"What you said before--were you trying to rattle me or did you tell me the truth?" My words came out slow and careful. Phones have ears."I couldn't li... to you Joe. Have I ever?" I thought about it. She never had. She played with me--put me on edge many times--but never really lied. We pretended of course--constructed our little world--but knew we played imaginative games."It's the same, isn't it? Twenty years pass, and you still play with my heart." I told you I'm no good. Do you want to. ” Svend agreed.They were out of options then. There were no islands in the Calm. Not even a shallow patch. Svend claimed no one knew how deep the water was, only that it was deep enough for the Denizens to approach sailing ships without being detected. And because of those monsters, they couldn’t afford to sail any direction except straight for the Landing while praying not to be noticed.When John was a boy, pirate movies were popular for a while. He’d been young enough that pretending to sail. The man that I had spoken to, her step-father, was her mother’s third husband. She was not married to Amalie’s biological father, who it turned out, was a government official, and who would come in useful in processing her Visa application. Amalie’s mother, in her early years, up until age and the ravages of a hard life intervened, was what is known in France as a ‘demimondaine’, a lady of dubious reputation. Her discreet liaisons were always with important and influential men. She it was who. Even with the drinks she had, Cindy was clearly at a loss for words. "House rules after dark," Mark tried to reassure her. Noting her hesitation, he reassessed. "You can leave your suit on if you like. C'mon in, we won't bite," Mark continued. Cindy continued to look hesitant as Ann echoed, "It's okay Cindy, we're all family here." Cindy looked down at the pavement before she gently sat down on the side of the pool and eased her body into the cool water."That's it baby girl," Mark said softly.