. if possible."As Paul listened to a litany of a dozen minor demands, he knew that it was the Agency's way of saving face in retreat. Their proposals ...mounted to nearly nothing, less than window-dressing. Paul agreed to all of them. The permit would be issued.As Morehead droned on, taking advantage of his place on the center-stage, Paul's thoughts drifted to putting together the jigsaw puzzle of what was happening. Grafton had been on the dole from Montgomery, as had been Hopkins. The strategy. ”“OK. I’ll go and put some trousers and shoes on. Will you wait a couple of minutes and show me where to go?”“Yes, Roger.”“And when I’m close, you had better vanish.”“I will. I rarely go anywhere near the bridge.”Cissy waited for me outside my cabin while I changed, including putting my long socks on. She took me to the companionway leading up to the bridge. She told me to ask the Officer of the Watch for the Captain’s sea cabin. She turned and almost ran away.I showed the card to the Officer. “What did they do to my balls?”“Please stand still,” Charlie said.She was kneeling in front of his naked body, wielding a small, humming instrument. It stung when it pulled out one of the rare little hairs that still grew on his body.“My goddamn balls, Charlie!” he repeated, stepping back. His whining voice echoed in the bathroom. “Where are they? What did they do to them?”As the girl looked up her curly bangs opened like a curtain, showing a violet eye and a smiling mouth.“Nothing to worry. Kris got up off the floor, red faced in defeat. "I can't believe I fell for that total bullshit about the protective older brother thing," she said. I stopped celebrating long enough to laugh. "I can't help if you're a sucker for emotions," I said. "But the truth is I do like the idea of watching out for you...little sister."Kris answered with a well-aimed pillow to my gut, and we had another round of hysterical laughter."Ok, 1-1, what's next b*o," she said."More wrestling," I answered. "This.