Everything was made from light, flowing material in muted colors, decorated with geometric patterns. His eyes roamed down to its forearms, and just as...he had suspected, he could see two more feather sheaths like those on their heads. They were wound around its arms like vines. Its feet were bare, only the uniformed Valbarans with blue camo were wearing boots that covered their lower legs, a component of their pressure suits. The ones wearing green and purple were also barefoot, exposing a pair. When they hit a strata of sand and clay, I knew something solid had to be near. It was actually deeper then I surmised, but if the city gives us the go ahead, we will know where we need to start from." That's fine Tim. Explain why that strata of mud is where it is if you can?" I wouldn't know really, but it may have been as recent as the flood spoken of in the Bible about Noah and the ark. I doubt it though, as with thirty feet of subsoil above it, it has to be longer ago than that. I believe. " No guessing. You make this real or Veronica and the world will know your little secret." ... All right, all right."The two stood in long all weather coats to conceal the outfits they wore beneath and pulled the leather masks down over their faces as Betty rang the doorbell. Matt also carried a canvas bag.Shonda Dubois had settled in for the evening. She had changed into a sheer teddy and was curled up with a new erotic romance thriller when the doorbell rang. The forty-seven year old was not. Silently, I left the room and opened the door to the basement. The whole house was quiet.I crept slowly and carefully down the stairs, placing my weight on the edges of each step rather than in the center, to avoid making a noise. I just had to see her. I reached the bottom. The basement was completely dark. None of the moonlight made its way here. I crouched by the base of the stairs for a while, I could hear Lynette's fitful breathing but I could not see her.After a while, I could see, in the.