" Aw, he don't know squat," the clerk said. "You know how people are.When they don't know something they make up stories that soundinteresting. Some p...ople call that gossip. Some call it bullshit."By the way he said it, there was no doubt what he called it.The woman came to the counter with a couple items, standing off to theside as if she didn't want to get too close to Ben."Well, thanks," Ben said.He drove out to the shack again, honking all the way. Henry hadn'treturned and his initial gifts. She went straight home and confronted her son."Come with me Steven," Wendy said and led him upstairs to her bedroom."Sit!" she pointed to the chair in front of her vanity table."Ok watch me," she said.Wendy rifled through her wardrobe and laid out on her bed a blackminiskirt, white satin blouse, a black satin bra and panty set, a packetof sheer-to-the-waist taupe pantyhose, and a pair of black shiny highheels."Ok; that should do you; now turn and face the mirror and pay closeattention."She. Does Velma speak German by any chance?” He snickered.“Oddly, she does, and four other languages as well,” he said. “Okay, I’ll put her on it. It’s going to drive up the cost, but if it can be done, it’ll be done.”“Thank you, my husband, thank from the bottom of my heart,” she said.“Is that all?” he said. She looked away.“Abigail? Is there something else?” he said.“Yes. It’s about the children,” she said. “Well, their fatherhood.”“Okay, and...” he said.“When my dad went to see him, he talked. The introductions finished, Meiersdottir was asking Joe to relay her greetings to the mothers, especially Gagugakhing and Akeelakhing, the two with whom she'd had personal interactions on the prior visit, when Zo tapped her on the shoulder."Ma'am, Maj. Miller wants to speak with you," he said formally; she gathered that Miller was listening over his sergeant's communicator.Except for Zo's, none of the landing party's communicators were linked to the Gardener. This was at Meiersdottir's.