Gwen’s call had been the first bit of good news she had received in what seemed like forever. Her American friends were actually making a difference...and she marveled at their generosity. Having completed the negotiations and signed the necessary documents, Steve phoned the lady in charge of the orphanage and told her what they had done. He asked her to meet with the contractor at the building so she could have input into what the orphanage would require in the way of renovations. Then he asked. None here had the bright pink tone to theirskin that her people had. A Zeltron’s skin was oftentinted by the radiation of her home-world’s sun.Generations upon generations of her people took on thestrange pigmentation making them stand out from otherhumanoids. They aren’t common to see, hanging around in cold spaceports, as their home world is much more adaptive to thefun-loving nature of her kind as well as theirpromiscuous tenancies. It took work to avoid exuding thenatural. Call for the cops and call for a pizza and guess who'll probably show up first." But guns are dangerous!"I shrugged. "A weapon's just a thing. It's not going to hurt anyone." People are hurt and killed all the time." By other people." With guns! Guns should be banned except for police and soldiers." Lots more people are killed by cars. Let's ban cars except for taxicabs. Maybe race car drivers can own them, too. Bathtubs are dangerous, too" That's ridiculous." So is banning weapons. I've lived. But the last two years reminded me of one of those classical pieces which starts incredibly slowly and builds, bit by bit, through various levels of drama until a noisy and unbearable climax assails the audience that has been ratcheted tighter and tighter until surely something will give.Think 1812 Overture, with its several soaring sweeps of strings and horns whisking you higher and higher, until finally the cannon booms out to mark the ultimate journey’s destination.Sitting alone swirling my.