"I instruct them, assign their codes, then admonish, "Alexi, this isn't a toy or a game console."He salutes and replies, "Oui, mon Leftenant."I reply,..."Well get some sleep, I expect one of you here in 2.5 hours."This time the three of the salute and say in unison, "Oui, mon Leftenant." Then they smartly turn around and leave.Sharik comes up to me, nuzzles my hand and I promise, "Okay boy I will get out our secret stash of cookies."He does his doggie pirouettes, I go to the wall safe (yeah,. It is in the now that we must live; if we do not do that we must go first to shadow and finally to the land.Acou is speaking. “This is why I come,” he says. “I cannot be near to help my daughter as young. But I will help my daughter now if I may in the last thing it is that I do. Is there some way that you can leave this place where you are?”“I do not know,” I tell him. “But there is a thing I may do.”“Will you do this thing?” asks Kitik.“Yes, Kitik,” I say. “I think you are right that we must. I was never asked to join a relay team, probably because I was noted as not a team player, unable to see things from a team point of view. I do now, of course: we are a team, now that we are married. I see the benefits for our team.It was not like that in school. Being a solo runner suited me, for it fed in to reinforce my sense of being on my own. I was comfortable with being a loner, as it fitted with my family status as a single and unwanted child.”“You poor boy!” exclaimed Frances.Reg held. I told him to go get his things and I'll pick him up in front of his hotel in fifteen minutes. I think the look he gave me was trying to feel me out as if I was just sending him away. As he walked away I watched him go. He was slim but seem to have good shoulders and tall. I'm hoping he has stamina. Ten minutes went by and I headed for the door. I got into my car and pulled across the street. He was coming out of the door and smiled. He was relieved that I actually showed up, I guess. He was.