 50 below zero, or when you can’t see the tree outside your window because it is snowing so hard and the snow is blowing around causing whiteout conditions – those are good times to stay in if you can!
Even if it doesn’t get as cold where you are, you may still want to plan some indoor activities.
Explore freezing by making your own icy nature art. This is a bit of an outdoor/indoor/outdoor activity. Go outside to collect nature items, go inside to assemble and freeze, then back out again to hang.
Plan ahead and make up these colored ice stackers for some open-ended outdoor play. I included this in our science list because of what will happen outside when they melt and stick together. You could also include a salt shaker to add to the fun.
The insta-snow powder is fun to play with. You can put it in a sensory bin or try other ideas. All you have to do is just add water and watch it erupt. That little container actually makes over 2 gallons of instant snow. I picked the one that is put out by Steve Spangler and includes scientific explanation of how it works. 4 and up
The Wacky Weird Weather Kit includes everything you need and teaches the science of storms. With this kit you make your own weather effects right in your home. They recommend 12 and up. If you are going to do this with your kids you can take a look to see what age you think would be appropriate. I can’t really figure out why it would be so old.
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Comment
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|
Do-not-resuscitate orders in the critically ill patient--an observational study with special emphasis on withholding of renal replacement therapy.
We examined the process, consequences and impact of writing a Do-Not-Resuscitate (DNR) order in a cohort of critically-ill ICU patients. Special emphasis was given to the DNR order including withholding renal replacement therapy. A DNR code was mainly written in the first week following ICU admission and more often given to medical, older and sicker patients. Patients never actively participated in the decision and in only half of the cases the DNR order was discussed with relatives. Mortality of all patients studied was 21% of whom 67% died with a DNR order. In our population, the final in-hospital mortality rate of DNR-coded patients was 100%, because the DNR status was ordered when the patients were already very sick. DNR-coded patients died after a longer mean length of ICU stay than patients without a code. Withholding renal replacement therapy was commonly added to the DNR order even if renal failure either was not present or never developed.
|
{
"title":"JSON parsing",
"description":"Method of converting JavaScript objects to JSON strings and JSON back to objects using JSON.stringify() and JSON.parse()",
"spec":"https://www.ecma-international.org/ecma-262/5.1/#sec-15.12",
"status":"other",
"links":[
{
"url":"https://developer.mozilla.org/En/Using_native_JSON",
"title":"MDN Web Docs - Using JSON"
},
{
"url":"http://www.json.org/js.html",
"title":"JSON in JS (includes script w/support)"
},
{
"url":"https://raw.github.com/phiggins42/has.js/master/detect/json.js#json",
"title":"has.js test"
},
{
"url":"https://www.webplatform.org/docs/apis/json",
"title":"WebPlatform Docs"
}
],
"bugs":[
{
"description":"IE9-IE11 fail to call the \"reviver\" argument recursively (in some versions of windows). [see discussion](https://github.com/Fyrd/caniuse/issues/1653)"
}
],
"categories":[
"JS"
],
"stats":{
"ie":{
"5.5":"n",
"6":"n",
"7":"n",
"8":"y #1",
"9":"y",
"10":"y",
"11":"y"
},
"edge":{
"12":"y",
"13":"y",
"14":"y",
"15":"y",
"16":"y",
"17":"y",
"18":"y"
},
"firefox":{
"2":"n",
"3":"n",
"3.5":"y",
"3.6":"y",
"4":"y",
"5":"y",
"6":"y",
"7":"y",
"8":"y",
"9":"y",
"10":"y",
"11":"y",
"12":"y",
"13":"y",
"14":"y",
"15":"y",
"16":"y",
"17":"y",
"18":"y",
"19":"y",
"20":"y",
"21":"y",
"22":"y",
"23":"y",
"24":"y",
"25":"y",
"26":"y",
"27":"y",
"28":"y",
"29":"y",
"30":"y",
"31":"y",
"32":"y",
"33":"y",
"34":"y",
"35":"y",
"36":"y",
"37":"y",
"38":"y",
"39":"y",
"40":"y",
"41":"y",
"42":"y",
"43":"y",
"44":"y",
"45":"y",
"46":"y",
"47":"y",
"48":"y",
"49":"y",
"50":"y",
"51":"y",
"52":"y",
"53":"y",
"54":"y",
"55":"y",
"56":"y",
"57":"y",
"58":"y",
"59":"y",
"60":"y",
"61":"y",
"62":"y",
"63":"y"
},
"chrome":{
"4":"y",
"5":"y",
"6":"y",
"7":"y",
"8":"y",
"9":"y",
"10":"y",
"11":"y",
"12":"y",
"13":"y",
"14":"y",
"15":"y",
"16":"y",
"17":"y",
"18":"y",
"19":"y",
"20":"y",
"21":"y",
"22":"y",
"23":"y",
"24":"y",
"25":"y",
"26":"y",
"27":"y",
"28":"y",
"29":"y",
"30":"y",
"31":"y",
"32":"y",
"33":"y",
"34":"y",
"35":"y",
"36":"y",
"37":"y",
"38":"y",
"39":"y",
"40":"y",
"41":"y",
"42":"y",
"43":"y",
"44":"y",
"45":"y",
"46":"y",
"47":"y",
"48":"y",
"49":"y",
"50":"y",
"51":"y",
"52":"y",
"53":"y",
"54":"y",
"55":"y",
"56":"y",
"57":"y",
"58":"y",
"59":"y",
"60":"y",
"61":"y",
"62":"y",
"63":"y",
"64":"y",
"65":"y",
"66":"y",
"67":"y",
"68":"y",
"69":"y",
"70":"y",
"71":"y"
},
"safari":{
"3.1":"n",
"3.2":"n",
"4":"y",
"5":"y",
"5.1":"y",
"6":"y",
"6.1":"y",
"7":"y",
"7.1":"y",
"8":"y",
"9":"y",
"9.1":"y",
"10":"y",
"10.1":"y",
"11":"y",
"11.1":"y",
"12":"y",
"TP":"y"
},
"opera":{
"9":"n",
"9.5-9.6":"n",
"10.0-10.1":"n",
"10.5":"y",
"10.6":"y",
"11":"y",
"11.1":"y",
"11.5":"y",
"11.6":"y",
"12":"y",
"12.1":"y",
"15":"y",
"16":"y",
"17":"y",
"18":"y",
"19":"y",
"20":"y",
"21":"y",
"22":"y",
"23":"y",
"24":"y",
"25":"y",
"26":"y",
"27":"y",
"28":"y",
"29":"y",
"30":"y",
"31":"y",
"32":"y",
"33":"y",
"34":"y",
"35":"y",
"36":"y",
"37":"y",
"38":"y",
"39":"y",
"40":"y",
"41":"y",
"42":"y",
"43":"y",
"44":"y",
"45":"y",
"46":"y",
"47":"y",
"48":"y",
"49":"y",
"50":"y",
"51":"y",
"52":"y",
"53":"y"
},
"ios_saf":{
"3.2":"n",
"4.0-4.1":"y",
"4.2-4.3":"y",
"5.0-5.1":"y",
"6.0-6.1":"y",
"7.0-7.1":"y",
"8":"y",
"8.1-8.4":"y",
"9.0-9.2":"y",
"9.3":"y",
"10.0-10.2":"y",
"10.3":"y",
"11.0-11.2":"y",
"11.3-11.4":"y",
"12":"y"
},
"op_mini":{
"all":"y"
},
"android":{
"2.1":"y",
"2.2":"y",
"2.3":"y",
"3":"y",
"4":"y",
"4.1":"y",
"4.2-4.3":"y",
"4.4":"y",
"4.4.3-4.4.4":"y",
"67":"y"
},
"bb":{
"7":"y",
"10":"y"
},
"op_mob":{
"10":"y",
"11":"y",
"11.1":"y",
"11.5":"y",
"12":"y",
"12.1":"y",
"46":"y"
},
"and_chr":{
"67":"y"
},
"and_ff":{
"60":"y"
},
"ie_mob":{
"10":"y",
"11":"y"
},
"and_uc":{
"11.8":"y"
},
"samsung":{
"4":"y",
"5":"y",
"6.2":"y",
"7.2":"y"
},
"and_qq":{
"1.2":"y"
},
"baidu":{
"7.12":"y"
}
},
"notes":"",
"notes_by_num":{
"1":"Requires document to be in IE8+ [standards mode](http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc288325%28VS.85%29.aspx) to work in IE8."
},
"usage_perc_y":95.68,
"usage_perc_a":0,
"ucprefix":false,
"parent":"es5",
"keywords":"",
"ie_id":"",
"chrome_id":"",
"firefox_id":"",
"webkit_id":"",
"shown":true
}
|
Q:
How and where does tomcat store the files that are created on dotCMS in the computer?
I am new to dotCMS. I am looking for the location that tomcat stores the data or files that are created by user, such as the content and site.
I created the the site and some content on dotCMS, and I used tomcat as the server. I am finding the location that those data or file saves in the computer, and that should be inside the server.
Someone told me that those .jsp files store in
tomcat\work\Catalina\localhost\ROOT\org\apache\jsp
will tell the location of the data, and I can trace the location with the help of cmd. But I have no idea what the codes inside the .jsp is talking about.
Could anyone please teach me how to trace the location of those data? How dotCMS processes those data and then send to the server for storage?
Thanks!
--------update--------
Is that means file based assets inside the site will store in the same folder? How about the storage location of a site? Is that and specific file to store one site, or the sites will be group together in a file? May I have one more question: The characteristic of dotCMS is to manage and process data in a website and maintain them in a user-friendly way? Those data will be store in the server. I would like to confirm whether it is correct. Thanks.
A:
dotCMS stores the site and content of a site two ways. File based assets, like images,css, video are stored under the /assets folder in a b-tree like structure based on the asset version uuid. So if I had an image that had a version id (inode) of 123e4567-e89b-12d3-a456-426655440000 then that would be found under:
/assets/1/2/123e4567-e89b-12d3-a456-426655440000/fileAsset/here-is-your-image.jpg
Content and structure, such as a wysiwyg content or hosts/folders are stored in the database and mapped at runtime to specific urls.
|
Arsenic pollution at the industrial site of Reppel-Bocholt (north Belgium).
An industrial site, polluted with As and heavy metals, was investigated by combining chemical (sequential extractions and pHstat leaching tests), physical and mineralogical characterization of soil samples and slag fragments, and by the analysis of soil porewater aimed at assessing the distribution, speciation and mobility of heavy metals and As. On the site itself, arsenic concentrations up to 3.6% in surficial soil samples and up to 22% in slag fragments were found, together with elevated concentrations (percentage level) of Cu, Co, Ni, Zn and Pb. High concentrations of arsenic (up to 38,000 microg/l) and heavy metals (up to 1700 microg/l Cu and 4700 microg/l Zn) were also found in the in situ sampled soil porewater, highlighting the considerable availability of As, Zn and Cu for uptake by plants and leaching to the ground water. Sequential extractions also indicated a high availability of arsenic and copper in most samples and slag fragments of the industrial site, although poorly reactive phases were encountered as well. pHstat leaching tests confirmed that the present leaching of contaminants is alarming. Moreover, soil acidification will enhance the leaching of contaminants, emphasizing that remediation of the industrial site is urgent. Small scale variability of total metal concentrations and metal speciation, both in the horizontal and vertical direction, and the occurrence of a camouflage layer underline the importance of elaborate sampling for pollution assessment on an industrial site.
|
373 S.E.2d 681 (1988)
92 N.C. App. 50
STATE of North Carolina
v.
James Morris FLETCHER.
No. 8824SC87.
Court of Appeals of North Carolina.
November 15, 1988.
*682 Atty. Gen. Lacy H. Thornburg by Associate Atty. Gen. Rodney S. Maddox, Raleigh, for the State.
Robert T. Speed, Boone, for defendant-appellant.
GREENE, Judge.
This is an appeal from a criminal action in which defendant was found guilty of unlawful sale of an alcoholic beverage, possession with intent to sell a controlled substance, and sale of a controlled substance. Defendant assigns as error the Superior Court's denial of his motions to dismiss at the close of the State's evidence on the ground that there was insufficient evidence to submit the case to the jury.
The State's evidence at trial tended to show that on 10 October 1986, the defendant, James Morris Fletcher, was approached by Ann Biggerstaff (hereinafter "Biggerstaff"), a deputy from the Catawba County Sheriff's Department and Roxanne Dempster, an acquaintance of the defendant, while in the parking lot of a combination convenience store and gas station. *683 Biggerstaff was loaned to the Watauga County Sheriff's Department to participate in an undercover drug program in which Dempster served as her informant.
Biggerstaff asked the defendant if he had anything to smoke and defendant responded by saying, "Yes, and plenty to drink also." Biggerstaff then asked defendant if he had anything to sell and defendant responded in the affirmative. The defendant then instructed Biggerstaff and Dempster to meet him at his house. When the women arrived at that location, the defendant was standing alone across the street from his house and showed them where to park. Defendant then told the women to accompany him to the house adjacent to his house. As the three were walking, they passed the defendant's son, Bill, working on a car in the yard and defendant asked him if he had any pot. His son replied that he did not but that "there might be some in the house that belongs to James." The defendant, his son, and the women continued to the house and when they entered there was a small amount of marijuana lying on the table and his son began rolling a marijuana joint.
Biggerstaff asked the defendant if she could get a bag of pot like that on the table and defendant inquired as to how much she wanted. Biggerstaff responded "an ounce" and he said he would have to walk back down to his house to get it. At that time, Biggerstaff also asked him for "a fifth of Seagram's Seven" and the defendant responded that he "could do that too" and then left. After approximately fifteen minutes, the defendant returned with what Biggerstaff testified was a clear ziplock bag containing marijuana and a "fifth of Seagram's Seven."
Biggerstaff then asked the defendant what he wanted for the "stuff" and the defendant replied that he did not want to sell it but would give it to her. Defendant's son, Bill, however, insisted that the merchandise was worth fifty dollars and Biggerstaff then gave a one-hundred dollar bill to Bill and Bill returned fifty dollars to her. Bill then passed the one-hundred dollar bill to the defendant. The defendant did not try to give Biggerstaff any money back after Bill had handed her the fifty dollars in change.
At the close of the State's testimony, the defendant began discussion regarding the sufficiency of the evidence on all three charges. The court treated this discussion as three motions to dismiss and denied them accordingly. The defendant did not put on any evidence. At the conference on jury instructions, the defendant renewed his request to dismiss the charge relating to the sale of alcohol on the grounds the State offered no evidence on whether the defendant had a permit for the sale of alcohol. The court again denied the motion to dismiss on that particular charge. After receiving instructions, the jury found defendant guilty of (1) knowingly selling an alcoholic beverage without a permit, (2) possession with intent to sell a controlled substance, and (3) sale of a controlled substance.
The three questions presented for review are whether the trial judge: I) erred in denying defendant's motion to dismiss the charge of knowingly selling an alcoholic beverage without a permit; II) erred in denying defendant's motion to dismiss the charge of possession with intent to sell a controlled substance; and III) erred in denying defendant's motion to dismiss the charge of sale of a controlled substance.
We note initially that Rule 12(a) of the Rules of Appellate Procedure provides that "no later than 150 days after giving notice of appeal, the appellant shall file the record on appeal with the clerk of the court to which appeal is taken." The judgment from which this appeal was taken was entered on 25 August 1987 and notice of appeal was given on the same date. Defendant was required to file the record on appeal on or before Friday, 22 January 1988, the 150th day after notice. The record in this case was filed on Wednesday, 27 January 1988, at least five days late. An appeal is subject to dismissal for failure "within the times allowed" to comply with Rule 12(a). App.R. 25. As the State has made no motion to dismiss the appeal for *684 violations of Rule 12(a), we proceed to address the merits of this case. Id.
I
As his first assignment of error, defendant contends that the trial court erred in denying his motion to dismiss the charge of unlawful sale of an alcoholic beverage because insufficient evidence was presented on all elements of the offense. We disagree.
The defendant was charged with violation of N.C.G.S. Sec. 18B-102 which provides in part:
(a) It shall be unlawful for any person to manufacture, sell, transport, import, export, deliver, furnish, purchase, consume, or possess any alcoholic beverages except as authorized by the ABC Law.
N.C.G.S. Sec. 18B-102(a) (1983) (emphasis added).
A
To be a sale under N.C.G.S. Sec. 18B-102, there must be a "transfer ... in any manner or by any means, for consideration." N.C.G.S. Sec. 18B-101(13) (1983). Defendant argues there was no mention of a sale of alcohol nor was there any mention of a price to be paid or received for the bottle that Biggerstaff took with her when she left defendant. The State offered evidence that defendant left the house with the request from Biggerstaff that he provide her with a specific quantity and brand of whiskey. Defendant complied with that request and was present as his son, Bill, insisted the merchandise was worth fifty dollars. The defendant, according to the testimony, actually received a one-hundred dollar bill for the transfer of the alcohol and marijuana. The testimony does not reflect that Bill was reimbursed by the defendant for the fifty dollars given to Biggerstaff in change nor does it show that the defendant tried to give the money back.
A trial court properly denies the defendant's motion to dismiss made at the close of the state's evidence where the state has produced substantial evidence on each element of the offense. State v. Walton, 90 N.C.App. 532, 369 S.E.2d 101, 102 (1988). When ruling on a motion to dismiss, a trial court must view all the evidence in the light most favorable to the state, giving the state the benefit of every inference that can be drawn. State v. Griffin, 319 N.C. 429, 433, 355 S.E.2d 474, 476 (1987). We believe that the evidence on this element of the charge when viewed in the light most favorable to defendant is substantial.
B
Defendant next argues insufficient evidence was presented that the bottle transferred to Biggerstaff by defendant actually contained an alcoholic beverage. Biggerstaff testified that the bottle was that of an unopened "fifth of Seagram's Seven" bourbon. Defendant objected to the testimony but failed to object when the bottle was offered into evidence before the jury. Furthermore, without objection, this exhibit was identified by Captain Dana Townsend of the Watauga County Sheriff's Department as a "bottle of Seagram's whiskey." It is a well established rule in North Carolina that "when evidence is admitted over objection, but the same evidence has ... thereafter been admitted without objection, the benefit of the objection is ordinarily lost." 1 Brandis on North Carolina Evidence Sec. 30, p. 112 (1988); see also State v. Wilson, 313 N.C. 516, 532, 330 S.E.2d 450, 461 (1985). Therefore, because the objection was not properly preserved for appeal, we will not address the sufficiency of evidence presented on this element of the charge. N.C.G.S. Sec. 15A-1446(b) (1983).
C
Defendant also argues insufficient evidence was presented to show he did not possess a permit which would have authorized the sale of alcohol. Under N.C.G.S. Sec. 18B-102, however, the State is not required to prove the defendant did not possess a permit. Possession of a permit to sell is an exception to the prohibition against sale of alcohol. See N.C.G.S. Sec. 18B-900 to -906 (1983) (qualifications for permit to sell). The "burden is on him who asserts that he comes within the exception *685 to show by way of defense that he is one of that class authorized by law to have intoxicants in his possession" for the purpose of sale. State v. Gordon, 224 N.C. 304, 307-08, 30 S.E.2d 43, 45 (1944) (burden on person charged with unlawful possession or transportation of an intoxicating liquor for purpose of sale to show he is authorized by law to engage in the "bona fide transportation of liquor through, but not to be delivered in, the State"). Here, defendant offered no evidence that he possessed a permit for the sale of alcohol. Therefore, defendant's motion to dismiss the alcohol charge was properly denied.
II
As the second assignment of error, defendant contends the trial court erred in denying his motion to dismiss the charge of possession with intent to sell a controlled substance on the ground there was insufficient evidence to submit the case to the jury. We disagree.
The defendant was charged with violation of N.C.G.S. Sec. 90-95(a)(1) (1985) which provides:
(a) Except as authorized by this Article, it is unlawful for any person:
(1) To manufacture, sell or deliver, or possess with intent to manufacture, sell or deliver, a controlled substance;
Id. (emphasis added). There are three elements to this offense: (A) possession of a substance; (B) the substance must be a controlled substance; and (C) there must be intent to sell the controlled substance. State v. Casey, 59 N.C.App. 99, 116, 296 S.E.2d 473, 483-84 (1982).
A
An accused has possession of a controlled substance within the meaning of N.C.G.S. Sec. 90-95(a)(1) when he has both the "power and the intent to control its disposition or use." State v. Pevia, 56 N.C.App. 384, 388, 289 S.E.2d 135, 138, cert. denied, 306 N.C. 391, 294 S.E.2d 218 (1982). Viewing the present evidence in the light most favorable to the State, the defendant had the "power and the intent to control" the disposition of the marijuana. The evidence shows defendant knew Biggerstaff was interested in buying marijuana, led Biggerstaff to his house after indicating to her he had "stuff" to smoke and sell, and obtained the marijuana from his house and brought it to her after she requested "an ounce."
B
Defendant contends the State failed to present evidence sufficient to show the substance obtained by Biggerstaff was marijuana. We disagree.
At the time of trial, Biggerstaff had been a law enforcement officer for almost five years and was a narcotics investigator with the Catawba County Sheriff's Department. She had schooling and on-the-job training in the identification of marijuana. At trial, she testified that in her opinion the substance in the clear plastic bag provided by the defendant was marijuana. Furthermore, Captain Townsend testified without objection that the substance in the clear plastic bag was in his opinion marijuana. Townsend testified that he had been a law enforcement officer for sixteen and one-half years and that he had special training in the identification of drugs.
Expert testimony is properly admissible when it "can assist the jury to draw certain inferences from facts because the expert is better qualified" than the jury to form an opinion on the particular subject. State v. Bullard, 312 N.C. 129, 139, 322 S.E.2d 370, 376 (1984); see also State v. Jenkins, 74 N.C.App. 295, 299, 328 S.E.2d 460, 463 (1985) (S.B.I. chemist's expert opinion that substance seized was marijuana was properly admitted where she had special training in analysis of controlled substances and whose job duties included analysis of controlled substances). "The test for admissibility is whether the jury can receive `appreciable help' from the expert witness." State v. Knox, 78 N.C.App. 493, 495, 337 S.E.2d 154, 156 (1985) (citation omitted). Here we believe the two officers, because of their study and experience, were better qualified than the jury to form an opinion as to the contents of the clear plastic bag. *686 See N.C.R.Evid. 702 (witness qualified as expert by experience, training, or education may testify in form of opinion). The jury received "appreciable help" from the expert testimony and was free to consider the opinions in deciding whether they were convinced the substance was marijuana.
Admittedly, it would have been better for the State to have introduced evidence of chemical analysis of the substance, especially in light of the fact that testimony indicated the State Bureau of Investigation had conducted an analysis. See State v. Bundridge, 294 N.C. 45, 58, 239 S.E.2d 811, 820 (1978) (absence of chemical analysis of bloodstains on clothing goes to weight of evidence rather than its admissibility). However, the absence of such direct evidence does not, as the appellant suggests, prove fatal. Though direct evidence may be entitled to much greater weight with the jury, the absence of such evidence does not render the opinion testimony insufficient to show the substance was marijuana. See State v. Henry, 51 W.Va. 283, 294, 41 S.E. 439, 444 (1902) (testimony of chemist who has analyzed blood and that of observer who merely recognizes it are both admissible although one may be entitled to much greater weight than the other).
Defendant also argues that no basis in fact existed for Biggerstaff's opinion that the substance was marijuana and at no time did she reveal what means she used to form her opinion. However, defendant failed to request the basis for her opinion on cross-examination. North Carolina Rules of Evidence 705 provides that an:
[E]xpert may testify in terms of opinion or inference and give his reasons therefor [sic] without prior disclosure of the underlying facts or data, unless an adverse party requests otherwise.... The expert may in any event be required to disclose the underlying facts or data on cross-examination....
Id. The basis of an expert's opinion need not be stated unless requested by an adverse party and here defendant made no such request. Cherry v. Harrell, 84 N.C. App. 598, 605, 353 S.E.2d 433, 438, disc. rev. denied, 320 N.C. 167, 358 S.E.2d 49 (1987).
C
Sufficient evidence was also presented on the third element of this offense. The state may rely upon ordinary circumstantial evidence to prove a defendant has the intent to sell a controlled substance. State v. Casey, 59 N.C.App. 99, 118, 296 S.E.2d 473, 484 (1982). As stated above, the evidence shows that defendant knew Biggerstaff was interested in buying marijuana, led her to his house after indicating to her he had "stuff" to smoke and sell, and obtained marijuana from his house and brought it to her after she requested "an ounce." Viewing this evidence in the light most favorable to the State, the defendant had the "intent to sell" the marijuana.
III
Defendant's third assignment of error is the court's denial of his motion to dismiss the charge of sale of a controlled substance on the ground there was insufficient evidence to submit the case to the jury. We disagree. The sale of a controlled substance is a violation of N.C.G.S. Sec. 90-95(a)(1) (quoted above) as is the crime discussed in Section II. Sale and possession with intent to sell a controlled substance are separate offenses and defendant may be charged with both as a result of the same transaction without violating his right of double jeopardy. State v. Stoner, 59 N.C.App. 656, 659-61, 298 S.E.2d 66, 68-69 (1982).
A sale in the context of this statute is a "transfer of property for a specified price payable in money." State v. Creason, 313 N.C. 122, 129, 326 S.E.2d 24, 28 (1985) (emphasis in original) (quoting State v. Albarty, 238 N.C. 130, 132, 76 S.E.2d 381, 383 (1953)). The evidence shows defendant brought marijuana from his house to the place where Biggerstaff was waiting, knew she wanted to buy the marijuana, received fifty dollars in cash proceeds *687 for the marijuana, and at no time made any verbal or physical efforts to return or reject the money. This evidence and the evidence that the substance transferred was a controlled substance as discussed above, taken in the light most favorable to the State, is sufficient to justify submitting the case to the jury on this charge.
IV
Defendant asserts as a fourth assignment of error the jury instruction by the court on acting in concert on the ground there was insufficient evidence to justify such an instruction. Whereas no reason or argument is stated or authority cited in appellant's brief for such assignment of error, it will be taken as abandoned. App. R. 28(b)(5).
NO ERROR.
ORR and SMITH, JJ., concur.
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Redden and Lidstrom sign so Ottawa and Detroit are out of the Pronger derby (I know neither has been mentioned but I figured Detroit as a possibility if Lidstrom did not resign) and of course the Oilers aren't signing Redden now
Big blueliners available now - Chara, Jovo and Blake (if you consider Blake as such and think he won't resign with the Avs)
8 comments:
namflashback
said...
i think Giguere and Nabokov stay where they are. Nobody has enough cap room to spend buckets of money 4 - 5 M /year on a goalie that is not Brodeur and like the gentleman's agreement amongst GM's that has them avoid eating each other's RFA's, I think they stand tough and make each other pay for bloated deals on guy's who have had flashes. (Clearly the Avs did not get that memo)
I say let those deals encumber Anaheim and San Jose.
St. Louis has to take a cheap guy -- because they are trying not to spend money. Florida and Ottawa take cheap guys -- because they will otherwise bump cap.
That would make them most interested in the contracted guys like Toskala, Biron, Cloutier.
Overall, this is good because it helps drive down the free agent market prices. However, Roloson is probably top on the list due to performance. Does he go to LA if they offer him 3-4 years?
My guess is that Edmonton is offering him 2y at good dollars and that he is trying for longer.
Yeah, I've floated that idea a couple of places, and the consensus seems to be it's not worth the money solely to rub it into Dave Nonis's face. Which I get, since I kinda posted it in the giddy feeling of seeing Vancouver ding the cap again (looks like Josh Green is racking up some more frequent flier miles this year); my initial thought was that on paper, anyway, it solved several problems at once, but upon further reflection, value for money is probably not good enough to justify it.
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Q:
How to specify a handle of another object?
I want to drag a bunch of objects with one handle, and only one object containing the handle. Objects have the same parent, but it seems the handle can only drag a straight parent of itself, but not ‘uncle’.
Here is the sample http://jsfiddle.net/Z5yeW/43/
A:
I am not sure it is exactly what you wanted, but here is something to check out: http://jsfiddle.net/Z5yeW/44/
EDIT:
Reverse version: http://jsfiddle.net/Z5yeW/46/
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Treatment of real coal gasification wastewater using a novel integrated system of anoxic hybrid two stage aerobic processes: performance and the role of pure oxygen microbubble.
A novel integrated system of anoxic-pure oxygen microbubble-activated sludge reactor-moving bed biofilm reactor was employed in treatment of real coal gasification wastewater. The results showed the integrated system had efficient performance of pollutants removal in short hydraulic retention time. While pure oxygen microbubble with the flow rate of 1.5 L/h and NaHCO3 dosage ratio of 2:1 (amount NaHCO3 to NH4 (+)-N ratio, mol: mol) were used, the removal efficiencies of COD, total phenols (TPh) and NH4 (+)-N reached 90, 95, and 95 %, respectively, with the influent loading rates of 3.4 kg COD/(m(3) d), 0.81 kg TPh/(m(3) d), and 0.28 kg NH4 (+)-N/(m(3) d). With the recycle ratio of 300 %, the concentrations of NO2 (-)-N and NO3 (-)-N in effluent decreased to 12 and 59 mg/L, respectively. Meanwhile, pure oxygen microbubble significantly improved the enzymatic activities and affected the effluent organic compositions and reduced the foam expansion. Thus, the novel integrated system with efficient, stable, and economical advantages was suitable for engineering application.
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Q:
Sampling z in VAE
How many times do we sample from $Q(z|x)$ in a Variational Autoencoder?
Let’s say that the autoencoder input $x$ is a single image 28x28 pixels - and $Z$ is is a one dimensional distribution. Then, to reconstruct the output $X'$ - I read (I could be wrong) that we can sample $10 000$ times.
Why do we sample so many? And what do we do to reduce it to 28x28?
EDIT
I am still confused how we can sample $10000$ times from $Q(z|x)$. For example let us consider the example above and assume that $Q(z|x)$ ~ $N(0,1)$. We have a 28x28 pixel image as the VAE input denoted $X$ with $28$ nodes each corresponding to one pixel.
Also, just for simplicity lets calculate the expectation of the likelihood part of ELBO instead of the whole thing.
Since, the posterior is Gaussian and we sample only once
$$
E_{z\sim Q}[\log p(x|z)] = \frac{1}{28} \sum_{1}^{28} (x_i-x'_i)^2
$$
Note that $Z_1$ in this case is a single value, and we are summing the error for each node
If we were to sample twice instead - would the expectation be
$$
E_{z\sim Q}[\log p(x|z)] = \frac{1}{2*28} \sum_{1}^{2*28} (x_i-\overline{x}_i)^2
$$
where $\overline{x}_i$ is the combined output of two samples for example: Node $1, 2,...28, 29$(Node $1$ of the second sample), $30$(Node $2$ of the second sample)...$56$(Node $28$ of the second sample)$.
...and so on for 10000 times. Is this correct?
Now if this is correct then it deserves a follow up question. As mentioned in the answer below, we do not really need to sample so much. So, say we sample twice independently - but it just so happens that the second sample $Z_2$ is much closer to the mean of the distribution.
Do we expect that the reconstruction $X'$ and $X"$ look very similar to each other?
A:
Because VAEs are really a graphical model more than they are autoencoders, it can be confusing what exactly "reconstruction" means in context.
Recall that we have an lower bound on the log probability given by the RHS of:
$$\log p(x) - D_{KL}(Q(z|x)||P(z|x)) = E_{z\sim Q}[\log p(x|z)] - D_{KL}(Q(z|x)||P(z))$$
To compute this lower bound -- a necessary prerequisite for doing a backprop pass to maximize it -- corresponds to passing $x$ through the encoder to arrive at $Q(z|x)$, computing the KL-divergence, then estimating $E_{z \sim Q}[\log p(x|z)]$ by sampling once or more (but usually just once) from $Q$ and running the decoder.
This process of estimating the posterior with the encoder and then sampling to approximate the expectation in the RHS so closely mimics the computation of an autoencoder would do that we call it "reconstruction". However, it's really just a side effect of trying to maximize the log probability of the inputs.
What happens when you sample multiple times from $Q$? The immediate consequence is that you get a better approximation of the expectation, and hence a better approximation of the lower bound on the log probability. You also need to run the decoder multiple times, which can be expensive, so it is usually not done. Of course if you do this, then you end up with many reconstructions rather than just one. Note that it is definitely not possible to average the reconstructions and have a meaningful output.
So you probably just want to sample once.
In response to your edit, the correct way to write it would be
$$\begin{align*} E_{z \sim Q}[\log p(x|z)] &\approx \frac{1}{n}\sum_{i=1}^N \log p(x|z_i) \\
&\propto -\frac{1}{n}\sum_i ||x-\text{decode}(z_i)||_2^2 \\
&= -\frac{1}{nm} \sum_i \sum_j (x_j - \text{decode}(z_i)_j)^2\end{align*}$$
We would expect that the reconstructions $\text{decode}(z_i)$ look quite similar to each other, but not exactly the same. Exactly how well depends on the nature of the data and how well the model is fitted.
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Laryngeal framework surgery: a proposal for classification and nomenclature by the Phonosurgery Committee of the European Laryngological Society.
Laryngeal framework surgery, developed by Isshiki in the 1970s, is one of the most dynamic areas of phonosurgery and these procedures have served to considerably widen our spectrum and options for surgical improvement and/or changing of voice. As these techniques became more accepted and became common throughout the world, several new surgical modifications and different terms have been introduced. These new developments have lead to a confusion regarding terminology and types which make it difficult to communicate between and to compare the results of different authors. In an effort to create a more precise and descriptive list of definitions and terms, the Phonosurgery Committee of the European Laryngological Society has developed a new terminology for laryngeal framework surgery. In accordance with the concept of Isshiki, four types can be separated according to the intended purpose of the surgery: -Approximation laryngoplasty: medialization thyroplasty, arytenoid adduction. -Expansion laryngoplasty: lateralization thyroplasty, vocal fold abduction. -Relaxation laryngoplasty: shortening thyroplasty -Tensioning laryngoplasty: cricothyroid approximation, elongation thyroplasty. The proposed terms are functionally oriented and related closely to the intended purpose of the procedure or related to the underlying pathogenesis of the dysphonia. This new classification should provide a general framework suited not only to classify the current techniques but also to easily apply and adapt to include new procedures and future developments as necessary.
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Surgical approaches to the talus.
Surgical approaches to the talus should allow access for fracture fixation, resection of osteophytes, treatment of osteochondral lesions, removal of painful os trigonum, and resection of hindfoot coalitions. This article describes the specific approaches to these conditions as well the structures at risk during surgery.
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Q:
Is there a way in JavaScript to recognize when a browser is loading a page?
Possible Duplicate:
how to check users leave a page
For example when somebody refreshes, enters a new URL into the location bar, or navigates away using a link on the page?
I need to do some work after someone attempts to leave my page.
EDIT: onunload doesn't work because in most browsers that doesn't execute until the page they are attempting to leave to returns a response. I want to execute some code as soon as they attempt to leave.
beforeunload appears to work, but I'm not sure a beforeunload without a return is proper form.
A:
You can use window.onunload which will be executed when the window is unloaded, which also includes navigating to a different page.
window.onunload=function () { };
I am not sure about what you are trying to do, but check
window.onbeforeunload @ MDN and http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms536907%28VS.85%29.aspx
window.onbeforeunload = function (e) {
e = e || window.event;
// For IE and Firefox prior to version 4
if (e) {
e.returnValue = 'Any string';
}
// For Safari
return 'Any string';
};
FYI. Comment out the return if you don't want user to see the Leave Page/Stay on Page prompt.
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In late June, half the public schools in Britain where closed by a massive protest over public pensions cuts, including three major teachers' unions, customs and immigration officers, and air traffic controllers. Some 750,000 people took part in the protest.
London's press has reported that discontent has been simmering among Britain's urban poor for years, in neighborhoods like Tottenham, where the riots started.
But as one man told NBC News about an economic protest two months ago, "There was not a word in the press about our protests. Last night (Saturday) a bit of rioting and looting and now look around you."
In response to the violence, Prime Minister David Cameron has said law and order will prevail in Great Britain and he's doubled the amount of police officers in the streets and instituted curfews for young adults.
Some 250,000 people took to the streets of Tel Aviv, Israel, on Saturday over the rising cost of living. Demonstrations actually began last month when a few people set up tents in an expensive part of Tel Aviv to protest rising property prices.
The protests have moved to other cities in Israel, where some 50,000 people rallied.
The demonstrations have turned into a major challenge for the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Polls released last week show his approval ratings have dropped while support for the protesters is high.
Netanyahu has announced a series of reforms including freeing up land for construction and offering tax breaks. But the reforms have only increased anger in the streets, according to reports.
Here are some of the demands from protestors, according to Reuters:
Increase personal tax brackets for top earners
Enshrine the right to housing in the law; introduce rent controls; boost mortgage relief
Stop further privatization of things such as health facilities
Provide free education for all from the age of three months
Raise the minimum wage to 50 percent of the average wage
Spain, Greece , Portugal
All three of these European Union nations have experienced protests and rioting in reaction to government austerity programs and bad economic conditions.
This past June, thousands of workers battled for three days with police in the capital city of the southern Chinese province of Guangdong. They were protesting declining living standards.
The recent protests can be traced back to February of this year, in what was an attempt to copy the Arab Spring uprising. That's when calls through Chinese social networks were sent out for an uprising in several local cities.
However, reports say the turnout was small in comparison to the enormous police presence and there were more clashes between journalists and officials than demonstrators.
Syria
In another legacy from the Arab Spring, protests and riots in Syria against the rule of President Bashar al-Assad have been going on for five months.
Reports say at least 1,600 people have been killed by government forces.
The demonstrations are a combination of calls for economic as well as political changes. Assad's government has promised a package of reforms including higher wages, letting political parties exist, easing restrictions on the media, and a new anti-corruption drive. But so far, none of the measures has been set in place.
Last week Assad sent troops and tanks to quell the mostly Sunni Muslim city of Hama in central Syria, and the army launched a similar assault on Sunday against Deir al-Zor.
Syria has cracked down with deadly force on protests in the past. In 1982 then-president Hafez al Assad - the father of Bashar al-Assad - sent troops into the Syrian town of Hama, killing between 10,000 and 40,000 people.
Syria's Arab neighbors as well as the United States have called for Assad to step down. He's ruled Syria for the past 11 years after succeeding his father. Assad says he has no intention of giving up his post as president.
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Meshcoin
by Brian, December 01, 2017
Many people have asked me over the years about combining a mesh network with a blockchain and a crypto-currency (e.g. a “meshcoin”). This could provide a reward for sharing internet over a community network. I’ve gathered all my thoughts about this here, and listed what I think are the major problems with this idea.
Both mesh networks and blockchains are decentralized. The idea to combine mesh and blockchains seems to be based on this abstract “decentralized” notion, not any clear idea how this could possibly work. What I think people mostly mean is combining public wifi access points with an app-based micro-payment system (not necessarily mesh or blockchain). Basically if people are rewarded with payment they would be encouraged to install more routers and maintain their network. People that use this network would pay them a small amount per Mb, or for time and quality of connection, or a set monthly fee. All of this would be automated somehow, or a payment made with a simple login app. Another approach is each router trades for bandwidth and the owner of the router gains or loses money.
Creating a blockchain incentivised network is a particularly difficult thing to do because it means combining software, hardware, infrastructure and a critical mass of users. I’ve been hearing about blockchain proposals for over three years, and never seen a prototype, so it seems (sorry to say!) like perpetual vaporware. I have seen a lot of whitepapers.
The hardest things about building a typical community network are the social aspects and the topology of the network. These are incredibly difficult to solve and require more than a network protocol or a smart contract.
Considering the social aspects, a community network really needs density before it is useful. It can be a chicken and egg problem. How does it attract any users other than a few curious tech people. There are also countless meshcoin ideas being developed and there can only be one winner at the most. Otherwise it is just another failed social app that didn’t get enough users.
For network topology, how will this blockchain based network build from the first router to a complete network? How does it figure out which rooftops to connect, where to connect to an IXP, how to get an ASN, how to peer with other networks, where to use supernodes, sector antennas, point to point connections? Many of these meshcoin ideas seem based on small devices, but it isn’t possible to make a giant mesh from small devices with omni antennas. Bandwidth decreases by as much as 50% and latency increases by ~10ms on each hop! Thousands of devices meshed together in a small area results in an unusably big routing table, with close to zero bandwidth and infinite latency. There’s a lot of basic physics, engineering and networking knowledge missing from meshcoin ideas.
A micropayment or reward system doesn’t have to be crypto-currency or blockchain based. Bitcoin micropayments are now impossible with bitcoin transaction fees, so maybe other theoretical crypto “payment channels” need to be used. It is also possible that the rewards be more like reputation points in a social network, or points in a game. “Gamifying” or social points actually seems more realistic than cryptocurrencies.
The router the user connects to is at the end of a line of routers connected to a gateway. Typically there are two or three “hops” to an IXP gateway node. This IXP “supernode” should really get most of the payment, as it has rent to pay for being on the roof, as well as connection charges. So the first node gets the payment and uses that to pay its gateway node and that node pays its gateway node and that node pays the “supernode”. Since a mesh network is dynamic, this could be very complicated.
If somehow people were paid in alt-coins the early adopters may benefit from coin deflation. This could also be an early incentive to help the network grow. It also sounds like a ponzi scheme and these “initial coin offerings” (ICOs) will be probably be outlawed soon.
People expect public WiFi access points to be simple and free, and costs are only going down from here (lower than free? User gets paid?). Why would they download an app to sign on? Why would they pay anything? Any implementation will need to be extremely easy to use (“low friction”) and better than other free services.
Most people now get data via their phone. Bandwidth for phones is increasing soon to gigabit speeds. It is getting harder for wifi to compete. People are cutting their cable and replacing it with tethering or portable hotspots from phone companies.
How are these meshcoins used? Someone that has shared a lot of bandwidth will only accumulate coins with nothing to spend them on, unless some future economy or exchange is developed.
Proof-of-work: A router can’t do “mining” or proof-of-work. Routers barely have enough CPU to function as a router. Would proof of “work” be proof of sharing bandwidth? How can it be done in an algorithmic unhackable way?
Measuring Mb: It is difficult to monitor each router to record how much bandwidth has been shared and used. For privacy, this should be done without knowing who the users are, and what they are doing with their bandwidth. A big problem is how do you know these packets aren’t faked by someone trying to be paid, or that the routers are real and not virtual.
With Ethereum you could have a smart contract that moves meshcoins from the user to the sharer for the time connected. How exactly would this work? Seems like a lot of hand-waving.
NYC Mesh routers are open and all members agree to our license (NCL). This makes it impossible for us to convert the existing nodes to a closed micro-payment system. The whole idea of NYC Mesh is to have an open network.
In conclusion: I like the idea of gamifying nodes, so people see how much each node is contributing. I think that is more than enough motivation for many people. Most people involved in the mesh are inspired by their hatred of the big ISPs. Earning a tiny amount in some obscure alt-coin isn’t going to motivate anything. Also the reason there is no working meshcoin system is that it is impossible to do in the real world.
Fon was a very large network that did this basic wifi sharing idea, and then gave up. It is important to figure out why they stopped, as this is about the only example of someone doing this. You can learn a lot by studying failures.
This project was made possible in part through a donation from the Internet Society.
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Facebook has removed a fake ‘Fact-Check’ by The Quint where the propaganda outlet claimed that the slogan “Hinduon Se Azadi” was never chanted by the Jamia students. We had reported it when it happened following which propagandists had claimed that it was “fake news” even though the news accurate. Earlier, Facebook marked it as ‘false information’ based on a ‘fact-check’ by The Quint. We can now confirm that this marker has been removed by Facebook.
When a person clicked on the ‘See Why’ button, Facebook showed that the authentic video was marked as ‘false information’ based on a lie by The Quint. This has now been rectified by Facebook after it was forced to admit that ‘Hinduon se Azadi’ slogans were indeed raised during the Jamia protests.
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While earlier, when one tried to play the video, it said that it was ‘false information’, now the video embedded in the same Facebook post plays without any such notification thereby confirming that Facebook removed the so-called ‘fact-check’ by The Quint.
Numerous other ‘fact-checkers’ had peddled the fake news propaganda that “Hinduon Se Azadi” slogans were never raised in the said video. BoomLive had even accused OpIndia of spreading false information when, in fact, they were the ones spreading Fake News.
Read: BoomLive wrongly ‘fact-checks’ OpIndia on ‘Hinduon se azaadi’ slogan video. Watch the Jamia Nagar protests where communal slogans were raised
The slogan is not surprising considering the fact that the face of the Jamia protests, Ladeeda Sakhaloon, gave a call for Jihad against the Citizenship Amendment Act following which violence erupted across the national capital. We have also reported at length on the dubious network of individuals involved in the campaign and why the Jamia protests cannot be disassociated from the violence that has gripped Delhi.
The Quint has in the past as well indulged in such chicanery by their fallacious “fact-checks”. Earlier, The Quint had also tried to whitewash the Islamist attack on Durga Puja visarjan in Balrampur.
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The Army’s Brand New Handgun Already Has Some Major Problems
Just over a year after the Army selected Sig Sauer’s P320 9mm pistol for its new XM17/18 Modular Handgun System program to replace the Beretta M9, the branch’s new sidearm is showing some serious problems, according to a new Department of Defense report released this month.
The Pentagon’s overview on its gear and tech programs in 2017, conducted by the Office of the Director of Operational Test and Evaluation and released earlier in January 2018, indicated that both the XM17 and XM18 pistols demonstrated a series of persistent problems, including accidental discharge, ejecting live ammunition, and relatively frequent stoppages when firing ammunition encased in a full metal jacket. Even worse, the report recommends the Army engineer some fixes “upon identification of the root cause” of the ejection issue — a statement that indicates the branch hasn’t yet identified the source of the issue.
This could be a big problem for the Army, which started fielding the new pistol on Nov. 28 with the 101st Airborne Division at Fort Campbell. As part of its 10-month rollout, the Modular Handgun System will head downrange with soldiers assigned to the critical 1st Security Force Assistance Brigade when the experimental new battalion deploys to Afghanistan in the spring. And though the report notes that the ammo stoppages “had minimal operational impact on the operators’ ability to fire and continue the mission,” the presence of errors may make some soldiers deploying with the new sidearm nervous.
It’s likely, however, that one of Sig Sauer’s competitors will end up more steamed than the Army itself. Shortly after the branch awarded its $580 million Modular Handgun System contract, program contender Glock filed a protest with the U.S. Government Accountability Office claiming that U.S. Army Materiel Command “improperly failed to complete reliability testing” on Sig Sauer’s compact XM17 entry. The complaint was thrown out, but the GAO’s judgment in June 2017 suggests that the branch ended up selecting Sig Sauer’s entry due to its relatively lower price point for a two-gun proposal that offered “overall the best value to the government.”
It now appears that the Army is getting what it paid for. Safety defects like those reported by the Office of the Director of Operational Test and Evaluation have cropped up in the months between the GAO’s decision in June and the pistol’s initial fielding in November. Several videos posted online show the commercial Sig Sauer P320 firing when dropped, a defect that first became evident in January 2017 when an experienced officer with the Connecticut Police Department’s Special Response Team was shot in the left leg after his pistol discharged upon hitting the ground.
How the government report will affect the fielding of XM17 and XM18 to soldiers remains to be seen, but the impact of the report won’t stop with the Army: In May, Pentagon officials stated that the Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps were interested in adopting more than 220,000 M17 pistols between the three of them. Hopefully, the Pentagon will figure out what’s wrong with its vaunted new handgun before fielding the sidearm to military personnel beyond the Army.
Benjamin Franklin nailed it when he said, "Fatigue is the best pillow." True story, Benny. There's nothing like pushing your body so far past exhaustion that you'd willingly, even longingly, take a nap on a concrete slab.
U.S. Coast Guard cutter Bertholf left California on January 20 for a months-long mission in the Pacific to support U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, the largest of the U.S. military's geographic combatant commands.
Coast Guardsmen aboard the Bertholf left Alameda on the 30th day of what is now the longest government shutdown in U.S. history. They left a few days after not getting their first paycheck since that shutdown started and without knowing when the next will come.
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An ex-Tulane University football player found guilty of cutting and battering four people during a knife fight outside a French Quarter strip club five years ago should have his conviction overturned because his attorneys failed to gather crucial evidence to help his defense, an Orleans Parish Criminal District Court judge has decided. Judge Arthur Hunter on Friday granted Ray Boudreaux, 28, a native of Abbeville, a new trial.
Hunter on Monday tentatively scheduled the trial for Sept. 9, and he set Boudreaux's bail at $425,000. Orleans Parish District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro's Office has said it will seek a review of Hunter's decision from Louisiana's 4th Circuit Court of Appeal.
Prosecutors initially charged Boudreaux with attempting to murder five people outside a Bourbon Street nightclub on Sept. 16, 2007, hours after Tulane had lost to the University of Houston in the Superdome. A jury convicted the former running back on July 22, 2008, of one count of aggravated battery and three counts of attempted manslaughter. He received a 10-year prison sentence.
Boudreaux had claimed self-defense, a stance that Hunter suggested could have been bolstered by video footage and witness accounts that inexplicably never made it to the jury.
Hunter, who said he had never before granted post-conviction relief, allowed Boudreaux to be free on bond while he appealed the verdict in his case. Boudreaux did not report to prison until after he exhausted his appeals in November.
Boudreaux then filed for post-conviction relief on the grounds that his attorneys, Eric Wright and Kenisha Parks, provided ineffective assistance of counsel.
In the judge's opinion, Boudreaux and his new attorney, D. Majeeda Snead of the Loyola Law Clinic, successfully argued that his trial lawyers knew a surveillance camera outside the Deja Vu strip club in the 200 block of Bourbon had captured video of the fight that could have helped support Boudreaux's version of events. And the establishment's manager, Thomas Muzika, told police Boudreaux begged him for sanctuary during the fight and that he had watched others involved in the fight attack the football player as he tried to flee.
Nevertheless, the tape wasn't presented as evidence and Muzika was never asked to testify during the trial, Hunter wrote in a 12-page opinion.
"Trial counsel failed to perform at best the bare minimum investigation," Hunter said. "The existence of a video which likely corroborated Boudreaux's account of the events would have cast doubt in the jury's mind regarding the state's assertion that Boudreaux was the aggressor."
Furthermore, Wright and Parks didn't contact or subpoena a second witness police had spoken to the night of the fight. That witness, Sharon Rhone, was prepared to testify that she saw someone other than Boudreaux stabbing victims.
At trial, while questioning a police officer, Boudreaux's counsel alluded to what Rhone had seen but only as it pertained to the stabbing of one victim, court documents said. Boudreaux was acquitted of stabbing that person.
"Trial counsel offers no reasoning for why a subpoena was not issued and could not state what efforts were made to contact Ms. Rhone, or how exhaustive those efforts were," Hunter said.
Wright and Parks also didn't investigate the medical history of one of the victims, Keith Townsend, who allegedly suffered irreversible brain damage from Boudreaux's attack. Investigating Townsend's medical history would have shown the victim had mental deficiencies prior to that fight on Bourbon, Hunter wrote.
That would have permitted Wright and Parks to argue at trial that some of Townsend's trauma was being improperly attributed to Boudreaux's actions and may have prompted the jury to return with a different verdict, Hunter said. And the extent of Townsend's injuries factored into Boudreaux's 10-year sentence, Hunter explained.
On Monday, Donna Andrieu, Cannizzaro's chief of appeals, asked Hunter to stay Boudreaux's case and not set bail for him until the D.A. could appeal the judge's ruling. Hunter denied it, citing a law that says defendants given post-conviction relief are "entitled to bail as though (they had) not been convicted."
D.A. spokesman Chris Bowman on Monday said that prosecutors were disappointed Hunter had not ordered a stay in Boudreaux's case. Alluding to the fact that Hunter let Boudreaux out on bond for the duration of his appeal, Bowman remarked, "We certainly wish Judge Hunter had given the members of this community the same consideration by allowing his most recent decision to work its way through the appeal court" before giving the defendant the chance to make bail and secure his release.
Note:This story has been updated to clarify statements made by Sharon Rhone.
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Q:
Python function to find and tokenize string data
#!/usr/bin/env python
import re
import nltk.corpus
def tokenize(text, **kw):
"""
Break down text into a set of unique lower case words.
"""
plain_words = nltk.corpus.abc.words()
stop_words = nltk.corpus.stopwords.words()
# Defaults
kw.setdefault('min_len', 4)
kw.setdefault('max_len', 0)
kw.setdefault('ignore_list', [])
kw['ignore_list'] += stop_words
ok_length = lambda token: [len(token) >= kw['min_len']
and kw['max_len'] <= kw['max_len']][0]
tokens = set([token.lower()
for token in re.findall('([A-z]+)+', text)
if ok_length(token) and
token not in kw['ignore_list']]).intersection(plain_words)
return tokens
## TESTING tokenize
TEXT = open('/bin/bash', 'r').read()
print tokenize(TEXT,
min_len=4,
max_len=0,
ignore_list=['code'])
My concerns:
Is tokenize() too complex as one function?
Should I replace the list comprehensions?
Does this regex '([A-z]+)+' need improving?
How could I make this code more idiomatic?
Have I overlooked any faults in any of the logic?
Example output:
11:26 PM$ python Tokenize.py
set(['replacing', 'default', 'all', 'forget', 'chain', 'skip', 'global', 'dollar', 'splitting', 'existing', 'four', 'executing', 'go', 'follow', 'expressions', 'activates', 'saved', 'children', 'causes', 'row', 'whose', 'tv', 'graph', 'discard', 'send', 'environment', 'to', 'topic', 'program', 'marks', 'include', 'sent', 'allocate', 'division', 'random', 'slash', 'dynamic', 'reserved', 'removing', 'manipulated', 'every', 'nesting', 'decide', 'entries', 'locked', 'syntax', 'exact', 'condition', 'entire', 'redistribute', 'magic', 'exits', 'level', 'turns', 'array', 'exec', 'list', 'fewer', 'try', 'mm', 'quick', 'refer', 'upper', 'unexpected', 'force', 'portable', 'be', 'obsolete', 'sign', 'jump', 'consists', 'second', 'displays', 'insertion', 'pass', 'gm', 'even', 'index', 'errors', 'adds', 'sub', 'directive', 'near', 'supplied', 'current', 'seconds', 'waiting', 'version', 'new', 'movement', 'redirect', 'full', 'simultaneously', 'exchange', 'respectively', 'error', 'commercial', 'equals', 'reported', 'objects', 'let', 'undo', 'groups', 'erm', 'active', 'path', '[', 'diagnostic', 'appears', 'change', 'wait', 'digits', 'great', 'copyright', 'coerced', 'handlers', 'items', 'changed', 'allows', 'reports', 'ignoring', 'amount', 'resulting', 'menu', 'usually', 'history', 'makes', 'exited', 'missing', 'composed', 'named', 'via', 'useful', 'extra', 'prefer', 'logical', 'replace', 'visible', 'names', 'apply', 'unit', 'use', 'takes', 'working', 'nine', 'escapes', 'two', 'next', 'r', 'duplicate', 'handler', 'call', 'memory', 'scope', 'type', 'until', 'more', 'separated', 'successful', 'initial', 'operators', 'tested', 'flag', 'controlling', 'encountered', 'disabling', 'must', 'me', 'escaped', 'none', 'te', 'word', 'err', 'indicates', 'this', 'loops', 'work', 'mi', 'modified', 'abort', 'values', 'can', 'socket', 'following', 'making', 'closing', 'my', 'example', 'performed', 'control', 'del', 'prompt', 'links', 'give', 'process', 'lock', 'functions', 'share', 'accept', 'trap', 'high', 'effectively', 'tag', 'numbers', 'allowed', 'scheduling', 'counting', 'audible', 'information', 'rather', 'means', 'j', 'write', 'how', 'silent', 'instead', 'profile', 'map', 'fr', 'blocks', 'description', 'may', 'max', 'resumes', 'tries', 'disable', 'coming', 'date', 'horizontal', 'law', 'data', 'types', 'fo', 'a', 'ambiguous', 'short', 'physical', 'remember', 'third', 'whenever', 'maybe', 'lines', 'bugs', 'element', 'provide', 'expression', 'allow', 'decreasing', 'scroll', 'subsequently', 'operate', 'order', 'se', 'feed', 'breaking', 'interpretation', 'help', 'disables', 'move', 'displayed', 'interpreted', 'disabled', 'timing', 'suspend', 'un', 'differs', 'interpreter', 'still', 'pointer', 'positional', 'style', 'le', 'group', 'monitor', 'curly', 'shifts', 'lo', 'll', 'detected', 'lu', 'systems', 'listing', 'mail', 'hidden', 'main', 'pending', 'split', 'non', 'return', 'greater', 'output', 'matches', 'auto', 'runs', 'number', 'break', 'internally', 'blink', 'killed', 'matched', 'term', 'name', 'ifs', 'always', 'revert', 'identified', 'privileged', 'possibilities', 'applied', 'token', 'inequality', 'stopped', 'mode', 'arrow', 'each', 'found', 'cc', 'reset', 'preceded', 'square', 'invoked', 'generation', 'ed', 'chunk', 'hard', 'frames', 'expect', 'exceeded', 'eu', 'et', 'operation', 'bay', 'event', 'special', 'intended', 'large', 'shown', 'network', 'space', 'restricted', 'since', 'preserve', 'unknown', 'looking', 're', 'acting', 'flushing', 'exporting', 'print', 'got', 'rn', 'cause', 'occurs', 'common', 'foundation', 'turning', 'resume', 'free', 'standard', 'indices', 'base', 'execute', 'put', 'org', 'wanted', 'beginning', 'l', 'software', 'resumed', 'definition', 'g', 'created', 'locations', 'retrieving', 'messages', 'times', 'creates', 'turn', 'length', 'place', 'w', 'assumed', 'timed', 'onto', 'assign', 'first', 'origin', 'already', 'succeeds', 'omitted', 'variables', 'symbolic', 'primary', 'owned', 'one', 'restrict', 'hook', 'done', 'notify', 'suspended', 'blank', 'reached', 'message', 'open', 'braces', 'size', 'given', 'checked', 'exists', 'service', 'redirection', 'meaningful', 'top', 'behaves', 'accent', 'system', 'construct', 'priority', 'indicate', 'returns', 'listed', 'passed', 'typing', 'white', 'final', 'gives', 'shell', 'option', 'trapped', 'ch', 'completed', 'exactly', 'lists', 'copy', 'completes', 'specify', 'character', 'begins', 'b', 'target', 'quantum', 'instruction', 'enabled', 'depends', 'i', 'determined', 'bind', 'enables', 'declare', 'interactive', 'and', 'files', 'false', 'topics', 'turned', 'argument', 'dash', 'width', 'need', 'seen', 'any', 'contents', 'forced', 'zero', 'depending', 'self', 'note', 'also', 'internal', 'build', 'indexed', 'destroy', 'copied', 'brace', 'begin', 'added', 'unless', 'trace', 'normal', 'buffer', 'object', 'leave', 'regular', 'eight', 'printed', 'letter', 'termination', 'nothing', 'alpha', 'segment', 'associative', 'grave', 'appear', 'kg', 'foreground', 'clear', 'later', 'm', 'km', 'looked', 'bracket', 'keywords', 'pattern', 'normally', 'notion', 'selection', 'show', 'text', 'supported', 'brief', 'session', 'beg', 'conditional', 'find', 'completion', 'access', 'based', 'quoted', 'parameters', 'implementation', 'true', 'specified', 'assertion', 'controls', 'terminal', 'failed', 'only', 'inherited', 'override', 'query', 'local', 'columns', 'do', 'specifications', 'invoke', 'get', 'convert', 'de', 'stop', 'da', 'cannot', 'negative', 'words', 'reply', 'report', 'du', 'procedures', 'sorts', 'secondary', 'processes', 'resource', 'horizontally', 'fields', 'remove', 'calling', 'arrays', 'bad', 'processed', 'contain', 'release', 'x', 'fixed', 'automatic', 'flagged', 'ignored', 'set', 'dump', 'frame', 'prints', 'maximum', 'relative', 'see', 'result', 'successive', 'sequences', 'fails', 'evaluation', 'vertical', 'placed', 'ways', 'subsequent', 'currently', 'written', 'protected', 'neither', 'reading', 'conditions', 'checks', 'available', 'suppresses', 'jobs', 'parent', 'opening', 'modify', 'screen', 'sole', 'transpose', 'disallow', 'nd', 'job', 'succeed', 'selectively', 'key', 'interface', 'printing', 'optional', 'valid', 'hits', 'last', 'reverse', 'limits', 'many', 'region', 'la', 'according', 'minus', 'etc', 's', 'context', 'attributes', 'delete', 'whole', 'botched', 'otherwise', 'load', 'pre', 'permitted', 'co', 'extent', 'point', 'simple', 'effective', 'period', 'pop', 'cz', 'simply', 'unsuccessful', 'table', 'allocated', 'indefinite', 'suppressing', 'described', 'duo', 'addition', 'shells', 'create', 'three', 'mark', 'pc', 'treat', 'expected', 'entered', 'empty', 'define', 'generating', 'enable', 'corresponding', 'suppress', 'sufficient', 'search', 'else', 'child', 'an', 'assigning', 'present', '^', 'case', 'handling', 'license', 'these', 'plain', 'expanded', 'examine', 'value', 'n', 'while', 'replaced', 'behavior', 'shift', 'evaluates', 'di', 'property', 'precede', 'loop', 'seven', 've', 'resident', 'is', 'dumped', 'binding', 'it', 'equal', 'vu', 'in', 'ie', 'if', 'binary', 'containing', 'perform', 'make', 'attribute', 'member', 'read', 'arguments', 'freed', 'modification', 'document', 'events', 'resources', 'status', 'used', 'temporary', 'receives', 'keys', 'reporting', 'upon', 'effect', 'alert', 'action', 'running', 'levels', 'uses', 'user', 'characters', 'stack', 'expand', 'recent', 'lower', 'older', 'shared', 'changes', 'well', 'spent', 'options', 'patterns', 'without', 'flags', 'sets', 'y', 'position', 'the', 'left', 'comment', 'newest', 'sourced', 'less', 'percent', 'obtain', 'actions', 'assigned', 'stored', 'kill', 'immediately', 'followed', 'alternative', 'rotates', 'previous', 'adding', 'loading', 'generator', 'grouped', 'bell', 'guaranteed', 'except', 'signals', 'source', 'add', 'setting', 'combine', 'location', 'usage', 'input', 'reusable', 'interprets', 'remaining', 'match', 'take', 'real', 'tests', 'format', 'rules', 'evaluate', 'showing', 'unlimited', 'possible', 'five', 'background', 'using', 'bit', 'accepted', 'string', 'd', 'insert', 'appearing', 'like', 'success', 'sizes', 'signal', 'performing', 'manual', 'specific', 'exhausted', 'continue', 'hosts', 't', 'become', 'soft', 'attempting', 'right', 'old', 'often', 'sequence', 'oriented', 'creation', 'some', 'back', 'oh', 'export', 'evaluated', 'loaded', 'duration', 'multiple', 'matching', 'reasons', 'ignore', 'describing', 'for', 'notification', 'avoid', 'though', 'comments', 'disk', 'exit', 'select', 'provides', 'indication', 'leader', 'either', 'core', 'command', 'run', 'remembered', 'equivalent', 'processing', 'continuing', 'bi', 'expansion', 'utilities', 'host', 'display', 'offset', 'leftover', 'post', 'refers', 'by', 'comparison', 'pipeline', 'ok', 'would', 'getting', 'column', 'of', 'http', 'o', 'page', 'stamp', 'range', 'plus', 'stand', 'illegal', 'connected', 'os', 'or', 'block', 'op', 'contains', 'letters', 'previously', 'within', 'bound', 'son', 'en', 'determine', 'operator', 'accumulated', 'exchanges', 'terminated', 'statistics', 'additional', 'waits', ']', 'there', 'question', 'long', 'start', 'restricts', 'editor', 'way', 'forward', 'eg', 'combined', 'function', 'head', 'successfully', 'complete', 'form', 'hr', 'attempted', 'removes', 'commands', 'failure', 'manipulate', 'hi', 'link', 'newer', 'line', 'with', 'bug', 'he', 'count', 'entry', 'places', 'versions', 'whether', 'wish', 'caller', 'up', 'us', 'record', 'carriage', 'converted', 'limit', 'fetch', 'pm', 'similar', 'called', 'connect', 'detailed', 'storing', 'definitions', 'associated', 'ad', 'ag', 'defined', 'pseudo', 'universal', 'escape', 'incremental', 'al', 'general', 'consumed', 'single', 'warning', 'exist', 'at', 'file', 'home', 'importing', 'trailing', 'check', 'defines', 'echo', 'pipe', 'marking', 'remainder', 'no', 'when', 'virtual', 'started', 'other', 'outputs', 'test', 'you', 'acceptable', 'arithmetic', 'formats', 'elements', 'star', 'colon', 'separate', 'preceding', 'searched', 'reused', 'includes', 'generated', 'exported', 'variable', 'structure', 'opened', 'e', 'requires', 'required', 'mask', 'visual', 'strings', 'u', 'time', 'directory', 'backward', 'starting', 'original'])
A:
No, tokenize is not too complex for one function. It does a single operation: it tokenizes a string.
Your list comprehensions are fine. They are somewhat complex but are still readable and easily understandable.
Instead of using the regex ([A-z]+)+ you could simply use the 'shortcut' `\w+'. This regex will match one-to-many words.
If you wanted your regex to recognize hyphenated words, a simple change will suffice:
\w(-?\w)*
Your code is quite Pythonic. Your spacing and indentation is fine. The same goes for your variable names. If you have more concerns about style, consult PEP8, the official Python style guide.
There is a flaw in your logic though. Take your lambda expression:
ok_length = lambda token: [len(token) >= kw['min_len']
and kw['max_len'] <= kw['max_len']][0]
Currently, this will except any string whose length is greater than the min_length this is because you have kw['max_len'] == kw['max_len'] which will always evaluate True. You also have the conditionals switched around. This is how you should have the check:
ok_length = lambda token: [kw['min_length'] <= len(token) <= kw['max_length']][0]
Now, the question you need to ask is, whether or not it pays off to use a lambda expression here. Is the functionality 'deserving' of a lambda expression? Or can the check simply be placed into the list comprehension a little later on? Here's what it would look like, I'll let you decide (I like this way):
tokens = set([token.lower()
for token in re.findall('([A-z]+)+', text)
if kw['min_len'] <= len(token) <= kw['max_len'] and
token not in kw['ignore_list']]).intersection(plain_words)
The next thing I would consider is your used of the kw dict. How needed is it? Could you just implement optional parameters in the function declaration? I like that implementation because this function does not (and probably won't) take an arbitrary number of keyword arguments. It will only take the 3. As a related side note, you have swapped your max_len and min_len values. Currently, max_len < min_len.
Finally, I would remove the intersection function call when you assign the tokens variable. The name tokens and the context with which its generated implies that tokens will hold all tokens that match the given regex. However, in your case, it only contains that are also in plain_words. I would wait to do the intersection until the return statement:
return tokens.intersection(plain_words)
Here is 'my' version of the tokenize function:
def tokenize(text, min_len=0, max_len=4, ignore_list=[]):
"""
Break down text into a set of unique lower case words.
"""
plain_words = nltk.corpus.abc.words()
stop_words = nltk.corpus.stopwords.words()
ignore_list += stop_words
tokens = set([token.lower()
for token in re.findall('\w+', text)
if min_len <= len(token) <= max_len and
token not in kw['ignore_list']])
return tokens.intersection(plain_words)
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Usually, the presence of bacteria in a patient's body fluid, especially blood, is determined using blood culture vials. A small quantity of blood is injected through an enclosing rubber septum into a sterile sample vial containing a culture medium. The vial is incubated at normal human body temperature and monitored for bacterial growth. Common visual inspection involves monitoring the turbidity of the liquid suspension. Known instrumental methods detect changes in the CO.sub.2 content of the culture vials, which is a metabolic by-product of the bacterial growth. Monitoring the CO.sub.2 content can be accomplished by methods well established in the art, such as radiochemical, infrared absorption at a spectral line characteristic of CO.sub.2, or pressure/vacuum measurement techniques such as those disclosed in Ahnell U.S. Pat. No. 4,152,213.
Recently, non-invasive methods have been developed involving the optical interrogation of chemical sensors disposed inside a sample vial that utilize colorimetric or fluorometric spectroscopic techniques. Some of these methods have also implemented remote sensing of multiple sample sites via optical fibers and switches. Additional non-invasive optical methods have been devised which rely on properties inherent in the liquid suspension and do not require the use of a chemical sensor; these include automated techniques for scattered photon migration measurements.
Typically, when using these non-invasive techniques, the sample vial must be agitated. Since it is both cost effective and time efficient to process samples in a batch, equipment must therefore be provided that agitates a large number of vials. Agitation, however, requires that the structure holding the vials moves relative to a stationary reference frame, and it is usually preferable to mount electronics and other equipment within the stationary portion of the system, not on the moving portion. This results in systems where both electrical cables and/or optical fibers must be designed to permit this relative motion by allowing sufficient excess at an appropriate point in the system. There remains a need, however, to permit a plurality of sample vials to be agitated while also permitting the interrogation of each vial by an optical fiber. It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide an agitating rack and an optical excitation/detection system for transmitting electromagnetic energy to each sample vial in the rack and for receiving electromagnetic energy from each sample.
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[Can't wait to play Fallout 4? Neither can we. Check out the mod's we'd most like to see while you wait.]
