I have enjoyed your company and I hope you can see past the Admiral and past the things you know about me and we can remain friends.I will answer your...calls when I can.”“Yes, Ma’am, I mean Deepa. I have no words I can use to express the gratitude I feel for all you have done for me. I am very proud I was allowed to be your Soja, to be Nightshade and to be allowed to call you friend.”She stepped closer and simply hugged me. “I’ll keep an eye on your career and you, I promise and I am certain we. His nervousness was more obvious than most.He drank half of his beer in one long swig.“Uh -- road construction,” he said. “Can we just go ahead -- and --”“Sure,” I said and began unbuttoning my shirt.He watched me pull it out of my jeans and drape it over my chair a few feet in front of him. He took another long guzzle of beer as I bent to untie my shoes and pull them off. He finally started unbuttoning his own shirt when I straightened back up.He pulled his shirt out of his jeans, but didn't. I decided to ignore them and concentrate on work until 10. If there was something important, I knew they would let me know.???????The meeting with the staff was very short. There were a few questions, a few challenges that I thought were more of a hypothetical exercise, but the staff seemed to be of a unanimous mind. They wanted to sell, they wanted to be rich, and I couldn't blame them.I knew a few of them would likely leave and Rebecca was high on that list. With her share of the proceeds,. Finally, I was totally and inexplicably immobile; facing the balcony window and the streaming moonlight.Another hour must then have passed for I heard Dorzi scratching at the door and calling my name softly. I was able to blink my eyes but my lips were as immobile as those upon a statue of bronze. After a while Dorzi departed, leaving me in total silence. Fear now grew in my mind; I knew not what I had done to bring this condition about, nor did I know if there would be any way out of it.The.