As far as I'd searched so far I hadn't come across another way down from the upper plateau. Surely there were other ways, but I hadn't found them yet....That meant I was parked next to the stairway to heaven, or to plateau anyway.Since I hadn't seen any traffic or even any signs of traffic up or down I wondered if the nearby people Rosco had mentioned all lived down in the river's valley, one level lower. I felt certain no one lived up on the plateau. Of course, I could be wrong.As Red and I. " What?"Apparently Sophia hadn't explained, or Julianna had forgotten.I explained how I was theoretically grounded for one month plus howeverlong I spent as a girl, "but the way Mom and Dad have been acting lately,I'm pretty sure they'll back off on that sometime soon. Not today,though." That sucks," Julianna said. "Why would they do that?"That led into a long discussion of Mom's and particularly Dad's attitudestoward gender issues, and how they'd softened up a bit over the lastfew weeks,. To gasps of surprise from the Siberians, the man walked off the blow's pain, circling and grinning at Rhykov."You fight well!" he boomed, "who do I have the honour of crushing?" You have conceit, my friend," Rhykov replied, "but I've no interest in fighting, only returning home. So if you'd kindly take yourself and your oxen out of my way..." It is you who have the conceit, comrade, for I've been only toying with you. If I'd have been serious, you'd have no need of a home, only a pine box.". What did you say you wanted? Would you like sherry?" That would be lovely, Mum." Kevin?" Coffee's plenty for me." Are you sure? I'll be having a glass of sherry as well." All right. OK. Just the one glass."Karen brought over a tray with a bottle of Bristol Cream and placed it on the kitchen table. She then poured generous measures into three sherry glasses and replaced the cork."Should we be making a toast?" asked Kevin."I'm not sure," said Karen. "I don't know what for. I'm still celebrating.