As soon as she began climbing the stairs to our room I began to follow her. When she noticed that I was behind her in the room, she became very nervou..., she even asked me if there was something wrong."Yes indeed my dear, something is very wrong. Sit on the bed and we will have a talk." What is it Jack? You look so serious, it scare me to see you with that look in your eyes."In all evidence it was plain to me that she still really believed that I was completely ignorant of her affair with Tom.. Thakkor immediately stood and walked toward her."Morning," he greeted her when he reached her."Good morning," Alicia replied with a wide smile, wanting nothing more than to gather him up in her arms."Oh, kiss her. We are all quite aware of your relationship, and you look positively silly standing there staring at each other," Gwen declared as she walked past.Thakkor chuckled and leaned down to kiss his love.Everyone jumped when the wizard suddenly appeared from his invisible tent, having almost. It was only a nip and totally harmless but to a little girl it had been a terrifying moment as the beast had sprung at her. A lifelong fear of snakes had resulted.And now, as she was naked and unable to move a snake rose out of the coffin in front of her. The head of the snake slowly rose, now as high as her knee. The eyes in the bulbous head did not blink, cold darkness fixed upon the struggling white woman.In her nightmares the snake in Texas had been big but that was just her imagination. Even the forks went silent, and Mouse kept her face trained on her plate."At first I though I'd have to move," she said. "But I can't afford to. This arrangement is making everything work out. School and so forth. I don't know how else I'd manage everything. I just ... feel..." I know." Maybe we could pretend the whole thing never happened and keep on going like before." Sure. Maybe." Yeah. That'd be good."She looked off to the side toward the bank of windows facing east. A full moon was rising.