"You were almost like a son to her." That's nice of you to say." I glanced away from her chest to the woodenbosom of N'Kumba, then looked back at Ren...e. "But I know we disagreedabout that N'Kumba paper I wrote for her when I took her special topicsclass."Renee closed her eyes and drew on her cigarette. A moment later, shereleased the smoke from her nostrils."She mentioned that just last month," Renee said."She did?" I asked, just before I reached over and took a cigarette outof the pack. I. "We take what life dishes out. We don't cry over spilled milk."We do our best, even when - like a few nights ago - it was not enough..." Mr. President. I am sorry, Sir."I am sorry that I failed President Gray on Tuesday night. I am so sorry that I'm alive and he died, because I wasn't just an instant faster, or a little stronger..."America; pay attention to that voice, for it is the voice of the next generation. He represents the voice of those who will fund our social security, build our. You know everything about us and I think we all just realized how little we know about our best friend.” A random jock walks up to our table, “Is this dweeb bothering you ladies?” “Heather yells at him “FUCK OFF ASSHOLE, CAN’T YOU SEE WE’RE HAVING A MOMENT HERE!” “Excuse the hell out of me, he says” and quickly moves across the room. “Girls, please don’t cry I say, I’ve loved every moment I’ve ever spent with you. You four are the light in my life.” They all stand and surround me, and pull me. .. pause ... in the room. Although no one looked up, conversation didn't dip in volume, and the swing music blared, there was a sudden and noted distraction.The cause in the interruption was easily spotted. A man, in a military uniform more reminiscent of the fascist states of the twentieth century than the more corporate suited nations of today, had entered. He oozed both silent menace yet untold discipline, and without knowing a thing about rank, Courtney knew he ran this entire show.The.