Put another little chapter of Asterion up for beta reading.  I’m making the chapters smaller, but I’m likely to combine or even change the order of a few in the final version.

I’ll make the other edits I mentioned another time, as I’m suddenly very tired for some reason.  Anyway, here’s a snippet:

“Better not be talking smack about me, Cade,” he said,
leaning on the bar near to them.  “Not
when I’ve been so uncommonly generous.
But now you’d better have some money for me or I’ll have you, and your
friends, all flung out of here like journalists at a conservative rally.”

Jennifer and Sayuri both shared a worried, wide eyed glance,
but Kaya remained calm and assured them.
“It’s all right guys.  He’d never
put his hands on a lady.  It goes against
his honour.”

The man said through his taut face muscles as he grinned. “Well,
A, you ain’t a lady.  And B, that’s
precisely why I hired Mei Lin.”