"Those things are difficult to find and harder than that to kill," Crorver snapped. "This was your idea. I suggest you get your employees to my property and hunt them now."
"My staff is committed to protecting my own trees," Erbrin argued. "Hunt them yourself." Crorver cursed louder.
"A letter—for each of you," Crorver's assistant appeared with two expensive paper messages.
"What's this?" Crorver opened his first. "He wants to buy me out?" Crorver cursed again.
"And me as well," Erbrin sighed. "You know, I'm almost willing to hear what he's offering."
"Shall we go together, and then throw his offer back in his face?" Crorver grinned.
"Yes. That sounds like the perfect way to spend an afternoon; ridiculing your neighbor and rival."
* * *
"Want to invest in gishi fruit, my love?" Merrill smiled down at Kiarra. They'd spent most of the morning in bed. "I hear Edward Pendley is looking to buy out his two neighbors. According to Avendoran law, he can't hold the title to all three groves in his name only. I figure he'll put Reah on, but if she marries him, that's just shy of breaking the law."
"You think Adam would like to invest in that?"
"He says yes," Merrill pulled the sheet down, uncovering a breast. He didn't talk for a few minutes. "I can't tell you how long I dreamed about this," he said.
"After four hundred years, you still dream about it?" Kiarra smiled at him.
"All the time. And we have Glendes Grey willing to invest, with Dragon, Crane and Lissa."
"You like making a deal almost as much as you like sex," Kiarra kissed him.
"Sex with you," Merrill grinned.
* * *
"Wow," I said, repeating one of Teeg's favorite phrases. Edward's patio was crowded with people, and his staff was moving among them, serving drinks and finger food. Even Farzi and Nenzi were there, with Teeg and Ry. Dragon and Crane had come, with Kiarra, Merrill and Adam. Glendes Grey of Grey House was also present, along with Lissa and her Grey House mate, Shadow Grey. I seldom saw him, so that was a surprise. Crorver Ride and Erbrin Dondl walked in with Edward. I think the crowd shocked them as well.
"We want to make an offer on your groves," Merrill was brokering this deal, looked like, with Adam Chessman right behind him.
"You don't have enough money," Erbrin snapped.
"Hear us out, first, and then decide whether we have enough," Merrill smiled. "Now, I know your family is fighting among themselves already, positioning for a better portion of what you'll leave behind when you die," he said to Crorver, who was aging. "While you have everything sorted out in a will, I can guarantee that your heirs will fight over the money anyway and ignore the groves, letting them go to waste while they destroy one another. Is that what you've built these groves up for? To let them die while your heirs fight over the proceeds? Be honest, do they care about the trees?"
I watched Merrill, blinking in amazement. This man was a shark when it came to business. He turned to Erbrin Dondl next. "Your trees need better care than they're getting. You can't seem to hire the employees you need at the price you want to pay. They let the sprinklers go untouched for days, while some trees drown in leaking lines and the rest dry up. Your shipments have dwindled for three turns running; I checked those figures myself. Perhaps if you'd turn your attention to working your fields instead of destroying your neighbor's trees with imported reptiles, your profits would rise again."
"That was not me!" Erbrin insisted.
"No? I have records here, showing that you paid a ship to make the delivery. The Campiaan Security Detail is looking into illegal animal smuggling against the ship's captain now. Predagators are not allowed in any portion of either Alliance where they are not native already. That smuggling trail will lead right to you and the fine is five hundred thousand credits per predagator, plus months of prison time. I understand one hundred of those creatures were shipped, according to the logs. How much does that come to in time and credits?" The corner of Merrill's mouth twitched. If I were ever in a business deal again, I wanted him with me.
"Now," Adam began, standing with Merrill, "Our offer is more than generous. One trillion each, plus fifty carats of uncut Tiralian crystal. Credits are much easier to distribute to the family than gishi fruit groves, are they not?" Adam smiled at Crorver. "With the pending debt and probable jail time, during which your groves might be overrun by jungle, I'd say this is the best of all possible solutions. We will return the predagators to their original habitat and all will be well. If the CSD cannot find the reptiles, they cannot bring charges. Is that not so?"
Crorver cursed while Erbrin just looked frightened. Merrill was correct; smuggling illegal animals carried a sentence up to a full turn per animal. Erbrin might not live long enough to serve out his sentence. Crorver was pushing two hundred; Erbrin had to be at least one hundred fifty. Their life expectancy was at best two hundred fifteen or so."And what if we file coercion charges?" Crorver growled.
