With a little tug, he pulled the book he was touching off thejam-packed shelf. The buzzing in my head intensified for a moment. Likeholding a bees' n...st to my ear.A second book, this one with a bright pink binding, slid forward to occupythe empty slot."And you are certain that this Curtis Blake was your second grade teacher?"Zimmer asked, still holding the blue book.I opened my mouth to reaffirm my previous answer, then paused as uncertaintyrolled through me. Mr. Blake? Second grade? No, that. " Lucky you! There hasn't been much on in Cardiff, but I'm looking. Julie likes a night at the theatre as well. But we've been quite tied up for the last month with Vee's problem."I briefly told her about Vee's troubles. She wasn't at all impressed with Jeff's behaviour."The bastard! I hope she's seen the last of him!"Mum came upstairs to check we had tried on our clothes as requested; she had bought me a new white shirt and a black polyester tie.It was a strange feeling to again have a shirt. I didn’t know what else to call it. I seemed to have greater resolution while asleep and hoped that even if she was dead, I would find her that way.Before lying down on the bed, I looked myself in the mirror and simply said, “This is not a joy ride. This is for Suzi. You know what you have to do. Don’t fail her.”I can’t say I actually fell asleep completely, and there wasn’t the usual imaginative transition to the world of symbols. Just the great expanse of minds all around me in every. ***I dreamed I was standing on a beach outside Bagrad; the moon was full,and the stars were bright. A shadow near me formed into the shape of apowerfully built lady. Her skin was jet black; her eyes were red andher pupils were slitted; her hair was white, and on her bosom she woretwo abalone shells.?My queen!? I said, bowing low quickly.?So... you are my host!? Abalone hissed, as if eager to kill me, and Inodded.?I can make your voyage easy, for I just happen to know where Nowhere.