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¡¡Pasha¡¡went¡¡with¡¡him¡¡to¡¡the¡¡sea£»¡¡and¡¡they¡¡sat¡¡for¡¡hours£»¡¡watching¡¡the¡¡waves£»¡¡or¡¡explored¡¡the¡¡tide¡¡pools¡£¡¡Richard¡¡was¡¡astounded¡¡to¡¡learn¡¡that¡¡the¡¡sea¡¡went¡¡up¡¡and¡¡down£»¡¡with¡¡tides£»¡¡all¡¡by¡¡itself¡£¡¡She¡¡assured¡¡him¡¡that¡¡it¡¡was¡¡not¡¡the¡¡magic¡¡of¡¡the¡¡palace£»¡¡but¡¡did¡¡such¡¡a¡¡thing¡¡everywhere¡£¡¡Richard¡¡was¡¡spellbound¡¡by¡¡the¡¡ocean¡£¡¡Pasha¡¡was¡¡content¡¡to¡¡simply¡¡sit¡¡with¡¡him¡£¡¡But¡¡Richard¡¡couldn¡¯t¡¡afford¡¡to¡¡sit¡¡and¡¡watch¡¡the¡¡ocean¡¡too¡¡often¡£¡¡He¡¡had¡¡things¡¡to¡¡do¡£
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¡¡Pasha¡¡wasn¡¯t¡¡permitted¡¡to¡¡go¡¡with¡¡him¡¡to¡¡the¡¡city¡¡in¡¡the¡¡evening£»¡¡in¡¡case¡¡he¡¡chose¡¡to¡¡be¡¡with¡¡a¡¡woman¡£¡¡He¡¡had¡¡to¡¡constantly¡¡reassure¡¡her¡¡that¡¡that¡¡was¡¡not¡¡why¡¡he¡¡went¡¡out¡¡at¡¡night¡£¡¡Since¡¡it¡¡was¡¡the¡¡truth¡¡that¡¡he¡¡wasn¡¯t¡¡sleeping¡¡with¡¡any¡¡of¡¡the¡¡women£»¡¡he¡¡had¡¡no¡¡difficulty¡¡being¡¡sincere¡¡and¡¡convincing¡¡her¡£¡¡He¡¡did¡¡not¡¡tell¡¡her¡¡the¡¡truth£»¡¡however£»¡¡about¡¡what¡¡he¡¡really¡¡was¡¡doing¡£
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¡¡Richard¡¡decided¡¡that¡¡as¡¡long¡¡as¡¡the¡¡palace¡¡wanted¡¡to¡¡provide¡¡him¡¡with¡¡money£»¡¡he¡¡was¡¡going¡¡to¡¡allow¡¡them¡¡to¡¡finance¡¡their¡¡own¡¡undoing¡£¡¡He¡¡spent¡¡the¡¡palace¡¯s¡¡money¡¡wherever¡¡it¡¡would¡¡help¡¡him¡£¡¡He¡¡became¡¡a¡¡regular¡¡at¡¡the¡¡taverns¡¡and¡¡inns¡¡the¡¡palace¡¡guards¡¡frequented¡£¡¡Whenever¡¡he¡¡was¡¡around£»¡¡they¡¡never¡¡paid¡¡for¡¡a¡¡drink¡£
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¡¡He¡¡found¡¡a¡¡mistress¡¡of¡¡a¡¡brothel¡¡open¡¡to¡¡an¡¡inventive¡¡business¡¡arrangement¡£¡¡He¡¡put¡¡the¡¡establishment¡¡on¡¡retainer£»¡¡open¡¡only¡¡to¡¡his¡¡¡®friends¡£¡¯¡¡He¡¡calculated¡¡that¡¡in¡¡this¡¡manner¡¡he¡¡was¡¡actually¡¡saving¡¡the¡¡palace¡¡money£»¡¡over¡¡a¡¡piecemeal¡¡arrangement¡£
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¡¡He¡¡wanted¡¡the¡¡men¡¡to¡¡remember¡¡to¡¡whom¡¡they¡¡owed¡¡their¡¡gratitude£»¡¡so¡¡required¡¡they¡¡give¡¡the¡¡mistress¡¡the¡¡code¡¡phrase¡¡¡®a¡¡friend¡¡of¡¡Richard¡¡Cypher¡¯¡¡before¡¡they¡¡would¡¡be¡¡granted¡¡admittance¡£¡¡There¡¡were¡¡no¡¡other¡¡restrictions¡£¡¡Richard¡¡gave¡¡the¡¡mistress¡¡a¡¡healthy¡¡raise¡¡in¡¡the¡¡retainer¡¡when¡¡she¡¡plained¡¡to¡¡him¡¡that¡¡business¡¡was¡¡steadier¡¡than¡¡she¡¡had¡¡anticipated¡£
