" "And what a welcome it is," Max said with a devilish grin as he crossed the kitchen floor, Jazz spreading her legs as Max came to stand between the..., leaning down to kiss her, their tongues intertwining as she wrapped her arms around his neck. "You know, I could get used to this," Max said as he broke the kiss, "And you haven't even unwrapped your present yet," Jazz murmured "My present?" Max said quickly looking around the kitchen, Jazz smiled nervously as butterflies began to flutter in. This would make the fifth beer he had consumed, and after the wine at the restaurant, Bob was feeling no pain. Neither he nor Lori were habitual drinkers.Bob slowly sipped his beer while Todd and Lori made small talk. He was determined to see how far Todd could actually go. This is what he had wanted for years, but still felt a pang of jealousy.Lori seemed nervous and practically gulped her Black Russian. Todd had hardly touched his drink and noticing Lori's glass empty, refilled it from his. I had walked some distance north from the village, far from the normal patrol routine of the night watch, certainly beyond the range of anyone in their safehold. I squeezed my walking stick pressing it firmly into the ground.A strange flash of a memory of me in class wearing a uniform with my cadet commander cap hit me. I could recall the professor talking about anthropology and cultural adaptation to fear of the unknown. The unsummoned thought was overridden by a dancing light at the bottom of. " Uncle Johnny gazed toward the window. "That ain't what happened. What happened was, he wanted to go one way, but history went another. Last time I saw your daddy, I went down to Central Station, when he left. Had that big troop train down there. Three of 'em, three trains, lined up. He was standin' there by that big iron gate, where you go out. You know that big iron gate? You seen it, it's still there. He said, 'Uncle Johnny, I volunteered for this. Nobody wants me to do this. But ain't.