Almost immediately, we could see some member of the heroic rear guard making a retreat up the sides of the hill before us, cresting its top to once mo...e make a holding defense.Strawberry, seemingly a youngish cartoonish appearing child, was dressed in a rather old fashioned sort of manner, complete with an old grannie cap on top of her strawberry red hair and she wore an apron. Blood and gore covered her from head to toe and she turned back for a moment to smile at us, waving her flaming magic. A languid young man whispered in the ear of a bellicose and rotund man who acted as his amplifier.Whisper whisper. "His royal highness, the Exalted Protector and Father of this Great Empire, Descended from the Holy Loins of the Goddess of the Sun through..."The man's voice fell silent instantly when the youth raised his hand. It was a much more powerful and natural display of body language informing of importance and prestige than that provided by Wong. The Human Amplifier wanted to object with. OK, second year Russian history from Ivan theTerrible to the Bolsheviks. Gone."I shook my head defiantly. "It's just a crush. It'll pass. I-..." A blankexpression appeared on my face. I tried to drum up knowledge of theclass, but I just couldn't remember taking it. I thought the professorwas balding. He sort of looked like Mr. Peabody from the Astro Boycartoon I had watched as a kid, but now- it was a complete blank.He said, "As for Mama Khalia, she will send you a spell, but you won'thave the. I have a really nice apartment with an extra bedroom. So, what I'mtrying to say is that you can come live with me if you want. It would takesome time but I'm sure we could get the courts to allow you to live withme if that is your choice. At your age the courts give your preference agreat deal of consideration. And with the uniqueness of your situation I'msure there would be no problem." Really?" I said almost in total disbelief. I was surprised that my fathercared for me enough to even offer.