Around the middle of August, Liz, Ryan, and Jenny boarded a helicopter for Idriss. Though it was the smallest province in Meridia, it was rapidly becoming the wealthiest, thanks to the discovery of oil a few years before.

Orre needed oil. During the occupation of the last nine months, Dylan Palm had diverted almost all of it to Edwal and its militia, and Jenny was desperate to secure new contracts. The war-torn cities required fuel for the heavy equipment that was rebuilding the city, and fuel was essential for the farmers, both to bring in the crops they’d managed to plant this year, and to plant crops next spring.

When Jenny had contacted Chairman Matthew Adams about negotiating new contracts, he’d extended an invitation to visit, and she didn’t hesitate to accept.

There was, however, one complication. Michael couldn’t go.

Idriss was an insular province, with unusual customs. Women’s lives were tightly controlled, and the highest levels of government were permitted only to men.

If Michael came with Jenny, he would be the leader they talked to. Her authority would be lost. Despite being the first female chairwoman in Meridia’s history, she would be just Michael’s wife, expected to stay quiet at his side. Matthew Adams supported her leadership, but was frank that her best chance of being listened to would be if she arrived without a husband.