. and happy too.”Nessa kissed her forehead. “Go to him, poppet.”She disengaged and pointed Allie at the door. Allie went slowly almost shyly to ...t and gently opened it. Not gently enough. Toby turned, rose to his feet with a huge joyful and adoring smile. He held open his arms and Allie leapt burying her face in his neck.Nessa smiled and quietly closed the door.“Two hours, my Allie,” whispered Toby. “How are we going to survive until you’ve passed Grade 8?”Allie could only nod.“Good. But he isn't me and I was in the wrong. I waited for some sort of reaction, hoping that there would be no reaction at all. But there was."Do you like what you see?" He asked me. "Do you like what you were staring at?" "Ummm, I'm really sorry for that. It wasn't intentional. I happened to look that way, and, ummm, I guess because it's really big, it kind of grabbed my attention."I could sense from his face and body language that my honest response totally defused the situation. "You're not the. Right before you reach the Zingha River, you’ll see earthen mounds to the east. Once you cross the river, the road branches. Follow the fork to the right and it will take you to our estate. Ask for the Patriarch and tell him that I sent you,” I instructed.He left as quietly as he had arrived.By noon, it seemed as if everyone who wanted to sell slaves had done so. I managed to buy two more wagons and loaded one with food.After what Sergeant Pargakz told me, I bought eighteen swords, twenty-six. Johnson and tell him who we were. Mr. Johnson was unable to respond. Nor could he move his legs or his arms or his neck. He slumped limply in his wheelchair, wearing striped pajamas and a brown bathrobe, his eyes ogling blindly ahead, a thin drool forever flowing down one side of his slack, expressionless face. Mr. Johnson had been blown almost to pieces on Taiwan. Even at my age I realized without being told that the man would never move or talk or lift a spoon of soup to his face.Martha Jane.