Gronnus tried to reach Overlord Weton early in the morning just at dawn, but he overslept. In his worries over the very deal he was trying to save, he tossed and turned for a good part of the night. When he finally did fall into slumber, he was exhausted, and thus it was not until the sun had just risen above the horizon that he roused himself out of bed.

By the time he reached Weton's quarters, the Overlord was already up and about, and no sooner had Gronnus left the area when he saw the man walking side by side with Roquan. Weton was talking in quite the animated fashion, obviously excited about something.

Gronnus moved off to the side as they approached, trying to appear as if he were more interested in the nearby gardens. He stole a glance at Roquan's face. There was a very small smile on his lips despite the fact that his eyes held a subdued look.

Weton's voice came to him as Gronnus started down the side path towards the gardens.

" ... should make fine work of those materials, Roquan, if the rest is as exquisite as what you showed me this morning!"

"Rest assured, Weton, that is only a small sample," said Roquan, confidence in his voice despite the slightly somber tone to it. "My contacts assure me that they can deliver the rest in due time."

"Absolutely amazing. I never knew you had such connections! Surely, I cannot turn down such a ..."

They drifted far enough away for further words to become unintelligible.

Gronnus sighed. Another deal lost. He was too tired and worried to be angry.

He glanced towards the path when movement caught his eye. He watched as Amanda was led by Sirinna towards Roquan's quarters. He frowned. Was the infernal Overlord going to Present her yet again? Even when he was going to have to give her up to Freya? It's not like he needed to soften up the other Overlords, not with the goods that he was able to offer them!

Gronnus ran a hand through his hair. He could not lose any more. He was at his limit. At this rate, assuming that any Overlord he did not deal with personally could be won for Roquan's side, this made Freya the swing vote. If Gronnus lost any more support, not even Freya could help him.

And that would lose him the Conclave. But what he feared most was what it would lose him with the Emperor.

There was another at the Manor who also rose late.

When Vanlo finally awoke, it took him a few moments to orient himself. His head felt full of fuzz, like the last time he had indulged in some of Roquan's wine to his detriment (and hence was the last time he did such a thing).

The first time he tried to move, pain lanced through his temples and made him weak and lightheaded. He raised a shaking hand to his forehead and tried to steady his breathing until it passed. The next time he tried, the pain returned, but not as sharp, and he was able to sit up.

Everything swam in and out of focus for a few moments. Normally when he awoke, all he had to deal with was his stiffened joints. Now he barely felt it with the miasma that seemed to surround his mind.

Slowly, everything returned to normal, save for a lingering dull ache encapsulating his skull. There was also a slight tremble to his normally rock-steady hands.

Vanlo swung his legs over the side and felt a brief onset of vertigo as he stood. He held onto the bed until it passed. He took a few more deep breaths, and it seemed to help. Now he felt only the normal stiffness and creaking of his aging body.

It was then that he looked outside and saw the bright sunlight.

"Oh, good heavens," he said softly.

Vanlo quickly dressed himself, or at least as quickly as his age would allow. The lingering headache threatened to balloon if he tilted his head just right.

The Healer was most disturbed at this. He had never overslept in all his time at the Manor. No matter how tired he might be from the night before, he rose with the dawn every day. The fact that he had not was very troubling to him.

For a moment during his morning ablutions, he paused, lifting his head, and sniffing the air. Very briefly, he thought he had smelled something familiar ...

He shook his head. He looked back at himself in the mirror over the basin. His eyes were a bit bloodshot, and there were bags under them. Had he been a patient of his, he would have told the man to stay in his quarters and rest.

Yet the Manor needed him, and he could not afford to take a day off. Not while the Conclave was still in progress. He simply had to hope to have some time later to ponder what might have happened to him.

His first guess was an allergen. Perhaps an Overlord or the merchants had tracked in something to which he was sensitive. Surely that was the most logical explanation.

He slipped on his Healer robes and briskly walked out into the morning sunlight.

"We cannot lose these two, today, Berin!" Gronnus declared.

Berin sighed, his hand lifted before his face. "I do realize this, my dear Gronnus, but ..."

"No excuses! I don't want to hear of it! Promise him more goods than you have procured if you have to!"

"More than I have?? Now, see here, Gronnus, I ..."

