when the orchestra leader returned to the podium
and the concert resumed.
185 When the concert was over, they let most of the crowd leave before
them, then made their way to the van. As they got out, the three women
gathered around Bright Serpent and curtsied. He nodded to the Maid and
all three hurried off. "I'll bid you good night, gentlemen," announced
Bright Serpent. "I'm extremely weary. We'll talk some more in the
morning."
186 Bullet could use some rest himself, and it didn't take him long to
get in bed. He was almost asleep when there was a rap on his door.
"Come in," he called.
187 Bay Blossom Dove entered. "Would you like some company?" she asked.
188 "I never mind a lovely woman's company," agreed Bullet.
189 Bay Blossom joined him in the bed. "Do you really want him to be a
Speaker again?" she asked, "To tempt him with so much Power?"
190 Bullet put his arm around her and pulled her close. "Are you afraid
he can't handle The Power?" he questioned. "Don't you trust him? It
wasn't him that misused The Power before, it was an evil woman that
betrayed his trust. If those women around him now worked just as hard to see that he uses his Power rightly, I don't
think you have anything to worry about. Are you his mates?"
191 "No," sighed Bay Blossom, "we WANT to be, but he says we're bad
enough targets now, just working for him. If we were his mates it would
be signing our death warrants."
192 "Don't you think," argued Bullet, "that should be YOUR decision?
Don't you love him?"
193 "I burn for him," she admitted, "even when