What if I initiate the conference call? I'll make it clear that the job is open and no one has an edge." Great, it may be better if I'm not involved w...atsoever."Suzanne came in to the sunroom and wanted to know what we were discussing. I excused myself, leaving John to explain it to her.Boy, did I dodge a bullet, I thought. Making a trip to all the sales offices was the last thing I wanted to do. It would take me away from Karen for an entire week. Was I a manipulator or what?Karen called as. Pretty soon I got an incoming call. It wasn't the Coast Guard, but it was the next best thing—the State Police. I described what was happening, including the fact that my cell phone service was down. They wanted to know the registration numbers on the boat. I had a spotting scope (that had seen better days) in my office. I laid it on the window casing for stability and took a look. I got 'ME-ARJ' then the trees blocked the rest. I told the nice man what I'd seen and verified that they were. If there had been any doubt about how these two felt about me, it would have been washed away when I saw their reaction to my safe return each time. I soaked up the raw emotion that was pouring from them and hugged them back, stroking their hair and backs. I looked over to see that Eilean was hugging Gabrain tightly too, tears likewise streaming down her lovely cheeks.The loch-side was becoming jammed with folk as men poured off the longships and people from the camp came down to welcome our. ? He sniffedagain, deeper, and choked as it caught the back of his throat. Hesaw on the back of the tub in large purple letters. 'For externaluse only. Do not inhale. Keep away from eyes and mouth. Seekimmediate medical advice if swallowed.'David leant back. Seized by a sudden resolution born of despair, herubbed the cream on his legs, calves, thighs. all over, rubbeddeep, frantically. If he had to do it then it were best donequickly. Like Lady Macbeth he thought wildly. More of it went onhis.