"Berin, you're the one with the contacts! If anyone can squeeze more out of them, it's you!"

Berin sighed. His eyes had squinted to narrow slits despite trying to shade them. "They have already brought me more than they dare! And my contacts at the Imperium say things are not boding well ..."

"To blazing hells with the Imperium! We need to take chances here, Berin! We can't afford to just rest on our laurels!"

"I'm not suggesting that, I ... oh for the love of the gods, Gronnus, lower that shade!"

"What? Oh, sorry." Gronnus quickly crossed over and dropped the shade over the window.

Berin lowered his hand and blinked. He sighed as he could still barely see from the afterimages. "Really, Gronnus, you forget to do that every time. Sometimes I think you do that on purpose to intimidate me."

Gronnus just snorted. He did not think it took much to intimidate Berin. That was one of the reasons why Gronnus had partnered with him in the first place. If having a little sun in his eyes also worked, well, so be it.

"Roquan has already taken Amanda to another Overlord," said Gronnus. "It was a little while before Roquan emerged. You can bet he just made an offer. Top it."

"I will top it. With what we prearranged. That's all I can do, Gronnus!" Berin cried when Gronnus appeared to swell in anger again. "Be reasonable! Even if they could bring me more, I cannot contact them now, not from Roquan's Manor!"

Gronnus wanted to protest, but it died on his lips. He knew that Berin was correct. They could not risk exposure. If Roquan got a hold of this, he would bring it before the Conclave. While punishments tended not to be harsh for this sort of thing -- Overlords were a reluctant lot when it came to punishing one of their own for anything other than the most grievous violations -- it would swing sympathy in favor of Roquan.

"All right. But this time we cannot fail. It's simply not an option."

"I will do my best. That's all I offer. Now, if you'll excuse me ...?"

Gronnus paused and nodded once. "Good day to you."

"Good day," Berin said curtly as he turned and fled.

The short walk in the warm sunlight helped clear Vanlo's head more, such that the pain and remaining fuzziness were gone by the time he reached his office. At the same time, however, he still felt off somehow. It was like what he would feel just before a cold came on. At first this tended to reinforce the notion that he was suffering from an allergy, but there was still something that just did not seem right.

He was forced to put his concerns aside for the time being, as he had some patients. Only one was a slave, the others were merchants. This was expected. Merchant Clans did tend to have a resident Healer that traveled with them, but even the best of them was limited by what equipment was portable and could be packed and unpacked quickly. This limited the Healer's means in cases of more serious injury or chronic conditions. It was largely the latter that brought people to him that morning.

Vanlo became much more aware that something was amiss as the morning wore on. It grew increasingly harder to concentrate, as if his mind were suffering from some sort of fatigue. It was much like what his joints sometimes felt towards the middle of the day, necessitating his midday constitutional in lieu of a meal.

After the third patient, he had to pause. He went into the back room and sat down, massaging his temples. He let out a forlorn sigh. As he breathed in again, he wrinkled his brow.

There it was again, that same odor. And as quick as he sensed it, it was gone.

He glanced about the counter for any sign that he had spilled something and had neglected to clean up. Such a thing was unusual for him, but then again so was that entire morning.

The fuzziness in his head cleared. He straightened up and looked around. He could not shake the persistent feeling that something was still amiss.

His eyes gazed slowly at the various containers and devices that littered the shelves around him. They dropped to the objects that lay on the counter. He swung his body around in the seat and look at the apparatus.

He remembered when Yanna had tried to sabotage one of his experiments by altering some of the valves minutely. He had detected it at once. Too late to prevent the results of the experiment from being delayed, but it had helped him determine the culprit behind all the Overlord's woes at the time.

He was getting that same sensation now.

Vanlo walked back out into the treatment room. It was still empty, no more patients having arrived after handling those first few. He strolled to the center of the room and looked around. He got the same sense here as well. Like something subtly amiss.

The Healer rubbed at his temples again, and a somber look came over his eyes. No, not this time. There was nothing amiss with his office at all. There was something amiss with himself. The Overlord tried to deny it, but this was the truth. He was at the end. It had been a good career, a very enjoyable one, but all good things come to an end. It was a saying on many worlds, he understood.

