at it again, but I’d practical y memorized the contents already. Prince Rezza of Rusland was in the
United States with his father’s blessing, meeting with private defense contractors. Publicly the prince
was being the very image of a religious conservative. Ruslund was a smal kingdom in eastern Europe,
nestled primarily between the Ukraine and Poland, touching on the Czech Republic as wel .
Rusland might be smal in size, but it was gaining a whole new level of prominence political y thanks to
the discovery of a huge supply of natural gas in the region. The Russians were practical y apoplectic.
Their control over Europe’s natural gas supply was critical to their economy. Having a competitor next
door wasn’t making them happy.
Despite their common ancestors, the Russians hadn’t been happy with the Ruslunders since … wel ,
ever. Stil , the little country managed to stubbornly exist as a monarchy in the face of socialism,
communism, and rampant capitalism. How they’d managed not to be overrun by Germany during World
War II, or absorbed into the Soviet Union afterward, was one of those burning political questions that
nobody either could or would answer.
Traditional y the public religion of Rusland was Orthodox, but a fundamentalist regime was gaining
power and influence. It was the kind of political turmoil that makes you worry about assassination. The
prince had very publicly declared his anti-American sentiments and al ied himself with the zealots—who
would not necessarily be pleased with his private plans while in L.A. Which was why an impostor was
taking his place for the evening, freeing the real prince up to do whatever it was he had in mind. The
retainer had been fairly coy, but the prince’s upcoming marriage had been made very public. So I was