Which meant I was in the middle of the conversation and gossip. Oh, joy. May I remind you that Nora was still in The Program? Yes, she was butt naked ...oo, like me, but was wearing shoes. It seems she left home in the nude. No safety net. That was brave of her and I was impressed. Still, I didn’t want to be in the middle of their conversation.“Mom, why can’t I sit up front?” I asked.“You know why.”“Damn!”“What was that, Jason?”“I said MAN it’s noisy back here having to listen to these. ”The bounty hunter sighed. “She’s a riding mule, and you should just be glad there was something available. This village isn’t very big. Besides, this close to the free lands, a good riding mule costs more than a horse. They’re smart and sure-footed.”Katrin wondered if that was all true, or if he just wanted her on something that couldn’t outrun his own horse. She took a look in the mule’s eyes and softened her stance.“Fine,” she said. “What’s her name?”“The man’s daughter called her Flower.. Come and see her!"Earl followed Jennifer into the kitchen where Allan was unsuccessfullytrying to hide behind Janice. The latter grasped him by the hand anddragged him over toward Earl, finally stopping when Earl was about fourfeet away. Janice stepped back while Earl and Allan stood staring ateach other."Isn't it uncanny?" she asked."It's eerie," confirmed Earl. "But I approve for Jenny's sake."For the balance of the evening, following Janice's immediate departurefor home, any observer would. And now Jahke was standing there, half dressed, and asking to go to Shindae's party. Party was a very loose description for what had already started down in the main living room. Orgies were in frequent and often totally unplanned and Sitka had carefully kept himself and his new charge out of the only one that had happened since Jahke's arrival.Jahke wrapped his arms around the big demon."I always wanted to be brave," the boy began to draw circles on Sitka's muscled chest with a slender finger,.