He would have to resign his position once the Conclave was over. Until then, he had to keep his duties light. Only critical cases. He had to save his energy and his strength of will for those. This time Roquan would not sway him. The false Portal detection had been only the first warning signs, and he let himself ignore them at the Overlord's behest. But this could not be ignored, and could seriously impair his abilities.

He would not trust the well being of a Manor of slaves to someone like himself. Why should Roquan?

Vanlo returned to the back room. He sought and obtained a parchment and a quill.

The Healer would send a letter to the Healer Guild Master. He would arrange for his departure and a replacement before informing the Overlord. This way, he could not be persuaded against his better judgment to stay.

Vanlo dropped heavily into a seat. He put the parchment before him, and began to write.

"Ah, Overlord Farlor, it is indeed good to see you again," said the ebullient voice from near the door.

"Quite so, Berin, quite so," said the somewhat more officious voice in return. "Far too long since we have visited once another."

"I will endeavor to change this at the earliest opportunity after this Conclave!"

A chuckle. "And I do hope you have brought sufficient, ah, encouragement to seek your company more often."

Berin's voice moved further inside and grew closer to the bed. "Oh, indeed, Farlor! And I must say, I do enjoy dealing with an Overlord with such a direct approach."

"I will not stand for pussyfooting around. In my view, the primary purpose of a Conclave is to make deals. The issue on the table is almost secondary. Why should I hide this?"

"Oh, I most agree with you. Very wise words, indeed." A pause. "And you have been graced with the lovely Amanda as well it would seem."

"I had not expected it, but I am making good use of her."

A chortle. "I can see ... and hear for that matter."

Amanda knew she was going to have trouble concentrating on this discussion, but she was doing her best.

Farlor had not been very interested in having sex with Amanda, but this was not to say that he did not want her. Even though Roquan had had the presence of mind to warn her about this Overlord's propensities, it had still been something of a shock to her.

In fact, some of the next words of their talk were drowned out as she moaned, her pussy reverberating in another soft but deep and drawn-out orgasm.

She felt a hand on her leg, making her shiver as it ran up her thigh, fingers briefly stroking the glossy, back surface of the triangle of enchanted cloth that lay over her mound. When it had been placed on her, after her legs had been spread apart, her ankles secured with thin chains to the posts at the foot of the bed, it had molded itself to her. It had flowed like liquid warmth over her folds, arousing her almost instantly.

Once it was in place, it began a slow, tantalizing sensual assault. It felt alternately like stroking, licking, and sucking. It made her rise slowly, driving her mad with desire and need for release. She had feared that it would be like Freya or Marisa again, that she would be denied relief, but this was not the case. The object was more than happy to make her cum, only to start it all over again.

She had already had about two orgasms since it was put on her, and now she felt herself climbing to another. Her hands occasionally clenched into fists where they were secured with more chains to the posts at the head of the bed.

"Now that is a rather advanced one," Berin said as he withdrew his hand. "My compliments to you."

"I use nothing but the best at my Manor, you know this," said Farlor. "Perhaps I may interest you in some."

"We shall see. But first, allow me to attend to the matter at hand."

"I daresay you will be able to offer me better than Roquan did. I almost felt sorry for him, to tell you the truth."

Berin laughed. "Perhaps he will get your sympathy vote then."

"Oh, hardly. I cannot abide by giving a vote to an Overlord without basic negotiation skills."

"May I relay that to Gronnus, then?"

"Certainly. Now, let us get down to business ..."

Amanda, as best as she could, listened.

Jollis appeared to busy himself that morning with slow walks through the gardens and conversing occasionally with some of Roquan's slaves. This, naturally, belay his true purpose, that of keeping a close eye on the Healer's quarters while the Portal was opened behind the vacant slave quarters.

Normally he did not care for leaving the Portal unattended in such a manner, nor doing it in broad daylight. But he had to make sure that the Healer did not react to it, that the potion the merchant had prepared had indeed worked. It had also reassured him that the Healer did not appear to be damaged by the concoction.

Naturally, he knew that he could not get into the Healer's head, which is where it really mattered. But at least he could confirm there was no extensive brain damage. Again, while Jollis was no Healer, he knew how nasty Jonalla could be when not used properly. When first learning of the events leading up to his assignment, Jollis had been taken aback by the audacity of the Emperor to use such a substance in its raw form. It had practically begged for a response of this magnitude from Roquan.

