Nagi." You..." She had managed to wheeze upon recognition. Able to reconstruct, though now far richer in tone and timber, his was the voice which had ...irst only been the faintest whisper in her ear."Yes!" He affirmed smiling, while the hand at her chin then began gently stroking her cheek. "As you can see it worked!" Nagi had felt a sigh pass the length of her being at hearing. A feeling of relief at having accomplished a goal, it did little however to offset the pervading overall weakness. It will be a shame to defeat you."Time to go, Thor, came Ephus thought. The Valkyries are coming at you from three sides.Good, returned Thor's thoughts. "Too bad I can't stay," Thor laughed as he took off far faster than Loki thought he could.Immediately, he was swiftly followed by a mass of winged females. Hmmm Thor thought, they seemed to be faster than before. I am on my way; they are faster than they were. Will that be a problem? Thor's thought reached Ephus.No, I don't think it will, just. I figured I was in some sort of trouble, but being who I am, I said, ‘Ed, I’ve already explained the birds and the bees to you. If you don’t get it yet, I don’t think you’re going to.’”That got the best laugh of the day. Nick had actually said that to Ed once, but it had been when Nick was fourteen and struggling with school. That joke had been a last-ditch effort to avoid the subject because Nick was sure he was going to be told it was time to stop moping about his mother’s death four years. " He had said it loudly enough so that the Hagewoods could hear in the back. Vasquez winked at Guterrez as they turned onto the Interstate, both of them knowing that the Hagewoods would both be dead if everything went according to plan.Later they swung onto the first county road near Martha's restaurant. "Pull the curtain back a little so I can talk to the guys," Vasquez said loudly, knowing that they could hear him, but trying to reinforce his earlier, supposed, accidentally overheard comments.