Just for a few minutes.”They went out and a few seconds later my parents walked in.“How are you feeling son?” My Dad asked, “Better than you l...ok I hope?”“I don’t know, how do I look?” I asked.“Battered and bruised, not your usual handsome self.”“What happened?” I asked.“Don’t you remember?” Mum asked.“No,” I replied, “I remember finishing dinner and Pip and I cleared the kitchen up, but after that it’s just, I don’t know, sort of foggy.”“Well, do you remember your brother was dressed to go out. I finally suggested that, in portable device, the 'cum spike' be kept in volatile memory with a minimum delay of one hour between activations, to avoid quick repeats and prevent a reboot from bypassing the timer. Everyone agreed with the idea, acknowledging Claudia's requirements. We talked for a while and remembered Claudia's textbook CDs. She identified one she would need the next day, I quickly set up Jabberwocky and we moved to the sofas to talk quietly while Claudia absorbed the book. She woke under him slowly, already into the kiss before her eyes opened. ‘Duncan, it’s been so lonely here alone. I’m glad you’re back.’ The lovely woman stretched her arms above her head, her eyes locked on his before locking them behind his head, holding him to her. ‘What time is it, lover?’ ‘Just time enough for us to get to the diner, honey. We’re picking up a picnic dinner they’re making for us. Then we’ll take a little drive.’ Giving her another long kiss he stood, watching her. ‘Lordy,. "Wow, I wasn't sure what to expect when Patty insisted we find a hat shop first thing in the morning. She bolted up from a dead sleep and insisted we find a hat immediately. I almost thought she was going to head out to the first one without even putting on any clothes," he said, laughing a little. I was beginning to revise my initial estimate of the value of his support in helping Patricia adapt to her new abilities. "I thought we were on a fool's errand but here you are. You really didn't.