" Just she?" asked Meiersdottir. "Not you too?" I'll stay here to take care of things on this end," he said carefully. "Along with you, of course." Mm...," she said. She looked back and forth between them. "A long time for young lovers to be apart." Grandmother—" he started."We've discussed it," Heisinger interrupted. "It's not exactly like we're brand new together. We've had more than four years already and we'll have lots and lots and lots more when I get back."Meiersdottir nodded, more to. .”I left the sentence unfinished as my voice went silent. I shrugged my shoulders and nodded toward Sheila and the women of the committee. Sheila held her hand palm-up and spread her fingers open like a flower in a gesture of invitation. The floor belonged to me.“We would be fucked if this had been the real thing. We lack the force of arms to hold this valley; we are not prepared. Not even close.” I gazed into the worried faces around the table.“What about our Defense Force?” Sheila offered.I. ”More snickering.“You look like you could use a few more hours of sleep.”“Busy night.” In response to a raised eyebrow, he pointed at his temple. “Up here.”“Same.” She managed to catch a glimpse of his half-smirk, half-grimace before he wiped it from his face. “What?”“Maybe not quite the same.”Despite his internal conflict, he found her blush adorable. They continued working in silence as the minutes ticked by.“Luke, can I ask a favor?”“Of course.”“I know I brought it up, but can we not talk. "Rachel looked at him in silence."Your Aunt Mary phoned me. She said she spoke with the Adrian's mother,and she said he was willing to withdraw the complaint as long as youleave the city as soon as possible. And believe me, it would be betterif you didn't come back."A heavy silence fell in the room. Rachel had left everything behind.First her parents. Then her old body. Her girlfriend. Her last livingrelatives. Now, could she bring herself to leave behind even the lastpeople still standing by.