The instant Jaron finished translating the Ambassador’s words, there was an explosion of sound. The next few minutes were lost in an uproar as everyone began to talk or shout at once. The din was unbelievably deafening, and it got so bad that Rachael actually had to cover her ears. “This is completely insane,” Rachael [...]

“Isn’t this so much fun?” Rachael bubbled. She was grinning like a mad man at the party going on around her. As the newest arrivals, the two of them were attracting a great deal of attention from the other socialites and dignitaries, and she was enjoying every minute of it. Go figure. “Uh, sure,” Michael [...]

“The big announcement is tonight, you realize that, right?” Michael asked. After eating breakfast, the cook had shooed them out of the way so that the staff could begin the process of readying the last bit of decoration and preparation for the big dance that night. They’d retreated to Rachael’s suite, which was outfitted with [...]

The next morning, Rachael and Michael were enjoying a private breakfast when Jaron arrived, out of breath. “I found one!” he said. Rachael and Michael exchanged glances. “Found what?” Rachael asked at last. “A radio! A real one, anyway.” “Well, where is it?” Michael asked. “It’s at the temple here in the city. As far [...]

The first stop on their promised tour was the official government museum in town. It was part of a series of four. Two were government run, one by the Americans and one by the Russians. The second two were run by the Orthodox. If there was a museum for the Flock somewhere, they weren’t broadcasting [...]