Stanley's parties. I didn't tell Sonya because I didn't want to have to explain. I just kept quiet while Sonya talked about needing a new dress for th... party.On Wednesday night I came home to an empty house. When Sonya wasn't home a half hour later I began to worry and as the hour grew later I began to get angry. At 7:30 I finally heard the garage door opening. I had to take several deep breaths to calm myself before Sonya came into the house. I was determined to give her a chance to explain. I was meant to be picking her up from the airport, Bev had given her my number, but there was no call, I lost track of time. I was on a conference call and I heard the front door open, and from the home office I see this young lady, blonde, five foot two-ish enter the house. She's the spitting image of Bev, so I assume it must be Summer.''What was she wearing?''Er...some denim shorts and a vest sort of top. Mid-riff exposed, pierced navel, you know the sort of thing. Anyway, I finish my call. ” I must say that Mrs. Melton took everything I had told her in stride. “Based on what she’s told me about you, I’m hardly surprised.”“Anyway, I’m having a big holiday party for my employees and their wives Saturday night. I’ve always taken my girls and I plan to introduce Amber and Amy then to my parents. I asked Amy if you’d like to come. I’m inviting you and I’m willing to pay your way—plane tickets from Pittsburgh to Islip MacArthur. You can stay with us—my office at home has a couch. The Lockdown will continue sending them the energy.”“What about a shield,” I suggested, wrestling with different ideas, “or some kind of null space? Something that will sever the connection.”“The reason so many people hate dealing with syphoning spells is because they are so difficult to alter or divert,” she said. “It’s not like you have a length of hose shoved into the gas tank of a car, get the gas flowing and then when the can you’re putting the gas in is full, you just change.