He gathered up his affairs, then exited the cave through the shimmering barrier, noting that her tracks led away from its mouth. He could see the trai... that her dragging tail had left in the sand, and it looked recent. He was no hunter, but after erasing so many of his own tracks, he had learned to recognize their age. Curious, he decided to follow it for a little while, her footprints weaving between the rocks. The sun had already risen fairly high, he had slept through the dawn. It would have. ’ He directed her to the parlour, and showed her to a small chair near the corner table. ‘To begin with, Penny, I think we should discuss your goals and expectations from our tutoring sessions. Exactly what do you hope to learn, and what will you do with that knowledge when our sessions are complete?’ He waited patiently as he watched her struggle with her answer. When it came, he was unsurprised, and very pleased at how well he’d judged her drive. ‘Well, Mr. Smith, I would very much like to. Itwas one he was still struggling to get used to from what he had to saidto her. Standing next to him, his shapely legs next to her, Mary took aquick look at her husband once more. Or well...husband in legal termsbarely at this point."Morning James," she said back as she spit in the sink while James beganto brush his own teeth. Their general awkwardness around each other wasnever going to end, at most they both agreed they'd stay friends and livetogether to help raise their kids. Gone were. "Terrified. I know what Doszak is like. If this isn't perfect I'm going to be dead."Jamie patted him on the back and left the silence to hang in the air for a few moments. "But dis perfect. And then we are well sorted, for life. And Emma, she is sound." I hope so," Oliver muttered. "Cause this is the stupidest thing I've ever done."Jamie glanced at his watch and flicked his finger towards the gate. "Off you go bro," Jamie whispered as two minutes passed and Oliver tentatively edged his way.