The selection committee consisted of five people. Two were men, and three were women. Radhya rather hoped for the reverse, as she found it easier to use logic to influence men.

One of the men, Lord Grant, was very elderly. He was stooped over, and his hair was snow white; his large, velvet brown, long-lashed eyes, however, were shrewd and missed nothing. Tall, lean and athletic looking, Lord Kimber’s dark hair and blue eyes reminded her somewhat of Padr, but the pug nose made his profile radically different. Radhya gave him an especially brilliant smile. Lady Clarke was a petite blonde, shorter even than Radhya. Her oval face was graced with large hazel eyes, slender lips, but a large curving nose. With quick and lively movements, and her reputation as an excellent horsewoman preceded her. Lady Bezalel was plain, with mousy brown hair and nondescript features, holding herself prim and aloof. Radhya’s alarm bells rang at the sight of her. The last judge was Princess Felina’s best friend, Lady Simms, a huge raw-boned woman, taller than Padr. With a short and turned up nose and a wide, full-lipped mouth, she had small sea-green eyes and exceptionally curly, fiery red hair. Her grin was infectious.

“Sky’s afire, Lady Kirbyson; I didn’t expect you to meet us at the spaceport,” boomed Lady Simms.

“You seem over eager,” mentioned Lord Grant.

“I am eager,” replied Radhya, “and I freely admit I am anxious for you to choose Pleasant for the review. Then everyone can see what a wonderful place my pleasure planet is.”

“Refreshing honesty,” snorted Lord Grant.

Radhya escorted the committee, with their guards, to the waiting hovervan, acting as a tour guide to point out the Ocean of Delight on the right and the Mountains of Mist which were living up to their name.

“In the other direction from that in which we are traveling, are facilities for the endurance riding competition. I’m also nearing completion on a show jumping complex at the same location.”

“When will they be complete?” questioned Lady Clarke.

“The endurance complex will be finished before the end of this week. I planned a tour for you. The jumping complex will be finished in about two more months.”

“What else, besides horses, do you have to offer?” asked Lord Grant.

“I have the best spa in the Commonwealth on Spa Island, just offshore. In the south, I have a small continent that is a hunting park. It is stocked with every form of big game and predator in the Commonwealth. Many extinct species have been recreated. I have parks and the most incredible gardens you have ever seen. I also have, just off-shore again, my species zoo, on Animal Island. It is an amazingly landscaped zoo that gives you the feeling of walking among the animals. However, they are safely confined. I also have hiking trails to beautiful natural scenery, and there is a gambling casino on another of my offshore islands. Over on Sport Island, you may enjoy snow sports or water sports in the same day. There are many other attractions as well.”

“Do you own the entire planet?” asked Lord Kimber.

“Yes milord, I do,” Radhya replied.

“Employees or slaves?” he further inquired.

“Slaves milord.”

“Everywhere?”

“Yes everywhere.”

“A tidy profit for you then.”

“Yes indeed, milord Kimber. A substantial outlay, but a good profit. On the left, you see the track. It has become quite popular in the last two years. There is even talk by the Racing Committee to create a new Triple Crown, with my Double Helix race as one of the legs. On the right is the visitor’s center. There are more than enough rooms to accommodate all the aristocrats in the Commonwealth.

The hover stopped. Radhya escorted the committee from the vehicle, pausing as they stopped to admire the scenery, pivoting to take in the track.

“If this is a sample, this has to be the most beautiful planet in the galaxy,” said Lady Clarke.

Radhya led them to the hotel. To show the range of her hospitality, she placed each delegate on a separate floor. The committee settled in for the remainder of the afternoon. In the evening they toured the track and the stables, everywhere exclaiming about the beauty and variety of the terrain. That evening they had a small banquet in the private dining hall.

“So far,” said Lady Simms, “I’m impressed. You are one of the three last candidates, but I can’t see the others even coming close. Felina also wishes for the review to be held here.”

“We still have one more to see,” put in Lord Grant testily.

“These facilities are first-rate,” stated Lady Clarke. “I am very impressed. Aren’t you the owner of Tango Dancer and Son-O-War?”

“Yes, milady.”

“Since both are unbeaten in their racing careers, are you going to race them against each other?”

“I don’t know. If I have the review here, I might be tempted to arrange such a match race. It would only be myself beating myself in any event.”

“But a good draw,” commented Lord Kimber.

