In a separate space near the clothes closet, there was a water closet or toilet and a sink. I noticed that the beds had already been made.“I still n...ed a couple of hours of sleep,” Owen told me after we had checked out the room.“Yes, I could use a bit more sleep also,” I told him, but was looking at the two beds which were fairly narrow.“Guess that we’ll have to sleep alone,” Owen said.“Not if we’re very friendly,” I told him with a smile. We both lost our clothes then and crawled into the one. The city in the valley below me was still in the shadow of the hill; Icould make out its general shape, but no details. It would be in sunshinebefore long, though. Where would be the best place to view it from? Anoutcropping of rock, perhaps a mile away, below me and to my left, seemedlike a good vantage point. That looked good to me, and I felt great. Igathered my food and set off fairly skipping down the hill, savingbreakfast for later, to be eaten while I sat and studied my destination.The. " Mom crossed my bedroom and sat down on the bed. She put a hand to my forehead. "You're burning up!"I just nodded at her, holding my breath as my whole body had gone stiff. I lay rigid at just that second because if I relaxed, if I let the tension go, I'd melt into a big, wet puddle of 16 year old girl. Right there in my bed, and wouldn't that be a mess!"Hold on, I'm going to get the thermometer," Mom told me, and she was up and leaving, and then I let that hot breath out with a whoosh."Oh my. Ten o'clock." Things seemed to be speeding along, down hill, and he had no idea where the brake was located."I'm not much of a churchgoer I fear." She licked her lips and felt his gaze, remembering when she had stopped going after her stepmother criticized her dress and behavior, even insisted that she sang too loudly. "Did you know that over in Annapolis we had a preacher who kept a pistol on his pulpit?"He nodded again. "I heard that. But over here, it's pretty peaceable. The old minister,.