I don't normally drink but whynot. Then I started to feel dizzy and started to black out as I wasfading. Denae said nighty night, now we can have some...fun.I awoke and found myself strapped to a beauty chair smellingchemicals. "About time you woke up beautiful," said Mary."Where am I? What's going on?" I said."Not much, we have a party to go to Saturday and we are one girlshort. So My cousin Violet Marie will come with us. But since shedoesn't exist, we are turning you into a hot girl. You asked. For the sport of it, it seemed. I could see that the Axis soldiers had loaded all the men, at gun point, into the backs of the trucks and were now themselves climbing back into the half-track Hanomags. My gaze went to the crumpled pool of cloth that was the old man. I saw, by her dark clothes, the girl that had tended me was on her knees next to him. Holding his hand, crying. Even as I watched, she turned it loose and rose to her feet. In her hand was a knife she had taken from the desert man’s. If I could watch her do it. If I would go insane withjealousy. If I would still love her and her me after-wards. I began to try to rationalize it but figuredI could never make it happen even if I decided I reallywanted it to.About that same time, we went out of town for a weekendtogether without the kids. We were out at dinner at asidewalk cafe near the beach where we had been layingout all afternoon. We’d had a couple glasses of wine andwere overlooking the beach when the lifeguard. She knew her son was brilliant and able to piece together informationvery quickly. "I know, you withheld much from me about your realfamily, and your father, and sister Elsa. There were things you kepthidden out of necessity. I know everything will be revealed when youare ready and it will be too late for them."Thomas smiled.One of the security stuck his head in and said, "The Duke is ready andthe ceremony is ready to begin. Ma'am." He said to Thomas with asmirk. Thomas remembered that man as.