.."I drew in my breath and hold it for a while trying to calm myself down."Will you?" I almost whispered."Will I what?" You know... Show me..." Oh. We...l. I..." Of course not," I said and let my arms loose from around her hips."Oh, but I will. But not just now, later." When? Next year?" No silly. Later tonight."She looked down at me glancing up at her with disappointment written all over me."Tell you what," she said with a little laughter. "I'll give you a little preview."She raised her dressed. ..”“Pa, please don’t be mad at Ramie.” That was a new voice. Caitlin and Phile were standing in the door. “We know we’re not supposed to lie, and that was wrong of Ramie. But please don’t send the horses away. We gotta help them.”Way to go, Phile! I had a sudden and unexpected burst of love and pride for my younger sibs. Over the past summer, since I begged Pa to let us go get the two Pinto draft horses, the brats had changed into ... well, almost into human beings. At thirteen they were. This, too, is truth I cannot deny.Shishio: So this is how you repay him.Houji: Ridiculous! Even at his peak, Battousai was pitiful compared to Lord Shishio! The outcome would have been no different!Shishio: Let it go, Houji.Houji: Lord Shishio!Shishio: I haven't fought in such a long time. Let's leave no doubts about who is the strongest. Now that I've beaten Himura and the others, it's me. Care to defeat me and lay that honor before the Oniwabanshuu?(Aoshi blurs into the Kaiten Kenbu.)Shishio:. Finally, she took the lace thigh-highs and rang them up before wishing me a fun evening with a great big smile. My face was as red as a fire truck. I thanked her, grabbed my bag and literally ran out of the store but was stopped by the greeter who asked to see my receipt and then checked to make sure all the items in my bag were indeed paid for. Could I get any redder? I doubt it. I finally made it to my car where I composed myself before driving home. I tucked my purchase away in the same.