Sarah smiled as she watched her brother twirl his petticoats, but sheknew she had work to do. She took down the pink dress and slipped itover his hea..., fluffing the skirt as it drifted over the petticoat. Sheslipped his arms into the puffy princess sleeves and then zipped up theback, taking a small lock and quietly clicking it closed at the neck.Now her brother was trapped in his dress and Sarah could have thepleasure of watching his reaction when he learned of his fate. Sarahbent down and. That elevator ride was the shortest of my life.All too soon the door dinged again, and I stepped out into the familiar space. People looking pale and splotchy worked monotonously in the bullpen. Phones rang, faxes were made, and everything was the same.Or so I told myself.Jim, who must have been eyeing the elevator waiting for me, quickly appeared in front of me."Jonathan," he cried, "Good god, it took you over an hour to get here."I started to inform him about the bad traffic ... but he waved. “They fought, too, and they almost died for Earth. They screwed up, but we all screw up. I want them to fly with us in the parade. The parade does not happen until the new interceptor is ready.”Standing, the two pulled Jeff to his feet. “Come, Husband.”It finally dawned on the General why Arlene and Ann had dressed so carefully, and it certainly wasn’t for the meeting.On the Alien Ship’s Auxiliary Bridge Just After Ship Had FiredThe big ship had bucked and shuddered, throwing everyone on the. . really. After all, this was such an absurd situation that we were in, being her intimate bath attendant, that I spoke almost without thinking.“Look, if I’m going to scrub any deeper there, you’re going to end up with a bar of soap or a few fingers going up your ass. Really, to get that ... area, any cleaner, I’d have to use my tongue.”“Oh ... really?” She queried, and without the slightest hint of amusement or irony, “well, if that’s what you need to do get it all really clean and stop the.