Almost waiting for an explanation. ?My wife died about six years ago,? I explained, staring at the ring myself. ?We were married a bit bette... than thirty years. Just never took the ring off. Didn’t feel right without it.? ?I’m so sorry,? she replied, embarrassed and genuinely remorseful for having put me in a difficult position. ?I didn’t mean to pry. I’m sorry.? ?It’s okay,? I tried to reassure her. ?I guess it’s silly to still wear it after all these years. Another old habit. . She reached for the teacup, and took a long sip. As she glanced back up, she invested the storekeeper with the one thing that was hardest for her to give. In a beautiful yet softly muted voice, three syllables floated across to the old man's ears. "I trust you."The old man watched as the girl's body lost its fullness of breast and hip. He watched with satisfaction as scars and bruises unformed and healed. Her hair receded into her scalp until her head was only covered with a soft fine baby. The ceremony that took place would enrage, sicken, or perhaps, enthrall humansoutside Sanctuary. But there was logic behind the apparent madness. Nearly a decade ago, a group of visitors from a planet in the Hydra Si starsystem were investigating Earth's solar system. One of their primary missionswas the observation of humans and their cultures. The group consisted of scientists,engineers, spiritualists and ordinary beings with no particular vocation. These extra-terrestrials are similar, in. In no time at all, but probably more like an hour and a half, we'd killed the merlot and started on a half bottle of a reisling I'd found corked up in the back of my fridge. I was now sitting on the close end of the middle cushion and Jill had kept her hand on my lower thigh for the last half hour, gently stroking it from time to time as if to punctuate her sentences.Finally, unable to resist any longer, I gathered up my nerve and reached out to bring her closer for a kiss. At the same time,.