Thanks to the helmets, now Jules was in control. The aliens had been exposed before they were ready to play their hand, and it had thrown a spanner in...the works.The Araxie dodged and weaved through the jungle, their feet scarcely seeming to touch the ground. This was their domain, and it was hard for him to keep up. Yuta was similarly accustomed to traversing these environments, and the Marines fared a little better, but they had to stop after a while to let Jules catch his breath. He leaned. The call on my cell phone gave me the excuse to vacate the premises for whatever carnal display they fell into in my absence. It was only a reminder from the pharmacy to pick up my tablets but I pretended it was an emergency situation at my place of work that needed immediate attention. Of course, I headed to the nearest pub and sat on the wooden bench in the furthest corner. A couple of the heavily painted female regulars smiled at me but I wasn’t having any of it after the close call at home.. We parked our bikes in the carport next to the trailer, and went in the squeaky front door.As we each took turns in the bathroom emptying our bladders, the others sat on a cheap but clean couch watching the porn on the tv and drinking the beers. When Lawrence, the last to piss, came back into the room, he lit a joint and passed it around. Taking my first hits in over twenty-five years - that's how long I've been married - I was surprised at how smooth it was compared to the pot I smoked years. That you... ?"Ferhana put down her coffee and smiled reassuringly at Ana. "It's not that uncommon you know, Ana," she remarked. "Zabba's just someone who's interested in women as well as men." Does that make you, like Binta, someone who is, as they say... ?"Zabba put a hand on Ana's wrist. "Don't say it out loud. Someone might hear you. But of course I am. I'm just not exclusive like Binta. There's nothing wrong with it, whatever President Marmeluke and his prudish government might say. It.