"I'm outside your house," Laura said. "In fact, if you look out the window, you can probably see my car." You shouldn't have come. I don't want to see...you. Tonight," Deshona added as an afterthought."Please. Please just talk to me. I can explain everything. Just let me."Laura wondered if that were the wrong thing to say. Did it now sound like there was something that needed explaining? As she had all evening, Deshona was not responding. There was total silence on the line. Laura could not even. " No, it's not that, at all. I never had sex with the man," said Meredith."Huh?"Meredith laughed. "He was a sperm donor. But later, after I gave birth, I chased him down him through the fertility clinic. I had wanted to be sure that Mark had a good father-figure to look up to. Over the years, Harold has fulfilled that role admirably." Okay." You must think I'm totally nuts." No, really, I'm not judging." He is a good guy," said Meredith."Cool. He seems like a great attorney." I'm sorry about. As I cough in the dust on the ground, I hear a beautiful sound; a girl’s laughter. I smile to myself and sigh, as Nayima laughs at my expense.“Could you please get off me, Nayima? I have water-duty today…”My words are muffled by the ground below me, but Nayima seems to have heard, as I feel the weight on my back lifting. I quickly get up and dust myself off before I turn around and indeed see Nayima smiling innocently.“I know, and the elders sent me to help you.” She says, still smiling. I sigh. Laws could be made and unmade as was necessary to keep order and raise taxes. That was the real aim of such a state. Their friend was good at challenging the authorities; he could parry man-trap questions, he could trip up the most devious of questioners, challenge the very basis of their religion it seemed; and the authorities let it happen. Talk was what they were all good at. They were a little surprised when he lost it a day or so ago, but even there, he had a point. They had let tradesmen.