Radhya stared wearily at the fungi path leading home.

“You know, for the first time in my life,” she sighed, “I regret our rules that we must walk everywhere we possibly can. I’m not sure I can make it.”

The last week had been exhausting. They arrived home, deposited the slaves at the Spa Island, trained them, took care of track business and now, finally, they were returning home. Radhya ruffled the hair of Deena, Aninya’s new daughter as she leaned against Will.

“I’ll help you,” he said taking her arm.

Radhya nodded slowly, and they commenced the trek. Weary step plodded after weary step and got them home. She detoured to the stables to see Li, who was grooming the bay stallion.

“Milady Kirbyson, I am glad you are back,” he began.

A string of curses erupted along with a loud clanging and banging of equipment.

Ignoring the commotion, he continued, “You offered a reward on your first race day?”

Radhya nodded.

“I felt it was not right to accept. It was only my job, but now I would like a reward. This slave you gave me takes all my time to watch. I must use the prod all the time. I feel I would like the reward for having her here.”

“Yes Li,” responded Radhya, “You deserve better, but I truly have no where else to send her. Name your reward.”

“My wife Sumi wants another baby,” Li bowed low.

“Anything Sumi wants she can have. If you want another child, by all means, go ahead.”

“She wants you to help. She has tried, and nothing happens.”

“Of course Li. Tell her to come, not tomorrow, but the day after, okay?”

D’Bara limped around the side of the stall, her eyes shooting sparks of hate. Hair disheveled, and her hands calloused with broken nails, she smelled distinctly of horse manure.

“I’ll get you for this you slut, you bitch!”

A scream tore from her cracked lips as Li hit her with the prod.

“Get back to work. You should have had those last three boxes done an hour ago.”

Glaring, D’Bara sullenly staggered back to work.

“I need Tan to ride at the other tracks Li. I have a trainer for the road. His name is Forg. You, however, are the ultimate authority for all things related to the race. He works under you. You choose the races, and specify the training and Forg takes them out. Tan will ride for me still.”

“Yes milady,” replied Li. “Singha came in heat milady, but Sumi took care of it.”

“Bless you Li. You may have ten children if you want them. I don’t think I could take the yowling right now.”

Li bowed. Radhya and her men continued through the yard and up the trail to the house. Geo met them at the door.

“You are in big trouble, young one. Stephan is looking for you, and the proctors have complaints sworn against you from Jabin’s World.”

Radhya sighed deeply and almost fell over the last step. Padr and Will grabbed her and carried her to Geo’s workroom. Max handed her the flight recorder.

“Call them up Geo,” said Radhya seating herself in his big chair. It dwarfed her drooping figure.

Seconds later the big screen lit up. Faced with three proctors, the situation looked grim. She took a deep breath, then another, putting on her most imperious manner and squaring her shoulders.

A small, almost effeminate black man spoke first.

“Complaint against Lady Radhya Kirbyson by Lord Nile Jabin status 202. On Jabin’s World, you did illegally leave the spaceport and then proceeded to destroy twelve patrol ships that attempted to fine you.”

Radhya produced the flight recorder and plugged it into the terminal. She sent a microburst to the proctors.

“I admit guilt in leaving without clearance, and I stand ready to pay a fine. There were extenuating circumstances. We were refused permission to depart as well.”

The man scanned the information from the recorder.

“Several unregistered weapons appear to have been used.”

“They were experimental prototypes that would never have been used if we had not been attacked without provocation. You will notice all we tried to do at first was leave Lord Jabin’s airspace. They fired upon us first, without warning or communication of intent. We only defended ourselves. The prototypes were duly registered and patented as soon as we made planetfall.”

“I levy a fine of one hundred minas for unauthorized departure.”

The black man disappeared from the screen. A tall, thin Caucasian with sandy hair and moustache took center screen.

“I have a complaint against Lady Radhya Kirbyson from Lord Nile Jabin status 202, that you had contracted to attend Lord Nile Jabin’s banquet and subsequent entertainments for considerations unspecified and left the planet rather than fulfill your obligations.”

“While on Lord Jabin’s World, my slave stole a child. I recompensed the owner four times over, and to Lord Jabin, I gave the child’s cost above the court costs. My slave was flogged publicly. Lord Jabin reduced the flogging from fifty strokes to ten, upon my agreement to attend a banquet and entertainment. The banquet food was heavily laced with an aphrodisiac, and so was the water, so I refused to eat. Most couples were copulating on the floor after the second course. The entertainment consisted of torture in various forms. After two hours I left, being repelled by several unwelcome sexual advances from Lord Jabin. Because I had not stayed until dawn, he insisted I owed him another night. I did disagree. Then I did not answer. Previous to this, my bodyguard slave and I were incarcerated in underclothes for three days in an unsuccessful attempt to have us copulate. I protest his treatment of aristocratic visitors.”