The banquet continued long into the night. Radhya drew strength and patience as well as alertness from Will, Max, and Padr, who took shifts in being stationed behind her chair. When the long meal was over, and the men and women of the status review venue selection committee retired, Radhya confirmed the next day’s arrangements.

After breakfast, the next morning, they flew to Animal Island. Here they spent an entire day wandering among gorgeous scenery, looking at rare, exotic birds, animals, reptiles and creatures more alien still.

That evening, at dark, they flew to Island Monte Vegas, where the delegates got to gamble on the house. In the early morning hours, they flew back to the visitor’s center for a half-day of rest. The afternoon passed touring Sports Island.

The following day was restful as they visited Spa Island and were treated to all the pampering anyone could possibly want. After that, they flew south to Africa.

As they did not hunt, Lady Kirbyson and Lady Bezalel remained in the lodge while the other four royals and their entourages hunted the savannah and jungles. Many trophy animals were tranquilized and holos taken. Lord Grant returned positively glowing, and very reluctant to leave. However, after a night at the lodge, they began the long trip back, to visit the endurance facility.

Lady Clarke and Lady Simms were very taken with the new idea, and both vowed to enter horses when the competitions began.

Before the aristocrats were willing to return home, however, they insisted on seeing where Radhya’s home was. Reluctantly she agreed.

On the fifth day of the visit, Radhya led the visitors up the fungus path to her home.

“It feels unusual to be walking again,” commented Lord Grant. “It is so easy to get used to riding everywhere.”

“Yes milord,” replied Radhya, “walking is an excellent custom, one I truly support. I only supplied transportation in the interests of time, knowing how valuable it is to you.”

“Yes, yes,” the old man grunted. “We all understand that. Still one misses the full impact of one’s environment with all that zipping about.”

The others murmured in agreement as Lord Grant stopped to smell the row of moonglows planted on either side of the path. Continuing slowly, at the gate they met Radhya’s skunks.

“Don’t tell me you have animals running loose around here?” shrieked Lady Bezalel.

“Yes milady. They don’t stray far from the path, and they make an excellent line of defense,” explained Radhya.

Lady Bezalel edged past, keeping the others between her and the animals. Lady Simms was laughing at her as she strode after, the rest of the entourage following. At Lady Clarke’s request, Radhya led them down the path to visit the stable before they moved on to the house. The broodmares, grazing peacefully in the fields were striking against the background of the dense, lush forest. Little foals frolicked beside their dams. The troupe stopped to watch for a few minutes, to bask in the serenity.

The scenario changed abruptly in the stable yard. D’Bara flung shovels, pails, mops, brushes, and currycombs at Li who was attempting to avoid her barrage and use the prod on her. The obscenities pouring from her mouth made Lord Kimber blush, and Lady Bezalel looked ready to faint.

Radhya whispered to Will. He took a hypospray from his belt kit and snuck up behind D’Bara, shooting her in the back of the neck. She whirled, eyes insane, foam on the corners of her mouth. A flying hand caught Will on the side of the head stunning him. She caught sight of Radhya and charged her.

“I’ll kill you,” she screamed. “You think you’ve got me, but I’ll kill you with my own hands.”

The drug kicked in and D’Bara fell on her face in the dirt, six meters from Radhya’s feet.

“How appalling! Why would you keep such a creature?” gasped Lady Clarke.

Lord Grant grunted, “You should flog this to death, Lady Kirbyson.”

“I wouldn’t have a mouth like that anywhere in my service or employ,” spat Lady Bezalel.

“You really should dispose of it,” advised Lord Kimber.

Lady Simms asked, “Why?”

Radhya smiled gratefully at her. “It’s a long story. I’ll tell you sometime.”

Li and another stable hand grabbed the unconscious woman and dragged her to a pile of used hay, where they carelessly tossed her. Padr put a hand on Radhya’s shoulder.

“I can’t believe I once thought I preferred her to you. I must have been out of my mind,” he whispered.

“See, you should be grateful I saved you from a life devoted to D’Bara,” Radhya teased back in a low murmur.

Padr squeezed her shoulder, and they both smiled. Radhya continued with the tour as Sumi waved from the deck of her house. Her newborn nursed as a toddler played at her feet.

“That’s my vet, but she just had a child, so we won’t meet her today, if you don’t mind,” explained Radhya.

