The best thing about an opium high was that one could

make the most mundane observation and think it an

amazing stroke of brilliance. Right now, Anna Marie

Thompson thought the following conclusion was the

height of genius: Dying would be unfortunate. And poor

Governor Wan was about to experience a very, very un-

fortunate death at the hands of the Imperial Enforcer.

."Come away, Sister Marie. Do not look out the win-

dow. He will see you."

Anna nodded, but she could not make her body move.

She reclined on a silk couch right next to the window,

and she really had no interest in budging. Especially as

she had just" come to another brilliant conclusion:

Though dying would be unfortunate, the moments before

death--the time when one knew one was about to die

but couldn t do anything about it--those would be worse.

They were obviously the worst for poor Governor

Wan. He was kneeling in his luxurious garden---one filled