And the changes had continued, slowly but surely, the next day and night. And even now she looked different than she had a couple of hours before in t...e mirror. It was hard to remember how weird it was if she didn't keep reminding herself. There was a sort of muddle that followed her around, and it just kept coming back no matter how many times she used the mushin technique -- it tried to convince her that she had looked the same way all along, and that everything was normal; it attacked her. Anyway, a few minutes after midnight, I pulled into our driveway and the house was pretty dark and it just hit me that I had totally forgotten Justin on his birthday.I quietly slipped in the front door and was immediately relieved that all of the lights were off on the main floor. Leaving my shoes by the door, I tiptoed up the stairs and turned quietly down the hallway toward my room. As I passed Justin’s room, I could see he still had a light on and all I could think about was how horrible. " I certainly do! You know I have been helping as a teacher's assistantin the dance program at Sam's school. Well, the school has a big danceconcert coming up this month and Sam is going to be in a special role." Let me guess, is he going to be a fairy or something?" As soon as Isaid that I realized the unintended double meaning."Not quite, but close. The eighth grade class last year did a fancysquare dance performance, and the teacher wanted to do the same thingagain. There was one big. ‘She seemed uncommonly fond of him. Perhaps we should bring him into the tent and wait until she wakes before we torture him. I think she will want to protect him more than she would herself.’ ‘Yes, General. I bow to your knowledge of human nature. I shall have him moved.’ He bowed his head and then followed Stephan from the tent, only stopping once to talk to a guard that stood at the doorway of the tent. Then he followed Stephan to the camp physician and then to the dinner tent as his orders.