"The Old Man nodded. "Done. And yes, we take checks."Carlos followed the wizard to the counter, where thepurchase was finalized. The Old Man peered at...the check and thedriver's license. "Thank you for shopping with us, Juan. Besure to stop by again."Dannie had finally calmed Mrs. LaFarge. "Remember, itwears off in forty-eight hours. After that, try this rabbit'sfoot keychain. Just don't let your husband swallow it." Very well. I suppose that will have to do." The stoutwoman swept from the shop,. In several boxes he had put a gift certificate to some of the better women's shops in Washington, D.C.; he had put the gift certificate in a big box like her parents had done years ago. Bob was beginning to worry that Brenda would have trouble getting all of her things back to college.Ann went upstairs and came back with two presents, "These are from Brenda and me."Bob opened his first present and it was a heavy hand knit sweater from the Aran Islands. He knew that it strained her budget. I looked again through the slats. Yvonne was writhing on the bed, apparently in extreme pleasure. I looked harder still, then blinked in astonishment. A cruel-looking, metal-jawed clamp was attached to each of her large, dark teats, crushing it cruelly and pulling the globe beneath it horribly out of shape.Oh, sweet Jesus! What had I walked in on?I tore my eyes away from those tormented breasts, across the generous folds of her chubby tummy and down to her crotch where something large protruded. ”“But she’s old enough to make her own decisions, and she said yes.”“I say no. It’s not going to happen. She’s like an alcoholic who can’t refuse a drink. She is not competent to make this kind of decision.” Jake turned to Shannon. “Do you remember your first two rules?”Shannon nodded.“Teach them to Christine immediately.”“Yes, Jake.”“Christine, when was your last period?”She thought for a second and then dropped her eyes.“It was two weeks ago, Jake.”“Did you come in her, Brian?”“It’s none of.