"Go ahead. I just pointed out facts to you. There is no coercion. Go back to your groves. Go ahead. The CSD is already on its way, though. Did you both invest in these creatures, or only one of you?"
Crorver gave Erbrin an evil look. "Get rid of the creatures and we'll talk," he said and stalked away.
* * *
"Unbelievable," I said. Nearly a hundred predagators were snapping and hissing at one another inside an enclosure only clicks later. Crorver and Erbrin were back to survey the animals. "Two were killed by snakes," Merrill said. "The bodies are inside the barn if you wish to see them," he added.
"How did you capture them so quickly?" Erbrin whispered.
"You need to ask?" Astralan and Stellan lifted their arms and predagators rose in the air.
"Warlocks," Crorver nodded. "I should have known. The amount is generous. I spoke with my solicitors, they say the property is worth close to that amount, and fifty carats of uncut Tiralian crystal is worth the land by itself. We'll have the records prepared and we'll sign tomorrow if you want. The family wants this as well," Crorver added.
"My solicitors say to do the deal and leave Avendor," Erbrin grumbled. "While I still can."
"Sounds good," Merrill said. "We'll meet you here tomorrow."
"They're almost cute," I watched as predagators sunned themselves. Someone had installed a sprinkler inside their pen and they seemed happy.
"And dangerous," Edward put an arm around me. "I have to tell you, those two over there managed to do the impossible, I think," he smiled down at me. He meant Merrill and Adam. I agreed completely.
* * *
"Wow." The field we met the Copper Ra'Ak in looked like a carnival. Beautifully colored tents littered the wide expanse of grass. Maldak came and bowed over my hand. While a kiss might adversely affect someone else, it wouldn't do harm to a High Demon. Nevertheless, he did not place his mouth on me. Nefrigar and Pheligar flanked me, with Youon and Kyler, Lissa's niece, walking beside Pheligar. On Nefrigar's other side strode Kiarra, Adam, Merrill and Belen. Maldak had others of his people beneath the open tent, as did we. Many of the Saa Thalarr had come, as had Lissa and most of her mates. Ildevar was still unwilling to reveal himself or the twenty members of the Grand Alliance Council, preferring to err on the side of caution. I didn't blame him a bit. The three that surprised me by coming were Jayd, Garde and Glinda. I had High Demon backup if I needed it.
"Bright One," Maldak bowed to Belen next. And last of all, in a rush of wind, Kifirin appeared.
"High Lord," Maldak also bowed to him. Maldak had two others with him at the table as we looked over treaties, argued over this point or that and by the end of the day had a tentative peace agreement hammered out and signed.
One of the agreements we had was that Black and Copper Ra'Ak would pursue the last of the rogues and their spawn, and request help from the Saa Thalarr if needed. I didn't know how many rogues were out there and they weren't sure, either. They did promise to let Kyler know, who would then contact the Saa Thalarr if help were needed. I thought it a very good system. Belen folded all of us to Adam's ancestral home, and I had no idea of the celebrating that would occur once we arrived.
I was kissed and hugged by dozens of people as they laughed and uncorked champagne. I got a huge kiss from Franklin, Shane and Tomas, plus Celestan and Galaxsan, who were with their new mates as often as possible. I'd never seen them smile so much. Things had changed so much for them—from when they were doing Arvil's bidding to now. Teeg had changed things enough for them that the Saa Thalarr considered them fit mates.
Teeg brought Edward and the others, with enough gishi fruit ice cream for everybody. "Reah, we sign the papers on those other groves tomorrow, but we need experienced supervision," Merrill and Adam came to me. "Some of ours have volunteered to come but we want you to teach them what they need to know. Since we now have a reduced workload, they'll be available to do the work."
"Frank looks so much like you," I smiled at Merrill.
"He was the son of my heart before he was reborn. Now he is truly my son," Merrill smiled back.
"If I ever find myself in need of a business negotiator, I will pay for your services," I said. "That may have been the most impressive thing I've ever seen when you took on Crorver and Erbrin."
"That was nothing," Merrill blew the whole thing off. "Come, dance with us." I went a careful round with Merrill first, who smiled and twirled me gently before handing me off to Adam. Then Edward cut in.
"Reah, I want to take you home and sit in the pool with you, since we can't do the hot tub," he grinned.
"Can we get away?" I asked.
"I think so, as long as we tell a few people." A few people were notified and Nefrigar folded us to EastStar.