"You will see me in a miniskirt and aburka before I become a Muslim and that's never going to happen. Andthis is never going to become a Muslim count...y." It could be arranged, Nikki," Afroza said, slightly too menacingly formy liking. "You haven't been to any Muslim countries have you? Well,did you know that in Pakistan they recognise the transgendered more thanin your Christian country? That might not be important to you now but itwill be one day. Yes in Muslim Pakistan there are three. And then I got the break I’d been hoping for.After breakfast the following morning, Everett called me to the kitchen and asked if I would mind running into town with Mitch. We needed some groceries and things, and it was time to start showing me how to handle things like that on my own, that soon they would entrust me with such responsibilities as part of my job. I grinned and said it really would be nice to get away for a little while… and Everett laughed and said that when we got back, he. Everyone else noticed my appearance; Jackson the farm manager would stop working anytime I walked by and gawk at me until I was out of sight. Even the delivery drivers honked smiling and waving at me, to get my attention as they dropped off farm supplies.One afternoon, Ashley came in from school and asked Dad if she could spend the weekend with one of her girlfriends. He of course, said it was fine with him, and she excitedly arranged with her friend to go on Friday night and Dad would pick her. All the time we were talking, I was wondering if he was going to be the one. I was pretty certain that he was in favor of it, and I wanted to, sort of. I mean... I'd never done this. Not just as a human, but as a Nxtlaqtha. This, as you know, is my first real assignment. Before coming to Earth, I was young, at least in our terms. And there had never been an opportunity or reason at the same time for me to get around to it. I might have gone another 100 of our years -- nearly 130 of theirs --.