***

“Well,” said Jo, as she settled down on the couch. “You can butter up the mayor’s wife if you want, Tara, hanging out with a bunch of older women, but I think the mayor was a big fan of mine.”

Alejandro brought over a glass of champagne for each of the women, handing one to each of them before taking his seat by the fire.

“I could teach them some new tricks.  The Mayor’s wife and all her little friends.  I’m sure they wouldn’t be excited at first - someone like Alejandro would certainly catch their eyes faster but i think after a few drinks and a trick I can do with this finger here… they’d come around.”  She chuckled accepting her glass from Alejandro.  “I don’t think it’ll be necessary though.  With any luck we opened a door today with that nice re-election donation and once he sets foot on Liber, he will never consider doing anything to make our lives difficult.”

“And,” purred Ori, sitting next to Tara on the couch and leaning against her. “The Giorgio thing worked out exactly as you planned.”

“Well, let’s hope that as everyone gossips about the whole thing we’ll see less and less of that sort of situation coming up.  Hopefully with all the work everyone will be doing soon they’ll have less time to get into trouble with each other.”  Tara settled into her seat a bit more and actually began to relax.  It had been a very long day, but a satisfying one.

“The Captain issue isn’t quite finalized.  I still need to meet with a few more guys but I’m hopeful.  I’m thinking another month or so… maybe December.  Talk about a way to celebrate the holidays.”  Tara crossed one leg over the other.

“Well, we’ll get the whole gang together again!” said Jo. 

“I figure the first week of December.  We’ll be ready for our first trip.  We’ll shut down a few days before Christmas and give the staff a small holiday while Oriana and I go visit Michigan and see the kids.  Then it’s back to work right after.  We’ll plan something huge for New Years Eve.  The sort of party no one will forget.  Hopefully after that sort of a stunner, people will be talking and money can start coming in rather than always going out.”

“Why not just launch on New Year’s?” asked Jo. “More buzz, right?”

“Well I’m going to go with that membership idea.  I think we need to get some people out there, let them see it, build some excitement and let them go back to friends and such talking about this upcoming party.  Get folks wanting to change their plans for the big night.  We launch on New Years Eve sight unseen and not many folks will come.  A month lead up though?  I think we’ll do better.  Soft launch in December, Grand Gala on New Years Eve.”

“Smart,” said Alejandro. “You can also initially target a few people who you think would make ideal clients, influencers that you can roll out the red carpet for, who will generate word of mouth in the circles you want.”

“Would be great if I could get one or two real VIPs to show up.  That sort of buzz would be invaluable.”  Tara looked thoughtful for a moment.  “Anyway, shall we toast to our impending successful launch?  To the world’s most hedonistic ship?  To the lovely men and women of Liber - my maenads?  What should we raise our glasses to?”  Tara asked her friends.

“Why not to us?” asked Ori. “And maybe to your grandparents.”

Tara raised her glass, “To a grand dynasty who began humble, rose to the greatest heights, fell and rose again.  To the family built by a man who thought he needed only one other person in the world… and the woman who proved who, happily, proved him wrong.  To their family who has survived it all - good and bad.  And to the friends who have become our family along the way.”  She looked at Oriana and smiled.  “To the Montini-Mastrosimone family.”  

Ori grinned. “I’ll drink to that.”

“So how do you want to celebrate?” asked Jo, leaning towards Tara with a wicked grin.

“In the words of my mentor…”

Tara took long strides down the gangplank  and onto the ship christened ‘Liber’ Tara’s dark hair was flying loose in the winds off the water.  She smiled brightly at the crew waiting for her. Their captain, a physically impressive man with a well-groomed dark beard, dressed in crisp dress whites was standing immediately at the entrance to the deck waiting for her with extended hand.

“Madam M,”  He spoke in a tenor that somehow perfectly fit with the creaks from nearby vessels, the waves crashing and culls calling.  “The MS Liber and her crew stand ready for your orders to leave dock.”  

Tara smiled warmly.  “Very good, Captain Teach.”  She loved saying his name. She wouldn’t admit it to many people but a big part of the reason she’d called him back for a second interview was that name.

