Just as I was shifting my weight to continue to my room, the noise repeated itself. It sounded like a gasp followed by rapid breathing for a moment. ...And then nothing."I'm gonna' read for a bit before I go to sleep. See you in the morning." I called to the door."Okay, Dad."Wow, a reply. That never happened. That rarely happened. That only happened when he was subconsiously filling an uncomfortable void. Something's up, I thought walking into my room. Glancing at the drawer, I noticed it. Lisa and Ashley remained busy out of my site; I had heard the door openand close and could hear that Karla was now back as well. I heardAshley tell someone that it was working even better then they allthought it would and could not wait for the third dose to beadministered. Karla told her that all thirty had to be done in properorder for the change to take entirely, there was giggling from them asAshley said she would not make an error. The footsteps of all threewere heard by me, Karla spoke. "Janie stuck her tongue out at him."I'll bring him back, I promise," Shirl said.Scott and Shirl walked into the back where it was quieter. The manager gave him a rundown on the door take, how much they were paying the band, and what the restaurant had done in turnover.He stopped her, "Shirl, are you working too hard?" Only every day," she replied."Shirl." I know," she raised her arms in futile gesture. "I offered Todd the new assistant manager position tonight." Good," Scott said. "You should. Maybe making her hand go as dark as her melanin could manage, in front of their eyes, and warning them that she was a morf would work as a threat.In the end, the whole thing was pointless. Nobody bothered her, and certainly nobody threatened her. In fact, other than her own musings, the trip was comfortable and pleasant.The theater inspection itself was unremarkable. She found a few things that needed routine cleaning, and a lot of indications that her earlier reports had been heeded. In fact,.