14

Mask of the Overload

Those here in the palace are my most loyal servants.”

She nodded. “So, I need only open the door and release you?”

“As far as I know. No one has felt this right before.” He was going to continue but a gong sounded. “We need to get to the ballroom. It is about to begin again.”

“Time moves funnily here.”

He quirked his lips. “Not really, there is a naturally occurring chemical in the air that skews the perceptions. When you leave, you won’t know where you have been. It has kept other governments from destroying me while I have been otherwise occupied.”

He led her back through the halls and into the ballroom. He separated from her and stood with the other proxies while the women filed in. True to his word, there were now only a dozen women.

Each woman was wearing an outfit reminiscent of a brilliantly plumed bird. The men were wearing the same clothing as the day before, vests over tight trousers and a bejewelled belt.

The dancing began again, this time Hellara did not manage to hide from the eyes that followed her every move. The proxy that she danced with held her far more closely than she had been held the day before. She widened her eyes in surprise at the erection that brushed against her with every shift in their balance and slide of their feet.