Tara turned back to offer her hand to Oriana, Brigitte, and lastly Jo.  Alejandro and Eric had brought up the rear of her motley. “You remember some of these faces, I’m sure Captain.  Oriana, of course, and Josephine. This is my sister Brigitte. Brigitte this is Captain Francis Teach.”

Brigitte smirked wickedly.  

Tara chuckled as the Captain kissed her sister’s hand, “Charmed.”  The Captain said flatly, as if her beauty hadn’t charmed or distracted him at all.

“This is my associate Eric and, of course you remember Alejandro.”  Tara finished the introductions and the Captain shook each of their hands.

“Captain Teach, I’d like to give my family a tour of Liber.  Would you accompany us and take a few moments to enlighten them on the finer points of our new home on the waves?”

“My pleasure, Chief Maenad.  Just this way, if you would everyone?”  Captain Teach motioned for everyone to follow him walking first past the ship’s crew and security who had come out to be inspected by Tara prior to launch.

"Liber is classed as a super charter motor ship or vessel, it would be one step down from a luxury steamer but is propelled through the water using diesel fuel, allowing us to stay out in open waters longer.  She has been refurbished from her original purpose to now provide every amenity and luxury possible for up to 40 passengers with a crew and Olympian compliment totaling 35."

Tara explained, "Generically speaking our specialized staff is referred to as Olympians for simplicity's sake."

“Why Olympians and not Maenads?” asked Alejandro.

“Well, as much as our dear Bacchus has inspired this venture and I like to think of what we do is honoring him and his memory - I think when we moved to a sea vessel I started diversifying what I was referring to staff as.  Water Nymphs and Satyrs weren’t uncommon at Bacchanalias - as well as many other mythical creatures and humans.  So… Olympians worked as a catch-all?  Though I suppose anyone who worships Bacchus is a Maenad, aren’t they?  Hmmm, you might have a point in you question.” 

Tara took a moment to meet several new members of the crew who had been recently hired before continuing to follow the Captain on his tour.

"Liber has a solid steel hull and is capable of crossing the Atlantic but is best for navigating the waters around the United States, Carribean and Mexico.  Her top speed is 16 knots with our cruising speed being around 13."  Noticing this meant little to the people he was speaking to he clarified, "Very fast for a ship of this size."

Tara stood a bit taller as they crossed the deck.

"Liber’s final feature that was completed only two days ago is a full stocked medical facility equipped with two twin size beds and comprehensive first aid supplies, in case of an onboard emergency."  He said nodding to Jo, "All your requested revisions to our equipment listing were made, Nurse."

Jo nodded, satisfied. “You can call me Jo, Captain. Or Panacea, if you’re feeling fancy.”

“Fancy is a part of my job description.”  The Captain smiled at Jo and then continued on with his tour.  "Liber has pantries on all levels as well as a service lift for the crew connecting all five decks.  A separate guest lift can take six guests at a time from the lower deck all the way to the top sun deck.  A main staircase connects the lower deck up to the bridge deck. The dining halls one on deck and the other within the ship’s interior are capable of seating all guests, olympians and crew for formal dining when required."

“Did my throne arrive?”  Tara asked, it felt odd coming out of her mouth but her eyes twinkled when the Captain nodded.

“It did, Madam.  It’s placed in the main interior dining hall as per your request.  It took a few men to carry it, it’s an impressive thing.”

“It should be,”  Tara nodded, “It’s the single most costly furnishing on the vessel.  Please, Captain, continue.”

“Since you last toured, Madam, the Spa and Salon have been completed.  They feature a sauna, massage tables and places for ladies to enjoy getting their hair and nails done.”

Tara looked to Jo and smiled, “It’s the little touches, creature comforts that make one feel beautiful and relax.”

“Oh my God,” Jo mouthed at Brigitte, who chuckled.

“Who is she and what has she done with our Tara?”  Brigitte asked quietly.

“After some work on the part of your contact, Madam, we were able to secure a motion picture projector and a small theatre space is now a part of the vessel in the lower levels.”  

Tara smirked, “And the film?”