This shouldn't even be news, but the internet is prone to overreaction. Hackles were raised after Digital Spy published an article titled, "Fallout 4 will run at 1080p and 30 frames-per-second on everything".
Here's the relevant quote: "'It is 1080p on everything,' he said," referring to Fallout 4 director Todd Howard, "before confirming that it would run at 30fps and not 60fps."
Clearly this is Howard confirming that both consoles will achieve 1080p, but be limited to 30fps as the trade-off. However, some took the quote to mean that Fallout 4 would be locked to 1080p and 30 frames-per-second on PC. This is despite the fact that Bethesda has a massive PC audience, has never previously restricted a Bethesda Game Studio game in this way, and, most importantly of all, understands that to do so would be asking for the mother of all backlashes.
Now Bethesda has stepped in to reassure that of course Fallout 4 won't be restricted by resolution or frame rate on PC. "Fallout 4 is 1080p & 30fps on Xbox One and PS4," tweets Bethesda Softworks. "Resolution and FPS are not limited in any way on the PC."
So that's that then.
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note: blog has moved to https://evan.tatarka.me/
The Mess that is Android Biometrics
Oh FingerprintManager is deprecated? It’s replaced with this new thing BiometricPrompt that comes with it’s own UI and supports a wider range of biometrics? There’s even an androidx library that does the compatibility work for you? This will be easy! HAHAHAHHAHHAHA
This is the story of all the pain I’ve run into with implementing BiometricPrompt so you don’t have to.
If you just want a recommendation for today, it would be: Use FingerprintManager on Android 9, use BiometricPrompt on Android 10, throw in a few hacks for a better user experience, and cross your fingers and hope for the best.
The beginning
It all started back in 2018, fresh off the google I/O hype train. I decided to look into this new BiometricPrompt thing. It looked easy to implement and came with an androidx lib in alpha that seemed to work alright. So I went ahead and implemented a rough POC in my project, demoed to our product owner on a Pixel 1 and everything looked great. “That was easy”, I thought. Little did I know what was to come.
The cracks start to show
Done with the happy path, I went on to implement the error handling. Making sure all was well, I made sure to test on both the BiometricPrompt and FingerprintManager paths. Unfortunately, I noticed some major differences on how things were handled such as cases where the user was locked out because of too many fingerprint attempts. Before Android 9 it would show the dialog with the error, but on Android 9 it would show nothing. “No worries”, I thought. The lib was in alpha. I filled a bug and put in a work-around.
With BiometricPrompt I also noticed that there could be several seconds between when asking to show the dialog and when it actually showed or an error was returned. I worked around this by adding in a loading indicator in the ui. But when to stop showing it? There’s no callback when the BiometricPrompt is actually shown and no lifecycle events are fired. Eventually, I found out that the window loses focus when the prompt is shown. So with one OnWindowFocusChangeListener later I got that fixed.
Given that biometrics is an optional feature for our users, naturally we’d want a way to detect that they have it enabled. Well apparently nobody at Google thought of that as they went ahead and deprecated FingerprintManager.hasEnrolledFingerprints() without providing a replacement. But no phone out there actually uses any other authentication besides fingerprint right? So went ahead using that deprecated method (stay tuned).
Everything seemed fine until I got a bug from QA. Sometimes the prompt wasn’t showing, only on Android 9 of course. I was confused, we show it in onResume(), no complicated logic there. Well it turns out that’s not good enough for BiometricPrompt. From what I can only assume was to prevent from showing when the app is in the background, if your window doesn’t have focus, the call will simply be ignored. Furthermore, in the onResume() callback, your window will only sometimes have focus because having a consistent callback ordering in android would be boring. Solution: another OnWindowFocusChangeListener then. Sigh.
The implementation wasn’t as pretty now, but hey nothing that couldn’t be worked-around. Everything looked good and we shipped with our shiny new biometric prompt.
Enter our good friend (take one guess, spoiler it’s Samsung)
Not too long after we shipped, Samsung finally got around to updating their phones to Android 9. Now if you weren’t aware (I wasn’t) these phones had this nifty ‘feature’ where you could unlock your phone with your face or iris. Now you may be thinking, “hey this doesn’t sound all that secure.” Well guess what? It isn’t! That would be ok if it was only contained as an OS feature and didn’t affect app api’s, but this is Samsung we’re talking about. Mucking with api’s is their expertise. In their infinite wisdom they decided to update the stock biometric prompt work with face/iris. So now we have two wonderful issues:
FingerprintManager.hasEnrolledFingerprints() might not be right anymore. If the user has face/iris enrolled but no fingerprints, it’ll return false. If they have both it’ll return true, but show the face/iris unlock for the dialog. And of course we don’t have any other api to use instead. Now this one is a doozy. You know how I mentioned that these methods weren’t secure? Well the system correctly realizes this and refuses to decrypt the key for you when using face. So you prompt the user to authenticate with biometrics, they authenticate with their face, and boom! You get a SignatureException. Of course there’s no way to know which biometrics the user has enabled, so you are screwed.
Well the bad user reviews were coming in and we needed to figure out how to fix this quick. There’s no easy workaround we can add this time. So we did the next best thing: copy all of androidx biometric into our app and hard-code it to use the stock FingerprintManager implementation. And that’s where things stand today.
A hope for the future?
So here we are, using a compat lib but not really. We could’ve stuck with FingerprintManager and ignored all of this mess. However, Android 10 did just came out, and there’s been some improvements in the androidx lib, maybe there’s hope?
For one Android 10 did finally add a replacement to FingerprintManager.hasEnrolledFingerprints() in the form of BiometricManager.canAuthenticate(). Unfortunately that won’t help us on Android 9. They also tightened the CTS (compatibly test suite) around this so with any luck the Samsung issues will get fixed when they update to 10. Finally, they seem to be receptive to add some sort of work-around for the Samsung issue in the androidx lib. And with the Pixel 4 around the corner which is rumored on only have face unlock, this is good. As it stands today, we aren’t quite at the place we can drop something in and call it a day, but we are a bit closer.
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Associations between waist circumference and depressive disorders.
Previous research has suggested that abdominal obesity and mental disorders are associated. This paper was initiated to investigate associations between unfavourable waist circumference (WC) and mental disorders in a representative sample of German adults. 4181 individuals (aged 18-65 years) took part in a physical examination (including measurement of body weight and WC) and a structured psychological interview (M-CIDI) to evaluate mental disorders. An unfavourable WC (males: 26.9%; females: 31.3%) was highly prevalent. However, unfavourable WC and mental disorders were not associated, neither with regard to the prevalence of any mental disorder nor regarding in particular depressive disorders. Moreover, even middle-aged depressive women that have often been assumed to be at high risk of increased visceral fat did not show more unfavourable WCs than their non-depressed, female counterparts. The main limitation is that the co-occurrence of mental disorders and obesity was recorded but not, if obesity was related to the onset of mental problems. From an epidemiologic perspective, it is not possible to prove associations between WC and mental disorders. Patients with unfavourable waist circumferences do not show a higher prevalence of depressive disorders.
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Grief response of parents to neonatal death and parent participation in deciding care.
We determined the grief response to neonatal death of 50 mother-father pairs by administering a questionnaire and conducting a semistructured interview during the infant postmortem review. As measured by a parent grief score, maternal grief significantly exceeded paternal grief (t = 5.89, P less than .0001). Parent grief was not significantly related to birth weight, duration of life, extent of parent-infant contact, previous perinatal loss, parent age, or distance from the hospital of birth to the regional center (Pearson product-moment correlation coefficients). However, the attitudes and behavior of family, friends, and health care personnel in the hospital of birth often adversely influenced parent grieving. Of 39 mother-father pairs whose infants required respirator support, 18 participated in a group decision with their physician to withdraw respirator support when the prospects of infant survival seemed hopeless (limited respirator care group). No significant differences in parent grief scores were found (t tests) when the limited respirator care group was compared to those parents of infants who died despite uninterrupted respirator care. Our data suggest that informed parents can participate as partners with their physician in difficult infant care decision, even when death results, and adjust to their loss with healthy grieving.
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Q:
Can Windows 7 automatically maintain a clone of another directory?
I'm working on a Git repo for a client and I want to keep my client repos separate from my Apache htdocs folder. I want to work on the repo files here:
C:\Web\Clients\repolocation
And whenever I save a file there, I want the clone to be updated here:
C:\xampp\htdocs\clientrepo
Is this sort of thing possible?
A:
You may be looking for directory Junctions which is similar to a linux symbolic link. Strictly, it is not 2 copies but the same copy referenced by 2 paths with separate permissions.(similar to how documents and settings points to users)
|
Q:
Algebraically determine if lines intersect
I have a programming problem that involves determining if any 4 line segments intersect. (I am testing to see if four points [in a specific order] comprise a quadrilateral). Mathematically speaking, using the four "endpoints," what is the easiest way to determine whether any of the segments intersect?
A:
Suppose that you have four points, $A=(x_a,y_a)$, $B=(x_b,y_b)$, $C=(x_c,y_c)$, and $D=(x_d,y_d)$. The line segment joining $A$ and $B$ contains the points $(tx_a+(1-t)x_b,ty_a+(1-t)y_b)$ for $0\le t\le 1$; the line segment joining $C$ and $D$ contains the points $(ux_c+(1-u)x_d,uy_c+(1-u)y_d)$ for $0\le u\le 1$. If the two segments intersect, then the system $$\begin{align}
tx_a+(1-t)x_b&=ux_c+(1-u)x_d
\\
ty_a+(1-t)y_b&=uy_c+(1-u)y_d
\end{align}$$
has a solution for $t$ and $u$ where $0\le t\le 1$ and $0\le u\le 1$.
It should be relatively straight-forward to write explicit formulas for the solutions of that system in terms of the points and check if the solutions are between 0 and 1, inclusive.
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Kerry suggests 'cratering' Libyan airports to disable Gaddafi's air force as White House backs away from no-fly zone proposal
Senator's comments in response to Secretary of Defense's claim that Libyan air defences would have to be destroyed to protect U.S. pilots
John McCain: USAF would not be tested by Gaddafi's 'somewhat antiquated' anti-aircraft defences
Obama's chief of staff: Some people who talk about no-fly zone have 'no idea what they're talking about'
British special forces team leaves Libya after rebel guards captured them with weapons and fake passports
Embarrassment for British government, which vows to send more diplomats and 'ensure demise of Gaddafi regime'
U.S. Senator John Kerry has proposed that America not only set up a no-fly zone over Libya but bomb its airports and runways to temporarily disable Moammar Gaddafi's air power.
The high-profile Democrat Senator added that the U.S. and its allies should be committed to disarming Gaddafi if he threatened mass killings with fighters and helicopters.
His comments are in direct opposition to statements from White House chief of staff Bill Daley and Secretary of Defence Robert Gates, who are both cautioning against fighting talk and committing U.S. military involvement in the area.
Libyan debate: Senator John Kerry said a no-fly zone was necessary over Libya, and the U.S. should consider bombing airports - an opinion in direct contradiction to comments from White House chief of staff Bill Daley
Mr Gates said a no-fly zone would effectively be an act of war, as Libyan air defences would have to be taken out to protect U.S. pilots.
And Mr Daley said people who talked of a no-fly zone had 'no idea what they're talking about'.
But Mr Kerry said he believed a no-fly zone was not considered military intervention, and said there were other options to destroying Libya's air defence system.
Speaking on CBS's Face The Nation today, he said: 'That's actually not the only option. One could crater the airports and the runways and leave them incapable of using them for a period of time.'
Mr Kerry is among a growing number of lawmakers continuing a drumbeat for military action in in the strife-torn African nation. As the debate rages in America of what to do to stop the killing in Libya, the country itself is descending into a bloody civil war.
Held: Rebels fire multiple rockets from a launcher near Bin Jawad, which was reportedly recaptured by Gaddafi today. Rebel forces are being outgunned by Gaddafi air power
Loyal: Pro-Gaddafi supporters fill a square in central Tripoli. While the U.S. debate heats up over what to do in the region, Gaddafi forces have begun recapturing rebel positions
Mr Daley attacked growing calls for a no-fly zone, saying: 'Lots of people throw around phrases of 'no-fly zone' and they talk about it as though it's just a game, a video game or something.
'Some people who throw that line out have no idea what they're talking about.'
The administration has said that all options are on the table but any military action must be an international effort.
The U.S. has moved military forces closer to Libyan shores, imposed an arms embargo on the country and frozen billions in the country's foreign assets.
But Republican Senator John McCain said this was still not far enough, adding that a no-fly zone would not be much of a stretch for a U.S. Air Force against the 'somewhat antiquated' Libyan air defences.
He said it would send a signal to Colonel Gaddafi 'that the President is serious when he says we need for Gadgafi to go'.
Incoming: Rebel fights jump out of the way after shrapnel explodes near their position in Bin-Jawad
Counter-attacks: A rebel soldier receives treatment in an ambulance after fighting near Bin Jawad
Armed: Clashes have taken place in Misrata, Ras Lanuf and Zawiya as government forces hit back at rebels
Defiant: Gaddafi supporters gather in Green Square, where earlier heavy gunfire was heard as troops celebrated winning back Ras Lanuf
He added: 'It would also be encouraging to the resistance, who are certainly outgunned from the air.'
Mr McCain also appeared to disagree with Mr Daley, saying that the military did not have to rush straight for bombing air defences.
He said the U.S. could provide rebel forces with intelligence, training and other assistance to help them form a provisional government in Benghazi.
The debate came on the same day a British special forces team was released by Libyan rebel forces after it was captured in the city of Benghazi.
The eight-strong group, which was escorting a junior diplomat, left the country bound for Malta on board HMS Cumberland.
However, British Foreign Secretary William Hague said his government intended to send further diplomatic personnel soon to 'strengthen dialogue' with rebel leaders.
Rallying cry: A boy holds a pistol belonging to a pro-Gaddafi soldier at a rally in Tripoli today, left, and a Filipino worker who fled to Manila wears a jacket in Manila airport which describes his ordeal
Free! Bangladeshi nationals are evacuated from Libya on the Greek Ionian King. Three were killed and several missing after reportedly jumping off the ship as it approached Chania, in Crete
He said: 'I can confirm that a small British diplomatic team has been in Benghazi. The team went to Libya to initiate contacts with the opposition. They experienced difficulties, which have now been satisfactorily resolved. They have now left Libya.
'We intend, in consultation with the opposition, to send a further team to strengthen our dialogue in due course. This diplomatic effort is part of the UK's wider work on Libya, including our ongoing humanitarian support.
'We continue to press for Gaddafi to step down and we will work with the international community to support the legitimate ambitions of the Libyan people.'
The episode was an embarrassment for the British government, as it was forced to acknowledge the presence of the team, believed to be from the SAS.
Embarrassing admission: Britain's Foreign Secretary William Hague revealed UK SAS troops had been 'captured' by Libyan rebels
It is thought the soldiers, who were dressed as civilians, were challenged by a rebel guards as they approached a compound in Benghazi and detained after the Libyan rebels found fake passports and weapons.
The elite unit had been escorting the diplomat through rebel-held territory in the east of the country to put him in touch with opposition leaders.
But the appearance of SAS soldiers alongside the diplomat 'angered Libyan opposition figures who ordered the soldiers to be locked up in a military base', The Sunday Times reported.
Opponents of Libyan leader Colonel Gaddafi are concerned he could use evidence of Western military interference to strengthen support for his regime.
The battle for control of the county continues to rage and fears are growing over the impact of instability in the region on oil prices.
Airstrikes by Gaddafi's forces reportedly hit the strategic oil port of Ras Lanuf, but failed to reclaim it.
They fared better in the town of Bin Jawwad - about 110 miles east of Gaddafi's birthplace of Sirte - and are apparently back in control.
In the capital Tripoli, residents awoke before dawn to the crackle of unusually heavy and sustained gunfire that lasted for at least two hours.
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Q:
Were these other people Chronicoms?
We know that Enoch is a Chronicom, which is to say a sort of alien temporal observer.
When Enoch and his agents came and kidnapped
Coulson’s team,
for the purpose of sending them where they wanted; were these other agents also Chronicoms? I’m inclined to think they must have been (would Enoch have shared their advanced technology and goals, etc. with mere mortals), but on the other hand only one pod was mentioned.
A:
No. I believe Enoch was merely posing as a human leader of the group and the rest of the team were
a Shield like advanced strike team. One agent talking about how his wife thought he was doing
something else leads me to think this. I see the Chronicom as a Watcher type race who would
likely share the same distant and cerebral attitude, not the very human attitude that the other agent displayed.
Also going with the Watcher line of thinking only one agent of the race would be dispatched per
planet or sector to observe. This is just my theory though.
|
// Copyright (c) Alexandre Mutel. All rights reserved.
// Licensed under the BSD-Clause 2 license.
// See license.txt file in the project root for full license information.
using System;
namespace MelonLoader.Tomlyn.Syntax
{
/// <summary>
/// A key-value pair item of an inline table.
/// </summary>
public sealed class InlineTableItemSyntax : SyntaxNode
{
private KeyValueSyntax _keyValue;
private SyntaxToken _comma;
/// <summary>
/// Creates an instance of <see cref="InlineTableItemSyntax"/>
/// </summary>
public InlineTableItemSyntax() : base(SyntaxKind.InlineTable)
{
}
/// <summary>
/// Creates an instance of <see cref="InlineTableItemSyntax"/>
/// </summary>
/// <param name="keyValue">The key=value</param>
public InlineTableItemSyntax(KeyValueSyntax keyValue) : this()
{
KeyValue = keyValue ?? throw new ArgumentNullException(nameof(keyValue));
}
/// <summary>
/// Gets or sets the <see cref="KeyValueSyntax"/>.
/// </summary>
public KeyValueSyntax KeyValue
{
get => _keyValue;
set => ParentToThis(ref _keyValue, value);
}
/// <summary>
/// Gets or sets the comma, mandatory to separate entries in an inline table.
/// </summary>
public SyntaxToken Comma
{
get => _comma;
set => ParentToThis(ref _comma, value, TokenKind.Comma);
}
public override void Accept(SyntaxVisitor visitor)
{
visitor.Visit(this);
}
public override int ChildrenCount => 2;
protected override SyntaxNode GetChildrenImpl(int index)
{
return index == 0 ? (SyntaxNode)KeyValue : Comma;
}
}
}
|
<html>
<head>
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<p class="tocbody" style="white-space:nowrap;">
<a href="../welcome.htm"><img src="../wht_toc3.gif" border="0" /> Welcome</a><br>
<a href="../the_information_screen.htm"><img src="../wht_toc3.gif" border="0" /> About the OPC Foundation</a><br>
<a href="../about_technologyname.htm"><img src="../wht_toc3.gif" border="0" /> About Unified Architecture</a><br>
<a href="../license_agreement.htm"><img src="../wht_toc3.gif" border="0" /> License Agreement</a><br>
<a href="../overview.htm"><img src="../wht_toc3.gif" border="0" /> Overview of Applications</a><br>
<a href="../getting_started.htm"><img src="../wht_toc3.gif" border="0" /> Getting Started</a><br>
<a name="1"></a><a href="whlstt1.htm#1" target="_self" title="closed book"><img src="../wht_toc1.gif" border="0" /> Configuration Tools</a><br>
<a name="3"></a><a href="whlstt3.htm#3" target="_self" title="closed book"><img src="../wht_toc1.gif" border="0" /> Sample Applications</a><br>
<a name="7"></a><a href="whlstt7.htm#7" target="_self" title="closed book"><img src="../wht_toc1.gif" border="0" /> Technology Samples</a><br>
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<a name="25"></a><a href="whlstt25.htm#25" target="_self" title="closed book"><img src="../wht_toc1.gif" border="0" /> COM Interoperability</a><br>
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Ascent of Money
One week before President Barack Obama's official swearing in ceremony, public media provider WNET.org puts the meaning of money into context by speaking with best-selling author, historian, economist, and Harvard professor Niall Ferguson about the current state of the American economy and our nation's financial future. According to Ferguson, understanding a nation's…
See more details below
Overview
One week before President Barack Obama's official swearing in ceremony, public media provider WNET.org puts the meaning of money into context by speaking with best-selling author, historian, economist, and Harvard professor Niall Ferguson about the current state of the American economy and our nation's financial future. According to Ferguson, understanding a nation's financial history is the essential component in understanding their evolution as a society. By learning how ancient societies endured periods of economic distress, claims Ferguson, modern financial analysts can perhaps find a solution to today's worldwide economic meltdown. Follow Ferguson around the world as he traverses financial hot spots in all corners of the globe to discus the emergency with leading experts on the economy.
|
Ghrelin receptor signalling is not required for glucocorticoid induced obesity in male mice.
Chronically elevated levels of glucocorticoids increase food intake, weight gain and adiposity. Similarly, ghrelin, a gut-secreted hormone, is also associated with weight gain, adiposity and increased feeding. Here we sought to determine if corticosterone induced metabolic and behavioral changes require functional ghrelin receptors (GHSR). To do this, we treated male C57BL mice with chronic corticosterone (CORT) mixed in their drinking water for 28 days. Half of these mice received the GHSR antagonist JMV2959 via osmotic minipumps while treated with CORT. In a second experiment we gave the same CORT protocol to mice with a targeted mutation to the GHSR or their WT littermates. As expected, CORT treatment increased food intake, weight gain and adiposity, but contrary to expectations, mice treated with a GHSR receptor antagonist, or GHSR KO did not show attenuated food intake, weight gain or adiposity in response to CORT. Similarly, the effects of CORT on the liver were the same or more pronounced in GHSR antagonist treated and in GHSR KO mice. Treatment with JMV2959 did attenuate the effects of chronic CORT on glycemic regulation as determined by the glucose tolerance test. Finally, disruption of GHSR signalling resulted in behavioral responses associated with social withdrawal, potentially due to neuroprotective effects of GHSR activation. In all, we propose that blocking GHSR signalling helps to moderate glucose concentrations when CORT levels are high but blocking GHSR signalling does not prevent increased food intake, weight gain or increased adiposity produced by chronic CORT.
|
Papillary and follicular thyroid carcinoma metastatic to the skin: a case report and review of the literature.
Cutaneous metastases from thyroid cancers are rare. We report the case of an otherwise asymptomatic 81-year-old woman with an enlarging scalp lesion. Her solitary skin metastasis was the presenting feature of thyroid carcinoma. Routine histopathology of the lesion was notable for an atypical clear cell neoplasm. Immunohistochemistry was positive for thyroglobulin. Subsequent resection of the thyroid gland identified separate foci (< 1 cm) for both papillary and follicular carcinoma. Although such immunohistochemical staining has been used previously, it has never been reported to provide the definitive diagnosis for a solitary cutaneous metastasis from the thyroid. Previous tumors had anatomic features in a clinical context that permitted identification by routine light microscopy. Clear cell features found in the follicular focus of carcinoma in the thyroid suggest that it is the primary. A worldwide literature review reveals that follicular carcinoma has a greater preponderance than papillary carcinoma for cutaneous metastasis and that the majority of skin metastases from either papillary or follicular thyroid cancer are localized to the head and neck.
|
Q:
Gitlab CI tries to find 'of:latest' image from public docker hub
I have the following .gitlab-ci.yml task for an elixir project:
image: docker:latest
services:
- docker:dind
stages:
- build
- test
- release
- deploy
variables:
TEMP_IMAGE: registry.gitlab.com/farmmix/homepage/farmmix_homepage:$CI_COMMIT_SHA
before_script:
- docker login -u gitlab-ci-token -p $CI_JOB_TOKEN registry.gitlab.com
build:
stage: build
script:
- cd src
- docker build --pull -t $TEMP_IMAGE .
- docker push $TEMP_IMAGE
test:
stage: test
variables:
DB_DATABASE: test
DB_USERNAME: postgres
DB_PASSWORD: postgres
DB_URL: postgres
script:
- echo $TEMP_IMAGE
- docker pull $TEMP_IMAGE
- docker pull postgres:9.5-alpine
- docker run --name postgres -e POSTGRES_DB=$DB_DATABASE -e POSTGRES_USER=$DB_USERNAME -e POSTGRES_PASSWORD=$DB_PASSWORD -d postgres:9.5-alpine
- docker run --link postgres $TEMP_IMAGE ecto.create ecto.migrate test
The $TEMP_IMAGE is an existing image that gets created at a previous build task.
If I run it locally with gitlab-runner exec docker --docker-privileged test, it works fine.
However, gitlab runner gives me the following:
... AFTER INITIALIZATION ...
Skipping Git submodules setup
$ docker login -u gitlab-ci-token -p $CI_JOB_TOKEN registry.gitlab.com
WARNING! Using --password via the CLI is insecure. Use --password-stdin.
Login Succeeded
$ echo $TEMP_IMAGE
registry.gitlab.com/farmmix/homepage/farmmix_homepage:b0c30097a320933f7d5390d7037960e34d2ef7d
$ docker pull $TEMP_IMAGE
b0c30097a320933f7d5390d7037960e34d2ef7d0: Pulling from farmmix/homepage/farmmix_homepage
605ce1bd3f31: Pulling fs layer
...
e0c7f5df971a: Pull complete
Digest: sha256:ce7a1bf2378628902e171a22ee386af6c79e8d2340b6241ab70e83173e32ce28
Status: Downloaded newer image for registry.gitlab.com/farmmix/homepage/farmmix_homepage:b0c30097a320933f7d5390d7037960e34d2ef7d0
$ docker pull postgres:9.5-alpine
9.5-alpine: Pulling from library/postgres
550fe1bea624: Pulling fs layer
04bf519c70df: Pulling fs layer
...
0dca1c6b5036: Pull complete
Digest: sha256:fc3b8fcc8ba568492ce89fd8723a949f586e2919d7884b9b1d8064237ba105d7
Status: Downloaded newer image for postgres:9.5-alpine
$ docker run --name postgres -e POSTGRES_DB=$DB_DATABASE -e POSTGRES_USER=$DB_USERNAME -e POSTGRES_PASSWORD=$DB_PASSWORD -d postgres:9.5-alpine
Unable to find image 'of:latest' locally
docker: Error response from daemon: pull access denied for of, repository does not exist or may require 'docker login'.
See 'docker run --help'.
ERROR: Job failed: exit code 125
I cannot even find anything on the internet of this 'of:latest' error. I tried running the docker run command without the -e arguments but the same error appeared so it's not that the env vars are causing any trouble.
I'm running out of ideas. Do any of you guys suspect what the solution might be?
EDIT: Added complete .gitlab-ci.yml content
EDIT2: Added echo and output of job
A:
$ docker run --name postgres -e POSTGRES_DB=$DB_DATABASE -e POSTGRES_USER=$DB_USERNAME -e POSTGRES_PASSWORD=$DB_PASSWORD -d postgres:9.5-alpine
Unable to find image 'of:latest' locally
docker: Error response from daemon: pull access denied for of, repository does not exist or may require 'docker login'.
One of your variables almost certainly contains the string " of " in it. You could test this by adding a line:
echo docker run --name postgres -e POSTGRES_DB=$DB_DATABASE -e POSTGRES_USER=$DB_USERNAME -e POSTGRES_PASSWORD=$DB_PASSWORD -d postgres:9.5-alpine
first to see what it's trying to run. With variables, it's a good practice to quote them to avoid any issues with special characters or spaces:
docker run --name postgres -e "POSTGRES_DB=$DB_DATABASE" -e "POSTGRES_USER=$DB_USERNAME" -e "POSTGRES_PASSWORD=$DB_PASSWORD" -d postgres:9.5-alpine
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An alternative interpretation of the stimulus suffix effect.
The influence of a stimulus suffix was examined in yes-no recognition and probe-recall tasks. As with previous findings with serial recall, reliable suffix effects were obtained in probe recall. However, no suffix effects were found in the recognition task. Both serial and probe-recall tasks require the retention of order and item information, while only item information is required in recognition. An interpretation of the suffix effect based on interference with order information is presented.
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Q:
How do you collaborate with other coders in real time?
Pretend you're hitting me up for some javascript help on IM. How can you make it as easy as possible for me to help you get your code working?
I run into this all the time. I'm on instant messenger and someone is asking me a question (or maybe it's me that's asking them) and we have lots of back-and-forth communication trying to work on the same bit of code. Instant messengers aren't well suited for this. Email is slow, a little can get a little hard to follow with enough back and forth.
Here's what I've tried:
Google Docs: - Requires a google account and isn't exactly real-time. Hard to know when/where other users might be editing.
Pastie.org - This is really great for sharing code, but not for 2-way collaboration. I love the interface (sample) but I can't edit with other people in real time.
EtherPad - Looked promising, but buckles under the load with only a few users. Some guys at work were trying to get us to use this, but we kept having performance issues and even a couple browser crashes.
CollabEdit - This one actually looks great (just found it right now). I haven't actually used it with anyone yet. It feels lightweight and responsive enough. Anyone had any luck with this one?
Gobby - I'm going to have a hard time getting people to install something like this when what they/I really need is some quick, ad-hoc collaboration. Having said that- maybe it's worth looking into for people I collaborate with regularly? Anyone used it?
JSbin - We tried to use this on a number of occasions since most of the people I work with are javascript guys (we work at a web development agency). The "sandbox" javascript functionality is wonderful. However, we can't collaborate live, in real time. We can generate new links after editing code, but that's only a small step better than emailing it to each other (or using Pastie.org)
Screen Sharing - I've only seen this work well between Mac users. If the other developer is on OSX 10.5 (Leopard), sharing screens in iChat is trivial. Other than that, I'm not aware of free, reliable, no-fuss screen sharing.
-- Added --
VNC - The barrier for entry is just too high on this one. Installing software, getting around network firewalls, adding exceptions to local firewalls... yuck. I'm talking fast "hey do these lines look right?" collaboration here.
-- /end --
...whew.
Okay, so what do you use?
I think the ideal service would be something that's free, web-based, and purpose driven (hey... kinda like Stackoverflow).
A:
I use GNU Screen.
A:
So, it's years later now. Services have been started, bought, sold, etc since I first asked this question. It seems that the dominant service being used these days (at least for testing/sharing html, js, and css is jsfiddle.
If you're looking for a replacement to Etherpad (which was bought and shut down by Google) then you can try typewith.me, though I've found the service to be buggy every time Chrome gets an update.
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743 S.W.2d 751 (1987)
Willie HOUSTON, Appellant,
v.
The STATE of Texas, Appellee.
No. 01-86-00998-CR.
Court of Appeals of Texas, Houston (1st Dist.).
December 31, 1987.
*752 Desmond Gay, Houston, for appellant.
Charles D. Houston, Bellville, for appellee.
Before COHEN, WARREN and DUNN, JJ.
COHEN, Justice.
After finding appellant guilty of possession of cocaine with intent to deliver, a jury assessed his punishment at 12 years imprisonment.
Appellant contends that the trial court should have granted his motion to quash the jury because the jury selected on September 8, 1986, decided a similar case between then and September 11, when his trial began. He asserts that the jury was tainted because the interim case involved a similar offense and the same witnesses.
The motion hearing revealed that eight of appellant's jurors had decided a controlled substance delivery case after they were sworn, but before appellant's trial began. The defendant in that case was convicted. However, nothing in the record indicates that the delivery case was related to appellant's case or involved similar evidence, or that the cases had common witnesses for the State or for the defense, or that the same prosecutor or defense attorney appeared in both cases. The only apparent similarity is that both cases alleged violations of the Controlled Substances Act.
The trial court responded to appellant's motion by warning the jury that each case must be considered independently, and by asking the jurors individually if they would treat appellant's case independently and be uninfluenced by any other case. Each responded affirmatively. The court then overruled the motion without further objection by appellant. Although the motion had asked that appellant be allowed to examine the jurors concerning the interim trial, appellant does not assert on appeal that the court's examination was inadequate, or that further examination by his attorney was necessary. Rather, he contends that the jury should have been discharged.
Appellant relies on federal authorities, specifically United States v. Mobley, 656 F.2d 988 (5th Cir.1981), and United States v. Mutchler, 559 F.2d 955 (5th Cir.1977), modified by, 566 F.2d 1044 (5th Cir.1978). We find both cases to be distinguishable. In Mobley and Mutchler, the interim cases involved the same witnesses and similar facts and charges. The same defense attorney was involved in Mobley, and the same prosecutor was involved in Mutchler. Moreover, there was in Mutchler an objection to the judge's inadequate voir dire concerning interim service, and a denied request for individual voir dire.
We have found no decisions that reversed convictions solely because the interim case involved similar statutory violations, as in the instant appeal. Each case where reversal occurred also involved the same witnesses, the same attorneys, or the same facts as the interim case. In the present case, appellant did not ask the judge to determine whether the interim case involved similar facts, legal issues, witnesses, or attorneys.
The problems raised by interim jury service have troubled federal appeals courts in other circuits, as well. See United States v. Countryman, 758 F.2d 574 (11th Cir. 1985); United States v. Franklin, 700 F.2d 1241 (10th Cir.1983). The courts have recognized that interim jury service presents greater obstacles to conducting a fair trial than does prior jury service.
In some districts, repeat jury service is inevitable because of the small population base from which jury panels are selected. There is nothing wrong with this practice. The rule in this Circuit, and indeed in all of the federal courts, is that prior jury service during the same term of court in another criminal case is not, standing alone, a sufficient basis to support a challenge for cause.... Interim service is more proximate in time and so creates a heightened danger of prejudice, which is especially great when the offenses are similar or the witnesses are the same....
United States v. Jefferson, 569 F.2d 260, 261-62 (5th Cir.1978).
*753 Similar jury selection procedures have been characterized as "a fundamental defect in the trial proceedings," but nevertheless "not of constitutional dimension." United States v. Capua, 656 F.2d 1033, 1038 (5th Cir.1981).
Many Texas counties, including a number within our district, have small populations and allow interim jury service. We urge trial court judges facing challenges based on interim jury service to conduct additional voir dire in order to determine whether the interim case and the case on trial are "similar." As the Fifth Circuit held in clarifying its original Mutchler opinion:
Prosecutions clearly are `similar' where they involve the same offense, the same prosecuting witnesses and the same prosecutor. That is the rule of this case. We decline to speculate whether prosecution for a related offense or other variations and combinations of these elements would render a particular situation dissimilar. That issue should be resolved in the context of determining the impact of such circumstances on an informed, meaningful exercise of the defendants' right to preemptory [sic] challenges.
United States v. Mutchler, 566 F.2d 1044 (5th Cir.1978) (per curiam opinion modifying the earlier opinion reported at 559 F.2d 955).
Because appellant has not shown that the instant case and the interim case involved similar facts, witnesses, or attorneys, we hold that the trial court did not abuse its discretion in denying the motion to quash the jury.
The sole point of error is overruled.
The judgment is affirmed.
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[Clinical characteristics of patients with hypertension resistant to antihypertensive drug therapy].
Two groups of hypertensive patients: 137 responsive (on one or two drugs) and 162 resistant on antihypertensive treatment in the similar age were compared. Resistant patients (on three or more drugs) characterize by significantly higher body weight and BMI, longer history of hypertension, more frequent hypertension prevalance in family members and lower education. Level of triglycerides in resistant on antihypertensive treatment patients was significantly higher than in responsive patients. Insulin level in blood in 31 patients with essential hypertension was significantly higher than in 36 healthy persons and 20 patients with renovascular hypertension and resistant on antihypertensive therapy. In 14 patients with essential hypertension resistant to treatment insulin level one hour after oral glucose load was significantly (p < 0.01) higher than in 16 patients with essential hypertension responsive to antihypertensive treatment.
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# Princess Wars
# J. D. Rogers
***
### Smashwords Edition
Text copyright © 2016 by J.D. Rogers
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, except for quotations in printed reviews, without the written permission of the author.
All characters are fictional. Any resemblance to actual people, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
COVER PHOTO: Courtesy of Pixabay.com
Smashwords Edition, License Notes
This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return it to your favorite ebook retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
# CONTENTS
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
DESTINY'S QUEEN
BOOKS BY JD ROGERS
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
# Chapter 1
"Save your sisters." Those were the last words my mother said to me. But how do you save people that want to kill you? Not that I had a chance to ask my mother that question. Shortly after she issued that command, she slipped into a coma. Now, a servant was standing in front of me, telling me my mother didn't have much time left. An hour. No more.
"If you wish to say goodbye," the servant said. "Her physician believes that you should do it now."
I nodded. "I'll be there as soon as I dress."
I had a vision when I shut my door. I saw myself in my mother's chambers, dressed in the black silk gown I was about to don. I saw my mother die. I gave her a final kiss on the forehead, then headed back to my suite. Just as I reached the door to my suite, four members of the palace guard grabbed me and dragged me below ground, to the dungeon, where they tossed me in a cell of granite and iron.
I was still locked in that cell when my oldest sister, Bedonna, entered. She drew her broadsword out of its scabbard and plunged it straight into my heart. She did it without an, I'm sorry, on her lips.
I should point out that Bedonna didn't have anything against me, other than the fact that we were both heirs to the throne. When the reigning Queen of Adah died, her daughters fought among themselves for the right to replace her on the throne. Those battles were known as the Princess Wars. The surviving daughter, presumably the strongest and smartest, became the next Queen of Adah. The dead daughters were quickly forgotten, dumped into unmarked graves on a barren hill known as the Cemetery of Would Be Queens.
As the youngest of the queen's four daughters, I wasn't considered much of a threat to become the next queen. I wasn't a great warrior like my oldest sister, Bedonna. I wasn't a blond beauty like my second oldest sister, Salisha. I wasn't a great intellectual like my third sister, Iderra.
My problem was that each of my sisters excelled at something, while I excelled at nothing. That was why people referred to me as Lila the Insignificant. That was why I didn't understand our mother's final words to me. How was someone as insignificant as myself suppose to save them? If mother had been in her right mind, she would've told them to save me.
I had never told anyone about my visions, not even mother. With three older sisters coveting my death, I decided that it was better to be known as Lila the Insignificant than Lila the Seer. People feared seers. No one feared the insignificant. If I could become insignificant enough, I might be able to slip away while my sisters fought among themselves.
My vision didn't tell me if Salisha and Iderra were at our mother's side when she died, nor did it tell me if Bedonna killed them. Not that it mattered. That future was gone, altered by my decision to not say a final goodbye to our mother. The only thing that mattered now was making the most of the next hour, putting as much distance as I could between my sisters and myself.
Tucked away in one of the wardrobes that filled my dressing room were some clothes I had stashed away for this very night. I planned to put them on after my mother's passing, but I now knew I didn't have that luxury.
The outfit was identical to the one the servant had been wearing, polished black riding boots, gray cotton breeches, a thigh-length green tunic with the royal seal on front, namely, the head of my mother on the body of a golden lion with eagle's wings. A wool cloak that matched the color of the green tunic completed the outfit.
Once I was dressed in the livery of a royal servant, I attached two leather pouches to my scabbard belt and buckled my sword around my waist. One pouch was full of gold coins, the other was full of jewelry. Most of the jewelry was mine, but a few of the more valuable pieces had been pilfered from my mother's personal collection.
I wrapped the cloak around myself and pulled the cowl over my head, hiding my face. I slipped into the hallway, which much to my relief was empty. I headed downstairs, moving away from my mother's suite. Servants were rarely bothered if they were hurrying, moving as if they were on an important mission. With that in mind, I tried to look like I was on an important mission, which I was, a mission to save my life.
My path out of the palace took me through the throne room. I slipped into the room through a side door used by servants. Green and gold banners decorated with the royal seal hung from the room's white granite walls. At one end of the room were a pair of massive oak doors. At the other end of the room, on a white granite dais, sat the throne. The rest of the room was empty, save for the numerous brass oil lamps that hung from hooks embedded in the ceiling.
When I reached the door that would take me to the stable, part of me wanted to stop and take one final look at the place where I had spent my first twenty summers. I wanted to stop, but I didn't. The butterflies in my stomach told me to press on, to keep moving, to put as much distance between myself and the palace as I could.
It wasn't until I reached the stable that I ran into anybody, a stable boy to be exact.
"I need a horse," I said, stepping out of the shadows so he could see me.
The stable, like the palace, was made out of white granite. Brass oil lamps hanging from hooks in the rafters lit the place. There were fifty horses in the stable, resting in the twenty-five stalls that lined each side of the building. Like all stables, it smelled of hay and manure.
The stable boy straightened up, moving off the stool he had been sitting on. "A bit late to be going for a ride. Mind if I ask where you're headed?"
He looked about eighteen, a couple of years younger than myself. He was a good head taller than me.
Judging by the way he stepped in front of me, the stable boy clearly meant to make trouble. That wasn't surprising. The stable boys had a reputation for teasing the maids whenever one of them ventured into the stable. Even though he couldn't see my face, he could tell from my size that I was girl. If I continued to play the part of a maid on an errand, he would poke, prod, and grope me. Once he pulled back the hood on my cloak, which he undoubtedly would, he would know who I was. I figured I might as well save him the trouble.
I threw back my hood, so he could see my face. "Where I'm going doesn't concern you."
The boy dropped to his knee and bowed his head. "I'm sorry, Princess. I didn't know it was you."
"The queen is dying. She will not survive the night."
"I have heard," the boy said. He was tall and skinny, with a hooked nose and curly brown hair that covered his ears. He had a thick lower lip that drooped toward his chin. He wore brown shoes, white wool socks that reached to the knee, brown leather breeches, a long sleeved white wool shirt that laced down the front, and a brown leather jerkin.
"Have you declared allegiance to one of my sisters?"
"I am but humble stable boy. No one has demanded my allegiance, Your Highness."
I brought my left hand out from underneath my cloak and extended it. On my finger was a gold ring with the royal seal of Adah. Instead of my mother's head on the body of a lion with eagle's wings, this one contained my head. In the middle of the lion's body was the number 412. It meant that I was the fourth daughter of the twelfth queen.
"If no one has demanded your allegiance," I said. "Then I will demand it."
To his credit, the boy didn't hesitate. He took my hand in both of his and kissed my ring. "You have my allegiance, Your Highness."
"What's your name?"
"Zore."
"Your support is acknowledged and appreciated, Zore. We shall not forget you when we assume our place on the throne." It sounded a little pompous, considering I was a long way from assuming any throne, but it was the standard reply when someone took an oath to defend and support you. "Now, saddle the two swiftest horses you have."
"Those belong to the guards. I'm not sure they'll like it if we take their horses."
"They belong to the royal family," I said, using the haughtiest tone I could muster. "Of which I am a member. Now hurry, time is of the essence."
The boy hurried off. A few minutes later, he returned with a black mare and a red gelding, both saddled. He held the mare while I mounted it, then led the gelding to the stable doors.
"You're taking both horses?"
"Not quite," I said. "You're coming with me."
I couldn't leave him behind. Eventually, Bedonna's guards would ask him if I had passed through the stable. Although he took an oath to serve me, I had little doubt that when someone pointed a sword at him, he would tell them everything he knew, including which way I went. The only way to keep him from doing that was to take him with me.
The palace was on a hill just west of the city of Morcesha. The city was located in the center of the country, on the foothills of the mountains that dominated the western half of the country.
As we headed down the tree lined drive that led away from the palace, we encountered a member of the guard. If he had been on foot, we could've just galloped by him. But he wasn't on foot, he was riding a speckled stallion.
"Hold it right there." He blocked our path by turning his horse sideways.
I pulled the mare up and threw back the hood on my cloak, so he could see my face. There was only a quarter moon out, not enough light for him to see that I wore the livery of a servant, but enough for him to recognize me.
The man was Vomeir Nardus, Captain of the Palace Guard. I knew he had torn loyalties. He loved Salisha, but he served under Bedonna, who headed the palace guard. They both wanted me dead, so it made little difference to me which one he elected to support.
"Princess Lila," Vomeir said. "A bit late to be out for a ride."
"I couldn't sleep."
"So you thought you'd go out for a midnight ride?"
"One of the advantages to being a princess."
"Perhaps I should accompany you. It's not wise for a princess to ride alone. Highway men abound at night."
"I would hate to keep you from your duties, Captain." I nodded at Zore. "Besides, I'm not alone."
"Truth be told, Your Highness, I'm not on duty right now. Like you, I came out to clear my head."
I tugged on the mare's reins, steering her around Vomeir. Much to my chagrin, he fell in beside me, matching my pace. Zore followed along behind us, trying not to be noticed.
"I don't envy you," I said to Vomeir. "You have a tough decision coming up. Do you support Bedonna, your commanding officer, for queen? Or do you support Salisha, the woman you desire? One way or another, you'll be disappointing one of my sisters."
"My decision is harder than you can imagine."
"How so?" I wondered how long he would stay with us. Eventually, he'd realize that I had no intention of returning to the palace. What would he do then? Force me to return to the palace and turn me over to Salisha or Bedonna? Kill me himself and bring my severed head to whichever sister he decided to support? Let me go and pretend that he never saw me? Probably not much chance of that last thing happening.
"I declared my love to Salisha several weeks ago and she rejected me."
That surprised me. Salisha liked handsome men as much as they liked her. With our mother already gravely ill, I would've expected her to lead Vomeir on, use him as a spy to keep track of Bedonna's plans.
"I find that hard to believe," I said. "Salisha would never reject a man as handsome as yourself. Especially with our mother so gravely ill."
"That's what I had hoped. Turns out she doesn't trust me. She accused me of being one of Bedonna's spies."
I knew Vomeir wasn't spying on Salisha. When you saw how he looked at her, saw how much he wanted her, it was clear that he was in love with her. The fact that Salisha couldn't see it didn't surprise me. Salisha wasn't great at reading people, let alone seeing what was in their heart. She tended to focus mostly on herself.
"So your problem is solved. When our mother passes, you'll swear allegiance to Bedonna."
Vomeir surprised me yet again. "I'm not sure I can do that."
"Because?"
"As Commander of the Palace Guard, Bedonna is very competent."
"But?"
"I'm not sure she'd make a good queen."
I wasn't going to argue that point, but I was interested in hearing Vomeir's rational for not wanting Bedonna to be the next queen. "You surprise me, Captain. Bedonna is as good a soldier as you."
We reached the point where the drive leading to the palace connected with the main road. Rather than turning east and heading into the city, I turned west and headed away from the city. Vomeir kept pace alongside of me. Zore continued to follow behind us.
"Being a good soldier and being a good queen aren't the same thing," Vomeir said. "I don't know if you're aware of this, Your Highness, but once she's the queen, Bedonna plans to wage war against the Dark Wizards of Sorea."
"And you think that's a bad idea?"
Vomeir laughed. "Surely your tutors told you what happened the last time we invaded Sorea."
I nodded. "Two legions crossed the border into Sorea and were never heard from again."
"Don't forget the plague that followed. Killing one half the children in this country."
"So what will you do, Captain?"
I was beginning to wonder if running into Vomeir had been an accident. Could he have been waiting for me? Did he really not trust Bedonna? Did Salisha really reject him? Or did one of them send him out here to make sure I didn't slip through their grasp?
"I can't very well support Iderra," Vomeir said.
"Why not?"
"She never looks me in the eyes when she talks to me. She just stares at my feet." Vomeir laughed. "Plus, I never understand what she's talking about."
"Iderra's very smart."
"I don't question your sister's intelligence, Princess. I question her ability to relate to people. A queen that can't look her subjects in the eye wouldn't be very popular."
"Sounds like you're out of options, Captain."
"Not quite. I believe there is one princess that would make a very good queen."
"Surely you can't mean me."
"Why not you? You fight well for someone your size. You're not foolish enough to start a war with Sorea. You're a better communicator than Iderra. You may not be tall and blond like Salisha, but there isn't a man in the palace that doesn't enjoy watching you walk across a room. Especially when you're wearing a pair of those snug fitting breeches you like so well."
I could feel my cheeks flush with embarrassment and was glad that it was too dark for Vomeir to see me blush. "After listening to a speech like that, Captain, I can but come to two conclusions. Either you've been drinking . . . . "
"Or?" Vomeir said, when I didn't finish the sentence.
I stopped my horse, threw my cloak back, and drew my sword. It wasn't as long as Vomeir's sword, but it was just as sharp and I could wield it just as well. "Or you've decided to taunt me before you try and kill me. Who sent you out here, Bedonna or Salisha?"
Vomeir stopped his horse, but didn't draw his sword. "You overestimate your sisters, Princess. You also underestimate yourself. It's true that most of the guards want Bedonna as the next queen, but it's also true that they'd be willing to settle for you. And while it's true the court scholars want Iderra as queen, it's also true that they'd be willing to settle for you."
"And what of those that want the queen to be elegant and beautiful like Salisha?"
"I have no doubt that they would be content with cute and perky." Vomeir smiled. "And who knows, if you were to start wearing gowns instead of breeches, some might even consider you to be elegant and beautiful."
"Breeches are more practical." I sheathed my sword and set the mare into a comfortable trot.
"For a princess," Vomeir said, matching my pace. "But those days are ending. You need to start looking and thinking like a queen."
"Hard to think like a queen when all you have are the clothes on your back, a stable boy, and a member of the palace guard that you don't trust."
"You really think one of your sisters sent me out here to kill you?"
"I think it's a more likely scenario than your deciding that I'm the best choice for queen." I gave Vomeir what I hoped was a determined look. "I must warn you, Captain, if you try to kill or capture me, I shall fight you."
Vomeir broke out laughing. "I would expect nothing less, Your Highness."
So far, my plan of slipping away unnoticed wasn't working out the way I hoped it would. I had barely gone a mile from the palace and I had already picked up two people, one of whom I didn't trust.
"So which of your sisters do you think I'm working for?"
"That depends upon whether you try to kill me yourself or try to take me back to the palace. If you try to take me back to the palace you're working for Bedonna."
"Because?"
"She wants all three of us to die at her hand."
"But if I kill you, I'm working for Salisha?"
"Salisha would never kill me herself."
"Why not?"
"She'd be afraid my blood would stain whatever beautiful gown she happened to be wearing."
"You don't give Salisha enough credit. She likes you. She says you're the only one of her sisters that she can talk to."
I couldn't respond because I had another vision. In this one, Vomeir, Zore, and I had reached the stone bridge at Cross Creek, about a mile from our current location. There were three guards on the bridge. I ordered them to let us pass, but they refused and drew their swords.
Vomeir drew his sword and charged two of them. I drew my sword and attacked the third. Just as Vomeir managed to slay the first of his opponents with a slicing blow to the neck, an arrow flew from the trees just south of the bridge. The arrow hit Vomeir in the side, stunning him just enough to enable his remaining opponent to plunge his sword into Vomeir's chest.
"Princess, are you all right?" Vomeir's hand was on my shoulder and he was shaking me.
"I'm fine." I tried to sort through what I had just seen. Apparently, Bedonna had men watching the roads leading from the palace, with orders to stop any of her sisters from leaving. That was the bad news. The good news was Vomeir wasn't part of that trap. He might still be working for Salisha, but at least he wasn't working for Bedonna. "There's trouble up ahead."
"How far up ahead?"
"The bridge at Cross Creek. Three members of the palace guard are waiting for us on the bridge. And a fourth hides in the trees with a crossbow."
"And you know this because?"
"Because it's true."
Vomeir dismounted and handed the reins of his horse to Zore. "Wait here."
He took off running down the road, crouching so as not to be seen. He returned a short while later and mounted the stallion.
"You were right. At least about the three on the bridge."
"And the archer?"
"If there was an archer in the trees, I couldn't see him."
"He's there," I said with certainty.
"I recognized the guys on the bridge. They're three of Bedonna's strongest supporters."
So what do you suggest, Captain?"
"We go north. There's a shallow crossing a couple of miles up stream. The cattle use it."
Vomeir turned his horse north and I did the same. We left the road and cut through a field of green wheat. We were making an easy trail to follow, tramping the wheat down. Not that it could be helped. I trusted my visions. They were my gift from the gods, just like Salisha's beauty was her gift, Iderra's intelligence was hers, and Bedonna's strength was hers.
About a mile north of the road, the wheat field ended, replaced by a grass pasture littered with cows. A stone fence separated the wheat from the pasture but it wasn't even waist high. Vomeir's stallion cleared it without hesitation. My mare and Zore's gelding did the same.
Once inside the pasture, Vomeir continued north, slowing his pace so I could ride alongside of him. "Can I ask where we're headed?"
"I'm heading west," I said. "To the Pass of Nod."
"The Pass of Nod leads to the Western Palace."
"Yes, it does."
"The Army of the West defends the Western Palace."
"And gaining their support is the only chance I have of defeating Bedonna. General Dacus leads the Army of the West and he has never been fond of Bedonna. He thinks she's dangerous, reckless even."
Vomeir found the cattle trail that led to the shallow section of Cross Creek. There were no guards there and we crossed without trouble, the water not even reaching our stirrups. We were still climbing the bank on the other side of the creek when the palace bells started ringing.
"The queen has passed," Vomeir said. He stopped at the top of the creek bank and looked at me. "If you need a moment alone."
"I'm fine." I reached the top of the bank and stopped next to Vomeir. "I've had ample time to prepare for this day. Mother has been ill for some time."
Vomeir extended his hand toward me. "May I have your hand, Princess?"
I hesitated for a second, then extended my left hand, the one bearing the ring with the royal seal. At the same time, I slipped my right hand beneath my cloak and wrapped it around the hilt of my sword. Vomeir might not be working for Bedonna, but that didn't mean he wasn't working for Salisha. He couldn't harm me when mother was alive, but now that she had passed, no one would bat an eye if he killed me.
Vomeir took my hand in his and kissed my ring. "Queen Bella is dead. Long live Queen Lila."
Just like that, Vomeir removed any doubts as to who he supported. With that act, he had taken an oath to defend and support me as the next Queen of Adah.
"Your support is acknowledged and appreciated," I said, releasing my sword. "We shall not forget you when we assume our place on the throne."
"This trail continues west for another ten miles," Vomeir said. "It will take us all the way to the forest."
"Let us make haste. Before Bedonna realizes that she doesn't have every route covered."
Vomeir turned his stallion west and took off at a gallop. I fell in behind him and Zore brought up the rear. The butterflies in my stomach were still fluttering, not from the jolting ride, but from the realization that my mother was dead and I was running for my life.
#
# Chapter 2
The sun was just beginning to rise when Vomeir, Zore, and I reached the Western Forest.
"We'll have to turn south," Vomeir said. "Reconnect with the road."
"You think it's safe to use the road?"
"I doubt if Bedonna has anybody stationed this far from the palace. The first place she'll search is the city, figuring friends have given you and your sisters refuge. I suspect that's where Salisha and Iderra have gone."
"Assuming they managed to slip past the guards Bedonna posted on the roads."
Vomeir nodded. "Assuming."
We turned south, skirting along the edge of the forest. Most of the trees were mountain ash and pine. We were at a high enough elevation where it was too cool for anything else to grow.
I held my breath as we neared the road. This would've been a perfect spot for Bedonna to post a second guard. Not that I thought she had. I agreed with Vomeir. The first and most logical place to look for us would be the city of Morcesha.
As the road came into view, I spotted three mounted guards waiting at the mouth of the forest. I wondered why I didn't have a vision, warning me about them, when Vomeir explained why. "Those are friends. All three of them served under me, and like me, came to the same conclusion, that you are the best choice for queen."
I wanted to believe that, but when you spend your life known as Lila the Insignificant, you tend to get a little cynical when people start tossing flattering statements your way.
"You make it sound as if they're waiting for us."
"They are waiting for us."
"How would they know to meet us here?"
"I told them last night that we'd rendezvous with them at the edge of the Western Forest."
Vomeir started down the hill, but I remained where I was, still skeptical. "I was the one that suggested we head west, Captain."
"If you hadn't suggested it, Your Highness, I would have."
"How do you know these men haven't taken an oath to support Bedonna?"
"I've fought with them and trust them with my life."
I followed Vomeir down the hill, but kept one hand on the hilt of my sword. He might trust them with his life, but I wasn't ready to trust them with mine. Not until they proved their loyalty.
"You convinced her to come this way," the biggest of the three said. "We weren't sure you would."
"Coming this way was her decision." I couldn't be sure, but I thought I detected a hint of pride in Vomeir's voice. "I told you she was smart."
"Bedonna posted guards at Cross Creek. How did you avoid them?"
"To tell you the truth, I'm not really sure." Vomeir glanced at me, then turned back to his friends. "What news have you?"
"Bedonna has posted guards on all the roads leading away from the palace. Yet her sisters still allude her."
My heart lightened. I wasn't sure if I was happy over the fact that Salisha and Iderra were still alive, or over the fact that as long as they were alive, Bedonna couldn't concentrate on me.
"And the bulk of the guards?" Vomeir said.
"Bedonna sent them into Morcesha. She believes her sisters have taken refuge in the city, hiding among friends."
"And have they?"
The big man shrugged his broad shoulders. "Your guess is as good as mine."
Vomeir looked at me, and noticed that I still had my hand on the hilt of my sword. "Princess Lila questions your motives for being here. Perhaps you should relieve her of her anxiety."
The big man moved his horse alongside of mine. "May I have your hand, Your Highness."
I held out my left hand. The big man took it in a callused hand that dwarfed mine and kissed it. His bushy mustache tickling the back of my hand.
"Queen Bella is dead," he said. "Long live Queen Lila."
"Your support is acknowledged and appreciated. We shall not forget you when we assume our place on the throne." I felt ridiculous using the plural we. It made it sound like I had lice.
The big man introduced himself as Sardis. He wasn't as tall as Vomeir but he was twice as broad. Like Vomeir and the other two, he wore the uniform of the palace guard, gray leather breeches tucked into black riding boots, a green tunic that hung to mid-thigh, topped by a silver breastplate with the royal seal of Adah on the chest. His silver helmet had a plume of green feathers on top and a nose guard that ran between the eyes. A crossbow and a quiver of arrows hung from his back. He carried a broadsword on his hip. His mustache and eyes were brown, but there was a hint of gray in both.
I was embarrassed that I hadn't known his name, couldn't even remember seeing him around the palace. I told myself that wasn't unusual, there were two hundred guards at the palace and every year some retired and others rotated in from the army. Still, I couldn't help but be embarrassed. The man was willing to die for me and I couldn't even remember meeting him.
The other two guards took the same oath. They were both younger than Vomeir's thirty years, or Sardis's forty some years. Both wore the uniform of the palace guard. The taller of the two went by the name Miletus. The shorter was Derbe.
Miletus was taller than Vomeir, but less muscular. His blond hair hung out the back of his helmet in a ponytail. His cheeks were scarred with pockmarks from a childhood disease. Derbe wasn't tall or husky, but he was hairy. His most distinguishing features were his bushy eyebrows, which ran together to form one big eyebrow.
"We'll go about a mile into the forest then stop for breakfast," Vomeir said. "There's another spot where the road intersects with Cross Creek."
"You don't need to stop on my account," I said. "I can ride as long as you can."
"Of that I have no doubt, Your Highness, but the horses need a rest."
We followed the road into the forest. It was just wide enough for two horses to ride side by side. Vomeir and Sardis did just that, riding in front of me. Zore followed right behind me. Derbe and Miletus brought up the rear.
We lost the morning sun as soon as we entered the forest. The road took a sharp turn to the right to avoid a rock outcropping, then continued west. By the time we reached Cross Creek, the canopy over our heads had grown thick enough to block out the sun.
Vomeir drew his horse to a halt and dismounted. "We'll rest here."
He looked around, checking to see if someone was hiding behind the trees. Satisfied that no one was waiting to ambush us, he led his stallion to the creek and let him drink.
The creek was narrower here, narrow enough that I could jump across it with a running start. It looked ankle deep. It moved quickly, running clear and cold. I could hear birds chirping in the tree tops, welcoming the morning sun.
After watering his horse, Vomeir led him to the other side of the creek. Sardis watered his horse, then led him to the other side. I dismounted and led my mare to the creek. While she drank, another vision swept over me.
In this vision I saw Salisha. She was hiding in a secret room. The room was really no more than a closet. She was trying to calm her labored breathing and her cornflower blue eyes were wide with fear. She could hear people rustling through the house. Men searching for something or someone.
Their voices drew closer, until nothing but a wall separated her from them. Salisha placed a hand over her mouth, stifling the fear trying to escape her throat.
A second later, a hidden door swung open and blinding light flooded the small room. Heavy hands grabbed Salisha and yanked her out of her hiding place.
Two members of the palace guard dragged her to the center of a large and ornate sitting room. Three more guards kept three handsome young men pinned against a wall, holding them there at sword point. I recognized the three men. They were Salisha's wealthiest and handsomest suitors.
Salisha demanded the guards release her, but they ignored her, focusing on their commander, who chose that moment to enter the room.
Bedonna provided a sharp contrast to Salisha. She was tall and muscular, bigger than most men. She wore a full military uniform, black riding boots, a gray leather skirt that reached the knees, and a green tunic topped by a silver breastplate. Instead of her helmet, she wore the Battle Crown. There were no jewels on it. It was just a silver headband topped by seven miniature swords with each sword pointing up. Her brown hair was cut so short that it was stubble.
"A bit presumptuous, Bed," Salisha said, when she saw the crown. "You're not the Queen of Adah yet. And if that's the only crown you got, then you're not even the heir hopeful."
Salisha provided a sharp contrast to Bedonna. Whereas Bedonna was all strength and muscle and power, Salisha was grace and elegance and beauty. She wore a pale blue silk dress with bell sleeves and a scoop neckline that displayed her ample cleavage. Her long blond hair hung in a braid that reached to the small of her back. She had a heart-shaped face dominated by big blue eyes and full red lips.
By contrast, Bedonna had a square face with heavy black eyebrows and just a hint of a mustache. Rumors floated around the palace that she was really a boy. They weren't true of course. I had seen her naked and could attest to the fact that she was a girl. A big strong girl, but a girl none-the-less. None of us looked alike because we had different fathers. The Queen of Adah didn't marry, didn't take a king. She took consorts. Lots and lots of consorts.
"In a few minutes, I'll be one step closer to being queen." Bedonna drew her sword and nodded. The two men holding Salisha released her and stepped aside.
"Are you going to kill me in cold blood? Is that how you want to start your reign, as the queen that feared her sisters so much, she was afraid to fight them?"
"You think I'm afraid to fight you?" Bedonna turned to one of the guards. "Give her your sword."
The man drew his sword and offered it to Salisha, hilt first. Salisha hesitated, then snatched it out of the man's hand. It was heavier than what she was used to and she needed both hands to wield it. Once she had gotten used to the size and weight of the blade, she raised it above her head and widened her stance, taking up a defensive posture.
"So, you remember your lessons after all," a grinning Bedonna said. Her sword was bigger than the one Salisha held, but she needed just one hand to wield it, holding it in front of her like a butter knife.
Salisha looked at the guards in the room. "Is this who you want as your queen? A woman with more facial hair than all of you."
Bedonna's dark eyes flashed with anger. "That's the last time you'll make that crack."
She had always been sensitive about her looks, her too square jaw, her bushy eyebrows, the wisp of a mustache she plucked and plucked but which always grew back.
Bedonna looked just like her father, one of the biggest burliest guards in our mother's service. He helped mother become queen and she rewarded him by making him one of her consorts. Unfortunately for Bedonna, she inherited none of our mother's beauty.
Salisha on the other hand, looked nothing like her father and everything like our mother. Same blond hair, same blue eyes, same heart-shaped face. Because she looked so much like mother, she just assumed people would want her as queen, that when mother died, everyone would rally around her. Even as she prepared to square off against Bedonna, she was looking at the guards, thinking, expecting, hoping, that they would turn against Bedonna and rally around her.
"Do you know that when she becomes queen, she plans to make war against the Dark Wizards of Sorea. Is that the kind of person you want to serve under? The kind that would send you to your deaths in a foolish attempt to make herself a legend."
A couple of the guards looked at each other, surprised by the news, but did nothing else.
Bedonna sneered. "You are beyond the help of men, sister. You'll have to save yourself this time."
Bedonna rushed forward, attacking Salisha. Salisha fended her blows as best she could, but with each blow, Bedonna forced Salisha to retreat, quickly backing her into a corner.
When Salisha hit the wall, she took a deep breath then charged forward, still swinging her sword with both hands. Bedonna retreated, but still only needed one hand to wield her sword.
"Killing me will not make you queen. You still have Iderra and Lila to contend with, and you will not find them as easily as you found me."
Bedonna handled Salisha's attack with ease, toying with her. "Iderra is hiding here in the city, which is locked down. It's just a matter of time before I find her."
"And what about Mouse?" Salisha said, using the nickname they had given me. "You could never find her when we were kids playing hide and seek in the palace. How will you find her now that she has an entire world to hide in?"
Bedonna clenched her teeth. "I will find her."
I saw something in Bedonna's eyes right then that I had never noticed before, namely fear. She didn't fear me, no chance of that, but she did fear not being able to find me, not being able to kill me. She feared that if her campaign against Sorea went bad, and I was still alive, her supporters would turn against her, remove her from power, and place me on the throne.
Salisha saw it too, because she smiled. "Mouse has always been a step ahead of you. Personally, I think she has powers that you don't know about. Perhaps she is a reader and knows your mind. Or perhaps she is a seer and sees what you are going to do before you do it. If either is true, then you will never catch her."
An angry Bedonna grabbed her sword with both hands and went on the offensive, once again forcing Salisha to retreat. Beads of sweat appeared on Salisha's forehead. She was growing tired, and with each blow, it became harder for her to wield the heavy broadsword.
Bedonna made a two handed swing that knocked Salisha's sword out of her hands. The blade flew across the room and clattered to the floor at the feet of Salisha's suitors. The three men looked at the blade, but with three swords already pointed at them, made no move to pick it up.
Bedonna backed a defenseless Salisha against the wall, then did something I can only describe as cruel. She used the tip of her sword to make a deep gash across each of Salisha's cheeks. To her credit, Salisha didn't cry or scream.
"So much for your great beauty."
Before Salisha could respond, or even wipe off the blood running down her cheeks, Bedonna stepped back.
I realized that she was preparing to plunge her sword into Salisha's heart and shouted, "No!"
Even as she drove her sword into Salisha, Bedonna looked in my direction, almost as if she had heard me. Bedonna withdrew her sword and Salisha's body crumpled to the floor. Bedonna ran her index finger across her blade, collecting some of Salisha's blood.
"Looks like everybody else's blood." She paused to sniff the blood on her finger. "Smells like everybody else's blood."
Bedonna turned back to Salisha, bent over her, and used her sword to cut off Salisha's hair. She sheathed her sword and hung the blond braid from her scabbard belt like a trophy.
"Now, you're no better looking than me." She turned to her guards. "Dump that carcass in the Cemetery of Would Be Queens."
Bedonna then did something unexpected, she looked right at me. "I know you're watching, Mouse. I want you to know that I'm going to find you and do to you what I just did to her."
The vision faded and I found myself kneeling on the bank of Cross Creek. I could feel tears running down my cheeks and a hand on my shoulder.
"Are you all right, Your Highness?" Vomeir crouched beside me, so he could look me in the eyes.
"Salisha is dead," I said, unable to stop the tears. "Bedonna found her hiding in the home of one of her suitors. They fought and Bedonna won. I'm sorry, Captain. I know how much you cared for her."
Vomeir yanked his hand off my shoulder and stepped back, stumbling into the middle of the creek like I had just slapped him. "How can you possibly know that Salisha is dead?"
How did I explain what I knew other than to come right out and say it?
"I'm a seer, Captain, and I just saw Salisha die. If you'd like, I can describe the room in which she died. It was a second story sitting room with heavy oak furniture covered with blue silk cushions. The same color blue as the dress Salisha was wearing. The same color blue as her eyes. Or I can give you a blow by blow account of her battle with Bedonna. I can tell you how Salisha had to borrow a guard's sword, and how it was too big for her to wield, and how after ten minutes of fighting, it became too heavy for her to lift. Or I can tell you that just before Bedonna killed her, she scarred Salisha's face, cutting both of her cheeks. Or I can tell you that after Bedonna killed her, she cut off Salisha's braid and hung it on her belt like a trophy."
I don't know if it was the tears on my cheeks, or the fact that I warned him about the guards on the bridge. Whatever the reason, Vomeir chose to believe me.
"It seems you've been keeping secrets, Your Highness." Vomeir tried to hide the sadness in his eyes, but I recognized it anyway. He never stopped loving Salisha, even after she accused him of being one of Bedonna's spies.
"Queen's prerogative," I said, wiping the tears from my eyes. I pulled myself to my feet. "The good news is Bedonna thinks I've taken refuge in the city."
"Sounds like this would be a good time to press on," Sardis said. "I'd rather not engage in a battle with that sister of yours until there are a few more of us."
"Agreed," Vomeir said. He pulled some apples out of a sack tied to his saddle and tossed a couple to each of us. "This will have to serve as breakfast."
We finished watering the horses, gave each of them an apple, then headed west on foot. Again, Sardis took the lead, with Miletus and Derbe bringing up the rear. Zore remained behind me. Vomeir walked beside me.
"How long have you been a seer, Your Highness?"
"About ten years."
"Your mother and sisters never mentioned this gift."
"That's because I never told them about it. The last thing I needed was to give Bedonna another reason to kill me."
"Do you have any control over these visions?"
I shook my head. "They come when they come. Until today, my visions were never about others."
"What were they about?"
"They were always about me, warning me of dangers that lay ahead."
"Like the guards Bedonna stationed on the bridge?"
"Exactly."
"It seems I chose wisely."
"Why do you say that?"
"Visions come from the gods." Vomeir forced a smile, but I could still see the grief in his eyes. "I would not want to go up against someone with such powerful allies."
"I know it's small comfort," I said. "But Salisha died valiantly. She fought hard and she did not beg for her life."
"If I had been there. . . ."
"You would have died with her."
"Perhaps. But I could have taken some of them with me."
"You may still get that chance, Captain. Once Bedonna finds Iderra, she'll begin her hunt for us. Sooner or later, she'll figure out where we're going."
