ed,
though she'd gathered from Bradford that it was adequate for a larger
team than hers. It was close to the Palace Compound, not a kilometer
from the Palace itself, but the way it had been landscaped, it could
have been far from anything: thick hedges and a formal garden made it a
private place. The building itself was huge, and looked more like a
medieval castle than the simple, probably rustic building she'd
expected from something called a lodge. She wondered with some
amusement if it had a dungeon; that was, after all, the classical place
for interrogations in a castle.

The van dropped them off at the main door, then headed toward the rear
of the building. As they approached, the door swung open to reveal an
elderly man in black-and-scarlet livery, who bowed to them. "Welcome
home, Colonel--gentles. I am Michael Brady, Your Excellency's butler
and head of Harmony Lodge's staff." He gestured them inside. "May I
show you around, or would you prefer to rest until supper?"

"Thank you, Mr. Brady," Cortin said. "I'd like to see the place,
especially my work areas. My men may make their own choices."

Odeon and Chang chose to join her, the others decided to rest. Brady
called servants to show them to their rooms, then said, "Your
Excellency has not had servants before?"

"No . . . it shows?"

"It does. Servants are addressed and referred to by first name, not by
an honorific and last name."

Cortin didn't like that; if she used first names with a person, she
expected to be referred to that way herself. Still, she didn't like to
defy custom in public, and while the servants might work for her, they
weren't part of her team. She inclined her head in agreement. "As you
say, then, Matthew. My apologies if I offended."

"No offense, Excellency. You wished to see your work area first?"

"Please--and brief me on the rest of the place as we go, if you would."

"Of course," Brady said. "If you will follow me?" He led them through
a doorway to the left of the broad, sweeping entrance stairs. "The
entertainment areas and public offices are here, on the main floor;
living quarters are on the upper floors--private bedrooms and baths,
common eating and recreational facilities, including an excellent
library; and the work area is below ground. Servants' quarters are in
a building behind this one."

"Sounds nice," Cortin said appreciatively. "I do have an honest-to-God
dungeon, then?"

"Yes, Your Ex