“What the hell was that about?” an angry voice shouted behind me.

Since just about everything I’d done since morning would require extensive explanation, I chose to keep silent. I turned and found myself confronted with a very angry Kai.

“If it weren’t for the fact that I don’t hit girls!” He left his threat open-ended; a practice I find most individuals with little experience in the art of beating others mercilessly seem to do. Learning to deliver a proper threat is a developed skill.

“I find it infinitely satisfying to know that you have been brought up with such debonair notions.” I returned simply. “There are few enough good men in the worlds and I am quite honored to meet one so obviously genteel as you. You have my gratitude for without your perfect countenance I might fear all fine things were lost. Thank you for showing me the error of my ways.”

He smiled. It was cute just how embarrassed and yet infinitely satisfied he looked.

“Now, was there something more you wished to talk to me about?”

He mumbled something to the negative and turned toward a door to my right.

Good show, Mae. Good show, indeed.

An indignant snarl of surprise cut my praise short. “You’re trying to trick me!” he cried. He stomped back to where I stood and glared accusingly. He went on, “I’m not going to be sidetracked. You lost me my job. You owe me.”

“Let me ponder this a moment. Are you saying that you should be compensated in some way just because the grudge you harbor is valid?”

He nodded.

“Where in history has the validity of a case ever made any difference? Honestly, the illogical arguments these days. I’m sorry, but I’m afraid the loss of your job has little to do with me.” I rolled my eyes and turned away, intent on returning to the suite and perhaps coaxing Camry into a game of tiddlywinks.

He grabbed my arm and jerked me back. “You’re wrong.” he said, with some vehemence. Probably I wouldn’t usually allow for this sort of conduct but I was caught off guard and so I waited to see what, exactly, I was wrong about. “It has everything to do with you. And I’m not going to leave you alone until you do something about it.”

I scoffed a bit, I admit it. “In that case I suggest you pack a bag.”

He frowned. “I don’t think I like you.”

“More’s the pity, I think you do. Ah, there’s Meri!” I caught my friend’s attention and together, with Kai trailing behind, we made our way up the stairs. Meri warned of a long day ahead. She knew what Mio was doing and since I did not I made note of her advice. I lead the way to my suite, showed Kai the patch of floor he was welcome to claim as his and crawled into my own lavishly pillow laden bed.

Morning dawned bright and early, as mornings are quite prone to do. Sometimes I get my hopes up and think perhaps it will choose to delay for a few hours for no better reason than a break from monotony, but such is never the case. The sunlight playing over my pillow was evidence of this. It was nice in theory but harsh in practice. I squeezed my eyes shut and rolled over.

I rolled into something.

I rolled out of bed and, let me tell you, I rolled in such a way that I might grab a handy weapon of protection hidden beneath the mattress.

That was some mad rolling.

“If you don’t get out of my bed this instant I’m gonna slice you head to foot before you can say… well, before you can say anything.” I whispered quickly. The whispering was done in an attempt at honor. You know, as a warning and a chance that this person might remove him or herself in a timely fashion. But it was also at such a level that there was yet hope the person could not hear.

Nothing happened.

I moved closer.

“What in the hell are you doing?”

My head swiveled to the door of it’s own accord. The knife was still in my hands.