The group nodded, and they continued on their way to the mansion, leaving Will to inspect the newborn. Geo greeted them at the door. As he led the aristocrats away to freshen up before dinner, Radhya hurried to the kitchen to check with Aninya. The meal was gourmet, of the highest quality. Aninya exceeded her own high standards.

“I don’t care how great the last planet is,” Lady Simms told Radhya at the meal; “I am giving you my vote.”

“Thank you very much milady.”

“And I,” broke in Lord Kimber; “I am much taken with the variety of everything. Why did no one ever think of a pleasure planet before?”

“Thank you, milord Kimber,” returned Radhya. “I don’t know why it’s never been done before; it seems an obvious idea.”

“Yes, yes a very fine facility,” grunted Lord Grant, “definitely the best we’ve seen so far, but I reserve my vote until we’ve seen the last place.”

“I, too, am strongly inclined to place the review here. However, in all fairness, there is one more planet to check out,” added Lady Clarke.

“I for one, shall never vote for this place,” hissed Lady Bezalel.

Lady Simms boomed, “Why ever not?”

“Those horrible little animals are running loose everywhere. Besides, that is the problem; that there is too much to do. We should be here to concentrate on our status, not....not play. Status review is serious business,” Lady Bezalel snapped back.

Lord Grant chuckled. “My dear Sonya, the master comps determine status. The proctors program the comps. Once you hand in your information, there is absolutely nothing to do at these things except make rude comments about what the other royals are wearing.”

“I happen to think the banquets and dances and all the exchanges of information are very important,” Lady Bezalel responded.

“Oh, posh. You can talk business or contracting better over a kill or a card table than on the dance floor,” Lord Grant huffed.

“Just the same, I’ll never vote for you,” snarled Lady Bezalel at Radhya. “You strutting around, showing off your body to try to turn men’s heads. Dazzling them with your oh, so superior intellect. You don’t get my vote, ever.”

She threw her napkin to the floor and left the room trailed by her slave. The other royals looked at each other in embarrassed silence.

“I am sorry,” apologized Lord Kimber, “I cannot excuse such appalling behavior towards a hostess.”

Lord Grant waved a withered hand in dismissal.

“Don’t distress yourselves, Lord, Ladies. She is entitled to her own opinion.”

The meal fizzled into silence, and the remaining royals excused themselves to the den for a private discussion.

Radhya went to Geo’s office with Max and Padr.

“Well old friend,” she began, “it appears that I have possibly four out of five convinced this is the best place.”

“And be assured that it is. You’ve seen to that my dear,” Geo replied.

“Padr and Max designed most of it. The credit should go to them,” insisted Radhya.

“Yes but…”

The door to Geo’s office burst open. D’Bara reeled in, a hoof pick in one hand and a tine from a manure fork in the other.

“You slut, I told you I’d kill you. Die, die, die!” she shrieked.

Padr and Max leapt across the room as D’Bara dove towards Radhya, spit flying, eyes wild. The distance prevented their interception, but Geo was close. He stepped between the two women, using his unprotected body as a shield for Radhya. The manure tine ripped into his lungs as the hoof pick tore open his carotid artery. He collapsed to the floor. Padr and Max snatched D’Bara and heaved her from Geo’s bleeding body. Radhya fell down beside the old man.

She screamed into her wrist comp, “Will, Will I need you, Geo’s study, full medical kit!”

She held Geo’s spurting neck together with her hands, unable to stem the fountaining blood which forced between her fingers.

“Let me go,” the old man whispered. “It’s time.”

“No!” she cried in anguish, her tears falling on the wrinkled black cheek. “No old friend, don’t leave me. I love you, and I need you!”

Wheezing, he raised a hand and caressed her tear stained face.

“You’ve been my daughter. Always know how proud I was of you. I always knew I’d die protecting you. I, I....”

His eyes rolled up, and his last breath rattled out.

“NO!” Radhya’s howl ascended to heaven.

Will dashed in with full kit breathless in his run from Sumi’s house.

“Will, get him back, save him, you have to save him!”

He fell to his knees and went to work on Geo as Radhya rose and faced D’Bara. The murderess stood proudly in the firm grip of Padr and Max. She had a triumphant sneer on her once beautiful face.

“I know you Petra,” said Radhya quietly.

The blonde’s dark eyes widened.