“It took some work but we did acquire it and a few others per your instructions.”  The Captain was smiling in a way that suggested he’d viewed the motion pictures himself.

“All very good, Captain.”

“We have two interior saloons, and a main area for refreshments on the exterior near sunbathing and jacuzzi area.”

Tara looked excitedly to Brigitte, “A man recently invented these… it’s like a bathtub but it has little air jets that blow bubbles to help massage the body.  Hospitals are using them to help people with various conditions but after I heard about it… well, I pulled a dad. I called the hospital and offered a dizzying amount of money and got one for Liber.”

“Can’t wait to try it out.”  Brigitte smiled, looking in wonder at the furnishings on the decks as they passed by.  "What about the sleeping areas?"

Tara chuckled, "Sleeping..."

"There are four styles of rooms if you count the master suite as one.  The basic guest room, a stateroom, the VIP room which has a bathroom containing a Michelangelo marble sunken tub.  And the master suite which not only features the tub but a walk-in closet, a private sun deck, and a subsidiary stateroom connected to it."  The Captain gave Brigitte a smile, holding a door for the group to enter the interior of the ship.

Brigitte gaped as they entered the main saloon.  The art, paintings and statues evoked images of the sea and called upon the ancient gods of Rome and Greece.  They also featured more than a few works celebrating the human form - mostly beautiful women.

One by one they passed through the rooms until at last they came to the great dining hall and Tara walked past the tables set up to host a decadent feast towards the dais at the far end of the room.  The dais was set in a semi-circle alcove featuring a fresco of a frenzied bacchanalia - beautiful men and women drinking and eating, engaging nymphs and satyrs in all manner of sexual situations.

The throne was a massive thing, large enough for two women to lounge in easily or one very large man.  A single person alone could pull their legs up into it and curl up for a nice nap if they were so inclined.

It appeared to be made of metal, gold in color if not plated in such. As Brigitte came up the dias beside Tara she could see that in the metal were depictions of animals.

"Why did yo-"  She started to ask.  

"I am here because of those who came before me,"  Tara said as she brushed her fingertips along one side of the chair which featured the image of a lioness sitting upon a rock watching over a mighty bull in a field.

Brigitte looked down at the side nearest to her and admired the dragon in flight trying to catch a wolf.

Placed high on the back of the chair, above where Tara's head could reach, was a tiger sleeping - curled about a small fox who had one eye cracked open ever so slightly.

"It's lovely,"  Brigitte confessed.

“What was the name of those young women in Chicago who inspired the membership system again?”  Jo asked.

“Everleigh.  Ada and Minna.  Lovely women. They tell me that their place, which has entertained the likes of European Royals pulls in as much as $5,000 a night and still pays their girls around $500 a week.”

Eric whistled.  “That’s a lot of dough in a time when folks are lucky to be pulling in $6 a week.  How much do they charge for someone to visit with a lady?”

“It’s $50 for a member to even come in the door,”  Tara settled into her throne. “... prices vary on the girl’s popularity at the time, but most of the ladies are pulling in about $500 a week and rarely do they entertain more than one client a night so probably about $200 a visit, I’m guessing, not counting the door fee and alcohol if you buy it.  I understand champagne is $13 a bottle in the dining room and $15 a bottle in the bedrooms. Of course there is no door fee for important VIPs and if you’re a guest of a current member, but you can only come as a guest three times. After that you’re either accepted as a member or rejected - most are rejected.  Exclusivity is the key to their, and ideally our, success.”

“So your fees will be similar?”  Brigitte asked.

Tara nodded.  “Only we’ll offer both men and women to entertain clients and like the Everleighs I’m refusing to take part in any of the more distasteful tactics used by other bawdy houses and brothels.  My nymphs, sirens, and satyrs are all willing and well-paid trained professionals. Courtesans, not whores and slaves. Captain?”

“Yes, Madam?”  The Captain had been quietly standing by the door waiting for Tara’s instructions.  

“Have someone bring us a tray of drinks for I and my family, let the Olypians know our first guests should be arriving within the hour, and prepare to set sail on our Maiden voyage.”