was live up to his young paxman's excellent opinion of him. Oddly, this thought
bolstered him and eased his endless doubts. He remembered how Donal had said
that he had studied Dan Syrtis-Ardais and made him a model for himself. That
was very wise, for Dan always seemed to be calm. Even when others lifted
their voices, he never shouted or banged the table in rage. Perhaps he could do
that as well.
Mike glanced at his mother's face, then at Dom Damon's, and realized it would
be more difficult to keep his temper than he would have wished. They were both
ready for a fight. His father, Dom Gabriel, was looking old and tired, and
Mike suspected that Jane had been driving the old man mad with her schemes
and plots. At least he knew he could count on his father, no matter what his
moth
