They wanted to be able to defend their homes, they explained. Kran shrugged internally, this would end badly. When the men returned, husbands, fathers... brothers; they would take their frustration out on him, not the women. He knew all this, but he also knew he would continue.The world was changing. These women had minds to think, and bodies to protect. They were right, if they were willing to learn to fight, why not?A month passed, and the women’s numbers had swelled to fifty. Now he was. ” She handed him back to me and then dug a diaper from the diaper bag on the back of the stroller. She found a flat spot at the end of the bed and expertly changed him. She had been changing her brothers and sisters since she was big enough to pick up a baby. Before she was done, though, she held him up for me to see. “See? Twenty-one!”“Looks like he can get to 22 and 23 as well,” I commented.“Men!” After changing him, it was feeding time. Marilyn gave him back to me, and then dug out a blanket. Mike caught a glimpse of Jackie's face in the bedroom window as the team shot through the yard and out behind the shop, where Mark ought to be with his team. Fortunately, Mark was just ready to go when Mike and the Beatle Hounds shot by, for the sight of the running team in front of him was more than his dogs could stand; his command of "HIKE" came even as the dogs were running.The two teams raced down the runway, with Mike's team twenty or thirty yards in front. At the end of the runway, the. .."Now I was a little bit angry, but I kept my voice even. "Gayle, listento me. So now I know what you have in your robe, between your legs. Bigfucking deal. I look at you and I see a beautiful woman. You met me andyou trusted me and we wound up liking each other a whole lot. Didn'twe?"Gayle's face softened a bit and she gave me a half-smile. "Yes," shesaid, barely above a whisper.I continued: "Do you believe that I I'm not lying when I say that I'dlike to see you again? I promise you it's not.