Starglow Basin And now to sing this lovely ballad,

is this not what most men want? a woman as beautiful as she, supine at their feet?

he could drink the tension as it moved about them. he could pluck its taunt strings and play a melody there of aching and of power and of unending unthinking uncaring violence --

but she speaks, and he returns to the moment. to her first several words, he says nothing - for there is nothing to say. she has submitted, he has accepted it. such is the natural order of things.

saya. that is her name. he wonders what osiel and sangre will make of her. if nothing else, she would be useful to them in the spring. churn out more children for their cause, replace the lost souls missing with new ones.

soto. he grunts, finally taking his gaze off of her as if to say you may rise. but he had enjoyed examining every private bit of her.

bienvenidas a la verapaz.