"Then we must keep moving. Sleep on horseback. Walk when the horses need rest. Think you can handle it, Princess?"
"It's better than engaging in a sword fight with Bedonna."
"Did you see anything in your vision that we can use to our advantage?"
"Salisha told the guards in the room about Bedonna's plan to invade Sorea. They seemed surprised."
"Once this news spreads, Bedonna's support among the palace guard may weaken."
"It's certain to weaken her support among the army," I said.
Vomeir nodded in agreement. "Let us hope the rumor spreads far and fast."
Vomeir drifted ahead to talk to Sardis, although I suspect that he was thinking about Salisha. Her dream of becoming queen would never come true. His dream of becoming the queen's consort would never come true. Perhaps I should amend that. His dream of becoming Salisha's consort would never come true. There was still a chance--albeit a small one--that I might become queen. If that came to pass, I would have to take a consort. I could do a lot worse than Vomeir. He was tall, dark, muscular, and handsome. He had a square jaw, a closely trimmed beard, and intelligent brown eyes. Whether he would want to be my consort was a different matter.
"You seem lost in thought," Vomeir said. He had sent Sardis ahead, then dropped back alongside of me. "Thinking about your sister?"
I could feel my cheeks flush. I started out thinking about my sister, but had let my juvenile mind take a decidedly different turn. Dreaming about men and consorts had always been a weakness of mine, one I inherited from my randy mother. "Actually, I was thinking about you."
"I'm fine, Your Highness." Vomeir smiled, although it still seemed a bit forced to me. "After all, my queen is still alive."
"Yes, but your dream of becoming Salisha's consort is dead."
"That dream died a few weeks ago. I'm over her. Really."
I didn't believe him, but I didn't say anything, didn't have a chance to say anything because Sardis came galloping up to us.
"Small problem up ahead," he said. "A woodsman is heading this way with a cart full of firewood."
"Probably headed into the city to sell the wood," Vomeir said.
Sardis nodded. "Bedonna's men will question him when he reaches the bridge at Cross Creek. When they do, he'll tell them that he saw us."
Vomeir drew his sword. "So we kill him."
"No," I said. "I don't want any unnecessary killing."
"What would you have us do with him?"
"We'll take him with us. He knows these woods and mountains better than any of us."
"Makes sense," Miletus said. He, Derbe, and Zore had joined us, wondering what all the commotion was about.
"Looks like we're about to get ourselves a royal woodsman." Vomeir sheathed his sword. "Let's mount up and tell him about his new job."
We mounted our horses and headed off to confront the woodsman. I thought about my mother's final words to me. "Save your sisters."
She hadn't even been dead a day and I had already failed her.
# Chapter 3
We surrounded the woodsman and demanded that he take an oath to serve me. The woodsman took the oath, but when we informed him that he would have to come with us, he balked. Turned out he had a wife and a sixteen year old daughter living in a cabin just off the road.
Like the woodsman, the wife was short and stocky, with gray hair and a weathered face. Their daughter was slim with long blond hair. She wasn't as beautiful as Salisha, having fewer curves and a wider nose, but she was pleasant enough to attract the attention of Zore.
Vomeir made the woodsman's wife and daughter take an oath to serve me, then had them unload the firewood from the cart and reload it with food, blankets, and anything else we might need. He appointed the woodsman to be our guide, his wife to be our cook, and his daughter to be my handmaiden. With that done, we continued our journey west.
"Is it wise to bring these people with us?" Sardis asked Vomeir. "The more our party grows, the slower it will move."
"Wiser than leaving them behind," Vomeir said. "Besides, the princess wouldn't let me kill the woodsman."
"Few would support a queen that kills the innocent," I said. "Fear her, yes. Support her, no."
We rode in silence for the rest of the morning, following the narrow road through the forest. Around midday, we left the forest and found ourselves overlooking a small mountain valley. The valley separated the forest covered hills that lay behind us from the rugged snowcapped peaks that lay ahead of us.
In the middle of the valley lay a village of maybe five hundred people. Like all of the cities and villages in Adah it was walled. The wall surrounding the village was made out of logs. Four soldiers manned the top of the wall, two watching the road that headed east, two watching the road that headed west.
"This isn't good," Vomeir said.
"You didn't know there was a village here?"
"I've never been this far west. I've hunted in the forest a few times, but never much beyond Cross Creek."
"Until today, I hadn't even gone into the forest." I looked at Vomeir. "How big do you think the garrison is?"
"For a village this size, a dozen men, maybe less."
"We could just circle around the village."
"We could, but they'd see us. When Bedonna's men pass this way, the men stationed here might tell them about us. They could even send someone to tell her you passed by. Like it or not, you're going to have to talk to them, convince them to support you for queen." Vomeir untied a bundle from the back of his saddle and tossed it to me. "You need to change, Your Highness."
I looked at what he tossed me, wrapped inside a wool blanket was a red velvet dress. "A dress? Vomeir, you can't be serious?"
"You have to make an impression on these people. Bedonna's already got the warrior look nailed down, so we must try for something else."
"Like stupid? Because that's what they'll think when they see me riding through the mountains in an expensive gown like this."
"If we can make them like you enough, they'll be more inclined to support you and less inclined to help Bedonna's men when they come this way. And they will come this way." Vomeir could tell I thought this was a dumb idea, so he continued. "If you want to defeat Bedonna, you must make the people love you, you must make them want you to be queen. Unless of course, you don't want to be the queen. If that's the case, there's no reason for any of us to be following you."
In truth, I didn't care whether I became the queen or not. I just wanted to survive. But I knew from history that princesses that just wanted to survive never did. They were always hunted down and killed. Like it or not, the only way for me to survive was to claim my mother's throne. "You think my wearing a dress will make these soldiers believe that I'm the best choice for queen?"
"No, but looking like a queen will make it easier for them to believe that you're the best choice. Plus, it will give you a chance to practice what you want to say to General Dacus and the Army of the West. If we reach the Western Palace, you'll need to convince them to support you."
I collected Prentice, my recently acquired handmaiden, and doubled back into the forest to change. Once in the trees, I looked at what Vomeir gave me. In addition to a red velvet gown, there was a pair red silk stockings and a pair of red silk briefs.
I grabbed the stockings and briefs and marched out of the trees, holding the garments in front of me. "Vomeir, there is no way I'm putting this stuff on. Not out here."
Sardis, Miletus, and Derbe looked at me and grinned. I realized what I was holding up and quickly lowered the garments. At the same time, Vomeir dismounted and strode over to me.
"If you dress like a queen," he said. "You'll feel like one."
"This stuff is impractical." I preferred my cotton chemise and drawers, not to mention my warm wool socks.
Vomeir grinned and remounted his horse. "Nobody said being queen was easy."
I didn't expect the dress to fit me, figuring Vomeir had snatched it from Salisha's closet, but it fit perfectly. I knew the dress didn't come from my closet, which could only mean one thing. He had the dress made specifically for me. That meant he had been thinking about this, planning this, for some time.
The red velvet dress had an ankle length flared skirt, long sleeves, a scoop neckline, and a built-in corset that laced up the back. Gold lace circled the hem of the skirt as well as the neckline and the sleeve cuffs. The neckline was cut too low to wear my cotton chemise underneath, so I slipped into the undergarments that went with the dress. I felt naked in them, wearing only the skimpy silk briefs and a pair of stockings held up by frilly gold garters. By the time Prentice finished lacing the dress up, I was showing as much cleavage as Salisha usually did.
"Hard to breath in this thing," I muttered. I wasn't used to corsets. I didn't like them, I didn't need them, so I didn't wear them.
"It fits perfectly, Your Highness."
Prentice seemed delighted with her new job, but what sixteen year old wouldn't be excited, going from woodsman's daughter to princess's handmaiden. I wondered if she would be that excited if she knew about Bedonna. Probably not.
Not that I thought she was in danger. Bedonna would kill me and anyone that stood in her way, like Vomeir, Sardis, Miletus, and Derbe. Zore, Prentice and her parents were safe as long as they didn't get caught in the crossfire.
In addition to the dress and undergarments, there was a pair of red silk slippers, and a red velvet cloak. The cloak had gold lace around the hem and the hood.
I didn't have a mirror, but the red probably provided a nice contrast to my black hair and green eyes. I had a small turned up nose, high cheekbones, small ears, and a sharp chin. I wasn't beautiful like Salisha, but I wasn't homely like Bedonna. I had Prentice undo my braid, which reached just past my shoulders. For most of my life, I wore my hair short, not as short as Bedonna's stubble, but almost as short.
About a year ago, mother called my sisters and I into the throne room. There was no one there other than the five of us and her personal guards. One by one, she told each of us what we needed to do to become queen.
She started with Bedonna, lecturing her for a full hour on the need to temper strength with compassion. Salisha's and Iderra's lectures lasted nearly as long. She lectured Salisha on how inner beauty was just as important as one's outward appearance. She told Iderra that intelligence is wasted if a queen can't touch the hearts of her people.
When it was my turn, all she said was, "Lila, it's time to stop cutting your hair like a boy." I was mad at her for giving me so little of her time, for thinking I was so insignificant that nothing else needed to be said. Even so, I did as she said and let my hair grow.
Once I had the entire getup on, I looked at Prentice. "So?"
"You look lovely, Your Highness."
She had a big goofy grin on her face, but what did that mean? She was used to coarse wool skirts dyed in blueberry juice. I needed more objective opinions. Like the looks on the faces of the men when they saw me.
I strapped my sword back on--having to tighten the belt another notch because the corset had made my waist ridiculously small--then marched out of the trees. Vomeir and Sardis smiled when they saw me. Miletus's eyes widened. Derbe's and Zore's jaws dropped.
Okay, so maybe Prentice wasn't lying when she said I looked lovely. I wished I had brought some makeup with me, a little charcoal for the eyes, some rouge for the lips and cheeks. I just never thought I'd need makeup when I was running for my life. Salisha probably brought makeup with her and look where it got her.
"Much better," Vomeir said. "You almost look like a queen."
"Almost?" I was still angry over having to wear this getup, although the looks on the men's faces did mollify me somewhat.
"You need one more thing." Vomeir reached into one of his saddlebags and pulled out a white cotton towel. He unwrapped the towel to reveal one of our mother's crowns.
Mother had three crowns. The Battle Crown. The Emerald Crown. And the Ruby Crown. Bedonna was already wearing the Battle Crown, a simple silver headband with the royal seal engraved on the front of the headband and seven miniature swords that pointed skyward. The Emerald Crown was silver with a string of emeralds embedded in the headband. Instead of swords, it was topped by seven silver stars. The Ruby Crown looked like the Emerald Crown except that it was made out of gold and had a string of rubies embedded in the headband. Vomeir was holding the Ruby Crown.
"Bless the gods, Vomeir! You stole the Ruby Crown."
The Queen of Adah didn't choose a successor, but she did let people know who she thought was best suited to assume her throne. That was the purpose of the Ruby Crown. Whoever received it was not an heir presumptive, just an heir hopeful. Possessing it could be enough to tip the balance of power, assuming the late queen gave it to you. I'm not sure what stealing it meant.
Vomeir slid off his horse and moved toward me. "You wouldn't want the usurper get her hands on it would you?"
When he said the usurper, I assumed he meant Bedonna. I couldn't help but smile. Bedonna would have steam coming out of her ears if she heard Vomeir call her the usurper.
When he reached me, Vomeir did something unexpected. He dropped to one knee and offered up the crown, holding it in both hands with the towel still underneath it. "Your crown, Your Highness."
Sardis, Miletus, and Derbe dismounted and dropped to one knee. Zore, Prentice, her mother, and father, quickly followed suit. I had always figured that Vomeir and the other guards had joined me because they wanted to get away from Bedonna as much as I did. Now, I was beginning to think that they were serious about making me the next queen.
I took the crown from Vomeir and placed it on my head, not so much because I wanted to wear it, but because I figured it was the easiest way to get these people off their knees.
"Now you look like someone people would want as queen," Vomeir said, rising to his feet.
The others stood. Sardis was smiling beneath his bushy mustache. Miletus was nodding approvingly. Derbe and Zore were still gaping at me. For my part, I felt like a little girl playing dress-up. "How long do I have to wear this getup?"
"You can change back into your riding clothes on the other side of the village," Vomeir said.
Zore brought the mare over and Vomeir helped me up. I swung my right leg over the mare's back, electing to ride like a normal person rather than sidesaddle. Everybody else remounted and we resumed our trek, heading down the winding road that led to the village.
"My mother meant this crown to go to the heir hopeful. I can't believe you stole it." Vomeir didn't respond to my comment. "And what am I suppose to say to these people?"
"Whatever you think is appropriate. I can't tell you how to be a queen. All I can do is encourage you to look and act like one."
"I'm not sure I know how to be queen."
"Then let us hope you learn quickly."
"Because?"
"The people will not accept Iderra as queen and Bedonna will destroy everything your mother has built. Like it or not, you are Adah's only hope."
"No pressure there," I said.
Vomeir smiled. "Just be yourself, Lila. It will be enough."
We were about to find out if it would be enough, because we had reached the village. The eastern gate was open, allowing us to enter the village. Vomeir rode ahead and said something to Sardis. Sardis rode to the far end of the village, shouting, "Make way for the Queen of Adah."
To say that he attracted the attention of everybody in the village was an understatement. By the time we reached the center of town, old and young alike had turned out to see what was going on.
Eventually, the commander of the local garrison approached. He was a burly man with bushy black hair and an equally bushy beard. His uniform was identical to Vomeir's except for the fact that his helmet and breastplate were brass instead of silver. "I'm Botek, commander of the garrison stationed here and that's not the queen."
"Queen Bella is dead," Vomeir said. "This is her youngest daughter, Lila."
"That may be so. But who chose her to be queen?"
"You will. If you're smart."
"What about her sisters."
"What know you of her sisters?" Sardis asked Botek.
"There's a good looking one, a skinny one with a big nose, and one that's as ugly as me."
The crowd laughed. I sat there trying to look regal. I'm not sure what looking regal meant other than keeping my chin up and not picking my nose.
"What if we want the other pretty one to be queen?" Botek said.
"She's dead," Vomeir said. "Killed by the ugly one."
"You have three choices," Sardis said. "A skinny girl with a big nose that cannot look you in the eyes when she talks to you. A big ugly girl that wants to make war on the Dark Wizards of Sorea. Or a beautiful, intelligent girl that will listen when you speak."
Botek pushed past Sardis and Vomeir and marched up to me. He looked me in the eyes, and said, "You ain't crazy are ya?"
"Not crazy enough to make war on the Dark Wizards of Sorea."
"You ain't gonna raise taxes?"
"I have no plans to raise taxes."
"What you doin up this way? How come you ain't in the city talkin to them?"
"We ride to the Western Palace, where we hope to rendezvous with the Army of the West."
"And then you'll come back and get rid of the big ugly one?"
"Then I will come back and get rid of the big ugly one." After what Bedonna did to Salisha, I had no problem calling her the big ugly one.
"The big ugly one wants to raise your taxes and declare war on the Dark Wizards of Sorea," Vomeir said. "Is that the kind of queen you want?"
The crowd didn't even think about it, they just shouted a resounding no.
"Soon you will be able to judge for yourselves," Sardis said. "The big ugly one's men will pass this way, and when they do, you will get a taste of what she would be like as queen."
"And you will not like it," Vomeir added. "And then you will know there is but one choice for queen."
I looked at Botek. "Will you and your men take a oath to support me for queen?"
"There are only six of us stationed here, but we will take an oath to support you."
Botek took the oath. Each of his men stepped forward and did the same. The last of his men were as close to giants as I had ever seen. A good head taller than Botek and twice as husky. They had bushy brown hair, which stuck out from beneath their brass helmets. They were both clean shaven and had identical faces, with bulbous noses and deep-set eyes. I figured they must be twins.
Botek introduced them as Solek and Tolek.
Solek stepped up to me and kissed my ring. "Queen Bella is dead. Long live Queen Lila." His voice was so deep that it was scary.
"Your support is acknowledged and appreciated," I said. "We shall not forget you when we assume our place on the throne."
Solek didn't let go of my hand, didn't step aside. He just stood there holding my hand in his giant mitt and staring at me. For a few seconds I wasn't sure what he was doing, then it hit me. He was looking down the front of my dress. He was tall enough to do it, even with me on horseback.
I wasn't sure what to do, finally Botek stepped forward and swatted him on the back of the helmet. "That's enough gawken. Try to remember that's royalty you're staring at and not some barroom trollop."
Tolek stepped forward, took his oath, and did his share of gawking. Botek swatted him on the head and he stepped back.
Becoming one of the queen's consorts was a dream harbored by many of the young men of Adah. For years, men had lined up to serve my mother in hopes of becoming one of her consorts. I just didn't expect them to look at me the way they looked at her. Of course, Solek and Tolek didn't seem like the sharpest tools in the shed.
"Would you like us to accompany you on your journey, Your Highness?" Botek said.
"They might come in handy," Vomeir whispered. "Especially if Bedonna's men manage to run us down."
"The presence of you and your men would be most welcome," I said to Botek.
"You heard her boys, load their cart full of supplies, gather your gear, and mount up. We're heading west."
Solek, Tolek, and the other three soldiers disappeared for a few minutes then reappeared on their horses. Solek and Tolek rode two of the biggest draft horses that I had ever seen. The other three soldiers rode normal sized horses.
"The villagers have loaded your cart with supplies," Botek said, reappearing on horseback. "But they do have one question."
"What's that?" I said.
"What do they do when the ugly one's men pass this way?"
"Don't be here," Vomeir said.
"The captain is right. Perhaps they can post a couple of boys up in the forest. When my sister's men approach, they can wave a flag, warn the village of her coming. Then everyone can hide in the forest."
"They won't waste time searching for anyone," Vomeir said. "They'll simply take what they want and move on."
With six new soldiers to support me, and the woodsman's cart loaded with more supplies, we continued our journey west. The villagers would either tell Bedonna's men about us or they wouldn't. If they remained quiet, we might reach the Army of the West safely. If they didn't, Bedonna's men would probably run us down and kill us.
When we reentered the forest, I told Vomeir that I wanted to change back into my riding clothes. Vomeir signaled to Sardis at the front of our party. Sardis raised his hand and called for everyone to halt. Zore took the mare's reins while Vomeir helped me dismount. Prentice gathered my riding clothes and the two of us disappeared into the trees. I changed back into my riding clothes and gave Prentice custody of the dress, cloak, and silk undergarments. I returned the Ruby Crown to Vomeir for safekeeping.
Vomeir wrapped the crown in the cotton towel and slipped it back inside his saddlebag. "You sure you don't want to wear it?"
"It doesn't go with the livery of a servant."
"Just for the record. I didn't steal the Ruby Crown. Your mother gave it to me."
"Why would she give you the Ruby Crown?"
"A few weeks ago, she called me into her suite, and said, 'I understand you have decided to support Lila when I am gone.' I said that was true. At that point, she handed me the Ruby Crown, and said, 'Make sure she gets this.' Then she made some comment about you finally having enough hair to keep the crown from falling about your eyes."
Now that I thought about it, how else would Vomeir have gotten the crown? Mother kept the crowns in her suite, which was always protected by her personal guard. There was no way Vomeir could have stolen it.
I suddenly realized that mother had decided who would get the Ruby Crown a full year ago. The day she called us into the throne room. The day she lectured the others on how to be queen. The day she told me that it was time to let my hair grow.
A long forgotten memory came rushing back.
We were still girls at the time. Bedonna was twelve. Salisha was ten. Iderra was eight. And I was six. We were in mother's suite, watching her get dressed for some ceremony. When she put on the Emerald Crown, Bedonna pointed to the Battle Crown and asked her why she wasn't wearing that one. Mother explained how it was to be worn only in a time of war. She told us that she hated the Battle Crown because of what it stood for.
"I pray that none of you ever has to wear it," she said, flashing a sad smile. "I pray that none of you will want to wear it. And I weep for the one that does."
Salisha then pointed to the Ruby Crown and asked why she didn't wear that one. Mother smiled, another sad smile. "That is for the heir hopeful. My mother gave it to me, and one day, I will give it to one of you."
Bedonna and Salisha started to fight over the Ruby Crown, but mother chased us out of her chambers. "Do not be in a hurry to wear that crown, my darlings. The day one of you receives it will be a sad time. A very sad time."
When we reached the door, mother knelt down and looked us in the eyes. "I want the one that gets that crown to remember this day, to remember when we were a family. When we loved one another."
"You're crying," Vomeir said, bringing me out of my reverie.
"Yes." He didn't ask me why I was crying and I didn't tell him. I just mounted the mare and we continued our journey west. I wept as I rode, not trying to stop the tears. I wept for the mother I had lost. I wept for the sisters I was losing.
# Chapter 4
The Pass of Nod was a narrow valley that wound its way through the mountains. It was less than a mile wide, with tree covered mountains on both sides, mountains that were too steep to ride a horse up. Waist high grass covered the rolling floor of the pass, broken only by a narrow dirt road that wound its way through the middle of the pass. Like the road through the forest, it was just a pair of wagon tracks with grass growing between them.
When we reached the pass, Vomeir raised his hand, signaling everybody to stop. "We'll make camp here. The horses need rest and there's plenty of grass for them to eat."
I had never been this far west, but I knew from my geography lessons that the pass was fifty miles long. At the end of the pass the mountains turned to rolling hills. Not rich green hills like the ones we had just traveled, but dry brown hills. On one of those hills sat the Western Palace.
Like the Summer Palace and the Winter Palace, the Western Palace was built by Issus Bodica Haran, the third Queen of Adah. She constructed so many buildings in the forty years she sat on the throne, that she earned the nickname Issus the Builder.
From what I had read, the Western Palace was smaller than the other two palaces. Surrounding it was a fort that housed the Army of the West. No queen had been there in over one hundred years, mostly because no queen wanted to make the journey just so she could sit in a too hot house on a dusty brown hill.
While the others dismounted, Vomeir rode up to me. "Have you had any more visions? Of what lies ahead? Or of Iderra?"
"No visions."
Iderra would be lot harder to find than Salisha. She was smart enough not to take refuge with people Bedonna knew. It wouldn't surprise me if she wasn't in Morcesha at all. She certainly wouldn't run to the handsomest man she knew like Salisha had. She would have an intricate plan, a plan that she had put a lot of thought into. Iderra was more interested in saving her life than becoming queen. She was perhaps the only Adan princess in history that was smart enough to survive without ever sitting on her mother's throne. I hoped she did because she was my favorite sister.
While the rest of us made camp, Vomeir conferred with Sardis and Miletus. Miletus turned his horse around and disappeared back into the forest. Sardis went galloping on ahead.
"Where did you send them?" I asked Vomeir.
"I sent Sardis to scout ahead and Miletus to double back, make sure no one is pursuing us." Vomeir smiled. "It's not that I don't trust your visions, Your Highness. It's just that I'm used to doing things a certain way."
"Understood."
The sun was setting behind the mountains, casting long shadows on the knee high grass. The woodsman was building a campfire and his wife was unloading pots from the cart, preparing to cook dinner. Zore was attending to the horses, unsaddling them and rubbing them down while they grazed on the deep grass. Prentice was hovering by me, waiting to see if I needed anything.
"Why don't you help your mother." Prentice curtsied and hurried off to help her mother.
"Peaceful out here," Vomeir said. He removed his helmet and breastplate and laid them on the ground, but kept his sword strapped around his waist.
I was about to answer him when I had another vision. Miletus was in the trees, checking the road we had just covered when he came upon thirteen armed men. He drew his sword, but their swords remained sheathed.
"We mean you no harm." The leader of the men had a neatly trimmed gray beard and short gray hair. He wore the same gray breeches and green tunic as Miletus, but his breastplate and helmet were gold, as were those of his men. "We search for the heir hopeful."
I recognized the man. It was Patera LaCere, Captain of the Queen's Guard and one of mother's favorite consorts.
"What makes you think the heir hopeful is out here?"
"Do not take us for fools," Patera said. "Rather take us to the heir."
"You will go no further until you state your business with the heir."
"We are here to carry out the final command of Bella Justine Haran, the twelfth Queen of Adah."
"And what was that command?"
"Defend the heir hopeful."
Miletus studied Patera for a second, then sheathed his sword and turned his horse around. The vision faded and I found myself back at camp.
Vomeir recognized the look that came over me. "You've had another vision."
"Yes."
"Good or bad?"
"A little of both." I had no doubt that mother's final order to her personal guard was to defend the heir hopeful. Although I wasn't quite sure how they found us. They must've followed us. It wouldn't have been too hard to pick up our trail. If they left the palace right after mother died, we would've had less than an hour's head start. It was also possible that mother told them what I would do. She seemed to know her daughters better than we knew ourselves.
While Patera's sword, as well as those of his men, were a welcome addition to our party, I wasn't looking forward to having him and his men around. They were used to a queen that was beautiful and intelligent. There was no way that I could live up to the standard my mother had set. She wasn't known as Bella the Beloved for nothing.
"I don't understand," Vomeir said.
"Miletus has encountered the queen's guard. Apparently, she gave them an order to defend the heir hopeful."
"How did they find us so quickly?"
"Mother probably told them which way I would go. She always knew what we would do before we ever did it." I signalled Prentice, who hurried to my side. "I need to change into my dress."
I couldn't meet Patera and his men dressed in the livery of a servant. They might find me to be a disappointment when compared to my mother, but they would find me to be a well dressed disappointment.
"You're going to change?"
"I think it best." I pointed to Botek and his men. "I don't believe Patera and his men are a threat, but it wouldn't hurt to have Botek and his men hide in the trees. Perhaps you can station them next to the road so they can come up behind Patera and his men. Just in case."
Vomeir nodded. "Agreed."
He relayed my command to Botek, who relayed it to his men. While the soldiers prepared themselves for a possible fight, Prentice and I slipped into a different part of the forest so I could change. The dress felt just as uncomfortable as before, too tight around the waist, too revealing across the chest, and too heavy and confining around my legs.
By the time I stepped out of the trees, Botek and his men were hidden. Vomeir and Derbe had put their armor back on and had remounted their horses. Prentice joined her mother and father by the cart, while Zore brought the black mare over to me, holding her still while I mounted up. Once again, I didn't bother to sit sidesaddle. I straddled the horse, not worrying about how much of my legs were showing. It seemed kind of silly anyway, worrying about how much leg I was showing when most of my breasts were on display.
Vomeir pulled the Ruby Crown out of his saddlebag and handed it to me. I unwrapped the crown and placed in on my head. I tossed the towel to Vomeir and walked the mare to the edge of the forest, leaving enough room for Patera and his men. Vomeir stopped on my right. Derbe stopped on my left. Both men drew their swords and held them in their laps.
"Botek and his men are in the trees?"
"Just off the road. If trouble starts, they'll attack Patera and his men from behind. If not, they'll remain hidden until we tell them to come out."
A minute later, we heard the clopping of hooves in the trees. I debated whether to wrap the velvet cloak around myself and hide my face with the hood. In the end, I left the cloak hanging down my back. I wanted Patera and his men to see the Ruby Crown, it would remind them that they had one more duty to fulfill.
They wouldn't take an oath to serve me. Members of the queen's guard served only one queen. When she passed, they carried out her final orders, whatever they might be. Once that was done, any left alive just sort of disappeared, much like the queen they had served.
Miletus rode out of the trees first. Patera came next, with the rest of his men following single file.
"Declare your intentions," Vomeir said to Patera.
"We come to fulfill the final command of Bella Justine Haran, the twelfth Queen of Adah."
I kicked the mare and she walked forward. Vomeir started to move with me, but I raised my right hand, stopping him. Patera moved past Miletus, who remained between Patera and his men.
"What was my mother's final command?" I asked when we were face to face.
Patera smiled. "You were expecting us. I can't say I'm surprised. Your mother once told me that you knew things you shouldn't know. I asked her what she meant, but she wouldn't say."
"You haven't answered my question, Captain."
"Your mother's final command was to defend the heir hopeful. Defend the one that wears the Ruby Crown."
"And you will fulfill her wish, even if it means your deaths?"
"We will fulfill her wish. To do less would dishonor the queen that we served."
"Then your presence is welcome here." I smiled. "It's good to see you, Old Man."
"It's good to see you, Little One." Patera looked me over. His eyes lighted on my cleavage and he smiled. "Although you are not so little anymore."
"Mother was right. You are a dirty old man."
Patera laughed. "That's why I was one of your mother's favorites. And if you had dressed like this around the palace, Salisha wouldn't have had nearly as many suitors."
"What news have you?"
"None. We've been busy trying to catch up with you."
"How did you know I came this way?"
"When your mother told us to defend you, I ordered my men to keep an eye on you. One of them reported you left the palace and headed west a full hour before your mother passed."
"I wasn't aware I was being watched."
"We're good at what we do, Your Highness."
"As I am discovering."
"What news have you?" Patera said.
"Salisha is dead."
That surprised him. He obviously didn't expect me to know anything since I left the palace first. "How can you possibly know that?"
"Mother spoke the truth. I know things that I shouldn't know."
"Bedonna found her?"
"Hiding in Morcesha. They dueled. Bedonna won."
"And Iderra?"
"She's still alive. Somewhere."
Patera checked out the people behind me. "When you were little, you collected shiny stones. When you got older, it was stray animals. Now, you seem to be collecting people."
"Not intentionally, I expected to make this journey alone." I turned back to Vomeir. "Sheath your sword, Captain. They are friends."
Vomeir sheathed his sword, as did the others. They called Botek and his men out of the trees. Patera's eyes widened when he saw them appear. "I'm not even going to ask where you found them."
"That village we passed through earlier in the day."
"We saw no people in that village. We thought it was abandoned."
"We told them not to be around when Bedonna and her men passed through. They must've fled into the forest, thinking you were working for Bedonna." At least we knew that Bedonna and her men would get no help from the people in that village. Patera dismounted. His men quickly followed suit. I rode over to Vomeir. "Tell the woodsman and his wife to slaughter the chickens. Tonight, we honor my mother."
Back in the village, someone had tossed a wooden cage with half a dozen live chickens into the cart. I wasn't sure if we had anything to feed them and figured it was better to slaughter them now. Besides, we had a lot of people to feed and there was no game in sight.
Dinner came and went. Solek ate one chicken. Tolek ate one. The other four were divided between the rest of us. The woodsman's wife boiled a kettle of potatoes to go with the roasted chicken. Prentice served the food on wooden plates while her father passed around wooden cups full of mead. I ate the potatoes and chicken, but elected to have water instead of mead.
Everyone was in a surprisingly good mood, considering they had just lost their queen and were running for their lives. Everyone except Vomeir, who seemed troubled by something. I set my plate and cup down and strolled over to him.
I could feel everyone watching me as I walked and that was something I wasn't used to. For my entire life, all eyes had been on my mother, watching everything she did, listening to everything she said. When she wasn't around, they focused on Salisha, who looked just like her. No one had paid attention to me. Or so I thought.
I reached Vomeir. "Walk with me, Captain."
Vomeir set his plate and cup down and fell in alongside of me. We moved away from the campfire and into the night's shadows. It was cooler away from the fire and I wrapped the velvet cloak around myself for warmth.
"I'm not used to people paying attention to me."
"You'll get used to it."
"Something is troubling you."
"Sardis hasn't returned."
The excitement of seeing Patera and his men made me forget about Sardis, forget that Vomeir had sent him to scout ahead. "How far did you tell him to go?"
"A couple miles. He should have been back by now."
Vomeir said no more. That was when it hit me. He was waiting for me to tell him what to do. Me. A twenty year old girl known as Lila the Insignificant. I didn't know what to say or do, so I stopped walking, closed my eyes, and thought about Sardis.
I pictured him in his gray breeches and green tunic. I pictured his silver breastplate, his silver helmet with the green plumage. I pictured his big bushy mustache. Then I saw him, checking one of the legs of his horse and finding it broken.
He consoled the horse, then helped it lay down. Once it was resting comfortably, he stepped back, loaded his crossbow, and put the horse out of its misery. Then he started walking back, mumbling to himself about stopping after two miles instead of going as far as he had.
I opened my eyes and looked at Vomeir. "Sardis is fine. His horse broke a leg. He had to put it down. He's walking back even as we speak."
"You're sure?"
"He rode further than you asked him to, that's why he isn't back yet."
"I thought you couldn't control your visions."
"This is the first time." I turned and headed back to camp. When we reached the fire, I placed a hand on Derbe's shoulder. "Sardis's horse broke a leg. I need you to ride out and pick him up."
Derbe finished his mead, mounted his horse without bothering to saddle it, and galloped west, disappearing into the night. I turned back to the fire. Patera and his men were watching me with puzzled looks on their faces.
"You have a man scouting ahead?" Patera asked.
"Sardis of the palace guard."
"And his horse broke a leg?"
"Yes."
"And you know this because?"
It was hot next to the fire, so I removed my cloak and sat down next to Patera.
"Because I'm a seer." No point in hiding the truth from Patera and his men. Everybody else in camp knew about my gift. "Although this is the first time I controlled what I saw."
"Your gift grows as you grow." Patera smiled and looked at my chest. "Not So Little One."
I could feel my cheeks turn as red as my dress. "Are all your men as randy as you? Dirty Old Man."
"Worse, but then they're younger than me." Patera downed the last of his mead and lowered his voice to a whisper. "Speaking of which. A couple of the younger ones have expressed an interest in taking an oath to serve you."
"Members of the queen's guard serve but one queen." Why would anyone that had taken an oath to be in my mother's personal guard want to serve me? I wasn't trying to be modest. From my perspective, it just seemed a step down. A big step down.
"It isn't easy to give up being one of the queen's favorites. If I were twenty years younger, I might feel the same way they do. There's more of your mother in you than you realize."
"Tell me."
"You only knew her after she had gotten used to being queen, but I remember her when she was still a princess."
"She looked like Salisha."
"She looked like Salisha, but she didn't have Salisha's personality. Salisha always knew that she was beautiful. Salisha always believed that she was meant to be queen. Your mother was more like you, a young woman that knew she was pretty, but didn't know she was beautiful. And like you, she didn't care if she became queen."
"You're kidding?" I found that hard to believe, mother loved being queen. She was meant to be queen.
"She had five sisters and just wanted to survive. When your grandmother died, she hoped to flee toward Gibney, thinking if she remained inconspicuous enough, she could slip into the land of merchants and live the quiet life of a shop girl."
"So what happened?"
"Your grandmother made her the heir hopeful and people began to circle around her, just as the clouds circle around the earth." Patera glanced around. "Just as people are beginning to circle around you."
"I'm not my mother," I said.
"That's true." Patera nodded in the direction of the horses. Derbe had returned with Sardis, who was telling Vomeir that his horse broke a leg. "Your mother had only beauty, brains, and humility to guide her. In addition to possessing all of those qualities, you are also a seer."
"Was mother really that unsure of herself?"
Patera laughed. "When her men insisted that she take a consort, she was too afraid to take the man she wanted."
"Afraid of what?"
"That he wouldn't want her."
That was the most ridiculous thing I had ever heard. All men wanted mother, even after she grew ill. "So what did she do?"
"She selected a man that she wasn't attracted to. She figured if he rejected her, her heart wouldn't hurt so much."
"Bedonna's father."
"It was two full years before she worked up the courage to take the man that she really wanted."
"You mean you?"
Patera laughed. "I didn't say that."
"You implied it."
"The best leaders are those that don't want to be queen. Those that covet the throne and the power that goes with it do not make good queens." Patera pushed himself to his feet. "Your mother was right. You will make a good queen, Lila Marie Haran. Perhaps even a great one."
"Assuming I live that long."
"Assuming you live that long. Now, if you'll excuse me. This old body is in need of rest."
Patera headed off to join his men, who had finished eating and were busy collecting their bedrolls off their saddles. I was about to figure out where I could sleep when Vomeir sat down next to me.
"You were right about Sardis. His horse stepped in a gopher hole and broke a leg."
"He can ride Zore's gelding tomorrow. I don't think Zore will mind sharing the back of the cart with Prentice."
"Miletus and Derbe are setting up your tent. It should be ready in a few minutes."
Miletus and Derbe were setting up a large round tent made out of white silk. It was one of the tents my mother used when she toured the country. Patera's men were laying their bedrolls in a circle around the tent, forming a defensive perimeter.
"Where did that come from?" I asked.
"The queen's guard had it on one of their pack horses. They also brought some more clothes for you."
"My riding clothes?"
"More along the line of your mother's riding clothes."
"I can't wear my mother's clothes. Her skirts are too long for me."
"I don't think these were made for her," Vomeir said. "But it does look like she had a hand in designing them."
"Great." That meant more corsets, low cut necklines, and long billowing skirts that tangled around my legs.
"It looks like they're about done, Your Highness." Vomeir stood, then offered me his hand. I took it and let him escort me to the tent. Oil lamps lit the inside of the tent, suspended from the pole that supported it. Blue and red rugs covered the ground inside the tent. Prentice was already in there, fussing with a wicker trunk full of clothes. Vomeir released my hand and bowed. "If you need anything. I'll be right here."
"I need you to answer a question. If you can."
"What's the question?"
"If you loved Salisha, why did you let her chase you away?"
"Perhaps I didn't love her as much as you think I did."
Right then, I did something completely out of character. I kissed Vomeir. Nothing serious mind you, just a quick peck on the cheek. "Thank you, Captain."
"What for?"
"For not loving Salisha as much as much I thought you did."
Vomeir didn't say anything. He just stepped back and closed the tent flap, leaving me with Prentice and my thoughts.
# Chapter 5
We broke camp at first light, continuing our journey west in two columns. Sardis and Vomeir rode at the front followed by one half of the queen's guard. Patera rode alongside me, followed by the woodsman's cart, with the woodsman and his wife on the front of the cart, Zore and Prentice on the back. Botek and his men, and the other half of Patera's men, followed the cart. Miletus and Derbe brought up the rear.
"Can I assume you're planning to seek the support of General Dacus and the Army of the West?" Patera said.
"General Dacus isn't fond of Bedonna. I once heard him warn mother that if Bedonna became queen, it would not bode well for Adah."
"Soon after that, she put him in charge of the Army of the West. Convenient for you."
"You think she knew I would seek Dacus's help?"
"I think she knew you were spying on her and General Dacus when he warned her of Bedonna. She always knew when you girls were spying on her." Patera looked me over and smiled. "Not So Little One."
The appreciative grin was for my outfit. There was a dark blue silk skirt that flared out like the ankle length gown I wore yesterday. The upper half of the outfit was also identical to the red velvet dress. It had long sleeves, a scooped neckline, and a built-in corset that laced up the back. The main difference between the two outfits, aside from the material, was that the skirt and top of this outfit weren't connected. I wore my black riding boots and straddled the horse, refusing to ride sidesaddle.
I kept my hair in a ponytail for the simple reason that it was quicker and easier to do than a braid. Instead of the Ruby Crown, I wore a princess crown, a simple silver headband with the royal seal engraved on the front. I still felt ridiculous, dressed in a fancy gown, but at least this outfit was lighter and easier to move around in. The sword around my waist made me feel less ridiculous.
"When your mother gave me those outfits, I told her that she was wasting her time, that you wouldn't wear them. She insisted that you would wear them when the time was right."
"I feel like a little girl playing dress up."
"You may feel like a little girl playing dress up, but you don't look like one. And that's all that matters."
"I feel like I'm trying to fool people."
"Fooling them into thinking you're a beautiful desirable woman, or fooling them into thinking that you're fit to be queen?"
"Both."
"You actually believe that?"
"Yes."
"Then perhaps it's time you take a consort."
I made no attempt to hide the shocked look on my face. "You must be joking."
"It wasn't until your mother took a consort that she began to see herself the way others saw her, as a beautiful, desirable, intelligent woman with much to offer."
"I'm not sure I'm ready to take a consort."
"Some other time then." Patera's weathered face grew more serious. "There's something else we need to discuss."
"What?"
"It's been several months since your mother last heard from General Dacus and the Army of the West."
"Is that long?"
"Normally, she received monthly reports. A few months ago those reports stopped coming. She sent several messengers to find out what was going on, but they never returned."
"Perhaps they were waylaid by bandits," Vomeir said, joining us. "I don't mean to alarm you, Your Highness, but these hills have eyes."
"We're being watched?" I looked around. If someone was watching us, they were hiding in the trees on the mountain side.
"A woman lives in this valley," Patera said. "She commands a handful of men and is known as the Queen of Thieves. It would be her men that are watching us."
"Do you think she killed the messengers?" I said.
"Doubtful," Patera said. "They were always accompanied by a dozen armed men. The Queen of Thieves doesn't have the manpower to go up against that many soldiers. They were in no more danger than we are."
"Then something happened to the messengers when they reached the Army of the West," Vomeir said.
Patera nodded, then looked at me. "I was hoping Lila could use her gift to find out what happened to General Dacus."
I focused on General Dacus. A short stocky man with a shaved head and piercing violet eyes. I saw him sitting in a prison cell. He was still in uniform, but the gray leather breeches were dirty and the green tunic was tattered. He had grown a beard since I last saw him.
"He's in prison."
"Who put him there?" Vomeir asked.
"I don't know. I can't see into the past. I can only see things that are happening or will happen."
"Sounds like a coup," Patera said. "Can't say I'm surprised. The Army of the West has always had its share of malcontents. That's one of the reasons they were sent out here, to get them away from the population centers where they could cause real trouble."
"So we're riding to seek the aid of a legion of malcontents that no longer answers to the Queen of Adah," Vomeir said.
Patera looked at me. "Sure you don't want to turn around?"
I thought of what Bedonna did to Salisha, how she scarred her face out of spite before killing her, and then took her braid as a trophy. "Thanks, but I think I'll take my chances with the malcontents."
I didn't have enough men to defeat Bedonna in combat, and nothing I said would convince her to spare my life. So there was no reason to turn around. I didn't have enough men to go up against the Army of the West either, but I might be able to find a way to win back their loyalty. I wasn't sure how I would do that, but I still had a couple of days to figure things out.
That night, when I lay down to rest, I had a vision of what lie ahead. I saw us arriving at the Western Palace. Like the other two palaces it was constructed of white granite. It sat on top of a gently rolling hill with brown grass and a few palm trees. The surrounding hills looked the same. Behind the palace lay the mountains. In front of the palace, somewhere beyond the rolling hills, lay the Desert of Shifting Sands.
The Western Palace was a rectangular building that ran from left to right rather than front to back. It was a two story structure. There were no windows on the first floor, just a pair of heavy double doors in a recessed archway set in the middle of the building. The second floor consisted of a balcony that ran the length of the building. Several smaller doors opened onto the balcony. At each end of the building was a square tower.
At the bottom of the hill, a white granite wall surrounded the palace. Scattered on the hillside between the wall and the palace were several buildings. The buildings were made from logs and served as barracks, mess halls, and various other buildings for the Army of the West.
Between the Western Palace and the Desert of Shifting Sands lay the Land of the Wild Men. Calling them men might be a misnomer. Court scholars believed they were more like pre-men. They were shorter than men, the tallest being no more than my height. They had sloping foreheads and broad flat noses. Their arms were longer than a normal man's and their bodies were covered with brown hair that looked more like fur. They didn't wear clothes, didn't speak a language other than to grunt and screech at each other. Their use of tools seemed limited to rocks and sticks. They lived in small bands of no more than a dozen and survived by hunting small rodents and each other. Yes. They were cannibals.
In my vision, I arrived at the gates with Vomeir, Patera, and everyone else. I was wearing the Ruby Crown and the red velvet dress. I rode to the front of my party and called out to the men manning the ramparts above the gates.
"I am Lila Marie Haran, heir hopeful to the throne of Adah, and I request an audience with General Dacus."
My presence caused a stir among the men on the ramparts and they didn't seem to know what to do or say. Finally, one of them said, "One moment, Your Highness."
It was several long minutes before anything else happened. Eventually, a tall man with broad shoulders, short black hair, and a bushy black mustache leaned on a rampart over the gate. He was older than Vomeir, but younger than Patera.
"Commander Trager Selis," Patera whispered to me. "One of General Dacus's division commanders."
"Princess Lila," Commander Selis said to me. "This is a pleasant surprise. What brings you way out here?"
"Queen Bella is dead. I seek the aid of General Dacus and the Army of the West in my fight with my sister, Bedonna."
"I see," Selis said.
"Is General Dacus here?"
"Oh, he's here. He's just not in charge of the Army of the West anymore."
"I don't understand."
"It's quite simple, Your Highness. The Army of the West is no longer under the command of General Dacus."
"Who does command it?" Vomeir said.
"I do." Selis bowed, introducing himself. "Trager Selis, King of the Western Hills."
Selis raised his right arm and a line of archers appeared on the rampart, crossbows ready. Patera and Vomeir ordered a retreat, but it was too late. The arrows came too fast for us to do anything. One hit Patera in the neck, knocking him off his horse. Two penetrated Vomeir's breastplate and he fell.
Within minutes, everyone who took an oath to serve me, save for Prentice, was dead. Before I could recover from the shock of what happened, the gates opened and half a dozen armed men came riding out of the fort. One of them took the reins to my horse and led me into the fort. Another threw a struggling Prentice face down over the front of his horse and brought her into the fort.
Selis was now on horseback. He circled around me, and looked me over. "You've changed since I last saw you, Princess. You've grown up."
"I wish I could say the same for you." In truth I didn't even remember the man. Not that I thought it was a good time to let him know that.
Selis laughed and spoke to the man holding the mare's reins. "Take her to the palace and put her in my quarters. Looks like I finally have a consort fit for a king."
I woke up and saw no more, not that I needed to see more. I could figure out what happened after that. What I needed to do was figure out how to get the Army of the West back. Getting them back meant dealing with Trager Selis, the self-proclaimed King of the Western Hills.
I grabbed the dark blue silk cloak I wore during the day, wrapped it around myself, and slipped out of my tent in search of Patera and Vomeir. Luckily, they were still up, sitting by the campfire.
"I know what happened to General Dacus," I said.
"What?" they said in unison.
"One of his division commanders, a man named Trager Selis, has taken control of the army. He's proclaimed himself the King of the Western Hills."
"And the Army of the West is loyal to him?" Vomeir asked.
"As long as he lives." Whether they would fall back into line if he was dead remained to be seen.
"He's a strong willed man," Patera said. "And apparently more ambitious than anybody realized."
"So what are your plans?" Vomeir said.
"I can't take anybody with me to the Western Palace. Trager Selis will kill them."
Vomeir leapt to his feet. "You can't go alone. I won't allow it."
"I appreciate your concern, Captain, but I'm one of two people in this party he won't kill."
"How can you be sure he won't kill you?"
"Because he didn't kill me in my vision."
"Even if he doesn't kill you, I can guarantee he'll make you wish you were dead."
"Vomeir is right," Patera said. "You can't ride to the Western Palace alone. It's too dangerous."
"What will you do when you get there?" Vomeir said.
"I'll request the aid of the King of the Western Hills."
"At which point he'll make you his slave."
"Trager fancies himself a king. The best way to legitimize his claim is to take a princess as his bride."
Vomeir scowled. "Bride or slave. Your duties will be the same."
"The best chance I'll have to kill him is when we're alone in the bedroom."
"And how do you propose to do that?" Patera said. He didn't seem as bothered by my plan as Vomeir, but I didn't expect him to be. He had been through all of this with my mother, when she had to battle her sisters for the throne.
"That's the part I haven't figured out yet. I need to talk to a woman, a woman with experience in deceiving, robbing, and killing men."
"The Queen of Thieves?" Patera said.
"My intuition tells me that she'll be able to help me."
"She'll want something in return."
"I was thinking maybe amnesty."
"That might do it. She's been out here for years, I suspect she's growing tired of living in these woods. I've been told she comes from the Port of Nadal. She might like to see the coast one more time before she dies."
"If amnesty won't satisfy her, I have some gold and jewelry. I suspect she'll accept some of that as payment."
Vomeir folded his arms across his chest and glared at me from the other side of the campfire, making it clear that he didn't like any of my ideas. "Are you planning on seeing her alone?"
"No, Captain. You may accompany me when I meet with the Queen of Thieves."
"When do you plan on doing that?" Patera asked.
"First light tomorrow, while the rest of you break camp. Assuming we're still being watched."
"We are," Vomeir said.
# Chapter 6
Vomeir and I left camp at first light, heading toward the mountains on the southern side of the pass, to the spot where Vomeir said there were people watching us.
"You're sure we're headed in the right direction?"
"Positive, Your Highness."
I took his word for it, since I could neither see or sense anybody hiding in the trees.
"Don't suppose you can tell me how many there are?"
"One that I know of. Maybe more."
"And they won't try to shoot us?"
"If they wanted to attack us, they would have already done it."
We reached the southern side of the pass, where the grass covered flats met the mountains. Even at their base, the mountains were steep. At this elevation, pine trees grew thick. Further up the mountain, they began to thin out, until you reached the tree line, the point where they didn't grow at all.
I pulled the mare up and surveyed the trees. I still couldn't see anyone. I couldn't hear anyone either, due to a stiff morning breeze that whistled through the trees.
"Say something," Vomeir said. "They'll hear you."
"I am Lila Marie Haran, heir hopeful to the throne of Adah. I request an audience with the Queen of Thieves."
A woman stepped out of the trees. She wore black riding boots that looked surprisingly new. Probably stolen from an unlucky traveler. She wore brown leather breeches, a long sleeved white wool shirt that tied in the front, and a brown leather jerkin. Her head had recently been shaved and her hair was still short, cropped close to her head like Bedonna's.
That was where the similarity between her and Bedonna ended. She was shorter than Bedonna, not nearly as muscular, and a lot prettier. She was also too young to be the Queen of Thieves, somewhere around my age. She had a quiver of arrows slung over her shoulder and held a bow and arrow in her hand. The arrow was ready to fire, but she kept it pointed at the ground.
"Why does the heir to the throne of Adah wish to see the Queen of Thieves?"
I dismounted and handed the mare's reins to Vomeir. "Wait here."
Vomeir didn't argue with me. He took the mare's reins from me and remained on horseback. I walked over to the girl and looked her in the eyes. "I'm going to meet a man that has taken something from me, something I want back."
"You intend to steal it?"
"Not exactly."
"So what do you want from the Queen of Thieves?"
"I need to know the best way to kill a man who shares my bed."
The girl smiled. "The Queen of Thieves might be able to help you, but she will want something in return."
"I can offer her and her people amnesty. She'll be free to live anywhere in Adah that she wants. She can even return to the Port of Nadal. I'm told Nadal was once her home."
"If you become Queen of Adah, you can offer the Queen of Thieves amnesty. But you are not the queen yet. What have you to trade now?"
"What does she want?"
The girl circled around me, studying the silk gown I was wearing. It was cut exactly like the red velvet gown I wore a couple of days ago, except that it was made out of yellow silk and had white lacing around the hem, neckline, and cuffs. Once again, I wore my hair in a ponytail and had on the silver headband known as a princess crown. A white silk cloak with yellow trim around the hem and hood covered my shoulders. "The gown you're wearing will suffice."
I couldn't imagine why an elderly woman called the Queen of Thieves would want a silk gown. Not that I was going to argue. I was more than happy to give her my gown in exchange for some advice on how to kill Trager Selis.
"We have a deal?"
I nodded. "We have a deal."
She put the arrow back in the quiver and slung the bow over her right shoulder. "Come. We will go to the Queen of Thieves's camp."
"You will assure my safety?"
The girl seemed amused by my question. "I will assure your safety."
"If she's not back by sunset," Vomeir said. "I will hunt you down."
I followed the girl into the trees and up the mountain side. Not an easy thing to do in an ankle length silk gown. We trudged up the mountain a good mile. Eventually the trees began to thin out and the air grew cooler. By the time we reached the tree line, I was out of breath.
"Your friend is following us."
"He's just worried about my safety. As long as I'm not harmed, he won't cause trouble."
"Sounds like he cares for you very much."
"He's taken an oath to serve me." I stopped and put my hands on my knees, trying to get my wind back. "Is it much further?"
"We are here," the girl said.
I looked around. A ring of rocks that once served as a campfire was there. Next to it was a bedroll, already rolled up, and a knapsack. There were no men, no women, no Queen of Thieves.
"Where is everybody?"
"The Queen of Thieves died last winter, as did the last of her men. They were old and these mountains are not kind to the old, especially during the winter months. I am the last of her people."
That explained why she thought it was funny when I asked if she could guarantee my safety. There was no one around to threaten me except her.
The girl tossed her bow and quiver on the ground and sat on a fallen log. She opened her knapsack and began to rummage through it. I sat next to her, grateful for the chance to catch my breath.
"How long have you been by yourself?"
She paused in her digging long enough to look at the sun. "Mother died just before spring arrived and it's now midsummer. How long would you say that is?"
"About four months. You're the Queen of Thieves's daughter?"
"I am." The girl pulled something out of her knapsack and looked at me. "My name is Talia Pock. My mother was Sharice Pock, the Queen of Thieves."
"Why did you stay here after your mother died? You're not wanted and no one knows who you are. You could've went to one of the cities. Started a new life."
"I was born and raised in these mountains. I've never been to a city, wouldn't know how to live in one."
"Don't you get lonely, living here all by yourself?"
"I am familiar with loneliness. I am not familiar with cities."
"Suppose you didn't have to go to the city alone? Suppose you went with a friend, someone that knew all about cities, knew all about the people that lived in them."
"You are speaking of yourself?"
"The people that are with me have taken a oath to serve me. If you'd be willing to take that same oath, you'd be welcome to join us."
"First we trade," Talia said. "Then you will explain this oath to me."
She opened her hand and showed me two palm-sized pieces of bone connected by a thin silk cord.
"What's that?"
"This is what you need to kill the man that took what is yours." She grabbed a piece of bone in each hand and snapped the cord taunt. "This cord is very strong, strong enough to choke a man to death if you so wish."
"Where do you hide it? Especially if you're naked?"
Talia looked at my gown. "First you give me the dress. Then I'll show you how to hide it in plain sight."
"I'll need something to wear."
"You can have some of my clothes."
"You'll have to help me out of this." I stood, dropped my cloak, and turned my back to her, so she could see the lacing on the dress.
Talia glanced toward the trees, then lowered her voice to a whisper. "Your friend is watching us."
"Let him watch."
Talia pulled an outfit out of her knapsack that was identical to what she had on. It looked a lot more practical, not to mention comfortable, compared to what I had on, so I gladly gave her the gown. Talia's breeches were a little long for me, but fit well once they were tucked inside my riding boots. The sleeves on her shirt were a little long but worked fine once I rolled them up. We were about the same size in the waist and chest, so the jerkin fit perfectly.
Talia insisted on trying the dress on, although she left her other outfit on beneath it. The gown was a little short on her, reaching only to mid-calf. The sleeves were also a touch short, but she didn't seem to mind. In fact, she looked ridiculously happy.
She whirled. "Am I as beautiful as you?"
"Maybe more so. Now, where do I hide the choking device?"
Talia moved behind me, removed the silk ribbon that kept my ponytail in place, and replaced it with choking device. "You hide it in plain sight. No man will suspect that it is anything except a frivolous decoration."
"Your mother taught you this?"
"My mother taught me everything I know. She said men are quick to assume that anything a woman wears is for vanity." Talia pointed to the sword I was buckling around my waist. "Some might even be stupid enough to think your sword is a frivolous decoration."
"Let's hope the man I need to kill is that stupid."
"What did he take from you?"
"He took my army," I said. "And if I'm going to win the throne from my sister, I must get it back."
Talia sat. "Tell me about this oath I must take if I am to travel with you."
I told her about the oath, and Bedonna, and the two hundred men that Bedonna had at her command. She expressed no fear of Bedonna or her men and said she would be willing to take an oath to support me as queen.
I smiled. "You just did."
I got the impression that she had been watching us not because she feared us, but because she was lonely. Four months was a long time for a young woman to live alone in these mountains. I was pretty sure that if Bedonna had come along first, Talia would have joined her cause. Not that I thought she would go back on her word. She didn't impress me as a young woman that was afraid to fight. She was just a young woman that was tired of being alone.
# Chapter 7
We joined the others and continued our journey west. Talia wrapped the dress and cape in her bedroll. Since she didn't have a horse, she had to ride on the back of the woodsman's cart with Zore and Prentice. Not that she minded, she seemed deliriously happy to have people around.
Patera pulled his horse alongside of mine. "I see you've picked up another stray."
I had been riding alone, in the middle of the column, still wearing the worn comfortable clothes Talia gave me. Vomeir was at the front of the column, talking to Sardis.
"Her name is Talia. She's the Queen of Thieves's daughter."
"You stole her from the Queen of Thieves?"
"The Queen of Thieves died over the winter, as did the last of her men. Talia was alone."
"So you didn't find what you were seeking."
"On the contrary. She gave me exactly what I needed. Her mother schooled her well."
"You think it's safe to have her around? Her mother was a thief and a murderer."
"She took an oath to serve me. I believe she will honor that oath."
"What are you going to do with her?"
"By nightfall, we'll be through the Pass of Nod."
Patera nodded. "Give or take a few miles."
"Tomorrow morning, I'll continue my journey alone. The rest of you will wait for me where we make camp. If soldiers from the Army of the West enter the pass without me leading them, you'll need to scatter. Talia was born and raised in these mountains. She can help you hide."
"I'm not comfortable with you riding to the Western Palace alone."
"But you understand my reasoning."
"I understand it, but if Trager Selis kills you, I'll have failed your mother."
"Trager Selis won't kill me," I said. "I'm more valuable to him alive. He has a chance to become the first King of Adah with me at his side."
"And you'll point that out to him?"
"I'll explain to him that we have much in common. He wants to be king. I want to be queen. I'll then propose that we make an alliance. If he supports my claim to the throne of Adah, I'll make him my husband, which will make him king. He'll question my motives, wondering why I'd be willing to do that. I'll point out that I have no alternative and that it is better to share power than die at the hand of my sister. At that point, he'll arrange a quick wedding ceremony. After the ceremony, we'll celebrate. During the celebration, I'll make sure my new husband has plenty to drink. At some point during the celebration, he'll insist we retire to our bedroom and consummate our union. That's when I'll kill him."
"You know how you'll kill him?"
"Yes. Thanks to Talia."
"And you're sure it will work?"
I wasn't sure anything would work, but my plan made sense, and as far as I could see, I didn't have a lot of options. "I believe I have a good chance of killing Trager Selis, but I don't know what the Army of the West will do once he's dead. They're trained to follow orders and I'm counting on them to do that once their self-appointed leader is dead."
"What if you fail to kill him?"
"If I fail to kill him, I'll be no worse off than if Bedonna had caught me."
"How long do you want us to wait for your return?"
"If I'm not back in a fortnight, everyone is free to go where they wish. You can consider your oaths fulfilled."
We rode till dusk then made camp where the pass narrowed, going from a mile across to less than half a mile. We were also starting to descend. The green knee-high grass that made up the floor of the pass was thinning out, and the mountains on both sides of the pass were getting shorter. All of that reminded me that we were nearing the end of the pass, and that tomorrow, I would have to ride on alone. That realization made my stomach lurch and when they passed dinner around--some sort of potato and bean soup--I found I had lost my appetite.
"You need to eat," Vomeir said, thrusting a wooden bowl full of soup into my hands.
I never had a chance to tell him I wasn't hungry because another vision hit me. This one involved my other sister, Iderra. She was sitting in a pub, not a high class establishment that might expect royalty to enter it, but a dark dingy place that harbored no illusions about its cliental.
She wasn't dressed like a princess, wasn't even dressed like a girl. She wore an outfit similar to what I was wearing, black riding boots, brown leather breeches, a white wool shirt that tied in front, and a brown leather jerkin. She also wore a hat, what people liked to call a wizard's hat. It was made out of soft brown leather that came to a point on top and had a huge brim that flopped down over her face.
Her brown hair had been cut short, similar to the way I wore my hair before mother told me to let it grow. She had a green wool cloak draped over her shoulders. A knapsack rested on her table, as did a wooden mug of mead. There was dirt on her face, making it look like she had been on the road for several days. As far as I could see, she carried no sword, no weapon of any kind.
The fact that she carried no weapon didn't surprise me, Iderra was a thinker, not a fighter. Out of the four of us, she had always been the worst when it came to handling a sword, even Salisha could beat her in a sword fight, and Salisha had shown little interest in sword fighting.
For a second, I wondered why I was having this vision. She seemed to be in no danger, at least no more than could be expected considering our current situation. Then the pub's door opened and four of Bedonna's men burst into the room. They wore the uniform of the palace guard, black riding boots, gray leather breeches, green tunics, silver breastplates and helmets. Their swords were drawn, which meant they were there on business.
"Everybody remain where you are," the biggest of the guards said. "We're looking for the Princesses Iderra Derbe Haran and Lila Marie Haran. Not that we'd expect to find either of them in a scummy dive like this."
"Is there a reward?" someone yelled.
"The reward is we don't throw yer scummy arse in prison."
"What do the princesses look like?" Iderra said. I couldn't believe she would draw attention to herself. If it had been me, I would've tried to remain as inconspicuous as possible.
"One's tall and skinny with long brown hair and a beak for a nose."
"Sounds kind of ugly," Iderra said.
The guard laughed. "She ain't the best looking woman I've ever seen, but she ain't as ugly as some of you scum."
There was general laughter from the crowd. A few, Iderra included, even toasted to their ugliness.
"What's the other one look like?" someone said.
"She's short and cute with long black hair. She might have cut her hair, so she could pass herself off as a boy."
"How long is the city going to be locked down?" Iderra asked.
"Yeah," someone else said. "Some of us got business in other towns."
"Help us find the princesses and you can be about your business. Until then, you'll just have to confine your thieven and whoren to Morcesha."
The guards turned and left.
"He called us ugly," Iderra said, loud enough so the whole room could hear her. "Have you seen the princess he works for?"
"Yeah. She's got more hair on her mug than me," a scraggly bearded man said. Everyone laughed and resumed their revelry. Iderra looked directly at me, and spoke in a voice only I could hear. "Do you like my disguise, Mouse? I got the idea from you. I figured if short hair could make people think that you were a boy, then cutting my hair short could make them think I was a man. Of course, I hated to do it, you know how much I loved my hair."
That was true. Iderra always felt that her hair was her best feature. It had reached clear to her waist and was thick and shiny and chestnut in color.
"I trust you're not surprised by my talking to you. I figured out a long time ago that you were a seer. I've even learned to sense when I'm being watched. It's kind of like that feeling you get when someone's looking over your shoulder."
I wasn't surprised by that. Nothing Iderra said or did surprised me. Out of the four of us, she was the most unpredictable.
"Bedonna still has Morcesha locked down, but she'll soon conclude that we've both left the city. Then her guards will fan out and search the surrounding countryside. When that happens, I'll leave Morcesha and head for Sorea, where I plan to seek refuge. I trust you remember my theory about the Dark Wizards of Sorea."
It was hard to forget her theory. Iderra believed the wizards that ran Sorea weren't wizards at all, but intellectuals like herself. She believed they possessed great machines that harnessed the power of steam. She even showed me a device that she believed was at the heart of the machines they used.
The device was a metal ball with bent spouts on opposite ends. The ball had two metal spikes attached opposite each other. She filled the ball with water then placed it in the fireplace, using the two spikes to suspend it over the fire. As the water in the ball got hot, steam began to shoot out of the two spouts. Since both spouts were bent in the same direction, the steam coming out of them flowed in the same direction. As more and more steam flowed out of the spouts, the ball began to spin.
"Imagine bigger versions of this," an excited Iderra had explained. "You place a firebox underneath them. You attach those spikes to wheels and you get self-propelled carts. You could build one of these in a mill, attach it to a millstone, and use it to grind grain. The possibilities are endless."
Iderra believed the Dark Wizards of Sorea had built machines such as those. She believed they had closed their borders to keep that knowledge from leaking out, from finding its way to people that might use the machines against them.
"I'm glad to learn that you're still alive," Iderra whispered. "I imagine you already know what Bedonna did to Salisha. She'll do the same to us if she catches us."
Or worse, I thought, remembering the look in Bedonna's eyes after she killed Salisha.
"Don't worry, Mouse. She won't catch me. I hear she's already planning her coronation. Hard to believe considering we're both still alive. Maybe not so hard to believe knowing Bed. I told the court scholars that I wasn't interested in being queen and that they should support you. I think they understood. They know I'm happier than I've ever been. I don't have to worry about living up to mother's expectations, nor do I have to compete with Salisha's beauty, or with Bedonna's skills as a warrior. And when I reach Sorea, I'll be able to devote all of my time to studying machines I've only dreamed about."
The vision began to fade and I whispered under my breath, "Goodbye, Ide."
I found myself sitting in front of our campfire. Vomeir and Patera were watching me, waiting for me to come out of my trance.
"Is it good news or bad news?" Vomeir said.
"Probably bad," Patera said. "That seems to be the only kind of visions she has."
"That's not true. I had a vision telling me of your arrival and that wasn't bad news."
A hopeful look crossed Vomeir's face. "So it was good news? Tell me it was good news, because we could use a little good news."
"I saw Iderra. She was in a pub in Morcesha. Bedonna's men entered looking for her and me."
"Definitely bad news," Patera said.
"They didn't recognize her," I said. "Even when she spoke to them. They didn't know who she was."
"How is that possible?" Vomeir said.
"She cut her hair short. The way I used to cut mine. And she was wearing clothes similar to what I have on right now. And she wore a big wizard's hat. And her face was covered with dirt. And she looked happy. As happy as I've ever seen her."
"Happy?" Patera said. "What's she got to be happy about?"
"Maybe she's happy that she's still alive," Vomeir said.
"She's happy to be away from the palace. She's happy that she no longer has to live up to mother's expectations. She's happy that she doesn't have to compete with Salisha's beauty. She's happy that she doesn't have to practice sword fighting with Bedonna. She's happy that she's free to go where she wants and study what she wants."
"So Morcesha is no longer locked down?" Vomeir said.
"It's still locked down. But Ide believes Bed is about ready to give up searching the city."
"How do you know that?" Patera said.
"She told me."
Both men stiffened. "What?"
"She knows I'm a seer, has known for quite awhile. Somehow, she could sense my presence."
"That's just creepy," Vomeir said.
"Which is creepy?" Patera said. "Iderra's ability to sense Lila's presence, or Lila's ability to see what's happening in another part of the country?"
"Both."
Patera turned to me. "Did she say anything else?"
"She said Bed is already planning her coronation."
"That's a bit premature," Vomeir said.
"But not surprising," Patera added.
"As soon as Bed's men fan out to search the countryside, Ide is going to leave Morcesha."
"And go where?" Vomeir said.
"Sorea." I couldn't let it go at that, so I laid out Iderra's theory on the Dark Wizards of Sorea, how she thought they were intellectuals like herself and not wizards. That was why she was wearing a wizard's cap. It was her idea of a joke, her way of letting people know where she was going.
"Sounds like wishful thinking on her part," Patera said.
"Ide knows as much about Sorea as anyone in this country. She's read every text written about it, investigated every rumor spread. I wouldn't dismiss her theories too lightly."
Patera pushed himself to his feet and headed off to lay out his bedroll. "Still sounds like wishful thinking to me."
That night I dreamed about machines. Big metal machines that had steam coming out of the top and rolled along metal tracks at incredible speeds. Ide was driving one of those machines and she had a big smile on her face. All in all, it was the best dream I had since my mother became ill a full year ago.
#
# Chapter 8
I was in my tent getting dressed, when Vomeir burst in unannounced. "Change of plans, Your Highness."
"Captain," I shrieked. "I'm not dressed."
I was standing in the middle of the tent wearing rose colored stockings, matching silk briefs, and the top half of a dress that was identical to the two-piece I wore a couple of days ago, with long sleeves, a scoop neckline, and a built-in corset. Like the stockings and briefs, the dress was made out of silk and a dark rose in color. Prentice was standing behind me, lacing up the built-in corset while I hung onto the tent's support pole.
"Now that's what I call an outfit," Vomeir said. "Ride up to the gates of the Western Palace wearing that and the Army of the West will follow you to the end of the world."
"But what would they do with me once I reached the end of the world?"
Vomeir waved Prentice out of the tent. As she scurried out, he slid behind me and whispered in my ear. "Nothing you wouldn't enjoy."
He was probably right. Even so, my entire body turned as red as my clothes. "You mentioned a change of plans."
Vomeir straightened up and his tone grew serious. "Talia is going with you."
"She's safer here. And you guys might need her."
"We're soldiers. We can take care of ourselves." He tugged on the laces of my corset, finishing Prentice's job. "Talia can wear that gown you gave her. They won't kill her if she's wearing a dress. Not if your vision was accurate."
"What if they ask who she is?"
"You can tell them that she's your handmaiden."
"Handmaidens don't shave their heads."
"Soldiers don't know that. If anyone asks, you can tell them she shaved it because she had lice, or because she was sick, or something like that. No one will think twice about the length of your handmaiden's hair."
"If you think she'll come in handy. I'll take her."
"I don't know if she'll come in handy or not. I just know I'll feel better if someone's with you. Someone that knows how to fight."
"Tell Talia that I need to see her." I grabbed the bottom half of my gown and slipped into it. "And tell her to bring her dress. She'll need to change."
I told Talia where we were going and what I expected to happen when we got there. She agreed with Vomeir, that it would be better if someone went with me. She didn't mind wearing the dress, but she wasn't happy about what she had to wear beneath it. Or as she put it, what she didn't get to wear beneath it. She wanted to wear her regular clothes under the gown and I had to explain that ladies didn't wear regular clothes under their gowns. If she did that, the men in the Army of the West would get suspicious. She reluctantly donned the silk undergarments, but strapped a hunting knife around her right calf.
"Everything's ready, Your Highness," Vomeir said, reentering my tent.
