::Azucena::

The sign read, Bite: All boys are yours.

Marie-Rose, the House matriarch, smiled. “A bit of careless humor.” Opening the curtains, she said, “I hope you don’t mind if your commodore remains behind. We have noticed that their presence sometimes exerts a small, but statistically significant influence on our clients’ mind-prints.”

I asked Nyu to wait for us in the garden. She bowed and retreated.

Marie-Rose kept a keen eye on her as she departed. “Well, I shall delay you no longer with silly administrative procedures.” She took my arm and gently led me through the curtains.