It was wonderful to see that happy and bubbly side of her again. I could only hope that what we were tentatively engaging in wouldn’t change that.I...looked over to my left as I approached the stairway and saw a large sliding glass door near the corner of the house and a regular door about thirty or forty feet further to the right of that. The back of the house was built into the hill so the lowest level was a semi-basement with the doors leading to the back yard area. A walkway led from there. He could have taken no notice of her there but it would have been unnatural and upsetting for her. He did his concerts but solo as he had done before. He rang Merle just to keep tabs on things. Tina seemed to be back on an even keel and he was content but not happy.In early June Ellie invited him to a midweek party at her flat. It was her flatmate's, Sally's, birthday party."Nothing special," she said. "No presents other than something like a box of chocolates. There won't be any food either. The room was free of electronics and seemed not to offer a threat.I was in the lead, about halfway across the room, when I felt something give under my foot, and my chi felt mechanical things moving in the floor and walls. My mind was already screaming 'TRAP' when heavy panels slammed down over both doors and our connection to the other G-girls and Stephanie was instantly cut off.'Faraday cage... ' I had just time enough to realize as a loud hissing came from the walls.'Gas!' Jun thought.Thanks. He stopped at the nursing station and in a numb trance informed them that he’d be back later to attend to the final arrangement for his wife’s body. He was still in a daze as he made his way to the front entrance. He had no idea how he would go about living his life now that she was gone. She had stood at the center of his life, a strong and nurturing lover, for more than six decades. He walked slowly down the hallway, totally oblivious to what was going on around him. The sounds, the smells.