Epilogue

Mark and Talia slept for twelve hours, and their routine the next day set the pattern of their days for some time to come. They officially worked for twelve hours each day, but their duties were not arduous. During the first four hours and the last four hours of each workday they lazed around and played on their private beach, engaging in informal discussions on every subject and visiting with their many guests. Monarchs came to discuss politics and administration, wizards came to share the latest spells, generals came to discuss battle strategy in the void, engineers came to show off and demonstrate the latest weapons and devices. Tithian and Grakonexikaldoron kept them abreast of the latest magical and astronomical research.

It was made clear to the Keys to The Just Alliance that these informal discussions were of great value to those they spoke with, and that their off-hand commentary on the things they learned consistently led to new breakthroughs and new directions of research, even if their discussions were conducted while enjoying archery practice on the beach or while paddling in the lagoon.

The gods had taken to using the subtlest of disguises. While in their presence, most people forgot the fact that they were gods, even though everything else about them was easily recalled. After they had left, it was remembered that they were divine.

This was not the case on Mark and Talia’s secluded beach, where they were often visited by the gods of two pantheons. They would sometimes drop by singly, and sometimes in small groups of no more than five. A few of their discussions on morality and policy went on continuously for days.

The middle four hours of their workday was spent traveling and talking to people. This involved anything from informal chats over tea with chance-met citizens in a hostelry they’d picked at random, to formal speeches delivered to vast multitudes. They attended formal social occasions of every variety and every size with persons of note in every field, and often visited schools, Healers’ hospices, and public works sites.

When off duty, Mark and Talia enjoyed life to the fullest; attending the arts, participating in sports and games, and playing the tourist, and routinely hid their identities when off-duty in public. Often they selected a beautiful and isolated place to simply relax and enjoy each other’s company, and let their love grow.

Their passion for lovemaking and erotic play continued unabated, and on roughly a third of those occasions they were joined by one or more lovely females, and not all of them were elves, but all wished to convey their most profound gratitude in the elven way.

They were surprised by a knock on the cottage door as they were just going to bed one night, and it was surprising because they were expecting no visitors at that time, and Stripe had not announced his detection of any visitor’s arrival in his patrolled area, and Sheramiv had not asked if an unexpected visitor should be admitted.

When Mark psionicly checked to see who was there, he found it was Neela, first goddess of humans. When he opened the door, he was surprised again to see her looking as bashful as a fourteen-year-old, though her little smile seemed a bit mischievous. Her smooth black skin and hair looked enchanting, contrasted strikingly by a simple but slinky white wrap dress.

“Hi. I know we didn’t exactly start off on the right foot when we first met. I’m hoping you’ll give me a chance to make amends.” she quietly announced, and managed to seem positively shy while being obviously and very effectively seductive.