“To explain why they did what they did and be judged by humans, not the AIs.”“I’m pretty much with the AIs in their judgement,” I groused. �...�But yes, I do see the point and will do my duty.”“That’s right,” Amantil grinned as she sipped a large glass of something colourfully alcoholic, though without fruit and an umbrella in it, apparently the Empire had never cottoned on to that idea.Kirim was not drinking alcohol, naturally, though was enjoying being out in the sunshine and by a beach, though. Somebody brings in one little extra package of some food item, like ketchup, or coffee creamer. Then a guest in the hotel gets a little package with his or her room service the next morning. And then there’s things on a larger scale, going through the same channels.s’ ‘And damn near impossible to catch.’ I said. ‘Yes sir.’ said Teresa. ‘Which is why getting the Viscottis to talk is such a big deal. They’re buying from the Beanstalk Gang, and if we can set up a sting and catch them based upon. He could usually pull them up with the winch line, push them up with the blade, or dig them completely out. I knew there'd be plenty of the larger ones he and the skidder couldn't handle after we moved to the log sized trees though. I figured we'd have to burn them out, but there should be plenty of trimmings off the logs to get the job done. It would be time consuming, but we needed to get the stumps out if we intended to raise crops on the land.When logging day finally arrived we had to do. For some bizarre reason, I started teasing my son about the girls he noticed, either in the street or in stores and then would hear myself saying to him. “That girl in the plaid skirt did you like her?” or “Those two girls wearing mini dresses that you were speaking to in the chemist shop, do you like them?”I was never sure of my motives for asking, but it became somewhat of a fixation. I think it was a mixture of my being amused at my son’s interest in the young women, and of my being flat.