That morning, unusually, the commandant asked her to stay once she had dressed.“I need to send a message to the chief,” he said, “and you, Anne-...arie, are the only one who can take it safely.”“What message?”“I need to tell him that the army is intending to abandon the fort, that we are going to destroy all our gunpowder, and to ask whether he would consider a business proposal. At present, I don’t want to reveal the business proposal. I want Ahmed’s plot to fail first.”“And I will try to ensure. It was the second marriage for both of us. At the time we married my daughter was already a freshman in high school, and Tom’s son Zack was nine. It was a rather uncomfortable fit from the beginning, because even though Tom and I love each other very much, as a career Navy man he was prone to be off on sea duty for several months at a time. Zack’s mom had died of cancer when he was just a baby. For a time Zack would stay with his grandmother while Tom was away, but as he grew older he. "If Linda Ronstadt can do a mariachi record, she thought, I ought to be able to do a polka record. Boy, wouldn't Knox strip a gear when he heard about that! Now, that was a Jennifer thought, the Jennifer she liked to remember -- mischievous, needling people's pretensions, the Jennifer that was in control of herself, of her own destiny, capable of handling anything.The miles flew by as she headed up the state road to Spearfish Lake. The radio station playing on the car radio was rather eclectic;. .. Oh good lord what's that?" She stepped back as the door slid upward and revealed the tunnel. "What is this?" This is a part of something so big I can't even begin explain it to you. You must see it for yourself. Come on inside. It's safe." Mark took the lead and she followed. When they entered what Mark had dubbed the "Star Chamber," all she could do was gasp. For once, Mark thought, my mother is completely at a complete loss for words."This is what our galaxy looks like from somewhere near.