Both times that is what he said. Now, in his defense, once he got over his shock he was much more supportive. But his initial reaction was identical t... what you've seen. And my reaction was identical to his. When the stick turned blue I said the exact same thing."Elizabeth glared at me for a moment before her look softened."Which exactly what I said when I found out my son was on his way," she admitted with a grin. "Now, Mike, don't you think you should check out how Carrie is doing?"I sighed. " I need you to hold the charm I gave you as tightly as you can," youinterrupted, "and to concentrate on me as strongly as possible." Of course," I said, non-plussed, "but why...?" Please, darling," you said, an edge of hysteria in your voice, "pleasejust do as I ask. It's really, really important. Do it for me." OK, I'm doing it now," I said, closing my fist around the charm andpicturing you in my mind. I didn't know why this was so important toyou, but it was and that was all that mattered.. As she spoke, her words rippledthrough my brain, and folded into the sound loop."Such a good boy. Doing what I want you to do. Serving me. Obeying me.Worshipping me. It makes you happy. So happy. To serve. To obey. Toworship."Rosie turned down the sound for a moment, to tell me that I was safe,that Maria was going to help me, and that I was doing what she wanted meto do. "I have a present for you," she whispered. Before I could eventhink to be dismayed - her last presents had been somewhat. Believe it or not, I don’t have that entire passage memorized, so I’ll need to get my Bible.”Clarissa nodded, “Sure.”I took down the NKJV, which was the text we used as there wasn’t an Orthodox Bible in English in print, though there was a group trying to create and publish one, with a full translation of the Septuagint, but so far that was only a dream, not a reality. I turned to Romans 7 and found the passage.“For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not.