Derbe gave Talia his horse and Patera gave us one of his pack horses. The pack horse carried a pair of wicker trunks, one slung on each side of its body. My clothes were in one trunk. Food, water, and some other supplies were in the second trunk. We didn't need the other stuff, since we would reach the Western Palace well before nightfall, but we wanted to make it look like we traveled through the pass alone. I mounted my mare, then turned back to the others. I felt I should say something before I rode off, but I wasn't sure what. Finally, I said, "I won't let them kill me. I promise."
Not long after we left the Pass of Nod, the Western Palace came into view, sitting on top of a gentle hill that was more brown than green.
"Is that where we're headed?" Talia asked.
"The palace is the big white building at the top of the hill. The smaller buildings between it and the wall at the bottom of the hill house the Army of the West."
"I've never seen anything so big. Except the mountains themselves."
"There are three thousand six hundred men stationed here. A full legion."
"Who will we tell them I am?"
"My handmaiden."
"What does a handmaiden do?"
"Lay out my clothes, help me get dressed, fix my hair, prepare my bath, that kind of stuff."
"And how long have I been your handmaiden?"
"Since your mother died four months ago. That's why you shaved your head. You were mourning your mother's death."
Talia flashed a conspiratorial grin. "But we won't tell them who my mother was."
"That's something they don't need to know."
"Otherwise they'll realize that I'm a bodyguard and not a handmaiden."
Vomeir must've told Talia that she was to serve as my bodyguard. I wasn't sure what she could do against three thousand soldiers, but it felt good to have her with me. The closer we drew to the gates, the better it felt to have her with me.
"They won't shoot us?" Talia asked when we drew close enough to the wall to see a lone guard with a crossbow stationed between the ramparts above the heavy wooden gates.
"That's why we're wearing the gowns. If we were dressed as men, they'd probably shoot first and ask questions later."
"But if we play the part of damsels in distress, they'll welcome us with open arms."
I nodded. "Hopefully."
"It's a good plan. My mother always said the easiest way to best a man is to play the damsel in distress."
We rode in silence until the soldier manning the ramparts called out. "Stop and state your business."
I pulled back on the mare's reins. "I'm Lila Marie Haran, heir hopeful to the throne of Adah. I wish to speak to Trager Selis."
"One, ah, moment, Your Highness."
The man sounded flustered. No big surprise. Rebelling against the queen's emissaries was one thing, rebelling against the queen herself, or in this case, her heir, was something else, especially when you had taken an oath to serve her. It was nice to know there were still men in the Army of the West that could suffer a twinge of guilt over their actions.
What I wanted to know was why did they rebel? Why did they go along with Trager Selis and throw General Dacus in prison? What made them want to do it? I understood Trager Selis. He was ambitious. He lusted for power. I didn't understand the men that supported him. If I was going to gain their support, I needed to understand them. I needed to find out why they rebelled against my mother.
After what seemed like an eternity, Trager Selis appeared between the ramparts directly over the gate, just like in my vision. And just like in my vision, there were half a dozen soldiers on each side of him pointing crossbows at us.
"Princess Lila," Trager Selis said. "What brings you here?"
"My journey has been a long and tiring one. Let me rest in comfortable quarters and I will tell you."
"Tell me now."
"If that's what you wish."
"It is."
"You call yourself the King of the Western Hills. But you, and I, and the men that surround you, know that you are no king."
"You came here to insult me?"
"On the contrary, Commander. I came here to make all your dreams come true."
"How so?"
"You call yourself a king, but we all know that you are no king." I paused to smile. "However, I can make you a king. A legitimate king. A true king. A king whose children will have royal blood flowing through their veins."
"And what do you want from me?"
"My mother is dead. The throne is up for grabs. I think you can figure out the rest. Now, if you would be so kind as to open the gates. It's been a long ride and my handmaiden and I are weary."
Trager nodded to one of his men, who called out, "Open the gates."
The heavy wooden gates opened inward. When they were open all the way, Trager Selis and six armed men rode out to meet us. He stopped next to me and looked me over. "You've changed since I last saw you, Princess. You've grown up."
"The death of one's mother does that, Commander."
"Especially when one's mother is the Queen of Adah. How fair your sisters?"
"Salisha is dead. Iderra flees to Sorea. Only Bedonna and I remain to fight over mother's throne."
"How many men does Bedonna have?"
"So far just the palace guard."
I could see the wheels turning inside Trager Selis's power hungry little mind. He was beginning to see what I wanted him to see. He was beginning to see how an alliance between the two of us could make him a king. A legitimate king. A true king.
"The trunk on the right has my clothes," I said, when one of Selis's men grabbed our pack horse's reins. "Please put it in my suite. The other one contains what's left of our food and supplies. Do with it as you wish."
We passed through the gates and followed the road that wound its way to the palace on top of the hill. Trager Selis rode on my left. Talia rode on my right. Selis's six men--who I took to be his most loyal supporters and personal guard--followed behind us. The rest of the Army of the West was going about their business, but they all stopped to look at us as we rode by. I wasn't wearing the Ruby Crown, but I was wearing the silver headband known as a princess crown and had little doubt that everyone recognized me.
"How did you know that I've been calling myself the King of the Western Hills?" Trager asked me.
"You mean how could I possibly know that, since you've imprisoned all the messengers my mother sent?"
Trager smiled, a smug smile. "If you want to put it that way."
"I'm a seer, Commander. I know many things."
Okay, so maybe it sounded a little pompous. Or a lot pompous. Either way, it wiped the smug grin off Trager Selis's face. It also let him know that I possessed abilities that he might find useful. I figured the more reasons he had to keep me alive, the safer Talia and I would be.
"There have always been rumors about you and your sisters. But I never heard anything about you being a seer."
"That's because I didn't tell anyone. You might say that I was hiding my assets."
He leered at my breasts and smiled. "In more ways than one, Your Highness."
"Sword fighting against Bedonna was easier when I dressed and cut my hair like a boy. I didn't have her size and strength, so I tried to make up for it with speed and quickness."
"How did you fair?"
"Better than my late sister, Salisha, but never as well as I would've liked."
"Bedonna killed Salisha in a sword fight?"
"Yes."
"We'll have to make sure you don't suffer the same fate."
"Your help will be appreciated and rewarded, Commander."
"I would expect no less, Your Highness."
We reached the top of the hill and circled around to the front of the palace. Palms were scattered across this hill and the surrounding hills. Beyond the hills, I could see the edge of the Desert of Shifting Sands. Its red sands providing a stark contrast to the brown hills.
"Do wild men really live on these hills?"
"Wild men. Wild woman. Though in truth, it's hard to tell the women from the men." Trager dismounted and came over to help me down. He noticed I was straddling the horse. "I see you still ride like a boy."
"Old habits are hard to break." I dismounted without his help and handed him the reins to my horse. If my treating him like a servant bothered him, he didn't let on. "I assume you're staying in the Queen's Suite."
"The Queen's Suite is too frilly for my tastes. My men will take your clothes there and pour you a bath. I imagine you'd like to freshen up after your long journey."
Trager played the perfect host, giving us a tour of the Western Palace. Inside, it looked a lot like the Summer Palace and the Winter Palace, with white granite walls and floors. Brass oil lamps hung from the ceilings. Hand woven tapestries hung on the walls. The first floor consisted of the usual rooms, the great hall, the throne room, the dining hall, the kitchen, and the servant's quarters. The second floor was all suites, the Queen's Suite, along with suites for princesses, advisers, and consorts. Trager Selis was in the largest of the suites set aside for the men.
The Queen's Suite consisted of a large drawing room with half a dozen arched doors that opened onto the palace's extended balcony. There was an equally large dressing room and bedroom, each with half a dozen more doors opening onto the balcony. The balcony doors were all open and the pink silk curtains had been pulled back to allow the warm desert air into the room. The furniture was a mixture of oak and pine and covered with brocaded silk cushions. A hand woven pink and gold throw rug covered the middle of the drawing room floor. In one corner of the drawing room, near the balcony doors, sat a brass tub filled with steaming water.
"Somebody liked pink," I said.
"I believe it was your great great grandmother. According to the stories, she was the last queen to stay here. They say she gave birth here, although I don't know if it was your great grandmother or one of her sisters."
It suddenly occurred to me that if I were to somehow assume the throne and have daughters--I say daughters because no woman in my family had ever given birth to a son--they would never meet their aunts. Salisha was already dead. There was no way Bedonna would let me assume the throne while she still lived. And with Iderra heading for Sorea, it was doubtful she would ever be seen or heard from again.
"Are you all right, Your Highness?" Trager Selis said, drawing me out of my reverie.
"Fine. I was just wondering why my mother or grandmother never came out here."
"Probably the dry air. They say it's hard on a woman's skin." Trager bowed and backed out of the room. "When you've finished freshening up, join me in the dining hall. We have much to discuss."
He closed the door to the hallway, leaving Talia and I alone.
"He doesn't seem so bad," Talia said.
"Your mother was a thief. You know better than anyone that what a thief says to your face, and what he does behind your back, are two different things."
Talia nodded. "That is the way of the thief."
"While I'm dining with Commander Selis, I want you to slip out of the palace and talk to some of the soldiers we passed on our way up here. I need to know why they supported Selis when he rebelled against General Dacus."
"Can I wear my regular clothes? I can move a lot quicker in them."
"As long as Selis doesn't see you." I looked out the doors that opened onto the balcony. They faced west, toward the setting sun, which was casting an orange glow across the sky. It would be dark soon and that would enable Talia to move freely.
"I think Commander Selis will be too busy looking at you to notice whether I'm around. You have a way with men, much like my mother did."
I didn't know how to respond to that. My way with men, if I did have a way with men, was untested. Any interest men had in me, I attributed in large part to my station in life, in small part to my appearance, and in no part to my feminine wiles.
Talia and I unlaced each other's gown. While I slipped into the tub to soak, she donned her old clothes and headed out to talk to some of the soldiers. About a minute after she left, the door to my suite opened. I started to ask her why she was back so soon, then saw that it was Trager Selis.
"I trust this is important, Commander." I tried to not sound as nervous as I felt. I wasn't used to men walking in on me when I was naked, whether I was in a tub full of water or not. Truth be told, I wasn't used to men paying attention to me.
"I brought you something to wear. I suspect it will be a bit more comfortable in this hot dry climate."
"Where did you find something that would fit me?"
"The palace storage rooms are full of women's clothing. I have no idea who any of it belonged to, but some of it looks to be about your size." He laid the outfit on a chair next to the door and left.
Trager's sudden appearance in my room made it hard to relax, so I finished my bath, climbed out of the tub, and dried off.
I padded barefoot across the drawing room floor and looked at the outfit he left. It was sapphire blue in color and made out of silk. The top was a triangle-shaped scrap of material that went over the breasts and tied behind the neck and the middle of the back. It left my back, arms, shoulders, and waist bare.
The bottom half consisted of two straight pieces of silk that reached the ankles. They were attached to a gold chain that went around the waist, but weren't attached to each other. A pair of sapphire blue sandals that laced up the calves completed the outfit. There was nothing else, not even a pair of skimpy silk briefs to wear underneath it.
Unlike my gowns, which consisted of several layers of silk, this getup was nothing more than three thin pieces of silk. I had no intention of wearing something that skimpy, so I headed into the dressing room to find a gown to wear. The problem was my clothes weren't there. Not only was my trunk not there, but the rose colored gown I arrived in was gone. Even Talia's dress was gone.
"So it begins," I said.
I knew Trager wouldn't just let me ride in here and do what I wanted. I knew he would try to control me. I just didn't know how he would do it. Taking my clothes away from me never entered my mind. I figured he would just assign a couple of men to follow me around, like those six men that followed him around. Then again, maybe he didn't have that many men. Maybe his hold over the Army of the West wasn't as secure as I thought. Maybe there were only six men that he could trust. Really trust.
One of our legions consisted of three thousand six hundred men, with each legion being divided into six divisions of six hundred men each. General Dacus had been in charge of the legion. Six commanders were beneath him, with each commander in charge of a division. One of those commanders was Trager Selis. To take control, he would've had to jail General Dacus and the other five commanders.
Seven men might be enough to take control of the Army of the West, especially if General Dacus and the other division commanders didn't see the coup coming. Grab them while they're sleeping, one or two at a time, throw them in the cells beneath the palace, and the foot soldiers surrounding the palace wouldn't know what happened. Most of them probably wouldn't care. Dacus or Selis, what difference did it make to them who was living in the palace, running around shouting, I'm in charge.
I was glad that I had sent Talia out to talk to the troops, to find out what they thought about Trager's rebellion. I needed to find out how deep the roots of this rebellion went.
Until then, I would have to play Trager's game. Even if that meant walking around in an outfit that made me feel naked, which this getup certainly did. Not only were my back, arms, shoulders, and waist bare, but so were my legs. You could see every inch of them when you looked at me from the side, and when I walked, the piece of blue silk that covered my front slid between my legs, baring them from that angle.
So be it, I told myself. I knew I'd have to use my body, my femininity, when I came here. But knowing you had to do something, and actually doing it, were two different things.
I left the princess crown in my suite, but kept my hair in a ponytail, tying it with the choking device Talia gave me. Somehow, it didn't seem appropriate to wear a crown with an outfit that looked like it had been made for a slave.
Three long oak tables set in a U-shape dominated the dining hall. Three dozen high backed oak chairs surrounded the tables, with one dozen chairs at each table.
Trager Selis was sitting at the bottom of the U. His six guards were standing at attention, two of them directly behind him, the other four in each of the room's corners. While his guards wore their breastplates, helmets, and swords, Selis wore only boots, gray leather breeches, and a green colored silk shirt that tied down the front.
I expected the guards to be there. I expected their eyes to focus on me, and what I was wearing, which they did. What I didn't expect was the old crone sitting at Selis's left hand.
She was tall and skinny and as wrinkled as any human I had ever seen. She wore a black wool robe that looked way too warm for this climate. She kept her thin gray hair pulled back in a tight bun.
She cackled when she saw me enter the room. "Just as I foresaw. A beautiful princess dressed as a humble slave girl will sit at the right hand of the King of the Western Hills. Ready and willing to do anything and everything he asks."
It seemed that Trager Selis had a seer of his own. This was an unwelcome development. A very unwelcome development.
# Chapter 9
I did a quick review of my situation. I was in the camp of a man that rebelled against my mother. I had no weapons except the choking device I used to tie my hair back. My clothes were gone, leaving me with nothing to wear except a slinky blue slave girl outfit. And one of the reasons Trager Selis had for keeping me alive no longer mattered, since he already had a seer. It wasn't the ideal situation to find oneself in, but it wasn't as bad as having to face my big sister Bedonna in a sword fight to the death.
I wondered where the old crone came from. Not Adah. Adah wasn't known for seers, or readers, or wizards, or witches. Maybe Sorea, although I doubted that. Certainly not Gibney. Gibney was a land of merchants and traders. Most likely she came from the Sugar Islands.
The Sugar Islands were located in the middle of the Southern Sea, directly south of Adah. They were named for the sugar cane that grew there. They were also known for buying and selling slaves, and practicing the dark arts.
"Are you all right, Princess?" Trager said.
"I was wondering how much of a seer one is if they have to steal a person's clothes to make their vision come true."
"I didn't steal your clothes," the crone said.
"You may not have carried the trunk out of my room, but it was your idea." I circled the tables and sat at Selis's right hand. "So this is why you rebelled against General Dacus and my mother. A crone from the Sugar Islands came to you claiming to be a seer, telling you that you're destined to become a great king, and you believed her."
I was playing a hunch, but it didn't take a genius to put two and two together. Most likely, she had been sent by the King of the Sugar Islands. He probably heard my mother was ill and decided to cause trouble. Every time the queen died in Adah, the King of the Sugar Islands stirred the pot, trying to weaken Adah. He did it because our navy controlled the Southern Sea, limiting his ability to buy and sell slaves. The weaker we were, the stronger he was. It was as simple as that.
I looked past Trager to the crone. "Why Commander Selis? Why did you decide to make him your puppet?"
A faint smile spread across the crone's wrinkled and weathered face. She was definitely from the Sugar Islands. Her skin had a rich tan that was common among the people that lived in the islands. I was guessing that she wasn't as old as she looked. Too much sun had hurried the aging process, adding spots and wrinkles to her leathery skin.
I turned to Trager. "You do know the King of the Sugar Islands does this every time the Queen of Adah dies."
"Does what?" Trager said, between bites of food. He was smiling, but it wasn't an evil or amused smile. It was something else. The kind of smile you find on drunks. It made me wonder if she had done something to him besides convince him that he was destined to become a great king.
"Sends someone up here to cause trouble. The weaker Adah is, the stronger he is. And if he could somehow put a puppet on the throne. You can imagine how powerful he'd be then."
"You need to learn your place," the crone said to me.
She stood up, slipped her right hand into her black robe, and moved toward me with surprising speed. I expected her to pull a knife out, so I leapt to my feet and slid the chair I was sitting on between us. Her hand came out of her robe, but she wasn't holding a knife. All she had was some sort of white powder, which she tossed in my face. I didn't know what the powder was, but it had a sweet smell and it made me sneeze.
"Ezerra, what are you doing?" Trager asked the crone.
"Making your guest more malleable," Ezerra said. She smiled at me. "How do you feel, Little One?"
How did I feel? I should've been mad. Mad at her for convincing Commander Selis to rebel against my mother. Mad at her for stealing my clothes and making me dress like this. Mad at her for tossing that white powder in my face. Funny thing though, I wasn't mad. I felt as good as I had felt in a long time. I felt--euphoric.
Ezerra reached into her robe again. This time she pulled out a metal collar. It looked familiar, although I couldn't quite place it. I knew a certain class of people in the Sugar Islands wore metal collars just like it. Well, not exactly like it. Most of those collars were made out of brass or iron. This one appeared to be made out of gold. For the life of me, I just couldn't remember what that class of people was called. Not that I cared. I felt too good to care about anything.
"I bet you'd like to have this," Ezerra said. "To wear around your pretty young neck."
I did want it. It was bright and shiny and golden. I wanted it so bad that I reached out for it.
"No," Ezerra said, pulling the pretty gold collar out of my reach. "If you want this you're going to have to earn it."
"How?" My voice sounded funny, slurred. It made me wonder if I had the same funny smile on my face that Trager wore. Maybe she had tossed some powder in his face, or more likely, his food.
"Dance for us." Ezerra pointed to a spot in the middle of the room, between the three tables. When I hesitated, she dangled the pretty gold collar in front of me. "You do want this don't you?"
I did want it. I wanted it enough that I circled the tables, moving to the spot Ezerra indicated.
"Now dance." She dangled the shiny gold collar on the end of her gnarled and bony finger.
I raised my hands above my head, closed my eyes, and began to move, rolling my hips to music only I could hear. Music that seemed to be part of the euphoria I was feeling. I felt drunk, no, better than drunk, more like I was flying.
I don't no how long I danced. Nor did I care. It just felt good to move, to sway to the music that was playing inside my head.
"I think you've earn your reward," Ezerra said.
My reward, I had forgotten all about it. I stopped dancing and opened my eyes. Ezerra was standing on the other side of the table, dangling the pretty gold collar on the end of her gnarled and bony finger. I moved toward the table and reached across it, trying to snatch my shiny reward out of her hand. Once again, she yanked it out of my reach.
"Come around the tables and I'll put it on you." I scampered around the tables. Suddenly, all I cared about was getting my reward. My shiny gold reward. I earned it and it was mine. When I reached Ezerra, I tried to take the gold collar from her, but she slapped my hand. "Bad girl. I said I would put it on you."
She made me stand still while she snapped the metal collar around my neck. It felt cool against my heated skin and there was just enough room between it and my neck for a small finger. I was glad to have it except for one small problem, I couldn't see it. What good was a shiny gold collar that you couldn't see?
Ezerra looked at me. "Is something wrong, Little One?"
Something was wrong, and it wasn't because I couldn't see my shiny gold reward. All I knew was the euphoria I had been feeling a minute ago was starting to fade. I just couldn't explain why it was beginning to fade.
"I think you've proven your ability to control the princess," Trager said. He turned to the two guards standing behind us. "Take Princess Lila back to her suite. I need to talk to Ezerra."
"About what?" Ezerra said.
The guards grabbed me by my arms and hustled me toward the exit.
"Princess Lila raised a couple of interesting points," Trager said.
"Such as?"
"Such as where do you come from?"
"Where I come from doesn't matter. What matters is what I can do for you. What I've already done for you."
I didn't hear the rest of the conversation because the guards and I left the dining hall. They didn't say anything to me as we passed through the throne room, the great hall, and up the broad granite stairs that led to the second floor.
"Key," I said, when we reached the second floor. I sounded breathless, felt breathless, but my mind was starting to clear, as if a fog was beginning to lift, a fog that had clouded my thinking, clouded my judgment, clouded my feelings.
"What's she talking about?" the guard on my right said.
"Want key," I repeated. "To collar."
"We don't have the key," the guard on my left said. "Ezerra must have it."
"Probably in one of the pockets of that big robe she wears," the guard on my right said. "She's got all kinds of stuff hidden inside that thing."
We were moving again, heading down the second floor hallway toward the Queen's Suite. Actually the guards were moving, literally carrying me by my arms.
"Where does Ezerra sleep?" I said.
"She sleeps in the servant's quarters on the first floor," the guard on my right said. "In the back room at the far end of the hall."
"When does she go to bed?"
"Right after dinner," the guard on my left said. "Is she really working for the King of the Sugar Islands?"
"I believe so."
"Can you prove it?" the guard on my right said.
"Stop," I said. "Please."
The guards stopped. I pulled my arms free from their grasp and moved to one of the gilt framed mirrors that lined the palace's second floor hallway. I barely recognized the woman that looked back at me. My eyes looked bigger than they had ever looked, with the pupils dilated. My cheeks were flushed and there was still a trace of white powder on my face. My nipples were two hard points, pushing against the thin piece of silk that covered them. The two pieces of silk that hung from the gold chain around my waist had bunched between my legs, leaving my legs on display.
I stepped close enough to the mirror so I could read the writing on the collar. As I suspected, it was in Talish, the native tongue of the Sugar Islands.
"The writing on this collar is written in Talish. Talish is the official language of the Sugar Islands."
"What does it say?" the guard on my right said.
"It says: Property of the King of the Sugar Islands."
Actually that wasn't all it said. What it said was: This slave is the property of the King of the Sugar Islands. It was just too humiliating for me to mention the word slave.
"You're sure about that?" the guard on my right said.
"I learned to read, write, and speak Talish when I was ten years old."
"You mean we've been working for the King of the Sugar Islands?" the guard on my left said.
"Who did you think was behind this rebellion?"
"We, ah, never gave it much thought," the guard on my right said. "All we know is Ezerra showed up at the gates saying she had a message for the commander on watch. We took her to Commander Selis and they've been together ever since."
"After she got here, Commander Selis ordered us to toss General Dacus and the other commanders in the dungeon," the guard on my left said. "Commander Selis said they had come down with a disease that affects the mind. They was all acting sort of crazy, so we figured he knew what he was talking about. Same thing happened to the messengers your mom sent."
"You think Ezerra used one of her magic powders on them?" the guard on my right said.
Magic powders. Ha. Her powders had no more magic in them than a mug of mead or ale. The Sugar Islands were full of exotic plants, plants with properties that we in Adah knew nothing about. Ezerra wasn't a seer, wasn't anything but what my tutors referred to as a powder witch. That long black robe of hers was full of pockets with all sorts of powders. Powders that could make your mind feel euphoric while your body flushed with desire. Powders that could make a man act crazy.
It wouldn't surprise me to learn she had a powder that could make a man like Trager Selis susceptible to her suggestions. Make him believe anything she told him. She wouldn't be bold enough to throw the powder in his face, like she did with me, but she could sneak some into his food or drink. I hadn't been here very long, but even I noticed that when he was eating, he seemed out of it, kind of drunk.
"I think she drugged their food," I said. "Does Ezerra usually eat with Commander Selis?"
"All the time," the guard on my left said. "Breakfast, lunch, and dinner."
"I think she's drugging him too. Slipping something into his food. Something that makes him susceptible to her suggestions, like I was susceptible to her suggestions."
"How do you know that?" the guard on my right said.
"I've studied her kind," I said. "She's not a seer, like she claims. She's what's known as a powder witch. She can't cast spells or conjure up demons or anything like that. She tosses powder in your face, or on your body, or slips it into your food and drink, then uses it to control you."
"So when she tells him that he's destined to become a king . . ."
"He's more likely to believe her. And when she tells him that she has his best interests at heart, he's likely to believe that."
"Where does she get these powders from?" the guard on my left said.
"They're made from plants that grow in the Sugar Islands. Plants we've never heard of and know nothing about. Plants that can affect you quicker than a mug of mead or ale." I stepped up to the two guards. "Look at my eyes. You see how my pupils are dilated? That's because of the powder Ezerra threw in my face."
"So if Ezerra is using one of her powders on Commander Selis," the guard on my right said, "his pupils will be dilated?"
I nodded. "Even in the bright sun."
"That might explain why he's always squinting when he goes out during the day."
"What do you want from us?" the guard on my left said.
"Watch Ezerra closely. Find out if she's slipping one of her powders into Commander Selis's food."
"You think she would actually do that?" the guard on my right said.
"Didn't you find it a bit odd that Commander Selis never spoke of rebellion, never even considered rebelling, until Ezerra showed up?"
The two guards looked at each other, then shrugged their shoulders. Okay, so they weren't the sharpest tools in the shed. But they were big and strong and they could move around the palace unnoticed. If I was going to defeat Ezerra, I needed their help, which meant I had to choose my next words carefully.
"If Ezerra is using one of her powders on Commander Selis, we have to stop her. As long as she's drugging him, he'll remain under her control, which makes him nothing more than her slave." The two guards didn't say anything, so I continued. "If she is using one of her powders on Commander Selis, I won't hold him responsible for his actions, not anymore than I hold myself accountable for how I acted in the dining hall."
I held Ezerra accountable for everything that happened tonight. I held her accountable for everything that was happening here. I would see her dead. And I would see the king that sent her reduced to begging in the streets.
The two guards looked at each other. Finally, the one on my left said, "We'll keep our eyes on Ezerra."
"And we'll check with the cook," the guard on my right said. "See if she's in the kitchen while the commander's meals are being prepared."
"What if she is drugging the commander's food?" the guard on my left said. "How do we stop her?"
"The only way we can," I said. "We're going to have to kill her."
"We can't get close to her," the guard on my right said. "When we do, she slips her hand into the black robe she wears, like she's going to pull something out and throw it at us."
"I can get close to her," I said. "I just need you guys to make sure nobody tries to stop me from killing her."
"By nobody, you mean the commander," the guard on my left said.
"Or one of the other guards."
"Understood," both guards said.
Good," I said. "Between the three of us, we may be able to save Commander Selis from the clutches of this powder witch."
I slipped back into my suite. The copper bathtub was still by the balcony doors. The water in it was no longer hot, but it wasn't cold either. I removed what little I had on, climbed into the tub, and washed Ezerra's powder off my face and body.
Ezerra had purposely humiliated me, for no other reason than to prove to herself, and to me, that she could do it. She wanted to let me know that she was in charge here, not Trager Selis, certainly not me. Now that the effects of her powder had worn off. Now that I could think clearly. I realized that I wasn't embarrassed or mortified. I was angry.
Most of my anger was directed at Ezerra, but part of it was directed at my mother. How could she have not taught her generals, commanders, and troops about powder witches? If they had known they existed, they could've prevented Ezerra from taking control of Commander Selis and the Army of the West. They could've prevented her from entering the gates. Things I had to learn as a young girl had never been taught to our troops or their commanding officers.
If I became queen, those things would change. Our troops would learn about all forms of warfare, the subtle as well as the overt. They would learn how to deal with spies and saboteurs just as they learned how to deal with archers, foot soldiers, and cavalry.
I finished washing the powder off then headed into the bedroom and climbed into bed. I was getting sleepy, the same way you get sleepy after drinking too much mead or ale. Probably another side effect of Ezerra's powder.
I knew I had forgotten something, or someone, but I couldn't remember who or what. Whatever it was, I would worry about it in the morning.
# Chapter 10
I woke with a start, bolting to a sitting position in the middle of my oversized bed. It was light outside, with the sun still in the east. I remembered the important point that I couldn't remember last night. I sent Talia out to talk to the troops and she hadn't returned. I scrambled out of bed and checked my suite. She wasn't in the Queen's Suite, nor was she in the handmaiden's quarters that adjoined the suite.
I did find breakfast waiting for me, sitting on a table in my drawing room. It consisted of rolls, scrambled eggs, and fresh milk. I was hungry, since I never had a chance to eat dinner last night. Despite my growling stomach, I didn't touch the food, fearing that Ezerra had slipped one of her powders into it.
Draped over the back of a chair was another slave girl outfit for me to wear, identical to the blue one from last night except that it was yellow. I changed into the yellow outfit, not because I wanted to, but because there wasn't anything else for me to put on.
I just finished dressing when someone knocked on my door. I knew it wasn't Trager Selis or Ezerra, neither of them would bother to knock. I thought it might be Talia, but it wasn't. It was one of Selis's guards. One of the two guards that escorted me back to my suite last night. The one that had been on my right.
He wore black riding boots, gray leather breeches, and a green tunic. He wore his sword around his waist, but he wasn't wearing his helmet or breastplate. He was around thirty years old, with hair as black as mine but freshly cut. He was clean shaven with pale gray eyes and a long narrow nose that looked like it had been broken on more than one occasion. He wasn't as handsome as Vomeir, but he wasn't a bad looking fellow.
"I hope you haven't eaten your breakfast," he said, stepping into my suite and closing the door behind him.
"No."
"I was in the kitchen eating breakfast when Ezerra entered and told the cook to fix you a plate. I saw her slip her hand into her robe and sprinkle some powder on the food before ordering me to bring it up to your room." He reached into his tunic and pulled out a loaf of round bread and an unopened bottle of wine. "These are safe to eat."
I took the bread and wine. "I don't even know your name."
"Gustus, Your Highness."
I didn't know if I had won Gustus over with my beauty and sexuality, or with the arguments I made to him and his partner. Not that I cared. I was just glad to have him on my side. "Have you found out if Ezerra is drugging Commander Selis's food?"
"I did. After handing me your plate, with orders to bring it to your suite, Ezerra told the cook to fix a plate for Commander Selis. I lingered in the kitchen just long enough to see her sprinkle one of her powders on the commander's food."
"We have to kill her," I said.
"That won't be easy. Anytime one of us comes close to Ezerra, she slips her hand into her robe, almost like she's afraid that we'll try something."
"I can get close to her. Especially if she thinks I'm still under her influence."
"You don't have a weapon."
I smiled. "Don't be so sure."
"There's one more thing that I think you should know," Gustus said. "There's a man here. He's been staying in the palace for a couple of weeks now. I know nothing about him, other than he's a friend of Ezerra's. Perhaps friend isn't the right word. I believe Ezerra once referred to him as a business associate."
"Does Commander Selis know about this man?"
"When the man first arrived, Commander Selis asked Ezerra who he was and where he came from. Ezerra said that he was a business associate from the Far Lands and that Commander Selis shouldn't concern himself with the man. She put him in the servant's quarters near her room. The man has stayed out of the commander's way and the commander seems to have forgotten about him."
The Far Lands were the name we had given to the countries located west of the Desert of Shifting Sands. Adah had no formal relations with any of the countries located in the Far Lands. What we knew of them came from the Gibean sailors that had sailed to that side of the continent hoping to establish new trade routes. They had succeeded in trading with a land called Standish. I didn't know if any of the Far Lands bought and sold slaves, but if someone had come to see Ezerra on business, it was probably to buy a slave. Most likely me.
It made more sense for Ezerra to sell me to someone in the Far Lands rather than take me back to the Sugar Islands. The King of the Sugar Islands couldn't risk keeping an Adan princess as a slave, even an insignificant princess like myself. Honor would force Bedonna to do something about it, like go to war against the King of the Sugar Islands. Granted, Bedonna would kill me once she had killed him, but that was beside the point.
Selling me to someone from the Far Lands made more sense. The King of the Sugar Islands would make some money and no one in Adah would hear about one of their princesses becoming a slave. Not that I considered the man from the Far Lands to be a problem. Ezerra was my problem. If I killed her, Commander Selis would no longer be under her control.
First though, I needed to find out what happened to Talia. I figured the best way to do that was by using my abilities as a seer. I used them to find Sardis when his horse broke a leg, and I used them to find General Dacus when we wondered what had happened to him. Maybe I could use them to find Talia.
I waited for Gustus to leave then sat in one of the chairs in the drawing room. I closed my eyes and concentrated on Talia, picturing her in her brown leather breeches, brown leather jerkin, and white wool shirt. I pictured her with her close cropped hair and the mischievous gleam in her eyes. A second later, I saw her, sitting in a cell across from a dirty and bearded General Dacus. There was nothing in her cell except for a slop bucket and some straw piled into one corner.
Talia was sitting on the straw, her eyes closed, her back resting against the stone wall. The only light in the place was from oil lamps hanging between the cells. She opened her eyes, looked in my direction, and jumped, almost as if I had startled her.
"The gods protect us!" Talia said. "Either I'm seeing things, or they've killed Princess Lila."
"What in blazes are you talking about girl?" That came from General Dacus, who was lying on the straw pile in the cell across from Talia. There were men in the cells next to them, most likely my mother's messengers and the other division commanders.
"Princess Lila is in my cell," Talia said, staring right at me. "Except she's a ghost. I can see right through her."
What was she talking about? She could see me. No one had said that before, although Iderra said that she could sense my presence. That made me wonder. Were my powers growing? Could I control what Talia saw? I kept my concentration on Talia, but willed myself to become invisible.
"I don't see anything," General Dacus said. He was standing with his hands on the iron bars of his cell, staring into Talia's cell.
"She was here a second ago. Then she just faded away. I think they've killed her."
"If that's true then our only chance to get out of here is gone."
I pictured myself becoming visible, like the ghost image Talia mentioned.
"She's back," Talia cried. "Or her ghost is."
"So she is," General Dacus said.
Talia leapt to her feet and approached me, slowly, carefully. "Are you dead, Princess?"
I pictured my ghost image shaking its head no.
"She's shaking her head no," General Dacus said.
"No you ain't dead?" Talia said.
I pictured my image nodding yes.
"She's shaking her head yes," General Dacus said. "That means she's still alive."
"You're still alive?" Talia said.
I pictured my image nodding yes, more vigorously than before.
"Definitely alive," General Dacus said.
"Are you still in the palace?" Talia said.
My image nodded yes one more time.
"They caught me sneaking out of the palace. Some ugly old crone told them to lock me up down here. I guess I ain't as good a thief as my mother." My image gave Talia a sympathetic smile. She smiled back. "Thanks."
"Ask her if she's met Ezerra?" General Dacus said.
My image nodded yes.
"She says yes."
"She's taken over the Army of the West," General Dacus said. "Commander Selis is under her control and the men are afraid to make a move against her. You're going to have to find a way to kill her."
My image nodded yes then faded away.
"She knows," Talia said. "And she's gone again."
I opened my eyes to find myself back in the drawing room of my suite. If I could do this whenever I wanted, I could communicate with anybody, spy on anybody, wherever they were. Well, as long as I knew what they looked like and could picture them in my mind.
I thought about spying on Ezerra, but before I did that, I figured I should practice a little. I wondered who I could practice on, then thought about Vomeir. He was probably worried sick right now. Maybe I could practice my skills on him, let him know I was still alive.
I closed my eyes and pictured Vomeir in my mind. His closely trimmed beard, his broad shoulders, his silver, gray, and green uniform. A second later I saw him, sitting around a dying campfire eating breakfast with Patera and his men. They had taken my tent down, but everything else looked the same.
"Holy crap!" Sardis said, leaping to his feet. He was sitting on a rock directly across from Vomeir. "Did you see that?"
"See what?" a bored Vomeir said.
"I thought I just saw Princess Lila."
"Where?" Patera said.
"Sitting next to the captain."
I had imagined myself sitting next to Vomeir, then imagined my image fading away. Apparently it had worked. I concentrated on my image again, picturing it sitting next to Vomeir. Instead of picturing myself in the outfit I was currently wearing, I pictured myself in the gown I was wearing when I left them.
"She's back!" Sardis cried.
Several of the men sitting next to him leapt to their feet and pointed at me. Vomeir turned his head and looked at me over his shoulder. Without batting an eyelash, he said, "So, you're still alive."
My ghost image nodded yes.
"I take that to mean you can hear me but can't talk to me."
My image nodded yes. Again.
Patera looked at me from where he was sitting. "You've reached the Western Palace?"
My image nodded yes.
"Commander Selis hasn't tried to kill you?"
My image shook its head no.
"You're safe then?" Vomeir asked.
My image shrugged its shoulders.
"What does that mean?" Vomeir shrugged his shoulders, imitating me.
How did I let them know about Ezerra? Instead of picturing myself sitting there in one of my gowns, I pictured Ezerra sitting there in her black robe. It must've worked because everyone that was standing backed up a couple more steps. I quickly changed the image back to myself.
"Who the hell was that?" Sardis asked.
"Someone's there," Patera said. "Someone has taken control of Commander Selis and the Army of the West."
My image nodded yes.
"Can you handle her by yourself?" Vomeir asked.
My image nodded yes. In truth, I wasn't sure if I could handle Ezerra by myself, but I didn't want Vomeir to worry. I certainly didn't want him to do something foolish, like ride up to the Western Palace and get himself shot. Besides, I was no longer working alone. At the very least, I had Gustus on my side.
"You better get back," Vomeir said. "I've seen how vulnerable your body is when you do this stuff."
I pictured myself blowing Vomeir a kiss, then let my image fade away. I didn't leave though, I hung around unseen, to see what they would say.
"She's gone," Sardis said. "Damnedest thing I ever did see."
"She's growing up quickly," Patera said. "And her powers are growing just as quickly."
"Something's not right," Vomeir said. "I don't think things are going as well as she wants us to believe."
"Even if they aren't," Patera said. "There's not much we can do. If we ride up to the gates of the Western Palace while that old hag is controlling Commander Selis, we risk getting ourselves killed. Besides, that old hag won't kill Lila."
"How can you be sure?" Vomeir said.
"After founding Adah, Morcesha, its first and greatest queen, asked her favorite prophet how long the nation would last. He said twenty-eight generations."
"That doesn't mean Lila's safe," Vomeir said. "Bedonna could become queen and find a man that's willing to bed her."
"A drunken blind man," Sardis mumbled.
"Morcesha asked her prophet another question," Patera said. "She asked him if she would be remembered as Adah's greatest queen."
"And?"
"The prophet said that she would be remembered as Adah's second greatest queen. He said that one day a queen would come along whose rule would span the entire continent. A queen whose influence would be felt by every generation that followed her. Morcesha asked the prophet to tell her about this queen. What was her name? What would she look like? Why would she be so influential? The prophet said only one thing. He said that she would have extraordinary powers."
I opened my eyes and found myself back in the Western Palace. Being able to see the future had its advantages, as did being able to see what others were doing in the present. But Vomeir was right. It left me vulnerable. Ezerra could walk in, cut my throat, and turn me into a permanent ghost. When I spied on others, I had to learn not to linger. Get in, get the information I needed, and get out. Like a thief in the night.
I realized I was hungry, so I broke off a piece from the loaf of bread that Gustus brought me. It would've been nice to have some butter and honey to put on the bread, but I was in no position to be choosy. As I ate, I tried to decide how to move against Ezerra.
I could use my new found powers to spy on her, maybe try to scare her. I could wait for her to come to me, pretend to be under the influence of the powder she slipped into my food, then jump on her and use the choking device in my hair. I could also sneak out of the palace and try to gather the support of the soldiers that were too afraid to do anything on their own.
The easiest thing to do would be to spy on Ezerra, see what she was up to. I finished my bread, downed it with a couple of swigs of red wine, then closed my eyes and thought about Ezerra. I pictured her in my mind. Her long skinny body. Her cold dark eyes. Her long narrow nose. Her gray hair. Her heavy ankle length black wool robe.
I found her in the dining hall, eating breakfast with a man I didn't know. The man was short and chubby. His hair was gray and cut short. He was bald on top, and had a neatly trimmed gray beard. His eyes were pale blue and contained none of the malice I saw in Ezerra's dark eyes. He wore black riding boots, black cotton breeches, a white silk shirt that laced up the front, and a black cotton waistcoat.
"We'll have to move quickly," Ezerra said. She was speaking Gibean, the language of the traders. "The princess has managed to convince Commander Selis that he needs her, that without her by his side, he'll never be viewed as a real king."
"I thought you were drugging him?" the man said in Gibean. "I thought he was under your control?"
"The drug I've been giving him induces delusions of grandeur. It doesn't completely cloud his thinking. He still has lucid moments. I've convinced him that he's destined for greatness, but he still understands that people will be more willing to accept him as a king if he has a real princess by his side."
"What do you suggest?" the man said.
"You move Princess Lila out today. The longer she's around Selis, the more he'll want to keep her."
"I have to meet her. Talk to her. I won't buy sight unseen."
"You can meet her right after breakfast."
"Have you drugged her?"
"I slipped a little something into her food to make her feel good."
The man scowled. "I need to talk to her when she's coherent. Find out if she's suitable."
"Suitable for what?"
"What I need her for is none of your concern."
"You didn't pay for a suitable princess. You paid for a princess, which I have delivered. If you're smart, you'll take this one and leave. Today."
"And if I don't?" the man said.
"Then I poison her food and you leave empty handed. I can't have her hanging around here. She's too dangerous. The troops are afraid of me, but her presence could change that. Then there's Commander Selis. He likes her, thinks she's cute. Plus she's got big boobs. Your sex is obsessed with big boobs and Commander Selis is no different. He also knows that making her his wife would go a long way toward making him a real king."
"Where's Commander Selis right now?"
"Sleeping," Ezerra said. "I slipped a knockout powder into his breakfast to keep him out of the way until you and Princess Lila leave."
"What will you tell him when he wakes up and discovers she's gone?"
"I'll tell him the truth, that there'll be another one coming along soon."
"How do you know another one will come along?"
"Because there are four of them. And all four of them know the only way they can secure the throne is with manpower."
"And if Commander Selis isn't attracted to the next one?"
Ezerra smiled. "I'll remind him that royal marriages are about power, not love or sex. He'll understand."
The man pushed his chair away from the table and wiped his face with a linen napkin. "I believe I'm ready to see the princess."
Ezerra stood. "Just be aware that she won't be herself."
"Because of the powder you slipped into her food."
"It makes her a bit lightheaded, gives her a feeling of euphoria. She won't be as bright or as coherent as she normally would."
"Is that it?"
"She might seem a bit amorous."
"Another side effect of your powder?" The man scowled, giving me the impression that he didn't like Ezerra or her methods.
I opened my eyes and found myself back in my room. I hid the bread and wine that Gustus brought me. Then I dumped some of the food from the untouched tray into one of the potted palms that sat on the balcony, so it looked like I ate some of the drugged food.
I tried to sort out what I just learned. Ezerra wasn't a seer, that much was obvious. A real seer would know that Salisha was dead, Iderra was heading for Sorea, and Bedonna didn't need the Army of the West to secure the throne.
The man from the Far Lands wanted a suitable princess. If I knew what that meant, I could pretend to be unsuitable, then I wouldn't have to worry about being carted off to the Far Lands. Problem was, I didn't know what a suitable princess was. I would just have to hope that a suitable princess was blond and beautiful like Salisha. Or bright and inquisitive like Iderra. Or strong and brave like Bedonna.
I adjusted the choking device that Talia gave me so I could pull it out of my hair quickly. Ezerra thought I was drugged, which meant her guard would be down. This might be my best chance to kill her, my only chance to kill her. The man from the Far Lands wasn't very tall, plus he was fat and old. Once I had my choker around Ezerra's neck, he wouldn't be able to pull me off her, not before I had rung the life out of the old crone's leathery body.
I was lying on one of the divans in my sitting room when Ezerra and the man from the Far Lands entered. They didn't bother to knock. They just burst in unannounced. My eyes were slits and there was a drunken smile on my face.
Ezerra grinned when she saw me, as well she should. I looked just like I did last night, when she tossed the powder in my face. A glance at my nearly empty breakfast tray led her to believe that I was still under her control. Now all I needed was for her to come closer.
"What have you done to her?" the man from the Far Lands roared when he saw me. He seemed both angry and embarrassed.
"I told you what to expect," Ezerra said.
"I can't learn anything when she's in this condition. I need to talk to her when she's coherent. And what's with that slave collar around her neck. I demand that you remove it at once. I won't have her subjected to that kind of humiliation."
I wasn't sure why it would bother a slave owner to see me like this, but I might be able to use it to my advantage. If the man could talk Ezerra into removing the collar from around my neck, that would get me close enough to ring her neck.
"You're in no position to be giving me orders," Ezerra spat.
"Considering the money your king was paid, I'd say I'm in a perfect position to be giving you orders. I demand that you remove that collar from around her neck. Immediately."
Ezerra scowled, but reached into her black robe and pulled out a key. She turned toward me and smiled. "Why don't you come over here, Little One. I'll remove the pretty gold collar from around your neck, so you can look at it whenever you want. You'd like that wouldn't you?"
I mumbled yes, then pretended to struggle to my feet. Once I was standing, I staggered toward Ezerra, all the while maintaining the same drunken smile that I wore last night. As I moved toward her, I reached behind me, making it look like I was trying to fix the tie that kept my ponytail in place.
I stopped within an arm's reach of Ezerra and kept my hands behind me, holding my hair. Ezerra used the key to unlock and remove the gold collar from around my neck. When she finished, she turned toward the man from the Far Lands. "Satisfied?"
She was within arm's reach and her back was to me. I figured I would never have a better opportunity, so I grabbed the bone handles of Talia's choking device, stretched the silk cord taunt, and whipped it over Ezerra's head and around her neck. I pulled the cord as tight as I could, hopped on the crone's back, and rode her like a wild mustang.
She whipped around, first to the right, then to the left, trying to buck me off. I hung on by digging my knees into her bony hips. When that didn't dislodge me, she tried to pull me off by reaching behind her head and grabbing me by the hair. When she yanked on my hair, I tightened the silk cord around her neck. She released my hair and tried to slip her fingers between the cord and her neck. I responded by pulling the cord even tighter.
Ezerra staggered around the room a few steps, her arms waved wildly in front of her, gurgling sounds bubbled out of her mouth. Finally, she collapsed to the floor, landing flat on her face. I rode her all they way to the floor, then continued to choke her, even as she lay limp.
"I believe she's dead, Your Highness."
It took me a second to realize who was speaking. It was the man from the Far Lands. He was standing by the door, watching me. He didn't seem the least bit bothered by the fact that I had killed Ezerra.
"You were faking," he said, still speaking Gibean, the language of the traders. "You weren't affected by her powder."
"That's because I never ate the food she prepared for me." I climbed off Ezerra and rolled her onto her back. Her mouth was open and her tongue was hanging out. Her eyes were open, but there was no life in them. She was dead. I killed her and I wasn't sorry for it. I felt no remorse whatsoever. The world was a better place without her.
I didn't turn my back on the man from the Far Lands, mostly because I didn't trust him. "So, you came here to buy a princess."
"Did Ezerra tell you that?"
"Ezerra told me nothing."
"Then how did you . . . . "
"That's none of your business," I said, interrupting him. "Is it true? Are you here to buy a princess?"
"I came here to FIND a suitable princess."
"Find or buy. What's the difference?"
"I was told the King of the Sugar Islands could provide me with a princess, for a price. That there was a country in this part of the world that threw princesses away like they were yesterday's garbage."
"What do you consider a suitable princess, Slaver?"
The man looked at me indignantly. "I am not a slaver. I'm the Royal Chancellor to the Queen of Vassa. Sir Edgerton Hooks, at your service." He bowed, a very formal bow.
"Then your queen is a slaver."
"My queen is dying. Without an heir."
"You came here to buy an heir?" I was dumbfounded.
"The laws of succession state that a king or queen can adopt an heir so long as that heir is of royal blood. You are of royal blood."
Edgerton reached into his waistcoat, pulled out a palm-sized crossbow, and shot me in the right shoulder. The bolt from the crossbow was no bigger than a dart, and while it stung, it wasn't life threatening by any means.
"You're going to have to do better than that." I pulled the dart out of my shoulder and tossed it on the floor. I snapped the choking device taunt and marched toward him. I had killed once today. I could do it again.
"I'm sorry, Your Highness," Edgerton said. "But I promised my queen I would return with a princess."
A wave of dizziness washed over me and I found myself struggling to stand, struggling to stay awake. I had just enough time to realize that the dart-sized bolt had been drugged. Then I lost consciousness.
# Chapter 11
It was dark when I woke. No, not dark. Something coarse and heavy surrounded my head and body, blinding me. It felt like a rug. I was lying on my stomach, on the back of a horse. A horse moving along at a leisurely trot. My feet hung over one side of the horse. My head hung over the other side. Rawhide bound my hands behind my back and secured my ankles together. A leather ball stuffed inside my mouth, then tied behind my head, gagged me.
How I ended up that way was easy. Edgerton Hooks, the Royal Chancellor of Vassa, knocked me out with a poisoned dart. I remembered that much.
I needed to know more, so I closed my eyes and pictured Edgerton in my mind. His short, stocky body. His plump round head that was bald on top and gray on the sides. His neatly trimmed gray beard. His mostly black clothing. That was when I saw him riding a horse.
It was night, but the sky was clear and a three quarter moon lit the countryside. He was traveling alone with a pack horse. Draped and tied over the back of the pack horse were three rolled up rugs. One of which contained me. Probably the one in the middle, judging by how it hung. To the northeast, I could see a hill containing lights. We were too far away to tell what the lights were, but I had little doubt that it was the Western Palace and the fort that surrounded it.
What bothered me the most wasn't that Edgerton had managed to slip me out of the palace unnoticed. What bothered me was that he was traveling through hills occupied by wild men. Man eating wild men. I needed him to free me, so I could protect myself from the wild men. The only way I could think of doing that was by letting him see my ghost image. I concentrated on Edgerton being able to see me, picturing my image floating in front of his horse. It must've worked because Edgerton let out a yelp.
"Oh my god!" he said. "I've killed the princess."
Edgerton drew his horse to a stop, dismounted, and hurried to the pack horse. He untied the middle carpet from the back of the horse and laid it on the ground.
The image of Edgerton faded and I found myself back inside the rolled up carpet. A second later, I felt myself being turned over and over as Edgerton unrolled the carpet. A second after that, I felt the cool night air and saw the stars directly above me.
"Thank God, you're alive," Edgerton said, looking down at me. "I was afraid that I had killed you."
I wanted to demand that he release me, but the gag in my mouth prevented that. Instead of trying to talk through the gag, I remained quiet. Hoping that he would release me if I was passive enough. He didn't untie my hands, but he did untie the gag.
"We're a good twenty miles from your palace," he said. "So it won't do you any good to yell for help."
Edgerton removed the gag from my mouth. I took a minute to flex my jaw, which had grown stiff from being held open for so long. When I tried to talk, I couldn't. My mouth and throat were as dry as the desert.
"Water," I finally gasped. "Please."
"Yes, of course."
Edgerton hurried to his horse and came back with a leather flask. He held my head with one hand and held the flask to my mouth with the other. I drank until water trickled down the sides of my mouth. While Edgerton returned the flask to his horse, I pulled myself to a sitting position.
"You do know about the wild men that live in these hills," I said. "They're cannibals."
Edgerton nodded. "I'm aware of them. I also know that they don't come out at night. For some reason, they're afraid of the dark. Once the sun goes down, they huddle in their little caves in the hillsides and stay there until morning."
He moved to the pack horse and tossed the other two carpets on the ground. He then came back to me and untied my ankles.
"How did you get out of the palace?"
"Same way I got in. By posing as a rug merchant from Gibney." Edgerton smiled. "One of the advantages of being fat and old is that nobody sees you as a threat."
"Would you untie my hands."
"I'm sorry, Your Highness. I can't do that right now. Perhaps later."
He grabbed my arm, pulled me to my feet, and marched me over to the pack horse.
"Could I at least have a cloak? This outfit doesn't provide any protection from the night air."
I was still wearing the yellow slave girl outfit. Not surprising since there wasn't anything else in my suite that he could've put on me. Edgerton untied the black wool cloak he was wearing and tied it around my shoulders. The heavy knee length cloak provided just enough protection against the night air. Edgerton and I were about the same height so the cloak was just the right length.
"You can ride the pack horse," he said.
He grabbed me by the waist and set me on the pack horse, so I was sitting sidesaddle. He was a lot stronger than he looked, leading me to believe there was more muscle underneath his clothes than fat.
"I can't ride like this. I'll fall off."
"Then straddle the horse."
"Even riding that way, I'm not sure I'll be able to stay on. Can you at least tie my hands in front of me?"
"I'm sorry, Your Highness, but I can't risk letting you run away."
Edgerton mounted his horse and continued west. The pack horse's reins were tied to his horse, so I had no choice but to swing my leg up and over. It wasn't easy to ride with my hands tied behind me, but we were moving at a leisurely pace and I was in no danger of falling off.
As we rode, I wondered why I was fighting Edgerton. If he had come to me a week ago, telling me that the Queen of Vassa was willing to make me her heir, I would've went with him willingly. But a lot had happened in the past week. Salisha was dead. Iderra was heading for Sorea. I learned that mother made me the heir hopeful. And I had eliminated Ezerra, the one person that stood between me and control of the Army of the West.
Of course, there was no guarantee the Army of the West would support me for queen. And even if they did, there was no guarantee they would be willing to fight Bedonna, the palace guard, and whoever else rallied around her. There was also no guarantee that if I led the Army of the West against Bedonna, half of them wouldn't defect to her camp. Nor was there any guarantee that if Bedonna and I went to war, I would win. Maybe I would be better off on the other side of the desert, in this country called Vassa.
"Edgerton?"
"Yes, Your Highness."
"Is your country at war?"
Edgerton laughed. "Hardly."
"Tell me about it."
"We're one of five small countries sandwiched between much larger countries. Those five countries are known as the Finger States. We're the third of the Finger States, counting from west to east, or east to west. A large river divides the country in half and connects us to the other Finger States. It's very green, with rolling hills, but no mountains."
"Do the people like your queen?"
"Yes. She is quite popular."
"Does someone covet her throne?"
"The King of Dunre has issues with her. Dunre is the large country to our northwest."
"Do you worry about his invading your country? Taking it by force?"
"We have an alliance with the other Finger States. To invade one of us is to invade us all. Wars are not common in our part of the world. Most political maneuvering is done through marriage and assassination."
"What will you do with me if your queen doesn't find me suitable?"
Edgerton laughed. "I don't believe that will be a problem, Your Highness."
"But if it is?"
"If you so wish, we will return you to Adah. Or you may choose to remain in Vassa as a princess in exile. The choice will be yours. Whether you assume the throne of Vassa or not, I suspect you'll have plenty of marriage proposals. Political alliances through marriage are very common in my part of the world."
"I'll be a princess without a country. I can bring nothing to an alliance save myself."
"A baron or duke seeking to elevate his status can help himself immensely by taking a princess for a wife, even a princess without a country."
"Will your people accept a queen born in another country?"
"That will depend upon your ability to win them over."
So I had a choice to make. Try to escape, so I could fight a war with Bedonna. A war I might lose. A war which would cost lives even if I won. Or go willingly with Edgerton, to a land I knew nothing about, but which wanted me bad enough to kidnap me.
I couldn't just walk away from my homeland, from the people that were counting on me and had taken an oath to serve me. If Edgerton gave me an opportunity to escape, I would take it. However, that opportunity might not arise. Which meant I had to prepare myself to live in a new country.
"I know nothing about your part of the world," I said. "You'll have to teach me its history. You'll also have to teach me to speak your language."
"We can start right now," Edgerton said. "We speak one language west of the Great Desert. It's called the Common Tongue."
Edgerton started with simple phrases. I repeated the phrases until I knew them by heart. By sunrise, I knew a couple dozen words in the Common Tongue.
We reached the edge of the desert just as the sun rose over the mountains. The red sand of the desert washed up against the brown hills, much like the ocean washed up against the shore.
"Where are we going?" I asked, as we turned south.
"I have a ship waiting for us."
"We're going all the way to Queen's Town?"
Queen's Town was a small port a couple hundred miles south of us, located at a point where the mountains, desert, and ocean all met. It was too small to attract Bedonna's attention, so I'd be safe there as long as we didn't linger.
"Heaven's no," Edgerton said. "I have a sand ship docked about ten miles south of here."
"What in the world is a sand ship?"
"Are you familiar with the catamarans of the Sugar Islands?"
"Yes."
"It looks a lot like them, except it glides over the sand on polished boards called skis."
"I've never heard of such a thing. Is it wind powered?"
"It has one mast and five sails. The mast, as well as the rest of the ship, is made from a wood called bamboo. It's light but strong."
"What if the wind doesn't blow?"
"Then we pull the ship until the wind does blow."
"Your people use these desert ships?"
"Not my people. They're used by the people of a country called Landish. The Great Desert occupies the eastern third of their country and they use it to sail north and south. It took me awhile to find a ship willing to sail across the desert." Edgerton laughed. "Most of the desert sailors didn't even think people lived on this side of the continent. They thought we were on a fool's journey to the end of the world."
"How do you know they'll still be waiting for us?"
"I left a couple of soldiers with them, to make sure they didn't leave prematurely."
Some movement to our left caught my attention. At first I thought it was a herd of deer, but upon closer inspection, I realized it was a band of wild men. Even from a distance, I could tell that they were small, the largest being no bigger than me. They were naked and hairy. Not as hairy as I thought they would be, but hairier than normal men. I didn't expect them to look as human as they did, but except for their small size and excess body hair, they looked very human.
"We're being watched," I said. "On the hill to our left."
"They won't bother us. According to the troops at the fort, they think people on horseback are some sort of two headed animal. Here, watch this."
Much to my chagrin, Edgerton pulled up both of our horses. He dismounted and walked toward the wild men, waving his hands in the air. The wild men turned and ran away from him as fast as they could go. Edgerton laughed until they were out of sight, then returned to his horse and mounted it.
"As I said. They think men on horseback are two headed animals. When we dismount and walk toward them, they panic. They think we're some kind of animal that can split in two. They may be a big threat to each other, but they're not much of a threat to us. Especially when we're on horseback."
We resumed our journey south. Occasionally, a group of wild men appeared on a hillside. They watched us, but made no move to get closer. They weren't nearly as scary as the stories led me to believe. If anything, they seemed more frightened of the world than the world was frightened of them. Of course, if I were out here alone, and on foot, they might seem a lot scarier.
Eventually, a ship's mast came into view. It seemed odd, seeing a ship's mast this far from water, but there it was. As we got closer, I could see that the ship was indeed similar in design to the catamarans used in the Sugar Islands.
The twin hulls found on the catamarans had been replaced by two giant boards with curved ends. Three planks, which were actually bamboo poles tied together, connected the two boards. Skis if you preferred. Bamboo support poles about three feet long raised the planks above the skis. A mast rose from the center of the middle plank with rigging for two square sails and three jibs. Two large nets filled the space between the three planks. As far as I could see, there was no tiller, no way to steer the ship other than to point it in the direction you wanted to go.
"How do they get it to glide across the sand?" I asked. "Won't there be too much friction between the skis and the sand?"
"Trade secret. They coat the skis with a substance that makes them very slick. I think it's some sort of tallow, but I can't be sure. Whatever it is, it works quite well."
"How do they steer it?"
"They lower the sails, pick the back end up, and turn the ship in the direction they want to go."
As we drew closer, I could see there were four men camped next to the ship. Two of them were soldiers. They wore black riding boots, white cotton breeches, white cotton shirts that laced down the front, and red jackets. They carried swords and crossbows. The other two men wore billowing white silk pants, red silk vests, and white silk turbans. They were shorter than the two soldiers and had much darker complexions, clearly the sailors.
"Only two sailors?" I said.
"Sand ships can't carry very many people. The more people you have, the more weight you have. The more weight you have, the more wind you need to move the ship. A ship this size is limited to no more than five people. One sailor to work the square sails. One to work the jibs. Three passengers."
We obviously had a problem since we now had six people. Edgerton must've realized what I was thinking. "One of my guards has agreed to stay behind. He'll work his way to a port and book passage on a ship from Gibney, one that's headed to Standish."
That explained what would happen to the horses we were riding. "You trade with Gibney?"
"No, but the people of Standish do, and we trade with them. What we know about this side of the world, we've learned from them. And they learned from the Gibeans."
"Why don't you trade with us?"
"Our ships don't sail to this side of the world. Your ships don't sail to our side. Only the Merchants of Gibney send ships to our side of the world. If you sent ships to us, we would gladly trade with you. Perhaps when you become Queen of Vassa, you can change that."
"If I become Queen of Vassa, my oldest sister, Bedonna, will become Queen of Adah. She won't be interested in establishing trade with a county ruled by her little sister. She'll only be interested in killing me."
"Why would she want to kill you when you're living on the other side of the world?"
"If she found out I was alive. She'd convince herself that she needed to kill me before I tried to kill her."
Edgerton glanced back at me and smiled. "I'm glad I didn't try to kidnap her."
"Bedonna's not someone you kidnap."
The two soldiers saw us approaching and moved toward us. They were both tall and thin, with long blond hair pulled back into ponytails. The older one had a neatly trimmed beard of the same color. The younger one was clean shaven. The two sand sailors were smaller, not any bigger than me. They had thick black beards. The turbans they wore made it impossible to tell if they had hair or were bald. All four men seemed surprised to see us.
"You found a princess," the guard with the beard said. Or something to that effect. He spoke in the Common Tongue. Since I only knew a few words. I had to guess what some of them meant.
"Princess Lila Marie Haran," Edgerton said. "Youngest daughter of Bella Justine Haran, the late Queen of Adah."
"Why are her hands tied?"
"She didn't come willingly. I had to kidnap her."
"You think that's wise?"
"Wiser than returning empty handed." Edgerton gave his horse to the guard and helped me off mine. "I'll untie your hands, but I wouldn't try to run away if I were you. Those wild men aren't dangerous when you're on horseback, but when you're on foot, they can be very dangerous. Especially if you're alone and unarmed."
"Understood." I used the Common Tongue instead of Gibean. I turned my back to Edgerton and he untied my hands. I wasn't foolish enough to try to walk the thirty or so miles back to the Western Palace. Not with all those wild men I had seen. Plus, I was hungry, I hadn't eaten since yesterday morning, just before Edgerton drugged me.
"I haven't eaten since yesterday," I said, switching back to the language of the traders. "I would like something to eat. Or do you think that starving me will make me more cooperative?"
"Of course not, Your Highness. I just never gave it much thought." Edgerton turned to the guard with the beard and switched to the Common Tongue. "The princess is hungry. Find her something to eat."
"We have no food left, save for the coconuts that grow on the palm trees."
"That will have to do."
The guard grabbed a green coconut from the pile next to their burned out campfire, split it into smaller pieces with his sword, and offered a piece to me.
"Thank you," I said in the Common Tongue. "What's your name?"
"Conkling Eades, Your Highness. Captain Conkling Eades."
He seemed surprised that I could speak the Common Tongue. I didn't bother to tell him that I couldn't. That I only knew a few words and phrases in his language. I found a spot near their burned out campfire, sat, and ate my coconut. It wasn't the ideal breakfast, but it was sweet and moist and it filled my empty belly.
While I ate, Edgerton conversed with his soldiers. They talked too fast for me to follow the conversation. I assumed they were talking about which of the two men would travel back on the sand ship and which would ride the horses to a nearby port. After a couple of minutes, Edgerton walked over to me and switched to Gibean.
"My man needs your help. He needs to travel to the closest port where he can book passage on a merchant ship from Gibney."
My first thought was to not help him. After all, they were holding me here against my will. But I realized I might be able to use him to get a message to Vomeir and the others that were still waiting for me.
"He doesn't speak Adish," I said. "How does he plan on getting around in a country where he doesn't speak the language?"
"He doesn't speak Adish," Edgerton said. "But he does know the language of the traders."
Edgerton nodded at the guard with the beard, Captain Eades. I turned to him, and spoke in Gibean. "Can you speak the language of the traders?"
"Enough to get by," he said in Gibean. "I need to get to a port that will have a ship from Gibney."
"You could ride straight south from here. That would take you to Queen's Town. But Queen's Town is just a fishing village. The ships from Gibney don't stop there."
"So where do I go?"
"Head north until you see the Western Palace, then turn east. There's a road that will take you through the Pass of Nod to the city of Morcesha. Once you reach Morcesha, you can take the Queen's Road south, to the Port of Nadal. It's our largest port and at any given time there are a dozen ships from Gibney loading and unloading."
Captain Eades bowed. "Thank you, Princess."
"It's a much longer route. But it's a safe route and your best chance to get home."
"I look forward to serving you, when you assume the throne of Vassa."
He seemed so sincere about wanting to serve me, that I couldn't let him go without a warning. "When you reach the Pass of Nod, you'll be stopped by a small group of soldiers. Tell them that I sent you to let them know what happened to me. Then tell them I went with a man from the Far Lands, that I decided everyone in Adah would be better off if I left the country. Just don't tell them that you served under that man and that he kidnapped me. If they know that, they might kill you."
Captain Eades bowed again. "I understand. You don't want them sitting around waiting for your return when you won't be returning."
"Tell them that the powder witch is dead and it should be safe for them to continue to the Western Palace."
"As you wish, Your Highness."
"Tell them that their duty to me is fulfilled and they are free to do as they wish. There's one called Captain Vomeir. Tell him that I said thank you, for everything."
Captain Eades bowed a third time, tied a sack of coconuts to the pack horse's saddle, mounted Edgerton's horse, and headed north. As the two horses disappeared over the hill, so did my last chance of escape. Like it or not, I was heading across the Desert of Shifting Sands.
"The sailors tell me that it's time for us to leave," Edgerton said, coming over to me. "They've spent the last couple of weeks charting the winds on this side of the desert. Apparently, they blow from the east during the day and from the west at night."
Edgerton looked toward the east. The palm trees on the distant hills were swaying in the wind. A minute later, a warm breeze hit us in the face. Edgerton escorted me to the sand ship and then offered me a hand, helping me climb on.
"We ride on the rear net, Your Highness. The sailors work on the planks and sleep on the front net."
I noticed several sacks were hanging from the ship's lone mast, filled with what looked like coconuts. Obviously our food and water supply for the trip across the desert.
I sat in the middle of the net directly behind the mast. The net was thin but strong. I was about three feet off the ground. Edgerton and the clean shaven soldier helped the two sailors push the ship off the grassy hillside and onto the sand. The sand was reddish brown in color and as soft as talc. The boat sunk down several inches, its two large skis disappearing beneath the sand.
That convinced me we weren't going anywhere. Then the sailors raised the sails. First the top square sail was unfurled and secured, then the much larger bottom one. Both were made from squares of red and white silk that had been stitched together to form checkerboards. As soon as the bottom one was unfurled and secured, the ship lifted out of the sand and moved forward, gliding on top of the sand.
About a mile out, a large sand dune loomed in front of us. I was sure we would plow into it, but the two sailors raised three red jibs over the front of the ship. With each jib, the ship's front seemed to lift further out of the sand. Once all three jibs were tied down, the ship glided over the dune with no problem.
"Amazing isn't it?" Edgerton said, sitting next to me. "I don't know what they coat the skis with, but even sand doesn't stick to it."
The clean shaven soldier sat on my other side. Edgerton introduced him as Captain Bokham Moira. At the same time, one of the two sailors, the one standing on the right hand side of the mast, looked at us and said something in a language that wasn't Gibean or the Common Tongue.
"He wants us to move further back," Edgerton said. "It will help keep the front of the skis from plowing into a sand dune."
The three of us scooted further back. The front of the ship did seem to rise up a little, although we didn't seem to gain any speed. We were moving at a good clip, not as fast as a horse could run, but certainly as fast as your average man could run.
"How long will it take us to cross the desert?"
"About two weeks. If the winds remain strong. Longer if they die down."
That meant I had two weeks to learn to speak the Common Tongue, not to mention learn the history of Vassa and its neighbors. Before turning my attention to my studies, I took a final glance at Adah, wondering if I would ever see it again.
# Chapter 12
Two weeks in the desert isn't fun, even when you don't have to walk. The sand ship moved quickly during the day, and a bit slower at night, since we were tacking into the wind. Days were hot and I took shelter from the sun under the wool cape that Edgerton gave me, holding it over my head like an awning. Nights were cold and I wrapped the cape around me for warmth. Sand swirled around our faces both day and night, forcing us to wrap silk bandannas around our mouths and noses. For distraction, I studied the Common Tongue and the history of Vassa.
One week into our journey, a stand of palm trees appeared on the horizon. Edgerton said it would take two weeks to cross the desert, which made me wonder if I was seeing things.
"Is it just me, or are there some palm trees in the distance?" I said, speaking the Common Tongue.
"It's an oasis," Edgerton said. "A dozen palm trees and some bushes being fed by an underground spring. We discovered it on our first trip across the desert. I'm amazed our sailors were able to find it again."
"Will we stop there?" If we didn't, I was tempted to jump ship.
"We did on our first trip. It gave us a chance to replenish our drinking water and wash off some of this sand."
Sure enough, just before we reached the oasis, our two sailors lowered the ship's sails. Once the sails were down, the sand ship came to a quick stop. Our two sailors took a dozen empty water bags hanging from the main mast and refilled them in the pool. They refilled our food bags with coconuts by picking one of the palm trees clean. Once they finished restocking our supplies, they told us that we could bathe in the pool.
