Since the day that Freeman was killed, Ben Palmer had been having everything his own way. He had finally gotten Phylicia to be subservient to him, so the beatings had reduced greatly, to his dismay. He had enjoyed beating all the women, until they quit fighting him. Wagner, Osterlund, and Hornsby had become quite excellent bootlickers and he only had to cuff them periodically to keep them cowed.
It had been weeks since Murdock had issued his edicts about the range from the pod they could travel, so Palmer felt that it was time to test those limits. He had sent Wagner and Hornsby to the river several times, in the past two weeks, and they had returned without incident.
“Get everyone together,” Palmer commanded, without turning around, as he heard someone coming toward him from behind. “We
