As Tanya finished her second plateful of white beans ladled over cornbread, Lisa suddenly appeared beside her. She looked upset.“Hi, Hon,” Tanya s...id, noticing the little phoenix’s face. “What’s the matter?”Lisa looked at Tanya for a moment, her mind tightly sealed. “Have you been keeping track of Alicia?”“Well, yeah,” Tanya said, starting to worry a little. “Every once in a while, I ask the Praetor where she is and how she’s doing. She's been gone for more than twenty years, now. She’ll come. ‘I mean, I knew it would be harder, but not like this.’ I closed the cover to my laptop with a little more energy than usual, drawing everyone at the table’s attention. ‘I’ve been studying the same stuff over an hour and none of it is sticking. I’m hungry and tired. I’d say it’s time for a break.’ ‘I’m with you,’ the tall blond guy said, closing the book he was studying. The other guy closed his laptop as well. ‘I could use something to eat.’ ‘How about you ladies?’ I asked. ‘Are you in?’ . * Lena smiled. Startled, he looked at her. She just smiled, a little too innocently. "Ah, ok. How about you, Star Dawn?" She looked startled. "How did you... oh, the name? My folks were into somemystic trip when I was born, so it's my real name. In the end, it fitbetter than they anticipated." She cupped her hands, as though she washolding a ball, and formed a ball of light. It wavered, then vanished witha flash. "Damn! Almost had it that time." Looking an apology to Angel, shecontinued, "I'm. It gets almost 20 most of the time. But then, I really don't step on it very often. I normally drive a ten year old Honda, but I wanted to take Miss Robin out for a spin." Miss Robin? You named your car Miss Robin," asked Miss Rebecca."Of course, I name all my cars after women. My Honda is named Julie."Miss Scarlett asked, "What, no Miss Julie, only Miss Robin?" Why yes; my mother always told me to treat all women as ladies until they proved to me they weren't. Julie is a troublesome old bitch,.