Blackie just shook his head and snorted. Then I noticed a quiver back from his withers. "He's getting' ready," I said softly. The brown bull moved one...forefoot; a young bull snorted and the brown bull turned his head a bit. That was enough. Blackie just ran a bit to the side of the interloper and moved his head from right to left. The brown bull screamed — I don' know another word — and I could see a three-foot slash along his side. There was an inch or two of blood on the tip of Blackie's. .embarrassed that this boy he barely knew hadseen his blue satin panties, but relieved at the compliment. "Uhmm yeah- they ARE from VS! How did you know?" Nikki was doing his best to holdhimself together and play it cool, but it took everything he had.Aiden opened his top dresser drawer to show off a huge collection ofpanties in every color of satin and lace imaginable. Aiden blushed forthe first time: "I guess I kinda have a thing for panties. And shoes.And jewelry. And, well, pretty much. " It was a man's voice speaking in Thailo, and the tone and timbre fitted the firedancer perfectly."Beast of Flame, Lord of Rage." Initially trembling, the voice seemed to gain in strength."Eyes of Embers, molten lead." There was a clearer sense of warmth now, as if the air inside was being heated by his words."The Furnace for your foes! The Inner Fire for your priests!"I felt Nightbreeze stirring beside me. She did not speak Thailo, yet she deduced it first. "He's chanting a ritual!" Come,. .. ... and suddenly I was waiting in front of the restaurant as my fiance paid the cabby. I insisted he give the driver a hundred dollar tip despite his complaints that the tip was too big and the cab was too smelly. I turned away from the stunned look on the driver's all too familiar old face. I was ashamed of what I had done. I had condemned her to the same curse that had overtaken me and I ruined her life. Tommy, my new fiance, took my hand and I looked back at the cab one last time. What.