The girls had just finished gathering up leaves again for our mattress when it began to rain. Pat and I quickly cast the spell for the defensive shell... but a closed one tonight. We took the horses out to the pond for a drink, and brought back a bucket of water for camp use. It had also grown colder with the rain."How are we going to cook?" the girls asked before looking at our supplies, after which they had a different question."What are we going to cook?" they asked, just before the Eternal. 'You're no Roman,' the priestess asserted. 'What are youdoing here?' Sadiste wandered over to the shackled woman, reaching out to run a hand overSatrya's painfully stretched arm. 'I'm here to see you, of course,' the red-skinnednewcomer said, still smiling. 'After all, this entire episode has been largelydue to interest in you.' 'What do you mean?' asked Satyra, but a cold realization was already formingin her mind. 'There are those I serve who are very interested in you, and your. To wo boli ki yah kya kar rahe ho? Leekin mere aisa karne se usko bhi bahut maja aa raha tha, lekin pata nahi phir bhi kyo wo mujhse sawal puchh rahi thi.Phir maine kaha ki main pyar kar raha hun or maine dhire se unki garden par chuma or wo siskiyan bharne lagi ummm aahhhh uhhh or phir boli ki yah sab galat hai.Maine kaha ki kuch galat nahi hai tum bhi pyasi ho or main bhi pyasa hun. Chalo aaj hum ek dusre ki pyas bujhate hai or phir maine apna ek hath unki dress ka ek button kholkar andar. " She paused for a moment and then she finally said the words. "It's your father, John. He's dead."My stepmother explained to me that my father had a heart attack earlier that night and by the time the ambulance had gotten to him, he was too far gone. There was a wake and funeral planned for later in the week and she very much wanted me to be there for them both.I made arrangements the next day with the college, informing them that I would be taking a leave from my classes for a while to deal.