" Really?" Tony asked, his eyes wide and innocent. "Gosh, I got it all wrong. Could you tell me a little about this mess?"Seeing that Tony was allowin... himself to be gulled into believing just about anything, the man launched into a long, involved story of how funds were shifted periodically and how book-keeping mistakes did happen. About halfway through the speech, Velvet rose."Excuse me for a few minutes, gentlemen. I've got to visit the ladies' room."She waggled her ass with just the right. The week passes and we arrive at Friday night. I make a phone call to Victoria, who explains that we go there and she gives me the address. I did not really want to dress sexy for this event, but at the same time it was hot again. I decide to put on heels, since it's my only open shoes, jeans shorts and a loose t-shirt.I arrive on the spot. We had promised to meet outside to get together. I call her and she tells me that she came out a little late, and there are some traffic jams, but she. .. he used to be. He was in the Navy.”He nodded judiciously. “I may’ve been out a while, but ain’t forgot how to treat an officer and his family.”“Oh...”“Good man, your daddy.”I blinked.He grinned at my confused look and then launched into a hoary tale involving three drunken “geesha” girls, some chocolate sauce, and something called a “pillow book.”Finally, I was ready to do something else, anything else. I know Mr. Kershaw was enjoying having someone to listen to his stories, but I was ready. “We shall now come to order.” Somonik announced from the dais. “This meeting of the national leaders and high commanders of The Just Alliance is now in session.“First, the latest developments.“Efforts to see over the Wards around Venak have proved fruitless, since they grow in height in response. However, we have determined by careful measurements of temperatures that those Wards block light from one direction only, thus it is a tiny bit warmer in Venak than it should be, and also thus we can.