Nevertheless, all apparently had gone well. By this time of the morning, the Portal transport had long since been completed, and there was no sign of the Healer stirring from his office. His Portal sensing ability had been effectively stilled.

The only worry now would be the Emperor.

Jollis knew that the Emperor's Mages could detect the Portal energies, though he had been assured that they could not be traced back to their origins. Yet it made the situation dangerous. He had an uneasy feeling that the Emperor's hand was about to strike.

And now, on the main path along the north side of the Manor, Jollis saw Herdon entering the Manor grounds. This was most unusual for Herdon, Jollis realized. Jollis watched as the man headed west, in the general direction of the bluff where the other Overlords were gathered.

Curious, Jollis carefully approached the path, just close enough to see where Herdon was going, far enough back not to be detected should the merchant turn his head to the side. Jollis wished he could get close enough to overhear any conversation the man might have -- for Jollis was sure that Herdon was to meet with someone, as there would be no other purpose for the merchant to advance this closely to the Conclave -- but this was too great a risk.

As Jollis came upon the path, he stopped and made a casual half-step to the side under the pretext of examining some wildflowers near the intersection, thus partially concealing himself behind a tree. He peered carefully ahead as Herdon stopped before Overlord Gronnus.

The two appeared to converse for a moment. The Overlord appeared surprised at something, and then worried. Finally, the two parted.

Jollis quickly ducked away down a side path before Herdon could turn around completely and lost himself among the gardens.

Jollis knew of Gronnus and his dealings. He also knew that Herdon was his supplier. He also knew there was something unusual in Herdon's background. All of these were adding up to something he did not like.

Gronnus had watched Berin enter Overlord Farlor D'rollas' quarters, and then contemplated waiting for Berin to return, as anxious as he was to see if the deal would be clinched. It was only when he realized that the other two times Berin had come back with a glowing report, but they lost them anyway, so it really did not matter. His time could be better spent at other things.

Gronnus wandered about the bluff to see what other Overlords were present, quickly determining that most were likely at the merchants' bazaar. No sooner had he started to leave the area when he spotted Herdon approaching him.

"A moment of your time, Overlord Gronnus," said Herdon with exaggerated politeness.

Gronnus frowned at the man. "Can this wait? I really must ..."

"No, it cannot, your Lordship."

The Overlord looked a little cross to be interrupted in such a manner, but he simply sighed and nodded. "Very well, what is it?"

"It concerns our mutual benefactor."

"Benefactor? What are you talking about?"

"I speak of the one that brought us together. The one that sits upon the throne."

Gronnus' eyes widened and he looked around hurriedly. "Quiet!" he hissed. "Don't mention him out in the open like this!"

"Forgive me, Overlord, but this is very important. I have been in contact with him."

Gronnus paused a long moment. "In contact? For what purpose?"

"That I will make clear to you tonight, when I come to your quarters."

"Come to my quarters? What for?"

"You need the crossbow assembled, for one thing. And then we need to discuss matters concerning our future association."

Gronnus sighed. He believed he now understood what was going on. "So you know."

"Know what, your Lordship?"

"About ... about the failed deals."

Herdon had not heard this, in fact. However, if he understood how the Conclave worked and to what purpose the Emperor had originally put the Overlord in the first place, he now understood why Z'haas wanted this man eliminated as well. He was a fool, and the Emperor had no patience for fools in even the best of times.

"Then we indeed do have much to discuss, Overlord."

"I may have another buyer for them, so our deal may still stand, but with an altered destination." Gronnus was thinking that perhaps Freya might be interested in some of these goods, or could simply use them herself in her own dealings. Though he knew she would strike a deal that was beneficial only to her. "Though I may need to make up the difference in price."

"We'll discuss it, Overlord, rest assured. I'll come after dark. Good day, Overlord Gronnus."

"Good day, Merchant Herdon."

The two parted company. Gronnus cast an anxious look at the merchant's back.

The fact that Herdon had been in communication with the Emperor would not have worried him so much if Gronnus himself had been summoned over Farview that morning. Instead, there had not been a word from Z'haas at all.

Your usefulness in this is at an end.

The Emperor's parting words to him, even spoken in the conditional sense, now haunted him, replaying over and over in his mind. Surely there was still hope to gain a vote to Z'haas' liking!