“You revealed yourself the first day here. I put you at the stable to safeguard you from doing anything foolish until Steph, and I could find a way to return you to the aristocracy and get your property back. I even paid him to try to reinstate you. You repay me by trying to kill me, and by killing my oldest friend.”

Petra tossed her head. “You took everything I had, you slut. You took my planet; even Noel is supposed to contract to you. I’m just sorry I missed you. It would do me good to see you lying there bleeding.”

“I took nothing. Everything I have, I worked for, I developed. While you were teasing boys and playing, I was working. Stephan inherited father’s estate, and you inherited mother’s. Geo was all I was ever given from our parents, and now you’ve destroyed him.”

“I’m glad. It’s so good to hurt you,” Petra hissed.

“I can’t get him back,” declared Will.

“Keep trying please!” pleaded Radhya. “Now dear sister, it’s at an end with us.”

“You wouldn’t dare you spineless wonder,” her sister snarled.

Radhya walked up to her taller sister. She reached up, grabbed the sneering head and twisted. The neck broke with an audible snap, and the corpse slumped between the bodyguard’s hands.

“Throw it in the forest for the wolves,” Radhya commanded in a voice of ice.

She turned to Will and Geo. Will was dripping sweat as he repeatedly tried to bring Geo back.

“It’s been fifteen minutes,” he gasped.

She stopped him with her hand.

“You’re right, by now there’s nothing left to come back.” She looked at him with tears streaming, “But how will I ever live without him.”

She collapsed across the old man’s bloody chest and sobbed until she was sick. When Max and Padr returned, breathless, Will, sitting on the floor, his arm around Radhya, looked helplessly at them.

“Harrummph, what’s all this commotion,” Lord Grant and the other members of the selection committee were in the doorway.

“Milord Grant,” Padr bowed low. “That stable slave attempted to kill R… Lady Kirbyson, and Geo prevented it at the cost of his life.”

“Well good man, good man. What’s wrong with your Lady?”

Padr hesitated in answering.

“Well answer the question boy.”

“She was very close to the old man. I believe he was her childhood protector.”

“Ah well, she is distraught. Perhaps adding the status review to that will be too much for her.”

“Oh no, milord. Lady Kirbyson loves working. It would be the best thing possible for her at this time.”

“But she is so emotional,” said Lord Kimber with distaste.

“Excuse me, milord, what you see now is not at all how she was through all this,” Padr explained. “She first tried to save Geo, when he died in her arms; she killed the slave herself, with her bare hands. I shouldn’t wonder that this isn’t a reaction to executing the murdering wench.”

“Ah,” replied Lord Kimber, “In that case I understand. Some women have great stress at killing things. Why I myself, as a boy of ten, cried like a baby when I killed my first stag. Is it her first kill?”

“I wouldn’t know milord. I do know Lady Kirbyson doesn’t hunt.”

Lord Kimber nodded knowingly, and the committee left the room. Radhya was beyond awareness of anyone; her presence in the bond a frozen river of ice.

“Radhya,” spoke Max softly, “Let us take him.”

When she did not respond, they lifted her from the body. Max and Will took her to her room.

“We should put her to bed, but not with all that blood,” said Will.

The men exchanged puzzled looks.

“I’ll get Padr,” proposed Max.

Will nodded and stayed with Radhya while Max fetched Padr.

Entering the room, Padr took Radhya from Will and carried her into the shower room, tossing out her black and bloody garments as he stripped them from her body. When she was clean, he toweled her dry and lay her in her bed.

“Now what?” he asked Will.

“I don’t want to leave her alone like this. She is practically catatonic. We should stay with her,” Will replied.

“What about Geo?” asked Max.

“I called Rory. He’s on his way,” Padr informed them.

The three pulled up chairs and sat around Radhya’s bed. Padr held her hand and tried to reach her with the bond, sending warm and comforting verdant waves to her gelid mind. Golden light and violet shimmer poured solace and support into her. Of Radhya there was no feeling. Padr held her hand tight.

In the morning, a silent, dry-eyed Radhya escorted the Status Review Venue Selection Committee back to the spaceport, observing the formalities like an automaton.

Geo was buried that night, all the stars of the Milky Way his funeral candles. Every slave of Radhya’s household was in attendance. Max said a prayer over him to the creator of all while Radhya planted a tree on the head of his grave, a tall sequoia sapling. It would live a thousand years or more.