Chapter 16
A HEAVY POUNDING on the front door sent Ryman sitting bolt upright in bed. Nardell lay beside him, still sleeping soundly. Another burst of pounding started her stirring.
“Whazzat?” she mumbled.
The cottage door opened and the clumping sound of thick boots echoed off the bare wooden floor.
“C’mon, boss man!” Bar cried out. “Get your ass in gear. Time to rally the troops.”
Ryman looked over at the bedside clock. “It’s only twelve fifteen,” he called back. “Meeting’s not till one.”
“You don’t wanna to be the last one to show up. Makes it look like you don’t respect your people. I gotta stop at the General Store on the way, get some pastries. And we gotta get the coffee perking.”
Ryman found a pair of jeans among the pile of clothes on the floor and slipped them on. Nardell