"You first, Your Highness," Edgerton said. "We'll turn our backs so you can have some privacy."
I dropped my cloak and plunged into the pool still wearing my clothes, which needed to be washed as much as I did. The water was clear and cool, indicating the spring feeding it was deep. The pool wasn't big enough to swim in, not more than a couple of strokes. But it was deep. You could dive under the water and go a good ten feet down. There was a fissure in the pool's rocky bottom, with fresh water bubbling up from deep within the earth.
I stayed in the water until the pads of my fingers grew wrinkled, then reluctantly climbed out. I stretched out on the grass next to the pool and called out. "Next."
Edgerton slipped around the bushes the guys had moved behind to give me some privacy. He saw me stretched out on my back, the yellow silk clinging to me like a second skin, and went into a tizzy. "Your Highness, you must cover up."
"You cover up," I said. "I'm going to let the sun dry my clothes."
Any embarrassment I might have felt over being so scantly clad had long since left me. I was used to this outfit, used to my traveling companions. Not that they paid me a lot of attention. Bokham and Edgerton were too well mannered to gawk at me and the sailors were too busy.
Edgerton, on the other hand, wasn't nearly as comfortable with my body being on display. When he saw me lying there, wet and next to naked, he grabbed my cloak and tossed it over me like a blanket.
"The Queen of Vassa does not lie around naked when there are strange men about," Edgerton sputtered.
"Then I guess I'm lucky there are no strange men about. Just my traveling companions." I tossed the cloak off me and stretched back out. "Besides, I'm not the Queen of Vassa. I'm Lila Marie Haran, Princess of Adah."
Edgerton grew red faced. He wanted to argue with me, but didn't know what to say. Instead, he kicked his boots off and gingerly waded into the pool, still wearing his clothes.
The two sailors appeared, removed their turbans and vests, and waded into the pool clad only in their silk pants. It was the first time they had taken their turbans off, revealing the fact that they shaved their heads.
Bokham Moira, my blond haired guard, opted to walk into the pool with everything on but his boots and sword. I couldn't help but laugh at him and Edgerton, which made both of them turn as red as a setting sun.
"Are all the men in Vassa as embarrassed by their bodies as the two of you?"
"Our clothes are as dirty as yours were," Edgerton said.
I laughed and watched as three of the men produced knives and used them to shave. The two sailors shaved their heads. Bokham shaved his face. When they finished, they climbed out of the pool. The sailors put their vests and turbans on. Edgerton and Bokham slipped into their boots.
"It's time to go, Your Highness," Edgerton said.
I pulled myself to a sitting position, laced my sandals up my calves, and tied my cloak around my shoulders. I followed Edgerton through the bushes and back to the ship. "Did you know the Queen of Adah doesn't marry."
"I didn't know that," Edgerton admitted.
"She takes consorts, but she doesn't take a husband."
"Wouldn't that make you illegitimate, Your Highness?"
"Not in a matriarchal society, which Adah has always been."
"Do you know who your father is?"
"Mother said that it wasn't relevant. She said the only thing that mattered was that we were her daughters."
"Your country is very different from mine. The Kings of Vassa have always married."
"Is your queen married?"
"She is not."
"So there's no law that requires your queen to marry."
"Not that I know of."
"Glad to hear that." I wasn't sure I wanted to get married. I wasn't sure I wanted to be tied down to one man. I liked the idea of being able to toss men out of my bedroom whenever the whim struck me. Although if Edgerton and Bokham were any indication, I might have a hard time luring a man from Vassa into my bedroom.
We walked behind the ship, following it as Bokham and the two sailors pulled it around the oasis.
"Do you have any brothers?" Edgerton asked me.
"No woman in my family has ever given birth to a boy."
"Ever?"
"Ever. Nobody is quite sure why. That's just the way it's always been. Is that going to be a problem?"
"It shouldn't be. In our part of the world, the king's or queen's first born becomes heir to the throne, regardless of whether it's a boy or a girl."
"What becomes of the younger daughters?"
"They marry a duke or a baron, live the quiet life of what's referred to as useless royalty. We have a lot of useless royalty in our part of the world. Many of which will seek your hand in marriage."
"We have no useless royals in Adah," I said. "We have our queen and a barren hill called the Cemetery of Would Be Queens."
"I think I like our system better," Edgerton said.
"What will happen when we reach Vassa?"
"I'll introduce you to our queen, Catlett Shae Laamatt. Queen Catlett if you prefer. You'll spend some time with her. If she likes you and thinks you're fit to rule, she'll make you her heir."
"How is that done?"
"A public ceremony will be held in which she'll place the crown of the heir presumptive upon your head. A ball will then be held in your honor and all the useless young royals will begin to court you."
"If you have so many useless royals, why can't one of them become your queen's heir?"
"They're mostly low level royals, barons and baronesses. Plus, Catlett doesn't like any of them enough to make one of them her heir."
"What will happen when Queen Catlett dies?"
"Following a grand funeral, another ceremony will be held in which the royal chancellor, me, will place the queen's crown on your head. Following that, another ball will be held to honor the new queen, you. Once again, all the useless and handsome young royals will seek your hand in marriage."
"I didn't get to attend my mother's funeral. I was already running for my life."
"From your sisters?"
"From my oldest sister, Bedonna. She was in charge of the palace guard. Thanks to you, she'll now assume the throne of Adah unchallenged."
"Had you remained in Adah, she may have killed you and assumed it anyway."
"She wants to make war on the Dark Wizards of Sorea. Last time we had a queen foolish enough to do that, we lost an entire army."
"Then her reign as Queen of Adah will be short lived. Which will be good for you."
"How do you figure?"
"As far as I know, there's no law that says you can't rule two countries at the same time."
"You're getting ahead of yourself, Chancellor. Queen Catlett may not approve of me. She may not like the way I look, or speak, or she may consider me to be too much of a barbarian."
"If that happens, I'll hire a sand ship to take you back to Adah."
"It'll be too late to return to Adah. Bedonna will have consolidated her power and those that supported me will have dispersed. I may as well cut my own throat as return home."
"Then I'll make you my heir," Edgerton said. "I have considerable holdings, including an estate I rarely use. You can live there, as mistress of the house."
"I don't think your wife and children will appreciate that."
"I have no wife, no children that I know of."
"You never married?"
"The woman I love was never in a position to marry me."
"You're in love with Queen Catlett?" It was a guess, but from what I knew about Edgerton, an educated guess.
"Was, am, and always will be," Edgerton said.
"Is she in love with you?"
"What does it matter?"
I took that as a no. "In Adah, she could take you as one of her consorts. Your daughter would be a princess, with an equal right to compete for the throne."
"Don't you mean with an equal chance to end up in your Cemetery of Would Be Queens?"
"If I become queen and chose to take consorts rather than marry, will I create a scandal?"
"Unquestionably, but you'll be forgiven."
"Because?"
"Because you come from the barbarian side of the world. People make allowances for barbarians." Edgerton smiled, letting me know that he at least, didn't consider me to be a barbarian. The sailors were signaling us, letting us know it was time to set sail. "I believe we're ready to go."
Edgerton offered me his hand. I climbed onto the back of the sand ship and he followed. Once we were all on board, the two sailors raised the sails and we were off. We had another week of sliding across the barren sands. Another week of nothing to do except study the Common Tongue and the history of Vassa. Another week of nothing to eat except coconuts. Another week of shielding myself from the unrelenting desert sun, the swirling desert sands, and the cold desert nights.
# Chapter 13
One week later--one week of being hot and cold and dirty and tired and restless--more palm trees appeared on the horizon. There were too many trees to be just another oasis and that meant one thing. Our journey across the Desert of Shifting Sands was over. The sun was low in the western sky, framing the palms with a red, orange, and pink backdrop. Other sand ships sailed in front of the palms, some heading north, some heading south, none heading east or west, save for us.
One of the sailors said something in his native tongue of Old Landish. Edgerton leaned toward me, repeating what the sailor said. "He says we're only a few miles from the village of Mustakas, which is their home port. It's not a big place, but there is a decent inn where we can spend the night."
Eventually, I could see the edge of the desert, its red sand washing up against shrub covered hills scattered with palms. Houses sat atop several of the hills, while herds of goats wandered between them. So, no wild men on this side of the desert.
Everything looked peaceful, even though I saw no soldiers. I had always considered Adah to be as civilized as any place, but I couldn't help but wonder if we really were the barbarian side of the world. It made me wonder if I could fit in on this side of the world. Would they find me too backward, too uncivilized, too much of a barbarian? What if they did. I never asked to come here. I was drugged, tied up, and brought here against my will. I wasn't the only barbarian on this ship.
Our sailors hopped off the ship, used tow ropes to turn it south, and hopped back on without dropping the sails. For the first time in two weeks, we weren't heading west.
We passed another ship heading north. Except for the color of the sails, which were done in a purple and yellow checkerboard pattern, it looked identical to our ship. As the two ships passed, one of the sailors on the other ship yelled something to our sailors. One of our sailors yelled back, then pointed to me.
"What was that about?" I asked.
"The sailor on the other ship asked our guys where they've been," Edgerton said. "Our man said to the end of the earth to find a beautiful princess."
"With no tillers on their ships, how do they keep from running into each other?"
"They have lanes. South bound ships take the outside lane, north bound ships take the inside."
I didn't see any lanes, but the sailors obviously knew where they were.
After a couple of miles of heading south, a village came into view. There were maybe two dozen buildings scattered across the hillside, wooden structures that were pale brown in color. When we got closer, I could see that the walls and roofs were nothing more than dried palm fronds woven between bamboo frames. The dirt streets that wound around the buildings were lined with wooden torches that stood about seven feet high. Someone had already lit the torches, giving the village a festive appearance. At the bottom of the hill, half a dozen sand ships were tied to wooden stakes.
Our sailors dropped sails and we coasted to a quick stop parallel to the village. We hopped off. The sailors grabbed the tow ropes, pulled the ship to the base of the hill, and tied it to a couple of heavy wooden stakes embedded in the ground.
Edgerton said something to the sailors in their native tongue, pulled two not so small bags from his waistcoat, and handed a bag to each sailor. The two sailors looked inside the bags and smiled, clearly satisfied with their payment. The three men shook hands, then the two sailors headed off in opposite directions. Just like that, our journey across the desert was over.
"How come the sailors don't speak the Common Tongue?" I asked when Edgerton rejoined Bokham and me.
"They rarely deal with anybody but locals. Usually they travel north and south, ferrying people and goods from one village to another. It took me a long time to find a ship willing to head across the desert."
"How far are we from Vassa?"
"A little over three hundred miles."
"That far." Our journey across the Desert of Shifting Sands was over, but our journey to Vassa was far from over.
"The rest of the trip will be easier. The capital city of Landish, Istansada City, is about two days ride from here. The city is located at the confluence of three rivers. Those three rivers form the Istansada River. The Istansada is a wide deep river that cuts through the middle of the Finger States. I have a ship waiting for us in Istansada City. It will take us home."
Home. This wasn't home. This was as far from home as I could get. A strange new world where I could barely speak the language. Maybe some day it would be home, but not yet.
"I'm hungry," I said. "I'd like a bath and a change of clothes."
"The inn at the top of the hill is built over a natural hot spring. You can eat and bathe there. I'm not sure what to do about a change of clothes. Perhaps we can convince a tailor to open his shop."
"If this town has a tailor," Bokham muttered.
"Only one way to find out." Edgerton turned and headed up the hill. I fell in behind him and Bokham brought up the rear, sword on his hip, crossbow slung across his back.
The inn didn't have a name. At least I didn't see one on the outside of the building. Like all the other buildings in town, it consisted of a bamboo frame with dried palm fronds woven between the bamboo. There was no door, just an open doorway. There was no floor inside the building, just packed dirt.
In the middle of the main room was a large fire pit. Some sort of meat, probably goat, was roasting over the fire. Kegs of ale rested on wooden stands surrounding the fire pit. Mugs made from fired clay hung from the sides of the kegs. The rest of the room was filled with round wooden tables surrounded by matching stools. Both the left and the right hand wall contained five doorways. Strips of red, white, green, yellow, and blue silk hung in the doorways, giving the people in the rooms some privacy.
A fat man with the same olive colored skin and black beard as our two sailors stood by the fire pit, serving plates of meat and mugs of ale to about a dozen customers. He wore an identical outfit to what our sailors wore. Silk pants that fit snug around the ankles then ballooned around the legs, a sleeveless vest that didn't close, and a turban.
Two serving girls, both short and slim, with olive colored skin and long black hair, carried the plates and mugs to the customers. Like the man, they wore dark blue silk pants and white silk vests. Unlike his vest, theirs were tied shut. All of the customers were bearded men in similar outfits. Clearly all locals.
We weren't locals, a fact made obvious by the way we looked and dressed. The locals seemed most interested in Bokham, being a good head taller than anyone else, with blond hair made even paler by two weeks in the desert sun. They seemed least interested in me, probably because I bore a strong resemblance to the two serving girls. We were all short with long black hair. Plus, two weeks in the desert had made my skin darker than normal, not as dark as the serving girls, but dark enough to make me less interesting than Bokham.
We found an empty table near the back, one facing the door, and sat. It was hot inside the inn, partly because it was still hot outside, partly because of the fire in the fire pit. I took off my cloak and draped it over an empty stool to my right. No one glanced at the yellow outfit I still wore.
We hadn't been there a minute when one of the serving girls approached our table balancing three plates of meat on one arm and three mugs in her other hand. She set the food and drink on our table and left. She came back a minute later with a loaf of bread fresh out of the fire pit. Edgerton spoke to her, speaking Old Landish. He said everyone spoke the Common Tongue in this part of the world, but we were on the fringe of their world, and out on the fringe, things were obviously different.
"Bathing rooms are to our left," Edgerton said, cutting the bread with a knife he pulled out of his waistcoat. "Sleeping rooms are to our right. After dinner, one of the girls will take you to a bathing room. You can wash some of the desert off you. I also asked her if she had an extra outfit she'd be willing to sell us. Lucky for us, she's about your size."
"Not much difference between what she's wearing and what I'm wearing now."
"True, but after two weeks, you must be tried of wearing the same thing. Plus, what she gives us will be clean."
I couldn't argue with that, so I turned my attention to the bread and meat and ale. The meat was tough and overcooked. The ale warm. The bread hot and fresh. After two weeks of eating nothing but coconut, anything would've tasted good.
There were five bathing rooms above a single pool. The pool was a natural hot spring. Clear warm water bubbled up from the cracked granite that made up the pool's bottom. Walls made from bamboo poles with palm fronds divided the hot spring into five rooms. The walls didn't extend down into the pool, but merely ran over the top of it.
If somebody wanted to, they could've swam underneath the walls into the adjoining room. With Edgerton in the room on my right, and Bokham in the room on my left, there was little chance of that happening. Someone had carved benches out of the pool's granite sides. Allowing you to sit and soak in the blissfully warm water, which I gladly did.
I was still sitting in the hot spring when I had another vision. Two men and a woman burst into the inn with swords drawn. All three of them wore black, black cotton breeches, black riding boots, black cotton waistcoats over black shirts.
The two men went after Edgerton and Bokham. The woman burst into my room. She found me soaking in the spring and smiled. "So you're the barbarian princess who plans on becoming the next Queen of Vassa. I don't think so." She swung her sword at my neck and I had to dive underneath the water to avoid having my head lopped off.
The vision faded and I found myself alone in the bathing room. I immediately scrambled out of the hot spring and into the outfit the serving girl left me, dark blue balloon pants and a sleeveless white silk vest that pushed my breasts up and left my waist bare. The pants were a touch short and the vest was tight across the chest. The girl left me a pair of sandals that tied around the ankle.
I tied my hair back into a ponytail, then burst into Bokham's room. He was sitting naked in the hot spring, all blond hair and long lean muscles. As soon as he saw me, he stood up and covered his groin with his hands.
"Three people dressed in black are coming to kill us. Get dressed and draw your sword."
I left before Bokham could say anything, moving into Edgerton's room. He was also soaking in the hot spring and as I suspected, Edgerton's bulk consisted of more muscle than fat. He didn't stand up like Bokham did, but he did cover his groin with his hands.
"Three people dressed in black are coming to kill us. Get dressed and find us some swords."
"Ask the innkeeper for a sword," Edgerton said. "He usually keeps a scimitar or two in the house."
"Scimitar," I said, repeating the local word for sword.
I went back into the main room, which was now empty except for the innkeeper and the two serving girls. The serving girls were clearing the tables, dropping the dirty mugs and plates in a wooden washtub. The innkeeper was sitting at a table next to the fire pit, eating his dinner. He smiled as I approached him, but the smile quickly faded when he saw the worried look on my face.
"Scimitar," I said. "Scimitar."
He glanced at the fire pit. In the edge of the pit, its tip stuck in the bottom, was a curved sword.
I had just enough time to move toward it and wrap my hand around the hilt when the three strangers burst into the room.
They didn't say anything, they just drew their swords and spread out. The man on the left began to search the bathing rooms. The man on the right searched the sleeping rooms. The woman blocked the exit, but paid scant attention to the innkeeper, the serving girls, and myself. That's when I realized that she thought I was one of the serving girls. Not surprising since we were all about the same size, had long black hair, and wore identical outfits.
When the man on the left reached the third bathing room from the front, a sword plunged through the piece of red silk that served as the door. It penetrated the man's stomach, drove all the way through him, and came out the small of his back.
A still shirtless Bokham stepped out from behind the silk door and pulled his sword out of the man's skewered belly. The man dropped his sword, collapsed to his knees, and then onto his side.
The man checking the sleeping rooms moved toward Bokham, clearly intending to help the woman, who was now engaged in a sword fight with Bokham. Before he could get there, I pulled the scimitar out of the fire pit and rushed him. I raised the scimitar high over my head and brought it down in a slicing blow.
The man hadn't been expecting trouble to come from what he thought were locals. He kept his focus on Bokham and never looked in my direction until it was too late, until my scimitar had sliced his sword hand off at the wrist.
As his hand and sword tumbled to the dirt floor, the man screamed in pain and dropped to his knees. The scream distracted the woman just long enough for Bokham to plunge his sword into her heart. She stared at the sword in her chest in disbelief. Bokham pulled it out and the sword in her hand tumbled to the dirt floor. A second later, she collapsed on top of it, dead.
"Hold out your severed arm," I said to the man who had lost his hand. When he hesitated, I added, "If you want to live, you'll do as I say."
He might have been in pain, shock even, but he understood what I said and held out his severed arm. I pressed the flat of my still hot blade against his severed wrist. The burned flesh sizzled. A metallic smell filled the room, but the hot blade did its job, cauterizing the bleeding stump at the end of his arm.
With the man's life out of danger, I moved the edge of the blade to his throat. "Who sent you to kill me?"
"I have no interest in killing serving girls," the man said, speaking the Common Tongue.
"I'm no serving girl. I'm Lila Marie Haran, fourth daughter of Bella Justine Haran, the twelfth Queen of Adah. Did the King of Dunre send you? Does he lust for land and power so much that he would assassinate someone that's never even seen Vassa? Someone that has no connection to its queen or her throne?"
Edgerton told me that the King of Dunre, Maximillian Bedard, coveted Queen Catlett to the point that he asked her to marry him. When she turned him down, he became obsessed with destroying her and those around her.
The man didn't answer, not that I expected him to, not that he had to. The way his eyes widened in surprise when I asked if the King of Dunre sent him, told me all that I needed to know. I withdrew the sword from the man's throat. "Return to your king and tell him that I won't forget what happened here today."
The man looked at his sword lying on the floor, then looked at me. I nodded, letting him know that he could pick it up. With his sword hand gone, he wasn't a threat. It would be years before he learned how to fight with his other hand.
He grabbed his sword and used it as a crutch, sticking its point in the dirt floor and pushing himself to his feet. I watched him stagger out of the inn. When he was gone, I turned to Edgerton, who had finally managed to dress himself and struggle out of his bathing room.
"This is a good blade. Ask the innkeeper if there's a blacksmith in town who can make one for me." I liked the scimitar. It was longer than the sword I trained with, but weighed about the same. Plus, it matched the outfit I was currently wearing.
"There's a blacksmith in the village," Edgerton said. "And he does make swords. I suspect he'll also have a couple of extra horses to sell. Our two dead assassins certainly won't be needing them."
"We should pay him a visit right now," Bokham said. "It's no longer safe to stay here. Now that the assassins know we've arrived."
Edgerton nodded in agreement. I returned the scimitar to the innkeeper and collected my cloak. Edgerton paid the innkeeper, throwing in a little extra to take care of the severed hand and the two dead bodies.
Edgerton and Bokham seemed convinced that other assassins were waiting for us. If that was true, then this part of our journey would be more eventful than our trip across the desert.
# Chapter 14
We acquired three horses and a scimitar, then followed a road that wound between the hills, moving in a northwesterly direction. It would've been nice to sleep in a bed, but it seemed I was out of luck. The people in this part of the world wanted me dead just as much as the people in my part of the world. For someone who had never done anything, other than exist, I was quite unpopular.
"How did you know those assassins were coming to kill you?" Edgerton asked me.
He was riding in the front, I was in the middle, and Bokham was bringing up the rear. I wasn't ready to tell Edgerton about my gifts, so I changed the subject. "How did they find us so quickly?"
"They probably followed me."
"And sat around waiting to see if you came back with a princess?"
"Probably."
"What makes you think there are other assassins out there?"
"There are always assassins out there. Assassination is a way of life in this part of the world."
"I figured the one good thing about coming to this side of the world was that nobody would want to kill me."
"I'm sorry, Your Highness, but no one said being a princess was easy. I assumed your mother taught you that."
"How did they know what you were doing and where you went, not to mention who I was?"
"Spies. All the palaces have them."
"So, someone in the palace overheard you and the queen talking about crossing the desert in search of a princess and sold the information to the King of Dunre?"
Edgerton nodded. "We learned about your country through the merchants from Gibney. When I asked if they could help us find one of these unwanted princesses, they said that they couldn't, but they knew someone that might be able to help. Someone that traded in human flesh."
"The King of the Sugar Islands," I said.
Edgerton nodded. "The merchants acted as a go between, delivering our gold to the King of the Sugar Islands, then telling me someone would meet me once I crossed the Desert of Shifting Sands. When our sand ship reached Adah, we made camp. A couple of days later, Ezerra showed up and took me to your Western Palace. A couple of weeks after that, you arrived."
"You should've come directly to us. You could've had your pick of princesses. Salisha and Iderra would've gone with you willingly, as would have I."
"From what the soldiers at your Western Palace told me about your two sisters, I question whether they're fit to assume the throne of Vassa. They said Iderra was smart, but did not relate well to others. They said Salisha was beautiful, but had little else going for her."
"And what did they say of Bedonna?"
"They feared her. They said she longed to prove herself a great conqueror, even if it meant spilling their blood."
"What did they say about me?"
"They said that you were okay."
"That's it? That's all they had to say?"
"They had nothing bad to say about you. You should take that as a compliment. I did."
We rode in silence after that. We didn't push the horses, but we didn't stop to rest either. We just kept moving, for two days and two nights we plodded along. I learned to sleep while riding, a skill Edgerton and Bokham seemed to have already acquired. Not that they both slept at the same time. One was always awake. Making sure we were on the right road. Making sure we weren't being followed.
As we continued west and climbed in elevation, the hills changed, going from brown to green. The trees also changed, going from palms to dogwoods and weeping willows. There were no mountains in this part of the world, not like we had back in Adah, just a lot of rolling hills. On the morning of our second day, the road we were following hooked up with a stream, running parallel to it. By the end of the second day, that stream had widened into a river. It wasn't big enough to navigate, other then in a canoe or a small boat, but it was a river.
Eventually, the road grew crowded. Most of the travelers dressed like me, but a few wore outfits similar to what Edgerton wore. Every time we passed someone in breeches and a waistcoat, Edgerton's hand slipped inside his coat, reaching for the large knife he kept hidden. Fortunately, we encountered no more assassins and by the time the sun began to set in the west, a large city appeared on the horizon. It was made out of yellow brick and littered with domes.
"Istansada City," Edgerton said. "The capital of Landish. From here on our journey becomes easier."
Unlike the cities in Adah, no walls surrounded Istansada City. The city was in a valley, built at the confluence of three rivers. The three rivers weren't very impressive, but the point where they came together, forming the Istansada River, was impressive.
The Istansada was a good mile wide. It was a deep slow moving river loaded with boats and ships. The ships looked nothing like the triremes found off the coast of southern Adah. They had no oars sticking out of their sides, no way to move except by wind power. The ships contained three square rigged masts. The middle part of each ship's deck sat lower than the foredeck or afterdeck.
"What are those ships called?"
"Caravels," Edgerton said.
"There are no oars sticking out of them."
"No."
"How do they move if there's no wind?"
"They don't. But unlike your triremes, they're shallow draft vessels. So when the wind does blow, they move quite swiftly. Twice as fast as a trireme with one tenth the manpower."
"Do the merchants that sail here from Gibney use triremes or caravels?"
Edgerton laughed. "They prefer triremes. They fear getting trapped out on the ocean with no wind."
As we drew closer to the city, we wound our way down a hillside covered with stocks of corn. Bokham pointed to a caravel flying red and gold flags on the top of its three masts. The flags contained a red field with a golden eagle in flight. The ship itself had been painted black and trimmed with gold paint. It was as large and as fine a ship as I had ever seen.
"That's ours," Bokham said. "The Star of the Sea. The heir's flagship. Your flagship, Your Highness."
"The heir's cabin is located under the foredeck," Edgerton said. "I think you'll find it quite comfortable."
"I'm sure I would. But since I'm not the heir, my sleeping there would be inappropriate, not to mention highly presumptuous."
"There's a couple of guest cabins across the hall from the heir's cabin. Perhaps you would be more comfortable in one of those."
"As long as I'm not kicking you out."
"Hardly. My cabin is in the back, across from the captain's cabin."
"One of the guest cabins will be fine. Thank you, Chancellor."
Even though Istansada City contained no walls, it was easy to tell when we reached the city's edge. Yellow brick buildings lined the road, and the road itself, which had been dirt, became a brick street. Because the city was built at the confluence of three rivers, bridges abounded. Stone bridges arched over the three rivers at a dozen different locations. Only the Istansada River itself contained no bridges.
Most of the men in Istansada City looked and dressed like the two sailors that ferried us across the desert. Some of the women wore outfits similar to the one I had one. Others wore wraparound skirts instead of pants. The length of the skirts varied, with older women wearing longer ones and younger women wearing shorter ones. There were soldiers in the city. They wore black silk balloon pants, red silk vests, and black turbans. The carried scimitars around their waists and traveled in pairs.
When we reached the street that ran parallel to the southern side of the Istansada River, Edgerton breathed a sigh of relief. "Once we reach the ship, you'll be safe. The queen's navy crews the ship. They're good men. The queen herself personally selected each one for this voyage."
After two weeks in the desert, the smell of water filled the air. Gulls cackled overhead as they followed a fleet of small fishing boats that were heading for shore. No one paid much attention to us until we reached the Star of the Sea.
We dismounted, tied our horses to a hitching post, and headed out onto the dock where the Star of the Sea was tied. Two sailors stood at attention at the bottom of the ship's gangplank. They wore white shirts and white knee breeches. Red stockings reached up to the knee breeches, while small black shoes covered their feet. Red jackets with a single gold band around their sleeve cuffs completed their uniforms.
"I trust you still recognize me," Edgerton said, bowing to the sailor closest to us.
"Yes, sir." Like Bokham, the sailor was tall and clean shaven. Like Bokham, he wore his long blond hair in a ponytail. Instead of a broadsword, he carried a cutlass on his hip. The other sailor was similar in size and appearance, with a brown ponytail instead of a blond one. Both of them stepped aside, so we could head up the gangplank.
"The three horses at the end of the dock are ours," Bokham said. "Have somebody take them to the nearest stable and sell them for whatever price they can get."
"Yes, sir," the blond sailor said.
We headed up the gangplank and onto the ship, where we were intercepted by a tall man with broad shoulders and a narrow waist. His hair was as white as snow, and like everyone else, he wore it in a ponytail. He had a square jaw, a broad flat nose, and deep set blue eyes. The cuffs of his red jacket contained four gold bands instead of one.
Edgerton bowed. "Captain Hubbard."
Captain Hubbard saluted. Like the other sailors, he wore a cutlass on his hip. "My men have spent the last six weeks betting whether we would ever see you again. Looks like some of them are going to be a lot poorer tonight."
"I trust you aren't one of them."
"You know I'd never bet against an old fool like you." Captain Hubbard looked at me. "Can I assume your mission was successful?"
"May I present Princess Lila Marie Haran. Fourth daughter of Bella Justine Haran, the twelfth Queen of Adah."
"My god," Captain Hubbard said. "You actually convinced a princess to come with you?"
Edgerton blushed. "I didn't exactly convince her to come with me."
"He kidnapped me," I said. "Drugged me, bound and gagged me, wrapped me in a carpet, and threw me over the back of a pack horse."
"Fortunately that's all behind us." Edgerton looked at me, to see if it actually was behind us, or if I was still carrying a grudge.
"It's behind us," I said. I extended the back of my left hand to Captain Hubbard. "So nice to meet you, Captain."
"The pleasure is all mine, Your Highness." Captain Hubbard kissed the back of my hand and bowed. "You speak the Common Tongue very well. I was under the impression people didn't use the Common Tongue in your part of the world."
"They don't. Your chancellor taught it to me on our trip across the desert." I wasn't sure how well I spoke the Common Tongue. I suspect I spoke it with a fairly strong accent. An accent nobody could place.
Edgerton beamed with pride. "She learns quickly. Very bright, this one."
"There's nothing to do in the desert but learn," I said. "One can only stare at sand dunes for so long."
Captain Hubbard gave me a tour of his ship, which was his pride and joy. It was quite different from our triremes, especially below deck. There were no oarsmen, just storage space and sleeping quarters for the crew. There were two cabins under the afterdeck, one for Captain Hubbard, one for Edgerton. There were three cabins under the foredeck. The heir's cabin, and two guest cabins opposite it.
"Edgerton tells me you don't want to use the heir's cabin," Captain Hubbard said, after escorting me to it.
"I'm not the heir," I said. "It would be inappropriate."
"Your lady in waiting is using one of the guest cabins. I'll have one of my men prepare the other one for you."
"Your lady in waiting can help you change," Edgerton said. "We brought a selection of gowns with us. I'm sure she can find one that fits you."
"Dinner will be served in my cabin at eight bells," Captain Hubbard said. "As soon as she returns to the ship, I'll send the Lady Wellington to your cabin."
Once my cabin was prepared, I slipped into it and looked around. The room wasn't a perfect square because the ship's curved hull made up its outer wall. There were two round portholes in the outer wall, bigger than a person's head, but smaller than their shoulders. Between the two portholes was a feather bed. Like the rest of the furniture in the room, it was nailed down. Built into the left-hand wall was a writing desk with numerous drawers. Built into the right-hand wall was an armoire. Covering the bed was a red and gold comforter. Like the ship's flags, it consisted of a red field with a golden eagle in flight.
The drawers in the writing desk were empty save for some parchment. The armoire was full of silk gowns. They varied in size, from way too big to just too small. On the armoire's floor was a selection of boots. They reached to the top of the calf and contained wickedly high heels. I wasn't sure what purpose the heels served other than to make one look taller. Tucked into the armoire's drawers was a selection of silk briefs and matching corsets.
I wasn't looking forward to being laced into corsets again, but I was looking forward to sleeping in a bed. After two weeks on a sand ship, and two days and nights on horseback, I was looking forward to it so much that I laid down.
I must have dozed off because the next thing I knew, someone was in my cabin. It was a young woman about twenty-five years old. She was tall, with high breasts, a tiny waist, and round hips. She had straight blond hair that reached to the small of her back. She wore a pale green silk gown that had long sleeves, a high collar, and a tight ankle length skirt. Her feet were shod with a pair of high heeled boots similar to what I found in the armoire. She had a heart-shaped face with a small nose, high cheekbones, and full lips. Her blue eyes were the color of the sky. She reminded me of Salisha.
"I was told to help the princess dress for dinner," the blond said. "I'm Lady Wellington. Tabitha Wellington."
"Pleased to meet you." I sat up and rubbed the sleep out of my eyes. "I'm Princess Lila Marie Haran."
"Oh my. You don't even speak the Common Tongue. You really are a barbarian."
As soon as she said that, I realized that I had responded to her in my native Adan rather than in the Common Tongue. Being half asleep it was an easy mistake to make. After all, I had been speaking Adan my whole life, and the Common Tongue for just over two weeks.
I dragged myself to the foot of the bed and stood. Tabitha circled me, looking me over.
"You're a pretty little thing, but I have no idea what use Queen Catlett will have for a barbarian that can't even speak the Common Tongue. Perhaps she could breed you with a duke or a baron. You might be capable of producing a child that could assume the throne. As long as they didn't let you raise it."
She was smiling as she spoke to me, probably thinking that as long as she did that, I'd assume she was saying nice things. She saw the scimitar we purchased from the blacksmith still strapped around my waist. "My god! You're carrying a sword. Do you actually know how to use it? Being a barbarian, I suppose you do."
I figured now was as good a time as any to let Tabitha know I spoke the Common Tongue, so I slid the scimitar out of its leather sheath and pressed the blade against her throat.
"As a matter of fact, I do know how to use a sword. I can give you a demonstration if you'd like. I suspect no one would care if you made it back to court. From what I'm told, this part of the world is littered with useless low level royals like yourself."
She retreated until her back hit the door. "You understood me."
I moved with her, keeping the blade pressed against her throat. "Oh, I understand your kind perfectly. You smile to a person's face, then criticize them whenever their back is turned."
Tabitha gulped and glanced at the blade. "Technically, I'm not a royal. My father was the youngest son of a baron, but he didn't inherit the barony. Which means I'm not actually a royal. Just the niece of a royal."
"That's too bad." I stepped back and sheathed my scimitar. "Now, I'll have to find another useless royal to kill."
Tabitha breathed a sigh of relief. Up until then, she hadn't been sure if I actually intended to kill her. "Do you really know how to use a sword?"
"I've trained with a sword since I was six."
"Women actually train with swords where you come from?"
"Not all women."
"Few women in this part of the world know how to use a sword."
"We ran into a woman two days back that knew how to use a sword. Albeit not good enough to save her life."
"A professional assassin. If you see a woman carrying a sword in this part of the world, she's a professional assassin, rest assured."
"The King of Dunre hired this one to kill me. As you can see. She and her partners failed. Rather foolish of the King of Dunre to think he could kill a barbarian princess that easily." I pulled my scimitar out of its sheath and pointed its curved tip at Tabitha's stomach. "Are you an assassin sent to kill me?"
Tabitha shook her head no. Quite vigorously. She was afraid of me and I liked it. It was the first time in my life that I could remember someone being afraid of me.
"Queen Catlett sent me to help you dress. She wasn't sure what women in your part of the world wear and thought you might need someone to show you how to put on a corset and a gown."
I sheathed my scimitar, unbuckled the scabbard from around my waist, and tossed it on my bed. "We have corsets and gowns in my part of the world. What we don't have are those ridiculously high heeled boots. I can't begin to imagine what purpose they serve, other than to keep you from running away from any assassins that might want to kill you."
"They serve a definite purpose. They . . . ." Tabitha's voice trailed off as she struggled to come up with a reason for wearing the high heeled boots. "They make you taller."
"I'd rather be short and able to defend myself than tall and hobbled."
"I'm not hobbled."
"Prove it."
"How?"
"Let me see you run."
She didn't do it. Not that I expected her to. Her skirt was too tight to run in even without the high heeled boots. "Where I come from, a LADY does not run."
"What do you do when an assassin comes to kill you?"
"Assassins have no reason to kill me. I'm merely the niece of a baron."
"They have plenty of reasons to kill me."
"Does that mean you don't want me to help you dress for dinner?"
I had a feeling that everything I said and did on this journey would get back to Queen Catlett. I suspected that I was already being judged by the queen herself, and if I didn't at least try their fashions, I would be found wanting. "This ship is well defended, so I don't think I need to worry about assassins while I'm on board. As such, you may select a gown and help me dress for dinner."
When we reached Vassa, I would find a tailor and have some gowns made up in the styles my mother preferred, along with some riding skirts and breeches.
While I slipped out of the outfit I had been wearing for the last two days, Tabitha selected a red silk gown. She held it up in front of me and pronounced that it would fit me perfectly. I thought it looked too small, but didn't say anything. She knew these styles better than I did. She added a red silk corset, red silk stockings, and matching silk briefs to the growing pile on my bed. Lastly, she pulled out a pair of boots with the wicked looking heels.
"We have no hot water on board, so you won't be able to take a bath. However, I do have some talc in my cabin. We can sprinkle some of that on you, then scrub you with a cloth. It will be almost as good."
Tabitha slipped into her cabin and returned with a wooden box. Inside the box was a white powder softer than the finest sand. I wasn't excited about having powder tossed on me, especially after my encounter with Ezerra, but I remained silent, figuring Tabitha was no powder witch. She began circling around me, tossing fistfuls of the white powder on me. When I was as white as a ghost, she grabbed two small cloths, handed one to me, and kept one for herself.
"You scrub the front. I'll scrub the back," she said.
I was used to having handmaidens help me dress, but I wasn't used to having someone scrub my naked body. It was especially disconcerting when she finished with my back and started on my bottom. Still, she did her job in a workman like manner and in no time we had the white powder, and any dirt that might have been underneath it, scrubbed off.
The gown Tabitha selected was made out of a single layer of silk with no petticoats. The lacing started at the top of my thighs and ran all the way to the top of my neck. The dress covered me from neck to ankle and was so tight that I couldn't run in it let alone fight. I felt like a sword sheathed in its scabbard.
The skirt was the worst part, tight across the hips, tight across the thighs, and narrow enough around the ankles that I could only take small steps. Between the gown and the high heeled boots, walking was no longer something I could take for granted.
"This is horribly uncomfortable," I said, stumbling around the room and feeling like a horse that had just been saddled, bridled, and hobbled. "Why do you put up with it?"
Tabitha led me to the mirror that hung on the inside of one of the armoire's doors. I looked tall and curvaceous. My breasts were tucked right under my chin and stuck straight out. My waist looked small enough to wrap my hands around, which made my hips look rounder than normal. My bottom also look bigger than normal. It was the first time in my life I looked at myself and thought that I had a big butt. Of course it was all an illusion, created by the corset and the tapered gown. Well, part of it was an illusion. I wasn't as tall as my mother, or Salisha, nor were my hips as round as theirs, but I was just as big in the chest.
"There are a couple of things I need to show you," Tabitha said.
"Such as?"
"Try to sit down."
I hobbled to the end of the bed, tried to sit on it, and discovered that I couldn't. The gown, in particular, the skirt, was so tight that I couldn't sit, not without ripping the gown at the seams.
"There's a trick to sitting." Tabitha glided to the writing desk and pulled out the captain's chair that went with it. I felt jealous watching her move in her boots and gown. She made it look effortless, like she had been doing it her whole life, which I suppose she had. I felt like an old plow horse standing next to a sleek race horse. "Now watch."
Instead of just sitting in the chair, she bent at the waist, pushed her bottom out, then fell into the chair, letting her legs kick out in front of her.
"When you push your bottom out like that, it looks like you're putting on a show," I said.
"You are putting on a show. You're saying to all the handsome and eligible men that are watching you, see how curvaceous I am, see how fertile I am. I can bare you many fine sons. Sons that will grow up to be big and strong. Sons that will care for you in your old age. Sons that will defend your land and your name and your honor."
"And here I thought you were saying, see how big my butt is. See how many pies and pastries I've been eating. If you marry me, I'll eat you out of house and home and castle."
Tabitha giggled. "Lucky for us, men don't think that way. There's also a trick to standing up."
She grabbed the arms of the chair and pushed herself up. At the same time, she kicked her legs up and down. Somehow, she managed to rise out of the chair while looking both graceful and elegant. There was no way that I could do that and still look graceful. I was definitely going to visit a tailor.
Tabitha moved to the side of the chair. "Now, you try."
I moved to the chair, bent at the waist, and thrust my bottom out. "So what am I saying right now?"
"You're saying, see how round and firm my bottom is. I can bear you many strong royal heirs." Tabitha giggled. "Either that or . . . . "
I never had a chance to hear what else she was going to say because we were interrupted by a knock on the door.
It was Bokham. "Your Highness, we have a bit of a problem, you're going to have to come up on deck."
I straightened up and moved to the door as quickly as my outfit would allow. Bokham had also changed, donning a clean version of his red and white uniform. His scabbard hung from his left hip and his right hand was gripping the hilt of his broadsword.
"What's wrong?" I said.
"The man whose hand you cut off followed us, then went to the local authorities, claiming we murdered his friends. The local authorities have come to ask us some questions."
I sighed and stepped out of the cabin. So much for a peaceful dinner.
# Chapter 15
The man whose hand I lopped off was standing on the gangplank arguing with Captain Hubbard. A pair of soldiers dressed in black silk balloon pants, red vests, and black turbans stood between the two men. As soon as he saw me, the would-be-assassin pointed his stump at me and started yelling. "This is all her fault. She ordered her thugs to attack me and my friends. I demand that you arrest her."
I walked over to the man, which took some time considering what I was wearing. When I finally reached him, I slapped him across the face. "You've been drinking again. After you promised me that you were off the bottle for good."
The man was so taken back by my action that he just stood there, dumbfounded.
"You know this man?" one of the soldiers said.
"He's my brother. And he has a bit of a drinking problem. When he's drunk, he tends to run around telling crazy stories about people trying to kill him. If you leave him with us, I can assure you that we'll confine him to this ship until we leave port. He won't give you anymore trouble."
"She's lying," Stumpy said. "I never saw her until a couple of days ago, when she ordered her thugs to rob me and my two friends."
I didn't bother to argue with the man. I just stood there and let the soldiers decide for themselves who was more credible, a screaming one handed man, or a well-dressed woman with a big fancy ship. Needless to say, it didn't take the soldiers long before they decided who they believed. When the man realized that he had lost the argument, he turned to run away. The two sailors Captain Hubbard stationed at the bottom of the gangplank had already moved behind him, so he didn't get anywhere.
"Take him below deck until he's sober," I said. The two sailors smiled knowingly and hustled the screaming man away, once he was below deck, I turned back to the two soldiers. "Once again, I apologize for my brother's behavior. I can assure you that next time we visit your great city, he will remain at home."
The two soldiers bowed. I turned to Captain Hubbard. "Captain, perhaps we should make a donation to the high sage's treasury, to pay for any damage my brother has caused."
"As you wish, Your Highness," Captain Hubbard said with a bow. He pulled a couple of gold coins out of the coin purse attached to his cutlass belt and handed them to the soldier that did the talking. The two soldiers bowed and headed down the gangplank. I had little doubt that the high sage's treasurer would never see those gold coins. Most likely, they would wind up in the hands of some tavern keeper.
Edgerton burst on deck. He was half dressed. One boot on, one boot off. His waistcoat only half on. "What's the problem?"
"Captain Hubbard is two gold coins short," I said. "I trust you'll see that he's compensated."
***
We were sitting down to dinner in the captain's mess when we received another visitor. This one was a messenger from the High Sage of Landish himself. It was an invitation to his palace, inviting the lady from Vassa to meet him.
"The high sage's men must've seen the royal flag flying atop the masts," Edgerton said. "He's probably curious about who you are and what you're doing here."
"I'd like to meet him. He's not allied with the King of Dunre, so I have nothing to fear from him. Right?"
"He is not an ally of the King of Dunre. But there are some things you need to know about the high sages."
"Such as?"
"They're collectors."
"What does that have to do with my paying the current high sage a visit?"
"The high sages collect women."
"You mean slaves?"
"More like wives."
"How many wives does he have?"
"He's been high sage for less than a year, so not many, around a dozen."
I picked my jaw off the table. "Twelve wives in one year. You've got to be kidding?"
"In Landish, the high sage's greatness is measured by the number and the beauty of his wives. I fear that once you enter the high sage's palace, you may never get out."
"If he's collecting women, he'd probably be more interested in the Lady Tabitha than me."
"How do you figure?" Edgerton said.
"Haven't you noticed that most of the women in this city are short with long black hair. They look a lot like me. I don't know how things work in Vassa, but in the rest of the world, tall blonds are always in greater demand than short brunettes. If we leave the Lady Tabitha here, I suspect we'll be fine."
I figured if I was in danger, I'd have had a vision warning me not to visit the high sage, which hadn't happened. I also wanted to meet the high sage for another reason. If I was going to live in this part of the world, I needed friends and allies.
Edgerton scowled. "I still don't like it."
"What's the worst he can do to me?" I countered. "Drug me? Bind and gag me? Wrap me up in a carpet? Throw me over the back of a horse and ferry me across the desert? Been there and done that."
That pretty much decided the argument. Captain Hubbard, Edgerton, Bokham, and myself, finished our dinner and headed for the high sage's palace.
The high sage's messenger came with a wagon the likes of which I had never seen. It sat low to the ground, resting between its four wheels rather than over them. It also had a roof and walls. Inside were a pair of padded benches that faced each other. The benches were red and made from a butter soft leather. The rest of the wagon was black, except for its wheels, which were red. A driver sat on a bench over the front wheels, while two footmen rode on a running board between the rear wheels. The high sage's royal seal, a red lion, was painted on each door. A team of four black horses pulled the wagon, which Edgerton called a carriage.
The high sage's palace sat on a hill in the center of the city. It was a large brick building with five domes, a small dome at each corner, and a large dome in the center of the building. The building's four corners were rounded to match the curve of the small domes. It had arched windows and arched doors.
A yellow brick wall surrounded the palace. Guards in black silk pants, red silk vests, and black turbans patrolled the top of the wall. The wall's main gate consisted of a pair of heavy wooden gates painted black. A red lion had been painted in the middle of each gate. The gates were open but guarded. Since we were in a royal carriage, we were waved on through.
The palace was more ornate than any of the palaces back in Adah. The floors were inlaid with colored tiles picturing scenes of a red lion hunting, eating, sleeping, and watching over people. Hanging on the walls were tapestries with the same scenes. The windows were made out of pieces of colored glass and displayed similar scenes.
A large crowd filled the palace's great hall. Some were standing, some were sitting on piles of silk pillows. All of them were eating and drinking. Serving girls scurried about, carrying trays of bread and cheese and fresh fruit, as well as jugs of red wine. Dancing girls weaved among the people, their bodies covered with gold and silver but little else. Musicians strolled among the crowd, playing their horns and stringed instruments.
"Looks like a party," Captain Hubbard said. "I wonder what they're celebrating."
"We are celebrating the high sage's ascendance to the throne of the red lion," a serving girl said, holding up a tray filled with freshly baked sweets.
"Didn't he ascended a full year ago?"
"They celebrated his father's ascendance for a full year. To prove this high sage is greater than his father, we will celebrate his ascendance for two years."
The girl moved on, offering her tray of sweets to others in the crowd. No walls around their capital city and a nonstop two year party. If Bedonna knew that these people existed, she would march Adah's armies across the desert and place herself on the throne of the red lion.
"Wine, women, and song," Edgerton said. "That pretty much sums up the life of the high sage and his royal court."
"This city is known as the entertainment center of the world," Bokham added. "Most people come here for fun."
We were approached by a short slim man with a shaved head, a neatly trimmed white beard, and a long hawk like nose. He wore a black silk robe with a red sash around his waist. He reached us and bowed. Edgerton, dressed in his usual black and white, returned the man's bow.
"Chancellor. We received a report that you were in town." The man turned to me. "With a young woman of note."
A young woman of note. That was diplomatic talk for, I don't know who she is, but she looks and acts like she's important and I'd like to find out what she's doing in my city.
I offered the man the back of my left hand. "Princess Lila Marie Haran. Fourth daughter of Bella Justine Haran, the twelfth Queen of Adah."
"Lydon Jarvo." The man paused to kiss the back of my hand. "Chief Counselor to his Royal Majesty the High Sage of Landish, Miship Boxx. You'll excuse my ignorance, but I've never heard of Adah."
"It's easy to find. Just head east across the Great Desert. When you run out of desert, you're in Adah."
Counselor Jarvo's dark eyes widened in surprise. Whatever he had expected me to say, that wasn't it. "I heard a rumor that Chancellor Edgerton had gone to the end of the world in search of a princess, but I didn't expect him to return with someone so lovely and refined. Truth be told, I didn't expect him to return at all. Can I ask why you decided to make this journey?"
"If it had been up to me, I wouldn't have made the journey. But as Chief Counselor of Landish, you know better than anyone that we are often moved by forces beyond our control." That was diplomatic talk for, I was bound and gagged, rolled up in a carpet, and tossed over the back of a horse.
"His Royal Highness, the high sage, sent me to inquire about your personage, and if it would benefit him to meet you. Since I believe it would, you are welcome to follow me."
Counselor Jarvo set off. I fell in behind him, moving as gracefully as I could in the unfamiliar high heeled boots and too tight red silk gown. Edgerton, Bokham, and Captain Hubbard fell in behind me. We left the main room under the large dome and headed down an arched hallway toward the back right corner of the palace. At the end of the hall, beaded curtains made from rubies, emeralds, and sapphires hung in a doorway, separating the hallway from what looked like a throne room.
Counselor Jarvo stopped at the curtain and turned toward the others. "The rest of you will have to wait here. The high sage converses only with his wives, his advisors, and royals of a similar rank."
Edgerton, Bokham, and Captain Hubbard didn't argue, although I thought they might. They remained behind as I followed Counselor Jarvo into the high sage's throne room.
To call the throne room ostentatious would be an understatement. The room was circular and topped by one of the palace's four small domes. The dome itself contained a mural. In the mural, sitting on thrones which floated on a cloud, were a dozen men and women, which I took to be gods. They smiled down on the high sage, clearly pleased with their chosen leader.
The throne itself was covered in gold leaf. It had been carved to look like the head of a lion. A male lion. The lion's mouth was open, as if he was roaring, and the high sage was sitting on his tongue. The floor was a tile mosaic of the high sage's capital city. There was nothing else in the room save for piles of red, blue, and yellow pillows.
The high sage himself wasn't as impressive as the room. He was just a teenager. He wore a red silk turban and a red silk robe that tied with a black sash. Pinned to the front of the turban was a gold brooch of a roaring lion's head.
He was a short and chubby kid with pale skin, freckled cheeks, and large green eyes. He looked bored, but then what teenage boy wouldn't get bored, sitting on a throne, greeting dignitaries he didn't know and probably didn't want to know. I had done my share of that kind of stuff and knew how boring it could be, even for an adult, let alone a teenager.
"Your Supreme Highness," Counselor Jarvo said, bowing to the high sage. "May I present her Royal Highness, Princess Lila Marie Haran, fourth daughter of Bella Justine Haran, the twelfth Queen of Adah."
The high sage bowed his head. "We are pleased to make your acquaintance."
"Princess Lila comes from the other side of the world," Counselor Jarvo said. "Her homeland lies across the Great Desert."
That caught the high sage's interest. "You come from the barbarian lands?"
"My family rules the barbarian lands. At least those that lie closest to the Great Desert. What we call the Desert of Shifting Sands."
The high sage began to pepper me with questions. Was it true we lived in caves? No, we lived in the tops of trees. Did we really eat human flesh? Only the flesh of tender young children and then only on Tuesdays. Was it true the sun never rose in our part of the world? That was false. The sun rose one day each year, on my birthday. It was at that point the high sage realized that I was teasing him.
He blushed. "You must think I'm stupid."
I smiled at him. "On the contrary, Your Supreme Highness. You are no more ill informed than the people in my part of the world. I once believed that the people in this part of the world had wings."
This time I answered high sage's questions as best I could. He listened intently, peppering me with more questions about things that interested him. Eventually, we were interrupted by Counselor Jarvo. "I'm sorry to disturb you, Your Supreme Highness, but you have another guest waiting to pay you his respects."
The high sage thanked me for the visit, smiling as he did so. Counselor Jarvo then escorted me out of the throne room. "That was the first time I've seen the high sage smile since his father died. I believe he enjoyed talking to you."
"I think he enjoyed hearing about the barbarian lands," I said, as we crossed the throne room. "May I ask you a question, Counselor?"
"Of course, Your Highness."
"Who's the next guest waiting to greet the high sage?"
"That would be the King of Dunre. Have you heard of him?"
"Heard of him, but never met him. I understand he's a person of some note in this part of the world."
"By force of will," Counselor Jarvo said. "He believes fate has selected him for greatness."
A king with delusions of grandeur, never heard of one of those.
We passed through the jewelled curtain and out of the throne room, where we encountered a passel of people. Edgerton, Bokham, and Captain Hubbard stood on the left-hand side of the hallway. A throng of guards dressed in purple, gold, and white, lined the right-hand side of the hallway.
A tall man with shoulder length brown hair, deep set dark eyes, a long narrow nose, and a neatly trimmed mustache and goatee stood between the purple clad guards. He wore black velvet breeches tucked into polished black riding boots, and a purple velvet waistcoat over a ruffled white silk shirt. A gold crown with a setting sun on the front sat on his head. Embedded in the middle of the setting sun was a large purple gem. Obviously the King of Dunre.
A dozen of the high sage's red and black clad guards stood between the King of Dunre and my men, making sure they didn't get close to each other.
As soon as the King of Dunre saw me, he pushed past his guards and approached Counselor Jarvo and myself. As he drew close, I realized that he was older than I had first thought. Upon first glance, I had placed him in his thirties, now I realized that he was probably in his late forties. There were streaks of gray in his hair, and age lines around his eyes and mouth. He impressed me as being smart, powerful, and ruthless. He also impressed me as a man that was running out of time and knew it. All in all, that was a dangerous combination.
"You must be the barbarian princess that Queen Catlett hopes will become her heir." He held his hand out with the back of it facing up, expecting me to kiss it like I was one of his subjects. I was raised to have my hand kissed, not to kiss the hands of others, so I ignored it.
"You must be Maximillian Bedard, the King of Dunre." I looked him up and down, as if he were a slave in a market. "I have no interest in a man of your advanced years."
I slid past him, leaving him standing there with his hand still extended. My mother taught me that kings and queens don't age gracefully. They envision themselves as eternally young and don't like being reminded that they're growing old and that their days are numbered.
"If you want to offend a king or queen," she once said. "Just tell them how old they look." Judging by the King of Dunre's red face, mother was right.
I headed down the hallway, moving as gracefully as my outfit would allow. When I reached the great hall, where they were still celebrating the high sage's ascension, Edgerton put a hand on my shoulder. "I trust you were trying to offend the King of Dunre."
"He offend me, so I returned his action in kind."
"How did he offend you?"
"Besides sending those assassins after me? He offered me the back of his hand, as if I were one of his subjects. What's he doing here anyway?"
"Perhaps he's here to sample the high sage's harem."
"You mean sleep with the high sage's wives?"
"You saw for yourself. The high sage is but a boy. I doubt he knows what to do with a harem."
"Did the previous high sage share his wives with the King of Dunre?"
Edgerton laughed. "The previous high sage enjoyed his wives way too much to share them with anyone. Some say that's what killed him."
This high sage might be a boy, but I don't think it was accurate to say that he didn't know what to do with a harem. I had just spent a half hour talking to him and noticed that he had spent much of the time staring at my chest. I suspected he just needed someone to take the initiative. You couldn't expect an inexperienced boy that had led a sheltered life to make the first move on a grown woman, not even if he was the High Sage of Landish and she was part of his harem.
"May I have another moment of your time, Your Highness?" Jarvo said, rejoining us.
I took Jarvo's arm and we headed off, strolling around the great hall. Edgerton, Bokham, and Captain Hubbard fell in behind us, paying more attention to the scantly clad dancing girls than to Jarvo or myself.
"What can I do for you, Counselor?"
"I have a problem."
"I hope it's not me."
Jarvo smiled. "It's the King of Dunre. He comes here to poison the high sage's mind."
"And you still allow him to see the high sage?"
"They're heads of state. I am but a humble adviser."
"Do you know what they talk about?"
"The first few times the King of Dunre visited, the high sage told me what they talked about, but the last few times, he's refused to tell me, informing me that what kings talk about doesn't concern me."
"Sounds like somebody needs to convince the high sage that the King of Dunre is dangerous and shouldn't be trusted."
"Agreed," Jarvo said. "Unfortunately, he won't listen to me."
"What about one of his wives?"
"The high sage's wives were chosen for their beauty, not their minds. Most of them are illiterate country girls ill equipped to advise the high sage on affairs of state."
"Does the high sage sleep with any of them?"
"The high sage has shown no interest in any of his wives. I'm beginning to wonder if he likes women."
"He likes women," I said. "I think he's just afraid to make the first move."
"And you know this because?"
"Because I just spent a half hour with him. How old is the high sage anyway?"
"Seventeen."
That made him three years younger than me, for some reason he seemed even younger than that. "Has he ever been outside the palace walls?"
"Of course not. The high sage doesn't go to the world. The world comes to the high sage."
That explained why the high sage seemed younger than he was. He was a prisoner inside his own palace. He hadn't even seen his own country, let alone any of the world.
"You have yet to mention what Maximillian Bedard's growing influence over the high sage has to do with me, Counselor."
"I was thinking that a woman of beauty and intelligence might be able to neutralize Bedard's influence over the high sage. My problem is I haven't been able to find such a woman. Until today."
"You want me to convince the high sage that Maximillian Bedard shouldn't be trusted?" I made no attempt to hide the surprise on my face.
"Just have dinner with him. Flirt with him a little, tease him a little, make him fall in love with you."
"And while I'm doing that, maybe I can warn him about Maximillian Bedard, maybe even find out what they've been talking about?"
Jarvo bowed. "I would be in your debt."
"Why would you trust me?" I said. "You don't even know me."
"I know Edgerton. I also know that he likes you and believes that you will be the next Queen of Vassa. I also know that you don't like Maximillian Bedard."
I hesitated. I didn't intend to get involved this quickly in the politics of this part of the world. On the other hand, it wouldn't hurt to have a man of Jarvo's power and influence indebted to me.
"Look at it this way," Jarvo said. "Bedard is trying to wrap the high sage around his little finger. It would be better for me, and you, and Queen Catlett, and the high sage himself, if you wrapped the high sage around your little finger."
"I don't think it's my finger the high sage wants to wrap himself around," I said, then quickly added, "but I will dine with him."
After all, it was just one meal. What could happen?
# Chapter 16
Edgerton protested when he learned that I would be dining with the high sage. "I don't like it. The high sage may decide to toss you into his harem."
"I don't know who put those women in the harem, but I can guarantee you that it wasn't the high sage."
I suspected Jarvo was the one adding women to the high sage's harem. He probably went out once a month, found a woman he hoped the high sage would like, and tossed her into the harem. I suspect it wasn't a bad life. They were safe and well fed. They certainly had nothing to fear from the high sage.
I was pretty sure that I had nothing to fear from Jarvo. He needed me as an ally, to help him find out what was going on between the high sage and the King of Dunre. My problem was, how did I get the high sage to trust me? That was something I would have to play by ear.
Eventually, Jarvo returned to escort me to the high sage's private quarters. Edgerton wanted to know when I would return, but I couldn't answer that. I told him to relax and enjoy the party, that I would return when I returned.
As I headed to the high sage's quarters, I wondered if Edgerton really was worried that I would be tossed into the high sage's harem, like he claimed, or if he just didn't like the fact that when I was with Jarvo and the high sage, I was no longer under his control. Something told me that it was a little of both.
"What can you tell me about Edgerton?" I asked Jarvo.
"He is loyal to his queen. He loves her and would do anything for her."
"Including going to the end of the earth to kidnap a princess."
"He kidnapped you?"
"Drugged me, bound and gagged me, rolled me up in a carpet, and tossed me over a pack horse. I told him if he had come to our palace a month earlier, he could've had his pick of princesses, that any one of us would have gone with him willingly. But he likes to do things the hard way."
"We can provide you with sanctuary if you wish."
"I think that's why Edgerton didn't want me to come here tonight. He tried to scare me into thinking if I came here, you'd toss me into the high sage's harem."
"The high sage's wives came here of their own free will. They understand that it's a great honor to be selected as a wife of the high sage. Should you express an interest in entering the harem, we would be more than willing to accommodate you."
"If Queen Catlett doesn't like me, I might have to take you up on that offer. Although thirteen women and one teenage boy doesn't sound like a good time, not if you're one of the women."
"I've never heard any of the high sage's wives complain. And the high sage will not be a teenager forever."
We reached the high sage's private quarters. They looked like the rest of the palace. Mosaic tiled floors. Tapestries on the walls. Stained glass windows. Murals on the ceiling. All of the pictures involved a red lion. Jarvo led me to a round dining room dominated by a round marble table. The table was made out of green marble and sat low to the ground. Red, blue, green, and yellow pillows surrounded the table. The table itself was laid out with every kind of bread, fruit, and meat imaginable. Jugs of red wine sat on the table.
"Make yourself comfortable. The high sage will be with you shortly." Jarvo bowed and left.
Despite the fact that he had twelve beautiful wives, it was clear that the high sage wasn't used to being alone with a woman. As soon as he saw me in his private quarters, he turned beet red and started to back out of the room. "If you're busy. I can come back later."
I gave the high sage a coy smile, or what I hoped passed for a coy smile. In truth, I'm not sure what qualified as a coy smile and what didn't. "I'm not busy. Unless waiting for you counts as being busy."
The high sage mumbled something, but I couldn't understand what he said.
I moved to the large table that dominated the room. "Shall we eat?"
I grabbed a pillow and lowered myself onto it, tucking my legs beneath me, conscious that the high sage was watching my every move. I liked being the sophisticated older woman, it gave me a sense of power that I had never felt before.
The high sage wasn't a bad looking young man. He had a square jaw, a small narrow nose, and bright green eyes. Tuffs of red hair peeked out from under his red turban, complimenting his pale complexion and the dusting of freckles that covered his nose and cheeks. He just needed to lose the baby fat and gain some experience. Any kind of experience.
I patted the pillow next to me. "You don't look like the majority of your subjects."
"I look like my mother." The high sage sat. "She was born in Poshta, which is north of Dunre. I got my red hair and pale complexion from her. My height and build I got from my father."
"You must be hungry after being forced to listen to a windbag like Maximillian Bedard."
"You don't like Max?" The high sage seemed more surprised by that revelation than bothered by it.
"I don't like anyone that tries to kill me." I paused to fill a plate with a selection of breads, fruits, and meats. A serving girl poured two cups of red wine, then moved back against the wall, where she waited unnoticed. I set the plate between us, so the high sage could share it with me, then told him about the three assassins.
"You actually cut off a man's hand?" he said, when I finished my tale.
"You seem impressed by the fact that I know how to use a sword."
"That's because I don't know how to use a sword. I wish I did."
"You're the High Sage of Landish. If you want to know how to use a sword then order Counselor Jarvo to send someone to teach you."
"Jarvo will argue with me. Tell me that I might hurt myself."
"Let him argue. When he is done simply repeat your command. You're the high sage. Jarvo is your counselor. In the end, he will follow your wishes. Never forget that."
Jarvo wouldn't appreciate my telling the high sage to exert his authority, but someone needed to do it. He couldn't spend the rest of his life locked up in this palace doing what he was told. If that continued, he'd eventually listen to the wrong person, like Maximillian Bedard. The high sage needed to learn to think for himself.
I asked the high sage if he had any more questions about my homeland and the other side of the world. He did, a good hour's worth of questions. When he finished with those, he asked me about my family. I told him about my mother and my sisters and what had transpired since my mother's death. He seemed shocked that my sisters and I were expected to fight to the death to see which of us would ascend to our mother's throne.
"I think you made a smart move coming to our part of the world. There are more opportunities for one such as yourself in this part of the world."
"I didn't come here of my own free will. Truth be told, Chancellor Edgerton kidnapped me."
The high sage leapt to his feet. "If you want. I can have him arrested."
"Thank you, Your Supreme Highness, but it's not necessary. I'm actually looking forward to meeting Queen Catlett."
"I've already met her." The high sage sat back down. "She's tall and slim and old, with ice blue eyes. She told me to be my own man, although I'm not quite sure what she meant by that."
"I think she meant that you should do what you want, and not what Jarvo, or Maximillian Bedard, or anyone else wants you to do. While we're on the subject, tell me about the King of Dunre."
"What do you want to know?"
"What do you think he wants from you?"
"He talks about an alliance. A great alliance between Dunre and Landish is what he calls it. He says if we act as one, we can rule the civilized world."
"And who will be the primary decision maker in this alliance?"
"Max says that he'll guide me until I'm old enough to make my own decisions."
"You're old enough to make your own decisions right now," I said. "You want to know what I think?"
"You think he wants to control me." Okay, so the kid was smarter than he looked. "Jarvo thinks so too, but I've already figured out how to get rid of Max when I get tired of listening to him."
"How?"
"I ask him if there's anything he needs and then I give it to him."
"Did you give him what he wanted tonight?"
"Of course. It's the quickest way to get him to leave."
"Can I ask what he wanted?"
"The same thing he always wants. A ship to transport some goods down the Istansada River."
"And some men to crew the ship?"
"He prefers to find his own crew."
I recalled my geography lessons. "Dunre borders the Western Sea. Max should have plenty of ships at his disposal."
"You think he's up to something?"
Before I could voice my suspicions, a vision hit me. In this vision, I was standing on the deck of the Star of the Sea. It was a warm but starless night. Another ship had pulled alongside of ours, a single masted longboat.
Through the fog, I could see its flag flapping in the breeze. The flag contained a red lion, the high sage's crest. The men on the ship were dressed like the men in Landish, wearing balloon pants and vests and turbans. Problem was, some of them were too tall and too pale to be natives of Landish. They boarded our ship in overwhelming numbers, scimitars and broadswords drawn.
Captain Hubbard's men put up a brave fight but they were outnumbered and fell one by one. I retreated to my cabin and secured the door, but a pair of tall men in turbans broke the door down. One of them ran his sword through the Lady Tabitha's stomach, then watched her collapse. He started to approach me when the vision faded.
I found myself back in the high sage's private quarters. He had a concerned look on his face and was asking me if everything was all right.
"I'm fine." Before I could say anything else, I had another vision.
This time I saw the King of Dunre. He was standing before the throne of a woman. The woman was tall and thin, with long white hair and pale blue eyes. Time had diminished her beauty but hadn't stolen it. She wore a flowing silver gown with a high collar and belled sleeves. She looked devastated, like she had just lost the love of her life, like she had just lost hope. The King of Dunre was offering his condolences over the deaths of Chancellor Edgerton and the barbarian princess, but I could see the delight in his deep set eyes.
"Do they know who did it?" Queen Catlett had a soft voice, a voice filled with the pain of loss. Loss for Edgerton. Loss for the hope that my arrival had briefly given her.
"All reports indicate that it was Landish pirates that attacked the ship," Maximillian Bedard said. "My navy is at your disposal, Your Highness. Even now, they're hunting the Istansada River for the longboat that attacked and killed your people. I've also sent a message to the High Sage of Landish, demanding that he do something about the pirates that have taken refuge in his city, and warning him that if he doesn't, I shall march my army into his city and remove him from power."
The vision faded and I found myself back with the high sage.
"I need to know how many ships the King of Dunre has borrowed from you since you came to power."
"Six," the high sage said. "Every couple of months, Max shows up and lectures me. When I get tired of the lecture, I ask him if there's anything I can do for him. He always says the same thing. He could use an extra ship to transport some fine Landish goods back to Dunre. I give him a ship and he leaves."
"And you've never asked what he's transporting?"
"Of course I've asked. He's remodeling his palace and is shipping stained glass back to Dunre. We make the finest stained glass in the world here in Landish."
"Can I assume the papers entitling Max to use these ships are signed by you?"
"Of course they're signed by me," the high sage said.
"Do any of these papers contain Max's name or title, indicating that he's in possession of these ships?"
The high sage thought for a minute. "I believe they were standard bearer papers."
So the answer to my question was no. Standard bearer papers began with the line, THE BEARER OF THESE PAPERS IS ENTITLED TO, then went on to state what they were entitled to, in this case, one royal longboat. They ended with the name of the person who issued the papers, in this case, the High Sage of Landish, Miship Boxx. What wasn't on them was Maximillian Bedard's name, nothing to indicate that he was responsible for the ships and the crews that manned them.
That explained what the King of Dunre was doing in Istansada City. Every couple of months, he would pester the high sage. The high sage would give him a ship just to get rid of him. Max would then man the ship with a mixture of Landish thugs, enough to make it look like a Landish crew, and a few of his own men. They would head down the Istansada River committing acts of piracy.
If any of the ships were caught, the papers in the captain's possession would trace the ship back to the high sage. Max could march in, accuse the high sage of promoting piracy, and wrest power from him, claiming he was doing it for the good of everybody that depended upon the river for their livelihood. Since the conversations between him and the high sage were private, there would be no way for the high sage to prove that Max had set up the whole thing.
"I think I know what Max is up to," I said.
I explained what the King of Dunre was doing and how I knew what he was doing. When I finished, the high sage said, "Why would Max do such a thing?"
"He wants your throne, Your Supreme Highness. And he knows that if he bores you long enough, you'll give him a ship just to get rid of him."
"And he's using those ships to commit piracy, which he plans to blame on me?"
"The men captaining those ships possess standard bearer papers signed by you. It makes it look like you gave them the ships. It makes it look like you're promoting piracy on the Istansada River."
The high sage made no attempt to hide the worried look on his face. "What do I do now?"
"Give me fifty of your best soldiers. We'll sneak them on my ship then turn the tables on Max's men when they attack the Star of the Sea. Maybe we can get a couple of them to confess who's really behind the piracy." I doubted that would happen, but it was worth a shot. At the very least, we could foil Max's assassination plot.
