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((The Mon/Wen/Fri Double -- page 2 of 2))
Madison smirked. "Ooh, you call him Hector, huh? I guess you really are close, then, aren't you?"

Lynnette gave a small shrug. "We've been through a lot together. He wouldn't want me to start addressing him as 'lord' anything."

"Hmm," mused Madison. "In that case, should I start calling him Hector, too?"

Lynnette and Gina exchanged looks again.

"I'm sure he wouldn't mind it," said Lynnette, "but I get the impression that the Rainlords probably would. And you're more concerned about not pissing them off, aren't you?"

"Ah..." Madison lost a bit of her enthusiasm. "Good point..."


Chapter Two Hundred Eighteen: 'The incendiaries of the dark stream...'
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Raul Blackburn was enjoying himself, as were his two brothers. They'd never even left Sair before, but in these last few months, their whole lives had changed.

Not entirely for the better, of course, but such things were inevitable.

The Blackburn Triplets had learned years ago from Cousin Ibai that one's outlook on life could make even the worst situation much more bearable. And similarly, they'd learned from Cousin Melchor that honoring their ancestors and their kin didn't mean that they had to display their sorrow and determination to the entire world.

It was enough to keep those things in their hearts.

They knew their mission. They knew the importance of it. The last thing they wanted was to neglect their task and let everyone down.

But that didn't mean they had to be all uptight and stuffy about it, either. Ridgemark was a remarkable place, and Vantalay, a remarkable country. Seeing the sights and taking in the local culture were valuable experiences, too--and part of their intelligence-gathering mission.

Just because they were spending much of their time gambling, shopping, talking to fine ladies, and sampling extravagant cuisine didn't mean that they weren't still on task.