I was struck by how good looking the man was – his nose, jaw line, and the shape of his profile appeared chiseled from classic movie star material ,...with perfectly trimmed black hair swept straight back off his forehead and a meticulously groomed moustache to match. He was taller than average and pencil thin, and wore a charcoal grey suit and expensive looking shoes. Both of them appeared to me to be just shy of middle-age, but I was only twenty-one years old at the time and everyone more than. He bowed deeply before beckoning them to follow him through the crowd, which split before him. He stopped before a large wooden table in the center of the town. On it was what was probably every scrap of gold or coins the townspeople had left, which was really not very much. A few bags of gold and silver coins, some scrap metal, and all of the large, oversized swords and weapons they had taken off the dead Ogres after Rathgar and Shakara had retreated to the cabin. The two lovers looked at. . like, looking at me or something. Staring." I can't imagine why," Laura said, deadpan, but with a twinkle of teasing in her eyes too."I know why, but I'm not going to tell you."Laura tilted her head. "Fair enough." She found herself hoping it didn't have anything to do with space aliens. "Come on, I've got a bottle I opened last night in the fridge."She poured Shaniqua a small glass of Chardonnay and then, in the bathroom again, explained to her how to operate the jacuzzi."No soap. Clogs the. ?So you go through all this work to get her, then you kill her after only a few hours??Mark didn’t respond. He was running his hands over the girl’s legs and up her shorts.?That’s my rule,? explained Jean. ?I don’t mind him taking a woman from time to time, but I won’t let him ruin our lives over one.??Are you afraid he’d run off with a victim??The girl screamed, a muffled ?Mwwwaaa!? through the duct tape. Mark had pulled off her shoes and was now yanking her shorts down. He got them past her.