It was nearly full dark again outside when I finally bestirred myself. It took me a minute or so to get oriented, I was at first confused by awaking i... a strange setting. But in a moment the memory came trickling back to me, and I sat bolt upright."Susan?" I said hesitantly. First things first, was she still with me? Had she ever been, in fact?"I'm here, lover," came her voice. "Take your time waking up, you slept a long time." She knew from experience that I got moving kind of slowly in the. Cassie is hot headed and strong willed, perhaps too much like her father? She was much taken with you, I could see that”“And I her, sir. But I fear I would not be the right match for her, I have too little understanding of the world as yet; and too little by way of fortune. I know you have more than enough, but I could not live as a parasite ... no insult intended. I simply wish to make my own way”“No insult taken, I am delighted to hear you say that. Too many young men these days seem to want. She went to the kitchen instead, and turned on the light. Her hands pulled the ingredients from the shelves without conscious thought, as she started to make a batch of cookies. She had no gleam of knowledge that, miles away, there was another woman, the woman who had given birth to the man who tormented her, and that that woman too, had made cookies because of Bobby. Though miles apart, both socially and in linear distance, both women resorted to the same thing, from time to time, to soothe. "Don't," he said, looking at me. "Please." It jus' wen' off," Dawn said, staring at what she had done. One man's arm was a ragged mess and the other had taken much of the blast in his chest and throat. He stopped kicking while we watched and I decided."Go on," I said to the remaining Redcoat. "I don't want a prisoner. Start walking south." What about him?" he said, pointing at the man holding his bleeding arm and sobbing. Blood poured from his wounds."He's dead," I said, and I tore the wounded.