As Mirta was fastening the last catch, Ashly walked in the room, frowning.

“Megan, there’s been a change,” she said, unhappily. “You were supposed to go to a late meeting with Duke Dehnavi and his wife after the ball. I just got word that he’s planning on bringing… someone other than his wife.”

“Cancel it,” Megan snapped. “I’m not going to be seen in public with him and his latest doxie!”

“He’s a key vote in the Intelligence Joint Subcommittee,” Meredith said, evenly. “Your father will need his support for the new funding bill. Especially if he wants to increase the size of the agent training program. The meeting will not cinch it but canceling it would inevitably cause him to view anything brought up by a Travante through a negative light. He has openly boasted of having managed to arrange it. He is also involved in the Agriculture Committee which will be looking at bills related to military food support over the next six months. Various other political items come to mind since he is a quiet power in the Corporate Party. Which is why Ashly arranged the meeting.”

Megan sighed and grimaced.

“Careful,” Mirta said, “don’t break the makeup.”

“Mirta, analysis, please?”

“Okay,” the older woman said, sighing. Mirta looked as if she was in her late teens, one of the reasons Paul Bowman had picked her up along with the others. In fact she was well over a hundred and besides being Megan’s seamstress acted in the role of socio-political advisor. Ashly handled the social planning but Mirta advised on who could and should be graced with the presence of the newest, and youngest, and prettiest, Key-holder in the increasingly political climate of the United Free States capital.

“Short term, you gain,” Mirta said. “You need the vote to get the bill out of committee without having it gutted. Long term… you’re giving support to the cookie eaters. That means all the wives will really get their knives out for you. If you were married to Herzer, he wouldn’t dare try this. But he thinks since Herzer’s your fiancé, and you’re assumed to be…”