A Full Conclave. It was something that he had heard Doran considering at one point, and had thought it sheer madness. Now the option was appealing to him. Call a Full Conclave before Roquan could take any more deals from him.

Hellfire! There was still Freya's outstanding Point of Order! There would be no Conclave until that was resolved. And it was unlikely she would let it pass until she got what she wanted. Since Roquan was still leading Amanda around, he had not yet given into her demands. His earliest opportunity would be the next day, assuming Roquan gave in to Freya by then.

He glanced back towards the bluff again. Now he felt like Roquan did in the opening day of the Conclave, having nothing but his words to sway the others. Now it was Gronnus that had to hope it was enough.

"Master Farlor was offered bondage devices and restraints for his slaves," Amanda said.

Roquan considered. "That is not exactly an uncommon set of goods. Why would he be offered something that is so easily obtainable by ordinary merchants and craftsmen?"

"Master Berin kept emphasizing that they were more exotic. From the west."

Roquan let his breath go in a sigh through his nose. "Colosi again."

"He didn't mention the exact origins, master." She paused. "But I might have missed it. I was ... distracted at the time."

She blushed slightly as she said this. Her pussy still ached faintly from the nearly half-dozen orgasms the thing had given her. It was not an entirely unpleasant ache, so she was not going to ask to see Vanlo for it. The thing had been gentle enough on her that it had actually been enjoyable, which had been part of the distraction.

Roquan nodded at her. "Quite understood. It would seem an impossible task to stop Overlords from bringing yet more contraband into my Manor. I will be happy when the lot of them are gone."

Amanda had noticed that a change had come over Roquan the moment he had arrived to take her to Farlor. Besides looking subdued and despondent, he was far more openly critical of the Overlords and the Conclave than he had ever allowed himself to be in her presence. She assumed it was simply the stress of the Conclave getting to him.

Nevertheless, she sensed something was wrong every time he looked at her. There was a slightly sad look in his eyes.

"Master, will you be needing me again in the afternoon?"

"Yes, there is one more Overlord with whom I am conducting business. That should be all I will need. And ... I will be calling you to my quarters again this evening."

Amanda paused for a moment, but then dutifully responded, "Yes, master."

Roquan looked at her for a long moment before speaking again, and when he did, his voice was a lot softer than she normally heard. "Amanda, I wish you to know that you have been very helpful to me. The information you are bringing me is very important and very useful."

"I'm doing as you ask, master. But, thank you."

"And while you have had difficulties here at the Manor, I do recognize that you have been trying, and that you wish to do what is expected of you."

Now Amanda was growing concerned. This was far more praise than the Overlord ever gave all at once. "Um ... thank you, master," she said tentatively.

"There are things yet that I will ask of you, that I need you to do. I hope you will face them with the same attitude."

"I'll try, master."

Amanda wanted to know more. It was obvious that the Overlord had something else in mind for her after this, but she could not come out and ask him. She had to wait until he was willing to tell her. For a moment it looked as if he wanted to say something else, but the moment passed and he subsided, turning away from her.

It was a few moments before Roquan spoke again. "It is important for you to understand the deeper meaning of this Conclave. The situation is very unusual. We have never had an Emperor on the throne of Oceanus taking such radical actions as we have now."

Amanda said nothing in response to this. She was very interested in what he was telling her, and did not want to dissuade him from continuing.

"The Conclave vote, Amanda, is in effect a no-confidence vote. Do you understand what this means?"

"In the context of my homeworld, yes, master. It means you don't approve of the job he is doing and want a change."

"And if the vote goes in favor, we will affect a change. Z'haas will be replaced."

Amanda paused a long moment. "Master, are you talking about a coup?"

"Yes. It appears you know of this as well."

"It has happened on my world." She shuddered. "Sometimes rather violently."

"The hope is for it not to be the case here. Emperors have been removed bloodlessly in the past by Overlord actions. Overlords typically wield great influence over the Nobility."

Amanda nodded. She knew why. Slavery was that ingrained in Narlassi culture.

"I'm telling you this, Amanda, because it will help you understand the actions that I take. I have to think of the greater goal. I have to think about what is good for Oceanus as well as what is good for the Manor. Or for you."

Amanda was growing increasingly nervous. What was it she was going to be asked to do now?

