"Jack, why are you home and why the heck did you run that darn siren in the neighborhood. Geez, you are such an idiot." Then Roberta pretended to noti...e me for the first time. "Oh, and company! Jack, why is your uh, little friend here with you?" Dear, I'll remember not to use the siren any more in our neighborhood. I'm sorry. I brought Renee by because there was something I needed to say, and I want her here." Jack hung his head a looked a tad intimidated by his wife. I couldn't blame him. She. In all, I figured I now was up over a quarter million, maybe more. It was time to cash in. But first, I took a detour to the bar where the Princess was sitting with a younger woman who didn't look more than eighteen or nineteen.She said, "Hi. You did well at the wheel." I smiled and nodded. Her breathy voice was as soft and delicate as an early winter snow shower. My throat felt a little thick and I ordered a martini. "What about you?" I asked offering to buy her a drink."I don't drink. It's. It was as if their whole society was built on the bark until the big dog bites you and then back off scenario. Like a pack of male dogs sniffing and chasing after a bitch in heat.Another thing was apparent. The men here and now were slow learners. Either that, or I was expecting too much from them. It was just bad luck for them that I was ahead of the game on knowledge of where things would go if I let them keep doing as they'd been doing. Things would go right into the crapper for the next few. I nodded, and we walked to the well while I stripped off my ragged shirt. She handed me a small tub of soap. I knelt, pulled off my new boots, and she pumped, grunting with effort on the first few strokes. The water gushed up, cool and sweet, and I just let it run down my back for a few minutes before I began washing myself. The water kept coming as I squatted or sat under the flow working on my feet. Finally I stood, turned my back and pulled off my soaked britches and scrubbed my privates and.