They were not well dressed and they carried a motley collection of weapons on their backs or on their belts. A few were large and most of them were of...average size and height. None of them looked particularly wholesome."We had heard that some conscripts were shirking their duty to lord and land by hiding in the mountains. What do we find but another stout lad running away from his duty," the man said."I am the caretaker of the northern tunnel," Pardin said. "What is it that you want?" Oo, a. Her arms and legs were still around me, but only loosely. I didn’t think she wanted me to move, so I pulled the second pillow partially on top of the one she had her head on and put my head on it. I listened to her breathing become more regular, and felt her heartbeat slow to something approaching normal. It was about fifteen minutes before she said the first words since we’d left the deli.“Seven years,” she sighed.“Seven years?” I asked.“Of thinking about it; of wondering what it was like; of. Then, Jackie and her boyfriend borrowed a truck... and he backed it into a pole. I had to repair the rear bumper and I added reasonable charges to her tab for all the work I'd done. I also cautioned her - yet again - to catch up. A few days later, Jackie was backing a car into a parking spot and hit one of my vans. She came into my office to tell me about it, and we walked out to examine it. I am not an ogre, I swear, but I was not going to pay for this damage. I said, "Call your insurance. Taping that conversation was borderline illegal, you see?"He offered her a set of headphones and started a small tape player. Roberta could hear some wind noise and some voices in the background, but she could easily discern Anthony's voice and the voice of the girl."Did you talk to your mum yet?" she heard the girl."Yes, I told her. She says I have to take it up with Dad." I still think you should go, Tony. She's your grandmother and it's her sixtieth birthday." I know, I know," she heard.