The high sage grabbed me by the shoulders and hugged me. When he finished, he held me at arm's length, and smiled. "Clearly the gods have brought you here to help me."
"I thought it was Chancellor Edgerton that brought me here."
"Chancellor Edgerton was just the tool the gods used to bring you here."
"You need to talk to Jarvo. Fill him in on what's going on. We need to figure out a way to sneak some soldiers onto my ship without Max's spies noticing them."
"You think Max has men watching your ship?"
"He plans on attacking us as soon as we set sail. He can't do that without knowing when we leave."
"And if he sees my men boarding your ship, he'll know that something's up."
"Exactly."
"You talk to Edgerton and I'll talk to Jarvo. Between the four of us, we'll find a way to put your plan into motion."
The high sage sprang to his feet and offered me a hand. He helped me to my feet, then pulled me to him. With my high heeled boots on, I was taller than him by an inch. He kissed me, a hard aggressive kiss that clicked our teeth together and almost knocked his turban off his head.
"I better go talk to Jarvo," he said, blushing. He straightened his turban and scurried off before I could say anything.
The serving girl came over, said something in her native tongue, then offered me a goblet containing an amber liquid. When I shook my head no, letting her know that I didn't want whatever was in the goblet, she pressed it to my lips and tilted it. I found myself swallowing the warm bitter liquid just to keep it from spilling down my chin and dress.
"What was that?" I asked, sputtering and stepping back.
The girl smiled at me and said something else that I didn't understand. My head started to spin and my body started to grow numb. What's more, I couldn't get my eyes to focus. The room and the girl became nothing more than brightly colored blurs spinning around me.
I knew that I had been drugged because I felt like I did when Ezerra threw the white powder in my face. Like I did when Edgerton shot me with the miniature crossbow. The last thing I remember thinking was, not again.
# Chapter 17
I woke up to find myself lying on a circular bed in a circular room. A dozen full length mirrors covered the walls. The room contained an arched doorway but no door, just a transparent green cloth that gave the illusion of privacy.
On the other side of the doorway, I could see a large circular room full of round marble tables that sat low to the ground. A rainbow of silk cushions surrounded the tables, as did a bunch of young women. They were lounging about in groups of two and three, eating fruit and drinking wine.
Concern swept over me when I realized that I had been moved to the harem. I struggled to my feet, despite an aching head, then noticed my appearance in the mirrors.
My clothes were gone. In their place a single leaf made from solid gold covered my sex. It was small enough to warrant shaving me, which was a bit disconcerting. Strips of soft gold tooled to look like vines held the leaf in place. One ran around my waist, the other ran between my legs and bottom cheeks.
The top was just as bad. Strips of soft gold tooled to look like vines secured gold rose blossoms over my nipples while leaving the rest of my breasts bare.
The sandals on my feet contained spiked heels similar to the boots I had been wearing, except they were even higher. Gold bracelets circled my wrists and ankles. They consisted of tiny gold flowers dangling from gold vines. The flowers were actually tiny bells, ensuring I jingled when I moved.
My hair was down. It had been pinned behind my ears with a pair of large gold butterflies. A charcoal paste had been added to my eyelashes to make them look long and thick and sooty. A glittery gold shadow covered my eyelids, while a bright red gloss made my lips look thick and full.
To call the getup minuscule would be an understatement. From the back I was completely naked, save for a gold vine around my waist, another around the middle of my back, and a third around my neck. Not that you could see the one around my neck since my hair hid it. The front wasn't much better. The gold butterflies pinning my hair back were bigger than the rosebuds and the leaf combined. The worst part was the halter. It lifted my breasts, but provided no support, especially for someone as well endowed as myself. Every time I moved, I jiggled like I was caught in an earthquake.
It appeared that Edgerton's fears were justified. It also appeared that Jarvo lied. They did toss women into the harem. I wondered why I didn't have a vision warning me about this, but I already knew the answer. My life wasn't in danger. Jarvo didn't want to kill me. He wanted to control me.
I wondered how I should approach this situation. I could get angry. I could rant and rave and scream, but I doubted it would do any good. It certainly wouldn't win me my freedom.
I knew one thing, I didn't want to stay in the harem. Being a wife of the high sage wasn't the same as being a queen, or even a queen's heir. Here, I would have no real power, I would be nothing more than a voice in the high sage's ear. If he grew tired of me, I wouldn't even be that.
There was no guarantee Queen Catlett would want me as her heir. If that was the case, I could always come back here. Maybe if I explained to them that the high sage would be better off with me sitting on the throne of Vassa, they would set me free. Maybe if I promised to return to the harem if Queen Catlett didn't make me her heir, they would let me go. Before I could sort out my arguments, Jarvo entered the room accompanied by two guards.
The guards were both female. They weren't as tall as me, but they were a good deal huskier, outweighing me by a good fifty pounds apiece, with most of that weight being muscle. Both had long black hair and wore red silk vests and black silk balloon pants. Both carried a scimitar on their left hip and a knife on their right. Both wore an expression that said they weren't afraid to use those weapons.
"You're probably wondering what's going on," Jarvo said.
"I know what's going on. You lied to me about tossing women into the harem."
"I didn't lie. The high sage's other wives all came here willingly."
"Other wives? I haven't agreed to marry the high sage."
"In Landish, women have no say in who they marry. You only have to be placed in the harem and have your name recorded in the books. Once that has occurred, you're one of the high sage's wives. Number thirteen on the list, but from the way the high sage raved about you last night, number one in his heart. Trying to find a woman he likes has been very difficult. He calls his other wives uneducated peasant girls that can't speak the Common Tongue. Of course, he doesn't speak Old Landish, which is their native tongue, so you can see why he hasn't developed a connection to any of them."
"What did you tell Edgerton?"
"That you asked us for sanctuary."
"And he believed you?"
"Of course not. But he did seem a little less sure of himself when I told him how upset you were over being drugged, bound and gagged, and tossed over the back of a horse against your will."
"What do you think he'll do now?"
Jarvo shrugged his shoulders. "Demand to see you, which he's already done. Have his queen make an official protest. Queen Catlett might pay us a visit. Health permitting. Other than that, there's not much they can do. I doubt if Queen Catlett will declare war over a princess that she's never met."
"Wouldn't the high sage be better off with a friend like me on the throne of Vassa?"
"That was one of the reasons for letting you continue your journey. However, it was outweighed by the many reasons for keeping you here."
"Such as?"
"You're safe here in the harem. Were you to continue your journey, Maximillian Bedard might succeed in killing you, just as he did in the vision you told the high sage about. If that were the case, you'd be of no use to anyone."
"And the other reasons for keeping me here?"
"You're a seer. The high sage could use a seer. Plus, there's the high sage himself. He's reaching that age where he wants to assert his independence from those around him."
"You mean you."
Jarvo bowed in acknowledgment. "He likes you. He thinks you're beautiful. He thinks you're sexy. He thinks you're smart. I dare say, you're the first girl he's shown any interest in. More importantly, he listens to what you tell him. If the two of us work together, we can mold him into a man strong enough to rule this kingdom."
"What if I tell him to get rid of you?"
"I'm old, Your Highness, and my time on this world grows short. Short enough so that threats such as that no longer scare me. What scares me is that I should die with no one here to guide the high sage. He's not ready to rule."
"He's only three years younger than me."
"Were you ready to rule three years ago?"
Truth be told, I wasn't sure I was ready to rule now. Not that I was going to admit that to Jarvo. "Why am I dressed like this?"
"Dressing you like this makes you stand out from the crowd, which makes it easy for your guards to keep an eye on you."
"My guards?"
"I've ordered these two to watch you. It's merely temporary, I assure you. Once I'm convinced you won't try to escape, you'll enjoy the same freedoms the high sage's other wives enjoy. Until then, your freedoms will be restricted, you'll have your own personal escort, and you'll be dressed to, shall we say, stand out in a crowd."
More like undressed to stand out in a crowd. "I shall take you at your word, Counselor."
"You're not as upset about this as I thought you'd be."
"Edgerton kidnapped me and brought me to this part of the world against my will. Now, you're holding me against my will. As I see it, I've exchanged jailers. Nothing more."
That wasn't completely true. Edgerton may have kidnapped me, but he did take the time to teach me to read, write, and speak the Common Tongue. He also gave me a history lesson on this part of the world, and when I accepted an invitation to come to the high sage's palace, he didn't try to stop me. He treated me like a princess, while Jarvo was treating me like a possession.
"If you were free, where would you go?" Jarvo asked. "You only know what Edgerton has told you. I can teach you things about our world that he can't. I know things about the people that run this part of the world that he doesn't."
"I'd like to hear what you know. I'd also like to know how long I'll be on probation."
"You'll be on probation until I'm convinced you won't try to run away."
"Can I talk to the high sage?"
"After you've had a chance to adjust to life in the harem."
I studied Jarvo's weathered face for a few seconds. "He doesn't even know I'm here, does he?"
"His eighteenth birthday is coming up. You're going to be his birthday present. I suspect you'll be the first present I've given him that he'll actually like." Jarvo bowed. "Try to relax, Your Highness. Once you've been here awhile, you'll come to enjoy it."
He turned and headed out of my bedroom. I followed him into the harem's main hall, teetering and jingling. My suspended breasts bounced furiously in their tiny golden halter. So much so, that walking across a room was down right embarrassing, not to mention uncomfortable. I made a mental note to do as little walking as possible in this getup.
"Max still has those ships the high sage gave him, pretending to be Landish pirates. And he still intends to use them as a pretense to remove the high sage from power."
"Sending you to Vassa won't change his plans. We'll deal with him if and when the time comes."
"Not if, Counselor. When."
"Fine. We will deal with Maximillian Bedard when the time comes. One of the advantages of having a seer at our disposal is he can't make a move without our knowing about it."
I chased Jarvo to the harem's lone exit. There were two more guards stationed just outside the door. Male guards. The male guards didn't block my path but my two female guards did.
I didn't bother to ask Jarvo if he warned Edgerton about Max's plan to attack the Star of the Sea. Edgerton wouldn't return to Vassa without me. He would remain in Istansada City, until he found a way to get me out of here. Not that I intended to sit around and wait to be rescued.
I figured my best chance of getting out of here would be to talk to the high sage, convince him to free me. I was still trying to figure out how to do that when one of the high sage's wives, or perhaps I should say, other wives, blocked my path.
She would've been my height, if I hadn't been wearing heels. She had long black hair that was curlier than mine, an olive complexion, small breasts, wide hips, and a small flat nose. Two large gold hoops dangled from her ears. She was wearing white silk balloon pants, a silk vest, purple in color, and silk slippers, also purple. She surprised me by speaking the Common Tongue. "You must be the princess I've heard about."
"I was told none of the high sage's wives spoke the Common Tongue. And what exactly have you heard?"
"Just that there was a princess visiting. One that comes from an exotic land far away. From what I just heard, I'm guessing you didn't join the harem willingly."
"That's an understatement."
"If you tell me why Jarvo is keeping you here, I'll tell you why I can speak the Common Tongue. And why I've kept it a secret from Jarvo and the high sage."
"The high sage likes me and listens to what I say. Not surprisingly, Jarvo thinks I can help him mold the high sage into a great ruler. Now, how did a poor country girl from some backwater village in Landish learn to speak the Common Tongue? And why have you kept it a secret from Jarvo and the high sage?"
"I could tell you that I learned it here in the palace, by listening to Counselor Jarvo and others, but that'd be a lie." She looked around the room. "What do you say we take a walk in the garden. There are fewer ears there."
Like the other rooms in the palace, the courtyard containing the garden was round. There were no other entrances, which meant it was used exclusively by the harem. That made it easy for my two guards, who waited for us at the garden's lone doorway. Overhead, the sky was clear and the sun was high in the sky. That meant I had slept through the night and most of the morning.
Small palm trees and carefully trimmed rosebushes filled the courtyard. A pink marble fountain sat in the middle of the courtyard. Water bubbled from a small bowl at the top, down to a medium sized bowl, and then to a large bowl at the bottom of the fountain. A pink marble path spiraled around the fountain. The sweet scent of roses filled the air, combining with the warm sun and the bubbling water to create an idyllic atmosphere.
"My name is Shumaredena Kestan, but everybody calls me Shu. I'm the seventh wife of the high sage."
"Lila Marie Haran," I said. "It would appear that I'm lucky number thirteen."
"What if I told you I wasn't from here?"
"By here you mean . . . ."
"Landish."
"You look like you're from here."
Shu smiled. "Looks can be deceiving."
She looked like she was from Landish, but she wasn't. She pretended not to speak the Common Tongue, when she did. In my book, that could only mean one thing. She was a spy. Edgerton did say the courts in this part of the world were littered with spies.
"You're a spy. "
"Do not use that word around here." Shu stopped and looked around, checking to see if anyone was eavesdropping. As far as I could see, the closest people were my two guards. We had left them sitting on benches in the garden's lone doorway.
"Where do you come from?"
"I come from Holt."
Shu slipped her arm through mine and we resumed our walk. Okay, she resumed her walk. I resumed my teetering, jiggling, and jingling. So much for my vow to walk as little as possible in this getup.
Holt was one of the Finger States. Landish was on its eastern border, so it was possible that some of the people that lived on the Landish border bore a resemblance to the people of Landish, short and slim, with black hair, black eyes, and an olive complexion.
"Holt is an ally of Vassa."
Shu's dark eyebrows arched in surprise. "You're from Vassa?"
"I was headed to Vassa with Chancellor Edgerton when Jarvo tossed me into the harem."
"And you'd like to get out of here and continue your journey."
"Yes, but I need help."
Shu stopped walking and faced me. "If I help you, what's in it for me?"
"What do you want?"
"I want to advance my career."
"What sort of career advancements are you looking for?"
"One day, I hope to work for a king or queen."
"As an . . . . "
"Adviser."
"You're not working for the King of Holt?"
"I work for the Duke of Genese. He's the King of Holt's younger brother. His holdings border Landish. I used to live in his castle, where my father is one of his advisers. They trained me to be a spy, then slipped me across the border when Jarvo was looking for girls to add to the high sage's harem. Jarvo noticed me and recruited me into the harem."
"How do you get information back to the duke?"
"I have contacts here in the city. When I have something to tell them, I meet with them."
"You can leave the palace whenever you want?"
"I'm not a captive, Lila. I joined the harem willingly."
"And you can come and go willingly?"
"Of course."
"My guards have orders not to let me out of the harem," I said. "As long as they're watching me, I'm not going anywhere."
Shu dismissed my guards with a wave of her hand. "Those two are idiots. Getting away from them will be easier than you think."
"Does Jarvo know that?"
"Jarvo doesn't know half of what goes on around here. He thinks his snitches tell him everything, but they don't. They're as stupid as your guards."
"What about the high sage? Does he know what goes on around here?"
Shu dismissed the high sage with the same wave of her hand that she dismissed the guards. "The high sage is just a boy. He knows only what Jarvo wants him to know."
"Which is even less than Jarvo knows."
Shu nodded. "If I help you get out of here, can you help my career?"
"You know the Queen of Vassa has no heir."
"Everyone knows that. What of it?"
"Chancellor Edgerton was taking me to meet her. He believes she'll make me her heir."
"Because you're a princess?"
"I'm the fourth daughter of Bella Justine Haran, the twelfth Queen of Adah."
"I've never heard of Adah."
"It lies on the other side of the Great Desert."
"You come from the other side of the world?"
"I come from the other side of the world."
"That explains why Jarvo wants to keep you here. We have few princesses in this part of the world, and none with a knowledge of the other side of the continent. Even if you weren't young and beautiful, you'd be an extremely valuable commodity."
"If you help me get out of here, Queen Catlett will be indebted to you."
"What makes you so sure?"
"Because she spent a lot of gold to bring me to this part of the world."
"If I help you escape, Jarvo will send men after us. If they catch us, they won't hurt you, but they'll kill me."
"You don't have to come with me. Just get me out of the palace."
"Jarvo's snitch could rat on me. If I help you, I'll have no choice but to go with you."
"There's a ship waiting for me down at the docks. It belongs to the Queen of Vassa. Once we reach it, we'll be safe. Jarvo's men risk starting a war if they try and board it."
"You guarantee the ship will be there?"
"Chancellor Edgerton would never leave Istansada City without me."
"I'll need help getting you out of here. I'll also need some bribe money."
"The ship waiting for me is called the Star of the Sea. It's a black caravel with gold trim and flies the royal flag of Vassa. Tell Chancellor Edgerton that you can help me escape, but that you'll need some bribe money. He'll give you whatever you need."
"I'll go there tomorrow. See if what you say is true."
"When do you think I can get out of here?"
"When I've finished making all the necessary arrangements."
"Until then?"
"Until then play the part of a good harem wife, so they don't make it harder for me to get you out of here."
Before I got too hopeful, I raised an obvious question. "How do I know you're not one of Jarvo's snitches, keeping an eye on me to make sure I don't try and escape?"
"How do I know you're a real princess? Maybe the rumors I heard were fake. Maybe Jarvo put you here to root out spies like myself."
"I guess we'll just have to trust each other," I said.
"I guess we will," Shu said.
# Chapter 18
The evening of my third day in the harem, Shu took me into her bedroom, and after a brief argument with my guards, shut the door between us. She turned to me and explained what they had been talking about. "They insisted I leave the door open, so they could keep an eye on you. I reminded them that this was the only way in and out of the room and that you deserved a little privacy."
Her room was similar to mine. It was a round room with a round bed and a dozen full length mirrors on the wall. The only difference was the doorway contained a heavy wooden door. When I asked her how we were going to get away from my guards, she smiled. "You'll see."
She dug a brown leather knapsack, a couple of silk cloaks, and an extra set of clothes out of a wicker trunk that sat at the foot of her bed. I removed my solid gold getup, as well as the makeup, and slipped into the clothes, a pair of white silk pants, a red silk vest, and a pair of red silk slippers. I tied a red silk cloak over my shoulders and pulled the cowl over my head. Shu slung the knapsack over her shoulder then donned a turquoise cloak that matched the turquoise and black outfit that she was wearing.
I expected her to head for the door, but she didn't. She just turned and stared at the wall. The next thing I knew, a hidden door opened between two of the mirrors. Standing on the other side of the door, in a hidden passageway, was a female guard. She wore black silk pants, a red silk vest, and red silk slippers. She was short and stocky, like my guards, and had a scimitar hanging from her left hip. She motioned for us to come into the passageway, which we did. Once we were inside, she shut the door behind us.
"The high sage that built this palace wanted a way to sneak around without being seen," Shu said. "His architect suggested round rooms because they leave a lot of wasted space between them. Every room has a hidden door leading to this wasted space. Most of those doors can be opened from both sides, but those leading into the harem can only be opened from one side. That's why I needed someone to help us."
I noticed that the mirrors in the harem were all two way mirrors, allowing the high sage that built the palace, or anyone else for that matter, to spy on his wives without being seen. I couldn't help but wonder if the current high sage took advantage of the mirrors. Probably not. Although something told me that Jarvo and the high sage's other advisers did.
We followed the guard down a dark dusty passageway full of curving walls. Once we moved away from the harem and its two way mirrors, the only light in the passageway came from the torch in the guard's hand. Occasionally, I could hear the scurrying of tiny feet, which I took to be rats. I had no idea where we were heading, had no idea if the guard knew where she was going. I was just happy that Shu had been telling the truth about helping me.
Eventually, we came to a flat wall, which I took to be one of the building's outer walls. The guard handed the torch to Shu, then ran her hands across the wall, looking for what I hoped was the latch to another hidden door. It took her a minute, but she finally found the latch. Unfortunately, she couldn't get the heavy stone door to budge.
"Maybe if I help her," I said.
I put my hands next to the guard's hands and helped her push. The door still wouldn't budge.
"You guys need my help?" Shu asked.
"I think so," I said.
Shu found a wall holder and placed the torch in it. She moved next to me and helped us push. Finally, grudgingly, the hidden door began to move, stone grinding against stone. We didn't get the door open very wide, but then we didn't need it open very wide. We were all small and slim and able to slip through the foot wide crack that we had made in the wall.
We found ourselves outside the palace, on the left hand side as you approached the building. The guard said something to Shu in Old Landish, then slipped back inside.
"She wants us to close the door behind her."
I wasn't sure we'd be able to get it closed with only two of us pushing, but we did. It closed easier than it opened, as if the hinges were some kind of springs that wanted to bounce back.
"We've still got to get past the guards at the front gate," I said.
"Not a problem," Shu said, as we circled around the building. "The guards at the gate don't worry about who leaves the palace. Their job is to keep undesirables out."
"Won't the guard that helped us get in trouble?"
"She's not one of the harem guards. She guards the shimmy dancer's quarters. She won't even be questioned about our disappearance."
"What's a shimmy dancer?"
"They're the girls that wear that outfit they dressed you in."
"What about the two guards that were watching me? How much trouble will they be in?"
"If you're that concerned, we can always turn around."
I wasn't that concerned, so we kept moving. The closer we got to the main gate, the more nervous I got, thinking we'd be stopped and questioned. Much to my relief, the guards paid no attention to us or to anyone else leaving the palace. They only stopped those trying to enter. Even so, I held my breath until we were through the gates and halfway down the hill.
Shu knew her way around better than I did, so I let her lead the way to the docks. I kept expecting the palace guards to come riding up behind us and haul us back, but they never did.
Eventually, we reached the docks and I saw the Star of the Sea's black hull, lit by torches that lined the dock. There were two sailors stationed at the bottom of the gangplank. As soon as they saw us approach, their hands slipped to their cutlasses.
I pulled the cowl off my head, so they could see my face. "Do you remember me?"
"Yes, Your Highness," the sailor closest to me said. "But I thought you were a prisoner in the high sage's palace."
"I was." I nodded at Shu, who lowered her cowl. "This is Shumaredena Kestan. I believe you've already met her."
The sailor nodded and stepped aside. "Chancellor Edgerton has been as angry as a hornet since he returned from the palace without you. He even threatened to declare war on the high sage."
"Considering the size of Vassa's army, I don't think that's advisable."
The sailor smiled, "I reckon it ain't, Your Highness."
"Do you know if the chancellor is still up?"
"I suspect he's passed out by now. When the chancellor gets upset, he drinks. And he's been mighty upset the past few days."
"How about Captain Hubbard?"
"Captain Hubbard should still be up."
"Is he sober?"
"Captain Hubbard is always sober when he's on his ship. He only drinks when he's on land."
"Is he in his cabin?"
"I suspect so, Your Highness."
We headed up the gangplank and made our way to Captain Hubbard's cabin. I barely had time to knock twice before he told us to enter.
"This better be important," Captain Hubbard growled.
He was sitting behind a desk at the end of the cabin. A wall of windows built into the ship's stern was behind him. A lone oil lamp lit his desk and he appeared to be studying a map. I couldn't help but wonder if it was a map of the high sage's palace.
"If you're busy, I can come back some other time."
At the sound of my voice, Captain Hubbard looked up. "Well, I'll be dammed. She actually pulled it off."
He pushed himself to his feet and strode across the room. He grabbed me in a bear hug and picked me off my feet. "Never thought I'd see you again."
"You and me both."
Captain Hubbard grabbed Shu and hugged her. "When you showed up saying you could help the princess escape, but that you needed some gold, I wasn't sure if you were telling the truth or just looking to make an easy score."
I assumed Captain Hubbard's unbridled enthusiasm had less to do with seeing me and more to do with the fact that now that I was back, Chancellor Edgerton would stop drinking and threatening to declare war on the high sage.
"I take it Chancellor Edgerton has made the last few days rather unbearable."
Captain Hubbard laughed. "You can say that again. First he demanded to see you. When Jarvo refused to let him see you, he came back here and got drunk. Then he threatened to declare war on the high sage. When I reminded him that only the queen could declare war, he got drunker and decided that he would challenge Jarvo to a duel. After two days of drinking, he finally passed out."
"We have a problem," I said.
Captain Hubbard nodded. "You're thinking Jarvo will send some men to fetch you back, fetch both of you back. Not to worry, I'll order my crew to set sail immediately."
"Jarvo may send some men to fetch us, when he returns to the city, but we have another problem." I thought for a second, then said, "Move the ship to the middle of the river, then drop anchor. I want us away from the docks, but I don't want us heading down river, not yet anyway."
"As you wish, Your Highness."
Captain Hubbard bowed, then headed out on deck. Once he was gone, Shu turned to me. "I can see why you'd rather be here than in the harem. They act as if you're already Queen Catlett's heir."
"They spent a lot of money to get me here."
"What's this other problem you speak of?" I told Shu about the King of Dunre's plan to attack our ship. When I finished, Shu said, "How do you know this will happen?"
"I had a vision and my visions are unfailingly accurate."
"Always?"
"Unless I do something to alter events."
"Do the people on this ship know that you're a seer?"
"Chancellor Edgerton suspects. He doesn't know."
"If what you say is true, we can't take this ship down river."
"What I say is true."
We headed out on deck and watched as Captain Hubbard and his crew moved the ship away from the dock and into the middle of the river. Bokham must have realized that something was going on, because he appeared on deck, sword in hand. He didn't notice Shu and I standing in the shadows behind Captain Hubbard.
"What's going on, Captain?" Bokham said.
"Just taking up a more defensive position."
"Why?"
I stepped around Captain Hubbard, so Bokham could see me. "Because I told him to."
For a few seconds, Bokham stared at me in wonderment. He started to rush forward, as if he wanted to hug me, then stopped and bowed, as if he had just remembered his place. "Your Highness. It's good to see you again."
"I suppose the only way I can get you to hug me is by ordering it." I opened my arms and smiled. Bokham hesitated for a second, then smiled and stepped forward, wrapping his powerful arms around me. I thought about taking Bokham as a consort, but quickly dismissed the idea, remembering the way his eyes lit up around the Lady Tabitha.
Bokham released me and stepped back. "How did you escape?"
I stepped aside, so he could see Shu. "This is Shumaredena Kestan. A spy in the employ of the Duke of Genese. She helped me escape."
Shu offered Bokham the back of her hand. He took it in his much larger hand, then bowed and kissed it in one fluid motion. "Captain Bokham of the Queen's Royal Guard."
We reached the middle of the river. Captain Hubbard ordered his crew to drop anchor, then turned to me. "You want to tell me why we don't just head down river."
I told him about the two visions I had involving the King of Dunre and his pirates. When I finished, Bokham spoke first. "That's how you knew we were going to be attacked back at the inn."
"You telling me that she really is a seer?" Captain Hubbard asked Bokham.
"I know she is," Bokham said.
He told Captain Hubbard about our encounter with the assassins back at the inn. When he finished the story, Captain Hubbard turned his attention to the problem at hand. "A Landish longboat can hold sixty men if they're standing shoulder to shoulder. That's twice as many men as we've got."
"And that's assuming Max only sends one boat after us," I said. "I only saw one boat in my vision, but there could've been more hidden in the fog. The high sage has given Max half a dozen ships to play with in the last year."
"Perhaps it'd be safer to journey on foot," Shu said. "We'd be safe once we reached Holt."
"How far is it to Holt's eastern border?" I said.
"Over two hundred miles," Captain Hubbard said. "Landish is a big country."
Figuring twenty miles a day on horseback, it would take us ten days just to reach Holt's eastern border. If we sailed down river, we could reach Holt in less than half that time. But if we sailed down river, we'd be boarded and killed. Unless. "They're looking for the Star of the Sea. What if we leave in something else, say a longboat? Or even one of those fishing boats that head down river every morning."
"A fishing boat might work," Captain Hubbard said. "They're more maneuverable than longboats. If you feel threatened, you can put to shore and get away on foot."
"You won't be coming with us, Captain?"
"I can't abandon my ship, Your Highness. Besides, if I take the Star of the Sea down river, I might be able to draw the King of Dunre's men away from you."
"If you take the Star of the Sea down river, you'll die."
"A risk we must take," Captain Hubbard said.
"Give us a day's head start," Bokham said to Captain Hubbard. "If you head down river before us, and they board you, they might come back looking for us."
"We'll have to take the Lady Tabitha with us," I said. "And she'll need a change of clothes. She can't travel in a fishing boat dressed in those boots and gowns she likes to wear."
"I'll give her some of my clothes," Bokham said. "She's tall enough to pass for a man."
"We should probably do this while it's still dark out," I said. "I think Max has people watching this ship."
"I'll send some of my men to secure a fishing boat," Captain Hubbard said. He called a couple of his men over and told them to take the pinnace and secure a fishing boat.
"We'll go wake the Lady Tabitha." I turned to Bokham. "You find her something to wear."
While Bokham headed below deck, Shu and I headed to the cabins beneath the foredeck. We found Tabitha in her cabin, fast asleep. I shook her until she was awake. She sat up, rubbed the sleep out of her eyes, then squinted at me through strands of tousled blond hair.
"Princess Lila?"
"Get up. We have to leave."
There was a knock on the door. Shu answered it then returned with one of Bokham's uniforms.
I tossed the clothes to Tabitha. "Put these on, then meet us on deck."
"Can I ask where we're going?"
"Fishing."
Captain Hubbard's men returned one hour later, two rowing the pinnace, two steering a fishing boat with a single mast and a single sail.
"Now comes the hard part," Captain Hubbard said.
"Which is?" the Lady Tabitha said. She was wearing a pair of Bokham's black riding boots, white cotton breeches, a long sleeved white cotton shirt that laced up the front, and one of Bokham's red jackets. Her hair was tied back in a single braid that reached clear to her waist.
"Trying to wake Chancellor Edgerton up." Captain Hubbard turned and headed to the aft cabins.
While Captain Hubbard tried to rouse Edgerton, I slipped into my cabin and retrieved the scimitar I acquired when we first arrived in Landish. I turned to Shu, and said, "You know how to use one of these?"
Shu nodded. "I suspect I am not as good with a blade as you. I only had a couple of years of training. You on the other hand have been practicing your whole life."
I tossed the scimitar and its scabbard to Shu. "You take this."
"What will you use?"
"I'll borrow a cutlass from one of Captain Hubbard's men."
Captain Hubbard's executive officer gave me a cutlass. I strapped it around my waist, then returned topside. A minute after I reappeared on deck, Captain Hubbard joined us, shaking his head.
"I'm afraid it's going to be a few hours before the chancellor is ready to go anywhere."
"We can't wait for him to sober up," I said. "I want to be out of town when the people at the palace discover I'm missing. Have some of your men transfer him to the fishing boat."
Captain Hubbard bowed. "As you command, Your Highness."
It took half a dozen men to transfer Edgerton's unconscious bulk into the fishing boat. Once that was done, Captain Hubbard introduced us to a short squat dark haired man that he identified as First Mate Evan Tanner.
"I've ordered Tanner to go with you," Captain Hubbard said. "You'll need him to set the sail and steer the boat. Plus, he's a good fighter. If there's trouble, you'll be glad he's along."
With that said, we were ready to leave. The fishing boat had been tied behind the Star of the Sea, next to the pinnace. I started to follow the others below deck, then stopped and headed back to Captain Hubbard. I couldn't leave knowing that he planned on sacrificing his crew, himself, and his ship, just to help me.
"If it comes down to abandoning this ship or dying to defend it, I trust you'll do the intelligent thing and abandon this pile of wood. Ships can be rebuilt, captains cannot."
Captain Hubbard smiled. "That's exactly what the queen would say."
"Are you known for heeding your queen's advice?"
Captain Hubbard's smile widened. "On occasion."
"Let this be one of those occasions, Captain."
Captain Hubbard bowed. "As you wish, Your Highness."
"I wish," I said.
#
# Chapter 19
We didn't see the Star of the Sea until the following evening. Evan Tanner stood up and pointed to a large ship heading down river. "That's the Star of the Sea."
It was too far away for me to recognize. "You're sure?"
"Aye, Your Highness. I'd know my ship anywhere."
"I told them to wait a day before heading down river," Bokham muttered.
I checked the sun, already low in the western sky. "It's been a day. Casting our nets into the water slowed us down. Then we docked at this village, sold the fish we caught to the local fishmonger, went shopping, argued with the merchants in the market."
"Can we keep up with them?" Edgerton asked Evan Tanner.
"They're not at full sails, so we should be able to stay with them for awhile."
"Try to stay with them as long as you can," Edgerton said. "But don't get too close. We don't want anyone to think that we're traveling with them."
Bokham untied the boat and pushed it away from the dock. Evan Tanner swung the boat around, raised the sail in mere seconds, and headed down river, keeping close to shore.
"I don't understand why we can't ride on the Star," Tabitha whined. "It's a lot more comfortable than this thing."
"Maximillian Bedard is going to attack the Star and try and kill everyone on it," I said. "That's why we're pretending to be fishermen."
It wasn't long before the Star of the Sea pulled even with us, its black and gold hull gleaming in the setting sun. The sails were raised on its main mast but not on the other two.
We stayed with them for a couple of minutes, then they pulled ahead. No one on the Star noticed who we were, but there was no reason they should. We weren't close enough for them to identify our faces and there were dozens of boats on the river that looked just like ours.
"If the ship is going to be attacked," Tabitha said. "Why is Captain Hubbard taking it down river?"
"To draw attention away from us," Bokham said.
As the Star of the Sea began to pull away from us, Shu pointed to a woman standing on the afterdeck. She was small with long dark hair and wore a red silk gown. "Who's that?"
"Captain Hubbard must've hired a woman to pose as me," I said.
"The King of Dunre doesn't know what you look like?"
"He knows what I look like, but he's not on the ships that are looking for me."
"His men don't know what you look like?"
"He only saw me for a couple of seconds, probably told them that I'm young and have long black hair."
"That describes half the women in Landish."
"Exactly."
"Do you suppose she knows what she's gotten herself into?" Shu said, as the Star pulled further and further away.
"I hope so." I didn't like the idea of someone dying just so I could live.
We lost sight of the Star of the Sea just after sundown. When we found it four days later, it wasn't a ship, it was just a burned out hulk sitting on a sandbar. We knew it was the Star because the stern was still intact, with Star of the Sea written across it in gold.
I don't know whether it was good or bad, but we found no bodies, no bodies on the sandbar, no bodies in the water, no bodies washed up on shore. The pinnace was gone, which gave us hope that Captain Hubbard and his crew had managed to escape.
"They must've gotten away," Bokham said, as we floated by the wreckage. "There are no bodies."
"They could've been taken prisoner," Edgerton said.
"Not enough room for that many prisoners on a longboat," I said. "Captain Hubbard claimed a Landish longboat can hold sixty men tops, and from what I saw in my vision, that longboat was already full."
"The pinnace is gone," Bokham said. "As are the lifeboats. They must've boarded them and headed to shore when they saw the longboat approaching. Forcing Bedard's men to pursue them on foot would be their best option."
"Captain Hubbard knew they were going to be attacked," I said. "That did give him an advantage."
Sure enough, we found a Landish longboat on the south shore less than a mile down river. Captain Hubbard's pinnace was beached next to the longboat, as were the Star's two lifeboats. There appeared to be a skeleton crew on board the longboat, although it was hard to tell from our position on the far side of the river. The people on the longboat paid no attention to our little fishing boat.
"They're definitely on foot," Bokham said. "That evens the odds considerably. Thirty men can travel faster than fifty."
"Let's hope they get away," Edgerton said.
"I can find out what's going on," I said.
"How?" Edgerton asked.
"I can see and hear people I've met, whenever I want, wherever they are. I can also let them see me. Well, a ghost image of me."
"Can you talk to them?"
"Only through images."
"What does that mean?"
"I can change my image to look like other people, but I can't make it talk."
I sat and closed my eyes. I pictured Captain Hubbard in my mind, tall, with a narrow waist and broad shoulders. I pictured his snow white hair, which he wore in a ponytail. I pictured his broad flat nose and his bright blue eyes. I pictured his uniform, red knee socks, white knee breeches, a white shirt, and a red jacket.
A second later, I saw him, running along a dirt road with a smile on his face. His men were running behind him, cutlasses in hand. The girl they had on deck, posing as me, was no where to be seen. I hoped that was a good sign. Once she got rid of the gown, she went back to being a local. Dressed in her native clothing and speaking Old Landish, Max's men wouldn't pay any attention to her.
"Captain Hubbard and his men are fine," I said, opening my eyes. "They're on the road that borders the river's southern bank. Max's men are chasing them, but they don't look too concerned."
"And the girl that was with them?" Edgerton said.
"Gone, but once she got rid of the gown we saw her wearing, she goes back to being a local." I turned to Shu. "How far are we from the Holt border?"
"Less than a day by river," Shu said. "Little over a day by horse. A couple of days on foot."
"Will the Duke of Genese give Captain Hubbard and his men sanctuary?"
"If they can reach his lands before being overtaken."
"If we seek the Duke of Genese's assistance, will he send some men to help Captain Hubbard?"
Shu shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know."
I turned to Edgerton. "What do you think?"
"The King of Holt is an ally and a friend of Queen Catlett. I have no doubt that he'd send men to help Captain Hubbard. I don't know his little brother that well. There's a bit of a gap between their age."
"Could we ask him for help?"
"We could ask."
I turned back to Shu. "How far is the Duke of Genese's palace from the river?"
"It sits on a hill that overlooks the river, just above the river's northern bank. There's a city surrounding it, with more city on the southern bank. Rowboats ferry people back and forth between the two halves of the city."
"And you lived there?"
"For a couple of years. My father is the duke's chief adviser."
I turned back to Edgerton. "I know you're worried about Captain Hubbard, and I know it's not much consolation, but he was smiling when I saw him."
"Let's hope we reach the duke's palace before that old fool's age catches up with him," Edgerton said.
***
We reached the Duke of Genese's palace by the middle of the next day. The city itself looked different than Istansada City. The hills were steeper here. The river gorge deeper. It was also greener, there were more trees, more bushes, more grass. Most of the buildings were log cabins with a few of the larger ones being made out of stone. The buildings descended down the hillside to the river. Docks lined both sides of the river, extending deep into the water. Rowboats ferried people across the river.
On the northern side of the river, atop the highest hill that overlooked the river, sat a castle. The castle was built from gray stone and had numerous towers. As you moved from front to back, the towers grew taller. They had peaked roofs covered with tiles made from red clay. The windows in the castle were all round and made from glass stained red, blue, green, and yellow.
"This is Genese," Shu said. "The second largest city in Holt."
I turned to Shu. "Is it safe for you to take us to the duke's castle?"
"Why wouldn't it be?"
"The duke won't get mad at you for abandoning your spot in the high sage's palace?"
"When you train and place a spy," Shu said. "It's with the understanding that they might have to pack up and leave at any moment."
"That's true," Edgerton said. "Spies are free to leave whenever they feel it's warranted. The duke might expect us to compensate him for the loss of his spy, but that's our problem, not hers."
Evan Tanner steered our fishing boat to the docks located on the north side of the river. When we headed for the duke's castle, he elected to stay with the boat, stating that he wasn't comfortable around royalty. When Edgerton pointed out that I was a princess, Evan Tanner blushed.
"She ain't like the royals in this part of the world," he said. "She's not afraid to work alongside us real folk."
On our way to the duke's castle, I asked Edgerton what Tanner meant by that. "Royals in this part of the world don't toss fishing nets into rivers, nor do they help pull them out. They consider themselves above manual labor."
"Somebody had to help Bokham and Shu with those nets. You were too hung over and the Lady Tabitha is too much of a lady."
"I'm not criticizing you, Your Highness. I'm just pointing out one of the differences between this part of the world and yours."
"As long as you don't expect me to change who I am."
Edgerton smiled. "I exist to enlighten royalty, not change it."
"What of your queen? Will she expect me to become as useless as the royals in this part of the world?"
"Queen Catlett didn't bring you here to change you. She brought you here to change our world."
We reached the duke's castle. There was no wall surrounding it, no moat surrounding it, just a couple of guards standing watch in front of its heavy oak doors. The guards wore black riding boots, yellow knee breeches, and long sleeved black tunics topped by brass breastplates. Their brass helmets had a dome that fit over the head and a broad brim that circled the dome. Each guard held a tall pike in front of him. When we reached the doors, they crossed the pikes in front of us, baring our way.
"I'm Chancellor to the Queen of Vassa," Edgerton said to the guards. "I seek an audience with the Duke of Genese."
Shu stepped forward. "I'm Shumaredena Kestan, daughter of Romeus, and these are my friends."
The guard on our left opened the double doors and disappeared inside, closing the doors behind him. The guard on our right remained as he was, standing at attention with his pike baring our way.
About five minutes later, the double doors opened all the way. Standing beside the guard that disappeared inside was a short thin man with long white hair pulled into a ponytail. He had a neatly trimmed white beard. He had the same olive colored skin as Shu as well as the same small flat nose. He wore black knee breeches tucked into black riding boots and a long sleeved black shirt that tied in the front.
"Does anybody in this part of the world have an adviser that doesn't have white hair and a white beard?" I said, more to myself than to anyone else.
Edgerton ignored my comment and stepped forward. He took the man's bony hands in his. "Romeus, my old friend, it's good to see you."
Romeus returned Edgerton's smile. "Edgerton, you old fool. I heard a rumor that you were headed across the Great Desert in search of a princess. Can I assume the rumor was an exaggeration?"
"The rumor was true, Romeus. I crossed the Great Desert and returned."
"With a princess?" Romeus looked at me then at Shu. He wrinkled his brow when he saw Shu. "Shumaredena? Is that you?"
Shu stepped forward. "It's me, father."
Romeus hugged Shu. "What are you doing with Edgerton?"
"Counselor Jarvo tossed the princess into the high sage's harem. I helped her escape."
Since no one else seemed in a hurry to bring it up, I decided to do it myself. "Some of our men are being pursued by pirates, about a day's ride east of here. They're on foot and out numbered two to one. If you could send a squad of men to aid them, it would be greatly appreciated."
Romeus looked at me. "You must be the princess."
I extended the back of my left hand. "Lila Marie Haran. Youngest daughter of Bella Justine Haran, the twelfth Queen of Adah."
Romeus took my hand in his cold bony hand, kissed it, and bowed at the same time. You speak the Common Tongue very well, Your Highness. Yet I detect an accent that I've never heard before."
"And may never hear again," I said, switching to my native tongue, so he could get a sense of the language and how it sounded. I switched back to the Common Tongue. "Will you send a squad of men to aid Captain Hubbard and his men?"
"You seem very concerned about them."
"I'm concerned about anyone that risks their life to save mine."
"I don't have the authority to send soldiers out on missions. Only the duke can do that."
"Then I would like to speak to the duke."
"The duke is out hunting. He should be back by nightfall." Romeus stepped aside. "Why don't you come in. You must be tired if you've come all the way from Istansada City."
"Any weariness I'm experiencing is due to my concern for Captain Hubbard and his men." I stepped forward and placed a hand on Romeus's shoulder. "Do you have the authority to send a squad of men out in search of the duke?"
"I do."
"If those men headed east along the Southern Road and ran into Captain Hubbard and his men, could they not render aid?"
"How many men are we talking about?"
"Twenty armed men on horseback would even the odds."
Romeus turned and whispered to one of the guards. The guard nodded and hurried off.
"I've sent twenty men to the Landish border in search of the duke," Romeus said. "Since the duke never hunts in that part of the country, the odds are they'll run into your friends before they run into him."
With Captain Hubbard and his men taken care of, Romeus had Shu take us to the guest quarters. The inside of the castle reminded me a lot of our palaces in Adah, with gray stone walls covered in tapestries and lots of heavy wooden furniture scattered about. Shu found a room for each of us on the castle's second floor, then headed to her old suite at the other end of the floor. There was a third floor in the castle, something our palaces didn't possess. The third floor contained the duke's private residence.
My room was actually a suite, containing both a bedroom and a drawing room. Serving girls carried a brass bathtub into my drawing room then began filling it with pitchers of hot water. While they did that, another serving girl brought some clothes for me to wear. A gown and boots cut in the same style as the gowns the Lady Tabitha preferred.
I had no desire to put on that restrictive clothing. I liked what I was wearing, liked the freedom of movement it gave me, liked that I could carry a cutlass on my hip. I was definitely going to have to find a tailor, have some outfits made up in the styles my mother preferred. They looked as good as the styles popular in this part of the world, but allowed enough freedom of movement to enable one to defend themself should the need arise.
Still, it didn't seem appropriate to meet the Duke of Genese dressed in the garb of a harem wife, so once I finished bathing, I donned the clothing that had been laid out for me. The dress was silk and a deep green in color. It had long sleeves, a high collar, and a tapered ankle length skirt. The lacing ran all the way from the top of the collar to the top of my thighs. The boots were similar to the one's the Lady Tabitha gave me. They reached the top of my calf and had those high narrow heels. The only difference was they had been dyed the same green as the dress. The undergarments were also the same, thigh high silk stockings, silk briefs, and a corset the same color as the gown.
A serving girl lingered just inside my door dressed in a gray cotton jumper, a white cotton blouse, and practical brown shoes. I waved her on over and she helped me dress, lacing up the corset, then the gown, then the boots. She brushed my freshly washed hair. While she did that, I asked her a question. "How did you find clothes in my size?"
"I believe they were made for the Lady Shumaredena."
"She speaks the Common Tongue with an accent that's different from her father's."
"She was raised by her mother in a small village south of here. Counselor Kestan didn't learn of her existence until her mother died."
"At which point?" I said, prompting her to continue the story.
"At which point, he brought her here."
"And trained her as a spy?"
"Training her to be a spy was the duke's idea. Counselor Kestan wanted her to stay here and marry a man appropriate to her station in life."
"What did Shu want?"
"She liked the idea of becoming a spy much more than she liked the idea of getting married." The serving girl leaned closer, and lowered her voice to a whisper. "Truth be told, Your Highness. The Lady Shumaredena prefers girls to men."
"And you know this because?"
"She used to tease us serving girls mercilessly, pinching our bottoms, whispering things to us that would make us blush."
"Tell me about the duke."
The girl smiled and her eyes glazed over. "He is a most handsome man, tall, with broad shoulders, dark hair, and bright blue eyes. He dresses as fine as any king. He is a first class bowman and an expert swordsman. He is also well read and well traveled, having visited most of the civilized world. He is greatly admired by the fairer sex. Many ladies dream of winning his heart."
It sounded like she was one of those ladies. "Did Shu get along with the duke?"
"Heavens, no," the girl said. "The duke flirted with the Lady Shumaredena when she first moved here, as he does with all members of the fairer sex. But she showed no interest in him. They didn't get along after that."
Not only was this girl in love with the duke. It seemed the duke was in love with himself. He sounded like a male version of my sister, Salisha. I had spent a good portion of my childhood catering to Salisha's ego and had no interest in spending any portion of my adult life catering to the egos of other vain and vapid royals.
"Tell me what the duke thinks of Queen Catlett."
The girl blushed. "There's a rumor that you are to be Queen Catlett's heir."
"I've never met Queen Catlett," I said. "Now, tell me what the duke thinks of her."
"The duke holds a point of view held by many men in this part of the world."
"I'm not from this part of the world. You'll have to tell me what that point of view is."
"They feel Queen Catlett's lack of an heir is a curse from God, placed upon her for daring to think a woman can rule a county without a man by her side."
"Do the people of Vassa feel that way?"
"I've heard the people of Vassa are very fond of their queen."
"Women have ruled my county for over twelve generations," I said. "We've never had a king and we never will."
The serving girl didn't respond to my comment. She just finished brushing my hair, then stepped back. "You look beautiful, Your Highness."
I checked my appearance in the mirror. I looked like I did the last time I dressed like this. I was beginning to wonder if the gowns worn at court existed to remind women of their place in the world. I noticed in my vision that Queen Catlett hadn't been wearing a tapered gown. Her gown had a loose skirt and belled sleeves. The gown had been silver in color with the hem and cuffs turning a pale blue. It was actually a very nice style, elegant, yet comfortable enough to allow freedom of movement.
I decided right then to find a tailor and have several gowns made up for myself in a similar style. I would also have some made up in one of my mother's favorite styles, specifically the gowns where the top and skirt were actually two pieces and the skirt wasn't really a skirt, but a riding skirt.
A knock at the door tore my attention away from the mirror. The serving girl answered it. Shu was standing in the doorway wearing a black version of the gown I was wearing. The gold hoops were gone from her ears, as was the scimitar she had worn around her waist.
"Leave us," she said to the serving girl.
The serving girl curtsied and hurried out of the room. Shu marched into the room, slamming the door shut behind her. Perhaps marched isn't the right word. Her gown, like mine, didn't allow one to march or stride or hurry. The most you could do was shuffle.
"I hate the fashions currently popular among the ladies at court," Shu said. "You can barely move in these things."
"Let alone fight," I added.
"Precisely."
"Perhaps it's time to start a new trend."
"My station in life isn't high enough to start fashion trends." Shu shuffled to the nearest chair, grabbed the handles, pushed her bottom out, kicked her feet up, and plopped down, just like Tabitha had taught me. "My father is only an adviser to a duke."
"I saw the way he looked at you when he first saw you."
"How did he look at me?"
"Like a father who hasn't seen his daughter in awhile and has missed her greatly."
"I've never known what to make of my relationship with my father. We've only known each other for a few years. In truth, I'm very uncomfortable around him, never quite sure of what I should say or how I should act."
"You could try being yourself."
"Time to change topics." Shu looked at me and a wicked grin crossed her face. "What do you say we talk about how well you fill out my gown."
"That's one of the things I want to talk about. It's been weeks since I've worn my own clothes. I need to find a tailor and have some clothes made specifically for me."
"The duke keeps a tailor here in the castle. But he's not very good with women's clothes. Mostly, he sews for the duke."
"What about in the city?"
"There is a very fine tailor here in the city. He sewed the gowns we're wearing. Well, him and his wife."
"Do we have time to pay him a visit?"
"Easier for him to pay us a visit." Shu swung herself out of her chair, shuffled to the door, and said something to the serving girl waiting outside.
"I'd also like to talk to the cobbler that made these boots."
"Consider it done."
Shu relayed my request to the serving girl. Less than an hour later, a tailor and a cobbler were in my room. I sketched out the designs I wanted on parchment and gave them to the tailor, along with my measurements. I described the alterations I wanted to my boots. The cobbler nodded attentively then hurried off. A few minutes later, a serving girl informed us that dinner was ready.
"You haven't asked me about the duke," Shu said, as we shuffled off to dinner.
"I already asked one of the servants about him."
"And she waxed poetically on his numerous virtues. Yes?"
"She did indeed."
"He won't be happy unless you fall madly in love with him. He expects all women to fall madly in love with him."
"Then he should prepare himself for disappointment," I said. "For it sounds like I couldn't love him nearly as much as he loves himself."
# Chapter 20
"Shumaredena," the Duke of Genese said when we entered his dining room. "I heard you were back. And that you brought me some guests."
Edgerton had yet to arrive, but Bokham and the Lady Tabitha were with us. Bokham wore his red and white uniform. The Lady Tabitha wore a dark blue gown.
The only people in the room besides the duke were four young women, two sitting on his right, two sitting on his left. They wore gowns cut in the same style as what Shu, Tabitha, and I wore. Where our gowns were black, dark blue, and dark green, theirs were made from pale pastels, green, blue, rose, and yellow. The girls themselves weren't particularly pretty. But they did seem to be fawning over the duke, which I suspect made him happy.
The duke looked to be in his mid-twenties. He had dark brown hair that reached to his shoulders. He wore it in a ponytail and had a neatly trimmed beard. He had a narrow nose, high cheekbones, and full lips. His eyes were a pale blue. I couldn't tell how tall he was since he was sitting, but he had broad shoulders and a narrow waist.
He was expensively dressed, in black silk knee breeches, a black silk shirt that tied in the front, and a gold velvet waistcoat. He used a gold ribbon the same color as his coat to hold his ponytail in place. He was handsome, but not unusually so.
"Princess Lila and the Lady Tabitha," Shu said, introducing us. "And Captain Bokham of the Queen's Guard."
The duke stood. He wasn't as tall as Bokham, but he wasn't short either. He clicked his heels together and bowed. "Britt Torrell, Duke of Genese. May I say, it's a pleasure to have a princess as my guest."
He was addressing himself to the Lady Tabitha. Perhaps because Bokham was walking beside her. Perhaps because she stood out walking beside two dark haired girls.
Before Shu could correct the duke, he turned to the two girls sitting on his right and told them to move next to the two girls on his left. They didn't look happy about it, but they obliged. The duke pulled out the chair closest to him and smiled at the Lady Tabitha, waiting for her to take it. She glanced at me, not quite sure what she should do. I nodded, letting her know it was all right with me if she sat next to the duke.
The Lady Tabitha sat and the duke slid her chair toward the table. He held the next chair for me. I sat. He slid my chair toward the table, saying, "Lady Tabitha."
"I'm Lila," I said. "She's Tabitha."
The smile disappeared from the duke's face, and for a second, he looked apoplectic. He covered his mistake by pulling his chair out and smiling at Shu. "Why don't you take my chair, Shumaredena. I'll sit between the princess and Captain Bokham. That way the captain won't have to listen to you ladies talk about the latest fashions, or whatever it is ladies like to talk about."
Shu accepted the duke's chair. The duke took the chair on my right, with Bokham sitting on his right. He clapped his hands a couple of times and the servants brought dinner, which consisted of roast venison, steamed broccoli, baked potatoes, and freshly baked bread with butter and honey. A dark ale was also served.
"I wasn't aware there were any princesses in this part of the world that I haven't already met," the duke said between bites of venison.
"I'm not from this part of the world. My country lies on the other side of the Great Desert. What we call the Desert of Shifting Sands."
"May I ask what prompted you to travel so far from home? The hope that Queen Catlett will make you her heir?"
"A dart with a knockout drug, a gag, and some sturdy rawhide around my wrists and ankles is what originally prompted me to come here."
"You were kidnapped?"
"That's one way to put it."
"I'd offer you sanctuary, but my brother, the king, has an alliance with Queen Catlett. I don't think he'd appreciate it."
"That's all right. I've come this far. I figure I might as well meet her. She sounds like an interesting person."
"Some think so." The duke's tone made it clear that he didn't agree. "You do know she's a parvenu royal."
"I've only been speaking the Common Tongue for about three weeks. There are words in your language I have yet to learn."
"Three weeks?" The duke made no attempt to hide his surprise. "It took Shumaredena two years to learn to speak the Common Tongue, and she doesn't speak it nearly as well as you."
"Once again, Britt, your manners demonstrate why you are a duke and not a king," Shu shot back.
The duke ignored Shu's comment and turned back to me. "You must be exceptionally bright."
"Not compared to my sister, Iderra. You still haven't told me what a parvenu royal is."
"It's one whose family has recently come to power," Shu said.
"Queen Catlett's grandfather wasn't a king," the duke said. "He was just an adviser to the king. A king that died young, leaving no direct heir."
"But he was of royal blood," Tabitha said. "One cannot assume a throne unless they are of royal blood. And the king did designate him as his heir."
"He was a baron." The duke made no attempt to hide his contempt. "The lowest level royal you can find. What's more, King Vonnut only made him his heir because he was dying and there was no one else around."
"How long has your family ruled Holt?" I asked the duke.
"Six generations," the duke said proudly.
So, you are also a parvenu royal."
The duke glared at me with a look that could kill. "How long has your family ruled?"
"My mother was the twelfth Queen of Adah. My sister Bedonna, who in my absence has undoubtedly consolidated power, is the thirteenth."
The duke gagged on his venison. "Thirteen queens?"
"Thirteen true queens. Others have assumed the throne briefly, but we don't count them."
"How many kings?"
"None. No woman in my family has ever given birth to a boy."
"That's something you don't want to advertise around here. It'll make you a less promising prospect."
"Prospect for what?"
"A wife, of course."
"The women in my family don't marry. We take consorts."
"Male consorts?"
"Usually, but not always."
"I'm surprised your country hasn't been overrun by one of its neighbors."
"We have a standing army of over fourteen thousand men."
The duke gagged on his venison again. "Fourteen thousand professional soldiers?"
"Most of them are stationed on the border of Sorea. A country ruled by a group known as the Dark Wizards of Sorea."
"Sounds mysterious," the Lady Tabitha said.
"It is. Sorea has closed borders. They trade with no one. They have diplomatic relations with no one. There's much speculation about the people that live there and very little fact. A heavy forest separates our two countries. Very little is known about what lies beyond that forest. No one who has ventured into it has ever returned."
They asked me about the other countries found in my part of the world. They had heard of Gibney because the merchants in Gibney traded with some of the coastal cities in southern Standish. They were fascinated by the Sugar Islands and the fact that slavery was not only legal there, but a booming business. When I finished talking, they started up a conversation on the pros and cons of slavery. I don't know who took what side, or if they even took sides, because I had another vision.
This one involved the duke. I saw him enter my suite, sword in hand. There was a gold medallion around his neck. Engraved on the medallion were crossed swords and the letters KRB. The duke must've thought I would be in bed sleeping, because he seemed surprised to find me awake. I was wearing a nightgown, a short sleeved ankle length white cotton shift. The duke was wearing the same outfit he was currently wearing, which made me think this was going to happen tonight.
"You're awake," he said. "Good. That'll make this easier."
"What do you want?" I stopped brushing my hair, grabbed the bone handled choker I used to tie it back, and quickly tied it in a ponytail.
"This medallion I'm wearing means I belong to a secret society. The Knights of the Royal Brotherhood."
"So?" I moved to my cutlass and pulled it out of its scabbard. The duke didn't try to stop me.
"The Knights of the Royal Brotherhood were formed after Queen Catlett assumed the throne of Vassa. Our goal is to ensure no woman ever assumes a throne again."
"Why?"
"Because women aren't fit to rule."
"Let me guess. Maximillian Bedard started this society. Then he recruited frustrated low level royals like yourself to join him in his quest."
The duke bristled over my calling him a low level royal. He raised his sword with both hands and advanced toward me. "I'll shall make this quick."
I raised my cutlass and assumed a defensive stance. "It won't be a quick as you think. I've been sword fighting since age six."
"Probably against other women. I think you'll find fighting a man is a bit more difficult."
"I've fought both men and women," I said. "And some of the women were bigger and stronger than you."
The duke laughed and the fight began. He was bigger than me, but so was his sword. It was a broadsword, bigger and heavier than my cutlass. It took muscle to wield it. To wield it quickly required even more muscle, which the duke didn't have. Rather than letting him take the fight to me, I became the aggressor. I brought the fight to him. I forced him to parry my thrusts. I forced him to swing his broadsword at a speed he wasn't used to.
I couldn't get close enough for a kill, not as long as he could lift his sword, which was longer than mine. So I continued to press the fight, continued to keep him on the defensive. He was fit, but he wasn't as fit as me. I spent my life training against opponents that were bigger and stronger than me, learning to defeat them through speed and endurance. I trained to fight Bedonna, who was bigger and stronger and better with a sword than the duke could ever dream of being.
While we fought, the duke chattered, explaining how women weren't fit to rule, and that it was his duty to ensure I didn't become the next Queen of Vassa. I didn't respond to any of his comments. My goal was to conserve my strength and wear him down. He laughed at my inability to cut him, let alone hurt him. I ignored his taunts. The longer the fight lasted, the more it tilted in my favor.
As the fight wore on, sweat broke out across the duke's brow and he began to slow down, his parries grew sloppy. I slid around to his left and thrust at his side. He tried to swing his broadsword around in an attempt to parry my thrust but he was too slow. The point of my cutlass penetrated his side, going in deep and coming out crimson. By the time his broadsword reached parry position, I was behind him, slicing his right hamstring. He screamed in pain and dropped to his knees.
The vision faded and I found myself back at the duke's dinner table. I didn't see the final blow, but I had seen enough. The duke belonged to a secret society called the Knights of the Royal Brotherhood. A group of men opposed to women sitting on thrones. After everyone went to bed, the duke planned to enter my room and kill me so I couldn't assume Queen Catlett's throne. I also saw that I could defeat him in a sword fight, through speed and endurance.
After dinner, Bokham pulled me aside. "You had another vision."
"How did you know?"
"I've been around you long enough to recognize the trance like look that crosses your face."
"You ever heard of the Knights of the Royal Brotherhood?" Bokham shook his head, so I continued. "It's a secret society of men that are opposed to women sitting on thrones. Maximillian Bedard founded the group. I don't know how large it is, but I do know the members wear gold medallions around their necks. There are two crossed swords engraved on the medallions as well as the letters KRB."
Bokham glanced at the duke, who was busy flirting with the Lady Tabitha on the other side of the room. "And the duke is a member of this society?"
"He is, and he plans to kill me tonight, after everyone has gone to bed."
"Perhaps we should leave," Bokham said. "Continue our journey to Vassa."
Leaving would've been the smart thing to do, but that would've meant running. Again. Truth be told, I was tired of running. I had been on the run since I had the vision of my mother dying. First from my big sister, Bedonna, then from Maximillian Bedard's assassins, then from Jarvo, then from Bedard's pirates.
"No," I said. "We're not leaving until Captain Hubbard and his men reach us."
Bokham reached for his sword. "Then I shall hide in your room. If the duke tries to harm you, I'll kill him."
"Not necessary," I said. "I can handle the duke by myself."
"I shall hide in your room." Bokham glared at me, letting me know that he wouldn't have it any other way. "I've already been remiss in my duty to protect you, allowing you to be tossed into the high sage's harem. I will not let anything happen to you again."
"Fine. You can hide in the wardrobe." I stuck a finger in Bokham's face. "But as long as I have a sword in my hand, I expect you to stay there."
Bokham bowed. "Understood, Your Highness."
We didn't retire right after dinner. Instead, the duke gave us a tour of his castle, specifically, a room on the first floor that he liked to call his trophy room. Mounted on the walls were the heads of elk, deer, and wild boar that he had killed in successful hunts. He told us how he had killed each and every one. Well, he told the Lady Tabitha how he killed each and every one. The rest of us just kind of followed along behind.
Halfway through his stories, I excused myself, claiming fatigue from our journey. Shu and Bokham did the same, leaving the Lady Tabitha with the duke and the four ladies that had been dining with him. All four feigned great interest in the duke's hunting stories, as did the Lady Tabitha. A fact which made Bokham none too happy.
On the way up to our rooms, Shu fell in alongside of me. "Something is wrong?"
"Not really." I paused for a second, then said, "If the duke were to die unexpectedly, who would take his place?"
"I don't know. He's not married, and he has no children. I guess his brother the king would appoint somebody in his stead. Why do you ask?"
"Because the duke is going to die tonight."
"You had a vision of him dying?"
"I did."
"How does he die?"
"I kill him in a sword fight."
"Do you know why you will kill him?"
"Because he's going to try and kill me."
"Do you know why he is going to try and kill you?"
"Because he belongs to a secret society called the Knights of the Royal Brotherhood."
"I've heard of it," Shu said. "It's a group of royals that are opposed to Queen Catlett sitting on the throne of Vassa. I didn't know the duke was a member."
"He is. And it's not just Queen Catlett. They're against any woman sitting on any throne."
"Perhaps we should leave, slip away while the duke is busy."
"I'm tired of running," I said. "I've been on the run for what seems like forever. There will be no more running. Not for me. From here on, I'm standing my ground. From here on, I'm fighting."
"Can you defeat the duke in a sword fight?"
"I can and I will."
"You'll need to change into something more suitable for dueling," Shu said. "I'll bring you some clothes from my room."
We reached the second floor. Shu headed for her room. Bokham and I headed for mine. When we reached it, Bokham went in first and checked it out, making sure there were no assassins hiding inside. Once he was sure it was safe, he motioned for me to come inside, then stepped outside, saying, "I'll be right outside the door, let me know when you've finished changing."
"Why don't you come inside for a second," I said.
Shu wouldn't be back for a few minutes and there were no servants around. I needed someone to unlace the getup I was wearing. Bokham stepped into the drawing room and shut the door behind him. I turned my back to him and held up my hair, so he could see the lacing on my dress.
"I need you to untie a couple of things."
Bokham unlaced the gown, going far enough down so he could also untie the corset. Shu arrived with an armful of clothes and Bokham stepped back outside. I peeled off the gown and corset and scrambled into the clothes Shu brought, black leather knee breeches and a long sleeved white cotton shirt that laced up the front. She also brought a pair of black riding boots. It was the perfect outfit for a sword fight.
"Tell Bokham to come in," I said, tying my hair into a ponytail.
Shu went to the door and told Bokham to come in. Bokham entered the drawing room, shutting the door behind him.
"When the duke slips into the room, I want you to move to the door and block it, so he can't escape."
Bokham bowed. "Understood."
"But your sword stays in its scabbard. He's mine to kill." I pulled my cutlass from its scabbard and tossed the scabbard aside. "I would like to warm up, Captain."
Bokham bowed again and drew his broadsword.
"Do you want me to move the furniture out of the way?" Shu said.
"Not necessary," I said. "I've trained in crowded rooms."
"Do you want me to stay?"
"Better you're not here. That way no one can accuse you of taking part in the duke's death."
Shu nodded and left. Bokham raised his broadsword. I raised my cutlass and we began to duel. Bokham was taller than the duke, with broader shoulders. Like most people that had been trained with a broadsword, he wielded it with two hands. My cutlass was smaller and lighter and could be wielded with just one hand.
"How do you intend to defeat a man with a broadsword when all you have is a cutlass?"
"I'll wear him down. Eventually his sword will grow heavy. When it does, I'll strike."
"Like a mosquito and a horse?"
"Something like that."
We fought for a couple of minutes, long enough to loosen the muscles, but not long enough to tire either of us out. When I was ready, I stepped back, lowered my cutlass, and bowed. Bokham did the same, sheathing his broadsword.
"You fight well for a girl."
I smiled. "You fight well for someone who's angry at the Lady Tabitha."
"Is it that obvious."
"Perhaps not to everyone, but you and I have been together for awhile now, and I've learned to read your moods just like you've learned to read mine."
"Watching the Lady Tabitha flirt with the duke reminded me that she has options that I don't have. She's of royal blood and can marry a duke or a baron. I'm just a commoner, a captain of the guard. I can't offer her the things that they can."
"Is that why you've never asked her to marry you?"
"I have asked her to marry me," Bokham said. "She turned me down."
"Because she hopes to marry a duke or a baron?"
"She never gave me a reason, but we both know that's one of her aspirations."
So, Bokham was in love with the Lady Tabitha. The Lady Tabitha might be in love with Bokham, but refused to marry him because he wasn't of royal blood. From my perspective that made Bokham fair game.
"My mother never married," I said. "Nor did my grandmother or my great-grandmother. In fact, none of the women in my family have ever married."
"Yet your mother had four daughters."
"She took consorts." I looked into Bokham's blue eyes. "If I were to ask you to be one of my consorts, would you refuse?"
"Queen Catlett ordered me to accompany the chancellor on his journey, and to protect and serve any princess that he brought back."
"That doesn't answer my question."
Bokham bowed. "I'm prepared to serve in any manner you require."
"What do you think the Lady Tabitha would do if she found out you had become a consort to a princess?"
"In truth, I'm not sure, Your Highness."
"Perhaps, she'd be jealous."
"I'd like to think so."
"Perhaps, she'd stop thinking of you as just a captain."
"Perhaps, she'd never talk to me again."
I smiled. "Perhaps, you'd no longer care."
Bokham returned my smile. "Perhaps, I'd like to find out."
It was the first time I could remember him smiling, let alone flirting. It was nice to know there was a man beneath the uniform. I wasn't planning on taking him as a consort, not tonight anyway. I was just trying to cheer him up.
Now that I knew the Lady Tabitha had rejected his marriage proposal, I considered him to be fair game. He was tall and handsome, with broad shoulders. His hair was a pale blond and almost as long as mine. You just never noticed it because he always wore it tied back in a braid or a ponytail. His eyes were pale blue and he was clean shaven. I'm not even sure he could grow a beard if he wanted to.
"One point," I said. "If I do take you as a consort, and if we are alone like this, I'll expect you to refer to me as Lila, not Your Highness."
Bokham bowed. "Understood."
Our conversation was interrupted by the door opening. I hid my cutlass behind my back. Bokham tightened his grip on his broadsword and slipped behind the door. It had to be the duke, since anyone else would've knocked before entering.
I wasn't worried about the duke killing me. My vision already showed me that I could defeat him in a sword fight. I had no idea what would happen after I killed the duke. How would his brother, the King of Holt react? How would Queen Catlett react? Would she still want me as her heir, or would she consider me to be too much of a barbarian? Although, I suddenly realized that I didn't care. For the first time in my life, I was at peace. I was at peace with my decision to stand and fight. I was at peace with my decision to do more than just survive.
I was an Adan princess. I was raised to take on anything life threw at me. I was raised to make a difference. From here on, that's exactly what I would do. From here on, there would be no more running. From here on, I would take on all challengers. From here on, I would make a difference. I would be as brave as Bedonna, as beguiling as Salisha, and as smart as Iderra. From here on, Lila the Insignificant was no more.
# DESTINY'S QUEEN
Lila has changed but that doesn't mean her adventures are over. In DESTINY'S QUEEN, she has to deal with the Duke of Genese, his brother, the King of Holt, and Queen Catlett.
Along the way, she will discover that someone has been pulling Maximillian Bedard's strings, ordering him to kill her. That someone turns out to be her father. A man she's never even met. He's a seer, just like her, and has had a vision of Lila destroying him, which is why he'll do anything to kill her, including going to war.
Even if Lila manages to defeat her father, she will still have to deal with her big sister, Bedonna. Bedonna may be on the other side of the desert, but she's planning a war that will make the one Lila's father is planning look like child's play.
To defeat her father and her sister, Lila will have to do more than stand and fight. She will have to become the woman the prophets wrote about long before she was born. She will have to become DESTINY'S QUEEN.