Roquan did not tell her. He simply gave her chain a snap and said, "I will take you back to Sirinna. She will bring you back here during the Conclave this afternoon to be prepared again."

"Yes, master," Amanda said as she fell into step before her Overlord.

Using his best skill once again, Jollis listened. And when the Overlord was finished, Jollis once again said what the man wanted to hear.

"I believe I can assist you here as well, your Lordship."

"I am as relieved as I am amazed at your skills of procurement."

Jollis smiled and gave a respectful half-bow. "I am honored by your words. I have but one question. Does Overlord Farlor care for enchanted items?"

Roquan snorted. "He would use nothing but if he possibly could."

"Then he would be amenable to enchanted restraints?"

Roquan raised an eyebrow. "Indeed? You can procure such things?"

"Yes. This would be one case in which I cannot produce an actual item for you from my runner. If this is a problem ..."

Roquan waved a hand in dismissal. "You have more than proven you can procure what you say, and I am sure that word-of-mouth among the other Overlords will make Farlor trust me."

Jollis nodded once. "I am again honored. I shall reach my contacts and arrange for these goods at once. I will visit with you later to inform you how much I may obtain for you."

"Thank you. Now, I need to be off, as today's Conclave will start soon."

The two of them left Roquan's quarters together and stopped briefly at the path. They exchanged the proper farewells and parted company.

Roquan walked quickly towards the bluff. He could see that some Overlords had already gathered, though nowhere near the number that had the day before. Perhaps few believed that a Point of Order would be resolved in so little time.

He took a deep breath and let it go as he proceeded up the curving path to the gazebo. Yes, he would resolve it. He would give in to Freya. He had no choice at the moment.

Before he could get inside, Doran surged forward and stopped him.

"Roquan!" Doran said urgently.

"Not now, Doran, I must first ..."

"What you must first do is tell me how you did it!"

Roquan stopped and looked at Doran. "Come again?"

Doran looked him squarely in the eye, narrowing his gaze. "You got the Weton deal. You snatched it right out from under Gronnus' nose! He won't even give Gronnus the time of day! How did you do it?"

"Why, Doran, you should know," came a sultry voice from behind Roquan. As he turned, Freya alighted a hand on his shoulder. She slid her fingers slowly down one arm. "After all, you ... trained him."

Roquan bristled and gave Freya an icy look. Freya simply smiled.

She was dressed a little more conservatively that day in a bright blue dress that extended down nearly to her knees. Yet she still wore no support, and she had also forgone the panties. And she was no less voluptuous in her manner and her voice.

Doran shifted his gaze and looked at Freya suspiciously. "And just what do you mean by that?"

"Hasn't he told you yet? I made an offer to resolve our little Point of Order. All I need from him is to tell me whether he accepts it or not."

Doran's eyebrows rose. "Oh? I tried to speak with Rennis about this earlier but he brushed me off. He did not seem like he wished to speak about it."

Freya looked at Roquan and licked her lips. "Well? Do we have a deal? Will you give Amanda to me?"

"Amanda? Hmm!" Doran mused, looking thoughtful and rubbing his chin.

Roquan hesitated.

Freya took another step closer to him. She spoke in a low, husky voice. "It's all you have to do, Roquan. Give her to me, and this nasty little Point of Order ... and other things ... goes away. And you get my vote."

Doran's face lit up and he looked excitedly towards Roquan.

"You will have Amanda," he said tonelessly.

Freya grinned. "A master negotiator you are, Roquan. Very good."

"So you will thus state at the Conclave that you no longer have an issue about the broken trade agreement?"

"And you will give me to her when?"

"Tonight. After dusk."

"Why not now?"

Roquan's eyes hardened. "I still need her this afternoon," he said in a low voice, his eyes blazing anger at her.

"Ah, yes, your little ... task ... for her. All right, Roquan. Since the deal has been witnessed by another Overlord, I will assume you will make good on it. The Conclave may thus proceed."

She dropped him a wink and stepped past him.

Doran watched Freya go, barely containing his excitement. He clapped Roquan on the shoulder. "Amazing! Simply brilliant! Freya's vote! And all for the price of a single Trainee! Roquan, I misjudged you. You do indeed know how to make the deal."

Roquan turned his eyes towards Freya, his eyes boring into her retreating back.

Yes, he had made the deal. Now all he had to do was figure out a way to back out of it.

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