The Fourteenth Key (The Chronicles of Terah Book 3) Read Free Page A

that information together long before now.”
    Laryn nodded.
    Karl grunted. “I’ll grant you we haven’t heard anything on that, but if you think the women would do something about it, why not write them and ask them to check into it? Why have them come all the way to Milhaven?”
    Joan shook her head. “I don’t think that’ll work. I’m pretty sure any mail we send from the governor’s office will land on the minister’s desk, no matter who it’s addressed to.”
    “She’s right,” Laryn agreed. “If you want the wives involved, you’ll have to talk to them. It might not be a bad idea to let them get to know each other anyway.”
    “See? I told you it would be a good move,” Joan said with a gleam of triumph in her eye.
    “After all, you never know when you might need to have the wives on your side, and nothing will put them on your side any faster than asking their opinions,” Laryn added.
    Steve laughed. “She has a point, Karl. You’ve got to admit a husband’s going to care about anything that upsets his wife, out of self-defense if for no other reason.”
    Karl sighed. “I’ll have to give you that one.”
    “So, what’s the problem?” Laryn asked him.
    “I’m not sure how the ministers will react. I don’t want to create any problems,” Karl admitted. Then he turned towards Joan. “Back at home, I’d have no problem with it, but here … I just don’t know.”
    “What do you mean?” Joan asked. “What kind of problems?”
    Karl shrugged and looked at Laryn. “Will the ministers resent it? Will they see it as going behind their backs? Interfering in the way they run their districts? Interfering with their families?”
    Laryn thought for a moment and then shook her head. “I don’t think so. There are some men out there who think their wives shouldn’t do anything but tend to the house and children, but they’re in the minority and don’t tend to get appointed ministers. I don’t think any of your ministers would mind turning the responsibility for things like that over to their wives.”
    “Okay.” Karl sighed. “I hope you’re right.”
    “Now,” Kevin said as he looked at Laryn. “You came to see me. What’s up?”
    Laryn nodded towards Steve.
    Steve cleared his throat. “Well, I wanted to come see you by myself, but Laryn wouldn’t hear of it. She insisted she needed to be here.”
    “Sounds serious,” Chris said with a twinkle in his eye. “Should the rest of us leave?”
    Steve shook his head. “It’s fine.” He wiped his hands on his leggings and looked at Kevin. “I’m in love with your aunt and I’ve asked her to marry me.”
    Kevin’s grin said it all. He looked at Laryn. “And you said …?”
    Laryn smiled and took Steve’s hand. “I said yes.”
    Kevin stood up and reached across his desk for Steve’s hand. “Congratulations! I couldn’t be happier for you.”
    While Chris and Karl clapped Steve on the back and shook his hand, Joan hugged Laryn and wished her all the best. Before the celebration could progress any further, a quiet knock on the open door drew Kevin’s attention. Gen. Crandal was standing in the doorway.
    “Gen. Crandal.” Kevin gestured for him to enter. “Come on in.”
    “I seem to be interrupting something.”
    Joan looked at Laryn and raised her eyebrows. At Laryn’s nod, Joan said, “Steve asked Laryn to marry him, and she said yes.”
    “Looks like congratulations are in order,” Gen. Crandal said, shaking hands first with Steve and then with Laryn as he wished them well. Then he looked at Kevin. “When you have a moment, I need to speak to you and Karl.”
    “Of course.” Kevin nodded towards an empty chair.
    The others started to leave, but Gen. Crandal shook his head. “It’s all right. This won’t take long.”
    As they sat back down, Gen. Crandal said, “Last night slavers hit Syrando, a small settlement on Garby Creek near the Kivee River. Lt. Martyn of Ashmont sent me a message this morning. He