" C'mon, Alex!" Orlie said, "You're not all that new in town." I've gotten a slow start, socially," I confessed. "I've been too preoccupied with makin... certain I was going to be a permanent resident of Baltimore, before putting down roots." So I've got him all to myself!" Maria said.She was making me blush like a teenager."You could do a lot worse," Orlie said to her daughter. "In fact, you have -- several times!" Mama!" Maria said. Now it was Maria's turn to blush."OK, let's go to work," Orlie. Well, I guess I should go in and see what she wants. I thought to myself. I went inside and started looking for Maria. I walked into the laundry room and found Maria putting a load of clothes to wash."Hello, Maria. I'm here like you asked," I said."I see that. Very good. Now go into the bedroom, take off your clothes, and wait for me on the bed," she said."Wait, WHAT?" I asked, astonished."You heard me. Now go do as I say," she said."I want to know what you have in mind, Maria. Is this some. This is different. We want you to use all three ponds with us, all of us together. Hush, Jake, this is not the time for jokes. The side effects we all know about and they are the very reason we want to do it. We cannot ignore but shall accept them, without anything untoward following. Please? Berthold? Jake? Alfred?"Now Alfred did use his bio-feedback, I felt him strongly, asking for guidance. I also felt him probing for Jake."Alfred, Jake, we have to go along with them, right now. The. ’ ‘Merci, Capitaine,’ the Lady replied. ‘I have always wanted to visit my holdings in the New World, and when you offered your ship to me and my entourage I was pleased to accept. It has been a most enlightening journey. I had the greatest confidence in your assurance that we were in no danger from buccaneers on this voyage, and you have proved true to your word.’ As they spoke the first course of the meal, turtle soup, was placed before them. ‘Precisely, Madame. Those dogs would not dare to.