"Revise the picture. Come sit down." She backed to the big double bed and relaxed into it, lying on one elbow.
Don sat next to her, but upright. "Tell me about this fealty deal. What did you have to do?"
"Oh, renounce my American citizenship and swear to protect Superior against all enemies, foreign and domestic. The usual thing."
"Have you got a title yet? Are you Dame Jervis?"
"Not yet." She smiled. "I think I'm on probation. They know I'm close to Bobby and they'd like to have him on their side, for all their avowed independence. They're not so terribly convinced that Superior's going to stay up forever. They're hedging their bets, it looks to me."
"It looks to me that maybe Bobby Thebold might not understand. He's the kind of man who demands absolute fealty, from what I've seen of him."
"Oh, to hell with Bobby Thebold." Jen took another swallow. "He's not here. He's had plenty of time to come, if he was going to, and he hasn't. To hell with him. Let me get you another drink."
"No, thanks. This will do me fine." He drank it and set the empty glass on the floor. Jen drank off the last of hers and put her glass next to his.
"Relax," she said. "I'm not going to bite you." She lay back and her dressing gown opened in a V as far as the belt. She obviously wasn't wearing anything under the gown.
Don looked away self-consciously.