#
# BOOKS BY J. D. ROGERS
Love in the Rough
### Low Campbell Adventures
Dirty Little Mermaids
Deadly Little Mermaids
Deranged Little Mermaids
### The Princess Wars Series
Princess Wars
Destiny's Queen
Lost in Time
The Competition
# ABOUT THE AUTHOR
J. D. grew up in a house where women were in charge of everything, which may explain his preference for strong female characters. He studied history and law in college and uses that knowledge to help build the worlds he creates. J. D. makes his home in Montana.
You can check out all his books, including what will be released next at:
<http://www.jdrogersfiction.simplesite.com/> or <http://www.jdrogersnovels.simplesite.com/>
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Returning home from a lovely sunny ride about a fortnight ago, a fellow cyclist was coming towards me and I cheerily raised my hand in greeting. His response was to tap his helmet (I wasn't wearing one) and, patronisingly, shake his head. I'm not sure if he heard what I said in reply, in hindsight hopefully not.
I read wiggo rides oval chain rings sounds like oval tech is making a come back
a lot of bikes had them fitted on the tour...made me go ooooh...when i saw them.
as for the think bike campaign ....norfolk cc is still doing it the last time i looked in the stores we had tonnes of stuff being prepped.as for the helmet thing ...i saw that interview and they pretty much cornered him on it and he had no choice but to give that reply at the time.in my classes no kid does the lesson with out a helmet..as an adult we have the freedom of choice...if we let kids have the same ...theyd be off playing in the road and staying up till 4 in the morning eating candyfloss.so we should make the choice for them .
oh and the wiggins shot with his son on the champs...fab picture ...the kids not going to get walloped as the road was closed at the time.
_________________We can't just sit here and wait for sharks to rain down on us again............
as for the think bike campaign ....norfolk cc is still doing it the last time i looked in the stores we had tonnes of stuff being prepped.as for the helmet thing ...i saw that interview and they pretty much cornered him on it and he had no choice but to give that reply at the time.in my classes no kid does the lesson with out a helmet..as an adult we have the freedom of choice...if we let kids have the same ...theyd be off playing in the road and staying up till 4 in the morning eating candyfloss.so we should make the choice for them .oh and the wiggins shot with his son on the champs...fab picture ...the kids not going to get walloped as the road was closed at the time.
Thing is, in years gone by, we've had Darth, I mean David Prowse doing the green cross road thing, your-letter-was-only-the-start-of-it (<deity>-rest-his-soul-and-soles) doing the clunk click every trip thing, countless drink driving campaigns, and anti-speed things, why can't we have some real, thrusting, national impetus on drivers being more careful around, and giving more room to, cyclists.
If, over decades, drink driving, and speeding can be made (kind of) socially unacceptable - at least in polite, middle-class after dinner conversations, with a frigid-as-an-eskimo martini in hand, then why not for marginalising cyclists by vehicles?
Well I already know - there's idiots-for-pay like Clarkson, planting that seed of boorishness in the unthinking, and for the authorities there's no quick wins in stats / crimes, automation, or easy revenue to gather.
All the while, all we seemingly ever get is lecturing to the victims, and let's just forget why, eh...
Helmets......reflectors front and rear and on wheels, riding fast on pavements (on the increase)........i think there needs to be a review on both sides of the coin on cycle rules as the number of cyclists is growing.
A helmet saved my life off road, and i knew a man with a badly cracked scull who wasn't wearing one and hit his head on a curb on road.
I don't wear one on-road......but i know head injuries are difficult to treat due to having a brain inside compared to a broken leg.
Helmets......reflectors front and rear and on wheels, riding fast on pavements (on the increase)........i think there needs to be a review on both sides of the coin on cycle rules as the number of cyclists is growing.
A helmet saved my life off road, and i knew a man with a badly cracked scull who wasn't wearing one and hit his head on a curb on road.
I don't wear one on-road......but i know head injuries are difficult to treat due to having a brain inside compared to a broken leg.
And there in lies the real problem, a lot of drivers see cyclists as aggressive, selfish and showing little regard for the law of the land.
You don't have to drive for long before you see cyclists taking up a whole lane, jumping red lights, almost never indicating and riding on and off pavements with out warning.
There's a real them and us divide between drivers and cyclists and it goes both ways.
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bibliography:
- 'calabiflow.bib'
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Quotes Daddy - Random quote tagged "Beatiful"http://www.quotesdaddy.com/
Sat, 10 Dec 2016 05:48:29 +0000en"She was illusive. She was today. She was tomorrow. She was the faintest scent of a cactus flower, the flitting shadow of an elf owl. We did not know what to make of her. In our minds we tried to pin her to a cork-board like a butterfly, but the pin merely went through and away she flew." - Jerry Spinellihttps://www.quotesdaddy.com/quote/1418778/jerry-spinelli/she-was-illusive-she-was-today-she-was-tomorrow-she
"She was illusive. She was today. She was tomorrow. She was the faintest scent of a cactus flower, the flitting shadow of an elf owl. We did not know what to make of her. In our minds we tried to pin her to a cork-board like a butterfly, but the pin merely went through and away she flew." - Jerry Spinelli1418778Sat, 10 Dec 2016 05:48:29 +0000
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The cadherin cell-cell adhesion pathway in prostate cancer progression.
Cadherins are a family of calcium-dependent cell-cell adhesion molecules involved in cell-cell aggregation and morphoregulatory cell function. Dysfunction of the cadherin pathway is involved in tumour invasiveness and disease progression for a variety of carcinomas. E-cadherin is a prognostic marker in prostatic cancer, based on the correlation of the grade of E-cadherin expression and tumour grade, stage, metastasis and survival, as well as recurrence after radical prostatectomy. P-cadherin was shown to be lost in all prostatic cancers, although this most likely reflects loss of the basal cell population rather than a transcriptional down-regulation, suggesting that loss of P-cadherin expression is an early event in the tumorigenesis of prostatic carcinomas. Catenins, particularly alpha-catenin, also play an important role in the dysfunction of the cell adhesion complex. Mechanisms of inactivation of the cadherin-catenin pathway include LOH, gene deletions and gene promoter hypermethylation. Therapeutic strategies have been investigated in tumour models, i.e. the use of demethylating agents for the hypermethylated promoter region of E-cadherin or gene transfer in PC-3 cells with homozygous deletion of the alpha-catenin gene. The complexity of neoplastic changes cannot be explained by alterations of cell adhesion molecules alone; but as demonstrated, cadherins and catenins play an important role in this process.
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Los nuevos mapas de la luz polarizada que llena todo el cielo procedente del Universo temprano, obtenidos por el satélite Planck, de la ESA, han revelado que las primeras estrellas se formaron mucho más tarde de lo que creía.
La historia de nuestro universo comenzó hace 13.800 millones de años. Los científicos se esfuerzan en leerla estudiando los planetas, asteroides, cometas y otros objetos de nuestro sistema solar, y observando la luz de estrellas y galaxias lejanas, y de la materia entre ellas.
Una fuente esencial de información es la radiación de fondo cósmico de microondas (“cosmic microwave background”, CMB), la luz fósil procedente de una era en que el universo era caliente y denso, apenas 380.000 años tras el Big Bang.
Gracias a la expansión del Universo, hoy en día esta luz –no visible al ojo humano, solo detectable en el rango de las microontas– llena todo el cielo.
Entre 2009 y 2013 Planck barrió el cielo para estudiar esta luz primigenia con un grado de precisión nunca antes logrado. Las pequeñas diferencias en la temperatura de esta radiación en distintas regiones del cielo son indicativas de variaciones de densidad en el universo en la época en que se emitió la radiación CMB, y son las semillas de las acumulaciones de materia que vemos en el presente: las estrellas y galaxias.
La luz se polariza cuando vibra en una dirección preferente, un fenómeno que puede producirse cuando los fotones rebotan tras chocar con otras partículas. Eso es exactamente lo que sucedió cuando se emitió la CMB, 380.000 años después del Big Bang.
En un principio los fotones estaban atrapados en una densa y caliente sopa de partículas que, cuando el Universo tenía apenas unos segundos de edad, consistía sobre todo en electrones, protones y neutrinos. Debido a la alta densidad, los electrones y fotones chocaban con tanta frecuencia que el Universo temprano estaba lleno de “niebla”.
Poco a poco, a medida que el cosmos se expandía y enfriaba, los fotones y las demás partículas se alejaban cada vez más, y las colisiones se volvían menos frecuentes.
Esto trajo dos consecuencias: los electrones y protones pudieron finalmente combinarse y dar lugar a átomos neutros sin ser destrozados por los choques con los fotones, y los fotones pudieron viajar libremente por primera vez, sin estar inmersos en la niebla cósmica.
Una vez libre de la niebla la luz inició su viaje cósmico hasta el día de hoy, en que telescopios como Planck la detectan como CMB. Pero la luz también conserva memoria de su último encuentro con los electrones, un recuerdo capturado por el fenómeno de la polarización.
“La polarización de la CMB muestra también minúsculas fluctuaciones de una parte del cielo a otra; al igual que las variaciones de temperatura, las de la polarización reflejan el estado del cosmos en la época en que materia y luz se separaron”, dice François Bouchet, del Instituto de Astrofísica de París, Francia. “Esto nos proporciona una poderosa herramienta para estimar de forma nueva e independiente parámetros como la edad del Universo, su ritmo de expansión y la proporción de sus ingredientes: la materia del tipo que conocemos, la materia oscura y la energía oscura”.
Los datos de polarización de Planck confirman los detalles del modelo cosmológico estándar, determinado por las medidas de las fluctuaciones de temperaturas en la CMB. Además, añaden una nueva e importante respuesta a una pregunta fundamental: ¿cuándo nacieron las primeras estrellas?
Cuando se emitió la radiación de fondo, el Universo era muy distinto de como lo vemos ahora, y pasó mucho tiempo hasta que pudieron formarse las primeras estrellas.
Las medidas de Planck de la polarización de la CMB nos dicen ahora que esta “Edad Oscura” acabó unos 550 millones de años tras el Big Bang, más de 100 millones de años más tarde de lo que se creía. Esta diferencia de tiempo es importante cuando se trata de la formación de las primeras estrellas.
La Edad Oscura concluyó cuando las primeras estrellas empezaron a brillar. Y a medida que su luz interactuaba con el gas en el Universo, más y más átomos volvían a disgregarse en sus partículas constituyentes, los electrones y protones.
Esta época clave del universo se conoce como “Época de reionización”.
Fuente: ESA
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NOT FOR PUBLICATION WITHOUT THE
APPROVAL OF THE APPELLATE DIVISION
This opinion shall not "constitute precedent or be binding upon any court ." Although it is posted on the
internet, this opinion is binding only on the parties in the case and its use in other cases is limited . R. 1:36-3.
SUPERIOR COURT OF NEW JERSEY
APPELLATE DIVISION
DOCKET NO. A-5881-17T4
GURBIR S. GREWAL, Attorney
General of the State of New Jersey,
and PAUL R. RODRÍGUEZ, Acting
Director of the New Jersey Division
of Consumer Affairs,
Plaintiffs-Appellants,
v.
ATLANTIC COAST HOUSE LIFTING
LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY, a/k/a
ATANTIC COAST HOUSE LIFTING,
LLC, a/k/a ATLANTIC COAST HOUSE
LIFTING, a/k/a ATLANTIC COAST HOUSE
LIFTERS, GEORGE REX CONSTRUCTION,
LLC, a/k/a GEORGE REX CONTRACTING,
LLC, a/k/a GEORGE REX CONTRACTING,
a/k/a GFR CONTRACTING, LLC, and GEORGE
REX, individually and as owner, officer, director,
founder, member, manager, representative and/or
agent of ATLANTIC COAST HOUSE LIFTING
LIMITED LIABILITY, and GEORGE REX
CONSTRUCTION, LLC,
Defendants-Respondents.
__________________________________________
Argued March 11, 2019 – Decided July 18, 2019
Before Judges Sabatino, Sumners and Mitterhoff.
On appeal from an interlocutory order of the Superior
Court of New Jersey, Chancery Division, Atlantic
County, Docket No. C-000003-17.
Jeffrey Alan Koziar, Deputy Attorney General, argued
the cause for appellants (Gurbir S. Grewal, Attorney
General, attorney; Jason Wade Rockwell, Assistant
Attorney General, of counsel; Lorraine K. Rak, Deputy
Attorney General, and Mark E. Critchley, Deputy
Attorney General, on the briefs).
Katrine L. Hyde argued the cause for respondents
(Kennedys CMK LLP, attorneys; David M. Kupfer,
Katrine L. Hyde and Elizabeth H. Rohan, of counsel
and on the brief).
PER CURIAM
In this matter, we are asked to address one of the unfortunate situations
allegedly caused by unscrupulous contractors following the tremendous
property devastation caused by Superstorm Sandy. By leave granted, plaintiffs
Gurbir S. Grewal, New Jersey Attorney General (the AG), and Paul R.
Rodríguez, Acting Director of the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs
(the Division) (collectively, the State), appeal from a June 29, 2018 Chancery
court order that stayed their Consumer Fraud Act (CFA), N.J.S.A. 56:8-1 and -
A-5881-17T4
2
2, lawsuit against defendants George Rex and Atlantic Coast House Lifting 1
pending disposition of potential criminal charges against Rex; and issued an
order to show cause (OTSC) on October 17, 2018, requiring aggrieved
homeowners to show cause as to why they should not be barred from filing any
criminal or municipal complaints 2 against defendants. For the reasons expressed
below, we reverse.
I.
Following Superstorm Sandy in November 2012, the Division created the
Reconstruction, Rehabilitation, Elevation and Migration (RREM) Program to
provide homeowners with up to $150,000 in grant money to repair damage to
their homes. Under the program, homeowners were permitted to select an
approved private contractor of their choice. Many homeowners hired defendants
to repair their homes. Over the course of four years, the Division received nine
complaints from homeowners that defendants' repairs were carelessly
1
Defendants include Rex, and all business entities that he owns as sole
shareholder. For sake of convenience, they will be referred to collectively as
defendants.
2
For the sake of simplicity, all references hereafter to "criminal charges" or
"criminal complaints" shall include both indictable and municipal court charges.
A-5881-17T4
3
completed, incomplete, or non-compliant with state and municipal building
codes. Consequently, the State filed a lawsuit against defendants in February
2018, alleging violations of the CFA and other state laws, 3 seeking to
permanently enjoin defendants' business operations and monetary damages.
Simultaneously, three of the nine homeowners who filed complaints with
the Division, also filed municipal court complaints against Rex. 4 Their
complaints were later dismissed. In addition, a total of six complaining
homeowners have been financially compensated by RREM for the money they
lost to defendants. Thus, it would seem that their interest in filing criminal
complaints is lacking.
Concerned about the prospects of future criminal complaints in municipal
court and the Superior Court, Rex invoked his Fifth Amendment right against
self-incrimination, and refused the State's requests to depose him as part of the
CFA action. Defendants also moved for a stay of the civil action pending tolling
3
The Contractors' Registration Act, N.J.S.A. 56:8-136, -152, and regulations
governing: contractor registration, N.J.A.C. 13:45A-17.1, -17.4, and home
improvement practices, N.J.A.C. 13:45A-16.1, -16.2.
4
The third-degree theft complaints were transferred to the Superior Court, but
administratively dismissed. The disorderly persons theft offense complaint was
dismissed by the municipal court for lack of prosecution.
A-5881-17T4
4
of the five-year statute of limitations period for criminal complaints the nine
homeowners could potentially file under N.J.S.A. 2C:1-6.
Following argument, the court reserved decision. About three weeks later,
relying upon State v. Kobrin Sec., Inc., 111 N.J. 307 (1988), the court granted
defendant's motion to stay the civil proceedings. In his oral decision, the court
stated,
There is no[] significant harm to the [nine homeowners]
in granting [the motion to stay] as six of the nine . . .
have been reimbursed.
....
It is clear that the issues involve the same or
similar type of conduct. It is clear that with the specter
of criminal prosecution hanging over [Rex's] head that
he is forced to make a decision an[d] it is clear . . . that
he would be prejudiced if he had to proceed to a
deposition and answer questions under oath and
proceed to trial . . . recognizing that anything he said
[could] be used against him in a pending criminal
proceeding.
....
. . . [T]he filing of this litigation, [and] the media
attention that may have attached has, to some extent,
helped the public policy if these are proven and his
business has been significantly diminished.
In addition, to further support its decision to grant the stay and in an effort
to bring some finality to the possibility of the nine homeowners filing criminal
A-5881-17T4
5
charges against defendants, the court ordered defendants to serve an OTSC on
the homeowners to show cause as to why they have not brought criminal charges
against defendants, and whether they intend to bring any such claims in the
future. Defendants followed the court's directive.
Within a month, the court issued the OTSC, which provided that the nine
homeowners would be barred from asserting a claim in "any police report and/or
[criminal] complaint to any law enforcement agency" against defendants arising
from the work performed at their homes if they failed to come forward with a
claim on or before October 17, 2018. The judge commented that if other
homeowners were to bring criminal complaints against defendants at a later
time, "they have a right to [file complaints] and I'm gonna continue the stay and
then we'll have to talk about it, but we could have, you could argue it again, but
my gut reaction is under these circumstances I would continue the stay until
completion . . . ."
The OTSC has been stayed pending this appeal.
II.
Before us, the State raises two arguments. First, it contends the Chancery
court abused its discretion when he granted defendants' motion to stay the civil
A-5881-17T4
6
proceedings. Second, it contends the court erred as a matter of law in granting
the OTSC. We address these arguments in the order presented.
A.
The decision to stay a civil action due to the pendency of a criminal action
is not constitutionally required but rather rests in the sound discretion of the trial
court. Kobrin, 111 N.J. at 314. It is not a violation of the Fifth Amendment or
Due Process to require a defendant to make the choice to testify, even though
giving testimony at a civil proceeding may help criminal prosecutors, as opposed
to invoking his Fifth Amendment rights and suffering any adverse civil
consequences that flow therefrom. Id. at 312-13. "[W]hatever the difficulties
of invoking the fifth-amendment privilege, there is no constitutional inhibition
that a defendant in a criminal case not 'be put to the difficult choice of having to
assert the privilege in a related civil case . . . .'" Id. at 313 (quoting De Vita v.
Sills, 422 F.2d 1172, 1178 (3d Cir. 1970)). In other words, as long as a
defendant has the right to invoke his Fifth Amendment privilege in the civil
proceeding, there is no constitutional right to be relieved of the burden of that
choice. United States v. Simon, 373 F.2d 649 (2d Cir.), cert. granted sub nom.
Simon v. Wharton, 366 U.S. 1030, vacated as moot, 389 U.S. 425 (1967).
A-5881-17T4
7
Of course, "[t]here may be cases where the requirement that a criminal
defendant participate in a civil action . . . [may] violate[] concepts of elementary
fairness in view of the defendant's position in an inter-related criminal
prosecution." Kobrin, 111 N.J. at 314 (citation and internal quotations omitted).
"On the other hand, the fact that a [person] is indicted cannot give [the person]
a blank check to block all civil litigation on the same or related underlying
subject matter." Ibid.
Rather, in the exercise of its discretionary judgment, a trial court "must
weigh competing interests and maintain an even balance." Landis v. N. Am.
Co., 299 U.S. 248, 254-55 (1936); see also Procopio v. Gov't Emps. Ins. Co.,
433 N.J. Super. 377, 380 (App. Div. 2013). "The court, in its sound discretion,
must assess and balance the nature and substantiality of the injustices claimed
on either side[,]" with the understanding that "[j]ustice is meted out in both civil
and criminal litigation." Kobrin, 111 N.J. at 314 (quoting Gordon v. Fed.
Deposit Ins. Corp., 427 F.2d 578, 580 (D.C. Cir. 1970)). Where the risk of
exposing a defendant exercising the constitutional privilege to adverse
consequences is slight, then "[t]he overall interest of the courts that justice be
done may very well require that the compensation and remedy due a civil
plaintiff should not be delayed (and possibly denied)." Ibid.
A-5881-17T4
8
Accordingly, several considerations guide a trial court in resolving the
question of a stay. The court must determine "whether refusing to stay discovery
would impose undue hardship on a defendant and would thereby expose to
unnecessary adverse consequences the defendant exercising his constitutional
privilege." Kobrin, 111 N.J. at 314. The status of the criminal case, including
whether the defendant has been indicted, must be examined. Nat'l Freight, Inc.
v. Ostroff, 133 N.J. Super. 554, 558-59 (Law Div. 1975).
In National Freight, over one hundred criminal complaints were filed
against the defendant and forwarded to the grand jury, but no indictments were
presented as of the date of the court's decision. Id. at 555. The court reasoned
that a stay was against the interests of justice because a criminal trial may never
occur at all, noting that "[i]ndictments have not yet been found . . . nor is there
any certainty that any will be." Id. at 558. In denying the defendant's application
to stay the civil action that was based on the same facts giving rise to the criminal
complaints against him – which were placed on the inactive list – the court
concluded:
to say that the civil suit must remain in statu[s] quo
indefinitely is to import to the courts an impotency
unworthy of them. To compel other parties to sit
supinely by while their rights or possibility of recovery
are eroded is to invite contempt for the law as well as
A-5881-17T4
9
permit any guilty party to secrete or dissipate the fruits
of his wrongdoing.
[Id. at 559.]
The State contends that proceeding with the CFA action would not impose
any undue hardship because there are no known ongoing criminal investigations
or indictments, and defendant failed to cite any case law that supports the
proposition that a stay in a civil proceeding is appropriate. To the contrary, Rex
asserts there is a "real danger" that the information gained during the civil
proceedings could potentially be used to "fully prosecute the next criminal case
against [him]."
From our perspective, the State's position is prevailing. Rex is in the same
boat as the defendant in National Freight, no indictment has been returned
against him and no criminal charges are apparently pending against him. The
superior and municipal court complaints against Rex have been dismissed, and
defense counsel essentially admitted there were no known ongoing
investigations, rendering defendants' concerns to be speculative. There is no
indication that the State has a "hidden agenda" to obtain incriminating
statements from Rex through the Division's efforts to enforce the CFA. See
State v. P.Z., 152 N.J. 86, 120 (1997); Kobrin, 111 N.J. at 317. Thus, we discern
no undue hardship or adverse consequences on defendants in staying this matter.
A-5881-17T4
10
The court must also consider "whether the civil proceeding seeks only a
monetary recovery by government against a defendant." Kobrin, 111 N.J. at
314. Related to that is the need to consider whether the relief sought is to protect
the public interest. Id. at 314-315. The State argues that it seeks injunctive
relief to permanently cease defendants' business operations and to revoke their
licenses. It also seeks monetary relief from defendants not only for the
homeowners who were allegedly affected by defendants' allegedly fraudulent
practices, but also to replenish the funds paid to homeowners through the RREM
program, which is funded by state taxpayers. Defendants claim that the negative
media coverage has significantly damaged Rex's business 5 and there will be no
harm to the public as the homeowners have already received additional funds to
complete construction after filing their complaints with the Division. They
further posit that the media attention has "dealt a blow" to their business; thus
there is no need to cease additional harm to the public.
Again, we agree with the State's position. In exercising its statutory
responsibility under the CFA, the State is seeking to protect the public from
5
At the time of the June 8, 2018 hearing, defense counsel stated that he did not
have the exact figures, but that Rex informed a different court and the State
during mediation that "his receipts[] are a fraction of what they were before the
[CFA] litigation was filed and . . . the local media attention." No documentation
was provided to the trial court or is in the appellate record.
A-5881-17T4
11
defendants due to their alleged violations by enjoining their contracting
businesses from operating, and recouping taxpayer monies paid to homeowners
under the RREM program. This clearly weighs in favor of allowing this matter
to proceed to conclusion without waiting for the indefinite period of a stay and
resulting in the possibility of delaying civil justice to the citizens of New Jersey.
We conclude the reasoning that the public interest concerns were satisfied
by the impact of media coverage on defendants' businesses, as suggested by the
court, is flawed. The State's position is that defendants' violations of state law
were so egregious that they should no longer be allowed to operate. This
salutary goal cannot be accomplished by the "black eye" they may have received
from negative media attention. There is a reasonable prospect that uninformed
homeowners or property owners may be unaware of the reports of defendants'
alleged misdeeds. In the event that the court found they violated the CFA, the
court may avoid future harm by prohibiting defendant from conducting business
in the future.
Another consideration is "whether the two actions are nearly identical in
scope." Kobrin, 111 N.J. at 314. The court was correct in finding that this civil
matter and any potential criminal charges would involve the same issues arising
from the same transaction or occurrence. There is mutual identity between the
A-5881-17T4
12
parties in the civil and criminal actions because the nine homeowners who
brought the municipal court complaints are the same individuals for whom the
State is initiating this consumer protection action. Defendants are also the same
parties, as Rex is the sole shareholder and owner of the various defendant
business entities.
Nevertheless, "when relief is sought to prevent continued injury to the
public, such as that caused by the continued dissemination of unapproved drugs,
United States v. Kordel, 397 U.S. 1, 11 (1970), the civil proceedings should not
be stayed except in the most unusual circumstances." Kobrin, 111 N.J. at 314.
Only when particular civil matters "would expose a litigant to undue risk of
losing the civil case or facing criminal prosecution[,]" should they be stayed.
Id. (citing Arden Way Assocs. v. Boesky, 660 F.Supp. 1494, 1499 (S.D.N.Y.
1987)). Since, as noted above, we do not conclude there is any indication that
Rex is exposed to criminal prosecution, the common identity should not have
been a basis for staying this action.
Based upon all these reasons, we conclude that the Chancery court
mistakenly applied its discretion in ordering a stay.
A-5881-17T4
13
B.
The State next contends that the Chancery court's imposition of an OTSC
requiring the nine homeowners to show cause – why they did not file or pursue
criminal complaints against defendants, and if they did not do so, they would be
"forever barred" from filing future complaints if not raised by a set date – was
"impermissible under the law and unduly benefits defendants at the expense of
the [homeowners]," and punishes the homeowners "because the State filed suit."
We agree.
Our standard of review is whether, in granting or denying the order to
show cause, the trial court erred as a matter of law. Waste Mgmt. of New Jersey,
Inc., 399 N.J. Super. at 516-18; Solondz, 317 N.J. Super. 16, 20-21 (App. Div.
1998). An OTSC is appropriate where a party is seeking any "form of emergent,
temporary, interlocutory, or other form of interim relief," such as to stay a civil
proceeding. Solondz v. Kornmehl, 317 N.J. Super. 16, 20 (1998) (citing R. 4:52-
1 and -2); see Chalom v. Benesh, 234 N.J. Super. 248, 254 (Super. Ct. 1989).
Usually, parties request an OTSC where (1) they seek "entry of an order
requiring a party to show cause why a temporary restraint or an interlocutory
injunction should not issue," and (2) at the commencement of an action
"requir[ing] a defendant to show cause why final judgment should not be
A-5881-17T4
14
entered[,]" often referred to as a "summary action." Waste Mgmt. of New
Jersey, Inc. v. Union Cty. Utilities Auth., 399 N.J. Super. 508, 516 (App. Div.
2008). An OTSC, however, may never be instituted for the entry of a permanent
injunction. Ibid.; see also Solondz, 317 N.J. Super. at 20-21; Chalom, 234 N.J.
Super. at 254 (criticizing an OTSC that provided for ex parte "instant, complete
and final relief.").
In assessing the court's decision to stay this civil matter, we appreciate
that it wanted to expedite the filing of criminal complaints against defendants to
minimize the length of the stay. Defendants assert the court "fashioned a
mechanism by which the homeowners at issue were afforded a complete
opportunity to be heard had they wished to challenge any aspect of the
requirement that they cause a criminal action to commence by October 17,
2018." However, even though our courts have the ability to establish parameters
to determine whether a claim has been filed within the statute of limitations, the
OTSC impermissibly shortens the requisite five-year statute of limitations under
N.J.S.A. 2C:1-6 for filing criminal claims. As the State argues, the court
"[t]hrough its own deliberative process and consideration of public policy[]"
disregarded the time frame mandated by the Legislature; without any supporting
case law that would allow such an order. Moreover, while the OTSC does not
A-5881-17T4
15
specifically mention a complete bar, it was essentially a permanent injunction
against the homeowners filing criminal complaints against defendants if they
did not assert any criminal or quasi-criminal complaints; as it directs that any
such complaints "must be filed" by the specified date.
We further find favor with the State's argument that the OTSC was
overbroad. It barred homeowners from asserting a claim in "any police report
and/or [criminal] complaint to any law enforcement agency," and any claims
against defendants arising from the work performed at their homes, despite the
fact that such claims may not be ripe prior to the court's mandated cut-off date.
While the homeowners were compensated under the RREM program, this does
not extinguish their right to file criminal complaints against defendants and
pursue punitive measures under the law. 6 Consequently, the OTSC would
clearly benefit defendants to the prejudice of the homeowners. We discern no
viable purpose for giving this advantage to defendants over the individuals they
allegedly took advantage of who were already dealing with the trauma and life
changing experience they suffered by their hurricane-ravaged homes.
Reversed and remanded.
6
If Rex were charged with third-degree theft by deception, N.J.S.A. 2C:20-4(a),
he could be charged with up to 364 days in county jail, placed on probation, and
be subject to fines.
A-5881-17T4
16
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Q:
Java-8: boolean primitive array to stream?
There is no nice way to convert given boolean[] foo array into stream in Java-8 in one statement, or I am missing something?
(I will not ask why?, but it is really incomprehensible: why not add stream support for all primitive types?)
Hint: Arrays.stream(foo) will not work, there is no such method for boolean[] type.
A:
Given boolean[] foo use
Stream<Boolean> stream = IntStream.range(0, foo.length)
.mapToObj(idx -> foo[idx]);
Note that every boolean value will be boxed, but it's usually not a big problem as boxing for boolean does not allocate additional memory (just uses one of predefined values - Boolean.TRUE or Boolean.FALSE).
A:
You can use Guava's Booleans class:
Stream<Boolean> stream = Booleans.asList(foo).stream();
This is a pretty efficient way because Booleans.asList returns a wrapper for the array and does not make any copies.
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John Russell (diplomat)
Sir John Wriothesley Russell, (22 August 1914 – 1984) was a British diplomat and ambassador.
He was the only son of Thomas Wentworth Russell, better known as Russell Pasha, who was descended from John Russell, 6th Duke of Bedford.
He was educated at Eton College and graduated from Trinity College, Cambridge, in 1935 with a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), He was part of the British Embassy in Moscow in 1941 and in 1956, also with a M.A. degree, after which he was awarded a CMG in the 1958 Birthday Honours. He was British Ambassador in Ethiopia, 1962–1966, was awarded a KCVO in 1965, being British Ambassador to Brazil, 1966–1969, GCVO in 1968, and British Ambassador to Spain, 1969 – 1974.
He was married to Aliki Diplarakou, the first Greek Miss Europe, and had a son, Alexander, and a daughter, Georgiana.
He was interviewed briefly in the famous documentary series The World At War in 1973.
Ancestry
References
Charles Mosley, editor, "Burke's Peerage, Baronetage & Knightage", 107th edition, 3 volumes (Wilmington, Delaware, U.S.A.: Burke's Peerage (Genealogical Books) Ltd, 2003), volume 1, page 321.
Category:1914 births
Category:1984 deaths
Category:Ambassadors of the United Kingdom to Spain
Category:Ambassadors of the United Kingdom to Ethiopia
Category:Ambassadors of the United Kingdom to Brazil
Category:People educated at Eton College
Category:Alumni of Trinity College, Cambridge
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Q:
Add extra columns for MySQL export to csv?
I have successfully exported my table in MySQL to csv with columns. I used this guy's answer at Include headers when using SELECT INTO OUTFILE?
SELECT 'ColName1', 'ColName2', 'ColName3'
UNION ALL
SELECT ColName1, ColName2, ColName3
FROM YourTable
INTO OUTFILE '/path/outfile'
However, I want to export a query formula as a new column to be added to the csv file. I tried adding an extra calculated column after the second SELECT statement. MySQL gave me an error saying "The used SELECT statements have a different number of columns".
Example formula: SELECT CAST((ColName1 * ColName2) AS DECIMAL(7,2)) AS ColNameX. I'm not sure where to input it in my export statement.
A:
For the UNION to work you must have the same number of columns and they must be of the same type. As you creating the header row as text then all of your columns in the second query must also be text. Like so:
SELECT 'ColName1', 'ColName2', 'ColName3', 'New Column'
UNION ALL
SELECT
ColName1
,ColName2
,ColName3
,CAST(CAST((ColName1 * ColName2) AS DEC(5,2)) AS CHAR)
FROM YourTable
INTO OUTFILE '/path/outfile'
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Prediction of Japanese children at risk for complications of childhood obesity: gender differences for intervention approaches.
Childhood obesity is one of the most serious public health problems in Japan, especially in Tokushima compared with other prefectures. This study was designed to clarify the life habits which predispose to development of obesity and can be modified through an appropriate intervention program to combat childhood obesity and its lifestyle-related diseases. A total of 216 school children from Itano Town, a municipality of Tokushima Prefecture, Japan, who are attending the fourth grade (9-10 years) of elementary schools, participated in the study from 2004 to 2007. The study included child's life habits questionnaire, investigating physical activity by recording the daily steps using a pedometer, anthropometric measurements, hematological examination and hemodynamometry in a cross-sectional survey during a two-month period from June to July every year. We conclude that there are considerable gender-related differences for developing obesity and other lifestyle-related diseases; and all intervention strategies against obesity must consider such gender differences. For example, restriction of television watching hours must be intervened for controlling obesity in boys, however for girls, promotion of exercise practice or making more steps per day with adequate sleeping periods should be intervened as the proper approaches for preventing and controlling obesity and other lifestyle-related diseases.
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1988 Chilean national plebiscite
The 1988 Chilean national plebiscite was a national referendum held on 5 October 1988 to determine whether Chile's de facto leader, Augusto Pinochet, should extend his rule for another eight years. The "No" side won with nearly 56% of the vote, thus ending the General's 16 years in power.
The fact the dictatorship respected the results is attributed to pressure from big business, the international community and unease with extended rule by Pinochet within the dictatorship.
Background
Army General Augusto Pinochet took power on 11 September 1973 in a U.S./CIA-backed coup d'état which deposed the democratically elected Socialist President Salvador Allende. Allende killed himself as the presidential palace was being bombarded. A military junta — led by Pinochet, Air Force General Gustavo Leigh, Navy Admiral José Toribio Merino, and Carabinero Chief General César Mendoza — was sworn in the same evening. The following day, the four drafted an official document suspending the 1925 constitution and Congress and establishing the Junta as the country's supreme authority. Pinochet was designated as its first president, and the four verbally agreed to rotate the office. Shortly after, the Junta established an advisory committee, which Pinochet was successful in staffing with Army officers loyal to himself. One of their first recommendations was to discard the idea of a rotating presidency, arguing it would create too many administrative problems and lead to confusion. In March 1974, six months after the Junta's establishment, Pinochet verbally attacked the Christian Democratic Party and stated that there was no set timetable for a return to civilian rule. On 18 December 1974 Pinochet was declared Supreme Leader of the nation. After that date, the junta functioned strictly as a legislative body until the return to democracy in 1990.
On 24 September 1973, a commission was set up by the junta to draw up a blueprint for a new constitution. By 5 October 1978, the commission had finished its work. During the next two years, the proposal was studied by the Council of State presided by former president Jorge Alessandri, and in July 1980 it submitted a Constitution draft to Pinochet and the Junta. A constitutional referendum, regarded as "highly irregular" and forthrightly "fraudulent" by some observers, took place on 11 September 1980, in which the new constitution was approved by 67% of voters. The Constitution, which took effect on 11 March 1981, established a "transition period," during which Pinochet would continue to exercise executive power and the Junta legislative power, for the next eight years. Before that period ended, a candidate for President was to be proposed by the Commanders-in-Chief of the Armed Forces and Carabinero Chief General for the following period of eight years. The candidate was to be ratified by registered voters in a national plebiscite. On 30 August 1988 Pinochet was declared to be the candidate.
During the last years of the dictatorship the commanders-in-chief of the Navy, Air Force and Carabineros disassociated themselves from Pinochet, expressing their wishes that a civilian should represent the regime in the 1988 plebiscite. Pinochet however imposed himself as candidate.
Plebiscite
The plebiscite —as detailed in the 1980 Constitution— consisted of two choices:
Yes: The proposed candidate is approved. Pinochet takes office on 11 March 1989 for an eight-year mandate, and parliamentary elections are held nine months after he is sworn in. The Junta continues to exercise legislative power until the newly elected Congress takes office on 11 March 1990.
No: The proposed candidate is rejected. Pinochet and the Junta continue in power for another year. Presidential and parliamentary elections are held three months before Pinochet's term expires. The newly elected President and Congress take office on 11 March 1990.
Political endorsements
Yes
Democratic Party of Chile ()
Great Civic Front of Chile ()
Independent Democratic Union ()
Liberal Democrat Party of Chile ()
National Advance ()
National Party ()
National Renewal ()
Radical Democracy ()
Social Democrat Party ()
Party of the South ()
No
Christian Democratic Party ()
Christian Left ()
Communist Party of Chile ()
Humanist Party ()
Liberal Party ()
MAPU Obrero Campesino
National Democratic Party ()
National Party for the NO ()
Party for Democracy ()
Popular Socialist Union ()
Popular Unitary Action Movement ()
Radical Party ()
Revolutionary Left Movement ()
Social Democracy Party of Chile ()
Democratic Socialist Radical Party ()
Socialist Party of Chile (Almeyda faction) ()
Socialist Party of Chile (Historic faction) ()
Socialist Party of Chile (Mandujano faction) ()
Socialist Party of Chile (Núñez faction) ()
The Greens ()
Null vote
Chilean Socialist Party () A populist party created by pro-Junta factions to attract support for Pinochet disguised under the Socialist Party's banner.
The campaign
The campaign is regarded, along with the registration process, as one of the key factors that led to the victory of the No side in the plebiscite.
For the first time in the history of Chile, both options were guaranteed free electoral advertising spaces—franjas—of 15 minutes each, late at night or early in the morning. (There were similar spaces in prime time, but only for the government). They were first broadcast on 5 September, at 11 pm, just one month before the referendum.
In a short time the spots prepared by the No side were seen to be better, despite the Yes side creating a more elaborate campaign devised by an Argentinian advertising agency and with the assistance of the Chilean Armed Forces. The Minister of the Interior Sergio Fernández, one of the main coordinators of the official campaign, said:
The No side used a rainbow as its main symbol, with the intention of symbolising the plural views of the opposition (each member party had its own colour depicted in the rainbow) and, at the same time, the hope of a better Chile and a more prosperous future. Their campaign, directed by American and Chilean advertising men, combined both criticism (including testimony by victims of torture and relatives of disappeared people during the dictatorship) and optimism, highlighting that the No option did not mean returning to the socialist system of former President Salvador Allende, but the re-establishment of democracy. This idea was supported by the appearance of right-wing leaders standing for No. A popular jingle was composed, with the main slogan of the campaign, "Chile, la alegría ya viene" (Chile, joy is on its way), and both Chilean and international celebrities, such as Patricio Bañados (renowned journalist banned from TV by the Junta), Sting, Jane Fonda, Richard Dreyfuss, Sara Montiel, Robert Blake, Paloma San Basilio and Christopher Reeve starred in the No spots. One advert featured a middle-aged woman describing her experience of being kidnapped and tortured after the 1973 coup, and advocating a no vote, followed by her son Carlos Caszely, one of Chile's top footballers of the 1970s and 1980s, and a critic of the Pinochet regime.
The Yes campaign had two main goals: creating fear amongst voters by reminding them of the chaotic situation of Chile in 1973, with the consequent coup d'état (a background blamed on supporters of the No side), and improving the general perception of Augusto Pinochet, regarded by the public as an arrogant and authoritarian leader. The spots included jingles with lyrics supportive of the Junta and songs that were close to promoting a cult of personality around Pinochet, such as the main campaign anthem, "Un horizonte de esperanza" (A Horizon of Hope) or a Rapa Nui folk song, "Iorana, Presidente" (Hello, President). In its early stages the campaign put its focus on the economic success achieved by the government, but when this failed to appeal to viewers, the strategy followed was to introduce biased criticism of the No adverts and the publication of polls that showed massive support for Pinochet, and a new look of the programmes starting in the 18 September broadcast, with the new format almost identical to those of the No – a presenter, Hernán Serrano, introduced each topic, and more testimonies were added.
Both sides called for massive rallies: on 22 September the No side started the March of Joy (Marcha de la alegría), which lasted 10 days and joined supporters from the northernmost and southernmost cities of Chile in Santiago. These rallies were often stopped by the Carabineros or the secret police on claimed suspicion of possible attacks, or for no stated reason, and the demonstrators were attacked by armed pro-Yes supporters without the police taking any action. On 2 October the Yes campaign called for a huge rally in downtown Santiago. The rallies had different coverage by the news media, which struggled to show more Chileans standing for the Yes side than for the No, and were considered to be too close to the Yes campaign.
Electorate
Voting was open to persons who were aged 18 or over on the day of the election, and were either Chilean citizens or foreigners who had resided legally in Chile for at least five years. Only those registered in the electoral roll could vote, but registration was not compulsory. Voting was mandatory for registered Chilean citizens.
Results
Source: Tribunal Calificador de Elecciones.
Result by regions
Aftermath
In the wake of his electoral defeat, Pinochet had convened a meeting of his junta at La Moneda, in which he requested that they give him extraordinary powers - extraordinary powers the embattled dictator said he would use to have the military seize the capital. General Fernando Matthei refused, saying that he would not agree to such a thing under any circumstances. Fernando Matthei would later become the first member of the junta to publicly admit that Pinochet had lost the plebiscite.
Pinochet and opposition forces agreed to revise the 1980 Constitution. The 54 proposed amendments were approved by 91% of voters in a referendum on 30 July 1989. Presidential and parliamentary elections took place as scheduled on 14 December 1989. The opposition candidate, Christian Democrat Patricio Aylwin, won the election with 55% of the vote, and took office on 11 March 1990. The newly elected Congress was sworn in the same day.
The other junta members, who had preferred a civilian to run for president instead of Pinochet, regarded the result as Pinochet's personal defeat.
Popular culture
The 2012 film No presented a fictionalized account of the "No" television campaign. It was the first Chilean film nominated for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film at the 85th Academy Awards.
See also
Chilean transition to democracy
Further reading
Ethan Kaplan, Fernando Saltiel, Sergio S. Urzúa. 2019. "Voting for Democracy: Chile's Plebiscito and the Electoral Participation of a Generation." NBER.
References
External links
El plebiscito presidencial de 1988 National Democratic Institute
Category:1988 referendums
Category:Referendums in Chile
Category:1988 in Chile
Category:Military dictatorship of Chile (1973–1990)
Category:October 1988 events in South America
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Bitcoin is still in correction mode after recently hitting the top of its ascending channel seen on the short-term charts. The price is finding support at the mid-channel area of interest, though, and could be due for a bounce back to the top.
Bulls could aim for the swing high at $4,170 or the channel resistance at $4,200 next. Stronger bullish momentum could spur a break higher and a steeper uptrend. The 100 SMA is above the longer-term 200 SMA after all, indicating that the path of least resistance is to the upside. This short-term moving average is also holding as dynamic support at the moment.
However, RSI is pointing down to indicate that selling pressure is in play and that bears could stay for a bit longer until oversold conditions are seen. Stochastic has just dipped into the oversold territory to reflect exhaustion among sellers but has yet to turn higher to indicate a return in bullish momentum.
With that, Bitcoin could go for a deeper pullback to the 61.8% Fib that’s closer to the channel support. This is also within an area of interest or former resistance around the $4,000 major psychological mark. A break below this, on the other hand, could signal that a reversal from the uptrend is due.
Bitcoin is still waiting on stronger catalysts that could sustain the climb, and many have been pointing out how it’s currently hanging out at make or break levels. There has been a lot of anticipation for institutional inflows but the lack of developments or follow-through has been disappointing for some.
This could leave more room for profit-taking and perhaps a deeper bottom for Bitcoin before the much-anticipated rebound takes place. A few analysts are still maintaining forecasts that the $5,000 could be hit soon, but this might hinge on how the current consolidation breaks.
Images courtesy of TradingView
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This page is part of three pages dealing with the complex relations between Pi and the randomness field. This is indeed not easy to explain everything in one page ! I hope this page will grow as I will collect some new stuff. I'm open minded to any suggestion, of course. And I did not find all the proofs of what I present in the following paragraphs, so if you know one of them, please contact me !
This page is quite recent so it's less messy now than before. You are allowed to have a summary ;-)
Pi appears in several isolated theorems often considered as belonging to the probability field. I would call these theorems some "lotto probabilities" (!) since it deals more with proportions, counts and areas estimations most of the time, than real probability theormes stemming from inherent measure theory !
However, some results are somewhat facinating and show Pi in domains where we wouldn't expect it (him !) to appear. The most famous theorems probably are Cesàro
and Buffon ones, that we remind here (as the regular visitors already know where to find them on my website ;-)).
Cesàro's theorem
The probability of two randomly selected integers being coprime is ...
If we want to use this result, we have to reword the following sentence as the set of natural integers couples is infinite: if we choose two natural integers less than n,
the probability Pn of them being coprime tends towards when n tends towards infinity.
Suppose we have a floor made of parallel strips of wood, each the same width 2b, and we drop a needle of length 2a onto the floor. The probability that the needle will lie across a line between two strips is
Let's drop 2n times a coin, you probably have one somewhere in your pocket, haven't you ? The number of possible results is 22n, since there is only head or tail (we will trust the coin to not fall onto the edge ;-)).
Let's count the number of times when we have equal number of heads and tails. In this case, we count the number of ways to combine the n heads among the 2n drops, that is , the number of combinations of n among 2n.
Thus, the probability to have the same number of heads and tails with our 2n drops is
the number of favorable cases over the number of possible cases:
For the people accustomed with probability world, we can find this result by noticing that the number of heads follows a binomial law of parameters p=1/2 (probability of a head) and 2n for the sample size.
We then realize that the probability of having an equal number of heads and tails is the probability to have n heads:
That's straightforward ! Until now, nothing extraordinary... but have a look on the Wallis' formula:
Well, we're not so far...
Let's model the previous equation :
and as n+1/2 ~ n asymptotically
Yesss ! The probability to have an equal number of heads and tails make appear Pi when the drops number tends towards infinity.
By the way, the right member reminds us of the gaussian distribution, which is not so surprising insofar as when p is fixed, the binomial distribution converges towards the gaussian distribution when n goes to infinity (as every kind regular law, thanks to the limit central theorem !).
More precisely, with X the number of heads following a binomial distribution, we have where f is the likelihood of the distribution of X-n. Asymptotically, the discrete binomial distribution becomes a continuous distribution. We therefore apply what we call the correction for continuity: P(X=n) (orP(X-n=0)) becomes . We then obtain an asymptotic approximation of the probability to have an equal number of heads and tails :
because the exponential tends towards 1 when n goes to infinity. We eventually find the expected result using directly the gaussian approximation. So you will tell me "Why the hell does this constant appear in the integral of an exponential ?". I know, I know, that's the beauty of the beast...
Monte-Carlo
No, I don't want to talk about Monaco but about an approximation of Pi obtained by the so-called Monte-Carlo method. Actually, there are plenty of such methods, because the nickname Monte-Carlo describes a general method of approximation by picking up random samples. However, one of these methods has become very famous for Pi, that is the darts game.
Suppose we throw (without aiming !) n darts in a round target (of radius 1/2) inscribed in a square. We then count the proportion of darts in the circle over the total number of darts. This ratio tends towards the ratio of the area of the circle (Pi/4) over the area of the square (1) , that is Pi/4.
Mathematically, with the above hypothesis (circle of radius 1/2, square of side 1), the darts are observations of a random variable of uniform distribution on R2. The distribution of this variable is therefore f(x,y)=1.
Let's consider the function g equal to 1 on the inscribed circle in the square and 0 outside
:
The integral of this function represents the area of the circle. Since teh area of the square is 1, it also is equal to the ratio of the circle area over the area of the square. Since f(x,y)=1 we have:
The right member is nothing else than the expected value of the g(x,y) under the uniform distribution. From the law of large numbers, the empirical mean tends towards this expectaed value of Pi/4 :
From this expression, we just have to pick some couples of random numbers (x,y) (coordinates of the darts
!), and check the proportion of those which are in the circle over the total. This ratio tends towards Pi/4.
Ok, I have to admit that the convergence speed is awful, but it is rarely the first interest of probabilities !
Here, one interest is to notice that pi appears where we don't expect it to appear (the darts game !) but this is well explained by the presence of the circle (the target).
B - Pi and random processes
Pi does not only appear in some isolated probability theorems. It also is closely related to the behaviour of randomness ! yes, I assure you it's true... For instance, let's talk about some results related to Brownian motions:
At first, here is a definition of a Brownian motion, unavoidable process of the probability theory !
1 - Some notions about the Brownian Motion
The Brownian Motion, or Wiener process, describes a phenomenon oberved in 1827 by the scottish botanist Robert
Brown. He observed than pollen grains in water follow a jittery motion ! The correct explanation for this phenomenon is now well known: a pollen grain or a speck of dust floating in a fluid is permanently hit by molecules of the fluid. The force generated by an isolated molecule is not enough for the effect to be visible. However, if a larger number of molecules hit the grain simultaneously, the grain may noticeably move. Union if power !
In 1905, Albert Einstein developped this theory by the means of a statistical mechanical approach. After 1920, Nobert Wienerproposed a mathematical definition of this phenomenon, using a process usually calledW or B :
W0=0
for any 0st
, Wt-Ws is a gaussian variableN(0,
t-s) (variance t-s) inindependant of the tribe generated by .
Since W0=0, Wt-Ws has the same distribution than Wt-s-W0=Wt-s but is independant of this latter because of the definition (the differences are stationnary in particular).
Another interesting property stemming from the definition is that the prediction of the motion after the time s is not better with the knowledge of the trajectory before the time s (the generated tribe) than with the only knowledge of the position at the time s.
The Brownian motion is a fractal insofar as we'll observe the same discontinuities whetever the zoom we use to observe it. This is due to the fact thatWat and a1/2Wt are statistically similar (same distribution), that is a scale invariance.
The Brownian Motion is continuous but not differentiable because of the expression of the variance (try to divide Wt-Ws by t-s !)
One of the most important theorems related to the Brownian motion, and a rationale for its mathematical existence, is the Donsker's theorem: I won't be exhaustive on the subject, but this theorem roughly says that a random walk converges in law towards a Brownian motion as follows :
For some independant random variables (Yi) having the same distribution on the probabilized space and such that P(Yi=1)=P(Yi=-1)=0.5, with k in {0,..,N}, , we define:
If we join the points k/N with lines, we define a process XtN continuous on [0,1] (we fix X0=0) which converges in law towards a Brownian motion when N
goes to infinity.
The integral of a gaussian white noise from 0 to t , a classic from physics, also is a Brownian motion for instance. This is an easy way to build one
:
we fix a step d>0 and we define tn=d*n. Then, let Zi be an independant and identically distributed sequence of gaussian variablesN(0,d) (variance
d).
The standard unidimensional Brownian motion at the time tn is given by :
given that we also fixW0=0.
Then, you tell me, what is the link with Pi ? It's true that it is not obvious at first what looks like our favorite constant Pi. How the random fluctuations may know Pi ?? Yet, the following paragraphs deal with some limit probability theorems related to Pi. But be careful, they might scare some kids...
2 - Asymptotic probabilities for small Brownian balls
Let be a standard Brownian motion and let be the maximal norm.
2.a -
The Chung equivalence (1948)
This expression estimates the probability of a Brownian motion being smaller that a given value, when this value is very small. It is crazy to see Pi here ! This important theorem gives rise to derived formula which generalize the result :
2.b -
Crossing probability of de Mogulskii (1979).
If f2-f1>0 and Inf(f2-f1)>0 on [0;1] then
is of course the Lebesgue's measure on [0;1].
The Chung's equivalence is now given for variable bounds as functions.
We are completely into random fluctuations, and these ones are bounded by something related to Pi !
2.c -
The small deviatio probability of De Acosta (1983).
Let g
be absoltely continuous on [0;1], having g' as a derivative in L2([0;1],).
Then, 1.a can be generalized as follows :
Ok, I'm not telling you it's daily useful, but that is funny to find Pi in this mess, isn't it ? In probabilities, Pi often appears when a gaussian law is involved because of the normalization constant. But since we don't know how to compute the indefinite integral of exp(-x2), it often is delicate to isolate Pi. Well, these theorems do it and show that the full randomness depends oon Pi. Striking !
2.d -
The probability of small deviation of Berthet Berthet - Shi (2000).
By the way, Philippe Berthet is our lovely professor in master of statistics. Believe me, he's strong and, personally, I did not understand everything in his course !
If f0 follows either (i) inf(f)>0 on [0;1] or (ii) f is growing on a neighboring V(0) of 0 then
from which it ensues that if f2-f1>0, if f2-f1 grows on V(0), if f1+f2 is absolutely continuous and if , then 1.b remains true and so lim0f=0 is allowed. Also in this case, we can combine 1.c
and 1.d
to obtain:
Well, where does the Pi comes from and what is its role in all this mess ? Has anyone a metaphysic explanation ? :-)
3 - Almost sure limit laws
The scale invariance property allows to define other process. For instance, let WT(.)=T-1/2W(T.) be a sequence of standard Brownian motions on sur "."[0;1] coming from a Brownian trajectory.
3.a -
Chung's Law of the Iterated Logarithm (1948)
This almost sure result (i.e. obtained on an set of probability 1) shows for instance that the Brownian motion can't come back indefinitely often in the uniform ball centered in 0, and having a radius log(log(T))-1/2.
Here, again, we can generalize the result :
3.b -
Functional Chung's law of Csàki (1980) and De Acosta (1983).
Let's define which is so absolutely continuous on [0;1] and such that f(0)=0. If then
AS we said before, the Brownian motion is not differentiable. The modulus of continuity for h has no limit when it is divided by h tending towards 0.
The following result gives a limit for . We don't even reach h1/2, which is logical insofar as, given the variance of the Brownian motion, .
The exact modulus of non-differentiability obtained by Csörgö and
Révész (1979) is the following:
Still this staggering constant as a limit like in Chung's law !
4 - Occupation time of R- by W on
[0;1]
The follwing result is not absolutely fabulous because of the presence of the arcsin which make appear
as a normalization constant. However, it is fairly beautiful. The occupation time of R- by a Brownian motion is given by
The occupation time of sets by process often are characterized by arcsin-like distributions. First of these distributions were studied by Lévy, our great French probabilist.
Bibliography
Here are some books where I collected information about the previous theorems. Have fun !
|
About slickmaster
SlickMaster, or (***name censored***) is a 23-year old part-time professional bum who’s been into blogging for 10 years, though he only managed to be active in his very own Blogspot account named “The SlickMaster’s Files” for only five years, and on Definitely Filipino for two and a half years.
He usually expressed his appreciation for the best stuff in the world, such as hip-hop and rock music, wrestling, mixed martial arts, and basketball; and at the same time, his disdain against the overpopulation of teleseryes, romantic drama films, excessive Public Display of Affection, and all the other bullshits of both the mainstream and society.
"Words aren't enough to define me. And by the way, I don't care on your superficial, emotional, subjective comment."
|
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Code distributed by Google as part of the polymer project is also
subject to an additional IP rights grant found at http://polymer.github.io/PATENTS.txt
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we want to set the condensed header's height to be 64px. -->
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<core-icon-button icon="arrow-back"></core-icon-button>
<div flex></div>
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<div class="bottom indent title">Title</div>
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var m = d.height - d.condensedHeight;
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My Vertical Hydroponic Growing Setup
When I built my hydroponic growing setup, I designed it with one main thing in mind - space, or rather the lack of it.
Of all the Hydroponic Setups I had seen and researched on YouTube and the web, pretty much all of them seemed to have been built using a large footprint and take up a lot of space.
What I wanted was a vertical system I could fit against a wall, so it only protruded by a few inches, yet provided enough growing area to provide a suitable yield and make it worthwhile.
After failing to find any design that would fit my needs, I set about designing my own.
I didn't really know what I was doing, but I figured "how hard could it be?" Actually as it turned out - not that hard at all!
The video below shows exactly how I constructed the basic system using little more than some rain guttering, and small pond pump. Later on, I added an aquarium air pump and two air stones to the water to keep it aerated.
This video was filmed right at the beginning of my hydroponic growing adventure, and I have since made a number of significant changes, which I discuss further down this page, so do be sure to read-on after watching the video...
The principal was simple; pump water/nutrients up into a top container tray, then let gravity do the rest by allowing the water to run into the trays below and then ultimately back into the main reservoir.
You can take the hydroponic growing hobby as far to the extreme as you choose and to many it's a real science. My approach to Hydroponics was as simple as I could make it. My hydroponic setup was, and still is very crude and simple by comparison to others.
As far as I was concerned, if I could get my system Growing hydroponic lettuce and perhaps some herbs with minimal fuss, then I'd be happy - at least for now.
NFT System
At the start, I was planning on a NTF system (or nutrient film technique) where a continuous flow of water and nutrients would run continuously through the system all day.
The theory was sound in principal; the plants would take whatever nutrients they needed in order to grow as large as they wanted.
I used rockwool blocks placed in the channel as a base of the plants to sit in. I then planted seeds into small rockwool plugs that were designed to fit into round holes in the tops of the rockwool blocks.
The system seemed to work for a while and things started to grow, but there were some inherent issues.
Firstly, In order to prevent the light from hitting the raw nutrient solution as it ran through the channels (as this would cause an algae bloom), I placed polythene over the tops of the channels cutting holes in the plastic for the plants. However this arrangement caused a lot of mildew and mold to form on the rockwool blocks.
Also, I found that running the system all day was noisy, especially with the air pump aerating the water, so I put everything onto a timer switch and started running it four times a day for fifteen minutes.
So I now had a kind of hybrid NFT versus ebb-and-flow hydroponic growing system (I'll cover ebb-and-flow in a moment)
It didn't seem to make much difference to the plant growth whether the system was on all day or just once every six hours. Then I realized that the rockwool blocks seemed to be permanently saturated regardless of whether the water pump had been off for the previous few hours.
I also noticed that the root systems were not very big on the plants, and it was suggested to me that because the roots are not being forced to seek out water because they were permanently supplied with all they wanted, they were to all intents and purposes, "being lazy", and I had lazy plants as a result.
After a re-think, I decided to re-vamp the entire system and get rid of the rockwool blocks all together.
Ebb & Flow System
An aggregate called Hydroleca was my next move. It is essentially large pea-like balls of porous stone that help to retain moisture,
In the following video, I explain how I added water dams to the ends of my hydroponic growing troughs that enable the entire trough system to completely flood, and then drain away once the pump had been switched off.
I've also made a Hydroponics update page where I have chronologically logged my Hydroponic activities. Click here to see it.
I currently run my hydroponic growing system on a timer switch and it kicks in four times a day (every 6 hours) for fifteen minutes. That is enough to completely flood all the channels and plant roots, and then drain. One complete flood and drain cycle lasts about 30 minutes. I may increase the cycles during the hotter summer months.
Nutrients & water
As for nutrients, again some people like to be very scientific about this. Others choose to make their own. Personally, I decided to leave it to the experts and brought some ready mixed hydroponic growing solutions that you just add to the water.
The only testing kit I have is some litmus paper strips for testing the water PH.
From a fresh tank of water (I use Rainwater), with nutrients added, I will get between 6 - 8 weeks of use before the PH levels start to rise and the plants start looking less happy, at which point I just completely replace the water, add fresh nutrients and we're good to go for another 6-8 weeks.
I can feel my ears burning at the sound of the hydroponic growing 'educated' screaming at the screen that I'm doing it all wrong! But it seems to work for me, and that's all I need.
Progress
So, does this particular hydroponic growing system work? I hear you ask.
Well, my four foot tall coriander plant seems to think so, along with the lettuces, rocket, radishes and tomato plants.
Some of these plants seem to be growing almost an inch a day and I have to stay on top of keeping them supported and tied back, otherwise they will topple, as the little balls of Hydroleca are not heavy enough to support the weights of the plants.
Additional note: A month after I originally wrote this article, the Corriander plant grew to 5 feet tall, and all of the tomatoes began producing abundant fruit. The lettuces also became large, if not a little spindly.
As the tomatoes do not appear to grow except during the normal growing season without lighting, I can grow them the ordinary way in soil leaving more space for lettuces. As the lettuces are reasonably light feeders and do not require much in the way of nutrient solution, and as they cost so much in the shops, I am erring towards running this enture setup for lettuce once the tomatoes have finished, as lettuce should grow all through the year.
This article was written quite a while ago - I've since made a Hydroponics update page where I have chronologically logged my on-going hydroponic activities. It is the most up-to-date page regarding my hydroponic activities. Click here to see it.
What Other Visitors Have Said
Click below to see contributions from other visitors to this page...
HydroponicsThank you Rick for sharing your Hydroponics mini Videos. All I could find was your first one and the 5th update, but nothing in between. Please provide …
What kind of Hydroponic nutrient?Hi Rick,
It's nice to see your great Hydroponic system and the plants are grown so well.
I'm Harry, a Hydro newbie from Taiwan. We don't have much …
What is the best crops for this system?Hi Rick,
Your hydroponics video is truly inspirational, thank u for sharing. I live in Toronto Canada and am planning to build a system with like yours. …
good stuffHey Rick, have been semi-succsessfully growing food in my back garden in Devon for a couple of years now and came accross your rickvanman channel and this …
Pollination of Indoor-grown TomatoesHey Rick,
Excellent site, with well done materials. Concerning your hydroponic garden and the Tomatoes appearing to only grow during the regular season... …
hydro vs geoDo you plan to introduce more hydro applications into your current traditional garden, or has your experimentation with hydroponics led you to the determination …
EducationalThank you very much for your time; I have learned a great deal. I have made a "mini-system" for three plants just to experiment with using an ebb and …
Best way to grow tomatoes in a container Not rated yet1. Germinate the seeds & let the saplings grow to a height of 8 inches.
2. Make the final growing medium ready.
3. Carefully uproot each sapling . Scrap …
Fans Not rated yetHi Rick,
I am a high school student and after looking at your work it really inspire me a lot. Currently, I am building a similar system and I want to …
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Benjamin Rubenstein
Memphis, TN
My fascination with technology began at a very young age when my Grandfather gave me my first laptop--a suitcase sized Compaq Portable). Since then, I've been moving full-steam ahead, absorbing every bit of tech knowledge and skill I come across.
I currently do IT work for FedEx, am a former Editor at AndroidGuys.com, and a former Writer at Neowin.net. I'm a champion of the Android platform and am always up-to-date on the latest tech trends. I also tend to have opinions on most everything.
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.export {
position: absolute;
left: 20px;
top: 20px;
z-index: 999;
}
#canvas_1 {
background: #f0f2f5;
}
#J_ContextMenuContainer_2 {
display: block !important;
}
#J_ContextMenuContainer_2 .menu {
display: block !important;
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display: block !important;
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#J_ContextMenuContainer_1 .menu {
display: block !important;
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CARE Act
The Child Abuse Reform and Enforcement (CARE) Act is a United States law aiming to "promote the improvement of information on, and protections against, child sexual abuse".
Major provisions of the act
The Child Abuse Reform and Enforcement Act was enacted on March 10, 2000 to reduce the incidence of child abuse and neglect.
Major Provisions of the Act
"Authorized the use of Federal law enforcement funds by States to improve the criminal justice system in order to provide timely, accurate, and complete criminal history record information to child welfare agencies, organizations, and programs that are engaged in the assessment of activities related to the protection of children, including protection against child sexual abuse, and placement of children in foster care
Allowed the use of Federal grants by law enforcement:
To enforce child abuse and neglect laws, including laws protecting against child sexual abuse
To promote programs designed to prevent child abuse and neglect
To establish or support cooperative programs between law enforcement and media organizations to collect, record, retain, and disseminate information useful in the identification and apprehension of suspected criminal offenders
Increased the amount of federally collected funds available to the States for implementation of State Children's Justice Act reforms"
References
External links
H.R.3582 -- CARE Act of 2005 (Introduced in House - IH)
Category:Sex laws
Category:United States federal child welfare legislation
Category:2000 in American law
Category:106th United States Congress
|
/*
* Copyright DataStax, Inc.
*
* Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
* you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
* You may obtain a copy of the License at
*
* http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
*
* Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
* distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
* WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
* See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
* limitations under the License.
*/
package com.datastax.oss.driver.api.core.paging;
import com.datastax.oss.driver.TestDataProviders;
import com.tngtech.java.junit.dataprovider.DataProvider;
import com.tngtech.java.junit.dataprovider.DataProviderRunner;
import com.tngtech.java.junit.dataprovider.UseDataProvider;
import org.junit.Test;
import org.junit.runner.RunWith;
@RunWith(DataProviderRunner.class)
public abstract class OffsetPagerTestBase {
/**
* The fetch size only matters for the async implementation. For sync this will essentially run
* the same fixture 4 times, but that's not a problem because tests are fast.
*/
@DataProvider
public static Object[][] fetchSizes() {
return TestDataProviders.fromList(1, 2, 3, 100);
}
@DataProvider
public static Object[][] scenarios() {
Object[][] fixtures =
TestDataProviders.fromList(
// ------- inputs -------- | ------ expected -------
// iterable | page | size | page | contents | last?
"a,b,c,d,e,f | 1 | 3 | 1 | a,b,c | false",
"a,b,c,d,e,f | 2 | 3 | 2 | d,e,f | true",
"a,b,c,d,e,f | 2 | 4 | 2 | e,f | true",
"a,b,c,d,e,f | 2 | 5 | 2 | f | true",
"a,b,c | 1 | 3 | 1 | a,b,c | true",
"a,b | 1 | 3 | 1 | a,b | true",
"a | 1 | 3 | 1 | a | true",
// Empty iterator => return one empty page
" | 1 | 3 | 1 | | true",
// Past the end => return last page
"a,b,c,d,e,f | 3 | 3 | 2 | d,e,f | true",
"a,b,c,d,e | 3 | 3 | 2 | d,e | true");
return TestDataProviders.combine(fixtures, fetchSizes());
}
@Test
@UseDataProvider("scenarios")
public void should_return_existing_page(String fixtureSpec, int fetchSize) {
OffsetPagerTestFixture fixture = new OffsetPagerTestFixture(fixtureSpec);
OffsetPager pager = new OffsetPager(fixture.getPageSize());
OffsetPager.Page<String> actualPage = getActualPage(pager, fixture, fetchSize);
fixture.assertMatches(actualPage);
}
protected abstract OffsetPager.Page<String> getActualPage(
OffsetPager pager, OffsetPagerTestFixture fixture, int fetchSize);
}
|
NOT PRECEDENTIAL
UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
FOR THE THIRD CIRCUIT
___________
No. 09-2332
___________
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
v.
AMIN A. RASHID, AKA Larry Doby Wilson, AKA
Jonothan F. Stone, III, AKA Alfred Monger, AKA Otello
Karpo, AKA Christine Harriell, AKA Ortello Karpo
Amin A. Rashid; Amir A. Rashid; Anwar A. Rashid,
Appellants
____________________________________
On Appeal from the United States District Court
for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania
(D.C. Crim. No. 93-cr-00264)
District Judge: Honorable Jan E. Dubois
____________________________________
Submitted Pursuant to Third Circuit LAR 34.1(a)
March 24, 2010
Before: SLOVITER, CHAGARES AND WEIS, Circuit Judges
Opinion filed: March 31, 2010
___________
OPINION
___________
PER CURIAM.
Appellant Amin Rashid was found guilty following a jury trial of 55 counts
of mail fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering, and one count of criminal forfeiture in
connection with a scheme to defraud commercial loan applicants. In May of 1994,
Rashid was sentenced to a term of imprisonment of 168 months and three years of
supervised release, a $15,000 fine, a $2,700 special assessment, and he was ordered to
pay restitution in the amount of $1,696,470, an obligation that has since been discharged
in bankruptcy. Also in May of 1994, the federal trial judge ordered the residential
property located at 444 East Mount Pleasant Avenue forfeited pursuant to a special
verdict returned by the jury.1 We affirmed the judgment of conviction and sentence on
August 4, 1995 in United States v. Rashid, C.A. No. 93-2241. Following his
unsuccessful direct appeal, Rashid filed numerous unsuccessful challenges to his
conviction and sentence under 28 U.S.C. § 2255, Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 60(b),
Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 33, and other statutes and rules.
As part of the criminal forfeiture order, the district judge required the
United States to publish notice of the forfeiture so third parties could claim any possible
interest in the property before the United States sold it. On June 23, 1994, proceeding pro
se as trustee for her minor children, Joyce Rashid filed a petition for declaration of
1
Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 982(a)(1), a defendant convicted of money laundering must
“forfeit to the United States any property, real or personal, involved in such offense, or
any property traceable to such property.” Based on the evidence adduced, the jury
determined that Rashid should forfeit the home because it had been purchased with
proceeds of the fraud.
2
innocent owner status and remission of forfeited property. The district judge denied the
petition, and we affirmed on appeal. We concluded that neither Mrs. Rashid nor the
children could invoke the “innocent owner” defense to defeat the government’s interest in
the forfeited property, because the defense is not available in the criminal forfeiture
context. We also concluded that Mrs. Rashid and the children could not prevail under 21
U.S.C. § 853(n)(6)(A) or (B). These provisions authorize a court to amend an order of
criminal forfeiture if the petitioner establishes by a preponderance of the evidence that
she has a vested or superior interest in the property at issue at the time of the criminal acts
giving rise to the forfeiture, or that she is a bona fide purchaser for value. Mrs. Rashid
and her children were not bona fide purchasers for value and they could not demonstrate a
vested or superior interest in the property at the time of Rashid’s criminal acts, which
began in September of 1989. The property was not purchased until July of 1991, and,
thus, even if we accepted that she and her children acquired an interest in the property by
virtue of the trust document, they did not acquire their interest until after commission of
the criminal acts. See United States v. Rashid, C.A. No. 94-1806 (3d Cir. August 15,
1995).