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¡¡Richard¡¡soothed¡¡his¡¡conscience¡¡about¡¡the¡¡morals¡¡of¡¡what¡¡he¡¡was¡¡doing¡¡by¡¡reminding¡¡himself¡¡that¡¡he¡¡couldn¡¯t¡¡change¡¡what¡¡people¡¡chose¡¡to¡¡do£»¡¡and¡¡it¡¡might¡¡save¡¡him¡¡from¡¡having¡¡to¡¡kill¡¡the¡¡guards¡¡when¡¡the¡¡time¡¡came¡£¡¡In¡¡that¡¡light£»¡¡it¡¡made¡¡sense¡£
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¡¡Richard¡¡learned¡¡that¡¡the¡¡guards¡¡were¡¡soldiers¡¡in¡¡the¡¡Imperial¡¡Order£»¡¡on¡¡special¡¡detachment¡¡to¡¡the¡¡palace¡£¡¡The¡¡Imperial¡¡Order¡¡ruled¡¡all¡¡of¡¡the¡¡Old¡¡World£»¡¡but¡¡seemed¡¡to¡¡have¡¡a¡¡nonintervention¡¡policy¡¡with¡¡the¡¡Palace¡¡of¡¡the¡¡Prophets¡£¡¡They¡¡never¡¡interfered¡¡with¡¡any¡¡Sister£»¡¡or¡¡any¡¡man¡¡wearing¡¡a¡¡Rada¡¯Han¡£
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¡¡The¡¡guards¡¡were¡¡stationed¡¡at¡¡the¡¡palace¡¡to¡¡handle¡¡all¡¡the¡¡people¡¡who¡¡came¡¡to¡¡Halsband¡¡Island¡£¡¡Every¡¡day£»¡¡people¡¡poured¡¡over¡¡the¡¡bridges¡¡to¡¡e¡¡to¡¡the¡¡palace¡£¡¡Sisters¡¡saw¡¡petitioners¡¡of¡¡every¡¡want¡£¡¡Some¡¡requested¡¡charity£»¡¡some¡¡intervention¡¡in¡¡disputes£»¡¡and¡¡some¡¡wished¡¡to¡¡be¡¡guided¡¡in¡¡the¡¡Creator¡¯s¡¡wisdom¡£¡¡Others¡¡came¡¡to¡¡worship¡¡in¡¡the¡¡courtyards¡¡scattered¡¡throughout¡¡the¡¡island¡£¡¡They¡¡viewed¡¡the¡¡place¡¡where¡¡Sisters¡¡of¡¡the¡¡Light¡¡lived¡¡as¡¡hallowed¡£
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¡¡Richard¡¡learned¡¡that¡¡the¡¡city¡¡of¡¡Tanimura£»¡¡vast¡¡though¡¡it¡¡was£»¡¡was¡¡merely¡¡an¡¡outpost¡¡of¡¡the¡¡Old¡¡World£»¡¡at¡¡the¡¡fringe¡¡of¡¡the¡¡empire¡£¡¡Apparently£»¡¡the¡¡emperor¡¡of¡¡the¡¡Imperial¡¡Order¡¡had¡¡an¡¡arrangement¡¡with¡¡the¡¡palace¡¡to¡¡provide¡¡guards£»¡¡but¡¡not¡¡law¡£¡¡Richard¡¡suspected¡¡that¡¡the¡¡guards¡¡were¡¡the¡¡emperor¡¯s¡¡eyes¡¡in¡¡an¡¡area¡¡of¡¡his¡¡empire¡¡where¡¡he¡¡was¡¡denied¡¡dominion¡£¡¡Richard¡¡wondered¡¡what¡¡the¡¡emperor¡¡received¡¡in¡¡return¡¡for¡¡this¡¡arrangement¡£
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