When I returned to the apartment, the accounts assistant waited in the foyer. My heart jumped—good or bad news? I waited until Thayu had gone into the communication room and Evi and Telaris had shut the door before addressing the man. “Anything to report?” Let it be p*****t from Nations of Earth. Let the lack of communication be through technical problems. Although I no longer believed that. The man cleared his throat and by then I knew that the news wasn’t good. “The staff needs to pay some grocery bills, Delegate. The staff are happy doing this, but there are not many funds in the general account. Maybe the Delegate has another account he wishes to use to pay the bills?” Oh the innocence of him. “The account has enough to pay the bills?” “It does.” “Then pay them.” The man nodded