" And what if she doesn't respond?"Hannigan was silent a moment. "We stick to the original plan. Try to get to Afghanistan." We have no money and a ca... which probably won't make it up the next hill. Doesn't sound encouraging." True. Still, we're resourceful. I found us breakfast without paying for it, we'll figure something out."Tamara sighed, finally feeling full for the first time in days. Waiting was never easy, but at least she had company. The water was boiling and before long they had. Chassari handed Lishaka a small wooden box and bowed deeply. “For you, Lisha-chan.”“I’m not used to you being all formal with me, Chassari.” Lishaka said, awkwardly handling the box. It was eight-sided and etched with the local writing, held shut by an intricate metal clasp. She opened the box. On red padding sat an oval glass lens, faceted like an insect’s eye and adorned with some kind of armature ending in a leather loop. Carefully, she plucked the lens from its bed and held it up to her. " You are not the one we expected," came the voice."Many years have passed," I said. "Thousands of years." The darkness," asked the voice, "is it still here?"In the old manuscripts I had read of it. The "darkness" referred to agreat war caused by greed and passion, so I answered the voice. "Thereis much trouble in the land," I told the voice, "war and famine, greedand lust are still with us." I waited, and when no answer came... "Butalso great giving, kind people and good medicine. We have much. They were literallysquealing with delight, eyes shining with feral pleasure. This was oneshow they weren't going to miss. I felt surrounded, trapped, hemmed in."No, no, please no!" I cried, heart pounding in my throat, "take me upto my room! I don't everyone to see!" A rash of laughter rippled throughthe audience. Some of them chortled over my childish modesty, otherssighed with maternal pleasure. Someone patted me affectionately on thebottom: there, there, sweetheart; no need to be shy."Don't.