“Was there evidence the banquet you did not attend would be the same?”

“Yes. In the morning, after the flogging, Lord Jabin said, ‘You, however, will eat and drink to the full.’ He also requested one of my slaves to torture, saying their pain would be more enjoyable to me if I knew them. When I offered to sell him one he claimed the price exorbitant and declined.”

“Did a trained bodyguard taste the food?”

“Yes.”

“Put him forward.”

Radhya gestured Padr forward. He looked straight at the inquisitor.

“Was the food tainted?”

“Yes, it was heavily laced with vitaximetaprene.”

“How do you know?”

“I was trained at Lord Barone’s facility with the super deluxe training. It includes recognition of a wide variety of poisons or other substances that might be hidden in food or drink.”

“Case dismissed. We will look into your complaint against Lord Jabin.”

The sandy-haired man vanished from the screen. A large jowly oriental man remained. He gazed at her inscrutably.

“I bring no complaint. This is a request for information initiated by Lord Stephan Kirbyson, status 670, concerning his sister, Lady Petra Kirbyson, status 675. He claims Lord Noel Barone, status 498, is now administering her assets.”

Radhya closed her eyes. Her bond mates poured strength into her.

“Lord Barone gave me a gift of three genetically altered female slaves. I believe this is already on record.”

“Yes. Continue.”

“On examination of the genetic prints of one, I noticed a striking similarity between her and my family. On closer examination, it appeared to be my sister, genetically altered. She tried to kill me. My guards restrained her. I know only my brother, my sister, or I have the training to do such alterations. I knew I had not, so I called my brother, who also said he had not. My only conclusion is she did it to herself in order to destroy me. Lord Barone hinted at such an outcome while in my presence.”

“Do you know her whereabouts?”

“Yes. She is working under my trainer in the stables.”

“Thank you for your co-operation,” said the proctor.

The screen went to static. Radhya slumped back into the chair.

“Well done,” congratulated Geo. “I’m sorry, but the proctors had to be faced the minute you came in. They placed a watcher.”

The small red light in the corner continued to flash. Radhya pointed to it. Geo made the adjustment, and Stephan’s face graced the screen.

“So, little sister, I traced Petra’s path to Barone. I have the proctors on it. If there is a chance of getting any of her property back to the family, they will see to it. I thought you would want to know.”

“Thank you, Steph. I just finished talking to the proctors. I gave them all the information I had.”

“I’ll keep in touch then. Take care little sister and thank you for the tip.”

The small red flashing light was still now. The Lady waved a hand, too tired even to speak.

“Everyone back to your old rooms tonight,” she whispered.

Sensing her total enervation, Padr gathered her up out of the chair. He lifted her into his arms and carried her up two flights of stairs to the third floor. Will and Max followed. Max opened the door, and Will folded down the fur flap on her living bed. Padr lay her gently down. Will pulled up the fur.

“See you in the morning Radhya,” Padr whispered to her.

The three men left the room. They did not see their lady the next morning. She slept the night, the entire next day and night as well. The following morning she awoke, lethargic and dopey, but some vigorous exercise revived her.

Radhya was having breakfast in the slave’s galley when Sumi arrived. Full of energy again she led the way upstairs to the med lab. Giving Sumi a bottle of brown liquid, she carefully explained its use. Sumi smiled broadly.

“Milady,” she asked, “with so many women unable to conceive these days why is it you do not market it and become very wealthy?”

“In most cases, it is a problem with the fathers as much as the mothers. They are more reluctant to be treated, besides Sumi, I’m already wealthy. Years back, every time I invented something my mother and father got angry with me because Petra and Steph couldn’t keep up with me. Some weeks I would have six or seven new products. Anyway, I got in the habit of squirreling them away, not putting them into production. I just never got around to changing my habits. I still just hide things away.”

“Wealth is one of the main markers of status is it not? And do you not want to move up in status review to avoid Lord Barone?”

“Yes, wealth first, then contract spouse, and social and birth standing,” recited Radhya.

A brilliant smile lit up her face. “Sumi, I could kiss you.”

She clattered down the stairs to Geo’s office.

“Geo, I want all my patents put into production and I want them on the market yesterday. I’m going to get richer, so rich Lord Noel Barone hasn’t a hope in heaven of catching me.”

Her interplanetary team moved into action. Radhya’s wealth doubled, then tripled, and finally almost two years later it had quintupled.