"Five, four, three..." You don't have to do this." Debbie pleaded once more."Two, one." The race coordinator dropped his arms in a swift downward move...ent.I let out the clutch as the big Impala lurched forward with tires squealing from the torque of the mighty 409 engine. My back was pinned against the big bench seat as Debbie's head pressed into my lap. I could hear the GTO light up it's tires as Jerry launched it into motion. Almost immediately I dropped the Hurst shifter into second and. . or a citizen. I've done it before."Corvus was having a hard enough time parsing basic Latin when she moved like that. Her last sentence made no sense at all. "You've done ... what?"Nerida gave a little smirk. "Formerly Merula isn't the only one in this household who can act, master. I can be a citizen or a rebellious slave if that's what you want. I've done both." She reached down and touched the bruise Regula had left on his cheek. "I know how to struggle without really struggling ... if you. I took him through to the kitchen. The cab driver followed, a glass of vodka clutched in hand. As I got some pies from the cupboard., the cab driver introduced himself as Mack. I got chatting with him as Dimitri ate and guzzled vodka. Like alot of cab drivers Mack liked to talk and sort of began to run off at the mouth Soon I was getting his life story. Navy as a young man. Marriage, 4 kids all grown up and his wife had left. Out of interest I asked his kids ages and all were older than. Besides she couldn’t very well go: ‘Baby, you know that pseudo troll who implied you were shallow and a player? That’s me! Ha-ha. Let’s have a drink before we head down to the club.’ She lied to Sean repeatedly for his own sake yet the justification opened a gulf of worry and guilt inside her. Still her mind recycled the hallow mantra so she wouldn’t have to entertain the insidious voice in her head. The one that quietly read snippets of her year old online tome when she should be enjoying the.