Thereafter, there was a renewed effort by Mrs. Rashid to challenge the
forfeiture. She filed for bankruptcy, and in that proceeding filed a motion to void the
forfeiture. The federal district judge assigned to that matter affirmed the bankruptcy
court’s order and held that the issues were fully and fairly litigated by Mrs. Rashid in the
3
underlying criminal forfeiture proceedings. See Rashid v. United States, 1996 WL
421855, at *2 (E.D. Pa. July 25, 1996). On May 19, 1997, Judgment and Final Order of
forfeiture was entered on the docket. The property was sold.
Rashid was released from prison and began serving his term of supervised
release on September 2, 2005. See Docket Entry No. 460. On August 21, 2008, and
while he was still serving his term of supervised release, a federal grand jury returned an
indictment charging Rashid with two counts of mail fraud in violation of 18 U.S.C. §
1341, and one count of aggravated identity theft in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1028A. See
United States v. Rashid, D.C. Crim. No. 08-cr-00493. A warrant for his arrest was issued
on the new charges, and the Probation Office petitioned to revoke Rashid’s 1994 term of
supervised release for violating the conditions of supervised release. See Docket Entry
No. 460. Rashid is currently incarcerated in pretrial detention. Meanwhile, in October of
2008, Rashid’s 1993 criminal case was reassigned to a different United States District
Judge following the resignation from the federal bench of the original trial judge.
At issue in the instant appeal, on January 20, 2009, in Docket Entry No.
476, Rashid filed a “Pro Se Motion for Reconsideration of Denial of Rule 60(b)(6)
Motion Due to Fraud on the Court.” In Docket Entry No. 477, Rashid, on behalf of his
sons Amir and Anwar, who are now adults, filed a “Pro Se Motion for Permission to
Intervene Pursuant to Rule 24(a) Federal Rules of Civil Procedure.” It was accompanied
by Docket Entry No. 478, a “Pro Se Motion to Void Ab Initio Criminal Forfeiture of 444
4
East Mount Pleasant Ave.” These two motions sought reconsideration of the criminal
forfeiture order. In an order entered on March 19, 2009, the District Court denied all
three motions. Rashid filed a motion to reconsider the denial of the motions to intervene
and to void the criminal forfeiture, Docket Entry No. 487. The District Court denied this
motion in an order entered on April 7, 2009. Rashid appeals the denial of these four
motions.
We will affirm. We have jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C. § 1291 over final
orders of the District Court. The District Court properly denied Rashid’s January 20,
2009 motion for reconsideration of the July 22, 1999 denial of his Rule 60(b)(6) motion
as time-barred. See Fed. R. Civ. Pro. 59(e) (effective through November 30, 2009)
(providing for motion to filed with 10 days after entry of order from which
reconsideration is sought). The motion was, as the government has observed, “absurdly
tardy.” See Appellee’s Brief, at 19.
Rashid contends in his brief that the time for filing the motion for
reconsideration did not begin to run in July of 1999 because a separate judgment was not
entered on the docket, and Rule 58, prior to the 2002 amendments, required a separate
document for an order disposing of a motion for relief under Rule 60(b). We reject this
argument and find that the July 22, 1999 order satisfies the separate document
requirement of Rule 58. See Bankers Trust Co. v. Mallis, 435 U.S. 381 (1978); Ahmed v.
5
Dragovich, 297 F.3d 201, 208 (3d Cir. 2002).2
We note also that Rashid appealed the July 22, 1999 order denying his Rule
60(b)(6) motion. The appeal was treated as a request for a certificate of appealability,
which we denied, see United States v. Rashid, C.A. No. 99-1867, (3d Cir. October 19,
2000). Rashid has stated in his brief that he did not appeal the order. See Appellant’s
Brief, at 3. The record shows, however, that he filed a motion for reconsideration from
the July 22, 1999 order, and argued in a jurisdictional response that the Rule 59(e) motion
was timely filed under Smith v. Evans, 853 F.2d 155, 161 (3d Cir. 1988). He then filed a
timely notice of appeal from the denial of the motion for reconsideration, giving us
jurisdiction as well over the underlying order denying the Rule 60(b)(6) motion. See
Federal Kemper Ins. Co. v. Rauscher, 807 F.2d 345, 348 (3d Cir. 1986).
Having found that it lacked jurisdiction to consider Rashid’s January of
2009 Rule 59(e) motion on the basis of its untimeliness, the District Court proceeded to
consider the merits of Rashid’s claim in the alternative and found it lacking in merit.
Rashid contended that the forfeiture was unlawful because the jury was instructed that the
government had met its burden of proof. Moreover, the official trial transcript was
fraudulently amended to conceal this trial court error. The District Court obtained the
original recording, listened to it on February 6, 2009, and concluded that the trial judge
2
The current version of Rule 58 makes plain that a separate document is not required
for an order disposing of a motion under Rule 60(b). See Fed. R. Civ. Pro. 58(a)(5).
6
properly instructed the jury that the government was required to prove its case beyond a
reasonable doubt. In other words, Rashid was incorrect in his assertion that the trial judge
directed a verdict in the government’s favor by clumsily wording the reasonable doubt
instruction. Therefore, his claim of a fraud upon the court had no factual basis. Because
we conclude that the motion for reconsideration was untimely filed, we will not reach this
alternative holding of the District Court’s, or consider Rashid’s arguments that the
District Court erred in its merits determination.3
In the other three motions denied by the District Court, Rashid, acting on
behalf of his adult sons, sought permission for them to intervene and challenge the
forfeiture order. Rashid contends that the property was titled in trust for Amir and
Anwar, he had no ownership interest in it, and, because his sons were minors at the time,
they could not object to the forfeiture. We conclude that the District Court properly
resolved this issue. Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 24(a) governs intervention in civil
proceedings and has no applicability to criminal forfeiture proceedings. See, e.g., DSI
Associates LLC v. United States, 496 F.3d 175, 183 (2d Cir. 2007). Section 853(n) of
title 21, incorporated by the criminal forfeiture provision of 18 U.S.C. § 982, provides the
exclusive means for asserting a legal interest in property which has been ordered forfeited
3
Rashid contended in his brief that, because the District Court is not certified to make
transcriptions of proceedings not held before the Court, see 28 U.S.C. § 753(b), the
District Court abdicated its role as a neutral arbiter in what should have been a dispute
between Rashid’s expert and another certified court reporter.
7
to the United States in a criminal case. See id. See also United States v. Lavin, 942 F.2d
177, 187 (3d Cir. 1991) (“Congress instead defined two rather limited categories of third
parties who are entitled to petition the courts for a hearing to adjudicate the validity of
their interests in the forfeited property.”).4
As explained by the District Court, section 853(n)(2) requires that a person
asserting a legal interest in property which has been forfeited assert that interest within
thirty (30) days of receiving notice. If no such petitions are filed within the 30 days, or
following the disposition of any petitions filed by the deadline, the United States “shall
have clear title to property that is the subject of the order of forfeiture....” 21 U.S.C. §
853(n)(7). Accordingly, even if the time for filing was tolled until Amir and Anwar
reached the age of majority, the January 20, 2009 motions to intervene and to void the
criminal forfeiture were not filed within 30 days of the younger of Rashid’s two sons
having turned 18 years old. Their petition is thus untimely filed. Rashid does not dispute
this in his brief on appeal.
Furthermore, we agree with the District Court that all matters concerning
the innocent owner defense and whether Mrs. Rashid and her children were bona fide
purchasers for value, or could demonstrate a vested or superior interest in the property at
4
To the extent Rashid has argued in his brief that criminal Rule 41(e) provides a basis
for the return of his former residence, we note that we rejected a similar if not identical
argument in United States v. Rashid, C.A. No. 01-2770 (3d Cir. March 25, 2002), and he
has not provided us with a reason to doubt the correctness of that holding.
8
the time of Rashid’s criminal acts, see 21 U.S.C. § 853(n)(6)(A), (B), were fully and
fairly litigated when Amir and Anwar were minors. Mrs. Rashid filed her 1994 petition
as trustee for her minor children. Under Pennsylvania law, a parent may bring an action
on behalf of a minor. See Pa. R. Civ. Pro. 2027 (“When a party to an action, a minor
shall be represented by a guardian who shall supervise and control the conduct of the
action in behalf of the minor.”). Cf. Pa. R. Civ. Pro. 2228(b) (“If an injury, not resulting
in death, is inflicted upon the person of a minor, and causes of action therefor accrue to
the minor and also to the parent or parents of the minor, they shall be enforced in one
action brought by the parent or parents and the child. Either parent may sue therefor[e] in
the name of both....”). We agree with the District Court that there is no evidence that the
interests of Amir and Anwar were not adequately represented by their mother.
Last, the government has asked us in its brief on appeal to enjoin Rashid
from filing any more challenges to his 1993 conviction, absent judicial permission,
pursuant to our power to do so under the All Writs Act, 28 U.S.C. § 1651. See also
Abdul-Akbar v. Watson, 901 F.2d 329 (3d Cir. 1990). The government has made a
compelling case that Rashid’s recent spate of motions seeking to reargue decade-old
matters previously decided adverse to him were filed for the purpose of harassment.
Nevertheless, we will deny this request without prejudice in order to give the newly
assigned district judge the opportunity to address the need for an injunction in the first
instance.
9
We will affirm the orders of the District Court dismissing all four of
Rashid’s and his sons’ motions.
10
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A 19-year-old NJ woman has been accused of picking up at least five men in Midtown and robbing them of watches, cash, and more.
According to police, Alexandra Martinez was arrested on Monday in connection with five incidents over the last five months. Martinez, who has an arm-length tattoo that reads "Love yourself so no one has to," allegedly drugged at least two of the men by slipping mickeys into their cocktails to knock them out.
The News reports Martinez was first arrested on July 22nd, for swiping a wallet from a man she met at West Village wine bar Gottino. On August 24th, she allegedly went to a victim’s hotel room at the Ritz Carlton and left with his watch. On September 4th, she allegedly met a man at a bar, returned to his condo in Brooklyn Heights, and stole his jewelry box, which contained $40,000 in jewelry, including three Rolex watches and a Breitling.
And on Thanksgiving, she allegedly boosted a $10,000-plus Rolex and about $800 in cash from a 44-year-old man. The Post adds that Martinez had an accomplice for at least two of the thefts:
Martinez...had an accomplice in the Brooklyn jobs and picked their victims based on the value of their watches, prosecutors said. “They typically meet the male victims at clubs or restaurants. The victims are usually wearing Rolex watches,” prosecutor Wilfredo Cotto said. After working their way into the men’s luxury apartments, Martinez allegedly mixed drinks that knocked out the victims, who would later “awake to find their property missing,” Cotto said.
Martinez has been charged with five counts of grand larceny, and was released on $50,000 bond. Despite the similarities in the cases, she has not been linked to the $750K watch robbery of Knicks player Derrick Williams.
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Advanced Micro Devices Inc.’s stock fell Wednesday, bucking the sharp gains enjoyed by its peers and the broader stock market, amid growing concerns that cryptocurrency miners may start going elsewhere for their graphics cards.
The chip-maker’s stock AMD, +2.94% closed down 1.3% at $13.23, paring earlier losses of as much as 2.3% at an intraday low of $13.09. With volume of 84.8 million shares, the stock was the most actively traded on the Nasdaq exchange.
Meanwhile, the PHLX Semiconductor Index SOX, +1.41% climbed 1.8% and the S&P 500 index SPX, +1.59% rallied 0.9%.
Analyst Christopher Rolland at Susquehanna Financial said that after a recent trip to Asia, he can confirm recent media reports that key rival Nvidia Corp. NVDA, +4.25% will release two new cryptocurrency-specific graphics processing units (GPUs) during the third quarter. Nvidia’s stock surged 3.5% to snap a four-session losing streak.
“As these new products are more price competitive, they may pose a risk to AMD’s current offerings in the market,” Rolland wrote in a note to clients. “[The] new cards may upset AMD’s alt-crypto coin dominance.”
Nvidia said it had no comment. AMD did not respond to a request for comment.
FactSet, MarketWatch
AMD’s stock has run up 16.7% year to date, after rocketing nearly fourfold in 2016, fueled by news that Apple Inc. AAPL, +3.75% would use AMD chips in its new iMac Pro. It also got a boost from a surge in demand from cryptocurrency miners and hard-core gamers and optimism over the release of new Epyc chips for the enterprise market.
Don’t miss: AMD’s stock extends rocket climb, fueled by ‘tremendous’ graphics cards demand.
See also: AMD’s stock takes another ‘Epyc’ leap.
Nvidia’s stock hasn’t been far behind, soaring 42.2% year to date after more than tripling in 2016, on the back of a strong showing in the server business and the potential for strength in the autonomous vehicles market.
On Wednesday, Mizuho Securities analyst Vijay Rakesh reiterated his bullish stance on Nvidia, while raising his stock price target to $170—12.0% above current levels—from $145.
While the gaming business has been soft so far this year, conservative gaming estimates for the second half of the year “could see upside, as near-term cryptocurrency and mining trends are driving GPU shortages and pricing, combined with new auto wins and ramps at ZF,” Rakesh wrote in a research note.
Should You Buy Bitcoin?
Although AMD has held a dominant position in the cryptocurrency market, Susquehanna’s Rolland said that position could be threatened by the lack of supply of AMD GPUs and from a cost-reduced part supplied by the competing Nvidia. But perhaps not for very long, as AMD also have its own new offering coming soon, Rolland added.
“We note that while contacts did not mention upcoming AMD mining-specific cards, some media reports suggest their coming arrival, perhaps favoring a modest swing in competition back to AMD,” Rolland wrote.
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1903 VFL Grand Final
The 1903 VFL Grand Final was an Australian rules football game contested between the Collingwood Football Club and Fitzroy Football Club, held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne on 12 September 1903. It was the 6th annual Grand Final of the Victorian Football League, staged to determine the premiers for the 1903 VFL season. The match, attended by 32,263 spectators, was won by Collingwood by a margin of 2 points, marking that club's second successive premiership victory.
Gerald Brosnan had a chance to win Fitzroy the premiership with a set shot for goal off the last kick of the game but missed narrowly to give Collingwood back-to-back flags.
Collingwood's Jim Addison, despite playing in just his third game, was the only multiple goalkicker. Both Ern Jenkins and Bert Sharpe of Fitzroy were celebrating their 100th VFL games.
Lead-up
After the home-and-away season (which lasted for seventeen matches, including the "first round" of fourteen matches and a "second round" of three matches), Collingwood was top of the ladder with a record of 15–2 and a percentage of 159.4; Fitzroy finished second with a record of 14–3 and a percentage of 171.6.
The finals were contested using the variation of the amended Argus system seen between 1902–1906. Fitzroy faced fourth-placed in the First Semi-Final, and won by 52 points, and Collingwood faced third-placed in the Second Semi-Final and won by four points. Collingwood and Fitzroy then faced off to decide the premiers.
Right to challenge
Under the variation of the Argus System in use between 1902–1906, the club with the best record in all matches (including finals) could have challenged for the premiership if it had not won this game.
However, the team that won this game would have become the team with the best record, depriving the other team of the right to challenge, meaning the winner of this match would automatically win the premiership.
Entering the match, Collingwood had a record of 16–2, and Fitzroy had a record of 15–3, but a superior percentage. Therefore, a Collingwood win would have their 17–2 record have ranked above Fitzroy's 15–4, and while a Fitzroy win would have left both clubs level on 16–3, Fitzroy would have been ranked above Collingwood on percentage.
This is different from the ruling which would have been used under the more widely known variation of the Argus System, which was in use from 1907–1930. In that variation, the team with the best record in matches excluding finals had the right to challenge; as Collingwood had the best record after 17 weeks, it would have retained the right to challenge regardless of finals results.
Teams
Umpire – Dick Gibson
Statistics
Goalkickers
Attendance
MCG crowd – 32,263
References
1903 VFL Grand Final statistics
The Official statistical history of the AFL 2004
Ross, J. (ed), 100 Years of Australian Football 1897–1996: The Complete Story of the AFL, All the Big Stories, All the Great Pictures, All the Champions, Every AFL Season Reported, Viking, (Ringwood), 1996.
See also
1903 VFL season
Category:VFL/AFL Grand Finals
Grand
Category:Collingwood Football Club
Category:Fitzroy Football Club
Category:September 1903 sports events
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Reproductive rights advocates had a reason to celebrate on Thursday when a federal judge blocked two abortion restrictions in Alabama. One prevented clinics from operating abortions within 2,000 feet from public schools, signed into law after abortion opponents claimed a Huntsville abortion clinic and demonstrations there disrupted students attending nearby schools. The other law banned dilation and evacuation, a procedure commonly used to terminate pregnancies in the second trimester.
Former Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley signed the two laws in May 2016. On Thursday, U.S. District Judge Myron Thompson declared both laws were “unconstitutional” and would place “undue burden on a woman’s ability to choose an abortion.”
Thompson wrote in his decision that there was no evidence that the Alabama Women’s Center for Reproductive Alternatives concerned the schools’ students or parents. He also wrote that the closure or relocation of the that clinic, located in Huntsville, would neither minimize disruption nor hinder a parent’s right to control their children’s exposure to the subject of abortion. The Alabama Women’s Center for Reproductive Alternatives sits near an elementary school and across the street from a magnet school. Local Rev. James Henderson and other anti-abortion protesters have clashed with patients and escorts coming in and out of the clinic.
Thompson also struck down the law banning a safe and common procedure for second trimester abortions. Anti-abortion activists have dubbed the dilation and evacuation method with the non-medical term “dismemberment abortion.” The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists released a statement opposing such bans that “represent legislative interference at its worst: doctors will be forced, by ill-advised, unscientifically motivated policy, to provide lesser care to patients.”
Had Thompson ruled in favor of the laws, Alabama would have to close two abortion clinics, the one in Huntsville and one in Tuscaloosa, leaving only three remaining in the state. Doctors perform 72 percent of the state’s abortions at the two clinics that were on the chopping block. The limited options would disproportionately affect low-income women who would have to drive further away or out of state to get abortions, Thompson wrote.
Thompson’s decision comes just a few months after a federal judge struck down a previous abortion restriction in the state as unconstitutional. Alabama law requires that a minor either have parental consent for an abortion or a court order to bypass parental consent. Usually a judge and the minor’s lawyer is involved in the legal process, where the bypass court determines if the minor is mature and well-informed enough to make a decision.
Judge Susan Walker struck down 2014 amendments to that law that gave the court power to appoint a legal representative for the fetus. The amendments also required a district attorney to be involved, and permitted the abortion seeker’s parents or guardians at the hearing. All involved parties, including the fetus’ representative ad litem, would be allowed to call witnesses to testify for or against the minor’s choice.
Reproductive rights advocates and the judge argued that adding more people to the process violated the minor’s privacy. “The bypass court is hardly the appropriate setting for such counseling, in any event; it is neither a physician’s office, nor a classroom, nor any other such place of instruction or guidance,” Walker wrote.
Alabama is not the only state dealing with attempts to chip away atRoe v. Wade. Legislation in Texas — which used to have more than 40 abortion clinics — set up tight measures that eventually forced several clinics to shut down. By the time the restrictions reached the Supreme Court, where they were ultimately struck down, Texas had only 19 abortion clinics.
As of August 2017, seven states have only one abortion clinic: Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, North Dakota, South Dakota, West Virginia, and Wyoming. And while conservative states have garnered the most attention in such cases, abortion clinics are disappearing in liberal states as well.
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//
// Generated by class-dump 3.5 (64 bit) (Debug version compiled Oct 15 2018 10:31:50).
//
// class-dump is Copyright (C) 1997-1998, 2000-2001, 2004-2015 by Steve Nygard.
//
#import <objc/NSObject.h>
#import <FMClient/NSSecureCoding-Protocol.h>
@class NSString;
@interface _TtC8FMClient15PlaySoundDevice : NSObject <NSSecureCoding>
{
// Error parsing type: , name: serverId
// Error parsing type: , name: locality
// Error parsing type: , name: safetyWarningConfirmed
}
+ (BOOL)supportsSecureCoding;
+ (id)PlaySoundDeviceLocalityUnknown;
+ (id)PlaySoundDeviceLocalityRemote;
+ (id)PlaySoundDeviceLocalityLocal;
- (void).cxx_destruct;
- (id)init;
@property(nonatomic, readonly) NSString *description;
@property(nonatomic, readonly) NSString *debugDescription;
- (id)initWithCoder:(id)arg1;
- (void)encodeWithCoder:(id)arg1;
- (id)initWithServerId:(id)arg1 locality:(id)arg2 safetyWarningConfirmed:(BOOL)arg3;
@property(nonatomic, readonly) BOOL safetyWarningConfirmed; // @synthesize safetyWarningConfirmed;
@property(nonatomic, readonly) NSString *locality;
@property(nonatomic, readonly) NSString *serverId;
@end
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The Left and the right have found common ground. Together, opposite ends of the political spectrum are uncomfortable with members of the Islamic State being able to rejoin our communities. Even those who self-identify as "bleeding-heart liberals" find themselves mirroring conservatives as they blast the idea of taking back Muthana and other similar ISIS brides as unacceptable.
In recent days, outlets like CNN, ABC, and The New York Times have been running sympathetic stories about Hoda Muthana, a young woman who left her home in Alabama to go join ISIS fighting in Syria. Left-wing media have presented quotes and tidbits about her childhood meant to invoke empathy, but their strategy has failed.
Hoda Muthana was one of ISIS's most prominent English-speaking online agitators. The State Department has known about her internet presence since at least 2015, when she tweeted and made calls for ISIS sleeper cells to attack Americans during holidays and to spill American blood. One such tweet read:
Americans wake up! Men and women altogether. You have much to do while you live under our greatest enemy, enough of your sleeping! Go on drivebys, and spill all of their blood, or rent a big truck and drive all over them. Veterans, Patriots, Memorial, etc day ... Kill them!
Now with ISIS all but finally defeated and left with no physical territories, Muthana is realizing that her support of the Islamic State has left her stateless. ABC's James Longman did an interview with Hoda Muthana as she held her baby, and while it was an obvious attempt to humanize her, it left viewers even more disturbed.
Muthana: "I went without thinking of the consequences, without thinking twice, really" Longman: "And what if you had a message for people watching this in America now?" Muthana: "I wish I could take it completely out of people's memories, really[.] ... I don't want people to picture me with that kind of mentality. I hope America doesn't think I'm a threat to them and I hope they can accept me." Longman: "Do you think you deserve a punishment for what you did?" Hoda Muthana paused and smiled brightly instead of answering, so James Longman continued, "Because going to join the Islamic State is a crime, right?" Muthana: "Maybe therapy lessons. Maybe a process to ensure us that we'll never do this again[.] ... Jail time, I don't know if it has that effect on people. Sometimes it has a worse effect on people[.] ... I'm just traumatized from my experience."
Liberal and conservative viewers, and even those not politically invested, responded not just to her word soup, evidencing a refusal to take responsibility for her own participation as she tried to pass it off as normal teenage rebellion, which doesn't deserve judicial punishment, but also commented on her soulless eyes and evil smile.
The liberal media should really stop trying to humanize her, as even their most loyal readers aren't falling for it. While Muthana chalks it up to a teenage mistake, she needs to understand that mistakes have consequences. Leaving America to join a terrorist organization should be a one-way ticket.
Although there were many calls to revoke her U.S. citizenship, claims that she is a valid citizen were challenged by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in a statement he released on Wednesday:
Ms. Hoda Muthana is not a U.S. citizen and will not be admitted into the United States. She does not have any legal basis, no valid U.S. passport, no right to a passport, nor any visa to travel to the United States. We continue to strongly advise all U.S. citizens not to travel to Syria.
Britain is dealing with similar circumstances. Shamima Begum, another ISIS bride, fled to Syria to join the terrorist faction, but as their defeat is finalized, she finds herself begging to return to the U.K. The British are equally uncomfortable with the idea of her return to their soil, and measures have been taken to have her citizenship revoked. Begum released a statement to the news, exclaiming, "I wonder why they are doing this to me!" U.K. citizens are wondering whether the terrorists' victims thought the same thing in the last moments before their barbaric executions.
Hopefully, with the Left and right united in their stand, these ISIS brides can get out of our news cycles now and back to the Stone Age, where they belong. Is revoking their citizenship the right move, or is extraditing them back to the U.S. to face due process for their treasonous crimes more fitting? As for me, I'm just thrilled that both sides of the aisle can agree on our mutual enemy.
Connect with Taylor on Facebook and Twitter!
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Q:
Corrosion around hot water heater connection?
I installed an electric hot water heater about 3-4 weeks ago. Everything has been operating without problem and there have been no detectable leaks around the water connections into and out of the water heater. However, I discovered what could be some corrosion starting on the hot water side. The connection is a stainless steel flex pipe without tape or compound (the pipe's tag said not to use any). I believe the hot water side connections are galvanized steel.
Is it possible for corrosion to form so quickly and if so what should I do about it? My first thought was to disconnect, cleanup, and try again with a new line. How quickly should I act?
A:
This appears to be corrosion which is caused by the dissimilar metals. Installing a dielectric union between the two pipes should solve the issue. There already appears to be a union installed on the cold water supply line.
Installing one of these unions should put an end to the corrosion you are seeing. They come in a variety of configurations. You will want to purchase one that is threaded on both sides. The brass end would attach onto your pipe and the zinc end would attach to the tank itself. One thing to make sure is that you will want to find one that is lead free.
http://www.watts.com/pages/_products_details.asp?pid=6855
Series LF3003 Lead Free* Dielectric Unions are used in commercial and residential applications to prevent accelerated corrosion and deterioration in the piping system due to galvanic and stray current. It is installed between pipes made from dissimilar metals, and features a female iron pipe thread to female brass pipe thread connection. It consists of a union nut, two tailpieces, and a gasket that separates the tailpieces to prevent an electric current from occurring. Series LF3003 is ideal in applications such as hot water storage tanks, water and air conditioners, processing tanks, steam, gas, and water piping. Maximum Pressure: 250psi.
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Recently, a man and his wife were driving through Brooklyn, NY. They were sitting at a stoplight when a group of 10 teenagers started crossing in front of them. The light turned green and the teenagers were still in the road when the man honked at them to move out of the way.
As soon as he honked, the youths started kicking and pounding on his car. He got out of the car to assess the damage and they turned their attack on him. He was severely beaten by the pack of teenagers and according to the news, he had a fractured nose, broken septum, and multiple bruises on his body.
As the driver was getting beaten, his wife began dialing 911 as she was dragged from the car and beaten too. Thankfully, the couple didn’t have any life threatening injuries and they survived the attack by these 10 kids.
Stories like these are becoming more commonplace, such as the incident that happened in Virginia when a man was stopped at a red light and someone threw a rock at his car. When the driver got out of the car, he was attacked by a group of 100 youths. Thankfully he survived too.
The fact is, when groups of teenagers (or any group for that matter) get together they often do stupid and dangerous things. That’s why every time you get in your car you should first lock your doors. It doesn’t matter if you’re driving 2 miles to get milk, get in the habit of locking the doors as soon as you get in your vehicle.
Also, it should be obvious that you should never get out of your vehicle if it comes under attack. If kids start kicking your car or someone throws a rock at your car, hit the gas pedal and get out of the area. If people are blocking your forward movement then either run them over (depending on the severity of the situation and whether your life is in danger) or throw it in reverse and back up.
Drive to a police station or someplace safe, call police and only assess the damage done to the vehicle at that time. If you have no way out and you feel you can’t go forward, reverse, left or right, then it’s time to draw your firearm. If a group of people are surrounding your car then simply displaying your firearm will often get them to disperse.
Of course, you never draw a gun just to display it, you draw it because you believe you might have to use deadly force to save your own life or that of a loved one. And if the group of attackers starts smashing your windows and you or your loved one are about to get dragged out of a vehicle then that would be the time to defend yourself with a firearm.
Remember, you can easily shoot through your front windshield just as easily as a side window. So if people are smashing your car or threatening your life and they’re directly in front of you, you don’t have to wait until they’re at your door to protect yourself.
Besides using good situational awareness and hitting the gas pedal to escape a dangerous situation, don’t forget to practice drawing your firearm in your vehicle.
Do this in your garage with the garage door closed (so your neighbors don’t get spooked) and with a safe and empty weapon. Make sure you can quickly get to your gun while seated from wherever your carry position is. You should be able to draw your gun in your vehicle in two seconds or less, just like you should be able to do it in two seconds or less while standing.
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Do you take a packed lunch to work or buy a sandwich from the shop? The carbon footprint of your sandwich could be having a major impact on greenhouse gas emissions according to new research.
Researchers at The University of Manchester have carried out the first ever study looking at the carbon footprint of sandwiches, both home-made and pre-packaged. They considered the whole life cycle of sandwiches, including the production of ingredients, sandwiches and their packaging, as well as food waste discarded at home and elsewhere in the supply chain.
Altogether the team looked at 40 different sandwich types, recipes and combinations. They found the highest carbon footprints for the sandwiches with pork meat (bacon, ham or sausages) and those containing cheese or prawns.
Of the recipes considered, the most carbon-intensive variety is a ready-made 'all-day breakfast' sandwich which includes egg, bacon and sausage. The researchers estimate that this type of sandwich generates 1441 grams of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO 2 eq.). This is equivalent to CO 2 emissions from driving a car for 12 miles.
The sandwich with the lowest carbon emission equivalent is a simple home-made favourite, ham and cheese. The study also found that making your own sandwiches at home could reduce carbon emissions by a half compared to ready-made equivalents.
According to the British Sandwich Association (BSA) more than 11.5 billion sandwiches are consumed each year in the UK alone. Around half of those are made at home and the other half are bought over the counter in shops, supermarkets and service stations around the country. That means the UK spends nearly £8 billion a year on the breaded snack, at an average cost of £2 per snack.
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Professor Adisa Azapagic, from the School of Chemical Engineering and Analytical Sciences, said: 'Given that sandwiches are a staple of the British diet as well as their significant market share in the food sector, it is important to understand the contribution from this sector to the emissions of greenhouse gases.
'For example, consuming 11.5 billion sandwiches annually in the UK generates, on average, 9.5 million tonnes of CO 2 eq., equivalent to the annual use of 8.6 million cars.'
The results show the largest contributor to a sandwich's carbon footprint is the agricultural production and processing of their ingredients. Depending on the type, this can account for around 37%-67% of CO 2 eq. for ready-made sandwiches.
Keeping sandwiches chilled in supermarkets and shops also contributes to their carbon footprint. This can account for up to a quarter of their greenhouse gas emission equivalent. Then there is the packaging material which comes in at up to 8.5 % and, finally, transporting materials and refrigerating sandwiches themselves adds a further 4%.
The study concludes that the carbon footprint of the snacks could be reduced by as much as 50 per cent if a combination of changes were made to the recipes, packaging and waste disposal. The researchers also suggest extending sell-by and use-by dates to reduce waste.
Professor Azapagic, who also heads up the Sustainable Industrial Systems research group, added: 'We need to change the labelling of food to increase the use-by date as these are usually quite conservative. Commercial sandwiches undergo rigorous shelf-life testing and are normally safe for consumption beyond the use-by date stated on the label.'
The BSA also estimate that extending the shelf life of sandwiches by relaxing such dates would help save at least 2000 tonnes of sandwich waste annually.
The study also recommends reducing or omitting certain ingredients that have a higher carbon footprint, like lettuce, tomato, cheese and meat. Reducing ingredients, such as cheese and meat, would also reduce the amount of calories eaten, contributing towards healthier lifestyles.
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/*
* Copyright (C) 2010 ZXing authors
*
* Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
* you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
* You may obtain a copy of the License at
*
* http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
*
* Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
* distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
* WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
* See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
* limitations under the License.
*/
/*
* These authors would like to acknowledge the Spanish Ministry of Industry,
* Tourism and Trade, for the support in the project TSI020301-2008-2
* "PIRAmIDE: Personalizable Interactions with Resources on AmI-enabled
* Mobile Dynamic Environments", led by Treelogic
* ( http://www.treelogic.com/ ):
*
* http://www.piramidepse.com/
*/
package com.google.zxing.oned.rss.expanded.decoders;
import com.google.zxing.FormatException;
import com.google.zxing.NotFoundException;
import com.google.zxing.common.BitArray;
/**
* @author Pablo Orduña, University of Deusto ([email protected])
* @author Eduardo Castillejo, University of Deusto ([email protected])
*/
final class GeneralAppIdDecoder {
private final BitArray information;
private final CurrentParsingState current = new CurrentParsingState();
private final StringBuilder buffer = new StringBuilder();
GeneralAppIdDecoder(BitArray information) {
this.information = information;
}
String decodeAllCodes(StringBuilder buff, int initialPosition) throws NotFoundException, FormatException {
int currentPosition = initialPosition;
String remaining = null;
do {
DecodedInformation info = this.decodeGeneralPurposeField(currentPosition, remaining);
String parsedFields = FieldParser.parseFieldsInGeneralPurpose(info.getNewString());
if (parsedFields != null) {
buff.append(parsedFields);
}
if (info.isRemaining()) {
remaining = String.valueOf(info.getRemainingValue());
} else {
remaining = null;
}
if (currentPosition == info.getNewPosition()) { // No step forward!
break;
}
currentPosition = info.getNewPosition();
} while (true);
return buff.toString();
}
private boolean isStillNumeric(int pos) {
// It's numeric if it still has 7 positions
// and one of the first 4 bits is "1".
if (pos + 7 > this.information.getSize()) {
return pos + 4 <= this.information.getSize();
}
for (int i = pos; i < pos + 3; ++i) {
if (this.information.get(i)) {
return true;
}
}
return this.information.get(pos + 3);
}
private DecodedNumeric decodeNumeric(int pos) throws FormatException {
if (pos + 7 > this.information.getSize()) {
int numeric = extractNumericValueFromBitArray(pos, 4);
if (numeric == 0) {
return new DecodedNumeric(this.information.getSize(), DecodedNumeric.FNC1, DecodedNumeric.FNC1);
}
return new DecodedNumeric(this.information.getSize(), numeric - 1, DecodedNumeric.FNC1);
}
int numeric = extractNumericValueFromBitArray(pos, 7);
int digit1 = (numeric - 8) / 11;
int digit2 = (numeric - 8) % 11;
return new DecodedNumeric(pos + 7, digit1, digit2);
}
int extractNumericValueFromBitArray(int pos, int bits) {
return extractNumericValueFromBitArray(this.information, pos, bits);
}
static int extractNumericValueFromBitArray(BitArray information, int pos, int bits) {
int value = 0;
for (int i = 0; i < bits; ++i) {
if (information.get(pos + i)) {
value |= 1 << (bits - i - 1);
}
}
return value;
}
DecodedInformation decodeGeneralPurposeField(int pos, String remaining) throws FormatException {
this.buffer.setLength(0);
if (remaining != null) {
this.buffer.append(remaining);
}
this.current.setPosition(pos);
DecodedInformation lastDecoded = parseBlocks();
if (lastDecoded != null && lastDecoded.isRemaining()) {
return new DecodedInformation(this.current.getPosition(), this.buffer.toString(), lastDecoded.getRemainingValue());
}
return new DecodedInformation(this.current.getPosition(), this.buffer.toString());
}
private DecodedInformation parseBlocks() throws FormatException {
boolean isFinished;
BlockParsedResult result;
do {
int initialPosition = current.getPosition();
if (current.isAlpha()) {
result = parseAlphaBlock();
isFinished = result.isFinished();
} else if (current.isIsoIec646()) {
result = parseIsoIec646Block();
isFinished = result.isFinished();
} else { // it must be numeric
result = parseNumericBlock();
isFinished = result.isFinished();
}
boolean positionChanged = initialPosition != current.getPosition();
if (!positionChanged && !isFinished) {
break;
}
} while (!isFinished);
return result.getDecodedInformation();
}
private BlockParsedResult parseNumericBlock() throws FormatException {
while (isStillNumeric(current.getPosition())) {
DecodedNumeric numeric = decodeNumeric(current.getPosition());
current.setPosition(numeric.getNewPosition());
if (numeric.isFirstDigitFNC1()) {
DecodedInformation information;
if (numeric.isSecondDigitFNC1()) {
information = new DecodedInformation(current.getPosition(), buffer.toString());
} else {
information = new DecodedInformation(current.getPosition(), buffer.toString(), numeric.getSecondDigit());
}
return new BlockParsedResult(information, true);
}
buffer.append(numeric.getFirstDigit());
if (numeric.isSecondDigitFNC1()) {
DecodedInformation information = new DecodedInformation(current.getPosition(), buffer.toString());
return new BlockParsedResult(information, true);
}
buffer.append(numeric.getSecondDigit());
}
if (isNumericToAlphaNumericLatch(current.getPosition())) {
current.setAlpha();
current.incrementPosition(4);
}
return new BlockParsedResult(false);
}
private BlockParsedResult parseIsoIec646Block() throws FormatException {
while (isStillIsoIec646(current.getPosition())) {
DecodedChar iso = decodeIsoIec646(current.getPosition());
current.setPosition(iso.getNewPosition());
if (iso.isFNC1()) {
DecodedInformation information = new DecodedInformation(current.getPosition(), buffer.toString());
return new BlockParsedResult(information, true);
}
buffer.append(iso.getValue());
}
if (isAlphaOr646ToNumericLatch(current.getPosition())) {
current.incrementPosition(3);
current.setNumeric();
} else if (isAlphaTo646ToAlphaLatch(current.getPosition())) {
if (current.getPosition() + 5 < this.information.getSize()) {
current.incrementPosition(5);
} else {
current.setPosition(this.information.getSize());
}
current.setAlpha();
}
return new BlockParsedResult(false);
}
private BlockParsedResult parseAlphaBlock() {
while (isStillAlpha(current.getPosition())) {
DecodedChar alpha = decodeAlphanumeric(current.getPosition());
current.setPosition(alpha.getNewPosition());
if (alpha.isFNC1()) {
DecodedInformation information = new DecodedInformation(current.getPosition(), buffer.toString());
return new BlockParsedResult(information, true); //end of the char block
}
buffer.append(alpha.getValue());
}
if (isAlphaOr646ToNumericLatch(current.getPosition())) {
current.incrementPosition(3);
current.setNumeric();
} else if (isAlphaTo646ToAlphaLatch(current.getPosition())) {
if (current.getPosition() + 5 < this.information.getSize()) {
current.incrementPosition(5);
} else {
current.setPosition(this.information.getSize());
}
current.setIsoIec646();
}
return new BlockParsedResult(false);
}
private boolean isStillIsoIec646(int pos) {
if (pos + 5 > this.information.getSize()) {
return false;
}
int fiveBitValue = extractNumericValueFromBitArray(pos, 5);
if (fiveBitValue >= 5 && fiveBitValue < 16) {
return true;
}
if (pos + 7 > this.information.getSize()) {
return false;
}
int sevenBitValue = extractNumericValueFromBitArray(pos, 7);
if (sevenBitValue >= 64 && sevenBitValue < 116) {
return true;
}
if (pos + 8 > this.information.getSize()) {
return false;
}
int eightBitValue = extractNumericValueFromBitArray(pos, 8);
return eightBitValue >= 232 && eightBitValue < 253;
}
private DecodedChar decodeIsoIec646(int pos) throws FormatException {
int fiveBitValue = extractNumericValueFromBitArray(pos, 5);
if (fiveBitValue == 15) {
return new DecodedChar(pos + 5, DecodedChar.FNC1);
}
if (fiveBitValue >= 5 && fiveBitValue < 15) {
return new DecodedChar(pos + 5, (char) ('0' + fiveBitValue - 5));
}
int sevenBitValue = extractNumericValueFromBitArray(pos, 7);
if (sevenBitValue >= 64 && sevenBitValue < 90) {
return new DecodedChar(pos + 7, (char) (sevenBitValue + 1));
}
if (sevenBitValue >= 90 && sevenBitValue < 116) {
return new DecodedChar(pos + 7, (char) (sevenBitValue + 7));
}
int eightBitValue = extractNumericValueFromBitArray(pos, 8);
char c;
switch (eightBitValue) {
case 232:
c = '!';
break;
case 233:
c = '"';
break;
case 234:
c = '%';
break;
case 235:
c = '&';
break;
case 236:
c = '\'';
break;
case 237:
c = '(';
break;
case 238:
c = ')';
break;
case 239:
c = '*';
break;
case 240:
c = '+';
break;
case 241:
c = ',';
break;
case 242:
c = '-';
break;
case 243:
c = '.';
break;
case 244:
c = '/';
break;
case 245:
c = ':';
break;
case 246:
c = ';';
break;
case 247:
c = '<';
break;
case 248:
c = '=';
break;
case 249:
c = '>';
break;
case 250:
c = '?';
break;
case 251:
c = '_';
break;
case 252:
c = ' ';
break;
default:
throw FormatException.getFormatInstance();
}
return new DecodedChar(pos + 8, c);
}
private boolean isStillAlpha(int pos) {
if (pos + 5 > this.information.getSize()) {
return false;
}
// We now check if it's a valid 5-bit value (0..9 and FNC1)
int fiveBitValue = extractNumericValueFromBitArray(pos, 5);
if (fiveBitValue >= 5 && fiveBitValue < 16) {
return true;
}
if (pos + 6 > this.information.getSize()) {
return false;
}
int sixBitValue = extractNumericValueFromBitArray(pos, 6);
return sixBitValue >= 16 && sixBitValue < 63; // 63 not included
}
private DecodedChar decodeAlphanumeric(int pos) {
int fiveBitValue = extractNumericValueFromBitArray(pos, 5);
if (fiveBitValue == 15) {
return new DecodedChar(pos + 5, DecodedChar.FNC1);
}
if (fiveBitValue >= 5 && fiveBitValue < 15) {
return new DecodedChar(pos + 5, (char) ('0' + fiveBitValue - 5));
}
int sixBitValue = extractNumericValueFromBitArray(pos, 6);
if (sixBitValue >= 32 && sixBitValue < 58) {
return new DecodedChar(pos + 6, (char) (sixBitValue + 33));
}
char c;
switch (sixBitValue) {
case 58:
c = '*';
break;
case 59:
c = ',';
break;
case 60:
c = '-';
break;
case 61:
c = '.';
break;
case 62:
c = '/';
break;
default:
throw new IllegalStateException("Decoding invalid alphanumeric value: " + sixBitValue);
}
return new DecodedChar(pos + 6, c);
}
private boolean isAlphaTo646ToAlphaLatch(int pos) {
if (pos + 1 > this.information.getSize()) {
return false;
}
for (int i = 0; i < 5 && i + pos < this.information.getSize(); ++i) {
if (i == 2) {
if (!this.information.get(pos + 2)) {
return false;
}
} else if (this.information.get(pos + i)) {
return false;
}
}
return true;
}
private boolean isAlphaOr646ToNumericLatch(int pos) {
// Next is alphanumeric if there are 3 positions and they are all zeros
if (pos + 3 > this.information.getSize()) {
return false;
}
for (int i = pos; i < pos + 3; ++i) {
if (this.information.get(i)) {
return false;
}
}
return true;
}
private boolean isNumericToAlphaNumericLatch(int pos) {
// Next is alphanumeric if there are 4 positions and they are all zeros, or
// if there is a subset of this just before the end of the symbol
if (pos + 1 > this.information.getSize()) {
return false;
}
for (int i = 0; i < 4 && i + pos < this.information.getSize(); ++i) {
if (this.information.get(pos + i)) {
return false;
}
}
return true;
}
}
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Eye candy: Scanline VFX’s Iron Man 3 shot breakdowns
Scanline VFX has posted an impressively detailed breakdown of some of the shots it worked on in Iron Man 3, including some of the movie’s showpiece sequences.
There’s a range of work on display, including digital environments, stunt work, and destruction sequences.
Scanline’s often showstopping fluid effects work is confined to the end of the reel, but anyone wanting to see it to better effect should check out the studio’s breakdown of The Wolf of Wall Street, posted at the same time.
Both movies are up for VES Awards, and Iron Man 3 is also in the running for an Oscar. Nice stuff.
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Divorce Around the World
Geographically speaking, wherever there is marriage, there will be divorce. Largely this is true, but what do the trends and statistics show us about how different cultures treat matrimonial breakdown?
In America, the divorce rate is almost 50%. The recent legalisation of gay marriage could have the knock-on effect of an increase in the divorce rate. There are calls on the US government to relax state-specific divorce rules, because divorce is so commonplace. Another trend in the US is moving around – more than 50% of people born in one state and end up living in another. The different state laws on dealing with family finances in divorce cases results in diverse financial outcomes, depending on where the divorce is filed.
Meanwhile, in Iran, a law has recently been passed to make divorce harder. To satisfy the requirement for a mutual-consent divorce, a couple must first undergo state-run counselling. This new law is the government’s reaction to a rise in the rate of broken marriages, which was at 21% last year. In Tehran, one third of marriages end in divorce. The focus on reducing divorce is perhaps part of the Iranian government’s drive to increase the population of Iran. Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei wants Iran’s population of 80 million to nearly double to 150 million by 2050. As such, various new measures have been introduced to increase the birth rate. Last month the government launched a matchmaking website via which clerics and professionals of good standing in their communities (such as doctors and teachers) will try to pair off young men and women. The government has also reversed past policies to control population growth, by cancelling subsidies for condoms and birth-control pills, and eliminating free vasectomies.
A trend in China has been recognised that links the post-Mao climate, which has seen the wealth of the population increase as well as the people’s freedom to make life choices, to a rise in marital breakdown. Prosperity and a rise in social media has brought a 3.9% rise in the divorce rate in 2014. For every four couples married in China last year, there was one divorce. The government has reacted to this cultural shift by drafting a Family Education Bill which will address some of these issues.
In Italy, divorce is a notoriously difficult and lengthy process but there are moves to ‘unclog’ the legal system and resolve cases within three years – a relatively short time frame by Italian standards. Francesco Mannino, a Sicilian judge stated outside Rome’s civil courthouse: “We are doing what we can to rationalise our trials, boost our productivity, and speed things up.”
This is just a snapshot of course, but what it shows is that divorce is a common thread through most cultures. How it is dealt with by governments is very different. For some countries it is a problem that requires tackling, while for others it is part and parcel of a free society. Some countries are making the process harder, whilst others are facilitating their people to go their separate ways.
Slater Heelis LLP is a limited liability partnership registered in England and Wales with registered number OC371694 and whose registered office is at Lloyds Bank Buildings, 16 School Road, Sale, Cheshire M33 7XP.
Authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority and governed by the SRA Code of Conduct (details can be found at www.sra.org.uk/handbook). Our VAT number is 727 0283 44.
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Chuy
Chuy () is a city in the extreme east of Uruguay, in the Rocha Department, northeast of Montevideo. It lies on the border with Brazil, separated from its Brazilian sister town of Chuí only by a shared avenue that serves as the border, and by the Arroyo Chuy (stream) to the east. Chuy's population is currently 9,675 residents as of 2011.
Etymology
The word "Chuy", according to most scholars, comes from the Tupi–Guarani language. The Indians had designated the small brook on whose banks the town would emerge with the same name. According to Daniel Granada, "Chui" was also the name the Indians gave a yellow-breasted bird, native and common in the marshes of the area. According to Tancredo Blotta, chuy is a compound word which should be translated as "river of brown water".
The Brazilian historian Péricles Azambuja alludes to a rumor that the word (originally Chyu) would have been brought by former tribes who migrated from the Andes. A Quechua word, achuy had the meaning of "teaching" through storytelling, thus chuy'o would be "master " or "narrator."
In a different context, chuy can be seen to mean a small frog or toad in the water, a small turtle or small horse. Advocates of some of these theories base their beliefs on the fact that the stream, and watercourse, is insignificant compared to others in the area.
History
In the late 17th century, Portugal and Spain began the occupation of the Banda Oriental; they succeeded in founding Colonia del Sacramento in 1680, Montevideo in 1726, the Fuerte de San Miguel in 1737, and the Fortaleza de Santa Teresa in 1762. The Treaty of Madrid (1750) settled boundaries between the mouth of the creek Valizas and Cabo Polonio. By order of the Governor of Montevideo, José Joaquín de Viana, in 1751, frontier military posts were created, with colonial guards on both sides of the Chuy stream, the result of the discussions that had prevailed in the courts of the Spanish and Portuguese crowns. The treaty expired in 1761 with the signing of the Treaty of El Pardo. In Europe came the Seven Years' War. At that time, Pedro de Cevallos ousted the Portuguese colony of Santa Teresa and San Miguel, and Chuy came to dominate the southern Rio Grande do Sul. The situation was unstable, however, and the signing of the Treaty of San Ildefonso on October 1, 1777 led to a clearer demarcation of dominions in South America.
In 1762 after the surrender of Colonia del Sacramento, Pedro de Cevallos went to the Portuguese, demanding the "eviction of the Yacuí River and areas of Rio Pardo, Santo Amaro, Rio Grande, San Gonzalo, San Miguel and Chuy, as well as Martín García Island and Dos Hermanas Island." In 1763, the Military Command at Maldonado was created to take care of security in the east. In 1772 Bernardo Lecocq developed the fortifications of Fuerte de San Miguel here. Eventually, however, Spain would lose influence over these territories.
For the sake of demarcating the Hispano-Lusitanian boundary, both Spain and Portugal brought to the area a significant number of scientists. Work in the Guardia de Chuy began in February 1784.
It is presumed that in 1826, there was a farmhouse in Chuy, as Leonardo Olivera after the famous Sableada del Chuy, on the first day of the year, he wrote that it was a surprise to Brazilians, "leaving over twenty dead behind, as I mentioned to Your Excellency, I left a captain and a wounded soldier in a house of Chuy, not knowing where to take them, so that a certain family would take care of their wounds." The 1861 map of the area by Emilio Laviña includes a ranch, stalls and a store belonging to the firm Peyre Seijo & Co. In addition to this general trade store, there existed a chemist and a teacher named Marcelino Villazuso, who gave private lessons for many years. The growing importance of this border and the existence of military posts on the Brazilian side, prompted the authorities to install a police station or Comandancia de Frontera depending on Maldonado in 1872.
In 1888, the town was recognized as such by the department. The Economic Administrative Board Rocha urged neighbours to form a Neighbourhood Commission (first authorities to address local issues), and these were grouped immediately notifying the Honourable Board Rocha.
Uruguay and Brazil inherited differences resulting from the ongoing litigation, which would be amended in repeated boundary treaties with the placement of boundary markers in the twentieth century. On 7 May 1913, a convention was signed to amend the limit on the San Miguel river. On 20 December 1933 a Legal Status of Border was established and on 21 July 1972 bilateral notices were exchanged about the waterfront borders at the height of the mouth of the creek Chuy.
On 14 January 1938, the status of Chui was elevated to "Pueblo" (village) by the Act of Ley Nº 9.758,. On 29 June 1961, it was elevated to "Villa" (town) by the Act of Ley Nº 12.887, and on 11 December 1981, it was further elevated to "Ciudad" (city) by the Act of Ley Nº 15.227.
Geography
The town lies on National Route 9, 340 kilometres northeast of the capital, Montevideo, and only a few feet from Brazil's Route BR 471. Chuy is only 15 km from the Atlantic Ocean, and in the northern hinterland is located a similar distance from the Lagoa Mirim.
The BR 471 in Brazil running from Porto Alegre and Pelotas borders the Chui town and passes through to Uruguay where it becomes Ruta 9. Each country's immigration office is located at the entry to the town. The main street, which is a two-lane road, is known as Avenida Uruguai ("Uruguay Avenue") in Brazil and as it passes to Uruguay, its name changes to Avenida Brasil ("Brazil Avenue"). The Brazilian town, Chui, has shops selling clothes, shoes and household goods while on the Uruguayan side, Chuy has duty-free shops and a casino.
Chuy is one of the easternmost settlements in Uruguay, separated from Brazil by the Chuí Stream. The Chui rises in a small swamp in the sandy coastal plains of far southern state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, runs initially southward, then turns east before flowing into the Atlantic Ocean. The Chui is only a few tens of kilometres long and its water volume is unimpressive; indeed, this is why it is called an arroio or arroyo, a stream rather than a river. It would be unremarkable, were it not for the fact that Arroio Chuí is known throughout Brazil as being the country's southernmost point. The actual extreme point is on a bend of the stream approximately upstream from its mouth on the sea, near the twin coastal villages of Barra do Chuí (Brazil) and Barra del Chuy (Uruguay), at .
Demographics
Chuy's residents are mostly Uruguayans and Brazilians, with almost all its residents speaking Spanish and Portuguese. The council organizes cultural activities jointly with the neighbouring Brazilian town of the same name as the "Carnival Chuy-Chuí Without Borders".
There is a small but significant Palestinian Uruguayan population, mostly Muslims.
Population
According to the 2011 census, Chui had a population of 9,675.
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadística de Uruguay
Economy
It is a border city, adjacent to the Brazilian city of Chuí. Both cities share the main avenue which serves as the borderline. Chuy is a relatively thriving centre for trade with the Brazilians and has several shops to cater for tourists. It is not unusual for Uruguayans from the Montevideo area to make long journeys in order to make purchases of goods at the Brazilian border which would cost significantly more at home. Many duty-free shops offer spirits, cosmetics, clothing, and luxury goods. Finally, there is a casino in Uruguay's Chuy, whereas gambling is forbidden on the Brazilian side.
Notable landmarks
Hotels of note include Hotel Internacional, Chuy; Hotel Alerces; Nuevo Hotel Plaza;
and several hostels/apartments. Estadio Samuel Prillac lies in the southeastern part of the town. The town is served by Chuy Hospital in the southern-central part. Another landmark near Chuy is the lighthouse 10 km away near the Barro du Chui inlet. Beaches here are relatively free of crowds, and sea lions can be spotted in the area.
Fuerte San Miguel
The Fuerte San Miguel, 8 kilometres to the west, was built on top of a hill in 1737 (construction was started in 1734) with a square plan by the Portuguese. The fort, built with large and heavy stones to create the tall towers (four bastions), thick walls and sturdy ramparts to withstand onslaught of wars that were fought against the Spanish invaders was instrumental in Uruguay evolving as an independent nation. It was built in pink granite stones, is surrounded by a moat, and has been fully restored. It is located in the town of Dieciocho de Julio, 8 km west of Chui along a winding hill road.
However, over the years after the independence of Uruguay, the fort's walls started crumbling as it remained untended. The townspeople decided to get the hill top fort restored in 1927. The restoration work was entrusted to Horacio Arredondo, an archaeologist of repute with experience in similar restoration works of another old fort, the Santa Teresa. It is now reconstructed with period architectural artefacts. The refurbished fort still maintains the old moat with the draw bridge that was used as an access to the fort during wars after it was built, and is surrounded by a well-tended garden. As a protected area, the diverse natural ecosystems has also been retained where native wildlife of Monkeys, birds, capybaras and guazubira are seen in the forests and marshland.
Under the administration of the Army, the structure is permanently open to visitors, harbouring a Museum of Military History, which highlights the collection of historical uniforms of the garrison, and the sample of the historical evolution of Army uniforms.
Fortaleza de Santa Teresa
Fortaleza de Santa Teresa which was declared a National Historic Monument by Law on December 26, 1927 has rich history of battles. It lies within the Parque Nacional de Santa Teresa 36 kilometres to the south.
The fort erected in October 1762 witnessed many battles for its control. The Portuguese built it in 1762 in anticipation of war with Spain at the La Angostura path to Castillos Chico. Coronel Tomas Luis Onsorio started building the fort. However, construction was stopped in 1763 when Don Pedro de Cevallos Governor from Buenos Aires' captured the forts of Santa Teresa and also San Miguel. Construction of the fort was restarted in 1763 by the Spanish. The fort was built to an irregular pentagon plan with five bastions. It has a perimeter of 942 metres.
In 1797, to maintain law and order in the region, the Veteran Force of Blandengues of the Montevideo Border established in 1796, made it their headquarters. It came under Portuguese control during the Eastern Revolution after the Patriots were defeated. However, in 1812, the Patriots recaptured the Fort to exercise control over the border with Portugal. In 1816, the Portuguese invaded again and captured the fort along with the Eastern Province. The Liberty Crusade recovered it in 1825. In 1826, Coronel Leonardo Olivera of the Patriot Troops captured the fort. Finally, following the signing of the Preliminary Convention of Peace genesis by the Eastern State of Uruguay, and in 1828, with the signing of the Preliminary Convention of Peace agreement by the Eastern State of Uruguay, the Fort’s importance declined. It was abandoned. The fort is now part of the San Miguel National Park, named after the fort, covering 3,000 hectares. The fort has been restored and is now major attraction for visitors to the park. The park also provides other attractions such as beautiful beaches and forested areas. The Uruguay army is in charge of the management and maintenance of Santa Teresa. It is located 36 kilometres south of Chuy, about 800 metres from the coast at Playa la Moza.
Places of worship
Parish Church of the Assumption of the Most Holy Virgin Mary (Roman Catholic)
See also
Consulate in Chuy
References
External links
Official site
INE map of Chuy
Category:Populated places in the Rocha Department
Category:Brazil–Uruguay border crossings
Category:Divided cities
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Q:
Sweeper missing method 'expire_fragment' in rspec
I am using a sweeper to clear a fragment cache and everything is working fine in development, but I am receiving an error in our specs
2) Admin - Categories #index displays all categories
Failure/Error: create_basic_category_set
NoMethodError:
undefined method `expire_fragment' for #<NavigationSweeper:0x007fdc01a10970 @controller=nil>
# ./app/sweepers/navigation_sweeper.rb:5:in `after_save'
# ./spec/support/utilities.rb:21:in `create_basic_category_set'
# ./spec/features/admin/categories_spec.rb:5:in `block (2 levels) in <top (required)>'
this is the sweeper
class NavigationSweeper < ActionController::Caching::Sweeper
observe Category, Product, Series
def after_save(record)
expire_fragment 'navigation'
end
end
and this is where I am using it in the controller
class Admin::CategoriesController < Admin::BaseController
before_filter :set_up_nav_array
cache_sweeper :navigation_sweeper, only: [ :destroy, :update, :create, :update_positions ]
def index
@roots = Category.roots
end
this is where it fails in the spec (multiple instances)
pickers = FactoryGirl.create(:category, :name => "Pickers")
anyone have any idea why it might not be finding that method?
A:
Okay, seems the best strategy here was to stub the method like so in the spec_helper.rb
RSpec.configure do |config|
config.before(:each) do
NavigationSweeper.any_instance.stub(:expire_fragment)
end
end
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If you've driven by Progressive Field at night recently, you might have noticed that the 23-year-old ballpark has a different glow.
And it has nothing to do with the signing of slugger Edwin Encarnacion. Nor is it because of the Cleveland Indians' captivating World Series run last fall and MLB's selection of Cleveland as the host city of the 2019 All-Star Game.
Progressive Field is adding LED lights as part of a $2.1 million project that will be completed prior to the first pitch of the 2017 season. Light-emitting diodes — long a part of the scoreboard and ribbon boards at ballparks, stadiums and arenas — are becoming an increasingly popular and cost-efficient choice to illuminate the playing fields and surfaces of sports facilities.
The Indians, according to Crain's sources and research, are one of six MLB teams that are adding LED field lights in 2017. The Seattle Mariners became the first big-league club to make the move in 2015, and four teams followed suit in 2016.
Seth Cooper, the Indians' senior director of facility operations, said the project, which is being funded by Cuyahoga County's tax on alcohol and cigarettes, started in December. The Indians and the Gateway Economic Development Corporation, the nonprofit landlord of the ballpark and Quicken Loans Arena, selected Eaton's Ephesus Lighting system for the project.
Progressive Field's 674 light fixtures — all of which have been taken down — used 1,500-watt metal halide bulbs. Once the project, which is about 60% complete, is finished, the ballpark will have 456 1,000-watt LED fixtures, Cooper said.
The new lights will be 20% to 30% brighter, and Cooper said the Indians estimate that the annual energy savings for the field-lighting system will be in the 70% range.
"It should be much brighter, it should provide a much different vibe, a different feel, in the ballpark," Cooper said. "It should be good from a fan (experience) perspective as well."
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Americans are under the "real and very credible" threat of a terrorist attack in Bangkok, the U.S. ambassador to Thailand warned Friday, as authorities in the country arrested a Lebanese member of Hezbollah.
Ambassador Kristie Kenney was elaborating on an "emergency message" sent by the embassy to American citizens earlier Friday warning of a possible terrorist attack.
Thailand's deputy prime minister later said a Lebanese suspect had been detained and that police had stepped up security.
"A Lebanese suspect from the Hizbollah group has been taken into custody by Thai officials and police are investigating further," Chalerm Yumbumrung told Reuters.
"Following concern raised by the Israeli embassy about a possible attack by a group of Lebanese terrorists in Bangkok, Thai police officials had been coordinating with Israeli officials since before the new year."
Earlier, the US embassy warned its citizens that "foreign terrorists" may be looking to launch attacks in tourist areas of Thailand's capital.
"U.S. citizens are urged to exercise caution when visiting public areas where large groups of Western tourists gather in Bangkok," the embassy said in a statement. "We also encourage you to keep a low profile in public areas, particularly areas frequented by foreign tourists."
It also said Americans should "maintain a heightened awareness" in public, be alert for unattended packages and bags and report any suspicious behavior to law enforcement personnel.
It was the first U.S. warning of a foreign terror attack in Bangkok in recent memory.
Bangkok, a magnet for tourists with its vibrant nightlife and a transit point for those heading for Thailand's beaches, has faced political turmoil in recent years but threats of foreign attacks are rare.
Embassy spokesman Walter Braunohler declined to release more details saying, "At this time we don't have any further information to share."
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Fauske
or is a municipality located in Nordland county, Norway. It is part of the traditional district of Salten. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Fauske. Some of the villages in Fauske include Nystad, Venset, Straumsnes, and Sulitjelma.
The municipality borders Sweden in the east and the municipalities of Sørfold to the north, Bodø to the west, and Saltdal to the southeast. The town is located on the northern shore of Skjerstad Fjord.
The municipality is the 83rd largest by area out of the 422 municipalities in Norway. Fauske is the 115th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 9,775. The municipality's population density is and its population has increased by 3.1% over the last decade.
General information
The municipality was established on 1 January 1905 when the municipality of Skjerstad was divided into Skjerstad (population: 1,709) in the west and Fauske (population: 4,646) in the east. The municipal borders haven't changed since that time. In 1998, the municipality declared township for its administrative centre.
Name
The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the old Fauske farm (Old Norse: Fauskar), since the first Fauske Church was built there (in 1867). The name is the plural form of fauskr which means "old and rotten tree".
Coat of arms
The coat of arms was granted in 1988. The arms show a red reef knot on a gray background. It was chosen to represent Fauske as a center of commerce and transportation for the region.
Churches
The Church of Norway has three parishes () within the municipality of Fauske. It is part of the Salten prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Sør-Hålogaland.
Economy
Several marble quarries are located in the municipality. The marble is exported to many countries, where it can be observed in many monumental buildings, among them the United Nations Headquarters in New York City. There are also dolomite quarries in Fauske, as well as some agriculture. Salten Kraftsamband and Fauske Lysverk are important employers in Fauske. The town is a commercial centre for parts of the inland areas of Salten, and has hotel and camping facilities. FK Fauske/Sprint is the local soccer team. Historically, mining in Sulitjelma was very important.
Government
All municipalities in Norway, including Fauske, are responsible for primary education (through 10th grade), outpatient health services, senior citizen services, unemployment and other social services, zoning, economic development, and municipal roads. The municipality is governed by a municipal council of elected representatives, which in turn elect a mayor. The municipality falls under the Salten District Court and the Hålogaland Court of Appeal.
Municipal council
The municipal council () of Fauske is made up of 27 representatives that are elected to four year terms. The party breakdown of the council is as follows:
Transportation
The Nordland Line passes through the municipality, reaching Bodø west of Fauske. Travellers going further north usually leave the train in Fauske, and travel by express bus to Narvik or further, using European route E6 which goes through the center of Fauske. The E6 from Mo i Rana north to Fauske crosses over the Saltfjellet mountains, and the E6 further north to Narvik also goes through very rugged terrain; these are among the most scenic drives in Norway, although there are many tunnels in the Sørfold area. The Norwegian national road Rv 80 to Bodø, about to the west, departs from E6 in the centre of Fauske.
The Norwegian County Road 830 runs from the town of Fauske to the east to the village of Sulitjelma. The road passes through several tunnels: Grønnlifjell Tunnel, Hårskolten Tunnel, Sjønståfjell Tunnel, and Stokkviknakken Tunnel. The road follows the old Sulitjelma Line railroad.
Nature
There are two large glaciers in Fauske: Blåmannsisen and the Sulitjelma Glacier; covering about 14% of the municipality. The highest mountain is Suliskongen at above sea level. There are many lakes in the municipality, such as Blåmannsisvatnet, Kjelvatnet, Låmivatnet, Langvatnet, Muorkkejávrre, Nedrevatnet, Øvrevatnet, and Vuolep Sårjåsjávrre.
Junkerdal National Park and Sjunkhatten National Park are partly located in Fauske. Sulitjelma, located by road east of Fauske, is a good starting point for hiking in the mountains and hikes to the glaciers. There are several DNT lodges in this area.
There are many nature reserves in the municipality, such as Veten nature reserve with calcareous pine forest and a rich understory and Fauskeeidet wetland area with rich bird life and observation tower.
There are several caves in the municipality. The fairly easy accessible Svarthamarhola (Svarthamar cave) is one of the largest caves in northern Europe, also hosting one of the worlds most northerly bat colonies.
Climate
Fauske is located inside the Arctic circle and has 24 hours of daylight from early May to the beginning of August, with midnight sun from the beginning of June to the second week of July. The area nearly has polar night for part of December because it has sunrise at 11 am and sunset before noon. Average 24-hour temperatures in Fauske is below freezing from mid-November to the last part of March, but the ice-free Skjerstad Fjord moderates winter temperatures. Summer starts in June with moderate summer temperatures lasting until early September.
Precipitation is heaviest from September to December (usually as snow in December); average annual precipitation is . Daytime temperatures are usually significantly warmer than the 24-hr average from March to September, while there is very little diurnal temperature variation from November to early February as the sun is very low or below the horizon all day. However, temperatures varies considerably with the weather; there might be cool westerly winds with temperatures of and rain both night and day in July, and the next day might be sunny with daytime temperature reaching . Southwesterly winds can bring thaws anytime in winter, but not in the mountains, which usually get large amounts of snow in winter—the main reason for the large glaciers and the hydropower in the area.
Notable residents
Christel Alsos, musician
Trine Angelsen, author
"Fattern", musician
Dag Ove Johansen, author
Alexander Os, biathlete
Karin Risvoll, author
Simon Slåttvik (born 24 July 1917 in Valnesfjord), skier in the Nordic combined event who was a gold medallist at the 1952 Winter Olympics in Oslo
Dag Egil "Lille" Rugås, "Farmen"-participant
References
External links
Municipal fact sheet from Statistics Norway
Weather forecast and statistics for Fauske in english
Category:Municipalities of Nordland
Category:Populated places of Arctic Norway
Category:1905 establishments in Norway
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Cristian La Grottería
Cristian Alejandro La Grottería (born July 25, 1974 in La Plata) is a retired Argentine footballer, who last worked as assistant coach of Lega Pro club Catania. He also has Italian citizenship.
Playing career
La Grottería began his career playing professionally at Estudiantes de La Plata. He also had short spells with Argentine lower division club Club Atlético San Martín (San Juan) and San Martín de Mendoza. His previous clubs in Italy include Padova, Palermo and Ancona. He retired in June 2011 after two seasons with Lega Pro Seconda Divisione club Bassano Virtus.
Post-playing and coaching career
After retirement, La Grottería agreed to stay at Bassano Virtus in a non-playing role as a technical area coordinator. He then also served as assistant coach on a couple different stints before leaving the club in February 2017 to become Mario Petrone's assistant at Catania. He left the club just a few weeks later, on 8 March 2017, following Petrone's resignations.
References
External links
Argentine Primera statistics
Category:1974 births
Category:Living people
Category:Association football forwards
Category:Argentine footballers
Category:Italian footballers
Category:Sportspeople from La Plata
Category:Estudiantes de La Plata footballers
Category:San Martín de San Juan footballers
Category:A.C. Ancona players
Category:S.S.D. Palermo players
Category:Calcio Padova players
Category:S.P.A.L. players
Category:Expatriate footballers in Italy
Category:Serie B players
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Ambivalence over emotional expressiveness in intimate relationships: a shift from an individual characteristic to dyadic attribute.
This study investigates how ambivalence over emotional expressiveness (AEE) relates to various aspects of intimate relationships, including perception of the relationship, marital satisfaction, and dyadic closeness. Whereas most commonly AEE has been treated as an individual attribute, we suggest looking at a combined measure of the AEE of both spouses as a dyadic attribute. We examine the contribution of each spouse's level of AEE as well as joint couple AEE to explain variations in the marital relationship. Data were collected from both spouses of 226 Israeli couples. Findings indicated that the AEE of individuals was more predictive of lower relationship quality than neuroticism and that dyadic AEE explains relationship quality more than the AEE of individual partners. Implications for future research and practice are discussed.
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