You wouldn't want to jeopardize your good standing, or your good seat at lunch."Though said teasingly, her words had bite. I sat at a table jammed fro... one end to the other with all my friends. Most of the time, Agnes sat alone or with a small group of equally nerdy friends.In reply, I said: "There's room for one more at my table. Or we could always start our own table. Nerds on one side, all the cool kids on the other."She couldn't help herself. With a startling radiance, a smile broke across. " You aren't hurting my feelings. Go ahead, tell me what you think." Well, I think it was -- primitive. And, sure, the noise scared me a couple of times. But, jeez, Sandy, there's a big difference between being startled, momentarily, by a sudden noise, and being threatened by a 95 mile-per-hour fastball coming at your head." You mean, because one instance of being frightened was clearly only a lab experiment." Well. I mean, I wasn't in any real danger from your noisemaker -- what the hell was. ”“PUT MOST OF THE FOOD IN MY PLATE!” I yelled as she left, waking Rita up in the process.“Not so loud! I’m having a good dream, and a good orgasm,” Rita said sleepily.“Well since I’m not a part of it nows the perfect time to wake up!”She tried to will herself to go back to sleep but I wouldn’t let her until she finally got up and punched me in the ribs for my efforts, which might not be worth it in the long run.“That was a good dream! You’re gonna make up for that TODAY!”“When have I not? It’s. The woman was holding a swaddled newborn. Sorina’s child. His child. ‘She lives? Our daughter lives?’ His mother smiled sadly. ‘She is strong, Valerius, and even more beautiful than her mother.’ ‘She lives,’ he breathed and fresh tears fell. ‘Valerius,’ his mother said carefully, ‘the prophecy.’ Her gaze searched his and she felt simultaneously relieved and sorry when she saw recognition in his eyes. ‘You know what this means. We are the last of our kind, my son. She is our only living female.