That was the most random topic yet. Suddenly, I wasn’t so sleepy anymore. I hesitated. I wasn’t sure how to approach this topic. ‘Not really. Yo... are my best friend after all.’ He remained silent. ‘I’m sorry.’ He whispered. ‘For what?’ I wondered. ‘That you lost a friend.’ ‘Shut up, Mike. You’re my friend. And I’m on your team before anyone else in the world. I promise.’ A small tear escaped from his eye, and it broke my heart. I’d seen him cry before, but this time it kind of hurt me too.. But we are not at war. We haven't been at war for 95 years. So the Guard became glorified body shields and a place to send a child that couldn-t be kept at home for economic reasons. The 11... 12, I suppose now ... who took your oath, that is the one thing most of them have in common. They come from large families in small lordships. There is no place for them among the family hierarchy. Just as there is no place for me among mine."Torbert nodded thoughtfully."For the most part, those are the. " Not to you." I don't treat you any differently whatever you look like." You didn't ask Chris to play dress-up did you? You didn't play withChris's nipples the way you play with Pippa's did you? Would you have gotChris to get a navel piercing or pierced ears?" Jess looked a bitembarrassed."No," she said quietly."That's what I thought." Tears started to roll from Chris's eyes. "Ireally like the way I'm being treated at the moment. I like the way weare together when I'm Pippa and I don't know. So I ask her if it's okay for me to wrap the other breast more tightly, to which she nods in the affirmative.I promptly wrap her right breast with the other strand of the rope, and this time I'm pulling hard enough that the base of her breast is compressed. Her flesh bulges over the rope like a flesh-coloured, reddish balloon. I don't ask her again if she's all right, I'm sure she would let me know if she was in trouble. So I quickly release her left breast and re-tie it just as tightly as the.