" I relaxed and letout the breath I didn't even realize I'd been holding. "I invited acouple of our friends from the other kind, especially a certai... someonethat helped us out with Jake and his gang." John?" I asked. I couldn't keep the trembling and yearning from myvoice. "Really?" I stared off into space for a moment, and rememberedall the times he and I had been together, and especially that firsttime: he was the first real man I'd ever been with and, despite myhesitations about being. All of it has been worth it! While there's still more work to be done and we'll have to be even more careful about our steps, we'll eventually understand! When the time comes, we will eventually be able to share with the world our knowledge, prove its teachings, and make known of its implications - the proof of an advanced history that existed before even the earliest civilizations!"A few whispers followed. Growing smiles can be seen on their shadowed faces as their leader's words uplift their. But answers could help her escape."Why does he call you 'Sauce'?" she asked. That's safe enough."Zack?" Sawyer brushed his bangs aside and settled back. "Well, he started doing it when we were kids. You ... probably don't remember the escalation, like, fifteen years ago?"She shook her head."Yeah. It was mostly over by the time we were getting old enough to understand it, but people were still being paranoid about anyone asian. You can't tell now, but my grandpa was chinese, and when I was. .. really together ... in eight months, since the last Christmas break period. The first thing she asked me was which office my boss worked in. And then she marched me right in."Hi there!" She said, smiling brightly. "Betty is quitting! Sorry for the short notice. She's had a better offer. You can keep her last paycheck!"Mr. Morehead (who had made several passes at me over the past year ... some of which were quite physical, despite his being married) protested rather vehemently. As a final bit.