I answered in the same tone, "The usual, Bill."Bill looked directly at my eyes and grinned, showing his pointed teeth. "Are you sure, even now, that I...cannot tempt you with more? My realm has much knowledge which has been lost to yours." He always said that, the teaser.I shook my head. "Not tonight."He nodded soberly. "As you say, so shall it be. This will hurt!"I had always loved to watch the process. Perhaps that would provide me with some cover for what I had to do. I unbuttoned my shirt and. "Michael?" The questioning and fearful look on her face will forever be ingrainedin my memory of this moment. I could not move and before I couldprocess another thought - tears began to flow down my cheeks and thenthe heavy sobs began...December 2nd, 6:23 PMI hadn't moved from my mom's embrace other than to carelessly wipetears from my face. She had held me tightly, not saying much ofanything, letting me work through whatever I was going through andletting me get out all that made up the past. The bright flare of light from the match he lit showed every crevice on his face. The deep creases at the corner of his eyes served to highlight the startling blueness of his pupils as he speared me to the spot with them. His short oily black hair stood straight up on the top of his head. It looked as if he’d awoken that way and not bothered to comb it into any style. He’d run his fingers in an agitated manner through it so many times that this was his normal look. What was most surprising was. "You don't like people ordering you around, do you?" He'd said it like a statement, rather than a question.She smiled and shook her head.So, that was what she'd been deciding – whether or not she might be willing to put up with a more-than-a-little bossy old man (well, older than her, anyway).And ... she must still be reading his mind, because her smile widened a bit, and he was pretty sure it was his thought about their respective ages. Then he remembered another pair of twins – two blond.