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her a short bow, caressed her cheek with the back of two fingers, and then, he left her. His office door closed, and she could breathe again.
    She patted her hair, smoothed her skirt and got to work. He must have forwarded everything to her, because her data pad began to get a stream of information and requisitions from all over the globe.
    Bella muttered, “Apparently, he really does want me for my mind.”
    She rolled up her metaphorical sleeves and started slogging through the endless requests for authorizations and payments. She had crossed the universe and she was still doing accounting. Life was entertaining at times.
     
    Yimra grinned. “You are really doing the accounts?”
    Bella chuckled. “I am, indeed.”
    “Can you get us a new designer for the gowns? The seams on some of these dresses bite.”
    Tima called out, “And better colours. The standard gold and grey is nice, but I would like some mixes.”
    Bella sat and listened to the requests of staff until her noodles were gone and it was time to return to her desk.
    As they walked together down the hall, Bella whispered, “Tomorrow, remind me to bring my data pad with me.”
    “I will. Being able to speak with someone who can understand what we need is a bit of a relief. Lord Akking tries, but he just isn’t equipped to grasp what a good environment means to us. Even fresh flowers make all the difference some days.”
    “I know.”
    Yimra sighed. “And that is what makes speaking to you so easy. Even the men threw in their opinions, and I didn’t even know that they had them.”
    The staff lunch was an hour before the general buffet for the guests. It made it easier to serve food when you weren’t standing with a growling stomach. Their gathering left the rear corridors and dispersed through the manor, where they were meant to be.
    The second shift would go for break, and after an hour, all of the staff would be back facilitating the trades that the manor was set up to promote.
    Bella headed up to the office where she could keep those gears of commerce turning.
    When she checked her inbox, more files had been pouring in. She started organizing those that needed to be paid and analyzed requests for new supplies and staff. Everything ran through this office, and it was enough to make her dizzy.
    She had just gotten the tidal wave of files under control when Lord Akking’s door swung open.
    “Liaison Banks, come with me.”
    She got to her feet and followed him to the door. He offered her his arm, and she took the hint. Bella rested her hand in the crook of his elbow, and they exited the offices and made their way to the main hospitality room.
    When they entered the room, a wave of greetings broke out. Apparently, everyone knew Lord Akking.
    “Ladies and lords, this is my new assistant, Liaison Banks. If you speak with her, you are speaking to me. Now, please enjoy the afternoon.”
    To her shock, that was the beginning of a long afternoon of socializing. Three of the current guests were folk that she had audited while in the capitol. They didn’t bear a grudge and were delighted to see her out from behind the mask.
     
    Bella learned a lot that afternoon. The exposed folk of Kloa were not only beautiful and based on the same patterns—one for male and one for female—but they had wonderful senses of humour that just took a little bit of exposure to get going.
    After she had spent half an hour with each of the seven tables, the majority of guests rose to their feet and left, one by one. A few were in deep conversation, and Lord Akking nodded to the staff members attending the room and the three men nodded.
    Bella returned to his side. “What was that nod?”
    “Ah, these four guests will be spending the night. I have authorized the guestrooms.”
    She smiled. “Of course. You would have to know who was staying under your roof.”
    “Indeed. Keeping track of how often members use our hospitality is part of our work.”
    “I thought you were