Cohen got up and adjusted the shades, came back and sat on thefloor with the others. "Very good. No funny business and no one getshurt. If any of you ...ries anything stupid, you're going to be verysorry. So don't. We're only going to be here until 4:15 when theautomatic safe alarm is shut off for 15 minutes and then Mrs. Cohen willunlock the safe." How did you know that it can be opened then?" Mrs. Cohen asked."Never mind that," Avi said.Sarah said, "you'll never get away with this you. She didn’t SAY she was a virgin, nor imply it, but her cousin did, as did her sister, though the sister’s implication was oblique. I honestly have no idea. If she was, then a four on Elyse’s scale.”“What’s your gut feeling?”“That’s just it, I don’t have one. If you force me to answer, I’d say no, but I am so unsure about it that I’d say that had a less than fifty-percent confidence. And honestly, except for your vicarious jollies, does it matter to anyone but her?”“No, of course not. And?”“We. "That's why I got you a living tree."She moved into his arms and rested her head on his shoulder. "The lights are so much like the candles we used back then." She hugged him tighter and sighed."Christianity hadn't reached your people, had it, dear heart?" We clung to the old ways," she answered softly."So, what would be the proper greeting? Merry Solstice?" he asked lightly."Happy Solstice. It's Happy Solstice, Rob." She nestled her head under his chin."It's been so long since I celebrated,". After what seemed to me a long time (even though it was only fifteen minutes), mother came upstairs. She had changed her silk sari she was wearing when she went to the temple and was wearing her regular thin cotton sari and slightly tight blouse which accentuated her shapely breasts. She closed the door when she came in and had a box of sweets in her hand. She sat on the bed beside me and said, “These are the temple sweets. Let me put one in your mouth, Ajit” and did so when I opened my mouth..