Night Games Pt. 18

"What time is it?" She asked blearily.

"6:30." He told her. "About the time the Sun normally hits your face. Jeanne's still helping Maria, so Nunzio wants to know what coffee you want with your morning croissants."

"Aw, fuck." She muttered at having to wake up and immediately do fucking math. "Less than three hours' sleep. Something strong, so Greek coffee. That's not going to be enough, though, Troy."

"I know. Over on the chaise."

Helen blearily but carefully moved Susan's arm from around her and sat up. She shuffled over to the chaise lounge, sat down, and closed her eyes again. Troy finished messaging her order to Nunzio, then looked over and saw that she was falling back asleep. He gently shook her again. She sat up and he took a seat next to her. When she opened her eyes again, Troy looked into them.

"When I tell you, you will close your eyes and sleep for ten seconds." He commanded her. "You will then awaken feeling as though you've had a full night's rest."

Helen obeyed his command. It was a trick they'd learned to do with the power long ago. When she opened her eyes, her mind was fully alert.

"Thanks." She told him. "Now, I just need the other essentials for when I wake up." She walked back to her clothes and fished out her cigarette case. She still hadn't had coffee yet and her reflexes were too slow just now to do the maneuver she did with it. "Sounds like Nunzio's on the job, so that leaves finishing this, going to the bathroom, and maybe a quick one with you in the shower so we don't wake them before we've got to get started on the day."

Helen yawned. She'd still need that coffee. The command had worked to refresh her mind, but her body would still be operating on three hours' rest today. With long-term conditioning, a person would be able to function on little sleep, and Helen used similar commands as part of the Ultimados' mind-control enhanced training. Troy didn't want to do the same for Helen because although it didn't work like a drug, with Helen's busy life and genetic predisposition toward addiction, she might become dependent on it. He saved it for special needs like today.

"Ok." Troy said, standing and extending a hand to help Helen up. "Let's get La Contessa ready for her day and see about that quick one."

They did.

* * *

Two hours later, Helen and Troy waited outside a conference room in the Government Wing of the castle. Helen held the box that contained the Star of Uongo. Inside the room, Troy's laptop was hooked up to a viewing screen, ready for his presentation. Four Ultimados stood by, watching the halls, and watching La Contessa.

President Balozi Faraji of the Free African Nation of Uongo approached, talking with Lady Maria Louisa Francesca de San Finzione. The two were laughing about something, but it was in Swahili, so Troy couldn't understand it. They approached Helen and Troy.

"Good morning, Great-Grandmama. Good morning, Troy." Maria told them in Italian.

"Good morning, Maria." She turned to Faraji. "And good morning to you, Balozi."

"Good morning, Contessa." He replied, nodding to Troy because he didn't know English. He took note of the box Helen was carrying. "I am guessing that this is good news."

"It is." Helen answered, opening the box and displaying the Star for him. Faraji smiled. La Contessa had kept her word. All was well again. "I'm sorry that I've been too busy finding it to attend to you properly."

"It is fine." He assured her. "Lady Maria has been wonderful company. And my visit to your Little Uongo yesterday was most satisfactory. The people had many good things to say about La Contessa."

Helen gave a smile to that and closed the box. Nunzio Lombardi came and took possession of the box. He left, accompanied by the Ultimados, to place it in the vault until the signing ceremony tomorrow.

"It pleases me to hear that." Helen informed him. "Because I have something else to apologize for. When we met for the first time, I did something. You didn't see it, and it's a state secret of San Finzione, so I can't go into detail, but it was wrong of me. So, I'd like to say that I'm sorry and ask that you forget that meeting and just listen to what this man has to say." She didn't make it a command. "Or, rather, listen to what I have to say after he says it."

He chuckled at that.

"You have done a great deal for my country, and you have recovered the Star. I can forgive much."

"I thank you." Helen replied. "Now, with your permission, this is Troy Equals. He's the one who's going to tell us how Uongo can thrive with its own national diamond industry."

She introduced the two.

"Maria has talked about you." Balozi said to Troy. Helen translated the Swahili to English for him. "She has said that the things you have to say will be worth hearing, and I am eager to do so."

Troy nodded and gave an "after you" gesture toward the conference table. The four entered the meeting room to discuss how Faraji's country could prosper.