”Tom Stafford frowned. “Will they buy them? Surely they have enough of their own.”“It’s already agreed. They’ll take them and look after t...em for us until such a time as we can take them back. And since there’s only sixteen active anyway, maybe nineteen by then, I’m not going to worry if we never get them back. Most pilots apparently hate the damned things anyway.”Stafford’s frown relaxed as he nodded his understanding.“So why haven’t you used Q.E.’s replicators to maintain the sixteen you do. ” “But you said hewasn’t there!” “He wasn’t.” “What’s going on?” I was gettingfrustrated. “I’m sorry”, said Cindy, “I’ll explain. Larry and I play thisgame where …” she paused and seemed unwilling to go on. “Well, Iam… I pretend to be his slave.”I sat there in silence with my mouth hanging open. “It’s only a game”she said nervously. “He. The black dog was scratching at my door like it had in those days of recovery after getting shot up in combat. The phone was driving me crazy and I finally gave up and picked up the receiver to hear the familiar voice of the young girl down at the police morgue tell me they had my Uncle’s effects and I was officially registered as his next of kin on the department records. I think I was rude to the pretty young thing and replied I would attend to it as soon as possible.Julie had slept with the. Their gang boss had just been acquitted (again) on a serious assault and battery charge, from beating a rival gang member into a permanent coma, and they were kicking up their heels and getting back down to business.For the most part they left me alone whenever I entered the property. I showed no interest in them and they apparently had been told that I had a right to be there on the ranch, and they mostly left me alone to do my job. I've never spent much time in the city and know nothing about.